Mystical Mermaids

I've loved mermaids ever since I was a little girl, so it's no surprise that in The Shapeshifter's Secret Series there are several sirens, water nymphs, and mermaids. It's probably why I love taking underwater pictures.

It's also why I decided to post about some of my favorite mermaid appearances.  

In the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie there are a lot of mermaids. Most of them were malevolent, but the movie did focus on one who was kind and loving. I became so enthralled with the mermaid, Serena, and her story, that I stopped caring about Jack Sparrow and the other pirates. (P.s. are they are making another one? Because they really ended Serena's story with a cliffhanger). 

When the Submarine ride first opened at Disneyland in 1959, they hired women to dress up as mermaids and sit out on the rocks of the lagoon. My mom still remembers seeing those mermaids when she was little and how mesmerizing they were.



Also at Disneyland, the mermaids on the Peter Pan ride. Did you know the front one is Ariel?



How cool is that?



I have a lot of fun memories about dressing up like a mermaid when I was younger. Recently I found this necklace with a mermaid on the front and I couldn't help but get it. It reminded me of all my mermaid adventures when I as younger. Also it was sparkly, I can’t pass up things that are sparkly...

What are your mermaid memories? Do you have a favorite mermaid book or movie? 

The Shapeshifter's Secret Giveaway!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know about a giveaway hosted by Author Konstanz Silverbow. Check out her Facebook page here to enter to win a hardback copy of The Shapeshifter's Secret. The giveaway ends tomorrow, so make sure you enter soon!

Great Things to Come

As I scroll through my Instagram and Facebook feed, I keep seeing videos my friends have put together of highlights from their year. The problem is, they put about fifty pictures together that play in a loop of ten seconds. Even though the pictures look incredible, it's all a bit of a blur. I wanted to show my writing highlights from this year as well, but I thought I'd slow things down. It's not a ten second video, but you can scroll through really fast if you so desire. 

2013 was full of ups and downs for me, but I learned a lot. I am so grateful for the love I received, the opportunities I was given, and for the new friends I made.  

Let's make 2014 a beautiful, positive year.

WRITING HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2013

Barnes and Noble Authorpalooza where I got to sign next to Jennifer Neilsen, Shannen Crane Camp, Lisa Rumsey Harris, and James Dashner. 

The Siren's Secret press tour for Good Things Utah, Daily Dish, and Studio 5. 

The Siren's Secret book Launch party at Barnes and Noble! 

Signing at Costco–especially when princesses came to visit. 

California book tour for The Siren's Secret. 

Salt Lake Comic Con. 

And lastly, helping welcome freshman at Utah Valley University (and finding my doppelganger). 

Happy New Year everyone! 

Journey of a Fantasy Trilogy

As you know, I finished the third and final book in The Shapeshifter's Secret Series. I've been rewriting and editing like mad to get it ready for a release date in June. It's an exciting experience, but it's also incredibly nerve-racking. I've put my whole heart into this trilogy. I've spent years dreaming up this series and making it come to life. For me, it's a lot of pressure making sure everything wraps up in a way that I feel good about giving it to my readers.

Characters have to find resolution in whatever path they choose. Some will reach their full potential, while others will fall short because of their decisions. Each character has to choose where they stand, and there won't be any gray areas to hide in. Sadly, there is more death in this novel. 

However, with the sadness, comes the stand-up-cheering-smiling-ear-to-ear moments when characters realize who they are. There's a lot of growth and self-discovery. Some relationships end, some relationships start (eek, so excited for this). Characters will live, laugh, and love—and it's all part of the hero's journey.

I can't wait to share this last book with you. Thank you for coming on this crazy adventure with me. Let's party in June at the launch! 

Also, as pictured above, there will be plenty of sword fighting, because swords are awesome. Just thought I'd let you know. 

Summer, Fireworks, and Fiction Fest

Happy first day of August!

Does anyone else feel like summer flew by? I spent so much time at book signings and writing the third Shapeshifter book, I didn't get to finish everything on my summer to-do list. Well, at least I got to see fireworks—I am a sucker for fireworks. (Though to be honest, I wasn't really watching the fireworks in this picture).

And I did get to spend some time swimming, pretending to be a siren. That was a must on the to-do list!

One of the best things about this summer was having the opportunity to launch my sequel, The Siren's Secret. I wanted to share this sketch below that one of my readers gave to me at the launch. I absolutely adore it, thank you, Anastasia! 

Before summer does end, I'm excited to be a part of Cedar Fort's Fiction Fest. My interview went up on their blog yesterday, and you can check it out on the link below. 

Blog.Cedarfort.com

I hope you've had a wonderful summer and have been able to hit everything on your to-do list!

BYU Writing Camp and Disney Princesses

Last Friday I had the privilege of speaking to kids at a BYU writing camp. It was such a great experience, and I couldn't believe how passionate the students were about writing. Most of them were already working on novels and were eager to talk about the publishing process. They had writing prompts, exercises and classes over the weekend. They also had many opportunities to share their work, which is so important.

I wish there was a camp like this around when I was in Jr. High! 

After teaching at the writing camp, I ran to Lehi Costco for a signing, and look who stopped by! I was very happy to visit with a fleet of Disney princesses. I guess you just never know who you'll meet at signings! 

Salt Lake Magazine Interview

I'm still playing catch-up from all the craziness of this month! Last week I had four Costco signings, this week I have two, and next week I have another four. I always look forward to these signings, and I have a lot of fun meeting new people who love reading as much as I do. The Costco samples don't hurt either *grins.*

When I'm not signing, I'm writing, trying to finish the other two novels I'm currently working on. In between writing I work to promote and update all of my social media sites--my blog, The Shapeshifter's Secret Facebook page, Twitter, and my website. And June is also my month to teach sharing time for primary! But that's okay, because I'll catch-up eventually, and I like being busy (with writing stuff, not house cleaning or other boring things, haha, just had to be clear). 

Last week I was interviewed by Rachel Davies from Salt Lake Magazine. This is definitely one of my favorite interviews that I've done! We talked about who inspires my characters, how I've been writing about Julia since Jr. High, and how I used to be a terrible student! To read the interview click the link below. Enjoy! 

www.saltlakemagazine.com

The Siren's Secret in Deseret News

Last week was so busy that I never got to post about my review from The Deseret News! I absolutely loved what they had to say, and I was thrilled to receive such positive feedback. I've posted  most of the review below, however if you'd like to read the full article, visit Deseretnews.com.

Book Review: 'The Siren's Secret' is a fantastic fantasy for young adult readers. 

"THE SIREN'S SECRET: The Shapeshifter's Secret, Book 2," by Heather Ostler, Cedar Fort.

In a world of shapeshifting werecats and powerful water nymphs, things are not always as simple as they seem.

In her new book, “The Siren’s Secret,” Heather Ostler, a Utah resident of Highland, leads readers back to the magical world of Ossai.

As Julia returns to Lockham, an enchanted school dedicated to educating werecats and nymphs, she feels unsettled. Following a strange encounter with a siren, an untrusted group of women who haunt the magical world, Julia begins to notice strange changes in her life — especially when she is near water. Her dreams are also disconcerting and her perfect world begins to unravel.

Wrenched by strange forces that pull at her soul and tear her away from everything that matters most, Julia finds herself lost in unexplained mysteries and heartaches. Facing an island of devoted but bewitching sirens, a temperamental nymph queen, a truth ring, poisoned swords and a mother who doubles as her archenemy, Julia must fight determinedly just to survive.

When the people she loves lurch in to save her from agony, they too become entangled in torment and Julia is forced to take drastic action. With truths revealed and hearts broken Julia must come to terms with the person she deeply wishes to be so she can defeat the evil that yearns to destroy her.

“The Siren’s Secret” is an animated sequel to Ostler’s first book, “The Shapeshifter’s Secret.” The story strides forward decisively without feeling reckless and the characters are sincere and engaging.

Julia is the classic teenage girl — aside from the fact that she can transform into a tiger — so her emotions propel her toward choices that aren’t always wise. However, her desire to do what is best always sparks through her decisions.

The supporting cast is full of unique and loving friends and family, although most of them play a much smaller role than in the first story, leaving Julia’s connection with some of them feeling fragmented. However, the driving force of the story is powerful enough to carry it through and leave readers anxious for more.

This tale has a bit of everything, as romance, action, magic, adventure, mischief and friendships are scattered liberally through the pages.

The book is geared toward young adults and is a great choice for any young fantasy lover. Parents can be assured that the story is clean with no foul language, sexuality or graphic violence."

By Melissa DeMoux

demouxfamily.blogspot.com.

Lehi Costco Signing

I'm signing tomorrow at the Lehi Costco (198 N 1200 E

Lehi) from 12-3! I'll have candy, bookmarks, and plenty of books! Plus if you stop by, I'll come with you to try all the samples at costco*

*Only if the samples include chocolate ;) 

Hope to see you there! 

The Siren's Secret Launch Party

The Siren's Secret Launch Party was a success! As an author I value the power of words, and a picture is worth 1,000 of them. I have over 20 pictures to show you, so I'll let the pictures do the talking (though I couldn't resit a couple of captions). I had such a fun night, and I loved meeting so many of my readers. Thank you for your support on my journey of seeing The Siren's Secret come to life! 

Loved these sugar cookies from Kneaders. They had "SS" on them in silver, blue, and green. 

My husband. He had to transport so many books, gift baskets, and jars of candy. 10,000 brownie points goes to him for all his help! 

I loved this ensemble. Julia is a werecat tiger after all  and the tiger slippers were absolutely fitting. Why didn't I think to wear those? 

Barnes and Noble did a fantastic job getting everything ready for the launch party. The Shapeshifter's Secret and The Siren's Secret lined the back wall and it looked amazing! 

More support for werecat tigers!

Raffle drawing for the siren gift baskets, mermaid earrings, books, posters, and the iPad Mini. 

Remember those amazing sketches of Julia that I posted earlier this year? Those were done by a talented artist named Anastasia, and she was the winner of the iPad Mini! 

Thanks to those who shared their pictures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #TheSirensSecret!