Excerpt: Tangled in Water by Pam Records
- Archaeolibrarian
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Book details:
Book Title: Tangled in Water
Series: n/a
Author: Pam Records
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 418 pages
@cathie.dunn1 @thecoffeepotbookclub
@pam.records.author @thecoffeepotbookclub
1932. Natalia is 16 and a bootlegger's daughter, playing the mermaid mascot on a rundown paddlewheel used to entertain brewers and distributors.
A sequined costume hides her scarred and misshaped legs, but it can't cover up the painful memories and suspicions that haunt her. An eccentric healer who treats patients with Old Country tonics, tries to patch wounds, but only adds to the heartache. A fierce storm threatens to destroy everything, including a stash of stolen jewels.
1941. Prohibition is over, but the same henchmen still run the show. Nattie's new mermaid act is more revealing, with more at risk. When the dry-docked paddlewheel is bought by the US Navy for training exercises, the pressure escalates further.
Can Nattie entice a cocky US Navy officer to help her gain access to the ship for one last chance to confront her past, settle scores, and retrieve the hidden loot? Is there a new course ahead?
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The water level was lower than usual. Every time she got out of the tank, she took water with her, leaving less and less. Cigarette butts floated, collecting in a corner. She’d have to type NO DROPPING TRASH IN THE MERMAID’S TANK on the next sign she made for the little silver frame on the post.
The sand in the bottom of her tank hid other tidbits, hardly trash. There were flat blue rocks, round and smooth, perfect for skipping. Then there were shells, mostly snail shells, mostly busted. At the very bottom was a gold bracelet with a charm, a mermaid, of course. It was a gift, the kind that could get a man killed. She couldn’t stand to look at it, couldn’t stand to throw it overboard either.
More jewels had found their way into her tank. Passengers were so careless after a few whiskeys. They never noticed a bump or tug or twist from the clumsy cripple kid in sequins. There was an oval brooch with diamonds, a gold watch fob, red ruby earrings, a dangly necklace, a ring with every color in the world.
She had such a lovely collection. She sighed. If Mr. Whiskers were here, he’d purr.
The calm before the storm.
She stirred the sand with a stick of driftwood, a prop that was quite useful for fishing in the sand and burying and unburying secrets. The bauble soup was a powerful remedy for lousy moods and for red-haired boys who didn’t show up when they promised and a railing that got busted on purpose because a drunkard deckhand talked to her one time too many. The soup sparkled, sun specks skimming the water’s surface.
Looking out over the onboarding passengers on the deck below, she scanned for sparkles. She could always use more. Her fingertips itched. Anticipation was almost as lovely as the prize.
There! A woman in a snappy white dress and hat with plumes all a-flutter had enough glitter around her neck to light up midnight on Mackinac Island. How splendidly cool to the touch they would be. Ice. Crisp. The edges would be hard and sharp. The centers would be molten, too hot to handle until they sizzle-cooled in her tank for a mermaid eon. Ten minutes, at least.
Pam and her husband, Mark, recently uprooted from the Midwest to move to Savannah, Georgia, the perfect place for enjoying the beach, historic architecture and Spanish moss.
She's recently retired from writing content for software companies and now focuses on writing fiction, camping, and exploring historic cities.
Pam is the author of three historic novels.
Author Links:
Website:www.PamRecords.com
Amazon Author Page:https://amazon.com/author/pamrecords
Tour hosted by: The Coffee Pot Book Club
Thank you so much for hosting Pam Records today, with an enticing excerpt from her new novel, Tangled in Water.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club