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Sisterhood of the Ring #1
Water Dance
Ann Nan is in deadly peril. Out of a job, out of money, and out of luck. Harried and pursued, trapped under the waters of Puget Sound, death is reaching for her with hands of icy darkness. But this night, Ann has had one small piece of luck. She’s been given a ring, along with the admonition, “Never take it off. Never tell anyone about it. And, be ready for wonder.” Now, deep under the water, the ring is blazing with light, like the incandescent heart of a star.A frozen moment, a flick of darkness, and a new life begins, with new problems and dangers—including the fact that Ann seems to have become a mermaid. That sort of thing is certain to get your attention. But Ann’s problems have multiplied. When David Nan lifts her onto his boat to protect her from a shark, her legs return and she finds herself in the arms of the most attractive man she’s ever encountered. Now, if only her clothing had reappeared along with her legs. It’s enough to make a were-mermaid dive back into the ocean.
231 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2013
62 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Jay Greenstein
47 books22 followersFirst, and before anything else, I’m a storyteller. My skills at writing are subject to opinion, my punctuation has been called interesting, at best—but I am a storyteller.
I am, of course, many other things. In seven decades of living, there are great numbers of things that have attracted my attention. I am, for example, an electrician. I can also design, build, and install a range of things from stairs and railings to flooring, and tile backsplashes. I can even giftwrap a box from the inside, so to speak, by wallpapering the house.
I'm an engineer, one who has designed computers and computer systems; one of which—during the bad old days of the cold war—flew in the plane designated as the American President’s Airborne Command Post: The Doomsday Jet.
I've spent seven years as the chief-engineer of a company that built bar-code readers.
I spent thirteen of the most enjoyable years of my life as a scoutmaster, and three, nearly as good, as a cubmaster.
I joined the Air Force to learn jet engine mechanics, but ended up working in broadcast and closed circuit television, serving in such unlikely locations as the War Room of the Strategic Air Command, and a television station on the island of Okinawa.
I have been involved in sports car racing, scuba diving, sailing, and anything else that sounded like fun. I can fix most things that break, sew a fairly neat seam, and have raised three pretty nice kids, all of who are smarter and prettier than I am—more talented, too, thanks to the genes my wife kindly provided.
Once, while camping with a group of cubs and their families, one of the dads announced, “You guys better make up crosses to keep the Purple Bishop away.” When I asked for more information, the man shrugged and said, “I don’t really know much about the story. It’s some kind of a local thing that was mentioned on my last camping trip.” Intrigued, I wondered if I could come up with something to go with his comment about the crosses; something to provide a gentle terror-of-the-night to entertain the boys. The result was a virtual forest of crosses outside the boys’ tents. That was the event that switched on something within me that, now, more than twenty-five years later, I can’t seem to switch off.
Stories came and came… so easily it was sometimes frightening. Stories so frightening that one boy swore he watched my eyes begin to glow with a dim red light as I told them (it was the campfire reflecting from my glasses, but I didn’t tell him that).
Then, someone asked for a copy of one of my campfire stories, which brought me to the word processor. When that was finished, I wondered: could I write something other than technical articles and campfire stories? Something with dialog?
“Something with dialog,” when completed, led to: Can I write in the first person? Do an adventure? A romance?
Having finally sold a few novels (four, to date, the latest to Double Dragon) plus a handful of short stories, I am living proof that if you work at something for long enough you will eventually get it right.
I am, of course, many other things. In seven decades of living, there are great numbers of things that have attracted my attention. I am, for example, an electrician. I can also design, build, and install a range of things from stairs and railings to flooring, and tile backsplashes. I can even giftwrap a box from the inside, so to speak, by wallpapering the house.
I'm an engineer, one who has designed computers and computer systems; one of which—during the bad old days of the cold war—flew in the plane designated as the American President’s Airborne Command Post: The Doomsday Jet.
I've spent seven years as the chief-engineer of a company that built bar-code readers.
I spent thirteen of the most enjoyable years of my life as a scoutmaster, and three, nearly as good, as a cubmaster.
I joined the Air Force to learn jet engine mechanics, but ended up working in broadcast and closed circuit television, serving in such unlikely locations as the War Room of the Strategic Air Command, and a television station on the island of Okinawa.
I have been involved in sports car racing, scuba diving, sailing, and anything else that sounded like fun. I can fix most things that break, sew a fairly neat seam, and have raised three pretty nice kids, all of who are smarter and prettier than I am—more talented, too, thanks to the genes my wife kindly provided.
Once, while camping with a group of cubs and their families, one of the dads announced, “You guys better make up crosses to keep the Purple Bishop away.” When I asked for more information, the man shrugged and said, “I don’t really know much about the story. It’s some kind of a local thing that was mentioned on my last camping trip.” Intrigued, I wondered if I could come up with something to go with his comment about the crosses; something to provide a gentle terror-of-the-night to entertain the boys. The result was a virtual forest of crosses outside the boys’ tents. That was the event that switched on something within me that, now, more than twenty-five years later, I can’t seem to switch off.
Stories came and came… so easily it was sometimes frightening. Stories so frightening that one boy swore he watched my eyes begin to glow with a dim red light as I told them (it was the campfire reflecting from my glasses, but I didn’t tell him that).
Then, someone asked for a copy of one of my campfire stories, which brought me to the word processor. When that was finished, I wondered: could I write something other than technical articles and campfire stories? Something with dialog?
“Something with dialog,” when completed, led to: Can I write in the first person? Do an adventure? A romance?
Having finally sold a few novels (four, to date, the latest to Double Dragon) plus a handful of short stories, I am living proof that if you work at something for long enough you will eventually get it right.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 30, 2015
Since the author loves going around to writer's groups acting like an expert without posting any work I decided to try one of his books. While in terms of technique the author is average, his plotting is awful. The main character was so incredibly stupid that it's hard to believe she could really have a college degree in engineering.
Ann is thrown out of her apartment thanks to some Depression that doesn't really matter to the story. A woman we never see again hands her a ring and says to keep it safe AND DON'T TELL ANYONE. Ann puts it on and when she jumps into the water to escape some random thugs, she grows a fish tail and somehow teleports to Florida. First thing she does? Tells a marine biologist that she's a mermaid! When that guy asks if she'd like a job, she turns him down--to go work in a circus! You know, where hundreds and thousands of people will see her. She might as well have printed out business cards saying she received a magic ring.
She's so stupid that she's actually surprised when reporters start trying to figure out her secret and whines that things are getting too complicated. Well really idiot, whose idea was it to join the circus? Duuuuuuuuh. And to top it off the moron nearly kills herself while attempting a jump from the water with no one around. That would have been putting her (and the readers) out of their misery. Most of the supporting characters were far less stupid, though none really stood out as being more than props.
I guess this was supposed to be a romance but it wasn't particular romantic. Or particularly sexy. The height of eroticism for the author is when a man literally kisses Ann's butt. Say what?
While the author loves to tout "showing instead of telling" that is supposed to add life to the scene, too often the prose is stuffy and lifeless. I love this line when she's "drowning" in the harbor, "No futile attempts to save herself, just a single inhalation of the fluid surrounding her." The fluid? Unless they filled the harbor with green beer for St. Patrick's Day it's WATER for crying out loud! With stuff like that you could never believe this was the perspective of a young woman and not an elderly man.
Anyway, I guess it's good each book in the series focuses on a different character because it'd be hard to like a character much less than this. And that, far more than prose, is what makes a good novel.
That is all.
Ann is thrown out of her apartment thanks to some Depression that doesn't really matter to the story. A woman we never see again hands her a ring and says to keep it safe AND DON'T TELL ANYONE. Ann puts it on and when she jumps into the water to escape some random thugs, she grows a fish tail and somehow teleports to Florida. First thing she does? Tells a marine biologist that she's a mermaid! When that guy asks if she'd like a job, she turns him down--to go work in a circus! You know, where hundreds and thousands of people will see her. She might as well have printed out business cards saying she received a magic ring.
She's so stupid that she's actually surprised when reporters start trying to figure out her secret and whines that things are getting too complicated. Well really idiot, whose idea was it to join the circus? Duuuuuuuuh. And to top it off the moron nearly kills herself while attempting a jump from the water with no one around. That would have been putting her (and the readers) out of their misery. Most of the supporting characters were far less stupid, though none really stood out as being more than props.
I guess this was supposed to be a romance but it wasn't particular romantic. Or particularly sexy. The height of eroticism for the author is when a man literally kisses Ann's butt. Say what?
While the author loves to tout "showing instead of telling" that is supposed to add life to the scene, too often the prose is stuffy and lifeless. I love this line when she's "drowning" in the harbor, "No futile attempts to save herself, just a single inhalation of the fluid surrounding her." The fluid? Unless they filled the harbor with green beer for St. Patrick's Day it's WATER for crying out loud! With stuff like that you could never believe this was the perspective of a young woman and not an elderly man.
Anyway, I guess it's good each book in the series focuses on a different character because it'd be hard to like a character much less than this. And that, far more than prose, is what makes a good novel.
That is all.
September 3, 2017
The book started by taking the reader through Ann's life during the economic depression and portraying it's effects on her life, she lost her job, her home and became, in no time at all, a down and outer hence catching the reader's interest, then we get a touch of magic where a ring gets given to Ann and she is told to expect wonders! She gets transported miles away from her own state into Florida, under the sea and turned into a mermaid, wow however what does she do with this amazing change she joins, of all corny things, a water park to perform as an imitation mermaid, pfff what a waste of a plot. She nearly even loses her love story too however the ring stays true to it's job until it gets passed on once again. A very disappointing book which could have gone places and really did not!!
November 21, 2014
I love the idea of a mermaid romance but I only read 9% before I had to stop. The prose were adequate but the story was trite and shallow. Even at 9%, too many of the MC's decisions were based on the worst romance cliches. The one that ended it for me was when the heroine, magically transformed into a mermaid just hours before, decides to take a (big) risk and reveal herself to a fisherman because . . . well, because he's hunky. Blah.
January 24, 2018
I have to admit I found it be slightly aggravating and my main thought was that the heroine so didn’t deserve David. But the book was well thought out, amusing enough to get through the slow parts, and had a decent amount of danger to keep engaged to the end. I love the idea of a series of a ring passing through a series of women helping the with their problems and getting the into some trouble. I also like that it’s not a series where the women are all turned into mermaids, but instead stands across he paranormal world.
September 30, 2020
An absolute delight
Ann is such a wonderful character. She comes alive in these pages as so few seem to do. You will laugh with her, laugh at her, and marvel at her courage and compassion as she comes to grips with what she really wants in life.
And, yes, magic and mermaids are alive and well.
Ann is such a wonderful character. She comes alive in these pages as so few seem to do. You will laugh with her, laugh at her, and marvel at her courage and compassion as she comes to grips with what she really wants in life.
And, yes, magic and mermaids are alive and well.
June 2, 2017
First mermaid story I have read. A magic ring starts it.
A girl is homeless due to recession and is being chased by a couple of things. Then she meets a woman who puts her ring on her finger and the saga begins.
A girl is homeless due to recession and is being chased by a couple of things. Then she meets a woman who puts her ring on her finger and the saga begins.
July 8, 2020
Surprising ending
I loved the story. The twists and turns as Ann comes to terms with her situation and her relationship with Dave. The suspense and friendships were attention grabbing.
I loved the story. The twists and turns as Ann comes to terms with her situation and her relationship with Dave. The suspense and friendships were attention grabbing.
May 4, 2020
This was an interesting mermaid story, though I'd hoped for a different ending. A decent little read!
July 30, 2020
This author writes as a writer should. Makes a change from the usual rubbish out there.
July 13, 2024
This was a very disappointing read. The first chapter was interesting, the waitress she nearly befirends and the harsh world they set up is really captivating for awhile but it just becomes stale and boring. the mermaid lore was barely thought out and the entire series is linked in this really bizarre way. The lore is barely explained until the very end of the book. The plot is nonexistent and there is really nothing mermaid themed aside from her job and her being able to turn into a mermaid(?) but really it's just about a woman who needs to learn to love again. if this is the theme then a lot of things are out of place like her job is completely irrelevant, her trying to keep her distance from the love interest is pointless and they don't really develop much of a relationship at all and the economic recession explained to be happening at the time is absolutely irrelevant. there are too many elements which are pointless and too few things explained for the audience to invest in any one of them. you can't care about the magic or the romance or her friendships or the mc herself because we know nothing about her. Really disappointing. I got through it because I really wanted to see the ending and maybe figure out where it was going and it just made no sense.
Also she almost get raped towards the end of the book for no reason. And in the end she is able to tell her loves the love interest is because her friends look at her tits when she is thinking about him to determine the he makes her horny (it was so bizarre).
Happy reading
Also she almost get raped towards the end of the book for no reason. And in the end she is able to tell her loves the love interest is because her friends look at her tits when she is thinking about him to determine the he makes her horny (it was so bizarre).
Happy reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2017
I found this book for free on Kindle. Since it involves mermaids and didn't appear to be geared towards a Young Adult audience, I decided to give it a try.
The plot is interesting and definitely unique when compared to other mermaid novels. I enjoyed the story but the writing could use some improvement. I found a lot of glaring mistakes that should have been caught in editing. There were several instances of incomplete sentences, lack of punctuation, and misspelled words.
Also, some of the scenes came off on the corny side. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that a certain love scene, towards the end, seemed ill timed for the circumstances.
This is the first book in a series and I don't think I will be continuing on to the books that follow.
The plot is interesting and definitely unique when compared to other mermaid novels. I enjoyed the story but the writing could use some improvement. I found a lot of glaring mistakes that should have been caught in editing. There were several instances of incomplete sentences, lack of punctuation, and misspelled words.
Also, some of the scenes came off on the corny side. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that a certain love scene, towards the end, seemed ill timed for the circumstances.
This is the first book in a series and I don't think I will be continuing on to the books that follow.
May 23, 2015
This wasnt the worst book ever written but it could have been better. I just loved David's character as well as Trina and Carla but Ann worked on my nerves with alot of the decisions she made and the way she saw the world. This book took me awhile to read and it didn't get real interesting until the end. I'm also trying to figure out why she kept blabbing about things when I thought she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Although this book wasn't to die for I do plan to read the next one because of how this one ended
March 8, 2014
Slow
I really enjoyed reading and this was one of the hardest books for me to read. Usually I can read a book in a day in a half to two at the most to be but took me four days I just couldn't get into it. Don't get me wrong it's a cute story but it's just slow moving. I will not be finishing the series.
I really enjoyed reading and this was one of the hardest books for me to read. Usually I can read a book in a day in a half to two at the most to be but took me four days I just couldn't get into it. Don't get me wrong it's a cute story but it's just slow moving. I will not be finishing the series.
January 8, 2015
I would give it five stars if not for the last of the book feeling rushed and of course their was way too much importance put on Ann's virginty. Also the story has too much junk clouding it about the job and her not trusting David yet if she really couldn't let herself trust why would she trust so many people with her secret.
December 27, 2014
Sadly, I did not get emerged into this book, the story line sounds interesting but the authors stylization and cadence where not my cup of tea so to speak. but if the story sounds good to you give it a try!
October 15, 2014
I really liked this read. I downloaded it off Amazon's free kindle books, and it was a joy to come across.
November 23, 2015
That is definitely not how boobs work.
April 19, 2016
Not your typical mermaid story. The characters were enjoyable. Great twist at the end. I am looking forward to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews