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Chasing Destiny
True love…curses…intertwining fates…an enchanted adventure above and below the sparkling ocean waves.
In a desperate attempt to uphold his promise to Destiny and reach her for her sixteenth birthday, Kincade stows away on a ship bound for Enchanted Cove. But menacing forces intervene, and he ends up shanghaied with a band of smugglers, a bracelet of priceless pearls, and no memory of who or what he is.
The news of Kincade’s disappearance has Destiny in a tailspin. She knows he would do anything to keep his promise to her and must be in terrible danger. To make matters worse, his mother, Queen Bali of Ameru, is holding Destiny personally responsible and threatening to sink ships above Mertopia. Determined to find and rescue Kincade at any cost, Destiny seeks answers from the madam of the Mystique Boutique. Strangely, the exotic woman is expecting her…a child of water. Frantic, Destiny agrees to her “simple love transaction,” which leads her to promise to deliver the fortune-teller’s unknown true love by the next full moon or be forever cursed to share her fate.
Facing deep peril at every turn and running out of time, Kincade and Destiny risk everything and discover how much they will sacrifice and endure for love…Chasing Destiny.
In a desperate attempt to uphold his promise to Destiny and reach her for her sixteenth birthday, Kincade stows away on a ship bound for Enchanted Cove. But menacing forces intervene, and he ends up shanghaied with a band of smugglers, a bracelet of priceless pearls, and no memory of who or what he is.
The news of Kincade’s disappearance has Destiny in a tailspin. She knows he would do anything to keep his promise to her and must be in terrible danger. To make matters worse, his mother, Queen Bali of Ameru, is holding Destiny personally responsible and threatening to sink ships above Mertopia. Determined to find and rescue Kincade at any cost, Destiny seeks answers from the madam of the Mystique Boutique. Strangely, the exotic woman is expecting her…a child of water. Frantic, Destiny agrees to her “simple love transaction,” which leads her to promise to deliver the fortune-teller’s unknown true love by the next full moon or be forever cursed to share her fate.
Facing deep peril at every turn and running out of time, Kincade and Destiny risk everything and discover how much they will sacrifice and endure for love…Chasing Destiny.
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2016
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About the author
M. Schaefer
8 books4 followersI believe life is simply more interesting when you weave a little humor, enchantment, romance and especially adventure into it! I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my family and spend my free time writing, playing with my pets, gardening and kayaking.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 31, 2016
Waiting for the 2nd installment in a book series is a lot like waiting for Summer vacation. You know they are both coming and in the case of summer vacation, you at least have a pretty good idea as to when it will begin. Books are subject to the vagaries of both writers and publishers.
Thus, when I heard the next book in M. Schaefer’s Destiny series was ready, there was much rejoicing. In preparation for my review of Schaefer’s Chasing Destiny , I opened her captivating story, Awaiting Destiny , in search of a few details and tidbits. I use the word ‘captivating’ because its sirenic qualities caused me to read the book once again.
The Story Thus Far
For those who may not be familiar with Awaiting Destiny , here’s a quick catch-you-up. Destiny Mariner is a 14-year-old girl living on her father’s sailboat at the Enchanted Cove Marina. Her mother has been missing – presumably at sea – for 14 years. Her father, Jacob Mariner, still keeps a candle burning in the window of his heart for his missing wife, Shellene. Destiny misses the mother she never knew but manages to assuage her loneliness by pitching in baseball games.
Acting on a letter delivered to her by persons unknown, Destiny steers the ship’s dinghy to a particular spot offshore and sets off on a journey of discovery where she finds:
She’s actually a mermaid who can’t seem to get the tail bit working.
A rather handsome merboy, named Kincade, who’s a few years older than she.
Her mother is a princess which makes her, every young girl’s dream, a princess as well.
That her mother has been, shall we say, indisposed for around 14 years. A reunion is imminent.
And that is all I’m going to tell you.
And now . . .
Two years later, when Chasing Destiny opens, we find Destiny still residing at the Enchanted Cove Marina, with her reunited parents, in as much pubescent bliss as any 15-year-old girl can expect. Her sixteenth birthday is just a few weeks off and with that comes the long-awaited driver’s licence. Oh yeah, there’s one other thing. She and Kincaid made a pledge to reunite by the time of her sixteenth birthday. They’ve been corresponding – by mermail, of course – every week, so she knows he’s still interested.
On this day, however, the mermailman brings her a not-so-nice letter from someone who is not Kincade; Queen Bali of Ameru – Kincade’s mother. It seems her son, who is traveling all the way from the Kingdom of Ameru[i] -- against her wishes, of course – is missing, and she holds Destiny responsible. Our girl has until the next full moon to locate Kincade, or Queen Bali will rain all sorts of trouble on her grandfather’s kingdom.
There is not a moment to lose and the plucky girl is ready to go rescue Kincade. But first, Destiny needs a little more information. The best place for that is the local soothsayer who is conveniently located at the Mystique Boutique in town.
Nadja, the Greek fortune-teller, has been waiting for Destiny to come in and she agrees to help her, but at a price. In exchange for her help, Destiny must find Nadja’s long lost true love by the next full moon or all sorts of trouble will rain down on her. Obviously, the next full moon is going to be a busy one if things don’t go as they should.
And, She's Off!
Having no choice but to accept, if she wants to rescue her own true love, Destiny accepts the offer. The fortune-teller gives Destiny some baffling portents. (Aren’t they always like that?) Thus prepared, it’s time for Destiny to put her golden tail in motion.
Destiny will embark on a harrowing journey across the sea to avoid being cursed, prevent catastrophe befalling her grandfather’s kingdom, and most importantly, rescue her one true love. If this is not empowering young girls, then this reviewer doesn’t know what is.
Chasing Destiny is an exciting, enthralling adventure for both middle-school readers of the female persuasion as well as those at the lower end of the Young Adult range. (Mothers and Fathers take note; the holidays are on their way.)
Schaefer has modified her approach to telling this story from that used in Awaiting Destiny. Here, she alternates the focus in her narration between key characters. This means that part of her tale is focused on mermales, a sadly overlooked and under-represented class in stories like this. It also escalates the drama because the answer to the current crisis – and there are plenty of them in this story – is not always found at the start of the next chapter.
Chasing Destiny is also a very clean read with minimal typos, This means the reader gets to enjoy the story for itself rather than deal with editing blunders. Given the target audience is middle school and early high school, it is important that the necessity of good spelling and good grammar – this review excepted – are reinforced in young people.
As for the Future
What does Chasing Destiny portend for the future? Well, there are signs of a rapprochement between Destiny's father, Jacob, and Shelleen's father, Dolphinium, King of Mertopia. Destiny’s grandfather did not approve of the union.
Kincade’s mother, Queen Bali, certainly does not approve of his interest in Destiny. She is, after all, only a half-breed. There is good potential for conflict here. Will Kincade’s relationship with Destiny repeat that of her mother. Since he is Destiny’s one true love, it is obvious they will continue to show interest in each other. Only time and M. Schafer will tell us.
Recommendation
Chasing Destiny is an exciting and fun read that should be enjoyed by all who consider life as a mermaid to be an intriguing career choice. If you like mermaids – and merboys – then you must read this story. Those who are older, and bear the scars of dating and relationships gone wrong, will also enjoy M. Schafer’s story. Imagine, being only sixteen and finding your one true love.
[i] Ameru is located under the waters of the French Polynesian sea. Think of where Tahiti is and you’ll be fine.
Thus, when I heard the next book in M. Schaefer’s Destiny series was ready, there was much rejoicing. In preparation for my review of Schaefer’s Chasing Destiny , I opened her captivating story, Awaiting Destiny , in search of a few details and tidbits. I use the word ‘captivating’ because its sirenic qualities caused me to read the book once again.
The Story Thus Far
For those who may not be familiar with Awaiting Destiny , here’s a quick catch-you-up. Destiny Mariner is a 14-year-old girl living on her father’s sailboat at the Enchanted Cove Marina. Her mother has been missing – presumably at sea – for 14 years. Her father, Jacob Mariner, still keeps a candle burning in the window of his heart for his missing wife, Shellene. Destiny misses the mother she never knew but manages to assuage her loneliness by pitching in baseball games.
Acting on a letter delivered to her by persons unknown, Destiny steers the ship’s dinghy to a particular spot offshore and sets off on a journey of discovery where she finds:
She’s actually a mermaid who can’t seem to get the tail bit working.
A rather handsome merboy, named Kincade, who’s a few years older than she.
Her mother is a princess which makes her, every young girl’s dream, a princess as well.
That her mother has been, shall we say, indisposed for around 14 years. A reunion is imminent.
And that is all I’m going to tell you.
And now . . .
Two years later, when Chasing Destiny opens, we find Destiny still residing at the Enchanted Cove Marina, with her reunited parents, in as much pubescent bliss as any 15-year-old girl can expect. Her sixteenth birthday is just a few weeks off and with that comes the long-awaited driver’s licence. Oh yeah, there’s one other thing. She and Kincaid made a pledge to reunite by the time of her sixteenth birthday. They’ve been corresponding – by mermail, of course – every week, so she knows he’s still interested.
On this day, however, the mermailman brings her a not-so-nice letter from someone who is not Kincade; Queen Bali of Ameru – Kincade’s mother. It seems her son, who is traveling all the way from the Kingdom of Ameru[i] -- against her wishes, of course – is missing, and she holds Destiny responsible. Our girl has until the next full moon to locate Kincade, or Queen Bali will rain all sorts of trouble on her grandfather’s kingdom.
There is not a moment to lose and the plucky girl is ready to go rescue Kincade. But first, Destiny needs a little more information. The best place for that is the local soothsayer who is conveniently located at the Mystique Boutique in town.
Nadja, the Greek fortune-teller, has been waiting for Destiny to come in and she agrees to help her, but at a price. In exchange for her help, Destiny must find Nadja’s long lost true love by the next full moon or all sorts of trouble will rain down on her. Obviously, the next full moon is going to be a busy one if things don’t go as they should.
And, She's Off!
Having no choice but to accept, if she wants to rescue her own true love, Destiny accepts the offer. The fortune-teller gives Destiny some baffling portents. (Aren’t they always like that?) Thus prepared, it’s time for Destiny to put her golden tail in motion.
Their smiles held a thousand unspoken promises for the future. Destiny looked into his eyes and realized sharing moments like this made the risk of love worth it.
Destiny will embark on a harrowing journey across the sea to avoid being cursed, prevent catastrophe befalling her grandfather’s kingdom, and most importantly, rescue her one true love. If this is not empowering young girls, then this reviewer doesn’t know what is.
Chasing Destiny is an exciting, enthralling adventure for both middle-school readers of the female persuasion as well as those at the lower end of the Young Adult range. (Mothers and Fathers take note; the holidays are on their way.)
Fathers have a way of making their daughters feel safe, no matter how old they are.
Schaefer has modified her approach to telling this story from that used in Awaiting Destiny. Here, she alternates the focus in her narration between key characters. This means that part of her tale is focused on mermales, a sadly overlooked and under-represented class in stories like this. It also escalates the drama because the answer to the current crisis – and there are plenty of them in this story – is not always found at the start of the next chapter.
Chasing Destiny is also a very clean read with minimal typos, This means the reader gets to enjoy the story for itself rather than deal with editing blunders. Given the target audience is middle school and early high school, it is important that the necessity of good spelling and good grammar – this review excepted – are reinforced in young people.
As for the Future
What does Chasing Destiny portend for the future? Well, there are signs of a rapprochement between Destiny's father, Jacob, and Shelleen's father, Dolphinium, King of Mertopia. Destiny’s grandfather did not approve of the union.
Kincade’s mother, Queen Bali, certainly does not approve of his interest in Destiny. She is, after all, only a half-breed. There is good potential for conflict here. Will Kincade’s relationship with Destiny repeat that of her mother. Since he is Destiny’s one true love, it is obvious they will continue to show interest in each other. Only time and M. Schafer will tell us.
Recommendation
Chasing Destiny is an exciting and fun read that should be enjoyed by all who consider life as a mermaid to be an intriguing career choice. If you like mermaids – and merboys – then you must read this story. Those who are older, and bear the scars of dating and relationships gone wrong, will also enjoy M. Schafer’s story. Imagine, being only sixteen and finding your one true love.
I had dreams to backpack around the ocean, maybe meet an exotic, handsome merman to sweep me off my fins
[i] Ameru is located under the waters of the French Polynesian sea. Think of where Tahiti is and you’ll be fine.
October 9, 2016
Reviewed By Melissa Tanaka for Readers’ Favorite
Chasing Destiny by M. Schaefer is a love story between a mer-prince named Kincade and a half-mermaid named Destiny and their fight to be together. Kincade stows away on a merchant ship in order to visit Destiny, the half-mermaid whom he has fallen in love with, but his plans go awry when his mother’s corrupt advisor interferes. When Queen Bali is told he is lost at sea, she blames Destiny and threatens to endanger the safety and security of Destiny’s home. Unbeknownst to everyone, Kincade has no memory of his mer-prince self and is working as a deckhand on the merchant ship, while Destiny runs away from home to try to find him.
Schaefer beautifully illustrates the mer-people's world with lush descriptions of an underwater landscape that are just as refreshing as diving into the ocean itself. One thing that I really enjoyed about Chasing Destiny was that the novel follows both Kincade and Destiny’s journey. By alternating between the two, you are able to sustain a broader understanding of the situation, both in regards to their own thoughts and feelings, but also the events that unfold before you.
With a forbidden love, a lost love, near death experiences, and underwater creatures of all types, Chasing Destiny is a must-read for lovers of romance, adventure, and of course, mermaids. I really loved this book, especially because the author focused on both sides of the story. You will easily find yourself caught up in the plot, with a winning combination of humor and action that is sure to keep you entertained from beginning to end.
Chasing Destiny by M. Schaefer is a love story between a mer-prince named Kincade and a half-mermaid named Destiny and their fight to be together. Kincade stows away on a merchant ship in order to visit Destiny, the half-mermaid whom he has fallen in love with, but his plans go awry when his mother’s corrupt advisor interferes. When Queen Bali is told he is lost at sea, she blames Destiny and threatens to endanger the safety and security of Destiny’s home. Unbeknownst to everyone, Kincade has no memory of his mer-prince self and is working as a deckhand on the merchant ship, while Destiny runs away from home to try to find him.
Schaefer beautifully illustrates the mer-people's world with lush descriptions of an underwater landscape that are just as refreshing as diving into the ocean itself. One thing that I really enjoyed about Chasing Destiny was that the novel follows both Kincade and Destiny’s journey. By alternating between the two, you are able to sustain a broader understanding of the situation, both in regards to their own thoughts and feelings, but also the events that unfold before you.
With a forbidden love, a lost love, near death experiences, and underwater creatures of all types, Chasing Destiny is a must-read for lovers of romance, adventure, and of course, mermaids. I really loved this book, especially because the author focused on both sides of the story. You will easily find yourself caught up in the plot, with a winning combination of humor and action that is sure to keep you entertained from beginning to end.
June 5, 2018
Destiny and Kincade find each other
It was a fun story, nice and clean, escaping monsters, pirates, and restoring love. I couldn't put the story down until I finished it.
It was a fun story, nice and clean, escaping monsters, pirates, and restoring love. I couldn't put the story down until I finished it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews