The Mermaid's Pendant by LeAnn Neal Reilly

The Mermaid's Pendant by LeAnn Neal Reilly appeared in my news searches this past week.

From Framingham author pens a modern fairy tale by Chris Bergeron:

Dissatisfied with the ending of Walt Disney's "The Little Mermaid," LeAnn Neal Reilly wrote her first novel to show what happens to couples who "live happily ever after."

The Framingham mother and aspiring author spent almost 10 years writing, revising, rewriting and self-publishing "The Mermaid's Pendant."

"I loved everything about 'The Little Mermaid' but its ending. I turned this irritant over and over in my mind. I was a new wife, happily married. I got my 'happily ever after.' I wanted to explore what that meant," said Neal Reilly, taking a break from home-schooling her three children.

Especially well-written, her 572-page novel grafts the fairy tale love story of John Wilkerson and his mermaid wife Tamarind onto the more prosaic challenges a couple faces after the honeymoon when reality sinks in.

And here's the official book description:

Inspired by the beloved classic The Little Mermaid, THE MERMAID'S PENDANT is a modern fairy tale about growing up and discovering who you are -- and what you believe in. At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure. Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic. Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers' journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind's aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an ex-pat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family. THE MERMAID'S PENDANT is a story for anyone who has ever believed in the transforming power of love.

You can also read more at LeAnn Neal Reilly's website.

And that's all I know about it so far, but it is intriguing. Oh, and I learned that Reilly and I share the same birthday, but four years apart. Since the biggest celebrity birthday on that day is Melissa Gilbert, it's always fun to find others to commiserate with over birthdays that fall on Mother's Day or usually during finals week if you are in college depending on the day of the week. I've taken many a final on my birthday.