Author Aster Quinn

Indie Author | LGBTQIA+ | Nonbinary | Autistic

The Fiberglass Merman

Coming October 1, 2025

Blake DeLuca is no fairytale prince. He's a broke, self-doubting grad student working summers at a crumbling Northern California water park, skipping meals to get by. One sleep-deprived morning, he discovers that the handsome merman figurehead on the kid’s pirate ship has begun to talk to him. The mischievous and coy merman, Marin, has had his eye on Blake for the past two summers.After teaming up with a local psychic, Blake discovers Marin is a pygmalion: an effigy brought to life by the soul of a deceased person with no memories of their former life.Following a midnight trek to the park, a dare gone wrong returns Marin to flesh and blood. Thus, Blake finds himself with only four days to save Marin’s life, having three requirements to fulfill:One, he must return Marin to the place where he died.Two, he must fulfill Marin’s dying wish.Three, he must prove himself worthy of Marin’s love.Will Blake succeed? Find out in this modern, queer retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and the Greek Pygmalion mythos!Releasing October 1, 2025Content Warnings: Parental abuse, mentions of suicide/self harm, and instances of homophobia.

About

Hi, I'm Aster (they/them and occasionally she/her)! I'm a queer and autistic indie author. I'm a lifelong resident of NorCal, where I live with my husband/best friend/co-author/editor Charlie and our despot, a 15-year-old tabby cat named Chloe. I have a degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, which I once utilized to tutor students in essay writing before my arch nemesis generative AI stole my job and kicked off my villain arc. Currently I work as a substitute librarian for the local school district.When I'm not crying about fictional queer ships or reading/writing books about them, I'm baking delightful confections, binging YouTube video essays on obscure theme park lore and kaiju, doting on my cat and husband, reading danmei, or watching magical girl anime.My favorite books of all time are "The Bloody Chamber" (and all the stories therein) by Angela Carter and "Heaven Official's Blessing" by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu.

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