Kathleen Solis's The Tale of Capri: A Story Inspired by MerMay has received the Literary Titan Silver Book Award, recognizing the novel's heartfelt storytelling, enchanting coastal atmosphere, and meaningful themes of trust, wonder, and ocean stewardship.
Previously published as The Tale of Capri: A MerMay Story by Kathleen Ramirez, The Tale of Capri introduces readers to Eden, a kind but lonely young lifeguard whose life changes when he discovers an injured mermaid in the tide pools along the southern California coast. The mermaid, Capri, is beautiful, bitter, and deeply mistrustful of humans after pollution and human carelessness forced her pod into dangerous deep waters. With no chance of surviving at sea, Capri must depend on Eden's compassion and take refuge in his secluded saltwater pool until she can heal.
As Eden tends Capri's wounds and offers her safety, the two form a fragile bond built first on care, then trust, and finally a romance neither expected. Capri begins to see a different side of humanity, while Eden finds himself falling for someone whose world seems impossible to join. Yet Eden carries a secret from his past that could destroy the trust he has worked so hard to earn.
Inspired by the official 2019 prompts from Tom Bancroft's worldwide MerMay phenomenon, The Tale of Capri blends modern fairy tale magic with slow-burn, no-spice romance, cozy coastal imagery, and gentle environmental themes. Literary Titan praised the novel as "a sincere, ocean-soaked fantasy about rescue, trust, and learning to love across a divide that seems impossible at first," noting its "gentle intimacy, environmental feeling, and a dreamy coastal atmosphere."
Solis shared that the novel began as a serialized MerMay-inspired drawing project before evolving into a fuller, deeper story. The book also draws from fairy tale traditions, the author's love of The Little Mermaid, real-life coastal inspiration from Huntington Beach, California, and personal experiences that shaped Capri's sense of wonder toward the human world.
"I wanted to give readers a taste of seeing the world as bright, fresh, and new," Solis said of Capri's perspective. "Readers have found the perspective refreshing, joyful, tragic, and altogether interesting to explore everyday moments and environments with a sense of wonder and magic that was always there waiting to be discovered."
Readers who enjoy mermaid fantasy, gentle romance, and modern fairy tales can purchase The Tale of Capri: A Story Inspired by MerMay on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The award marks another milestone for Solis, whose work often explores what it means to be human through accessible fantasy, heartfelt imagery, and emotionally resonant storytelling. The Tale of Capri is the first book in The Capri Saga, with a sequel, The Mermaid Without Scales, planned to continue the series.
About the Author
Kathleen Solis is an award-winning, bestselling author based in the United States. A lifelong storyteller, she
began writing and illustrating her own stories at a young age and was already producing hundreds of pages of science fiction and fantasy manuscripts by eighth grade. Her early passion for writing earned recognition from instructors and academic institutions.
In 2015, Solis's first self-published children's book, The Color Thief, received The Clod"cott Honor Medal from the University of Dallas Department of Education for achievement in Child and Young Adult Literature. In 2019, she created an original illustrated story inspired by official MerMay prompts, which later became The Tale of Capri. The expanded edition was published in May 2026 and received the Literary Titan Silver Book Award in 2026.
Solis primarily writes Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Her stories often draw on real-life experiences while exploring identity, wonder, connection, and the deeper meaning of humanity through approachable storytelling and vivid imagery. Her notable nonfiction work includes the chapter "Thousands of Bad Versions" in the bestselling anthology The Success Playbook.
Email: tasster1@gmail.com
Media Contact
Name
Literary Titan
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Kathleen Solis
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https://kathleensolis.com/
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