About Carol Stevens
Carol Stevens is the author of the Mona the Mermaid early chapter book series—a world shaped by decades of storytelling along the shores of Lake Erie.
Long before Mona ever appeared on the page, she lived in stories told aloud: bedtime tales for Carol’s children that later became family traditions, retold to nieces, nephews, and grandchildren year after year. Those stories took on a life of their own—especially during summers at Crescent Beach, where imagination and memory began to blur.
Carol’s path to writing books was anything but typical. She began her career as a journalist, working as a columnist and reporter at the Courier-Express in Buffalo, where she covered everything from daily life to major events. But fiction was always her escape—and eventually, her calling.
The turning point came when her daughter, Claire Brady, asked her to send a new Mona story each evening so her grandchildren wouldn’t miss their Crescent Beach tradition. Those nightly chapters quickly became a ritual—one with very strict editors. If a chapter didn’t arrive on time, Carol heard about it.
It wasn’t long before those stories became books.
Today, Carol continues to return to Crescent Beach each summer with her husband, Erik Brady—the very place where Mona first came to life. And now, through her books, that world is open to readers everywhere.
The author with her daughter and illustrator Clarie Brady.
About Mona the Mermaid
When a powerful storm sweeps Mona the Mermaid from the depths of Lake Erie onto Crescent Beach, she finds herself in a beautiful new home—and among a community of creatures who quickly become her friends.
But life in Crescent Bay isn’t as peaceful as it seems.
A mysterious jackal prowls the shoreline, terrifying everyone by day and haunting them by night. Determined to protect her friends, Mona sets out to learn everything she can—and eventually confronts the creature herself. The encounter doesn’t go as planned, leaving Mona injured and full of questions.
Still, she can’t let it go.
On a stormy night, Mona accepts the jackal’s invitation to talk, setting the stage for a surprising and meaningful encounter.
In this first book of the Mona the Mermaid series, young readers are introduced to a brave, curious, and imperfect hero—and a story that explores friendship, empathy, and the idea that things aren’t always what they seem.
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Available on
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKBABY