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In her debut novel, this Portland author tells a story of fantasy and reality, mermaids and fishermen

"I'm really, really excited. This is a dream come true."

PORTLAND, Maine — It’s always fun to be around parents who have just welcomed their first child into the world. The smiles, the shining eyes, the sheer joy they radiate every time they look at their new baby… these are lovely things to behold.

It’s not quite the same, but there’s definitely a similar, albeit less intense vibe you pick up when you’re around an author whose first book has just been published. It happened this week when Emily Zack, a Portland resident who uses the pen name MZ, dropped by the 207 studio to talk about "The Moorings of Mackerel Sky," a novel set in Maine which is the first book she’s had published.

"I’m really, really excited," she said as her huge grin got even bigger. "This is a dream come true."

That dream has been around since she was a little girl. "I’ve always loved writing," she said. "I’ve always been a storyteller."

"The Moorings of Mackerel Sky," set in a town on the Maine coast, melds fantasy and reality, mermaids and fishermen. Even with the fantastical elements, though, this a place most Mainers will recognize, a town not so different from their own.

"All of my books have a strong basis in reality," Zack told us, referring to two more in the works. "I really want to honor Maine people and some of the struggles that we have."

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