Brenda Pandos's Blog, page 15

Win Ash's Necklace now 'til 7/31

I've extended the review contest until 7/31 so those who pre-ordered books can enter too! Books are being shipped this week!

Here's a picture of the necklace you can win! Isn't it lovely? My jewelry designer from CuzinsCrafts, Kim Hollein, is amazing and always up for the challenge of finding the perfect accents to my books. *Hugs*

To enter to win, click this LINK.




Also, for those in need of a tail lift or have been banished from Natatoria and want to convert their guy, there's vials of essence available.

Vial of Essence$10.00

I'm also offering Evergreen bookmarks with these adorable starfish charms while supplies last.

Send a self addressed stamped envelope to:Brenda PandosPO BOX 601901Sacramento, CA 95860

Please specify your request as I have bookmarks for each book (see here)

Win Ash's Necklace now 'till 7/31

I've extended the review contest until 7/31 so those who pre-ordered books can enter too! Books are being shipped this week!

Here's a picture of the necklace you can win! Isn't it lovely? My jewelry designer from CuzinsCrafts, Kim Hollein, is amazing and always up for the challenge of finding the perfect accents to my books. *Hugs*

To enter to win, click this LINK.




Also, for those in need of a tail lift or have been banished from Natatoria and want to convert their guy, there's vials of essence available.

Vial of Essence$10.00

I'm also offering Evergreen bookmarks with these adorable starfish charms while supplies last.

Send a self addressed stamped envelope to:Brenda PandosPO BOX 601901Sacramento, CA 95860

Please specify your request as I have bookmarks for each book (see here)

Week of Bliss -- Our vacation at Mount Hermon

My family and I just returned from Mount Hermon, a conference center in the Santa Cruz mountains, for a week of fun, fellowship, and reflection of God's grace and mercy. It was an incredible week. I grew up going to Mount Hermon as a kid and worked three summers in my early 20's but haven't been able to return until this summer. My kids and husband have never been. They were blown away. We found banana slugs (pictured on my son's arm), ate oodles of ice cream, ran all over the trails, went boating, swimming, ropes course, creek walked, rode a train to Santa Cruz, the rode rides on the Boardwalk, played on the beach, sang songs with Jack Pierson, and didn't watch one second of TV (because our cabin didn't have one). Besides having spotty internet on my iPhone, I didn't open my laptop once. It was a much needed break with a time of reflection in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. My kids cried when we left. They loved Day Camp and their camp counselors!

For those who don't know, The Emerald Talisman is centered in Mount Hermon and the redwood forest surrounding it. It's funny some of the reviews I've read where people have criticized and actually believed Julia's fear to walk home through the forest surrounding her home absurd. Well, here are those so called tame woods (that's my niece pictured on the trail in pink), and the cliff Julia hung precariously from. As you can see, it would be far from a leisure walk from the road to her house and though I'm not afraid I'd run into a vampire or a mountain lion, I'd never walk it alone at night just because it's creepy in the dark! Also pictured is the bridge Julia ran across. The creek below is about 60 feet down. Those little tiny people are my kids in the middle.
              I happened to stumble upon Evergreen (one of the cabins) as well. The entire town is surrounded in redwoods that are so majestic and huge, it literally feels like you're in another world. And families come from all over to stay and retreat together, celebrating God's love and forgiveness.

And you can't forget the Giant Dipper on the Boardwalk. And here I am being silly with glow in the dark necklaces. Every day and night was full of fun and relaxation on this amazing retreat.

Here's my kids hanging with Jack Pierson and his banjo. The kids LOVE him and he's so talented with all his fun songs.

I also was able to reunite with past Day Camp counselors and others who worked the summers of '93 and '94. So much fun to see the legacy continue in their kids.


Anyway... I'm back home and ready to write again.


The Evergreen blog tour hosted by Once Upon a Twilight kicks off August 20th which will be filled with awesome giveaways, reviews, interviews of characters, and fun! Don't miss it!

$50 Winner & other goodies coming up!

We have a winner for the $50 gift cert.

Congrats!HEATHER HARKINS

Other Giveaways:Win a copy of Everblue & Evergreen: HEREWin a replica of Ash's necklace by posting a review: HERE
COMING UP!
Book Tour: August 20th - Sept 7th. Reviews, Interviews, books, charms, vials of essence, and a KINDLE giveaway!Order your signed copy of Evergreen: HERE at the $8.99 price until 7/16 Send me a self addressed stamped envelope to:
Brenda PandosP.O Box 601901Sacramento, CA 95860
And I'll send you a charm with an Evergreen bookmark! (until supplies last)

Evergreen BOOK BIRTHDAY! Win $50

The much awaited release of Evergreen is finally here. You can now get Evergreen on Kindle and Nook for $2.99! You can order physcial signed books coming out in a few weeks here for only $8.99 'til 7/15 (11.99 original price).

As a little reward for early purchasers, I'm giving away $50 Amazon gift card! Email me your receipts at brendapandos@gmail.com to be entered. Pre-orderers of physical books are automatically entered.

I'm nervous, excited, and .... trying not to FREAK OUT! There's been a lot of anticipation for this installment. I have to keep reminding myself to keep calm...


Reviewers of Evergreen can enter a WIN ASH'S NECKLACE contest HERE.The necklace will be a replica of the one on Ash's forehead on the book cover.

I hope you enjoy the next installment. The book tour will be coming in August hosted by Yara at Once Upon a Twilight! It'll be filled with fun giveaways, reviews, mermaid facts and fun!

Hugs, Brenda

Presale - Evergreen

It's almost that time! While the ebooks for Evergreen will be available 6/29, the physical books will be ready sometime the end of July.

You can preorder your signed copy with matching bookmarkt at a discounted rate for a limited time.

A kingdom on the brink of war.
A king on the fringes of insanity.
A family running for their lives.

Ash and Fin’s only desire is to be together and dive into their happily ever after, though their conflicting worlds work to pull them apart. Neither is ready to convert to the other’s life: become a human or a mer. Little do they know that somewhere in Natatoria a secret holds the fine fabric of everyone’s lives together. If the truth is discovered, Ash and Fin will no longer have the luxury of waiting. They’ll be forced to choose. But will it be for loyalty or love? Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can’t decide?

Enter the watery world of treachery, greed, and the binding mer kiss as the story continues with Evergreen, book two of Mer Tales.

EVERGREEN, Book #2 Mer Tales $11.99 
$8.99 until 7/15/12

Simplicity Blog Tour Stop

I'm proud to be a stop on the Simplicity blog tour:

Today we meet Jake Peterson from Valia Lind’s Simplicity.           Hello Jake. Welcome.Hello Brenda. Thank you for having me on the blog.
It’s my pleasure. Now, I know all the girls out there are wondering who is this Jake Peterson? How would you describe yourself in a few words?Umm, I don’t really like talking about myself. *squirms* But I guess I’d say I’m a son, a guardian, and a photographer.
How is the life on the island treating you?Well, at first is was really hard trying to adjust to everything. I mean, it’s not like there’s a class on it or anything. We really had to band together and trust each other and God to see us through. I have to say, I couldn’t have been marooned with the better group of people though. These men have pushed past all the obstacles to make a place for themselves and I’m just glad I get to be part of that family.
Do you resent what happened to you? No I don’t. I think we are placed where we’re supposed to be. There is a reason why God sent us to this island, and while we may not know what it is, I have faith. As a person, I have grown tremendously since coming here and while I wish my loved ones didn’t have to go through the pain of losing us, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
What changed when Alexis came to the island?  *squirms again* Umm, everything.
Can you tell us what you like most about Alexis? Alexis, well, she’s, umm, everything. She’s strong and capable. She’s fearless and beautiful. She’s taught me things about myself that I didn’t know where part of me. She pushes me to be a better man. She has this tendency to overreact and she’s as clumsy as they come. But she will make me laugh any time of the day, and she’ll brighten a place just by walking into it. She’s perfect. *blushes*
Wow. *fans self* I didn’t know guys talked like that. If we were to ask Alexis about you, what would she say?Umm, that I like soccer and running away to pout in the jungle?
Why is that?No comment. You’ll have to read to find out.
Now, what is one thing you miss most from back home? My camera. I know most people would say family, but my family is on the island with me. My camera has always been an extension of myself and I just wish I could capture some of the beauty I see here on film.
What about food? Well, I miss a good steak. Oh and pizza. But the island has great selection of fruits and game so I’m not complaining.
If you can have one fiction book with you on the island, what would it be?I have to say something by Alexander Dumas or Agatha Christie. Those were my favorite back on mainland.
Favorite place to visit?France. or Italy. Anywhere Alexis would go with me. *coughs*
Now, before we let you go, the most important question. Coke or Pepsi?I’m a Dr. Pepper kind of a guy. 
Thank you so much, Jake for sharing your thoughts with us today! 
June 16th - Introductions at Words are Things!June 17th - Dee @ Good Choice Reading June 18th - Jessie Harrell - Excerpt June 19th - Paige - book review/character interview June 20th - Margie - book review/interviewJune 21st - Savannah - book reviewJune 22nd - Brenda Pandos - Character Interview June 23rd - Kelly - book review / interviewJune 24th - Farah - interview/ book reviewJune 25th - Dana - review June 27th - Linda - book review/ excerpt 
Summary:
Driven, beautiful Alexis Sinclair lives her life to the fullest, following her dreams of running a big company. But when her world is torn apart by a storm, everything she has ever known disappears. Now, marooned on an island with a group of men, Alexis must learn to live in a world made up of simple things. Letting go of every known convenience, she realizes how insignificant her life has become. Filled with unrequited love for her rescuer she must battle the demons buried deep inside and she must look within herself and to her faith to find the strength needed to survive.
Strong and influential, Jacob Peterson, has done all he can to survive. When the fate turned its tables on him, he learned to cope with the inevitable. Plagued by his past and secrets buried there, Jacob exerts a rigid control, refusing to succumb to the joys, and torturous pain, of strong emotions. Without considering love a gift he may never receive, he believes--he chooses to live by strict set of rules. But when a strange beautiful woman washes up on his beach, the walls that he has put up long ago begin to crumble. Is she a punishment sent from God to torment his weary soul? Or is she a gift, sent from above, there to teach him how to trust? Who is this woman? And how will he stop himself from losing his heart?
Will he learn to forgive the past in order to save the woman he loves?

Author. Photographer. Artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia Valia always had a love for the written word. She wrote her first full book on the bathroom floor of her dormitory, while procrastinating to study for her college classes. Upon graduation, she has moved her writing to more respectable places, and have found her voice in YA fiction. Her first adult book Simplicity is being republished, while her YA science fiction is on submission to find a home. 
Find her at http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com and @ValiaLind.
Find Valiahttp://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/ValiaLindhttp://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067029.Valia_Lindhttps://www.facebook.com/ValiaLind
Links to buy Simplicity:Amazon.com
Add it to your TBR list:Goodreads.coma Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Hop - Evergreen & Everblue

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop June 20th to 26thThanks to I'm a Reader not a Writer& Uniquely Moi Booksfor hosting.
I'm giving 1 set of e-copies (Nook/Kindle) of Everblue and Evergreen (6/29 release date) She wanted her life to change... he wanted his to stay the same.Enter the watery world of treachery, greed, and the binding mer kiss as the story continues with Evergreen, book two of Mer Tales

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway for Midsummer Dream Fair - Mermaid Tank

Welcome to the Mermaid Tank! 
Today, one of my mermaids is playing in the mermaid tank over at JL Bryan's Midsummer Dream Fair. I highly suggest heading over there, not only for a chance to win a copy of the Everblue, but to see if you might be friends with a mer.

Evergreen will be out in 15 days!

http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/midsummer-dream-fair-day-14-mermaid.html

Hugs, Brenda

Enter to win a NOOK TOUCH -- Soul Savers Tour

Today, the gang from the Soul Savers tour has stopped by to say "hi" and give you a chance to WIN a NOOK TOUCH! 


They've been traveling around the bloggisphere to answer questions about the series. Little does Kristie know I'm keeping Tristan for a few extra days for some *cough* site seeing here in California, so he'll be detained for the rest of the tour. Maybe she won't notice... hehe.


So... if you've never indulged in the world of the Soul Savers, you're seriously missing out! Devotion, book #3 in the series, released February continues the story and is action packed with deception, betrayal, and... oh, the passion. *fans self*


Add Devotion, the latest book in the Soul Savers series, to your Goodreads TBR here.

I was able to pin Lisa down for only a minute and asked her this:


Me: As a faerie, you’re not really devoted to either side – good or evil. So what are you loyal to? 


Lisa: May, mahself, and I. Oh, and Jessica, mah sistah. *laughs* Loyalty is so overrated, don’t ya think? Everyone gets all worked up when they choose sides. This realm would be so much more fun if everyone was more like faeries, lookin’ out only for themselves. *gets a gleam in her eye* ‘Course, there’s nothin’ like stirrin’ up a group of sheep who blindly follow the leader and thank they’re so strong with their loyalty to each other. That’s probably one of our favorite things to do in this realm – drop a big bomb of surprise right in the middle of order. I guess you could say we’re loyal to chaos. *winks*


You never know what you're going to get with a faerie.


PURCHASE DEVOTIONAmazon Print
Amazon ebook
Barnes & Noble Print
Noble ebook

Book Summary:
With powerful abilities gained from the Ang’dora and Tristan back by her side, Alexis thinks she’s ready for the next challenge— protecting her son from what appears to be the inevitable. But she has so much to learn about her powers, her new world and the people in it. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface, including the Amadis.


Power-hungry politicians comprise the council and make impossible demands. A traitor lurks among them all, inciting trouble that could destroy the Amadis and, ultimately, humanity. The Daemoni wreak havoc in the human world, with the ultimatum that they’ll continue attacking innocents until Alexis and Tristan are expelled from the Amadis’ protection. The couple’s own society begins to shut them out. But that’s not all.


Someone’s keeping a secret. A big one. Faith and hope in Alexis and Tristan will be restored if she can uncover the truth in time.


But the search for answers leads only to the discovery of more betrayals by those closest to Alexis. Her devotion is put to the test—devotion to her husband, to her family, to her people and to her beliefs—leaving her to question whom she’s fighting for and why she should even bother. But if she won’t fight . . . who will?


About Kristie Cook:
Kristie Cook is a lifelong writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at www.KristieCook.com.


Tour information can be found here:
http://www.kristiecook.com/2012/05/on...


Kristie’s Links:Kristie Cook’s Website: http://www.kristiecook.com/ Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/KristieCook Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristie...
Prizes!!! Grand Prize – Nook Simple Touch (US only)1st Prize — Paperbacks of all 4 of my books signed (US only)2nd Prize — Soul Savers Swag bag (US only)International Prize — All 4 books as ebooks

Rules: Leave a comment with your email to be entered to win.Each comment left throughout the tour will count as an entry. Please include your email address and if you are US or international. **One lucky person on my blog will win an ebook copy of DEVOTION.**


Next stop:
May 29A Life Bound By Books - http://alifeboundbybooks.blogspot.com/
May 30Kate's Tales of Books and Bands - http://talesofbooksandbands.com/Hopelessly Devoted Bibliphile - http://www.hopelessbibliophile.com/Lavender Lines - http://lavenderlines.wordpress.com/

Good luck!


Hugs, Brenda