Mayandree Michel's Blog

Thanks to all who stopped by daily last week and checked out the guest post by a great group of authors and entered the "Super Sequels Week" giveaway. The giveaway has closed and we have a winner.

And the winner of all four sequels and some surprise SWAG is ... Vilmarys C.!
Congratulations Vilmarys!

For those who didn't win, don't fret. I plan on running a few more soon so follow my blog and be the first to know:)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leigh Michael, Ali Cross, and Amber Garr for participating in the "Super Sequels Week", giving us an inside look at their exciting series, and being so generous in teaming up with me to make this another awesome giveaway.

Today is the last day to enter to win one signed copy of each sequel and some surprise Swag! Contest ends tonight at midnight. US and Canada entries only, sorry. Good luck everybody!!


  The Syrenka Series  - by Amber Garr  


The Desolation Series - by Ali Cross  

The Descendants Series - by Mayandree Michel


 
Annabelle's Story - Leigh Michael  

 Last day to enter to win!

The Folklore of Annabelle's Story
Guest post by Leigh Michael
as part of the Super Sequels Week & Giveaway.

Just a few days ago, I released, Kin, the sequel in Annabelle's Story. Ample amounts of research went into writing part one and part two in this series, especially relating to mythology and folklore. Download the PDF below (just click on the image) for a glimpse into what was "real" and what was "make believe" in Sprite and Kin. Keep in mind, "real" simply meant based on research. And of course, this list doesn't include all the hidden gems in Annabelle's Story.

Click on the image above to view the PDFThank you so much Leigh!

Sprite & Kin are available on Amazon and Smashwords. Also, don't miss out a chance to win a signed copy of Kin and the sequels from some amazing authors (Amber Garr, Ali Cross, and Mayandree Michel). Enter this 4-book giveaway, here! Find more information about Leigh and her works on Leigh Michael Books, Twitter, Facebook, and/or Goodreads.

The Folklore of Annabelle's Story
Guest post by Leigh Michael
as part of the Super Sequels Week & Giveaway.

Just a few days ago, I released, Kin, the sequel in Annabelle's Story. Ample amounts of research went into writing part one and part two in this series, especially relating to mythology and folklore. Download the PDF below (just click on the image) for a glimpse into what was "real" and what was "make believe" in Sprite and Kin. Keep in mind, "real" simply meant based on research. And of course, this list doesn't include all the hidden gems in Annabelle's Story.

Click on the image above to view the PDF
Thank you so much Leigh!

Sprite & Kin are available on Amazon and Smashwords. Also, don't miss out a chance to win a signed copy of Kin and the sequels from some amazing authors (Amber Garr, Ali Cross, and Mayandree Michel). Enter this 4-book giveaway, here! Find more information about Leigh and her works on Leigh Michael Books, Twitter, Facebook, and/or Goodreads.

Today is Sacrifice's day for the Super Sequels Week.



If you've poked around my blog before, then you're probably familiar with my books and know what they are about. For those of you who are stopping by for the first time, allow me to introduce the story of The Descendants.
Betrayal, The first book in this trilogy is about Cordelia, a seventeen year old empress-to-be and direct descendant of Zeus. Cordelia has been exiled to the future with no real memory of her past. With her lack of memory, her divine powers are diminished. She must discover the truth about her kingdom and its members, as well as reinforce the strength of her empire in the fight against Hades'.  
Sacrifice, the second book in the series, continues Cordelia's exciting story. Cordelia is stronger and takes on the role of empress, governing her empire, while she tries to navigate her heart to the most deserving and rightful suitor. In this installment, the past is revealed and threatens the very future Cordelia once believed she was entitled to. 
The Descendants story concludes with Mercy, the final installment, which will be available early 2013.
To find out more about Betrayal, click here. More on Sacrifice, click here.
The Descendants Casting Call


Almost always, when you are reading a book, there is a movie playing along in your mind. You envision the characters with some of the faces you see on TV or in movies. Many author's will agree that the same thing occurs when writing. I picture real people playing the roles of the characters in my story as if it were a movie.

Since the debut of Betrayal, and more so now with the release of Sacrifice, many of you have written me, expressing just how much you’d love to see The Descendants series made into a film. Honestly, the idea of my books ever being commissioned for a movie seems so far and out of this world, yet it does make me want to share more of what went into writing the story.

So I decided to share who I thought could play the roles. Although some of my choices are based on the personality and demeanor of the actors / models, they are mostly based on the looks of the person.
So here we go with my picks for the cast. What do you think?





Cordelia
This was the hardest choice. Honestly, as I began writing the series, I pictured several actors and actresses for every character and I still haven't made up my mind on who would play Cordelia. These actresses seem to have at least one or two attributes that embody Cordelia's rare beauty.

Victoria Justice, minus the green eyes,is my first choice.
 A younger Ashley Greene would be great. She looks so sweet and innocent in this photo.
 Nina Dobrev fits the part almost perfectly in this period costume, but is it just me or does she bare a striking resemblance to Victoria Justice? 


Evander
I'm not sure if either of these models measure up to the gorgeous
son of Poseidon, but I'll let you decide. They're both over six feet, so that works.


Sean Opry is just dreamy. He's my first pick.
Mario Ermito shows Evander's turbulent side,but his hair should be darker.


Victor 
  Victor, the bad boy, has to look just as devilish as he looks delicious. I couldn't decide which photo of Tyson Ballou, the hottest American model (in my opinion anyway), shows Victor's
dark side best.







Bethany 

 I think both actresses embody Bethany's stunning beauty perfectly,
and can play a domineering role with ease.




Amanda Seyfried, has the face, but I'm not sure she's tall enough. Bethany is nearly six feet.  Evan Rachel Wood definitely has the height and blue eyes.

Nikolas
I thought of a younger version of Jason Momoa for Nikolas. He certainly seems tall enough to portray the mighty centaur,





but he'd have to keep thatyouthful face while beefing up his physique.



This photo of Jason Momoa depicts Nikolas' passion for a good time.Who wouldn't want to hang out with Nikolas, especially if he looks anything like Jason. Can't you just picture him saying, "Who's got the glasses?" as he opens a bottle of wine?


Well, there they you have it, as they were in my head (sort of), and still are. What's your take on my cast picks? I would really like to hear what you all think. Leave a comment, letting me know which actors, and actresses you think would best fit the characters in The Descendants series.
Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Sacrifice, as well as the autographed sophomore novels of the Syrenka series, by Amber Garr, the Desolation series, by Ali Cross, and Annabelle's Story, by Leigh Michael.

Enter Giveaway

Today's my day to celebrate the sequels in four awesome mythological trilogies! I'm excited to tell you a little about DESOLATE, book two in the Desolation series, and to give you a little bit of advice I think is important to remember when writing a story that has roots in mythology.

First, meet DESOLATE . . .

Where darkness lives, all becomes desolate.

It’s been two months since sixteen-year-old Desolation Black chose Earth over Hell and her friend Miri over her eternal love, Michael.  

Desi goes through the motions of life: school, training, remaining vigilant against the forces of darkness, but her dreams are full of the choices she wishes she could change. When she’s injured by a strange demon, old temptations arise, and the lines between good and evil blur. Desi discovers those choices aren’t so final after all.

And this time, the power of love—for a friend, for a lover—may not be enough to save her from the darkness that lurks within.

To buy DESOLATE, visit Amazon, B&N or Smashwords!


Desolation's story began with the question, "What if the devil's daughter only wanted to be good?". A spin on the whole teenage angst where the parents' goals do not align with the teen's. Hey, I've been there. Have you?
I thought I'd have a lot of fun with the story, you know, make it a little tongue-in-cheek . . . yeah, that didn't exactly turn out. As you can probably guess from the cover, DESOLATE is, well, pretty darn bleak. And there was pretty much nothing fun or lighthearted about book one, BECOME. 
In addition to discovering my book wasn't going to be a happy-go-lucky adventure, I realized I didn't want to write about the traditional Christian idioms of Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil. I wanted some leeway, room to put my own spin on the theology. And that's when my story became less theologic-based and more mythologic. 
I've always loved Norse mythology, so bits of what I knew abegan to find their way into my story, and my mind was officially blown. Did you realize how many similarities there are between Lucifer and Loki? Thor and Jesus? God and Odin? I could regale you for ages on all that I found. 
But when it came right down to putting words on the page, I still didn't want to be tied to the norm, to tradition. And I think that's precisely where the joy in writing, or the wonder in reading, comes in--when we write/read something that startles us, shakes us out of what we expected and opens our mind to the possibility of . . . everything.
So when you're writing, do your research, sure, but then set yourself free of all that you've learned. Make the story your own, the mythology something unique to you. And when you're reading, open your heart and mind to all the possibilities the writer gives you in their story.
I guarantee that when we can all, writers and readers alike, free ourselves of the expected, we'll have a grand time!



Thank you so much Ali!
Visit Ali at her blog or on Facebook!
Enter Giveaway

The Folklore of Annabelle's Story
Guest post by Leigh Michael
as part of the Super Sequels Week & Giveaway.

Just a few days ago, I released, Kin, the sequel in Annabelle's Story. Ample amounts of research went into writing part one and part two in this series, especially relating to mythology and folklore. Download the PDF below (just click on the image) for a glimpse into what was "real" and what was "make believe" in Sprite and Kin. Keep in mind, "real" simply meant based on research. And of course, this list doesn't include all the hidden gems in Annabelle's Story.

Click on the image above to view the PDFSprite & Kin are available on Amazon and Smashwords. Also, don't miss out a chance to win a signed copy of Kin and the sequels from some amazing authors (Amber Garr, Ali Cross, and Mayandree Michel). Enter this 4-book giveaway, here! Find more information about Leigh and her works on Leigh Michael Books, Twitter, Facebook, and/or Goodreads.

So today is my day for the Super Sequels Giveaway hosted by Mayandree Michel. Yeah! We are featuring Betrayal, but as you know, you can also get Arise now too. Be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY.



Life as a mermaid can be suffocating.Eviana Dumahl has returned home as a clan leader, an orphan, and a heartbroken teenage girl.  Her parents are dead and her boyfriend, Brendan, has decided that he needs some time away.  While battling her inner turmoil, Eviana is forced into the war that Lucian Sutherland has incited amongst her own kind.  With the help of Kain, her friend and formally betrothed, the two work together to prove that they deserve their birthrights as young merfolk leaders.When The Council requests a demonstration of Eviana’s mermaid powers, she finds herself with an opportunity to win back Brendan’s heart.  But her orders to train with a repulsive merman and the presence of an attractive new suitor challenges Eviana to embrace her leadership and resist temptation. Lucian is after her, and no one seems to understand why.  Loyalties are tested as the casualties increase, showing Eviana that sometimes it is impossible to delineate between friends and enemies.
On Writing Betrayal - Book Two of a Series:
Originally, The Syrenka Series existed only as a short story with readers experiencing the forbidden love between a mermaid and a selkie.  But once I set it aside, the world kept calling and I had to go back and see where Eviana and her friends would take me.  So turning the original 3,000 words into a trilogy, was both a challenge and extremely entertaining.

In writing the second book of the series, I knew it was important to settle some unanswered questions from Promises and also leave a whole slew of them open for the final installment, Arise.  It was important for me to show the readers how much Eviana had grown up in the few months between each book.  Her life changed drastically and it was now time for her to live up to her family’s expectations.
I wrote Betrayal in about a month.  Every single night I had to get at least an hour in front of my computer.  The story fell into place very quickly and once that happened, I couldn’t stop writing!  I loved showing more about the Council and the inner workings of merfolk society, but even more so, I loved writing Graham.  With his bad boy ways covering up a struggle very similar to Eviana’s, it was going to be difficult for her to resist.
Betrayal will take the reader on a journey full of heartache and realizations that the world Eviana once thought she knew, no longer exists.  And the people she’s relied on turn out to be anything but trustworthy.  With a cliffhanger that will make you rush out to grab Arise, I think this second book hit every goal I wanted to help move the story forward and lead into the conclusion of the series.

Thank you so much Amber!Find out more about Betrayal at Amber's Website and The Syrenka Series website.Fell free to contact Amber at her Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or email.Buy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and be sure to check out the final book in the trilogy, Arise .

It's Super Sequels Week

Thank you to all of you who showed so much interest in the 5 books that were a part of the YA Mythology Book Giveaway a few weeks ago. You guys are awesome!
 Although there was only one winner, many of you have since given these novels a try and have left some really great feedback. So this week, the highly anticipated sequels of each exciting series will be featured.

There's some really fun stuff planned. Check back each day, starting Tuesday, Sept 25th - Friday, Sept. 28th, for an inside look on the unique folklore and mythology of these sophomore installments, as well as a cool casting call.

But the fun doesn't end there...

Because  you guys have been so supportive, I've teamed up with these amazing and gracious authors again, and we're  giving away one signed copy of each sequel and some surprise Swag! Woot!

Contest ends Saturday, September 29th at midnight. US and Canada entries only, sorry. Good luck everybody!!


Grab a badge and spread the word!

  The Syrenka Series  - by Amber Garr Tues., September 25th


The Desolation Series - by Ali Cross Wed., September 26th

The Descendants Series - by Mayandree Michel Thurs., September 27th


Annabelle's Story - Leigh Michael Fri., September 28th

 Enter to win!

Congratulations to Amber Reyna! She has won the signed copy of Sacrifice and the awesome coffee mug.

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. Your support is appreciated. You may not have won this time, but don't fret. I plan to do more giveaways for both Sacrifice and Betrayal in the upcoming weeks, so keep checking in.

Enjoy the rest of the long holiday weekend!