Friday, August 30, 2013

Working on a road trip story...

As I looked up at those giant green signs with their bright white arrows, it felt like I could almost see truth. Like I could sense it in myself somewhere. Still, I wasn’t sure. Maybe the truth wasn’t loud enough or I just didn’t know how to listen. East or west? North or south? New or old? Did I want us to turn back? I told myself I didn’t know, had no idea what to do, even as part of me knew it was a lie.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Two weeks to go!

Just a little over two weeks left to win a signed print copy of Jump When Ready on Goodreads! So, for all you Goodreads people out there (are any of you not Goodreads people?), all you have to do is click here to enter! Or, if you don't feel like waiting, you can get an ebook copy for $2.99 on Amazon. Or both...


"Whether you're 14 or 24, this is a fun read with endearing characters and a quick-moving plot. Jump When Ready is not a book to miss."
- Portland Book Review 

"An engaging, poignant book that stayed with me long after I read the last word." 
- Tracy E. Banghart, author of By Blood.

"I loved this book and am looking forward to seeing what the author will come up with next!"
- A Little Shelf of Heaven 

"The combination of  coming-of-age, philosophical and thriller story comes together to make a fascinating and engaging book."
- The Real Bookshelves of Room 918

"It impacted my thoughts in a serious way, and I will most likely spend the next few days going over it, and over it, in my head."
- Bound by Words

The Unfinished Song (Book One): Initiate

I received an email from Katie at Misque Press on behalf of Tara Maya asking if I’d like to swap blog posts as part of cross-promotion for my novel and Tara’s novel, The Unfinished Song (Book 1): Initiate. I have no idea how they came across my blog or why they thought of me but, hey, why not? This is one of the many things I love about indie publishing, this willingness of authors to team up and work together toward the success of one another’s work. I think this is a great idea and I’m more than happy to post about Tara’s book here. By the way, Tara's novel seems to have gotten quite a few favorable reviews from readers. Good luck, Tara, and thank you for posting about Jump When Ready next month!


DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR...

Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.


EXCERPT
Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again.

She hadn't appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater.

"Join our circle, Dindi!" the fae voices gurgled under the water. "Dance with us forever!"

"No!" She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, "Dispel!" but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn't be coming up again.

"Dispel!" It was a man's voice.

Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently.

She coughed out some water while he supported her back.

"Better?" he asked.

She nodded. He was young--only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi.

"Good." He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head.

Dindi's hand touched skin--he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed.

"It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that," he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. "What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?"

Initiate is free everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a free .epub version via Smashwords.

Learn more about Tara Maya's Unfinished Song Series on Tara's blogTara's Twitter or The Unfinished Song on Facebook

The Unfinished Song (Book One) is free on AmazonKoboiTunes and Smashwords. You can also get it for $0.99 on Barnes and Noble.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Portland Book Review

Just saw this 5 Star Rating from the Portland Book Review!

"Whether you're 14 or 24, this book is a fun read with endearing characters and a quick-moving plot. Jump When Ready is not a book to miss."

Read the full review here: http://portlandbookreview.com/jump-when-ready/.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Win a Signed Print Copy of Jump When Ready

Since the Jump When Ready ebook version remains available for Kindle only, I thought it might be a good idea to offer a few print copies through this Goodreads giveaway (signed, by the way). Good luck!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Jump When Ready by David Pandolfe

Jump When Ready

by David Pandolfe

Giveaway ends September 14, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Huh?

Too bizarre not to post. Do you get the feeling something got lost in translation?  Yeah, I wish...

Friday, August 2, 2013

Tweaking the print cover a little

Just finished adding some review quotes to the cover of Jump When Ready print version. I think it looks pretty cool (give it a click)...