Welcome to my blog, Brandy'z Books. Please feel free to look around and make sure to check out the contest list at the botton of the blog for awesome contests at other sites. Enjoy!!!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Congrats... Kitty!!!



CONGRATS...  Kitty you won Gracen's awesome skull pendant!!!  I would like to thank everyone who stopped by and a HUGE "Thank You" to Gracen for coming to my blog and telling us about her awesome new book and Hellhounds :) 

In case anyone missed it Gracen will be having a few more contests this week and here are the details

 On August 19th, visit Gracen's blog for a chance to win:
http://madisonroadtohell.blogspot.com/
On August 19th, Gracen will be giving one away on Clu's All Night Preview: http://clusallnightpreview.blogspot.com/
And she is holding an ongoing contest for one at Live to Read:
 http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/
Congratulations again to Kitty and remember Pandora's Box comes out August 19th so be sure to get your copy.

~Brandy

Monday, August 15, 2011

HELLHOUNDS ON MY TAIL w/ Gracen Miller **CONTEST**

HELLHOUNDS ON MY TAIL

By: Gracen Miller


Howdy, folks! A super big thank you to Brandy for allowing me to join you to promote my new release—out this Friday!—Pandora’s Box, book one Road to Hell series! I won’t bore you with trivialities, but I’ll just get straight to my topic… Hellhounds!

Have you ever wanted to be a part of a group where everyone is welcome and fits in? Well, you can! I have an awesome group of fans/readers (many have become great friends—like Brandy!) that call themselves my Hellhounds!

Are you familiar with the supernatural creature? Hellhounds are commonly thought of as paranormal dogs that have vigor and speed. Maybe they have red or yellow glowing eyes and stink like the Hell they might have leapt from. In some literature and movies, the mystical canines are invisible, and are either the cause of a person’s death or an omen of death.

The Welsh Hellhound is called Cŵn Annwn, and even though it is considered a friendly creature, it remains an omen of death. A death omen seems to be a common lore. Cerberus from Greek Mythology is a well-known Hellhound, which is a multi-headed dog that guards the Underworld. Not an omen of death, but still deals with death.

There are a bunch of myths on the internet about Hellhounds, so if you’re interested in learning more, visit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellhound.

When I created my Road to Hell series Facebook fan page, I got tired of calling all the new likers “members”. It felt like they needed to have a name, something fun, but something they approved of. I held a vote asking the members of the page to suggest names they wanted to be called.  “Hellhounds” won the vote. My Hellhounds aren’t as ominous as the various mythical creatures, and they’re not omens of death. The Road to Hell series Hellhounds are better described in a bunch of different ways. Some are chatty, funny, and sweet. Others are naughty, wicked, but supportive and always eager to help promote. Or they’re a combination of all the traits. They’re just regular folks—like you and me!—but they are the most awesome group of fans/friends a gal could have. I am proud to have all of their support and friendship. I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of them and I’m always eager to meet more.

This day is about honoring my Hellhounds! I invite all of them to come tell you a little about themselves in the comment section. Or tell others why they should be a Hellhound, what’s so special about being one? Come on Hellhounds, everyone needs to see how awesome you are! We want Brandy’s readers to crave being a part of this amazing group…make them run and trip over their fingers to become a part of our saucy little piece of real estate on Facebook. ;-)

Becoming a Hellhound is a rigorous process. Not many folks make it…are you ready to hear what you must do? You must show your nimbleness by clicking the “like” button on my Road to Hell series Facebook fan page at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796

 
That’s all it takes to become a Hellhound! Not rigorous at all, but easy-peasy!

And if you want to become my friend on my personal Facebook page, please click here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/gracen.miller

The first chapter of Pandora’s Box can be read on my website at http://www.gracenmiller.com/.  Or if you want a teaser excerpt, scroll down. Pandora’s Box will release FRIDAY (8-19-11) at Decadent Publishing (http://www.decadentpublishing.com/) and at your online bookstores (Amazon, Smashwords, etc.)!


Hellhounds and NON-Hellhounds, leave a comment or ask a question for a chance to win a skull cameo pendant, but PLEASE leave your email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner!!! 

Here is a picture of what you will win



 
Thanks for having me with you today, Brandy!

Hellhounds and NON-Hellhounds…you’re up next! Start leaving those comments!  =D

Huggles,
Gracen


Where you can stalk me—not really!—but I would love to meet and interact with you:


Pandora’s Box Blurb:

Where does the road to Hell begin?

What happens when your son turns homicidal overnight and your husband disappears on his way to work? Do you cower in fear or fight for your life? Madison Wescott fights against the odds. Distrustful of a God she doesn't believe in, she finds herself face-to-face with a world she didn't know existed and discovers her own soul is darkened with demonic connections.

With good intentions? Or by demonic design?

Phoenix Birmingham bursts into Madison’s life in a whirlwind of sarcasm and sexual appeal. A hero for the masses—and for her jaded heart—but few will ever know the sacrifices he has made or the sacrifices to come. Discovering her entire life has been influenced by multifaceted paranormal beings, Madison is determined to defeat the apocalyptic blueprint fate has decreed, but only one man dares to challenge the supernatural forces manipulating them. Even with Phoenix's aid, can destiny be denied? Or will demonic design prevail while they pay the crucial price with their souls?

In a small, sleepy Alabama town the battle for mankind's liberty has begun...
Pandora’s Box Excerpt:

She nodded and watched as he doused gauze with antiseptic. “Dr. Nix at your service,” he said with a grin, two adorable dimples charming her where words failed.

Madison rolled her eyes, and tipped her head to the side to give him better access. He brushed her hair off her neck, back behind her shoulder. Such a simple gesture, yet it felt terribly personal. The air grew thick and sticky with her awareness of him. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs.

Madison stared into his eyes. Green, she thought, his eyes were green, gorgeous and intense, with ridiculously long eyelashes women would fantasize about. If they didn’t, they should. A flicker of compassion, concern, and something else she couldn’t identify flashed in his eyes.

“Ready?” he asked.

The husky tenor of his voice forced her gaze to shift to his mouth. Nice, sexy lips, designed for kissing. She gave a mental shake but couldn’t resist wondering how his mouth would feel on hers.

“Madison?” Humor deepened his voice, a touch of a smile tilted the edges of the lips she’d been fantasizing about, and she realized she still stared at them. “You ready?” he asked again, and her eyes widened in embarrassment over her foolish stupor.

She swallowed hard. “Yeah.” She whispered past the lump in her throat and forced her vision to lock on the wall over his shoulder. Good God, what was wrong with her? Her pulse throbbed like crazy, and she felt woozy. Loss of blood! Must be why she reacted that way. No other explanation made sense.

Even though the antiseptic stung like hell, the gentle touch coming from such a gruff man surprised her. “It’s not bad,” he said, dabbing the blood away. “Just a nick.”

Well, she could nix the blood loss theory. Exhaustion and stress were the only other excuses she could come up with. “I’ve suffered worse.” Her voice sounded off, kind of hoarse. She tried to clear her throat delicately, but he must have noticed her unease, because his perceptive eyes met hers. Again, she thought she caught the edge of concern reflected in their green depths.

“This isn’t the first time he’s attacked you?”

“No. It’s the first time he’s tried to seriously kill me, though.” She sighed as she closed her eyes, ready to give up fighting, the sudden tears threatening to fall. Okay, woozy and acting strange because of strain…not because of him. Seriously, as far as first impressions went, she wasn’t impressed.

~~~~

DON’T FORGET:  Hellhounds and NON-Hellhounds, leave a comment or ask a question for a chance to win a skull cameo pendant, but PLEASE leave your email address so I can contact you if you’re the winner!!! 

I would like to thank Gracen for coming on my blog.  I hope you all enjoyed her blurb and exerpt as much as I did.  Don't forget to leave a comment and please feel free to spread the word for every friend that tells us you refered them you get an extra point for the contest :) 

Gracen Miller will be here w/ a contest tomarrow!!!

Hi everyone. 

Author Gracen Miller will be with us tommarrow to talk about her new book "Pandora's Box" which will be released August 19th with Decadent Publishing.


   She will also be holding a contest on my blog for this amazing prize


A Skull Cameo Pendant 

I will be listing more info on the contest, so be sure to check back tomarrow and please feel free to pass the word along to a friend.  You just might get something special if they leave a comment and your name.

Thanks everyone, talk to you soon!!!

~Brandy

Friday, July 22, 2011

Top 100 Most Treasured Books???

Hi Everyone.  I saw this post and I thought I would share.  I have seen this list floating around of classic books that everyone should read.  I love to read and had always thought I was an accomplished reader but by this I am soooo behind.  I think that there are a few books that have been left off like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Dante's Inferno, Swiss Family Robinson, some Edgar Allen Poe or the Iliad and the Odyssey.  I have read 18 of these and 2 that I am still working on, one I won't finish (not much of a Shakespeare fan).   I think there are some that shouldn't be on here.

I've completed my list below. Please let me know how many you have read and if you think that they have left some books off :)  Also tell me if you post the list, lol

People who list it on their blogs are supposed to bold-type the books they've actually read and italicize the books they started and never finished. Those they've never read at all are left in the original type.

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale – Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo


So what did you think?
~Brandy

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Congrats Hotcha12!!!

Congrats Hotcha12 you won a copy of Kristal's new book Burning from Within: Inside Kristal McKerrington!!!



I will be sending Kristal your email Hotcha12.  Thanks to everyone that came and supported Kristal!!!

~Brandy

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Burning From Within: Inside Kristal McKerrington **Contest**

Burning From Within: Inside Kristal McKerrington
Hello all Brandy's Book Readers,
           
Its great to be back, thank you so much Brandy! This time I have a wonderful treat for you all. I have the Release of my latest book. Burning From Within: Inside Kristal McKerrington. Best Comment will win a copy of the Ebook.
           
 This past week I saw the release of my very own story, let loose on the world. I wrote it in the way that I hope will not make people feel sad for me, because all I wanted to do is inspire people. Show them how I got through the Rheumatoid Arthritics and Dyslexia, which is a common thing that I have to deal with on a day to day bases.


           
Here is the blurb from the book and I hope that you will enjoy the teaser about what we will be talking about today.

            Kristal McKerrington, is a young twenty-two year old author, who opens up her heart and her life for her readers in hope to inspire and give hope for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Dyslexia sufferers out there. To show them that there is such a thing of getting your dream. She hopes that by writing this book that she can help raise awareness to all of the sufferers out there and help to show them that determination along with dreaming is all you need sometimes. Learn about this woman, who's over come the odds to become a full time, multi time published author.

I tell all in hope to bring some sort of peace, inspiration and help to the people out there that are fighting a condition that is making there lives hell. In some cases leaving them to believe that there isn't such a thing as a life outside of RA. I can tell them there is and it's amazing. I'm living proof that you can live you dream even though you have a condition.
           
 So far we have all ready received a on review on the book so far and I have copied the link into the blog so that you can check it out below.


Exclusively, I have an excerpt from the book itself. To give you a taste of what the book has instore for you.

            I want to reach out to the RA suffers out there that are about my age or even younger.  To help them see that we can still have a semi normal life. Achieve dreams through being strong within yourselves by fighting the condition and dreaming. I would love to go all over the world some day where they can talk to me and I can say to them the words that helped me more times than not.  To show them dreams are alive and can be reality.
            'Dreams are meant to be dreamt. They can only be achieved from within us and I want to help as many of you as I can achieve those dreams as I can.'  Kristal McKerrington.
            The RA Association aren't the only ones I want to help. There is the Dyslexia suffers out there too who are having their endless talents missed due to the fact that either teachers, bosses, lecturers, parents or anyone else, because they don't know how to spot the learning difficulty and are missing out on discovering the few talents that are floating about this world.  I want to end the hate and fear in school of kids who are different or treated differently by either teachers or students.  I want to reach out and help lead the way for that group as well.
            I want to do all this, because I care and I don't know who else is willing to do this, but I am. I believe and that is all I need to be able to help those out there.

 I hope that you enjoyed having me back on Brandy's Books. I have also gotten myself an Agent, who's handling my bookings and anything related to my career. So if you want to drop by to meet him or want to book me for anything then you can get him on http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002576127907&sk=wall . I'm now making moves to do more than just writing. David's helping me explore the other dreams I have had. I've been so honoured to have him take me on his books.
           
 I want to thank Brandy for having me back. Make sure that you comment below with your email address so that you can have the chance to win a copy of 'Burning From Within: Inside Kristal McKerrington'.  Its been  an honour please feel free to join the fan-page to tell me what you think or you can email me though the XoXo Publishing site also now.
            T
Thank you all again for having me.

Kristal McKerrington


**Contest** please make sure to leave a comment and include your email so that you can be reached.  The contest will go through Friday 7/15 
Thanks...  Brandy
My Kindle ebooks: http://ht.ly/3xbTS
Facebook Fan Page: http://ht.ly/3xc0D

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Mom is sick...

Hi, My name is Macy and I am Brandy's daughter.  Mom is sick right now.  She is having more surgery complications. 

Mom has asked me to post this so that all of the Amazing Authors that she has "spotlights" set up for the end of April and May will know why she hasn't contacted them or updated the spotlights daily.  She feels very badly but she is just not able to do all of this right now.

We are praying for a quick recovery and we hope that you all understand.

Macy