I recently chatted with Brenda Pandos about her new book Everblue, the first in a series called Mer Tales, and it looks and sounds amazing! Plus, look at that cover! How could you possibly resist a book with a cover like that? Here's the book's synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
"Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.
Ashlyn is about to discover what she’d thought to be true her whole life, wasn’t, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever."
So without further ado, check out my interview below with Brenda Pandos about her new book, mermaid mythology, and what it's like to switch from vamps to merfolk.
How did you come up with the idea for Everblue? (Love that title, by the way!)
Thank you about the title. For once, the title was the easiest part. But honestly, I don’t quite remember how the plot came together exactly. I’m a panster writer (write from the seat of my pants), so ideas just come and I go with it. It’s like a big puzzle and the scenes need to be fit together. I wanted to see if I could write something from more than one POV but still 1st person. I also liked the idea merpeople could be secretly living among us. And that they don’t necessarily live in salt water either. Also, I wanted a story that has slightly differing rules and ideas. I maybe wrong, but the merworld, besides The Little Mermaid, isn’t as strictly defined as other “fantasy” things like faeries and vampires.
You’ve also written a YA series about vampires. Was it difficult for you, switching from writing about the dark aspects of vampire mythology to the less-ominous mermaid mythology?
I do like the lighter theme of mermaid lore vs. vampires. And there’s no “Eep, don’t go outside” moments in Everblue like my Talisman series, but creepy dark water with weird creatures in it can give one the shivers.
Which character did you have most fun writing about?
Fin was really fun but challenging at times. I don’t know if I’ve nailed the male POV down in any sort of the means and I asked my husband many times “is this how boys think?”
How do you feel about this rise in popularity mermaids have recently gotten?
I think it’s awesome and I really like being in the middle of the upswing. Maybe it’ll will get as popular as vampires *grin*.
What do you hope readers will take away from Everblue after reading it?
I hope they continue to care about Ash and Fin as much as I do, and want to find out how they deal with what’s about to come next, good or bad. I want teens to apply some of the principals to their own lives, like the value of telling the truth, being honest with yourself and your feelings, and how harboring secrets can hurt the ones you love.
Can we expect more Mer Tales to come in the future?
Of course… I’m planning more love, loss, betrayal, heartache, joy…
And lastly, what other projects are you currently working on?
I’m working on finishing up Onyx and then onto book #2 of Mer Tales (may that title come just as easy).
Thanks for the interview, Garrett
***
Everblue is available now, so what are you waiting for? Don't let this mermaid book be the one that got away!
No comments:
Post a Comment