The One Enlightened - Cover Reveal!

As promised, here is the final cover reveal for The One Enlightened, book 2 of the Chronicles of the Diasodz! I am absolutely in love with it! :-D Those of you who have read The One Discovered should be able to figure out which character(s) is(are) being represented on the cover. The rest of you will just need to read the books to find out. ;-)

Happy Halloween! ~and~ Congrats to October's Winners!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Today is a day of embracing the paranormal and fantasy worlds of our lives! So, it's fitting that my third giveaway for my YA paranormal/fantasy books take place today! :-D

Thank you to all of you who have liked my Facebook page, followed my Twitter account, and wrote a review.  Thank you for sharing my work and spreading the word.  Your positive energy embraces me, and I send some of it back to you through this giveaway.  So, as promised, here are the third set of winners for my giveaway!

A free e-book of The One Discovered goes to Twitter follower, M.tada (@aveirjapan)!

A free signed copy of The One Discovered goes to Facebook follower, Lily Faye Copes.

A free advanced reader's e-book copy of The One Enlightened will be sent to the following two reviewers before its release date:

1.  Pamela Foley (left a review of The One Discovered on Amazon)

2. Luz de la Paz (left a review of The One Discovered on Goodreads)

If you know any of these people, congratulate them on winning and thank them for supporting me! If you want to win one of the above items, simply like my Facebook and/or Twitter account, read my novel, and write a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. :-)

If you are one of these people, please message me via any of those sites so that I may receive your information and send you the book. :-)

If you did not win this week, I will have another drawing at the end of November.  As an extra incentive, I will also send an extra e-book to a person who encourages his/her friends to follow my Facebook page.  Simply have your friends follow me and send me a message that you invited them to join my page. :-) I've had many new followers, but none of them posted the name of the person who recommended them to my page.  Please encourage your friends to give you a shout out so that I may reward you for your kindness! ;-)

I am diligently working on the revising of The One Enlightened.  My plans are on track to release it in December. I hope you like the cover (I'll be revealing the last part in a just a few moments).

Enjoy Halloween and all of the little munchkins who knock on your door as they explore their imaginations and the worlds beyond their everyday lives.  Celebrate their creativity and their excitement of being different for a day.  And, as always, blessed be! :-)

The September giveaway winners are...

Thank you to all of you who have liked my Facebook page, followed my Twitter account, and wrote a review.  Thank you for sharing my work and spreading the word.  Your positive energy embraces me, and I send some of it back to you through this giveaway.  So, as promised, here are the second set of winners for my giveaway!

A free e-book of The One Discovered goes to Twitter follower, A Sunlit Rose (@ASunlitMuse)!

A free signed copy of The One Discovered goes to Facebook follower, Natalia Carson.

A free advanced reader's e-book copy of The One Enlightened will be sent to the following two reviewers before its release date:

1.  Sneha Tripathi (left a review of The One Discovered on Goodreads)

2. Bill Ward (left a review of The One Discovered on Amazon.com and on Goodreads)

If you know any of these people, congratulate them on winning and thank them for supporting me!

If you are one of these people, please message me via any of those sites so that I may receive your information and send you the book. :-)

If you did not win this week, I will have another drawing at the end of October.  As an extra incentive, I will also send an extra ebook to a person who encourages his/her friends to follow my Facebook page.  Simply have your friends follow me and send me a message that you invited them to join my page. :-)

And stay tuned!  I will be revealing the cover for The One Enlightened in October! I am absolutely in love with it! My beta readers and devotedly scrutinizing every book of book two. So far, I have received nothing but praise! I cannot wait to release it to you all.  :-)

The August giveaway winners are....

First, I want to thank all of you who have liked my Facebook page, followed my Twitter account, and wrote a review.  I feel the love from you all, and I pour it all back into my writing.  So, as promised, here are the first winners of my giveaway!

A free e-book of The One Discovered goes to Twitter follower, Mirjana Novak Cesar (@mirjanacesar)!

A free signed copy of The One Discovered goes to Facebook follower, Debra L. Hartmann.

A free advanced reader's e-book copy of The One Enlightened will be sent to the following two reviewers before its release date:

1.  Keri Houston (left a review of The One Discovered on Goodreads)

2. Cynthia (left a review of The One Discovered on Amazon.com)

If you know any of these people, congratulate them on winning and thank them for supporting me!

If you are one of these people, please message me via any of those sites so that I may receive your information and send you the book. :-)

If you did not win this week, I will have another drawing at the end of September.  As an extra incentive, I will also send an extra ebook to a person who encourages his/her friends to follow my Facebook page.  Simply have your friends follow me and send me a message that you invited them to join my page. :-)

And stay tuned!  I will be revealing the cover for The One Enlightened very soon! If you liked the cover for The One Discovered, the cover for book two will blow you away! :-)

The One Enlightened is written! Giveaways are coming...

Last night, I wrote the final chapter of The One Enlightened, book two of the Chronicles of the Diasodz series.  My heart was racing and my hands were shaking!  I am so in love with this story and cannot wait until it is in the hands of readers.  Before that can happen, I will be sending it to beta readers/editors, and I will be rereading it with the scrutiny that it deserves.  I am a perfectionist, and I want you to absolutely fall completely in love with the story.

As you wait for this process to take place, I thought I would ask for your assistance.  An indie author depends upon his or her readers to spread the word about his/her books.  This can be done by word-of-mouth or through social media.  I truly believe that this series is going to continue to become more popular as the sequels are released, and I want to share this journey with as many people as possible.  I mean, how often can you say that you were part of some momentous event from the beginning? ;-)

So, how can you help?  

If you've already read The One Discovered, write a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, or all of the above.  Share your honest opinion of the story, its characters, and the plot with others so that they, too, might take a chance on the series.  It doesn't have to be paragraphs long.  If you aren't sure how to write a review, read a few reviews on other books you've read (or any book on the site).  A sentence or two will do, but the important thing is to share your honest thoughts with others. Tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter that you've read it, and recommend it to them.  You have no idea how powerful your opinion can be!

If you haven't read my novel yet, welcome to my site and thanks for stopping by!  My novel is in the genre of young adult/fantasy/paranormal.  It is a part of a series that will have at least four books, but it may end up having more if my characters keep wanting attention (they are quite needy). ;-)  I would love for you to take a chance on my story.  If you love this genre, I believe you will truly enjoy my story.  It's full of plot twists and characters that you can't help caring about.  The online version is just $1.99 (that's less than a Starbucks coffee).  A print version is also available on Amazon.  I, myself, am an avid reader, and to lose myself in a story is one of life's greatest enjoyments for me.  Take a chance on my Diasodz, and then share with me if you enjoyed their story.

You just might be rewarded...

For those who have yet to read The One Discovered, I will be giving away one e-book version and one paperback copy each month until The One Enlightened is released.  To qualify, you must like my Facebook account and/or Twitter account.  If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, you can subscribe to this blog.  At the end of each month, I will choose two people: one will receive the e-book and one will receive the paperback.  The winners will be announced on all three venues.  The first giveaway will be at the end of this month (August).

For those of you who have already read The One Discovered, I will be giving away free e-book copies of The One Enlightened before its release date.  To qualify, you must write an honest review of The One Discovered on the web sites of Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and/or Smashwords (or all of them). ;-) My son will randomly choose a name from the reviews to win the free e-book.  Although a name will be chosen each month until its release, the e-book will not be emailed to you until it's ready for publishing.  You will receive it before I release it to the world.

Thank you for honoring me with your time.  I look forward to sending my novels to you.  Happy reading! ;-)

Finding Balance

                I must start by saying that I am not an expert on balance in any way.  I stumble quite often since my life and its many adventures are not linear but a convoluted entanglement of commitments, experiences and desires.  Even with this blog entry, it has taken me weeks to be able to sit and type this.

                I am a full time, high school, intensive reading teacher.  I also sponsor two clubs, Key Club International and SHAPE.  Both clubs focus on giving back to the community through service, and one of them requires several hours a week of my time.  I teach an extra class, giving up my planning period, so that I may earn more money.  On top of all of that, I am also the chairperson of the reading department (who just happens to also do the job of the reading coach).  From the time I get to work at 6:45 am to the time that I leave work, usually around 4:30pm or 5:50pm, I am nonstop.

                I am also a full-time, happily divorced mom.  My son is with his father every other weekend, but I have him the majority of the time.  I am blessed with the most amazing little man.  He is kind, thoughtful, smart, silly, and an all-around amazing human being.  He’s also seven years old and requires a lot of my time.  He's an A/B student who is always striving to get straight As, so we spend time together on his homework each night. He’s extremely athletic; he plays soccer in the winter, baseball in the fall and spring, and swimming in the summer.  Usually, those take up 3-4 nights each week during the season.  So, even at home, I am nonstop.

                Exercising is also extremely important to me.  Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  I was extremely lethargic, sometimes to the point that raising my arm felt like it took too much energy.  I had to make several lifestyle changes and take energy supplements, and I did.  I lost forty pounds and started to feel normal again.  It’s a struggle, though, because there are peaks and valleys, and when the valleys come, it’s quite difficult to find the energy to do anything productive. Fitting time to exercise into my already crazy schedule is not easy, either.  I wish I could say I was successful at it, but the truth is that I just don’t make it sometimes.

                I LOVE to read!  I’m a huge fan of paranormal stories.  I enjoy reading both young adult and adult.  I love series sets because I get to lose myself in their worlds longer than a stand-alone story.  Finding time to read is always a struggle.  I read while I’m using the stationary bike or the elliptical at the gym.  I read while I’m waiting for an appointment.  I’ll try to read when my son is reading for half an hour each day at home, but sometimes I just need to get dinner ready.  I read in the summer mostly, when I’m not working crazy hours every day.

                So, when do I find time to write?  (insert chuckle here)  My phone has become my friend.  When inspiration hits, I use the notepad on my phone to write out my thoughts.  Usually, that happens at the gym or at a red light or in the shower (thanks goodness for waterproof cases).  I carry a journal with me at work and jot down dialogue in the rare, spare moments that I’m given.  I type after my son has fallen asleep or on the weekends in which I don’t have him, after all of the usual errands are done.  Sometimes, my brain is just too fried to type, and I just accept that my muse needs a break. (Don’t worry, fans, I’m about 70% finished with writing The One Enlightened, book two of The Chronicles of the Diasodz).

                Still, with all of that being said, I consider myself among the very blessed in this world.  I have a family that loves me , supports me, and encourages me to pursue my dream.  I have a son who is the absolute joy of my life.  I have special friends who embrace me with their positive energy and allow me to bask in their beauty and their love.  I have a job that I am passionate about, where I can inspire reluctant readers to take a chance on losing themselves in a story.  I have been given an imagination that creates characters so vividly in my mind that I am able to share their lives with the rest of the world.

                So, how do I find balance?  I breathe.  ;-)  I schedule my life meticulously.  I remember what is important in life – my son, my family, my health, my livelihood, and my friends.  I embrace my passions and find moments to enjoy them.  I surround myself with a happy bubble and continuously work to strengthen its barriers.  I remember that every day is temporary, and I am given a new opportunity the next morning to start all over again.  I am not that person up on a high wire who tries to juggle seven oddly shaped objects without falling to her death.  I am the girl, sitting on a cushion, in front of a 1000-piece puzzle, finding a way to make all of the pieces fit, one by one.  And I’m happy.

Autographed Copies Are Coming!

 

An author creates the story, but those who help edit and revise are the ones who make the story perfect! My first (ever!) signed copies will be in the hands of these special people:

Pura (my amazing mother)

Kristy (my gifted sister/writer)

Liz (my best friend)

Rob (my #1 fan even before it was published)

Patty (my extremely gifted teen writer/editor)

Armando (my friend and colleague)

Claire Robinson (Goodreads Beta Reader)

Jeni Hamilton (Goodreads Beta Reader)

Lin White (Goodreads Beta Reader)

Lisa Weir (Goodreads Beta Reader)

Tatiana Villa (Cover Designer)

Once these wonderful people receive their signed copies, I will then have a few giveaways for my beautiful and incredible fans! So, check back here or on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/YvetteMCalleiro). 

Print Version is Now Available!

For those of you who absolutely need to feel the book's cover between your fingertips and smell the crispness of the pages, the print version of The One Discovered is now available on Amazon.com.  Feel free to tell your friends that the Diasodz's story is now theirs for the taking! After reading the book, please do me a huge favor and leave an honest review on the site so that other readers may discover Sofia's story.  As a new author, I depend on you, my fans, to share your love of the story with others.  Thank you so much for your support, and happy reading! ;-)

Once Upon a Time...

Every story has a beginning. Yet when I first encountered the Diasodz, it was in a dream. The scene that I saw would take place at the end of book one.  The characters and the story line did not come to me in chronological order, so I had to take some time to see the whole picture before I could begin writing.  As the characters began to speak to me, I found my beginning for book one.  It's the start of Sofia's story, but it isn't the beginning of the Diasodz's world. So, I thought I'd give those of you who are following me an introduction to how the Diasodz came to be. In book two (The One Enlightened), you will learn a lot about the hows and the whys of the Diasodz's predicament, so I won't give away everything just yet! ;-)

In the beginning, there was God....  Yes, I wanted to start from there. Whether you are spiritual or not, the creation of a species must start with a creator.  Call him Allah, God, Budda, Zeus, a chemical reaction...whatever you want, but creation happened.  So, my story starts with the fact that there was a God AND a Goddess.  There were angels and arch-angels.  In my world, the God and Goddess were equal, but the Goddess was most revered by all, including God.

When God created humans, he created them as equals, but Adam held Eve to be more valuable, as God did with the Goddess.  Lucifer was not content with the hierarchy that was set up and wanted change.  He schemed and connived until he had many angels who agreed with him.  Unfortunately for Lucifer, he fell in love with a female angel.  Because of his own superiority complex, he thought she would follow him anywhere.  When he finally confronted God about becoming the dominate gender, the love of his life stood on the God and Goddess' side.

In his anger, Lucifer couldn't think clearly.  He wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt him, and in doing so, he brought pain and suffering to humans.  Lucifer was cast out of the heavens along with the angels who stood by his side.  He vowed vengeance and promised that God's precious creation would never find peace. In the aftermath, an arch-angel asked the Goddess to protect the humans, and She created the Diasodz for that purpose.

By Her wishes, the Diasodz would live the first eighteen years of their lives as humans so that they could truly understand the struggles of those in which they were bound to protect.  Around their eighteenth birthday, they would experience a "death day." Their body's human life force and human characteristics would "die" and their spirit would transform into that of a Diasodz, a being with supernatural abilities to heal and protect humans from the evils created by Lucifer.

Yet, as with humans, the Diasodz were given free will.  Many Diasodz became influenced by Lucifer to join his entourage of evil over time.  As a race, the Diasodz made choices that caused the Goddess to turn away from her creation, and their powers have been fading ever since. And so we come to Sofia's story, where she must find who she really is and whether she can discover it in her heart and soul to save the Diasodz from fading forever...

Book Release - 01/30/14!

I am beyond excited to announce that my very first novel, The One Discovered (Chronicles of the Diasodz), is available for you to read. It is so fitting that today, the day of a second new moon, is its release date since the symbol of this novel is the new moon. It is also my grandfather's birthday, and I can think of no better way of honoring him than by making this dream a reality on his day. 

So, here are the links to download my novel if you'd like to read it:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I4L2Q40  (Amazon limits who can offer their book for free, so it's $0.99 on their site.)

OR

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/402145 (Here, the book is FREE!!! :-D  You can download mobi, epub, or even pdf if you want.)

Download it. Read it. Write a review (please). And share it with all of your friends and family.  

The print version is coming soon to Amazon so look for it if you love the feel of the book in your hands.

Happy reading! And thank you from the core of my soul for your support. :-)