Tag: yvettecalleiro

New Release “The One Redeemed!” #preorder #yvettecalleiro #mustread writingcommunity

I’m thrilled to have Yvette Calleiro here today to share in her good news of the very soon-to-be-released book, “The One Redeemed.” I have loved the entire Diasodz Series, and I’m so excited that the journey continues with Drake.

Diasodz World

Welcome to the world of the Diasodz! Some of you may already be immersed in their world, but for those of you who are new to it, I wanted to share a little bit about it with you. I created this world almost fifteen years ago. It’s still hard to wrap my head around that. Diasodz are special beings who were created by the Goddess to live among humans. Their purpose was to heal and protect humans from evil in the world. Because they aged more slowly than humans, they needed a place to go where they could live a generation or two before coming back to Earth to reassimilate into society.

That is how Caelagios came to be! A lot of research went into creating the species and the world. You will learn about the characters at the next stop on this blog tour. When I was searching for a name for their world, I leaned on Latin and Greek root words. Caelestis is a Latin root word that means heavenly, and hagios is a Greek root word that means sacred, holy, and heavenly. So, I created a heavenly sanctuary for them – Caelagios.

Caelagios has much in common with Earth since Earth is their first home. The environment on Caelagios is more vibrant in color, and the animals are unique to its planet. Though they resemble some animals from Earth, their characteristics are a bit different. For example, a fox would have reflective fur so it blends into its surroundings easily. Birds have multi-colored feathers, and butterflies have iridescent wings. Swans are larger than those on Earth, and some are even golden in color.

Houses appear to be modest from the outside. Once inside, the house expands to include multiple floors and wings. Diasodz use portals to get from one place to the other. There are private portals within the home with restrictions on who can use them and public portals in main areas available to everyone.

Most importantly, in Caelagios, Diasodz can use their Goddess-given magic in most places. Their powers are restricted in the High Council’s courtroom and in the Elders’ presence. Using their powers freely allows them to perfect their skills without worrying about humans discovering them.

As beautiful and free as Caelagios is, it was never meant to be a permanent home for Diasodz. When they began treating it as such, their powers began to fade. And that led to the beginning of the series – the Diasodz had to fulfill the prophecy that claimed their powers could be restored if they could find the savior who could heal them all.

Thank you for joining me in learning a bit about the Diasodz’s world.

Blurb

Drake had been an agent for chaos, a tyrant who focused only on his desires, even when they hurt those he claimed to love the most. Would dying to protect his daughter redeem him? Or would he spend an eternity reliving his biggest regrets?

Electrifying pain coursed through Drake’s veins as he sacrificed his life to save his daughter. When he becomes conscious again, reality sets in. He is dead. While he is overcome with grief, his mortal enemy, Goddess, offers him a path to redemption. In order to find his way back to his children, he must first revisit his past and atone for his choices. The journey will be brutal, and his outcome is not guaranteed.

Failure is not an option for Drake. He will do anything to get back to his children to make amends for his actions, even if it means sacrificing himself all over again.

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G5HZX97B/

To follow along The One Redeemed Tour, please visit the author’s blog. Thanks for supporting Yvette M Calleiro and her work!

Author Bio:

Yvette M. Calleiro is the author of the Chronicles of the Diasodz fantasy series, HYPE, and a couple of short stories. As a heavily addicted reader of both young adult and adult novels, she spends most of her time pseudo-living in paranormal worlds with her fictional friends (and boyfriends).

When she’s living among real people, Yvette M. Calleiro is a middle school Reading and Language Arts teacher. She’s been sharing her love of literature with her students for over twenty years. Besides writing about the various characters that whisper (and sometimes scream) in her head, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, spending quality time with family and friends, and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.

Although an avid traveler, Yvette lives in Miami, Florida, with her incredible son who has embraced her love for paranormal and adventurous stories. She also shares her space with an assortment of crazy saltwater animals in her 300-gallon tank.

Amazon Links:

Hype – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L7BFNXG

The One Discovered (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 1) – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I4L2Q40

The One Enlightened (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 2) – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R0QI51I

The One Betrayed (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 3) – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0191O1892

The One Revealed (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 4) – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NBKJHIO

The One Awakened (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 5) – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0781WT73J

The One Redeemed (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 6) – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G5HZX97B/

The One Chosen – A Diasodz Short Story – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0986Q6P1D

Breathless – A Short Story – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLVDHQX

Karma Doesn’t Kill – https://www.amazon.com/Karma-Doesnt-Kill-Yvette-Calleiro-ebook/dp/

A Christmas Homecoming – https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Homecoming-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B0DQK23BT8

Escaping the Woods: A Short Story – https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Woods-Short-Yvette-Calleiro-ebook/dp/B0B558WVKX

 

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Yvette-M-Calleiro/e/B00I4RJMUU

 

Social Media Links:

Author Blog: http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YvetteMCalleiro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yvettemcalleiro

Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/yvettemcalleiro.bsky.social

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7800735.Yvette_M_Calleiro

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ycalleiro

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-calleiro-7303846/

 

Creative Perspective Challenge Two: Links and Haibun! #jansikes #gwenplano #yvettecalleiro #sandracox #writingcommunity #flashfiction #poetry #haibun #creativeperspectivechallenge

Hi!

It’s been another fantastic week full of amazing writing. I had fun writing a longish haibun, which is below.

If you haven’t seen these posts I highly recommend visiting.

Gwen Plano: LINK

Sandra Cox: LINK

Yvette Calleiro: LINK

Jan Sikes: LINK

Robbie Cheadle:  LINK

Sue Wickstead via D.L. Finn Blog: LINK

Fear’s Plague (522 words)

It was the 326th day of the green fog that appeared the same day she was prepared to declare war on their rival kingdom. Queen Anna stepped into the icy mist to greet another day, as she had every morning. Her people hid inside their homes, fearful of the cold mist, but she couldn’t. It was her duty to protect them, but how? The sun nor moon hadn’t been seen in either night or day. Only the clock ruled now.

The strange phenomena delayed their attack until one day no one had it in them to fight. Hate turned into fear, and that ruled them now. The scouts she had sent out never returned. Anna worried they were the only ones left in this cold, cruel world shrouded by this heavy green death. No weapons, prayers, or even magic had altered their predicament.

Their food supply was limited after their pigs, cows, chickens, and goats lay down and never got up again. Most forest animals did the same. No crops would grow, no flowers bloomed, and trees were frozen in their winter state. Wombs barren. Fear ruled the land, even the criminals cowered behind closed drapes.

Anna stood alone on the old stone bridge, breathing in the heavy air and watching a flock of vultures. Surviving the destruction, they, like her people, remained.

“How can we fight the very air we breathe?” She wrapped her arms around her thin body.

Her head bowed. Exhaustion filled her soul every night when she tried to sleep. Would she wake up? Did she want to? Giving in, letting death claim her, would be simple. Just lay down, following the example of the animals and her subjects, and surrender.

“Surrender to what?”

She clung to that unanswered question. It had kept her going.

The bird circled and dove into the forest. A wave of goosebumps, prickling and crawling, spread across her arms. It was time to get out of the fog, but how long would the castle and homes provide safe shelter? Her skin itched and her eyes watered. Still, her feet remained planted on the bridge her grandfather had built. Hopelessness threatened to overtake her when the song her mother used to sing to her as a child, filled her heart. Ignoring the warnings she needed to get back inside, she sang. Low at first, but her voice strengthened and grew.

“Bless the forests with flourishing flowers

Rainbows, butterflies & waterfalls’ powers

With gratitude and love overflowing,

Nature’s sacred cedar grove is glowing…”

Anna’s face warmed like the summer sun was shining on it. The sweet perfume of her rose garden filled her senses. And for a brief second, a beam of sunlight reflected off the river. Then it vanished, and the song became hollow, echoing across the raven.

With a slight spring to her step, she hurried across the bridge to the safety of the castle. Queen Anna knew in her heart what needed to be done. It will take everyone and her childhood song to push away the hate.

voices blend in love

sing a song of gratitude.

healing will begin

 

NOTE: Watch for newsletter this week if you are subscribed.

Next Challenge March 11th!

 

 

 

Books That Changed Me—2022 Spring Edition! @YvetteMCalleiro @MaeClair1 @pamelawight #writingcommunity #whattoread #topratedreads #booksthatchangedme

Welcome to spring. I love this time of year when everything is growing and blooming. The birds have returned and the bees are back to collecting nectar for honey. This is the season of hope and wonder. Mother nature at her best. What a perfect time to read an amazing story, outside in all the beauty, if the weather allows. If not snuggle up inside and enjoy all the rebirth that surrounds us.

Like each season offers us something new, books do the same thing. Taking us on an exciting journey into the unknown, an insightful perspective, or a glimpse into a young character’s strength.

I’m excited to share the three spring books that changed me. I included both the blurb and my review again because I believe these books deserve a second look! Here they are in no particular order:

HYPE

by Yvette M. Calleiro

Blurb

Cici’s junior year in high school is going to be the best year ever. Popular co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team, she’s dating the starting quarterback. Even her jealous co-captain’s attempts to steal her boyfriend can’t curb her enthusiasm.

When her mom moves in with her fiancé, a handsome, wealthy man, only one small detail threatens Cici’s perfect life. The school’s social pariah is about to become her stepsister, and Cici wants nothing to do with her.

Everything changes when someone Cici cares about throws her life into a tailspin, and the one person Cici couldn’t stand becomes her only ally.

Warning: This story contains scenes of sexual assault.

My Review

“HYPE” is a YA story centered on Cici’s life at home and school. She is a popular co-captain of the cheering squad, and her boyfriend is the quarterback on the football team. Everything is perfect in her world, except her dislike of her co-captain, Nicole. But everything changes when her mother remarries, and she gets not only a stepdad but a new stepsister that everyone avoids at school. Cici’s POV is direct and takes the reader into her world. She can be shallow but has her world figured out until she doesn’t. Halfway through the story, there is a betrayal and horrible event that is painful to read, and my heart went out to Cici. Although Cici is a strong character that I was rooting for, I loved her stepsister Gaby/Grub’s complexity. How Cici’s relationships grow and change is skillfully reflected in what is happening in her life. This is a good read for not only YA readers but adults too. I highly recommend it.

LINK

 Things Old and Forgotten

by Mae Clair

Blurb

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

My Review

This is a wonderful collection of short stories, each with a unique flavor. The descriptions and images pulled me into each tale’s world. Although I enjoyed all the stories, many stood out including, “Robin of Sherwood,” “Miss Lilly Makes a Wish,” and “Father’s Day.” I loved the twist of a post-apocalyptic Robin Hood and saw all the favorite characters in a new yet familiar role. When Miss Lilly finds a lamp with a genie in it, it’s so much fun. I didn’t expect that ending or how she handled things. Then, in Father’s Day, there was a lot of raw emotion, along with a scenario that completely surprised me. These short stories were hard to stop reading. I had planned on going through the book at a leisurely pace, but found I needed to read just one more story. I highly recommend “Things Old and Forgotten.”

LINK

Flashes of Life: True Tales of the Extraordinary Ordinary

by Pamela Wight

Blurb

Wow! Life goes by in a flash.

Philosophers and mystics ponder the mystery of these flashes. Pamela Wight writes about life flashes in her short stories that include family and friends, love and life’s challenges. Wight’s “Flash Memoir” promotes the belief that we all share sparks of the extraordinary that occur in our everyday life. Each short story is true and brings a smile of recognition to her readers: that life transports and enthralls us in all its confusing, amusing, challenging, and astonishing ways. Each story is light-hearted and short – like a flash – but be prepared for a page-turner that keeps you in your seat, smiling.

My Review

“Flashes of Life” is a charming collection of real-life tales. Ms. Wight shares micro-stories that are broken into eight sections and come from all stages of her life. Each one is a quick read that touches on everyday life. I could relate to each story. I found myself shaking my head in agreement with some of these tales, and a couple had me laughing out loud. I appreciated the gratitude weaved in, and it left me pondering on my blessings. The well-crafted writing brought me into Ms. Wight’s world, and I felt like I was sitting next to her on the beach, talking about life. A fantastic glimpse into the world of a daughter, mother, wife, friend, and grandmother. I highly recommend reading about these extraordinary ordinary tales!

LINK

 

Note: I will be off next week soaking up the new season! I hope you all have a great week 🙂

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Day 7 of The HYPE Blog Tour @YvetteMCalleiro #HYPE #NewRelease #BookPromo #YAFiction #writingcommunity

I’m thrilled to welcome fellow author, Yvette Calliero, here today to celebrate her latest release, HYPE. Here is my review: LINK

 

GIVEAWAY:  3 e-book copies of HYPE! Leave a comment below for your chance to win!

Creative Writing

I wrote my first poem when I was twelve years old. I don’t remember what it was, but I know I felt proud of it because it was my own creation. My English teacher, Mrs. Hoffman, loved to give us time to explore our imagination through writing. Recently, she sent me this gem that she found one day.

One of her assignments was to use affixes and root words to create an imaginary animal. We had to draw the animal and decorate it using art supplies and other materials., and then we had to write a story about it. I don’t remember the story, but I do remember my animal had three legs, a hippo’s body, and a horse’s head (or maybe its tail). I don’t remember the other parts. What I remember from the name was tripodequihippo… I loved that activity!

Writing has always been a form of therapy for me. It has always helped me get my thoughts and emotions out of my head. So, when I began writing Hype, I knew I wanted to incorporate creative writing as one of Cici’s classes as well as an outlet for Gaby, one of her antagonists. The class plays an important role in their relationship.

One of the activities I incorporated into the story is called a RAFT. It stands for Role of the author, Audience, Format, and Topic. For several years as a high school teacher, I challenged my students to write a RAFT about the Holocaust. They had to take on the role of something other than the humans at the camp. The audience was other people. The format was a poem, and the topic was the atrocities that took place at the concentration camps.

My struggling learners wrote the most incredible poems. Some of the roles they chose were discarded glasses, rats who lived in the camps, the clubs used to beat them, the barbed wire, and the stale bread. There was no doubt those students truly grasped the horrors that took place during the Holocaust.

For Hype, I chose a bit of a more festive RAFT, but one’s perspective of a holiday doesn’t always turn out the way others might expect. Here is an excerpt from the story:

School is a blur for the next few weeks as the holiday break gets closer and closer. My creative writing teacher gives us an assignment to pretend to be an inanimate object that symbolizes the holidays and write a piece from its point of view. Mr. Garnett loves inanimate objects coming to life, and we tend to write crazy stories to humor him.

I decide to write from the viewpoint of wrapping paper as it wraps its arms around new treasures. I build the excitement up toward the moment when a bubbly, little kid removes the paper from the gift and squeals with glee. Of course, my wrapping paper is delighted to provide such wonder and anticipation for the toy, but she also wishes she, too, got to stick around and play with the kid. It’s cute. It’s humorous, but it’s nothing out of this world.

When it comes time to share, Mr. Garnett makes the mistake of calling on Grub. The whole class quietly moans. We all know Mr. Garnett doesn’t like anyone to be ridiculed in class and believes in having an environment in which everyone feels comfortable enough to share, but to call on Grub? Really. I mean, it’d make perfect sense to have called on her when we were writing a Halloween piece, but Grub and Christmas don’t mesh.

Mr. Garnett glares at us, and we shut up and prepare ourselves for her piece because one of his other rules is everyone shares. Grub comes up to the front, takes the podium, and begins. I half-expect her to complain and ask for someone else to go before her since it was close to the end of class, but I guess she finds some horrible pleasure in torturing us.

“I wrote about a Christmas candle,” she starts, takes a deep breath (for dramatic emphasis, I’m sure), and continues. “For years, I was the beautiful centerpiece, the home’s elegant, most prized decoration. I was bright and cheery, tall and elegant. Everyone always stopped to admire my beauty, to comment on how special I was. Until one day…”

Again, she pauses and stares at her paper. I roll my eyes, thinking not for the first time, that she really should have joined the Drama Club.

“Go on,” Mr. Garnett encourages her.

She looks up at him and then back at her paper.

“Until one day, someone thought it would be a great idea to light a match and see how well I could withstand the heat. I could smell the rancid sulfur as the matchstick caught fire. It was then I discovered what true fear felt like. The sensation of the intense heat violating my wick was too much to endure. I screamed and crackled at the fire’s invasion.

“I cried tears of wax as the blaze melted my beauty away. I wished there was some way to stop it, to keep it from taking away all that was pure and perfect about me. I wanted someone, anyone, to blow out the flame, to save what was left of my beauty, but no one could hear me. No one was even paying attention to my withering loveliness.

“I cried and cried until there was no wax left to cry with, and when all my beauty was gone, the flame finally burned out and I was discarded. No longer did anyone admire me. No longer did anyone care. I was alone, abandoned, dead.”

The whole class sits silently, stunned. Mr. Garnett starts clapping while we sit there shocked. One kid from behind me says, “There wasn’t anything holiday-ish about it.”

“I disagree,” Mr. Garnett says. “It completely held to the assignment’s directions. It was very compelling.”

Someone else whispers loudly, “Her name should be changed from Grub to Grinch.”

I now sponsor a poetry club called Writer’s Ink. My poets write both written and spoken word poems and enter contests and competitions. I am always amazed at the ideas and images they create with their words. It’s an opportunity for them to speak their truths, to be seen and heard, and to be accepted. I hope readers of this book will enjoy the activities shared, and if you want to try your hand at a RAFT, I’d love for you to share it with me. 😊

BLURB

Cici’s junior year in high school is going to be the best year ever. Popular co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team, she’s dating the starting quarterback. Even her jealous co-captain’s attempts to steal her boyfriend can’t curb her enthusiasm.

When her mom moves in with her fiancé, a handsome, wealthy man, only one small detail threatens Cici’s perfect life. The school’s social pariah is about to become her stepsister, and Cici wants nothing to do with her.

Everything changes when someone Cici cares about throws her life into a tailspin, and the one person Cici couldn’t stand becomes her only ally.

Warning: This story contains scenes of sexual assault.

Available on Amazon and Smashwords

Author Bio

Yvette M. Calleiro is a heavily addicted reader of both young adult and adult novels. She spends most of her time pseudo-living in paranormal worlds with her fictional friends (and boyfriends). When she’s living among real people, Yvette M. Calleiro is a middle school Reading and Language Arts teacher. She’s been sharing her love of literature with her students for over twenty years. Besides writing about the various characters that whisper (and sometimes scream) in her head, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, spending quality time with family and friends, and enjoying the beauty of the ocean.

Yvette lives in Miami, Florida, with her incredible son who has embraced her love for paranormal and adventurous stories. She also shares her space with an assortment of crazy saltwater animals in her 300-gallon tank.

Amazon Links

HYPE

The One Discovered (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 1)

The One Enlightened (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 2)

The One Betrayed (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 3)

The One Revealed (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 4)

The One Awakened (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 5)

The One Chosen – A Diasodz Short Story

Breathless – A Short Story

Amazon Author Page

Social Media Links

Author Blog

Twitter

Facebook 

Goodreads

To follow along with the rest of this tour, please visit Yvette M Calleiro’s  tour page.

First Book Reviews of 2018

I ended 2017 with a “reading and review” count of 54 indie books (that total doesn’t include non-indie books I read and rated). This is a huge increase from 2016 where I read and reviewed 19 indie books.  While I hope to improve on that, I am happy to break 50 books read in any year!

I’m making a list of must-reads for this year.  So far, it has 25 books on it in with Yvette Calleiro’s Chronicles of the Diasodz series first on the list. After that is the rest of Larry Landgraf’s Into Autumn series–and this list will only grow once I look at all the books waiting on my Kindle!  It’s going to be another year of amazing indie books and sharing the reviews along the way!

Here are my first five reviews of this year (books I gave my grand-kids for Christmas):

 

Amazing Matilda: The Tale of A Monarch Butterfly 

by Bette A. Stevens

This is a sweet story about a caterpillar named Matilda and her friends. She immediately wants to fly, but is given the advice to be patient and keep trying– when she can’t. The book is illustrated by the author and that adds another level of depth to the book. The story has a lesson that not only kids can learn from, but also the adults who read the book with them. I can’t wait to give this to my grandchildren and will enjoy our reading time together with this delightful tale!

 

Wish Fish 1: Discovering the Secret

ByLynn Miclea

This is a sweet children’s story about two fish, Ray and Roxy, who live in the ocean. The fish duo who go too far into the ocean, get caught in a fisherman’s net, and almost get eaten by a bigger fish find they need to depend on their friendship and love to survive. They learn some important lessons on their adventures—including believing in yourself. It is a good message for children and the adults reading along with them. I bought this for my grand-kids and can’t wait to read it with them!

 

Halloween Writing Prompts: 13 Spooky Activities For Kids (Aspiring Author Series)

by WJ Scott

This is an interactive book for kids who want to be writers or love to create. It opens with some writing suggestions, then has 13 pictures with a tagline to provide a starting point. I love the Halloween theme that includes a black cat, a witch and other “spooky” prompts. This would be good in a classroom or at home. I bought this for my grand-kids and plan to enjoy it with them. Great idea!

 

Friends: An African Adventure (Fauna Park Tales #2)

by Maretha Botha

“Friends: An African Adventure” is the second book in the Fauna Park Tale series I have bought for my grand-kids. It’s an exotic tale set in an African desert and told through a bird’s perspective, Hope. The characters are fully developed and engaging, while the artwork provided by Ms. Botha is heartfelt. Flame the dog gives the reader an example of protecting those who can’t protect themselves– and what friendship and bravery are. He keeps his promise to be a hero. Another Fauna Park Tale I will enjoy reading with my grand-kids!

 

The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too! 

by Bette A. Stevens

I bought this book to give as a gift to my grandchildren. Reading through the book before giving it to them, I found it taught me a few things, too. First, I had no idea a tangram is a seven-piece puzzle with specific shapes. A pattern is provided to cut out and get started along with the history of it. There are many ways to put the pieces together, but the book supplies shapes to make– with clues or riddles as to what they are.  Although, this is a very clever and educational book for children, I appreciated the added bonus that an adult can sit down and enjoy it with the kids!

 

D.L. Finn (dolphin) is my pen name. I know some of you know my real first name, but for those who don’t– any guesses? Next week I will be sharing my first name, so you don’t have to keep calling me D.L.!

Happy 2018! Embrace your inner child, D(?).L. Finn