I released The One Discovered, Book One of the Chronicles of the Diasodz in January this year. It follows Ar'ch (pronounced ar-rick) and Angel as they come to Earth to find Sofia, the child who has been prophesied to save their kind from dying. Diasodz are beings created by the Goddess to heal and protect humans. Several centuries ago, they abandoned their purpose by leaving to live on another world. The Goddess became upset with them and abandoned them. Since then, their powers have been fading. Book One focuses on the two boys convincing Sofia that she is one of them and must come back to their world to save them all.Book two of the series, The One Enlightened, is scheduled to be released in December of this year. It follows Sofia's journey as she tries to make sense of her new life after the events in book one. She is left devastated at its end and needs to find the strength to pick up the pieces of her broken life and learn about the new life that has been thrust upon her.
What inspired you to write it?
The honest truth is that I had a dream of the ending scene of book one. I woke up crying hysterically and couldn't get out of bed for a while because I had to replay the scene in my mind and try to figure out why it happened. I grabbed my journal and began writing it all out. After that, the characters just would not leave me alone until I figured out their names, their history, their personal stories, etc. That happened in 2012. I've been obsessed with them ever since. hehe...
How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
How did you come up with the idea for the cover?
One of the things that stood out about them from almost the very beginning was their irises. Diasodz have eyes that are predominantly one color, but there will be specks of a contrasting color embedded within that color. When they are using their skills (powers), those specks transform into images or moving pieces. So, it only made sense to me that their eyes be the focal point of the cover. The One Discovered has Ar'ch's eye on the cover. He controls the air element. The One Enlightened has Angel's eye. His skill is connected to the water element. And I can't reveal book three's eye because it will give too much away. ;-)
If it was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
If it was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
This is a tough one because I am horrible with names of actors (well, most actors, anyway). ;-) Ar'ch is definitely Ian Somerhaulder. *swoon* He just takes my breath away, so it is only fitting that he plays the character blessed with the air element. Actually, the character has always been Ian Somerhaulder, even in my dream. I see Mel as the girl who plays Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries, but she'd have to have longer hair. Rafe could easily be played by the guy from The Hunger Games (wait, let me look up his name...lol....Liam Hemsworth). Sofia and Angel are harder for me. I can't picture an actress/actor that I'm familiar with that fit how I see them in my mind. I see Nolan as The Rock, except Nolan is white white. lol! I can't picture actresses for Liana, Valerie, or Damiana, either, although I see them clearly in my mind. Oh, well! :-)
What is it about this genre that appeals to you so much?
What is it about this genre that appeals to you so much?
It's a mix of reality and fantasy. I don't enjoy realistic fiction because it can really happen, and I don't want to have my mind processing things that have a possibility of taking place. There's too much stress in that. lol! The relationship, the emotions, and the characters are real in the sense that they could actually exist (minus the powers). But the worlds, the villains, and the superpowers make it surreal enough that I can just enjoy the story for what it is without having to analyze the realism in it. I love losing myself in fantasy because it helps me escape the stresses of reality.
What made you want to become an author?
What made you want to become an author?
I've been writing since I was a tween. I wrote my first short story when I was twelve. I even started a sequel to it, though neither one is worth of publishing. In middle and high school, I wrote over a hundred silly poems. Reading and writing have always been a kind of escape for me, I guess. But it wasn't until I got a divorce and became a single mom that I made the decision to become an author. I had just finished reading the Twilight series and read the blurb about the author. While reading that, something clicked inside of me and reminded me of how I, too, had dreamt of writing a book many, many moons ago. Within weeks, a story formed in my mind. And then another. I wrote those two novels, but I haven't published either of them just yet. And then, the Diasodz visited me in my dream, and I knew that their story had to be shared. :-)
How do you come up with character names?
How do you come up with character names?
Ah, this is a tricky question because there is a history behind some of them that has yet to be revealed. Some of the characters made it very clear to me what their names were to be. For the others, I tried to pick a name that was used during the time period in which they were born.
Name one of your all-time favourite books?
Name one of your all-time favourite books?
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein. My 7th grade English teacher, Mrs. Hoffman, used to read it aloud to us, and she would change her voice for the different characters. That is where I believe I began to fall in love with fantasy books and the art of story-telling.
Who, or what, inspires you?
Who, or what, inspires you?
Life inspires me. Love inspires me. The love for my son inspires me because he is my everything. Finding beauty in moments inspires me. Reading inspires me. My students inspire me. Anything and everything that holds positive energy within it has the potential to inspire me.
Where is your favourite place to write?
Where is your favourite place to write?
I don't know if I'd say "favorite," but my brilliant moments tend to come to me when I'm showering, driving, or waking up/falling asleep. None of those places is the ideal place to write. lol!
What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
There are SO many! It's easier to tell you what movies I did NOT like that were based on a book. lol! But to answer your question, I loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies, The Hobbit (whose last part is about to come in December), The Mortal Instruments, the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games movies. The list goes on...
Name two of your favourite authors.
Name two of your favourite authors.
As a child, I would have said VC Andrews and CS Lewis. As an adult, I'm in love with Laurell K Hamilton and (you're killing me by only asking for two) JR Ward, but there are so many others!
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Wow! JRR Tolkien to discuss the world he created, Elie Wiesel to honor him for all that he went through and all of the lives he has touched, William Shakespeare because...well...he's William Shakespeare (lol), VC Andrews to find out how her mind could write such twisted stories (that I love), and then I'd love to get Laurell K Hamilton, JR Ward, Lara Adrian, and Cassandra Claire in a room together with me and just lose ourselves in the worlds we've created.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I don't like coffee. The taste and the smell repulse me. I prefer green tea. :-)
Who would play you in the movie about your life?
Who would play you in the movie about your life?
I honestly have no idea. I just don't focus on actresses enough to know who would be able to represent me on film.
Tell us an interesting fact about where you live.
Tell us an interesting fact about where you live.
People where I live love to have their "cafecito" all day long. A "cafecito" is an insane burst of adrenaline all wrapped up into a mini-sized shot of coffee. (I live in Miami, FL.)
What are your (writing) plans for the future?
What are your (writing) plans for the future?
I will first finish writing the Chronicles of the Diasodz. It's slated to be four books, but the characters are telling me that it looks like I'm going to have to be flexible with that number. ;-) Then, I plan to write a story that came to me as I was listening to a song about breathing (my CRS doesn't allow me to remember the title of the song). It will have a modern, YA, fairy-tale feel to it, but I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it. After that, I plan to write a YA/dystopian/fantasy novel. And then maybe, just maybe, I'll have the courage to revisit one of the two novels I have already written. :-)
Tell us one thing that's on your bucket list.
Tell us one thing that's on your bucket list.
One thing on my bucket list is seeing every state in the USA. I'm an Army brat and have traveled the world; it's in my blood to travel. There are so many beautiful places to see here in America that it just doesn't make sense to me to travel all over the planet without savoring the beauty on our homeland. My parents, my son, and I enjoy taking road trips and are trying to take one each summer. We've already been to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and all throughout Florida. This summer we plan to visit California, Oregon and Washington. I've also been to Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii before having my son. So, I'm almost halfway to my goal. :-)
Favourite myth / fairytale?
Favourite myth / fairytale?
I love anything and everything that is Greek mythology, especially the new books that are spin-offs of the original myths. One of my favorite Greek myth is that of Pandora. Another one is Hades and Persephone. And another one is Pysche and Cupid.
Who/What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Who/What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I suffer from CRS (can't remember sh*t), so I really don't remember what I wanted to be as a child. I know that in high school, I wanted to be a child psychologist (and then I took statistics...lol). For as far back as I can remember, I have been teaching. Even in elementary school, I would gather my sister and her friends, and we would play "school." I was always the teacher. I went so far as asking my real teacher for old worksheets to use with my "students." So, it doesn't surprise me that I became a teacher. I teach high school intensive reading, and I love it. I am able to combine my passion for reading and writing with my passion for teaching kids who are struggling with reading.
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). She’s also been known to run on the elliptical machine or ride the stationary bike at her gym for hours while reading anything from paranormal to fantasy to suspenseful thrillers.
When she’s living amongst real people, Yvette M. Calleiro is a high school Reading teacher. She’s been sharing her love of literature with her students for over eighteen 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 beautiful son who allows her to enjoy children’s literature all over again. She also shares her space with an assortment of crazy saltwater animals in her 300-gallon tank.
When she’s living amongst real people, Yvette M. Calleiro is a high school Reading teacher. She’s been sharing her love of literature with her students for over eighteen 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 beautiful son who allows her to enjoy children’s literature all over again. She also shares her space with an assortment of crazy saltwater animals in her 300-gallon tank.
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