I am thrilled to welcome my friend and fellow author, Yvette Calleiro, to my blog today. She has a brand new YA book out that deals with some pretty tough social issues. But I’ll let her tell you about it.
GIVEAWAY: 3 e-book copies of HYPE!
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Yvette Calleiro
On Writing a Foreword
I first wrote Hype about ten years ago. It was the second book I had ever written, and it needed major revising (not that I knew it at the time). I tried to get it traditionally published and was not successful, but one publisher did provide me with a few suggestions on ways to improve the story. Hype took a spot on the forgotten shelf for the next decade as I wrote my Diasodz series. Ignored but not forgotten. I knew Cici’s story had to be shared, but I wanted to make sure it was well-received when I gave it to the world.
When I finally decided to revise the story, I felt it was missing an introduction of sorts. When the reader first meets Cici, she has quite an intense personality. She’s quite sure of herself and doesn’t hold anything back. Her voice is strong with a splash of attitude (maybe more than a splash). Some readers may be turned off by such a strong character, and I didn’t want a reader to put the book down before they got to know the real her.
Nowadays, readers want the action to happen on page one, but this story builds up to horrors a bit more slowly. So, a foreword made sense to me. I chose to introduce Cici as a grown adult through an introductory letter. Here it is:
Dear reader,
Time is constantly progressing. It stops for no one. It doesn’t slow for one to further enjoy a moment, nor does it quicken to allow one to forget a difficult time. It treks along on its own constant path, oblivious to our requests.
As with time, our lives are always moving forward. And with time comes experiences that forever shape the people who we are. Every moment, every minute, and every second carries with it a choice that affects which path we will follow. It molds the person we become.
People do not stand before you now without being a collection of their past experiences and the choices they made as a result of those moments. To truly understand someone, you must open yourself up to understand the particles of time that have formed a person’s soul.
It is with these words I find the courage to share with you my story. I am whole today, but there was a time when I was broken. To truly understand, you must understand my story from the girl I once was before my path was forever changed.
Do not ridicule my innocence. Do not mock my naivety. Try not to judge me, like I judged others. Allow my voice to integrate into your mind without prejudice so you can truly hear my story. Then maybe you will understand.
Sincerely,
Cecilia M. Gonzalez
My hope is that this will allow the readers to accept Cici as she is in her teen years, flaws and all. The voice in this letter does not match the voice in chapter one. Cici is living a great life when the story opens. As her life falls apart, her voice will change because tragedy changes all parts of a person, including her voice.
This is my first book with a foreword. My other works do not have one. I’m not sure I’d write one again, but for this story, it doesn’t feel complete without it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on using a foreword to introduce a story. Do you appreciate them or do you tend to skip right over them?
To follow along with the rest of the Hype tour, please visit the author’s blog. Thanks for supporting Yvette M Calleiro and her work!
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 – 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 Chosen – A Diasodz Short Story – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0986Q6P1D
Breathless – A Short Story – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BLVDHQX
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
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7800735.Yvette_M_Calleiro
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