It seems as if I'm releasing book after book but I promise this is the last one for a while...maybe. I decided to release RED(The Mini Book) so you all can add the character profiles, poems, and lessons/themes to your RED Tragedies collection. It's a compilation of the things I've posted on my blog but this time you can have it in one neatly packed (mini) book for only $6.00 for the paperback and $2.99 for the Kindle version.
If you're unsure about purchasing RED, you can check out the mini book for scenes from the full length novel and to get to know the characters better. The links are posted below:
Since RED is set to come out on Valentine's Day (5 MORE DAYS!), I've decided to make finding each character profile and poem from the character's POV easy. Remember that RED is the 2nd part to A Tragic Heart so catch up before the big release! Here is the pre-book to RED!
Full Name: Peyton Hayley Giordano
Birth Date: April 4, 2010
Gender: Female
Age During RED: 16-18 years old
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Red
Height: 5'6
Weight: 130 lbs
Relatives: Taylor Caldwell (Mother-Deceased). Peyton Giordano
(Father-Deceased), Mason Taylor (Cousin), Adalyn Voyvodich-Taylor
(Cousin-in-law), Jackson Caldwell (Uncle), Nick Taylor (cousin), Ryan Taylor (cousin), Lila Taylor (cousin)
Positive Character Traits: She's compassionate although she rarely
shows it. She has a strong attitude and stands up for herself. Peyton
tends to lead her own life without caring what others think. She's
extremely talented and smart.
Negative Character Traits: She self-sabotages frequently, she can be
quick to anger, and she's a bit of a martyr at times. She's also
impulsive.
Choice Quote from RED: "When we want
something bad enough we tend to only look at the positive side of
things. We ignore the negative because we don't want to go there."
That's all for now! If you want to learn more about Peyton, you can pick
up your copy of RED when it is released in the Winter of 2015. For now,
you can learn about some of the other characters in RED by reading part
one to the novel, A Tragic Heart. By the way, if Peyton were a song she would be The (After) Life of The Party by Fall Out Boy.
Battered and Shattered (A Poem From Peyton's POV + New Scene From RED)
Sitting on the hard, cold ground alone
Scared, battered and shattered
I don't know who I am
I have no one to call
And the night is black
I'm just scared, battered and shattered
They're asking me questions
That I don't have the answers to
Alone, battered and shattered
My tears do the talking for me
Words won't come out my throat
I'm alone, battered and shattered
I've made my mistakes
But do I deserve this?
Confused, battered and shattered
My blood runs red
And my mind is running wild
I'm confused, battered and shattered
"Tell me your name"
"Do you have any family?"
Just leave me battered and shattered
I've come this far on my own
No one to guide me
He left me battered and shattered
Here's the scene from RED, Battered and Shattered was inspired by. Hope you enjoy it and remember RED will be released this Valentine's Day!
I
don’t recognize myself. It’s more than that
bad. It’s horrific. I become speechless and let my tears do the talking for me.
I want to let something out. I want words to come out of my mouth. Suddenly, I
hear screaming, a female’s voice that echoes through the night. It takes me a
while to figure out that it’s my own. I can’t believe he did this to me.
The
police and ambulance arrive as Robyn tries her best to console me. This can’t be
happening. This can’t be real. I must be dreaming. An officer and a paramedic run
up to me and bombard me with questions that I can’t answer right then. The
paramedic walks me over to the ambulance and sits me in the back of the truck.
He shines a light on my face and gently touches it.
“The
most we can do is treat these wounds. You have a contusion on the upper left
corner of your face but you’ll heal. Let’s get you to the hospital. You’ll need
X-rays and the police can take your report there. Do you have anyone we can
call?”
I
nod my head yes and he calls the police officer over to the truck. They all
look so sympathetic. I wonder if they all have daughters and are imagining what
if this happened to them. I’m afraid to witness what Mason would do.
“I’m
going to need a phone number, your mom or dad?” the officer says trying not to
look too concerned.
“I
don’t have a mom or a dad, just cousins.” I speak lowly in a monotone voice.
“I’m
going to need someone’s number,” he replies.
“I
tried to call Adalyn. She’s my cousin’s wife but she didn’t pick up.”
“What
about your cousin?” he asks now seeming concerned.
“He’s
in California on business.”
“Well,
I’ll tell you what. Give me both of their numbers and I’ll try my best to
contact them.”
I
give the officer all of my information and he says he’ll follow me to the
hospital to get the report after I’ve been fully examined. I lie back on the
stretcher as the ambulance drives away from the dark and lonely street that has
drops of my soul
scattered on it.
I
try to close my eyes but every time I do I see the image of Marcus. I’m not a
crier but lately my emotions seem to be taking control of me. The ride is
silent and I’ve never felt so alone in my life. How do I fix this? How do I
walk into school? What will Mason and Adalyn think? God, I don’t want all of
these answers at one time because that means there will be problems to go along
with it.
*************************************************
Young Mason Mason as he would appear in RED
Full Name: Mason Dale Taylor
Birth Date: May 4, 1992
Gender: Male
Age During RED: 34-36 years old Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Black Height: 6'1 Weight: 202 lbs Relatives: Adalyn Voyvodich-Taylor (Wife), Jean Taylor (Mother),
Brian Taylor (Father), Peyton Hale Giordano (Cousin-Deceased), Cathleen
Taylor-Giordano (Aunt-Deceased), Peyton Hayley Giordano (Cousin/Adopted
Daughter), Taylor Caldwell (Ex-Wife-Deceased), Jackson Caldwell
(Ex-Brother-in-law), Lila Taylor (Daughter), Nick Taylor (Son), Ryan
Taylor (Son) Relationship Status: Married
Interests/Hobbies: Writing & Basketball
Positive Character Traits: Mason is very loving and accepting. He
doesn't like to give up on people he truly cares about and he would die
for the ones he love. He is full of compassion and protects his family
at all costs.
Negative Character Traits: He can be stubborn at times and he has a
bit of a short fuse. There are times he is quick to anger and he can be
sarcastic at times.
Choice Quote from RED: "In reality, I had no idea what I was waiting for but I just knew that the time wasn't right."
And that's the end of Mason's character profile. I hope you all feel a little closer to him but if not make sure you check out RED when it is released this Winter. For those of you who have no idea who Mason is, you can still check out A Tragic Heart before RED is released to get to know about him and his past. Until next time... By the way, if Mason was a song he would be "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot.
Dreaming Alive (A Poem From Mason's POV)-New Scene From RED Included!
Last night I dreamed of you while I was awake
And I prayed to the Lord my soul He'll take
Just so I can be back with you
Do you know what it's like to dream while alive?
To see the damning images deep inside your mind?
But it was worth it because I was with you
The sparks in your eyes, they were still there
But the fire spread and you disappeared
I'll burn all over again just for you
My eyes are wide open and my heart has been closed
I can't love another because you're all that I know
And I wouldn't have it any other way because of you
I tasted your mouth and you tasted mine
I think we forgot all about the time
But life always worked that way with you
Last night I dreamed while I was alive
But in reality you were on the other side
What I would give for you!
Because last night that dream brought me alive...
Here is the scene from RED, Dreaming Alive was inspired from. It's a
scene where Mason dreams of his lost love Taylor (from A Tragic Heart).
***
Every
time I try to close my eyes, I see her. I keep trying to think of
something new, but she won’t get out of my head. Sixteen years and she
still haunts me.
I wake up to the smell of breakfast so I quickly get up and brush
my teeth. I practically rush down the stairs before something stops me in my
tracks.
“Hey, make sure your dad is up. I know how much he hates having to
heat up food,” I hear her voice say
from the kitchen.
I’m afraid to walk in and be disappointed. It couldn’t be. Is it
all a dream? Did it never happen? For a second I feel relieved but then realize
that when I open the kitchen door it wouldn’t be her.
I stand in front of the kitchen door for a while before pushing it
open. I close my eyes and say a short prayer before viewing what’s in front of
me.
“Never mind!” she calls out. “You’re right on time,” shesays
with a beautiful smile. The smile that’s been imprinted in my mind since the
first day we met.
“The smell woke me up,” I say relieved that she’s standing there in front of me again. “Is this real?” I ask her a little confused.
“Last time I checked,” she
sounds just as confused as I feel.
“Don’t ever leave me again,” I say touching her beautiful face.
“I won’t. We were young before, it’s different now. I love you.”
“I love you too. I always have and always will.”
She leans in and kisses me passionately. We almost get carried away
but the smoke that fills the air reminds us that she’s cooking.
“SHIT!” I yell opening the kitchen window and turning the fan
above the stove on.
She laughs a little and tells me to watch my mouth. I stare at her for a long time before she acknowledges it.
“What? Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she asks never wiping that smile off of
her face.
“I just had this terrible dream,” I say unable to take my eyes off
of her.
“What was it about?”
“I don’t want to bring it up again, but I dreamed that after Peyton died you fell into this deep
depression and…” it’s hard for me to say it even though I know that it never
happened, “you asked me to watch Peyton for a while, and you never came back.
You left me in the worst way possible. I found you on your apartment floor
covered in blood. It was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”
She doesn’t say a word. She just
looks at me with glossy eyes as if she’s
trying to hold back tears.
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to bring it up again,” I say before
reaching out to touch her.
She moves away from me and tears fall from her eyes.
“If I knew you loved me this much I would’ve never done it. I
regret it every day,” she says through
her tears.
I don’t understand.
“I’m confused, what are you talking about?” I ask still trying to
move closer to her.
“I would have given you a second chance. You deserved it. I ruined
her. I ruined everything! You’re doing such a great job, Mason. It’s not your
fault. You’re not the reason why she’s so angry. It’s all my fault! I just wanted
to see him again but now I’m stuck!”
She moves back towards the stove and I yell for her to move out of the way. The stove catches fire without good explanation and quickly spreads across the
kitchen forming a barrier between us. I try grabbing her to pull her with me
but I can’t get to her.
“Don’t leave me!” I yell back at her while reaching for her
hand. “Please! Don’t leave me again!”
I
jump out of my sleep more startled than I’ve ever been. I look over at the
clock and see it reads 5:45 am. I quickly get up and walk to Peyton’s room. She
still isn’t home. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end and I can’t
relax. I walk into the den on the top floor and try to relax by watching some
TV. I can’t get that dream out of my head. I say a short prayer and whisper to
myself, “Baby, wherever you are, I hope you’re safe and happy.”
Relatives: Mason Taylor (Husband), Lynn Voyvodich (Mother), Michael
Voyvodich Sr. (Father), Michael Voyvodich Jr. (Brother), Lila Taylor
(Daughter), Ryan Taylor (Son), Nick Taylor (Son), Peyton Giordano
(Adopted Daughter), Jean Taylor (Mother-in-law), Brian Taylor
(Father-in-law)
Positive Character Traits: Adalyn is caring and helpful. She's the
person who is by your side through whatever you go through. She's the
exact opposite of judgmental and she's easy to talk to. Adalyn can also
be outspoken when needed. She's the friend everyone wants.
Negative Character Traits: She can hold feelings/emotions inside for far too long causing her to react in questionable ways.
Choice Quote from RED: "I guess
that's the difference between men and women. No matter whether we're
wrong or right, we're willing to fight for what we have." Welp!
That's it for now. I hope you all feel like you know Adalyn just a
little better than before. I look forward to all of you getting to know
her more when RED comes out this
Winter. The editing process is going great and I can't wait to share it
all with you guys! To learn more about Adalyn in the meantime you can
pick up your copy of A Tragic Heart by clicking the link. You still have time to catch up before RED is released. By the way, if Adalyn was a song she would be "Break Free" by Ariana Grande.
Mistakes (A Poem From Adalyn's POV + New Scene From RED)
Mistakes are lessons
Mistakes are certain
But it's always ugly revealing what's behind the curtain
He wasn't ready for it
Neither was I
But I caused it and left us to die
Mistakes are normal
Mistakes cause heartache
But I didn't mean for his heart to break
He was never there
And I was lonely
In my heart, he's my one and only
I did something that I can't take back
There's no way of erasing the facts
But where's forgiveness when you need it?
I wait by the phone and I sit and sit
Mistakes are things we all must make
Mistakes are the things that raises the stakes
They test you when things are low
They make sure things are never the same
Mistakes cause you to remember you're the one to blame
I'm tired of pointing fingers
I just want us to be us again
But the trials from my mistake won't ever end
You left me all alone
And I may deserve it
But let's not act like you were perfect
You dreamed about her while you were awake
I was second best and that's what I can't take
You put me last when I should've been first
You buried me with her in the dirt
Now I'm done with pointing fingers
I just want to make you see
That I wasn't the only one who did something ugly
You raised her from the dead
While I was alive
So I made a mistake...that I can't deny
Here's the scene from RED that inspired Mistakes. Remember RED will be out this Valentine's Day.
“Adalyn,
what’s going on?” he says frantically.
“I
don’t know what happened but Lila said-”I began to speak in my weak voice before he interrupts.
“Where
were you when this happened? Why don’t you know what happened?” He raises his
voice.
“Um,
Mason I know you’re upset but you may want to tone it down a little,” Peyton
warns as she touches his shoulder.
He
takes a deep breath and I decide it’s a safe time to speak.
“Look
Mason, I know that you’re upset and you have so many reasons to be right now. It
was a lapse in judgment on my part and-”
“Yeah,
Adalyn you’ve been having a lot of those lately, haven’t you?” he snaps at me.
I
look at Peyton whose face tells me how sorry she is for everything. I don’t
know what to say to him. Everything I say to him is going to be wrong.
“I’ll
stay here just in case someone comes out with news on Ryan. I’ll let the nurse
know that I’m here with you guys. You two should head outside and talk this
out,” she offers in the kindest way possible.
Mason
seems hesitant about her suggestion but eventually obliges. I follow behind him
like a lost puppy and can’t help but think how much I’ve missed him.
“Now
will you let me explain?” I ask the moment we reached outside the hospital’s
entrance.
“Go
ahead,” he responds coldly.
“I
let the kids play outside for a while so I could get a few things together
around the house. I had no one there to watch them so I told Lila to look out for
her brothers being that she’s the oldest. Everything was fine. After I finished
cleaning up and making sure everything was in order I looked at the time and
saw that it was time for them to eat lunch. Before I went to the kitchen I went
to the backyard to check on them and told them that it was time for them to
come inside. I only left for a few minutes. I honestly don’t know what happened
in that short time span but I heard screaming from the kitchen so I ran as fast
as I could and-” I try to hold back my tears but I’m not strong enough.
My
words strangle me causing my voice to become inaudible. I swallow harshly and
struggle to finish my sentence. Mason shows no signs of sympathy.
“That’s
when I saw it. Ryan was floating face down in the pool. I immediately pulled
him out and started CPR. Lila said she wasn’t paying attention and he and Nick
were running around the pool. Nick said they wanted to see who could make the
biggest splash by diving in and Ryan went first. Nick said it took him a while
to come up and when he did he wasn’t moving. They know they can’t swim, I just
don’t understand why they would do something like this,” I finish while wiping
my tears away from my eyes.
“I
know why. Because they’re kids Adalyn! That’s why you should be watching them
at all times! Why would you let them play outside by themselves? Especially the
backyard! You know we never let them back there alone! How could you be so God
damn stupid and careless?”
“You
know what, Mason? Maybe if I had some help this wouldn’t have happened! Maybe
if you’d come home sometime I wouldn’t have to deal with things like this! I
made a mistake and I’m so sorry! It won’t happen again!” I shout back.
“You’re
damn right it won’t happen again Adalyn because I’m getting custody of my children!
I didn’t want life to change for them too drastically but this stunt that you
pulled leaves me no choice at all. I’m calling my lawyer first thing in the
morning!”
Something
comes over me. I’m not sure what it is but it takes over my entire body. I’ve
never felt anger rise inside of me so quickly. He wants to challenge me for my
children. This is what we’ve come to.
I
draw my hand back and smack him harder than I thought I could. The left side of
his face turns red in an instant. For the first time in a long time, I don’t
feel sorry.
“What
the fuck?!” he shouts loud enough for the entire parking lot to hear.
“If
you think that you’re going to take my children away from me and I won’t fight
you, you have another thing coming to you, Mason! I made one mistake by
cheating on you but you don’t get to take it out on them! What happened today
could have happened if either one of us was watching them. Don’t try to make me
sound like a bad parent when I was the one who practically raised them while
you were always away working somewhere or obsessing over your dead ex-wife!” I
state pointing my index finger at him as if I’m reprimanding a child.
“You
have no right to talk to me this way, Adalyn,” he says in a much deeper tone.
Mason
can be scary when he’s angry but I don’t let it bother me. I have to show him
that I’m capable of being stronger than him.
“You’re
an asshole, Mason! You want to know why I’ve been so side tracked lately? It’s
because of you. It’s because you won’t talk to me or even look at me! It’s
because you’re not even man enough to confront what happened between us.
Instead you want to run away as if that’s going to fix things. Well it’s not!
You ran away from Taylor, you ran
away from Peyton, and now you’re
running away from your family. Stop running and learn to deal with the cards
given to you! Whether you like it or not you need to come back home so we can
settle things like adults. You can keep your new fancy condo just in case you
decide we can’t make it. I really don’t give a damn about the decisions you
make anymore, Mason, but at least respect your family enough to decide
together. You may not want me right now and it’s completely okay with me
because at this moment I’m not sure if I want to be with you either!”
Before
he can speak another word Peyton comes out to tell us that the doctor would
like to see us. I don’t wait for Mason to make a move. Instead I quickly walk
back into the entrance of the hospital ignoring everything else around me.
Mason can rot in hell for all I care. He’s not going to get away with trying to
take my babies away from me. They are all I have left.
Relatives: Taylor Caldwell (sister-deceased), Henry Caldwell
(Father), Eva Caldwell (Mother), Kristen Caldwell (sister), Tyler
Caldwell (brother-deceased), Mason Taylor (ex-brother in law), Peyton Hale Giordano (brother in law-deceased), Peyton Hayley Giordano (niece), Grayson Caldwell (son), Charli Caldwell (daughter)
Relationship Status: Single/Divorced
Interests/Hobbies: Singing, Guitar, Piano, Playing on stage with his band, Songwriting, Spending time with his family, Women, Recreational use of herbs (occasionally)
Positive Character Traits: He's loving and would go to new heights to
protect the ones he love. Jackson is the cool uncle/brother that
everyone wants. He's very laid back and hates confrontation but he will
fight if it comes to that. Jackson is/was Taylor's guardian angel on
earth.
Negative Character Traits: Sometimes he can be "too cool" and not
make the right decisions. For example, there are times he was/is too
lenient on his sister and niece.
Choice Quote From RED: "Stop crying, forget your mistakes, and move on!"
So that's it for Jackson! For those of you who are familiar with him I
hope this got you a little more excited to read about him in RED. For those of you who didn't know him until now, I hope you feel like you just met Jack for the first time. RED will be out this Winter (I get the edited manuscript back this week! Yay!) which means there is still time to catch up with A Tragic Heart. It's the first part to the RED Tragedies series, with RED being the second. Thanks for stopping by and getting to know the characters in my head. :-)
By the way, if Jackson was a song he'd be "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons!
Reminisce (A Poem From Jackson's POV + New Scene From RED)
In my mind I can see your face so clearly
The years went by but it all still feels the same
I can live an eternity & I'll still miss you severely
Nothing can replace you, none of my fortune and fame
I gasp for air because you're not here
It's like your memory chokes me until I can't breathe
Losing you was always my biggest fear
Your memory haunts me, I can barely speak
I never thought it would all end like this
You, untouchable, while I suffer in silence
Living everyday is a hit or miss
There's an inner battle, I suffer the violence
Now I sit back and reminisce
Nostalgia sends me into a dark place
I'm so sorry you felt you had to go out like this
I would give it all just to see your face
And she's dying here without you
But I don't want to place blame
But there's nothing I can do
Nothing was ever the same
I can't breathe without you but I have no choice...
Here's the scene from RED that inspired Reminisce. It's Jackson's inner monologue after he holds a conversation with Peyton. RED
is set to be released this Valentine's Day (February 14, 2015)! Any
Peyton that is in bold letters refers to the Peyton from A Tragic Heart.
My time with Peyton results in me needing
some alone time anyway. My stomach is in knots and there is a huge lump in my
throat. I head to my room and lock the door. I close my eyes and exhale trying
to make the pain go away but it’s stubborn. It wants to hang around for a
little while longer.
Almost seventeen years later and the pain is
still as arresting as it was the day I found out. That day when Mason called me
to tell me that he found Taylor in a pool of her own blood with a giant knife
sticking out of her chest. I didn’t want to believe that she took her own life,
as it would have been easier to know that someone else was to blame. I hated
blaming my own sister for her death.
I remember it so clearly. I couldn’t speak,
my mouth was dry and the lump in my throat prevented me from forming words.
This feeling that I am feeling right now is all too familiar.
My brain shut down on me. Taylor was my
best friend and to hear Mason tell me that she was no longer with me was my
biggest fear. I never imagined a world without Taylor. I’ve tried to several
times before but the thoughts were in flashes. I never took the time to ponder
how I would go on without her because I knew it would hurt too much.
I was angry. Why wouldn’t she call me like
she normally did? Why didn’t she think of me? If she wasn’t going to stay for
her baby girl, why not stay for me?
Matt, my bass guitarist had to pull me
together. I had a show that night and it was too late to cancel. I had to go on
stage in front of thousands of people and try my best to smile. I broke down
during every break throughout the set. I guess that moment made me a stronger
person because nothing could stop me from performing now. Performing through
that circumstance taught me how to play through anything with a smile on my
face.
Taylor was too young to take on the
responsibilities she placed before herself. She should have enjoyed life as a
teenager but I could understand why it was so difficult for her. So many
unfortunate things happened to her before she reached her fifteenth birthday. I
was her only confidant and when I left to tour after high school, she felt
alone. Part of me blamed myself for her problems but I knew I had to live my
life too. I just wished that there was something else I could have done. I did
my best to stay in contact with her but some days were harder than others. She
never understood just how much I loved her. Words weren’t enough.
I would take my own life just to save hers
if I had a choice. At the funeral I could barely stand to look at her lying
there. I wanted to believe that she was only sleeping and it was some sort of
sick joke but my gut reminded me that it was all real. The truth is I almost
didn’t show up. Mason forced me to come. I called him the day of the service to
tell him that I wasn’t going. Ten minutes later he was at my doorstep forcing
me to get ready. He told me that I’d regret it later.
I told him that the thought alone was
killing me and I wouldn’t be able to take seeing her in that state. It didn’t
make sense to me that I’d never see my little sister again. It didn’t make
sense that I’d never hear her voice calling me ever again or that she no longer
existed. It didn’t make sense to me that she would take her own life…although
it made perfect sense to me.
She loved Peyton more than her own life. She loved him so much that she would
choose selfishness over thinking about the ones who still loved her that were
here on earth. She couldn’t have thought about what it would have done to me.
She mentioned me in her suicide note but it wasn’t enough. She couldn’t tell me
to stay strong and that she loved me if she was going to do something so
drastic. She didn’t understand and every day I ask God to show her mercy
because she didn’t know what she was doing. She wasn’t in her right mind. I ask
Him every day to punish me rather than her. I deserve it more than she does.
She was good throughout her lifetime. She made one irreversible mistake…just
one. I plead all the time for Him to go easy on her. She needed grace more than
anyone else I’ve ever come in contact with.
Peyton
died in a tragic way. No one could have
predicted it and everyone asked “why him?” He was only seventeen and had so
much life ahead of him. He was supposed to be right next to me selling out
arenas. The kid had undeniable talent that was out of this world. He obviously
passed it onto his daughter. I think she’s more like him than Taylor. She has
his hair and eyes…it’s almost scary. Anyone who knew Peyton could tell that she was all him. She has some of Taylor’s
attitude and slight traits in her personality but her nature was every bit of
her dad’s.
Her rebellious temperament, her musical
ability, her wild ways are all Peyton.
He slowed down a lot after meeting Taylor. In many ways she saved him too.
Taylor always credited Peytonfor her happiness but he claimed that
he was a changed man because of her. He gave up his heavy drinking, drug use,
partying and women just for her. He told me all about his past life before
Taylor while we were on tour. In fact, his past life was eerily similar to his
daughter’s present life.
We became really good friends and I looked
forward to having him as a brother-in-law. I already saw him as the brother I
never had. Damn, Peyton if you never left, Taylor would still be here and if
Taylor was still here your daughter would be okay.
There’s no time to play the blaming game.
All is how it is and there’s no changing that. We have to learn how to deal
with the present without falling down…and if we fall we need to learn how to
pick ourselves up. If not for ourselves,
for someone who cares about us. I wish Taylor would have known that. I wish
I would have told her that the day I visited her a little after Peyton was
born. Maybe those words could have saved her life. She always thought highly of
my opinions and advice.
The pain that I’m feeling isn’t showing any
signs of letting up anytime soon. My thoughts race a
million miles per hour
leaving me sitting at the edge of my bed with tears falling from my eyes. And the pain never goes away...
Relatives: Jane Connolly (Mother) & Paul Connolly (Father)
Relationship Status: Completely in love and devoted to Peyton Hayley Giordano (in other words, TAKEN)
Interests/Hobbies: Photography & Art
Positive Character Traits: Ronan is an extremely compassionate and
forgiving person. He doesn't hold grudges and he's probably one of the
sweetest guys you'll ever come to meet. He has a great swagger about him
and seems a little tough on the outside but he's completely soft and
loving on the inside. He's a fantastic boyfriend/partner and believes in
honesty. Basically, his parents did a great job raising him. Not to
mention, he was born and raised in Ireland giving him a hot Irish accent
to go with all of these things.
Negative Character Traits: When it comes to his girlfriend he can be a
bit of a pushover but that's probably because he's completely
mesmerized by her. He can be blind to her actions at times.
Choice Quote from RED: "She was temptation itself but nothing about her seemed sinful. It was all heavenly."
That's all for this month! Next month I'll have another character to
introduce to you all. He's a bit of a rebel who shakes things up in the
story. Without him, RED wouldn't
be complete. I can't wait for you all to meet him, but for now I hope
you all feel a little closer to Ronan. There will be a lot more of him
in RED. Remember, RED is the second part to A Tragic Heart and the second book in my RED TRAGEDIES series. You still have time to catch up before the release of RED!
By the way, if Ronan was a song he'd be "Simonize" by Pete Yorn.
My Defeat (A Poem From Ronan's POV + New Scene From RED)
New week, new poem! This one is coming from Ronan's POV and it's a bit of a love poem.Ronan is Peyton's
love interest in the novel but their relationship is nothing short of
rocky and passionate. There's so much love there but there's also a lot
to worry about. RED will be out on Valentine's Day and you can check out the final cover for it here (just click on the word "here"). For now check out My Defeat and if you missed last week's you can view it here.
Today I saw the clearest view
The best part of it was looking at you
You're someone I could love forever
But that's only if you give us a chance to be together
We can take it slow if you'd like
Because I know how much you love to put up a fight
That's one of the many things I love about you
It's never easy, no matter what I do
And you're my favorite song on repeat
You're my demise, my defeat
There was just something about the way you smile
The way your green eyes made it all worth while
There's so much love yet so much doubt
Your eyes wander and I can't figure you out
Yet I want to love you for an eternity
I say that with all certainty
You're the photograph I stare at all day
No matter what you do I won't have it any other way
I can be so much more than the others
I want to be so much more than your lover
The way you hurt me feels so good
I guess I wouldn't change it if I could
So I'll let you be my defeat, my demise
Just say you love me while looking me in the eyes
Here's the scene from RED that inspired My Defeat. I hope you all enjoy it and remember to pick up your copy of RED on Valentine's Day!
Ilaugh
to myself when Peyton purposely interrupts mine and Tara’s conversation. She
can pretend she doesn’t have feelings for me but it’s so obvious that she does.
I’ve never been a guy with a huge ego but I have enough confidence to know that
I can have almost any girl in this school. They’ve been trying since day one
and I have been successfully ignoring them all just for her.
The
moment I see the girl with hair as red as communism, and eyes greener
than the most well-watered grass, I know what I want. I’ve heard all of the
rumors and know about all of the guys but her past doesn’t mean a thing to me.
She’s beautiful and confident and I just want her to share it all with me.
It
amazes me how she can pretend that I’m invisible to her. She’s been my best
friend for the past few weeks and every day I fall more in love with her.
He
doesn’t deserve her. Marcus is an asshole and I know that she knows this. She
says he treats her well but I know she notices how he talks about other girls
and how he stares at them while she’s with him. She deserves so much better.
I
wish she’d just let me want her and love her the way I do in my mind. It breaks
my heart slowly every day that I have to wait for her, but if waiting is what
it takes, then that’s what I’ll do. I wish I could tell her how beautiful I
think she is and how no photograph I’ve ever taken can measure up to her
beauty. What I would give to photograph her every day for the rest of my life.
“What
are you doing tonight?” I whisper, leaning closer to her.
I
love the view that’s right next to me. It’s more beautiful than any landscape
in the rural parts of Ireland. I swear a window’s frame or glass has never seen
anything so flawless.
“Date
with Marcus,” she answers after taking a quick glance at me.
“What
about tomorrow?”
“I
don’t know.”
“Movies
at my place? It’s awfully lonely in that big house by myself. I know you’d hate
yourself if I got so depressed I drove myself insane.”
She
smiles and my heart shatters inside of my chest.
“Sure,
tomorrow at your place is fine. Now let me pay attention, at least one of us
would have to know what we’re doing,” she whispers while looking at me from the
corner of her eyes.
Relatives: Unknown as a result of Alex being disowned by his family.
Relationship Status: Kind of single, always ready to mingle!
Interests/Hobbies: Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll! He's also the drummer in a famous band
Positive Character Traits: He's a great lover and an amazing drummer/songwriter.
Negative
Character Traits: He's not a one woman kind of guy. He doesn't know how
to love even when he feels it. Alex isn't known for making the best
decisions and he's pretty stubborn. He likes to party and his reputation
isn't the greatest in the tabloids...yet women love him!
Choice Quote From RED: "We have opened Pandora's Box and all of the sin of the world exploded within us...I've never felt so alive."
That's
all for this month! Alex is a really interesting character that you
will both love and really hate. He brings the book on a lot of roller
coaster ridesand I can't wait for you all to get to know him better. For now, I hope you all have a better idea of who he is. Remember, RED is the second part to A Tragic Heart and the second book in my RED TRAGEDIES series. You still have time to catch up before the release of RED!
By the way, if Alex was a song he'd be "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Marilyn Manson.
Lust You (A Poem From Alex's POV + New Scene From RED)
I'm one second away from tearing off your clothes
Even though I know much better than this
It's the way your eyes look, the way your hair flows
I want to add you to my list
Isn't it okay if you act older than your age?
I mean, who would know if you don't tell?
Let's give a performance in my room, my bed will be the stage
I'll buy whatever it is you're willing to sell
And I know this is supposed to be wrong
But I bite my lip and stare anyway
And to think it all started with a simple song
I think today just may be the day
That you forget about him
And let me win
I can't wait to hear the noise you make when I go in
God, this feels too good to be a sin
But you're more to me than just a body and lips
Although, I will admit I love the feel of your hips
When I'm holding you while you tighten your grip
I swear to God you take me on the best trip
I might've gone insane
Because this isn't right
But it's all pleasure, no pain
So I won't even fight
Well, well, well, there's your first taste of Alex Kinsley! Hope you enjoyed what you read. Here's the scene from RED that inspired this little piece. Only a few more weeks until RED's Valentine's Day release!
Alex:
Control
It
was a stupid decision but I make it anyway. Lust took over and I did something
that I thought I could never do. I keep telling myself we’re not even a full
eight years apart but it doesn’t make me feel any better. She’s not even
eighteen. I knew we’d go this far I just pictured it happening a year from now.
She tried so hard to ignore me the entire time we were together and that only
made me want her more.
It was the song. Hearing her voice
sing lyrics that hit so close to home didn’t help. It’s not just lust, I
actually like her but I won’t be able to show it to anyone. I’m not worried too
much about her boyfriend because they’re still young. They’re bound to break up
eventually, right?
We didn’t speak for the entire car
ride. She didn’t even say that she’ll see me later. I sit in my studio alone
and roll a joint. God knows I need one. I play her track again and close my
eyes as I inhale. I picture everything that happened in full detail from
beginning to end. I can’t wait to see her again.
Relatives: Marsha West (Mother), Garrett West (Father), Jeffrey West (Brother)
Relationship Status: Single/Too busy having a good time to be tied down
Interest/Hobbies: Partying, Hanging out with friends, Modeling
Positive Character Traits: Robyn is as loyal as loyal can get. She
sticks by her friends and loved ones through any circumstance and never
judges anyone. She's easy to talk to and would drop whatever she's doing
at the drop of a dime for someone she cares about. Not only is she
loyal but she's also giving.
Negative Character Traits: Sometimes she parties too hard but she's sure to grow out of it. She's young, let her have her fun!
Choice Quote From RED: "Things may
not go back to the way they were immediately, but I think eventually
they will. It's just going to take some time..."
That's all I have for Robyn! Although she's a very minor character I
feel she still deserves a character profile. Robyn is a beautiful person
inside and out and I think we all can learn a thing or two from her.
Forget her partying ways; she's someone we all should strive to be more
like. As a reminder, RED comes out this Valentine's Day (February 14th) and is the second part to A Tragic Heart (which by the way will have a new cover for its re-release) so I strongly urge you all to catch up. Until next time...
By the way, if Robyn was a song she'd be Right Here by Jhene Aiko!
Relatives: Mary Adams (Mother), Benjamin Adams (Father), Christina Adams (Sister), Jimi Adams (Brother)
Relationship Status: Single and free to roam
Interests/Hobbies: Music, Singing, Songwriting, Guitar. He's the lead singer of the band he's in with Alex Kinsley.
Positive Character Traits: He's caring and protective, especially when it comes to Alex. Alex
is like a brother to him so he's willing to go the distance for him. He
looks out for the ones he love and is a pretty loyal person.
Negative Character Traits: He can jump to conclusions often and sometimes may be quick to walk away.
Choice Quote From RED: "Maybe someday there'll be some miracle and
this will all be forgiven but for now it's too heavy and new."
...And that's all folks! Remember that RED
will be available on Valentine's Day and that it is the second part to A
Tragic Heart. It's pretty important you know the basis of the story
before you begin to read it. With that said, you can find A Tragic Heart
by clicking on the link. It's available on both Kindle and paperback.
Hope you all enjoyed these character profiles and poems from their POVs.
Hopefully you all feel like you know them a little better.
By the way, if David was a song he'd be "Bold As Love" by Jimi Hendrix
It's February which means this is my LAST character profile for RED. It's crazy how time flies, isn't it? I started this whole thing in July and now it's finally ending. RED will be available on Valentine's Day and I couldn't be any more excited/nervous. Anyway,this character profile is for another minor character in the novel. He's Alex's best friend and band mate. Here's David Nelson:
Full Name: David Gregory Nelson
Birthdate: April 8, 2002
Gender: Male
Age During RED: 24-26 years old
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 5'9
Weight: 154 lbs
Relatives: Mary Nelson (Mother), Benjamin Nelson (Father), Christina Nelson (Sister), Jimi Nelson (Brother)
Relationship Status: Single and free to roam
Interests/Hobbies: Music, Singing, Songwriting, Guitar. He's the lead singer of the band he's in with Alex Kinsley.
Positive Character Traits: He's caring and protective, especially when it comes to Alex. Alex is like a brother to him so he's willing to go the distance for him. He looks out for the ones he love and is a pretty loyal person.
Negative Character Traits: He can jump to conclusions often and sometimes may be quick to walk away.
Choice Quote From RED: "Maybe someday there'll be some miracle and this will all be forgiven but for now it's too heavy and new."
...And that's all folks! Remember that RED will be available on Valentine's Day and that it is the second part to A Tragic Heart. It's pretty important you know the basis of the story before you begin to read it. With that said, you can find A Tragic Heart by clicking on the link. It's available on both Kindle and paperback. Hope you all enjoyed these character profiles and poems from their POVs. Hopefully you all feel like you know them a little better.
By the way, if David was a song he'd be "Bold As Love" by Jimi Hendrix
This is something that I talk about often with my boyfriend and pretty much anyone who gets on the subject with me. It's about readers and reviews. For authors, leaving a review is crucial. It's almost like the biggest deal ever for us. We rely on customer reviews to help us sell books and get our name out there. Reviews are awesome but they can also be very cruel.
I noticed on Goodreads and Amazon that people leave an alarming number of one star reviews for novels. The funny thing about it is those books average a four to five star rating from most readers but a surprising number always gives one star. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if by any means you believe the book deserves one star then rate it; however, think about the context you're rating around.
I find it troubling when I see a book that has an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars receive a 1 star rating based on a small subject within the book. For example, I've seen someone give a certain book a 1 star rating on Goodreads because she claimed a character slut-shamed another. Even if this is so, I feel it's unfair (and brutal) to slam an entire book and label it misogynistic over one character.
When writers create a story they make their characters both likeable and dislikeable. It's realistic. Also, another thing to keep in mind, just because a writer writes something, doesn't mean they feel that way personally. We make up things we would never say or do all the time. Not all characters are meant to be likeable so if you become frustrated or angry, it's a sign the author did their job right.
Things to think about when reviewing a book are:
1. Was it well written? 2. Was the story interesting or not? 3. Did the story flow well? 4. Were the characters believable? (Regardless if you liked them or not) 5. Did the book make you feel any set of emotions?
It's okay to write in a review that you hated a character and wanted them to die (trust me we all feel that way) but if that's how the author wanted you to feel then they did their job well. I've seen people give a book 1 or 2 stars because a situation made them angry. It's a situation that would make anyone who's human angry, therefore if you felt anger while reading it, that author got their point across. It's almost like giving the movie P.S. I Love You a bad review because it made you cry at the end. That's the point of the movie...it's a tearjerker!
Now, thankfully this hasn't happened to me yet (knock on wood) but I'm sure it will sometime in the future. So, readers before you review any work by any author keep the questions above in the back of your mind. Does a book really deserve a bad review because it made you cry or angry? Does it deserve a bad review because a character frustrated you with their choices?
It's okay if a book wasn't for you (and it's more than okay to put that in a review) but don't try and discourage other people from buying/reading that book. Everyone likes something different. It's cruel to an author if a reader rates their work 1 star over something that didn't represent the plot of the book overall. There's a lot of time, editing, and frustration that goes into place when writing a book. On top of that, there's a mixture of fear and excitement to release the book to the public. People are going to tear us apart regardless but think before you become one of those people. If you feel the book wasn't well written, the story sucked, it didn't flow, the characters weren't believable or realistic, and you felt nothing at all while reading it, then by all means give it 1 star and maybe even give the author a few tips for his/her next book; but if all of these factors were pretty much there and you didn't like one character or one situation, then be a little more considerate. Readers, we depend on you.
Good news! I recently got back the edited manuscript for RED and it's perfect! I'm so excited because this means that everything is finally coming together. I am now arranging for the book cover to be designed. A few months back I revealed the cover for RED but I decided I wanted to upgrade it a bit. It won't be much different but I want to add some improvements. You can take a look at the original cover below.
If things continue to go as planned (because you know how surprises go) RED will be released February 14, 2015 (that's right on Valentine's Day!). It will be available on Amazon ( in both physical and digital format), CreateSpace, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. RED is the second installment in my REDTragedies series and is part II to A Tragic Heart so it is sort of important that you read the first novel before attempting to dive into the second. A Tragic Heart is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CreateSpace, and Kobo (I think you can even find it on eBay). I don't care how you get it, just that you enjoy it and LEAVE A REVIEW! That last part is essential.
I'll keep you all posted when it comes to updates. I have a few more tricks/surprises up my sleeve for this project that I'm pretty excited about. I'll continue with the character profiles every month up until the release (looks like I only have two left). Be sure to spread the word!
Today is the day A Tragic Heart is on sale for only $2.99 on Kindle! You can pick up a copy of the book before the release of the second novel to the series, RED. You should hurry because the sale ends on September 28th at 12:00 am PST and will resume to its original price of $5.99.
Here's a quick synopsis of the novel and you can find the link to the novel below:
Sixteen year old high school student Taylor Caldwell has been through
the wringer of life. The love triangles, heartbreak, and stress of
being a teenager is all crashing down and it's slowly igniting a fire
that's bound to destroy her. It would take a miracle for her parents to
remember her existence and the same goes for the only guy she has eyes
for. But sometimes miracles happen...just not in the form that we want
them to. All she ever wanted was an option; a way out of her turmoil...a
reason to fight. She never thought that life would give her two.
With more options and decisions to make than ever before, Taylor is
left with her own conscience and personal journal entries to keep her on
track. Her older brother, who is also her only friend, is busy touring
with his band while Taylor is battling the confusing life of coming of
age. She finds solace in her boyfriend's closest cousin, causing
animosity to build a bridge between two boys who were once like
brothers. As if her life couldn't get any more interesting, more
chilling secrets and curve balls are thrown into the mix leaving Taylor
to make the ultimate choice...a choice that almost every teenager has
thought about at least once in their life.
If A Tragic Heart had to be described in one phrase it would be:
growing up is hard to do. You remember what it was like juggling
school, a significant other(s), and trying to find yourself before you
turned eighteen, don't you? Readers' responses prove that A Tragic Heart
is loved by many for different reasons. One of the several themes is
bound to tug on your heart's strings and take you back to a time where
things weren't so simple but realizing you made it through makes all of
the difference. Many people are blind to the struggles of teenagers and
those beginning early adulthood to the point that it is fatal. A Tragic
Heart can and will bring awareness to certain issues and give us all a
better understanding of why we should be grateful that we are still
here.
Wow! Time really flew by fast! On September 27th, my debut novel, A Tragic Heart will celebrate it's first birthday. I wanted to do something special for my baby's first year so I decided to discount the price of the novel for 48 hours. That's right! Starting September 26th at 12:00 am, A Tragic Heart will only be $2.99 on Kindle. The sale ends on September 28th at 12:00 am. It's a pre-birthday/birthday celebration!
The novel has seen a decent amount of success, moving over 400 units (not bad for an indie author of no primary status) since it's release almost a year ago. More importantly, the novel has been met with critical acclaim by both readers and book reviewers. In fact, I just found out that my novel has been illegally downloaded 815 times this week and it's only Tuesday! While that may not seem like something to be proud of, the fact that the average star rating is 9.4 out of 10 makes me proud. More than anything I'm happy that people actually enjoy something I created during one of the worst times of my life. At the end of the day, it's not all about sales, it's about knowing that I created something people thoroughly enjoy. So, thank you to anyone who bothered to read the novel whether it was illegally or not.
As a lot of you know already, A Tragic Heart is part of a 4 part series entitledRED Tragedies.Basically, there's a lot more to come and I hope you all follow me into the last book and beyond.
Welp! That's all for now. Remember on September 26th starting at 12:00 am, download your copy of A Tragic Heart for only $2.99 on Kindle! Here's the link: A Tragic Heart-Kindle Edition.
In the meantime, A Tragic Heart has also just been released on Kobo for only $4.99! Link here: A Tragic Heart-Kobo
Can you believe it's a new month already?! It feels like I just created a character profile for Mason Taylor and here I am about to sort of introduce a new character. For those of you who read A Tragic Heart, the name Adalyn isn't so new to you. Although in A Tragic Heart Adalyn didn't have any dialogue which still makes her a new personality because she is one of the main characters in RED. In fact, RED couldn't exist without her. From now on, Adalyn is an extremely important character to the series I'm working on (I'm in the last stages of writing the final book). As some of you know Adalyn is/was the bass player in Peyton's (Mason's cousin/Peyton Hayley Giordano's father) band. They also have a history together that goes far back (I won't ruin anything else for those who haven't read it yet). So let's get to know Adalyn a little better...shall we?
Full Name: Adalyn Voyvodich-Taylor
Birth Date: November 23, 1992
Gender: Female
Age During RED: 34-36 years old
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 5'7
Weight: 130 lbs
Relatives: Mason Taylor (Husband), Lynn Voyvodich (Mother), Michael
Voyvodich Sr. (Father), Michael Voyvodich Jr. (Brother), Lila Taylor
(Daughter), Ryan Taylor (Son), Nick Taylor (Son), Peyton Giordano
(Adopted Daughter), Jean Taylor (Mother-in-law), Brian Taylor
(Father-in-law)
Positive Character Traits: Adalyn is caring and helpful. She's the
person who is by your side through whatever you go through. She's the
exact opposite of judgmental and she's easy to talk to. Adalyn can also
be outspoken when needed. She's the friend everyone wants.
Negative Character Traits: She can hold feelings/emotions inside for far too long causing her to react in questionable ways.
Choice Quote from RED: "I guess
that's the difference between men and women. No matter whether we're
wrong or right, we're willing to fight for what we have." Welp!
That's it for now. I hope you all feel like you know Adalyn just a
little better than before. I look forward to all of you getting to know
her more when RED comes out this
Winter. The editing process is going great and I can't wait to share it
all with you guys! To learn more about Adalyn in the meantime you can
pick up your copy of A Tragic Heart by clicking the link. You still have time to catch up before RED is released. By the way, if Adalyn was a song she would be "Break Free" by Ariana Grande.
Here we go again! It's another month which means that another character profile for my novel RED is due. As you all know, RED is still in the editing phase and it's going to take a couple of months. I won't receive the manuscript back until December 1st and even then I still have some editing of the book cover along with working things out with the publishing company so RED won't be out until the Winter of 2015. Until then, I will have a character profile uploaded every month until the release month so you all can get a proper introduction to all of the characters. There are some old characters that resurfaces from A Tragic Heart along with a lot of new faces!
This month's character profile is for a character some of you have come to know and love (and sometimes hate). I reintroduce to you, Mason Taylor:
Young Mason Mason as he would appear in RED
Full Name: Mason Dale Taylor
Birth Date: May 4, 1992
Gender: Male
Age During RED: 34-36 years old Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Black Height: 6'1 Weight: 202 lbs Relatives: Adalyn Voyvodich-Taylor (Wife), Jean Taylor (Mother), Brian Taylor (Father), Peyton Hale Giordano (Cousin-Deceased), Cathleen Taylor-Giordano (Aunt-Deceased), Peyton Hayley Giordano (Cousin/Adopted Daughter), Taylor Caldwell (Ex-Wife-Deceased), Jackson Caldwell (Ex-Brother-in-law), Lila Taylor (Daughter), Nick Taylor (Son), Ryan Taylor (Son) Relationship Status: Married
Interests/Hobbies: Writing & Basketball
Positive Character Traits: Mason is very loving and accepting. He doesn't like to give up on people he truly cares about and he would die for the ones he love. He is full of compassion and protects his family at all costs.
Negative Character Traits: He can be stubborn at times and he has a bit of a short fuse. There are times he is quick to anger and he can be sarcastic at times.
Choice Quote from RED: "In reality, I had no idea what I was waiting for but I just knew that the time wasn't right."
And that's the end of Mason's character profile. I hope you all feel a little closer to him but if not make sure you check out RED when it is released this Winter. For those of you who have no idea who Mason is, you can still check out A Tragic Heart before RED is released to get to know about him and his past. Until next time... By the way, if Mason was a song he would be "Dare You To Move" by Switchfoot.
First off, allow me to say that I am sorry for not posting anything at all last week. I can use the excuse that my birthday was last Tuesday but I guess that doesn't suffice, does it? Anyway, I have some pretty good/exciting news! ...Maybe...
As you all know, my second novel RED is still in the editing phase and won't be ready until some time in December. It's the second part to my debut novel, A Tragic Heart. I mentioned before that this book series is a trilogy with Turn It Off following after RED. Well, it looks like this trilogy just turned into a four book saga!
I wasn't going to go there initially but after a couple of readers took an early look at RED, they didn't want to settle for Turn It Off being the final book in the story. The newest one I am working on is already titled but I'll leave the name out for now just in case I decide to change it. I'm already over 21,000 words into the novel and I just started it last Thursday.
The novel is written in a similar style to A Tragic Heart and RED but it incorporates a lot of the style from Turn It Off as well. Point is: You'll have to read all three books before reading this one to fully understand it (Hello! It's a book series!).
Well, that's all I have for you for today. I don't want to give away too much too soon. I'll reveal more when the time comes but for now, back to RED. I'll post more on RED later on in the upcoming weeks. The reviews have been good so far!
Remember last week when I said I was going to write up a character profile for each character for RED, until the release? Well, here is the first one and it's for the main character, Peyton Giordano. I'll release a new character profile every month up until the release of the novel. That's enough time to catch up on the action that led to RED by picking up or downloading A Tragic Heart. Here we go:
Full Name: Peyton Hayley Giordano
Birth Date: April 4, 2010
Gender: Female
Age During RED: 16-18 years old
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Red
Height: 5'6
Weight: 130 lbs
Relatives: Taylor Caldwell (Mother-Deceased). Peyton Giordano
(Father-Deceased), Mason Taylor (Cousin), Adalyn Voyvodich-Taylor
(Cousin-in-law), Jackson Caldwell (Uncle), Nick Taylor (cousin), Ryan Taylor (cousin), Lila Taylor (cousin)
Positive Character Traits: She's compassionate although she rarely shows it. She has a strong attitude and stands up for herself. Peyton tends to lead her own life without caring what others think. She's extremely talented and smart.
Negative Character Traits: She self-sabotages frequently, she can be quick to anger, and she's a bit of a martyr at times. She's also impulsive.
Choice Quote from RED: "When we want something bad enough we tend to only look at the positive side of things. We ignore the negative because we don't want to go there."
That's all for now! If you want to learn more about Peyton, you can pick up your copy of RED when it is released in the Winter of 2015. For now, you can learn about some of the other characters in RED by reading part one to the novel, A Tragic Heart. By the way, if Peyton were a song she would be The (After) Life of The Party by Fall Out Boy.
"Ego. Our ego is who we are. It’s
the part of our functioning mind that is stuck between the id and the superego.
My ego is who I am. It balances out my subconscious mind bringing me back to
reality whenever I fall victim to my id or superego. My ego is nervous.
Anxious. Guilty. My ego is red."-RED
I'm happy to say thatREDis going to go through the editing process starting July 1st! The novel is pretty long so it'll take a while to edit but I was told the latest I will have the manuscript back in my possession will be December 1st. This means thatREDwon't be able to come out in the Fall as I originally planned but it will be available by the Winter of 2015.
As I mentioned before, the novel may not be as emotional as A Tragic Heart but it does have a lot of twists and turns. The plot is a little riskier and it continues to touch on major issues during teenage years.
SPOILERS! PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ A TRAGIC HEART! SKIP TO NEXT SECTION!
For those of you who read the first novel, A Tragic Heart, you all know that part of the ending resulted in Taylor having Peyton's baby long after he's gone.REDfollows the life of Taylor's daughter who is named after her father. Peyton (the daughter) is all grown up (the novel starts when she's 16, just like her mom) and she's being raised by Mason and Adayln (you all should remember them).Peyton has a lot in common with both her mother and father and the novel follows her struggle to grow up without them in her life. She's carefree and loves to take risks but many of her choices can seem less than desirable to others.
Spoilers Ended!
A lot like A Tragic Heart,REDis told from multiple point of views which means that everyone has a story and everyone has their own drama going on. I believe that it can be hard to tell a complete story from one point of view because realistically there is always more than one side to a story. People constantly make the same mistakes and it usually takes us more than one time to learn from them.REDis all about making mistakes, learning from your past, and moving on with life the best way you could. Sometimes we're ashamed of who we used to be but the important thing is to remember that we are not those people. We are who we think we can be and that's a very important theme inRED.
I'll start revealing character names soon. Maybe a write up on each character until the release of the novel...that sounds tempting enough!
A Tragic Heart is still free for all Kindle users and owners of the Kindle app. I am pleased and grateful to say that the novel has been downloaded over 300 times in the past 3 days. Everyone has until Saturday, May 17th to take advantage of this limited offer. It is available to everyone WORLDWIDE!
I only ask anyone who reads A Tragic Heart to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. I hope you all take advantage and enjoy the novel. A Tragic Heart is part one to a three part book series. The next installment is entitled, RED.
Today is the day that my first novel, A Tragic Heart is absolutely FREE for ALL Kindle users! If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for free on your tablet or smartphone. A Tragic Heart is the first part to my upcoming novel, RED, that will hopefully be release this Fall. Everyone should definitely take advantage of this opportunity. The novel is free from today (May 13th) until May 17th. After that it will resume to it's price of $5.99 for Kindle users.
Don't forget to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads once you've read the novel. The link to A Tragic Heart is below. Enjoy!
"It's the little things and the joy they bring..."
I finished my fourth novel, Turn It Off a couple of days ago (it's the third and final installment in the "Tragic" series) and now I realized I have nothing to do until I decide to start my fifth. I'm trying to wait it out so I can start with a fresh mind and let go of the characters I learned to love so much (and who were very real to me) and that's when I realized how much something so small like completing a project can mean.
My first novel, A Tragic Heart has been receiving great reviews from readers and truthfully, I can't remember the last time I felt so...whole (probably in Australia back in November/December). The recent reviews I received confirmed just how much I want to continue with the writing thing. My entire life I always wanted to be a part of entertainment and the positive feedback I've been receiving from people only makes me want this more. A little thing like a simple review on Amazon or Goodreads meant the world to me. It caused me to think that maybe the little things aren't so little after all.
As I'm preparing to release RED (part 2 of A Tragic Heart), I keep thinking about if people will like it or not. Of course not everyone will give you a positive review but after the reviews from A Tragic Heart, I feel the pressure to push out the same quality for RED.
Little things make a big difference. Three new reviews helped me realize that I have to stay on top of things and showed me how much I don't want to disappoint any of my readers. People are now depending on me for a good story and that's what I want to give them 100% of the time.
Most people see writing a novel as a big deal and freak out when I say I've written four and about to start on my fifth. It never seems like a big deal to me. I always assume it's because I'm so young (only 22), but now that I think about it, it may actually be a big deal. It took a few reviews for me to get that.
I guess the point of this post is to remind everyone that the little things are the things that truly matter in life. Most of us forget that and don't appreciate whatever is around us enough. A good review can change the course of your day and leave you feeling euphoric. Someone telling you you look nice today can leave you feeling confident. It's a small compliment but it does make a difference, doesn't it?
So, as you all go on about your day whether it's bad or good, try to appreciate the little things through it all...listening to the song below may help also!
Young Mason 
Mason as he would appear in 
