Incendio

 

Incendio is finally up on Amazon, yesterday was so stressful waiting for it to go live, I was getting a bit nerve-wracked. So this is the last book for the series, or at least I intended it to be. Some people have asked why I haven't turned this into a trilogy. To be honest, I didn't think the story needed three parts to it. When I imagined it all, it was a very basic story about a young girl being thrown into a new world and having to adapt to it. I've considered continuing the series, perhaps using another character from the story, but I'm working on some other ideas right now which I want to complete before I start on a third book in this series.

The second book doesn't have a lot of love scenes (which I think might disappoint people, sorry guys!) and the reason for that is that I want this to be Leito's story. Aidan is the one that gives her wings, but now she must learn to fly on her own. Incendio is a lot darker than Baptism of Fire but I hope people can appreciate that as well. Sometimes we need the darkness to appreciate the light and I wanted to express that here. That’s just my opinion anyway.

I’ll most likely be holding a giveaway soon, once I finish setting up the book on Createspace and one lucky winner will get a paperback copy of both Baptism of Fire and Incendio. I seriously can’t wait for that! Stay tuned folks!

 

 

 

Why Indies Rock!

Why do indie author’s rock?

Well, the fact of the matter is that being an indie author isn’t the easiest, but there are lots of things that make it a really rewarding experience. Some people might think that it’s not worth all the effort that goes into it, and trust me, there’s so much that goes on that you find yourself wishing there were 30 hour days just to get everything done.

When you’re indie, I think you interact with a lot more people and not just your fans; I’m talking about bloggers, editors, and cover designers. I’ve met so many people through this process, really amazing people that just make me thankful I decided to go through with indie publishing.

When you’re an indie author you have a lot more freedom than mainstream authors would. You get to decide everything, from the type of cover you want, to your title, character development, the world is your oyster. You also get to decide how it’s marketed, which tends to be the most difficult aspect of self-publishing but at the same time, you make the decisions about what goes on with your book.

I think you also tend to be prouder of yourself when you manage to do all these things on your own. You don’t just write your book, you do all the laborious aspects that most published authors never get to see or do. When you finally hold that book in your hands, you know the amount of blood, sweat, tears, and time that went into it and it makes it absolutely worthwhile when it all comes together so beautifully.

In the end, indie author’s definitely rock because they’re paving the way for a whole new way of publishing. So much so that regular publishing companies are now looking at what they can do to keep their own sales up. With all the self-published authors out there, there’s no telling how many amazing stories we’re going to get now that anyone can tell them.

Incendio Cover Reveal and Giveaway

So here it is! This is the cover for Incendio, the second book in the Draconi series! The design is by the lovely Claudia over at Phatpuppy Art and the typography is by the super awesome Ashley over at Bookish Brunette.

Here’s a little synopsis of Incendio:

 Leito has fallen in love, something she never thought would happen. Except the man who holds her heart is not only a dragon, but one imprisoned by his own clan, punished for harboring a human girl and refusing to kill her. The odds are against her, and after a dangerous transformation, she is trying to learn what it means to be a dragon herself.

The change brings many new abilities and sacrifices, which will both help and hinder her. Now Leito must find a way to enter the dragon’s den and find Aidan before it is too late, but what awaits her in the Incendio Mountains is worse than she could have ever imagined.

 Incendio is scheduled to release December 28^th and I thought I’d celebrate by having a little giveaway! Yay!

This is what is up for grabs:

 Giveaway Prizes (Giveaway lasts from November 17th to December 1st)

2 prize packs including a print copy of Baptism of Fire and a stuffed dragon.

 

1 prize pack including a print copy of Baptism of Fire and a Dragon pendant with necklace.

1 prize pack including a print copy of Baptism of Fire and a Dragon bracelet.

 

a">http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0d5cd00/"rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour

I have an upcoming tour in December, just thought I'd let you guys know in advance. There will be a giveaway for this but I am also planning a giveaway in November. I just got some of the goodies in so can't wait for that! Thanks so much to Jaidis over at Juniper Grove for her help with this. I also want to thank Marie over at Lunar Haven for being just totally awesome and answering a lot of my questions. I'm new to the whole blogging world and these lovely ladies have been just amazing!




Baptism of Fire by Stephanie Constante Tour Schedule:

• December 3rd – Elora & Marie @ Lunar Haven Reviews and Designs
• December 3rd – Darcia, Maria & Michael @ BestsellerBound Recommends
• December 3rd – Val @ Musings of a Writer
• December 4th – Flora @ From the Bootheel Cotton Patch
• December 4th – Sabrina @ Sabrina’s Paranormal Palace
• December 4th – Daniel @ Parenting from a Child’s Point of View
• December 5th – Kristy @ Kristy Centeno
• December 5th – Cameo @ Cameo Renae
• December 5th – E.M. @ Step by Step Guide to Insanity
• December 6th – Tiffany & Ryan @ Book-Marks the Spot
• December 6th – Brittany @ The Cover by Brittany
• December 6th – Buffy @ Buffy’s Ramblings
• December 7th – Laurie @ Laurie’s Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews
• December 7th – Delphina @ Delphina Reads Too Much
• December 7th – Keira @ Keira’s Corner

Why the best characters have absentee parents or no parents at all

It’s funny that everyone believes coming from a broken home could be detrimental to children but not in the case of children in literature. Most of the characters in the stories we love either had no parents at all or absentee parents. Basically they were latchkey children, having to fend for themselves, especially in YA books with a coming of age type story.

I’ve noticed a growing trend in YA books with children in foster care, children with dead parents, or with one parent absent from the home. I myself have included it in my own stories. Harry Potter, Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, Mortal Instruments, even movies like Star Wars and shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Here is why I think it is sometimes a necessary evil:

 

1.        

It humbles the character. The character speaks more to our hearts if they come from a humble background. Would we have felt more for Harry Potter if his parents had survived Voldemort’s attack? I don’t think so. It brings out that nurturing side of us. We want nothing but good things to happen to this character because they are so humble and have gone through so much hardship at such a young age.  

2.       Not having that support builds self-reliance. Imagine if Jane Eyre had her family’s support from the beginning? She would have never had to go to that dreadful school, succumb to working as a governess and had that stoic demeanor that Mr. Rochester grew to admire and later love. When one has that family support, one can become somewhat complacent and when you’re happy, you have little reason to push yourself to do things that might be out of your comfort zone. Children with absentee parents like say Katniss from Hunger Games would have been a bit more like Peeta. She had to rely on herself and this helped her during the games and the rest of the series.

3.       It just makes for a good story. Most stories try to end happily. If the character already has a really great home life from the get go, it’s hard to get any better than that. The happy ending doesn’t feel as amazing and you don’t feel that sense of relief that things turned out better than they were before (example: every fairytale EVER.)

4.       There’s a freedom that comes with no parents. What I mean is if you constantly have a character needing to check in with their parents before every adventure (because if they’re good parent’s you know they’re going to wonder where the hell their kid is all this time) it makes the story drag. If Peter Pan had parent’s worrying about him would he have been able to escape to all those great adventures? Of course not. Unfortunately good parents sometimes make for boring story telling. It sucks, I know, but there is a reason why there are so few characters with both parents in the picture and engaging in active parenting.

 

I really can’t think of very many stories with characters who have both parents that are involved and aware of their children’s lives. Can anybody else? Do you think that it makes for good story telling or that it would be refreshing to see more characters with both parents available to them?

Baptism of Fire available in paperback!

Baptism of Fire is now available in paperback!

Here is the Amazon link:

Baptism of Fire Paperback

So excited about this! I'll hopefully be done with the second book of the series, Incendio, by late November of this year. Also working on Graveyard Charms still so can't wait for that as well. I'm really enjoying writing the new series.

Anywho, hope everyone reading this is well and I'll catch you later. BTW, I'm currently reading On Dublin Street by Samantha Young and it is awesome, check it out!

Dream Cast for Baptism of Fire

So this is a list of actors that I could invision playing the characters from Baptism of Fire. I'm sure lots of authors fantasize about who they would like to see play their characters and I just thought it would be fun to share this. I don't own any of these photos and this is soley for entertainment purposes. Enjoy!

 

Imogen Poots as Leito

Leito is stubborn and brash which is rare for a woman of her time. She also is loyal towards those she cares about and sacrifices herself to save her village. Leito is not afraid of hard work and takes on any responsibilities she is given.

 

 

          Taylor Kitsch as Aidan

Aidan has dealt with a lot of pain and hides his real feelings most of the time. He wants to be more like Cillian: sociable and charming, but the scars of his past prevent him from opening up and allowing others to see his vulnerable side.

 

      Alice Evans as Naomi

Naomi is like a mother figure to Leito. She worries about her family and tries to keep a brave face for them though she is one of the most affected by the events of the book.

 

 Sean Bean as Draven

Draven carries a great deal of pain inside of him and much like Aidan he keeps his feelings hidden. He is a dragon slayer but feels no real joy in killing dragons. He tries to forget his wife through drinking and hunting.

 

Joseph Morgan as Arkam

Arkam is just as brash as Leito and is protective of his family as well. He is impulsive and a bit reckless but means well and loves his family.

 

 

Jack Huston as Cillian

 

Cillian is a charmer and a bit rebellious. He loves pushing people’s buttons, especially Aidan’s.

 

Gabrielle Union as Kaida

Kaida is a bit of a hermit though she does enjoy the company of others. She is helpful and wise and plays a big role in her community.

 

 

 

Ken Watanabe as Raven

Raven is sweet natured and caring. He loves his friends and tries to be as welcoming as possible.

 

 

 

Idris Elba as Donovan

Donovan is a natural born leader. He is fair and kind and prefers dealing with matters in a nonviolent manner though if someone forces his hand he is not afraid to step forward and fight.

 

 

 

Katerina Graham as Silotte

Silotte is Donovan’s only child and has a very shy and sweet disposition. She befriends Leito right away.

 

 

Peter Facinelli as Valdis

Valdis is the strong and silent type for the most part. Unlike Cillian or Raven he is more brawn than brains but is rather easy going and not confrontational.

 

                   

 

Charlize Theron as Pandora

Pandora is Donovan’s mate and Silotte’s mother. She is a bit more vicious than the rest of her family and isn’t afraid to take charge when necessary.

 

 

Gong Li as Efina

Efina is regal, wise, and one of the stronger females. She readily wishes to help others and has somewhat painful past.

 

 

 

Shu Qi as Kao

Kao is Efina’s cousin and is less graceful and refined as her cousin. She is more talkative and eager to share her thoughts.

 

Eva Green as Vesta

Vesta is Cillian’s sister. She is the complete opposite of her brother in every way.

 

Just some info. . .

First off,

My friends have been so amazingly supportive, I never expected to get this sort of reaction and like the Grinch my heart has grown three sizes this weekend! For those of you reading this, you've made this transition so much easier. I was sort of going into a state of panic as I uploaded the book, thinking, "Dear God, I can't believe this is happening, what if this is a total failure!" But everyone's positive words of encouragement helped calm these negative thoughts that sometimes like to seep inside your mind even when you love your book. So thanks again everyone!

Just some quick announcements:

The book is officially up on Amazon and here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Baptism-Fire-Draconi-Series-ebook/dp/B0097QL78W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347362292&sr=8-1&keywords=baptism+of+fire+stephanie+constante

 

AND

 

The lovely Ashley of Bookish Brunette also was kind enough to give my book a mention which I again cannot thank her enough for!!

http://www.bookish-brunette.com/baptism-of-fire-by-stephanie-constante/

 On a more serious note, today is 9/11, and I can't believe that it has been over a decade since we watch this horrible event unfold. I still remember watching the towers going down in AP Bio and thinking, "This isn't really happening." My heart goes out to the victim's families and friends who will be remembering and mourning today.

Lots of love,

Steph

 

Baptism of Fire

       I got my covers thanks to two amazing women, Claudia of Phatpuppy Art and Ashley of Bookish Brunette. I swear that seeing them finished made me the happiest person ever, I even think its tantamount to what a mother feels after seeing their baby for the first time—ok maybe not that dramatic, but it was still an amazing feeling.

 

       I’m hoping that by the end of today I should have my first book, Baptism of Fire, uploaded to Amazon and I’ll start the ball rolling on getting it noticed. That’s the nerve-racking part, I hate promoting myself, I hate sales; I was never very good at it because it makes me feel pushy but I know that it’s one of the only ways to get my books out there. I’m hoping that the work will speak for itself. I know I love it, but then again, just like children, a parent rarely can find flaws in their offspring. No matter what, you love them even when others don’t see how special they are. I’m just hoping others see it.

So here it is! Tadaaaaa!

Oh the glamorous life I lead. . .

I have to say that writing does detract from your social life. This weekend will mark another two days of staying in and finishing chapters instead of going out. Next week I will be looking at saris for my friend’s upcoming wedding which I am really excited about. She is the complete opposite of a bridezilla, in fact, she even told us that we could wear any color we wanted though I find it hard to go against what she would really want. I have never tried a sari on before so I am so ready to see what that’s like.

Last weekend I did watch the Dark Knight Rises which I was not so excited to see after the Aurora incident. I told my boyfriend before they mentioned it that the guy must have thought he was a Batman villain and low and behold he comes out calling himself the Joker. This is one reason why I stress the idea of having a strong mental health system. Even here in Miami when that man was attacked and had his face completely ripped off it was revealed that no drugs were in the attacker’s body but he did have a history of schizophrenia.

So yeah, I am doing chapter eight right now in the second book and I have it laid out but I will be working on it on Saturday and Sunday which is why I will not be going anywhere and will probably do my laundry on Friday so it is one less chore to take care of. *sigh*