Kristy Centeno: Secrets of the Moon

Title: Secrets of the Moon

Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal Romance

Length: 487 pages

Author: Kristy Centeno

Book Blurb:

Teenager Marjorie Emery eluded death. As she struggles to get her life back on track, she believes her efforts are paying off. Yet, when a black dressing, unfriendly, and incredibly handsome hottie walks into her classroom, she’s forced into a tailspin. Marjorie has no idea how much his presence is going to shatter what little tranquility she’s achieved.

Kyran Rousseau’s gloomy nature has a name, one that is potentially fatal under the right circumstances. His family harbors secrets and does everything to protect Kyran. While, he doesn’t want to ruin Marjorie’s normal life, love has a way of changing his plans.

Falling for Kyran is the least of Marjorie’s worries. With a faceless threat hunting her and a boyfriend who’s as dangerous as he is good looking—how can Marjorie and Kyran keep all hell from breaking loose before it’s too late?

Buy Links:

Barnes and Nobles | Inkspell Publishing | Amazon

Excerpt:

After several numbers, Kyran led me back to our table and offered to bring me a bottle of water. As he walked away, I couldn’t help but stare at his tall form. Kyran was stunning. I never got tired of complimenting him, even if I never actually said it aloud. As he made his way toward the counter, women turned to ogle him. Women with dates still stopped to stare at him, much to the disapproval of the men standing beside them. For a fleeting moment, I couldn’t help but feel pleased having him as my date. He was quite possibly the most handsome guy in the entire café.

As I continued to wait for Kyran to return, I fanned my face with one hand, trying to cool myself down. It was incredibly hot inside the crowded room and I was beginning to sweat. I’d danced so much I had become tired and my feet started hurting. Oddly enough, Kyran hadn’t so much as broken a sweat.

The band began to play their last song for the night when I felt Kyran lightly touch my arm. I looked up to see him offering me an ice-cold bottle of water. Relieved, I took the bottle and opened it. The water felt good as it traveled down my throat, and I nearly swallowed half the bottle in one gulp. Embarrassed, I glanced over at Kyran. He didn’t appear to notice, since he was watching the band. He sat so close I could feel the warmth emanating from his body.

Wasn’t he hot? He was wearing a jacket and I wasn’t. I was hot and sweaty, but he wasn’t. Not only were Kyran’s mood swings completely unpredictable but so, apparently, were the sudden changes in his body temperature. It all seemed so strange to me, but I kept all comments and questions to myself.

Kyran’s gaze turned from the band back to me and I smiled as he glanced my way. My heart leapt inside my chest when he removed a stray lock of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear. His hand caressed my cheek, leaving an imprint wherever it touched. I leaned against his hand as it moved up and down my face, drowning in the feel of it. The music was still going, the room was still dark, but none of that mattered as Kyran and I felt like the only two people in the otherwise filled café. When Kyran leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, I felt a sudden bolt of energy run right through me. It was the most unbelievably pleasant experience I’d ever had by far. His lips sought mine and I returned the caress. My ears became deaf to anything but the loud pounding of my heart.

Kyran’s hand shifted from my cheek to the back of my head, bringing my face closer to his, and therefore having a better angle to kiss me. I didn’t resist; if anything I returned his kiss with as much hunger as he was kissing me. I found myself bunching my fists in his shirt and bringing him down toward me. It was a sweet and passionate kiss, far better than I had imagined. My body buzzed all over and my hands itched to touch and explore him. The kiss ended abruptly when we heard the music die down and many people started to cheer for the amazing band. Embarrassingly, up to that point I hadn’t even bothered to ask what the band’s name was. Self-consciously, we glanced around to see if anyone had noticed our brief lapse, but apparently no one had. Not a single person was paying any attention to us.

About the author:

As a child, she used to lose herself in an imaginary world by the means of a good book. Now that she’s all grown up, Kristy gets to create her own fictional realms and make them come to life in ways that most readers might not expect.

She’s always had a passion for writing but never had the opportunity do so until now. After trying out numerous options, she realized that writing was what she loved the most so when she found herself with some free time on her hands, she decided to pursue her passion. As it turned out, her very active imagination helped her achieve her goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that helped the stories move along in one way or another.

As she keeps moving along in achieving her dreams of becoming a published author, she divides her time in between her four children and her very understanding husband.

Author Links:

http://www.kristycenteno.net

http://booksbycenteno.com

http://www.facebook.com/KristyCenteno

http://www.twitter.com/KrissyGirl122

http://www.goodreads.com/KristyCenteno

http://therightbook4u.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/kristycenteno

***The Inspiration Behind Secrets of the Moon***

By reading Secrets of the Moon most would automatically assume that werewolves were the inspiration behind the story. However, although they play a big part of it, they’re not the only reason. You see, when I first began to analyze in what direction I wanted the plot to take, I knew it had to be something a bit drastic. Your ordinary werewolf story just wasn’t going to cut it for me. I wanted the readers to not only identify with the characters, but to be surprised by the many twists and turns.

Needless to say, I wanted to take readers into a rollercoaster ride. However, from the very beginning I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Knowing I had a mission to do, I set out on countless hours of research. Much like Marjorie does in the story; I sat down in front of the computer and researched everything I could on werewolves and of course, on actual wolves. I did find numerous sites, books, and even reports about the subject, which helped greatly in the development of the actual story.

It was a documentary on a different species however, what really spiked my imagination. As it turns out the animal kingdom is a world of wonders and I applied this newly learned knowledge to the story itself. Dividing the werewolf world into two categories within the same species was just the start. Understanding evolution was another huge step. Science isn’t exactly my thing, but I knew I had to cover the basics if I wanted the plot to work.

I understand the huge risk I took by creating this complex world, but the beauty about writing fiction is that you can create your own rules and run with it. To be quite frankly I was afraid things wouldn’t work out, but once the book was finished I realized everything worked out for the better.

I could go on and on about what documentary I saw and exactly what species of mammals really gave me the inspiration to write such a multifaceted story, but I’m afraid it would give out too much information, which will be featured in the sequel. As the other books come out though, all the pieces of this huge puzzle will settle into place.

I have heard authors say you can never do too much research and I completely agree with this. I must have spent months reading, gathering information, and writing down tips that would help me along the road, but it was well worth the effort.

The inspiration behind the story was an accumulation of things. Not only were werewolves and wolves my main focus, but the amazing world we live in. I figured if humans and animals have evolved for millions of years, then why not werewolves as well.

Advice to Young Writers

I am not here to deliver any harsh reality advice about being a writer because there is enough of that nonsensical advice floating around. I want to put a stop to that because I see a lot of young writers divvying out this advice, and I’m not sure where they’re getting it from. Jaded writers who had to *gasp* work really hard to get published? Jaded writers who had to *gasp* put up with rejection? Just stop giving out advice that basically tells writers why they don’t want to be writers. Yeah, writing is hard and time consuming and maybe soul sucking from time to time, but it is not for other writers to decide who should stick with writing and who shouldn’t. That is up for the individual writer alone to decide, not you. Never you. All you need to be doing is writing.

So here’s some positive advice to encourage you, rather than deter you.

Writing is freaking hard but so is anything worthwhile. You’re young. Most likely your writing won’t be publishable until you’re older–and I’m talking about publishable for the big leagues, not your school newspaper or anthology, though that is still pretty cool. And even if you do get published, that won’t be your best starting out. I don’t think When Stars Die will be my best starting out. I’d like for it to be, but I’m 22 going on 23. I still have so many years left in my life to improve my craft.

Don’t be in a hurry to publish. Have you ever noticed that when teen writers make mistakes, reviewers excuse them on the basis that they’re teens? But when adult writers make mistakes, they’re chastised as bad writers? You want to make the best darn first book you can, so don’t be in a hurry to find an agent who will launch you to publishing stardom. Take your time. I’m so glad I took my time.

Don’t write to become rich, but it doesn’t mean you can’t dream about it.  I always say set your goals high so you work that much harder. My dream is to be a full-time writer, and I am going to work super hard to make that a reality. I’m going to keep writing and doing the best that I can to make certain I am noticed.

Don’t let anyone tell you you’re a crap writer. “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” It’s going to be rough starting out, but you’re going to get better. You know why? Because you have to. Because you have options now. You can self-publish, and while it’s not easy, it means you can get your work read by others and earn money. That option didn’t exist when I was thirteen or fourteen or even eighteen. Self-publishing has always been around, but it was never accessible without thousands of dollars. And you’re young! The writing will always be there, and there are so many resources out there that can help you better your writing. Have fun with it. Remember why you started writing and stick with it.

And last, don’t act like you’re an expert, because you’re probably not–hence why I seethe when I read such negative advice from such young writers. You may have had an essay published or even a short story, but you know as much about the business as someone unpublished. The business is fickle, ever changing, so don’t profess to know it. I don’t profess to know it at all.

Symptoms of Clinical Depression Are Not Romantic for Writers

“As a writer, I believe depression is necessary. By going through these dark places, we are able to come back and illustrate just how beautiful the light really is.”

I found this post on Tumblr and almost wanted to scream. The poster and I got into a spat and she tried to explain what she actually meant, but anyone reading the above quote is going to get the exact same implication regardless: that depression is being romanticized and only those who are depressed and heal from it can become truly great writers.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night. Oil on canvas, 73×92 cm, 28¾×36¼ in. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Do you want to end up like Van Gogh?

I don’t care that the writer told me she meant depressed writers should seek solace in writing and should not take the good days for granted to better their writing because that is not at all what she said in her writing. This is a lesson in writing, that you need to write clearly so there is no miscommunication between you and reader. Granted, even the most obvious sentences can draw miscommunication, but it is not my job as a reader to read your mind in order to understand what you actually meant.

In any case, let’s backpedal to the original statement. I wanted to scream reading this. I will admit upfront my depression influenced the latest book I am working on, but it was not worth being depressed for. I would have traded my depression for anything. However, I might as well use my past experiences with depression to create a story about a treatment-resistant teen that will hopefully inspire teens struggling with depression to seek help. But, again, I neither need nor want depression to create stellar story ideas.

There is nothing romantic about sleeping more than half the day, no longer having the ability to enjoy what you do, being unable to eat because you have zero appetite and can barely eat because your stomach can’t hold much, having breakdowns several times a week, wishing you were dead because the pain feels unending, existing with an unquiet mind that wants to destroy you, and having to work 100x harder than the average person to get anything done. It is grueling, and I would have been happy to give my depression to anyone who feels the need to romanticize it.

You don’t need to go through dark places to understand the light–that cliché bullcrap. You simply need to be sensitive with an honest mind and an honest heart.

When Stars Die did not come out of any depression or even past experiences with depression. Yet, that is, thus far, the best book I have ever written because I used my sensitivity and the humanitarian aspects of myself to create Amelia and her story. I am a naturally sensitive person. Depression has made me more sensitive, but that isn’t a good thing. It’s because I’m still raw, still healing, from being depressed, and depression itself is honestly traumatizing, so I’m still trying to shake that off. The only thing depression has done was inspire a story. It does not influence my writing or my ability to create a troubled teen. It did not make me a better writer or storyteller. It just gave me an idea. That’s it. And I’m pretty sure for most writers struggling with depression or who have struggled, they can attest that it neither made them a good story teller nor a good writer. It might have just given them a story idea.

So the above quote enrages me because now vulnerable teens on Tumblr are going to read that and think depression is somehow romantic.