Who is Figure Eight?

Cover by Cover Couture 

Figure Eight was published almost two weeks ago, and my nerves are just now getting under control.

I want to thank EVERYONE— whether you're a reader or a blogger—THANK YOU for spreading the word. I know I tackle a subject that can be controversial, and so it means so much that you've all given Selah's story a chance.

The last time I was this anxious about a book was with Unravel. While that story wasn't my truth, I knew that there was someone out there that experienced Naomi's trauma. It needed to be written. Good and bad.

Figure Eight is based off a true story in my family. Something that I've thought about quite a few times as the years have gone by. Especially in the past year while I was fighting my own demons.

I won't go into details because if I do, then I'll spoil the whole book for you. :)

It was incredibly cathartic to write Figure Eight. Selah's story was created in early 2015. She was flawed and broken, and I've always found that fascinating thing because we all are in a lot of ways. But we don't become that overnight. Something or someone—and sometimes our own decisions—create those flaws. As the story progressed, I quickly realized that I was becoming emotionally invested. A writer does with every character, but I found myself relating with Selah on many levels.

When I reached the end, it felt like a giant weight was lifted off my chest and I could finally take a deep breath. It was right around then that I realized that was able to incorporate a piece of my truth in the story. I know that the underlining meaning of Figure Eight is going to be hard for some people. They might believe it's not necessary. But I do.

If you give Figure Eight a chance, go into the story blind. Nothing and I mean nothing, is as it seems.


Read Figure Eight for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!!

2017

At the start of every new year, I like to give an update on what I'm writing on. This is always one of my favorite things to blog about; all the stories that I've been working on I finally get to let out into the book world. Well, details. Not all of it. :)


 I'm happy to say that I finished my 'secret book'.

I've been calling it my secret book for awhile. It has a title but I haven't said it yet. Guys, I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH. Words can't describe how obsessed I am with the characters and the meaning behind the book. It challenged me as a writer and while that can sometimes be stressful (okay. A LOT stressful) it's also incredibly gratifying. My heart was pumping as I got closer and closer to the end. Even though I knew what would happen I still questioned if the characters would make a 180 on me.

This story is different from what I typically write. I love romance, but I needed a break. There's only so many sex scenes you can write before it becomes a bit redundant. :)
Is all romance gone from this book? NO! It's threaded throughout, but this story is purely a psychological thriller.

I've been consumed with this book for a while and now that it's done I can't wait for everyone to read it. I'm still in shock that it's finished. I keep thinking about Selah (the main character) and everything that happens. I think it's because my favorite kind of characters to write about are the ones that are unreliable and broken. The ones that you can never figure out. And Selah is no exception.

I'll be saying this probably a thousand times before this book releases: I can't wait for you all to read this story!!



LACHLAN'S BOOK!
I don't have many books that are sequels. But it's safe to say that you absolutely have to read UNRAVEL to understand Lachlan's story. This book has been a long time coming and I have to say, I kind of like it that way. I've been able to think of the storyline without rushing and because of that the story grew organically.
Opening up his manuscript is kind of like meeting up with a close friend that you haven't seen in ages— we picked up right where we left off!
All the questions that remained at the end of UNRAVEL will be answered in this story.


Reagan's story:
You met Reagan in UNHINGE. I have loved her from the start. Her whit and lack of empathy are both refreshing and alarming. She says and does things that most people with a conscience wouldn't dare dream of.
I'm going to take my time with her story because I knew when her character came to life that she, out of all the characters, had the most twisted past.


I'm really excited about these projects and I hope you are to!


-Calia

Sloan Brothers Cover Reveal

I am SO excited to share with you the new covers for the Sloan Brothers Series!! They were designed by Hang Le and I think she did an amazing job! To celebrate the new covers all three books are on sale for .99 cents! The Sloan's (Thayer, Macsen and Mathias) have a big place in my heart. With the first book, everyone is still in college. But as the series progresses, we slowly get to watch the characters grow up. I love how that progression is shown through the covers. :)

I know quite a few of you have asked about the final book in the series, Every Changing Way. As of now, I have no set release date. When I do I'll be shouting it from the roof tops. ;)

But, all right, all right. Enough talking. Let's get to the fun stuff — THE COVERS!!! 

Aren't they gorgeous?!? I hope you love them as much as I do!!

-Calia 

What's in store for 2016?

At seven months pregnant, I'm slipping into that lovely nesting stage where I want everything organized and ready for the baby. Somehow, that has extended to my characters and their stories because I know that I'll be useless when the baby arrives. I go into hibernation and don't emerge for a good three months.

So to ring in the New Year's right I wanted to talk about what books will be published and what I am or plan on writing.

First up? 

UNHINGE releases in DAYS.

Nine Days to be exact. (But who's counting?)

That's terrifying to me because I tend to be more attached to the Fairfax cast than most of my characters. I'm obsessed with their flaws and the inner workings of their minds. They always feel so real to me.Victoria is no exception. Like Naomi, she feels trapped in Fairfax. She's starting to realize that she doesn't belong there. Yet in order to leave she has to uncover the past and find out what led her to Fairfax in the first place.

Her story, to me, was equally as heartbreaking as Naomi's but for completely different reasons. I remember when I first wrote about her in Unravel. Even then she was very compelling to me. Who was this beautiful woman, walking around in full make-up, pajamas and that fur coat? Why was she always humming to her baby? Why did she speak in riddles and always look like her head was in the clouds?

She was enchanting yet I knew that there was something gruesome in her past and I HAD to find out.

I'd be the biggest liar if I said Victoria's book was easy to write. It wasn't. There were so many layers to her story and I had to flesh out every single part. Even the parts that were extremely dark.

But I'm so happy in how her story turned out. I hope you all enjoy her story. And I hope you're excited to walk back down the halls of Fairfax!!


Up next?

LACHLAN, LACHLAN, LACHLAN! 

Yes, he has a book. :) For the past year I've been outlining and working on scenes for his story whenever I had the chance. And while there's a huge part of me that is so ready to go back to the characters of Unravel, I'm also scared out my mind.
Naomi gripped ahold of my heart while I wrote her story. It's easy to connect with her but hard to detach from her. And she plays such a HUGE role in Lachlan's story.

There's not much I can say without spoiling the story, just that Unravel started it all. Unlock will end it.

Not the cover. Just an image that reminds me of Lachlan's story. :) 

LASTLY..
I'm extremely excited to start digging into The Surviving Trace.
I love this story with all my heart. When I open up the manuscript or even do research, my pulse picks up because there's something so special about this book. There's many elements as to why. One being that at the beginning (seven years ago) this story and characters were once part of Unravel. About six months before I published Unravel I cut this HUGE chunk out. I'm talking 50k worth of words. (Yeah it's just a number but believe me, it kills a writers heart.) There was just SO MUCH already going on in Unravel. It would've been too much storyline.
But I couldn't delete this other half of the story. It had less to do about the amount of words but the worth of them and what they meant to me. So much about TST made my heart race and screamed at me to finish.
So I put it away, determined that at some point I'd open the manuscript back up.

Every day I work on this story I find something different to love about it. It's unique and that's a breath of fresh air for me.  

Fairfax stories present their own challenges, like not revealing anything too soon. And The Surviving Trace has the same vibe— I have to watch how I introduce certain characters or how a scene plays out. TST has mystery and suspense, but at its core it is nothing but a love story.

I can't wait for you all to meet Serene and Étienne!! (If you look through the first chapter of Unravel you will see the smallest glimpse of them. ;) )

2016 may not seemed horribly packed, but I like it this way. 2015 was filled with nothing but comparisons. Of me watching other authors publish, publish, publish while I was trying to finish just one story. I want to slow down and really appreciate my characters. I only have one chance to enjoy their stories and it's so easy to forget that.

Fairfax News!

Why am I re-posting the cover for Victoria's story?

Because we have a new title for her story: UNHINGE.

The biggest question I'm sure everyone is thinking is why did the title change?

Simply put: Victoria's—or as she was known in Unravel, Pretend Mommy—story could have a thousand great titles but there will be only one that really clicks into place. (Before Unravel was chosen for Naomi's book, the titles were Unwritten and then for awhile, Unveil. I have a thing for words starting with Un. LOL)

This title is perfect for Victoria's story.

When I look at the new cover I get chills. The title and picture put together is like two parallel worlds colliding—we get to see both how Victoria views herself and how everyone else would label her.

I am so excited for everyone to read Victoria's story! You get a better insight at what life is like at Fairfax and of course you get to meet some new patients along the way! This book goes beyond discovering the truth. I feel like it's a look at someone who has truly lost her sanity and is trying to gain it back!

Unhinge is not a sequel to Unravel. The only thing these two books have in common is the setting. :)

You can pre-order here:
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
KOBO

UNHINGE cover reveal!!

We're about six months away until UNHINGE releases, YAY! The golden question I'm asked these past few months is: "Who is Victoria?" 

We met her briefly in Unravel.

Oh, Victoria. I can't wait for you to meet this woman, yet I'm terrified. Like Naomi, I want to protect her and hold onto her story for as long as I can. There are so many intricate pieces to Unhinge I could write a novella about it. But I'll spare you and instead reveal the unofficial blurb of Unhinge and the cover. Which I'm so excited about!!!!!

"They say my name is Victoria. 

They say I'm twenty-seven. 

 They say I've been in this psych ward for over a year. 

 They say my husband is dead, and that my daughter is too.

 But.

 Wes visits me almost every night, and I hold my daughter every day. 

 They say, they say, they say...

 I say, it's time to untangle the past, and uncover the truth."

I should mention that UNHINGE is not a sequel to Unravel. The only thing the two stories share is the location: good ole' Fairfax!

Are you ready to go back?

PREORDER UNHINGE:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1DfbIaz

iBooks: http://apple.co/1BiD6YA

Nook: http://bit.ly/1Axqyf2

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zj5B2w

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1AcUacT

ADD TO GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/1DvHe6J

NAOMI DAY

"I press my forehead against the window and breathe on the glass..."

Okay, so it's not actually Naomi's birthday. But today is pretty close runner up.
Today is  UNRAVEL's first pub birthday. Which seems crazy to me. I feel like this last past year has been a big blur. Really great things have happened. All because of this book and because of the readers.

Leading up the release of Unravel was nothing but anxiety and fears that her story wouldn't be accepted. I knew a story like Naomi's was non-existent in the Indie World. There was no one category that it fit into. It wasn't New Adult. Certainly wasn't contemporary. Suspense or thriller? I didn't know.
Publishing is a game of Russian Roulette. The minute you send the book out in the world is the second that you resign yourself to fact that your beloved story may do great.
Or really, really bad.
But Naomi's story was embraced. People started talking about it, spreading the word. Dissecting the story, going back and re-reading to find the truth in her words.
And to see that was amazing.

Seven years ago I was prowling through the bookshelves. I would stop in the R section, right next to Nora Roberts' books, and envision one of my books there.
In August, I got to actually see that happen. Thanks to you, the reader. A really phenomenal agent that saw it's potential, and amazing team at Ballantine!

Turkish Version of UNRAVEL—Published by Yabancı Yayınları. 

"Listen closely. Hang onto every word. But most of all, please believe me." 

I get a lot of questions about UNTANGLE. This book is separate from Naomi's. Although you did meet Victoria in Naomi's book. I WANT to say more, but just like Naomi's story, I'm keeping my lips zipped. :)
Something I can talk a little bit about? The cover. I've seen it and LOVE it. I can't wait for it to be revealed. The picture chosen for the cover is 100% Victoria and fits her story perfectly.

And we can't forget Lachlan. He does have a story, and it's definitely not a retelling of Unravel. His book will pick up where we left off in Unravel, give or take a few months.
I've outlined and worked on a few chapters here or there. Just from those few scenes, I can see that Unravel was just scratching the surface... ;)