Skye Callahan's Blog, page 6
August 4, 2020
Tuesday Update: August 4th
Hello August… you couldn’t hold off for just a little while?
At home with SkyeJuly feels nonexistent. Is it inevitable since all days are just bleeding together with the same craziness day after day? Or did my motivation take a holiday? Is this just the inevitable progression of seeing the same sights and doing the same things all day every day?
I think I ended up with a Vitamin deficiency at the end of the month, and could barely bring myself to get out of bed. So… if you’re like me and not leaving your house much, take your Vitamin D! Do it, now!
A few days ago, the GM of Shudder tweeted about a new movie called Host, asking what people’s thoughts were. So, I thought I’d just pop on over and take a look. No regard to the fact that I was home alone, it was dark and rainy, and I live with a bunch of noisy cats.
I was wigging out so bad by the end of the movie, I started texting my sister. The entire movie is 56 minutes long! That’s it, because it takes place in a Zoom chat, and once it gets intense, it doesn’t stop for anything. Sir came home at the end of it and saw me jump at least three times and curse at the screen once. I never jump during horror movies. Ever. It just had me so anxious, there was no hope.
Then, I learned this brilliant group of creators put this entire movie together from start to premiere in 12 friggin weeks while in lockdown. It’s utterly ingenious especially considering the constraints they were working under. If you enjoy horror, I highly recommend you check it out and we can discuss theories. 
July 31, 2020
Character Profile: Brooke Covey
Main Character: She-Devil
Hair: black with an undercut on the right side
Eyes: Honey Brown
Age at first appearance: 26
Height: 5’6″
Residence: Lives in a small apartment above the bar she manages, The Pit. The building used to be an opera house before the Devils of Ashville moved in and turned it into their hangout. Brooke’s older brother converted one of the upstairs storage areas into an apartment. Brooke moved in with him when she was 16 and continues to live there after his death.
Employment: Brooke is the Treasurer for the DOA MC and runs The Pit. She manages all financial dealings above and below the table and uses the payroll and business accounts for the bar to launder club money.
Parents: Father, Sawyer Covey, is President of DOA MC and crafted it into the club that exists today. Brooke’s mother killed herself when Brooke was fourteen years old, and Brooke discovered the body in a pool of blood.
Siblings: Her brother, Dixon Covey joined the club when he was eighteen and served as Sergent-at-Arms for two years prior to being stripped of his cut three years ago. Shortly after Sawyer kicked him out of the club, Dixon died in a motorcycle accident.
Affiliations: Treasurer, Devils of Ashville Motorcycle Club
Characteristics: Brooke is rebellious and stubborn, but she was raised in an environment where she had little control over her future and lacked a proper childhood. After years of abuse, she is determined to gain control over her own life and get justice for everything the club–especially Sawyer–put her through. She blames Sawyer for her mother’s suicide and suspects he had something to do with Dixon’s accident. Although her situation has left her resentful, she put the skills she learned along the way to use, pursuing any opportunity to gain the upper hand. She is resourceful and independent.
Style & Identifying Features: Brooke never goes out without makeup, usually to cover the bruises from her constant altercations with other members of the club. Whereas they can wear their injuries as a badge of honor, anything that makes her look weak is interpreted as an opportunity to question her status. She usually wears thick black eyeliner, and deep beige or red lipstick. She has numerous tattoos, using ink as a form of therapy: black flowers on her right collarbone with thorny stems curling around her bicep down to the Devils of Ashville insignia. A demon tattoo wraps around her back and ribs, reaching out with one claw up her sternum to pierce her heart.
Bonus Scene
For Brooke’s sixteenth birthday, Sawyer handed her over to the club for a free-for-all “train.” This is a snippet from the aftermath….
I kept all the lights out but turned on the TV, curling up in the living room when I couldn’t stand to be deafened by my own thoughts anymore.
After hours inched by, and the dim light under the curtains was replaced with darkness, I heard the door lock click and sunk into the cushions.
“Brooke?” Dix whispered into the darkness.
“Yeah,” I breathed.
I stayed buried in my blankets until he stood over the back of the couch, stripping off his coat. I grabbed it immediately.
His eyes lowered from the TV to my head and then widened when he saw my shaved head. “What did you do?”
I shrugged. “Maybe they won’t want me anymore.”
He sighed and squeezed my shoulder, craning his neck back to stare up at the ceiling.
“Can I live with you?” I asked without thinking.
But his response seemed to require even less thought. “Yeah.”
He sat next to me, letting me curl up against him. After several long, quiet moments, I lifted my head.
“I want to be a Devil,” I said.
The light from the TV flickered across Dix’s face as he tried to study mine. “What?”
The quiet insanity had finally gotten to me and I reached for the only exit door I could find. “I want to be a Devil. My own leather. My own bike. I’m as good as any of them.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to break the boys club.” My voice was calm as death.
Dix looked more worried than shocked. “That’s a dangerous proposition.”
“Dix—” I prepared to fight. Like hell even he would talk me out of it.
“I know.” He took a long breath, pulling me back against his side. “First, we’ll have to get you a bike.”
“We?”
“I know better than to try talking you out of it.” Then he added in a whisper, “They shouldn’t get away with what they did to you.”
“And one day, when they least expect it, I’m going to make them all pay.” Especially Sawyer.
Coming Soon
She-DevilSins of Ashville 6
Coming soon!
Get release notifications.
Coming soon.
July 28, 2020
You must’ve made some deal with the Devil…
“Guys.” Caine tipped his head to the crowd of men gathered around. “This is Trent from the shop.”
One guy snorted. “Looks like you took a wrong turn.”
Another stepped out of the corner, cracking his knuckles. He was round and bushy as a Biker Santa, and as I recalled his name was Fitch, Caine’s father. Also known to the club as The Wise One. He and Sawyer would play a large role in my continued association with the club—or my demise if I fucked this up.
“Used to be with the Brotherhood, right?” Fitch asked.
“Nothing official. My uncle rode with them. I was too young to join up.”
“Uncle have a name?” another asked. I knew him as Gavin—or “Vin” among his friends. He frequented the shop to do—well, fuck up would be a more appropriate term—his own repairs, and usually ignored my presence entirely. His black, curly hair was slicked back and clung to the sides of his head so tightly it looked like a tacky, faux mullet.
“Vic ‘Hawg’ Clevenger.” A real member of the Brotherhood. Although he’d died about twenty years earlier when the members of the club turned against each other, leading to a string of murders and violence.
“Hawg?” Fitch’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever happened to that Softail of his?”
A subtle and carefully laid trap. “Didn’t know he ever had one. He loved his custom Wide Glide though.”
Fitch didn’t respond. He merely leaned back into his corner and took a long drag from his cigarette.
The others, however, weren’t so easily appeased.
“You must’ve made some deal with the Devil to escape that mess,” Gavin said.
“He’s a brother looking for a new home,” Caine interrupted. He sounded forceful but wore his tension in shifting his weight from foot to foot. I’d seen it enough times to know.
“Not our brother yet,” Gavin said.
I had to walk a treacherous fine line. Too much of a pushover and they’d never respect me or take me seriously, bit if I overstepped the bounds too much, the results would be just as bad. I cocked my head. “Then, why am I doing a job for the club? Does Sawyer not trust you assholes any more than a stranger off the streets?”
I knew that comment would tick them all off, but I chose to get it over with. I had to be brash, cocky, and confident, goading them into making the first move.
A man to my right charged toward me, throwing a punch, but I ducked and elbowed him in the gut. In standing my ground, I chose each maneuver carefully to keep the damage minimal. “I’m not here to cause trouble in the club.”
The next attacker’s punch came at me low, so I stepped aside and kicked out his knees, bringing my elbow down against the back of his neck as he stumbled.
The first man swung at me again, his fist connected with my jaw, but I grabbed his forearm and twisted until he went to his knees as well. “Is this necessary?”
“The Wheel fell because they trusted the wrong person,” Fitch said, still puffing his cigarette lazily in the corner. “You understand our concern.”
“Concern?” I stepped back as both men who’d attacked me straightened. “Looks a lot like animosity to me.”
An arm tightened around my neck blocking my airway while the first two threw an additional punch each.
“Boys.” A female voice filled the room. “If you can stop playing, we have work to do.”
“Well, get to it, Mama,” the man with his arm around my neck said—I then recognized his voice as Gavin.
“You’re holding up my—” I watched her jaw pulse. “Trent is with me tonight. We have a long ride to the Grove. Not to mention, you have your own run to get ready for, so fuck off and don’t hold me up.”
Sins of Ashville 6
Get read for a twisted and dark romantic suspense in the MC world. If you’re looking for a raw, dark MC romance with mean guys and everything in between you will love this high intensity book!
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Teaser Tuesday: You must’ve made some deal with the Devil…
“Guys.” Caine tipped his head to the crowd of men gathered around. “This is Trent from the shop.”
One guy snorted. “Looks like you took a wrong turn.”
Another stepped out of the corner, cracking his knuckles. He was round and bushy as a Biker Santa, and as I recalled his name was Fitch, Caine’s father. Also known to the club as The Wise One. He and Sawyer would play a large role in my continued association with the club—or my demise if I fucked this up.
“Used to be with the Brotherhood, right?” Fitch asked.
“Nothing official. My uncle rode with them. I was too young to join up.”
“Uncle have a name?” another asked. I knew him as Gavin—or “Vin” among his friends. He frequented the shop to do—well, fuck up would be a more appropriate term—his own repairs, and usually ignored my presence entirely. His black, curly hair was slicked back and clung to the sides of his head so tightly it looked like a tacky, faux mullet.
“Vic ‘Hawg’ Clevenger.” A real member of the Brotherhood. Although he’d died about twenty years earlier when the members of the club turned against each other, leading to a string of murders and violence.
“Hawg?” Fitch’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever happened to that Softail of his?”
A subtle and carefully laid trap. “Didn’t know he ever had one. He loved his custom Wide Glide though.”
Fitch didn’t respond. He merely leaned back into his corner and took a long drag from his cigarette.
The others, however, weren’t so easily appeased.
“You must’ve made some deal with the Devil to escape that mess,” Gavin said.
“He’s a brother looking for a new home,” Caine interrupted. He sounded forceful but wore his tension in shifting his weight from foot to foot. I’d seen it enough times to know.
“Not our brother yet,” Gavin said.
I had to walk a treacherous fine line. Too much of a pushover and they’d never respect me or take me seriously, bit if I overstepped the bounds too much, the results would be just as bad. I cocked my head. “Then, why am I doing a job for the club? Does Sawyer not trust you assholes any more than a stranger off the streets?”
I knew that comment would tick them all off, but I chose to get it over with. I had to be brash, cocky, and confident, goading them into making the first move.
A man to my right charged toward me, throwing a punch, but I ducked and elbowed him in the gut. In standing my ground, I chose each maneuver carefully to keep the damage minimal. “I’m not here to cause trouble in the club.”
The next attacker’s punch came at me low, so I stepped aside and kicked out his knees, bringing my elbow down against the back of his neck as he stumbled.
The first man swung at me again, his fist connected with my jaw, but I grabbed his forearm and twisted until he went to his knees as well. “Is this necessary?”
“The Wheel fell because they trusted the wrong person,” Fitch said, still puffing his cigarette lazily in the corner. “You understand our concern.”
“Concern?” I stepped back as both men who’d attacked me straightened. “Looks a lot like animosity to me.”
An arm tightened around my neck blocking my airway while the first two threw an additional punch each.
“Boys.” A female voice filled the room. “If you can stop playing, we have work to do.”
“Well, get to it, Mama,” the man with his arm around my neck said—I then recognized his voice as Gavin.
“You’re holding up my—” I watched her jaw pulse. “Trent is with me tonight. We have a long ride to the Grove. Not to mention, you have your own run to get ready for, so fuck off and don’t hold me up.”
Coming Soon
She-DevilSins of Ashville 6
Coming soon!
Get release notifications.
Coming soon.
July 24, 2020
Friday Fives: Anime
I thought it would be fun, now that I have my blog up and running, to share some of my favorite things. Every week, I’ll be back with a new top 5 list with everything from books to snacks.
Today, I’m sharing some of my most prized autographs.
Noragami
Noragami means “stray god” and follows the efforts of minor god Yato as he seeks to gain fame and get his own shrine. Yato’s kind of lazy and sometimes an asshole, but in a completely lovable way. In the first episode, a human girls tries to save him from being run over by a bus, which leaves with an odd condition where her soul randomly separates form her body. It’s wild and crazy and generally hilarious, so I’ve had it on repeat several times over the last couple of months. It’s great subbed or dubbed, so I’d recommend checking out either version.
Blue Exorcist
This series has popped up in my recommendations several times, but for some reason I was hesitant to give it a try. I’m so glad I finally did! Rin Okumura and his twin brother were both raised in a monastery with no idea who their real parents are. Rin is a wild child, and one day, he gets into a fight and learns that he’s actually the son of Satin himself and has inherited his father’s powers. Intent on killing his father, Rin joins his brother in following in their adopted father’s footsteps to become an exorcist. The series, while often light-hearted, has its darker moments as Rin grapples with his identity, harnessing his powers, and coming of age as a half-demon. There are two Blue Exorcist series, the second Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga actually goes back and negates the ending of the first to follow the manga more closely, so it’s a bit jarring at first, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all.
High School of the Dead
There are zombies! Mixed with the traditional Japanese anime humor and grit as a bunch of high schoolers try to survive the zombie apocalypse. To me it has a bit of a darker Shawn of the Dead feel mixed with Biozombie (a Chinese zombie horror comedy that is classic in my book).
Vampire Knight
This seems to be where my current anime binge started. Somehow I went form zombie movies to this series and its awesome!! Until the end, which left me a little flummoxed. Yuki is a student at a school that doubles as a traditional high school during the day and a kind of college for vampires at night. As a young girl, she was saved by a vampire named Kaname who happens to be vampire nobility, and through the series she struggles with her affection for him and her fondness for classmate, Zero who was orphaned after his family, vampire hunters, was killed by a vampire. I really enjoyed the love triangle through the first season and the tension between the characters.
In Another World With My Smartphone
Sir loves isekai (a genre that revolves around normal people being transported to, reborn or trapped in a parallel universe or fantasy world) and got me hooked on this one. This one revolves around a teen boy who was accidentally killed by God, so to make up for it God sends him to a new world with a ton of magic powers and allows him to keep his smartphone and most of its capabilities. As he ventures around this new world, he quickly becomes a powerful hero, taking on quests throughout the land, and collecting an impressive group of allies (ahem, his harem). Overall, it’s a light-hearted and humorous story, and I’m still angry at Sir for not warning me that the next season hasn’t come out yet.
More Friday Fives
July 23, 2020
The Tuesday Update that is really a Thursday
It’s a Thursday that looks like a Tuesday because that’s just how days are now, and I can’t keep track of what I’m supposed to be doing when.
Um, July… where has July gone? Where has half of a year gone? I can’t really think of anything of significance in my personal life this month. I stay in, drink iced coffee (which has been insanely hard to get a hold of, thank you pandemic), work, and hang with the cats. It’s too hot to go outside, but the garden seems to be enjoying the constant sun or thunder storms.
Writing
My word counts have been abysmal since I’ve been refining She-Devil for the last few weeks, and I just have a few more transition scenes left to pull together the third act! I’m so excited that this story finally came together and will be ready for release next month. I’ll be sending it out to my first readers this week, eeeeep!
Next on the writing board will be Irreverent which I’ve been trying to plot out this month and Limey Bastard, which I have a general idea for and really need to hammer out what the hell is going to happen.
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July 22, 2020
Why I’m excited to share cbdMD
I’m excited to announce that I have been accepted into the affiliate program at cbdMD. This isn’t just any affiliate program to me because I have been using cbdMD’s products for years, and have experienced the benefits of CBD for myself.
A lot of my friends and readers have spoken to me about their struggles with anxiety and depression, and while CBD isn’t a cure-all, it has helped me manage many of my symptoms and get back into writing. Because of this, I’m excited to be able to share my experiences with you and provide you with links and information to high-quality products and special deals! I want you to know that when you see me posting about their products or include their links, they are not randomly generated ads or simply products I have been asked to include. I genuinely support this company and want to share the benefits I have received.
I have tried several CBD companies over the years and always return to cbdMD because they have fantastic customer service, high-quality products backed by science, and I know I can trust what I’m buying from them. If you want to know more about the company, I have included some information below, and I’m happy to help direct you to products and answers to your questions. Plus, I have a special offer at the bottom of this post for you to get 25% off your order through July 25!
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cbdMD’s CBD PM and CBD Freeze Awarded 2020 Product of the Year
Summary: Both products, CBD PM and CBD Freeze Roller, have been voted the 2020 Product of the Year winner in the CBD Sleep Aid and CBD Topical categories.
CHARLOTTE, NC (February 7, 2020) – cbdMD, Inc. a nationally recognized consumer cannabidiol (CBD) brand (NYSE American: YCBD), is pleased to announce that their CBD PM and CBD Freeze Roller products have been voted the winner of the prestigious 2020 Product of the Year award in the CBD Sleep Aid and CBD Topical categories, respectively.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve certain risks and uncertainties within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as ”should,” ”may,” ”intends,” ”anticipates,” ”believes,” ”estimates,” ”projects,” ”forecasts,” ”expects,” ”plans,” and ”proposes.” These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to expand the sales of our CBD products through our partnerships, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” in cbdMD, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 12, 2018, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2019, as filed with the SEC on May 15, 2019, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2019, as filed with the SEC on August 14, 2019, and our other filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of cbdMD, Inc. and are difficult to predict. cbdMD, Inc. does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law. The information which appears on our websites and our social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Instagram and Facebook, is not part of this press release.
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cbdMD PR
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1 (800) 973-3984
Investors:
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john.weston@cbdmd.com
704-249-9515
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July 3, 2020
Friday Fives: Favorite Bands
I thought it would be fun, now that I have my blog up and running, to share some of my favorite things. Every week, I’ll be back with a new top 5 list with everything from books to snacks.
Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite bands!
Disturbed
Disturbed has been one of my absolute favorite bands since I heard Voices in high school. Fuse TV had just been added to our line-up, and I spent my days listening to music, particularly the metal or rock segments and thanks to that, I discovered Disturbed shortly before their second album came out. I love the complexity of their music, and damn, David Draiman has an awesome voice with quite a range himself. He pulls off everything from the rough, guttural sections, to the beautiful, sweeping ballads flawlessly. I’ve been to three Disturbed concerts and they’re equally as impressive on stage as they are on the radio. They really connected with the audience and created a great atmosphere at every performance. Plus, the messages behind their songs really resonated with me, particularly when the second album came out as I was struggling with my own religious beliefs. WE ARE DISTURBED.
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale is just freakin’ phenomenal. I have a bunch of her covers on my playlist as well as her original music, and several of her songs, particularly, I Get Off and Do Not Disturb, are on my sex-scene writing playlist for some additional inspiration. I believe I discovered her music while playing Rock Band, but I love her take-charge attitude and empowering message. I love blaring her music as I’m driving down the road and working out. It’s also fun to interrupt the country music on the jukebox and watch the horror and shock on the faces of people in a restaurant.
Evanescence
Amy Lee is another strong female vocalist I adore. Ever since Bring Me To Life, I have enjoyed her mesh of classical sounds with modern rock. She has also had numerous songs that spoke to me on a personal level and got me through the rough teenage years into adulthood. One of my favorite tracks is Lacrymosa which takes her blended style to a whole new level with the beautiful instrumentals and choir.
Buddy Holly and the Crickets
Did we just take a turn, or what? Buddy Holly was original and one of the prime influencers of the rock and roll movement. I had a tape of his music when I was a kid that I listened to on constant repeat, unable to get enough of his rock-a-billy style and unique vocals. I don’t even remember where the tape came from, but I now suspect I pilfered it from my grandpa. I grew up in a small town where country music was everywhere. At school, on the radio, on the TV. For a while, I thought that (and gospel) were the only music that existed, and I did have a huge poster of Billy Ray on my wall, but Buddy Holly combined the essences of country, blues, and gospel to create a unique and catchy sound. He was probably one of the instigators in my rock music rebellion.
Shinedown
I started listening to Shinedown recently after finding a new local rock station on the radio. The first song I heard was Get Up and as someone who struggles with mental health, the song really became an inspiration for me to start each day. Their music is really catchy and tends to stick in my head all day. A few of my absolute favorites are Get Up, Monsters, How Did You Love, and State of My Head.
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July 1, 2020
Crutch Words: Body Language
One of the problems I see most while editing and had to overcome when improving my own use of the writing craft, is crutch words.
Filler, fluff, crutch words–they all clutter up our writing and muffle the message we’re trying to send. Crutch words are those words that we rely on when we’re not quite sure what to say. When describing body language, this often includes smiling, laughing, winking, breathing, sighing, nodding, frowning, gazing, standing, thinking, walking, shrugging, crying, etc. They’re all things we likely do multiple time every day, so it’s reasonable to think our characters are doing these things, right?
Well, that’s also where the problem starts. Every verb in your story should help convey imagery of what’s happening in a way that’s meaningful to the reader. Maybe you smile several times through a conversation, but if you’re telling the reader several times over a passage that the character smiled, what are you trying to convey? If there’s one particular time where that smile is vitally important to the story, it shows a progression with the character or the plot, but because your characters are smiling during every part of the conversation, that one special moment is dulled. Your reader is now glossing over that reaction because it’s happened several times over the course of the book and it’s no longer meaningful.
What can you do?Dig deeper! Look beyond these common signs of body language and find other ways to show your reader how your character is feeling and reacting to the situation. If you’re writing in that character’s view point, utilize internal sensations and mental responses. Imagine the scenario in your head and catalog the character’s other physical signals. If a character is smiling because they’re happy, what other physical signs might they be giving others? Clasping their hands over their chest? An animated, lively tone to their voice? If they’re moving, maybe there’s a bounce to step, and they’re freely swinging their arms, or if they’re standing, they may bounce on their toes. How does their overall demeanor change with their mood?
If you engage the senses to explore the little details that bring emotions to life, not only will you be able to effectively vary your character’s reactions to events and conversations, you can create a more nuanced image for the reader to engage with in their imaginations.
To strengthen your writing, be mindful of the verbs and elements of body language you’re using. If you’re going for high-output writing days, you don’t have to spell out every emotion in the first draft, but it’s important to go back and search for overused words when you have time to elaborate and fully explore the depth of your character’s reactions.
You can use the search and replace function in Word to highlight frequently used words or phrases to address in rewrites. You can start with the words mentioned above and create your own lists for words or phrases you use repeatedly.
If you’re having trouble visualizing the other physical or emotional reactions of your characters, I highly recommend checking out The Emotion Thesaurus.
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