Category: science fiction
Thankful-for-Readers Giveaway #sundayblog #yalit #giveaway
Thankful-for-Readers Giveaway 
This November, I’m again reminded of all the things I’m thankful for.
My husband. My children. My grandchildren. All my family. Friends. Home. Service Dogs. Pets. The mountains. My job. My faith. The scent of fresh rain after a storm. The satisfaction that comes from hard work. My love for writing and the written word. Books. Having a book published and another coming soon. The list goes on and on.
But today, I’m especially grateful for the readers who purchased my book, for all who left me a review on Goodreads and Amazon, and for the readers who’ve yet to meet (and hopefully fall in love with) Bethany and Jeremiah.
So to say thank you for the amazing people that you are, I’m giving away a signed copy of Butterfly Bones with swag and a $20 Amazon gift card on Thanksgiving Day.
How do you enter to win? Simply follow me on Facebook, Twitter, my blog, or Instagram, and post a GIF of a turkey, or if you already follow me, instant message me on Facebook or DM me on Twitter and tell me how Bethany spends her Thanksgiving (from the story), and I’ll enter you into a drawing for the prize.
May the best turkey win!
Gobble, gobble, gobble! 
Rebecca’s social media links and buy link for Amazon
www.thecaterpillargirl.wordpress.com
Twitter handle: @Carpenterwrites
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008366882974
Also available at Barnes and Noble
Music’s Influence and Bethany’s Playlist
Music. It moves me. Annoys me. Makes me want to get up and dance. Helps me to sleep.
And sometimes it speaks to me–opening the valve and unleashing a river of creativity. When writer’s block hits and I’m stuck, the right kind of music can be a muse of sorts, unlocking scenes which had previously eluded me.
Butterfly Bones was no different. To set the mood of a teenager, I turned to current music, often listening to Breaking Benjamin, Hurt, Flawed, Underwhelmed, Blue October, and a favorite from my teen years, The Cure.
Music is my friend–my co-writer.
Bethany’s “Official” Playlist for Butterfly Bones
After hashing it out, Bethany told me this was her playlist, and she didn’t want a play-by-play for the book, but rather a collection of favorites pulled together from Bethany, her father, Dr. Keatley, and of course, Jeremiah.
Starred songs are directly linked to the book. Song picks rotate in order starting with Bethany, then her dad, and last Jeremiah.
“I couldn’t begin the playlist any other way than with the song that started it all—the song that brought my character to life—CATERPILLAR.” –Bethany Keatley
*Caterpillar – THE CURE –All Mixed Up
She Blinded Me with Science – Thomas Dolby
With You – Underwhelmed
*Timber – Pit Bull and Kei$ha
Silent Lucidity – Queensryche
Curses – Bullet for My Valentine
*Broken – Seether (featuring Amy Lee)
Thunderstruck – AC/DC
Into the Nothing – Breaking Benjamin
*I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
Let My Love Open the Door – Pete Townsend
Staring At It – Safety Suit
*Apologize – One Republic
Missing You – John Waite
Lifeline – Papa Roach
Escape – Kongos
*Always Something There to Remind Me – Naked Eyes
Without You – Breaking Benjamin
*Best Day of My Life – American Authors
*Brick in the Wall – Pink Floyd
Country Song – Seether
*Suffocate – Cold
Under Pressure – Queen
One Thing – Filter
*Lights Out – Breaking Benjamin
Forever and Always – Bullet for My Valentine
Dig – Incubus
*Rain – Breaking Benjamin
Our House – Madness
Something in Myself – Underwhelmed
*Sound of Silence – Disturbed
Start Over – No Love Lost
*Something’s Gotta Give – One Republic
*Learning to Fly – Pink Floyd
Hanging by a Moment – Lifehouse
*Dear Agony – Breaking Benjamin
*Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!
Instagram: rcarpenterauthor
Twitter: @Carpenterwrites
If you’d like to read or buy Butterfly Bones, here’s the link:
Superhero Dream Cast for Butterfly Bones
Butterfly Bones Dream Cast #2
Marvel Comic Characters
The role of Bethany Keatley will be played by Wasp. “Playing Bethany will be a cinch. I can shrink to make myself small and helpless, but still carry a kick with my sassy words. But I’ll definitely have to teach this girl a thing or two about fashion.”
The role of Jeremiah Wright will be played by Thor. “I’m not comfortable trading my hammer for a football, or going to high school with a bunch of snotty kids, but I’ll do anything to right wrong. I will defend Bethany until the end.”
The role of Zoey Margold will be played by Satana. “Zoey’s been compared to Satan’s spawn. But I am a devil’s daughter. And even though Zoey’s known for her promiscuity, she’s a pussy cat compared to me.”
The role of Dr. Keatley will be played by Black Panther. “I might be a scientist, but I’m no nerd. And I don’t need a hormone to send you into metamorphosis.”
Teasers for Butterfly Bones!
The Birth of a Novel: Butterfly Bones
The Birth of a Novel: Butterfly Bones
Five years ago, while listening to The Cure, a song called “Caterpillar” came on.
I’d heard this song a million times. But for some reason, this time the music and lyrics spoke to me. The title of a book emerged: THE CATERPILLAR GIRL. Before I knew it, the idea for a short story revealed itself.
The earliest version depicted a bullied teen girl with a rare bone disease getting revenge on her tormentors. Blood and gore were at the forefront. So I grabbed a notebook and jotted down my ideas. BETHANY KEATLEY, the MC, crawled from the ashes of my imagination and evolved into a 3-D character. And it wasn’t long before I molded and breathed life into JEREMIAH WRIGHT, Bethany’s best friend and love interest. Along with many other characters, the story flickered to life.
I characterized and plotted until I knew every detail about my characters and the story I wanted to tell. Time to write the novel.
But something strange happened.
No matter how hard I tried, Bethany refused to star in a horror novel. Instead, she pushed me to pen her story—a journey through great loss, tremendous change, and the harsh reality that Mother Nature and Father Time can’t be cheated.
About a month later, I finished the short story. But Bethany still wasn’t happy. I hadn’t told her whole story—not the way she wanted me to. So I set the story aside and listened to my character.
Her wants. Her needs. Her weaknesses. Her strengths. Her story.
Soon, the short story morphed into a full novel, just over eighty thousand words. But that wasn’t the end.
After suggestions from contest mentors, I rewrote the beginning, switched the POV from third to first person, and changed the tense from past to present. The changes allowed me to see holes in the story where I hadn’t before and to make Bethany’s journey even stronger. Like my MC, my story experienced metamorphosis.
Fast forward to signing with Lakewater Press; the editor, Kate Foster, asked me how I felt about a title change. My heart dropped and a lump formed in my throat. No way. The title had always been The Caterpillar Girl—the title had inspired the book.
But as Kate threw out ideas and BUTTERFLY BONES was born, I replayed the suggested title over and over in my head, as well as reciting it out loud—growing fonder of the change with every pass over my tongue.
And then it hit me. BUTTERFLY BONES had a double meaning.
- Butterflies are fragile, yet tough as hell, and so is my MC.
- Since her bones are strengthened from butterfly DNA, Bethany literally has “butterfly bones.”
And that was it. I agreed to the title change and haven’t looked back.
And how does Bethany feel about the change?
She thinks it’s the shizz—freaking shizz-tastic!
Butterfly Bones Cover Reveal
Butterfly Bones
by Rebecca L. Carpenter
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Lakewater Press
Summary:
Bethany should be dead, just like the doctors predicted. But along came the butterflies, altering the order of nature.
And now nature is hell bent on revenge.
Because when fate’s path is disrupted, it’s only a matter of time before balance must be restored.
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About the Author
Rebecca Carpenter is a native of western Colorado. She is married with two grown children and has been blessed with four amazing grandchildren. She owns and directs a large childcare center where she shares her love for books. In her spare time, she freelances as a copy editor, helping others attain their writing dreams. She finds solace and clarity while spending time with her husband exploring the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Author Links:
Website│Twitter│Facebook│Goodreads
Cover Reveal Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours
Rebecca Carpenter, copy editor and author 