I have to confess that in my novel, Chaysing Dreams, there are some sections that have explicit sexual content. The reason I’m even writing this is because I don’t want my readers to be surprised in any way because they didn’t expect it.

Ok, let me start at the beginning. This novel initially was geared for young adults. So really, the sexual encounters were supposed to be very vague and brief. However, as I was writing the story, it was very difficult for me to not write the details. You see, I wanted the audience to go through what Tess (my main character) was going through. So needless to say, I would suggest this book for 18 and over.

It’s just that so many times, I’ve read books where all of a sudden, it’s morning! What? Wait, what happened at night? I remember feeling very disappointed, because the characters were so building up for that big moment and then, as a reader, I got nothing!

What I’m trying to say is that sex between two people can be very beautiful. I don’t think it should be frowned upon. But I do understand people have their own opinions/views on the topic.

Well, in any case, I’m not here to lecture anybody on their views. I just felt that it was important that I write this blog. Chaysing Dreams does have some beautiful sex scenes in some chapters. Hope you guys enjoy reading them!

Anybody have any thoughts on this? We could probably have a great discussion!

Here is the first official review on my debut novel, Chaysing Dreams. This review is especially exciting because it is done by James DiBenedetto, a published author. Although I’ve had my friends and family give me much positive feedback on this book, it makes a difference when it’s from an objective person, who is also in the literary world. Thank you James for taking the time to read Chaysing Dreams, and writing up the review. I’m excited to share his review:

“Chaysing Dreams” by Jalpa Williby is a fantastic debut novel. It combines romance, adventure, a coming-of-age tale and a touch of science fiction into one well-written and engaging package.

The book tells the story of Tessnia, a smart, athletic and accomplished high school student. She gets straight A’s, stars on the basketball team and the track team and volunteers at a facility for handicapped children in her free time. She’s looking forward to college and eventually following in her parents’ footsteps and becoming a doctor. It looks like her life is set on a straight path.

But there are hints that all is not as it seems. She has strange, recurring dreams. An encounter with a charismatic older man while volunteering throws Tess off balance when she’s powerfully and unexplainably drawn to him. The same feelings pop up again in college, when she meets the assistant trainer on the school’s track team. At the same time, there are signs that Tess herself isn’t exactly what she seems – questions her parents don’t quite answer, things that her new assistant trainer says, the behavior of the pet dog Tess is given as a graduation gift, among others.

The author skillfully brings everything together in a conclusion that’s satisfying but also sets up very nicely for a sequel. The characters, especially Tess, are well-drawn and believable. The book is told in the first person, from Tess’ point of view, and her voice is likeable and engaging. Tess is relatable, as she goes through all the ups and downs readers would expect of a young woman coming into adulthood. The supporting characters, including Tess’ best friend Kylie, her parents, and the mysterious trainer Chris, are equally well-handled, and I was left wanting more. All in all, this is a very good, very exciting novel, and I’d highly recommend it.

Here are some teasers from Chaysing Dreams, my debut novel, that’s now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks.  These teasers are from three different scenes of the book. Hope you enjoy!

 Teaser One

When we enter the bedroom, he throws his shoes off, moves one side of the blanket aside and climbs under it. As he lies there perfectly content, I stand there awkwardly, twirling my hair with my fingers nervously. “Come here, Tessnia,” he says, lowering his voice. I sneak a glance at him, and he starts flashing his famous crooked grin. “You’re acting like we’ve never shared a bed together,” he teases, raising one of his eyebrows.

“Don’t go there with me,” I reply tartly, crossing my arms in front of me.

His grin gets wider. He opens the blanket on the side he’s not sleeping to make room for me. I sigh and hesitantly climb on that side. I remain on the edge, stiff as a board and hold my breath. This is so awkward. How did I get myself in this situation?

Teaser Two

Jack and Kylie remain with me on the dance floor, and many times poor Jack has to hold me up. By the time we stumble back to the hotel, it’s three in the morning. I am so tired and drunk. I’m staggering all over the place and Jack and Kylie have to help me to the bed.

“I love you guys,” I slur.

“We love you, Tess, you know that,” Jack replies, tenderly moving my hair out of my face. He’s always so thoughtful and sweet. Why is he always so nice?

I grab his hand and say, “You know nice guys finish last, don’t you?”

“I guess I’ll finish last,” Jack softly answers. “You need to go to sleep.”

Teaser Three

Next thing I know, I’m on the ground, and he’s on top of me. This cannot be happening. God, I have to get out of this situation. I try to scratch him and bite him. He then hits me, hard, on the left side of my face. That hurt! Nobody has ever hit me. Even my parents never spanked me. I’m shocked. I know I’m losing control of this situation. I can’t get his nasty mouth off of me, so I can’t even scream. I muster up my strength to try to push him off of me. He’s too heavy. I try to kick him, but his legs are wrapped over mine, restricting any movements from my legs.

Many people have asked me what in the world made me write a book. I mean, I’ve been a physical therapist for the last twenty years! And all of a sudden, I write a book? So one of the first questions people ask is, “Why?” My answer to that is, “Why not?”

Ok, I admit that it does sound strange that just out of the blue, I’m trying to publish this book. But let me start from the beginning. When I started writing Chaysing Dreams, I had no intention of actually writing a book. It was literally something I wanted to try as a hobby- for fun. Initially, I had no intention of trying to publish it.

I’ve always loved to read. I’ve been a reader my whole life. I still remember when I was a little girl, hiding under the blankets at night with a flashlight, and staying up way past my bedtime just to finish a book. I literally get lost in the stories I read. I know it sounds crazy, but if I really enjoy a book or get attached to the characters, I am lost in that world for weeks!

Ok, so we’ve established that I love to read. But to be honest, I love to write as well. I’ve written poems, speeches, short stories, and songs. No, I’ve never published any of it, but I do enjoy writing, and have received numerous compliments from my friends who have read some of it. I think they’re are as surprised as I am when they see some of my work! Lol!

So, one day (I believe it was in April of 2012), I said to myself, “I’m going to try to write a book!” I think it was right when I finished the Fifty Shades trilogy. I was just going to try to write a story, more for a challenge, and to use it as my little “escape” from the BS of the real world.

The thing is, the more my story started progressing, the more I fell in love with my characters. I loved where my story was going, and I got more and more invested in it. Since April 2012, I would write, research, and take notes practically every evening and every weekend. Even as I would drive to and from work, the story continued to develop in my mind. I spent countless hours on it. I was so attached to my story and my characters, that on some scenes, the characters basically dictated how that scene should go. Call it crazy, but it is what it is!

When Chaysing Dreams was finally done, I had my sister and a couple of my really good friends read the manuscript- just to see if they even like the story. And trust me, the unedited version needed a lot of work. But when they were done reading it, they loved it! They advised me to pursue this.

At first, I was hesitant, and then I thought that I’d really be doing my characters a disservice if I don’t somehow bring them to life. So, I got an editor, revised the book at least a thousand times, and decided to self-publish. I had no patience for following the traditional route: find an agent and then the agent finds a publishing agency to publish the book. This route could take years! Yeah, I’m way too old for waiting around, and Chaysing Dreams is the first of a trilogy. I still have two more books to write, edit, revise, and publish! The first one took me almost a year and a half by the time it will be available! (I’m predicting release date to be around the end of August)

This literature world is very new to me. But hey, I’ve learned a lot. So I go to my day job (Physical Therapy), and now I have a night job (author). I’ve worked on the cover for the book with a professional photographer and a graphic designer. I’ve had to write a synopsis for the back of the book, an author bio (this was hard- who likes to write about themselves?), and I’m trying different ways to market! I have no idea what I’m doing- lol! But I did start a twitter account a few months ago (Jalpa Williby), a Facebook account for the book (Jalpa Williby and Chaysing Dreams), and my own website! (www.jalpawilliby.com) I’m not quite sure how to use all of it yet, but again, I’m learning.

I know I have a long way to go on trying to get the word out on this book. There are millions of authors who are doing exactly the same thing as I am- and believe me, this is hard work! I have a whole new respect for the literature world!

So there you have it. This is my journey thus far! I’m working closely with my publishing agency to get the book out, and I also started working on the sequel. At this point, I’m proud of myself for such a huge accomplishment. I put my heart and soul into this book, and I do hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

If anybody has any advice for me, I’ll take it! And thanks for all your support! J

I have a special friend who we will call “Cathy”. Cathy has Cerebral Palsy. One day, we were talking about anything and everything. And somehow, the concept of “perception” came up. We started discussing how the general public perceives individuals with impairments who may be wheelchair bound. As we continued our deep discussion, Cathy helped me come up with an important message to the world. This is from “Cathy’s” eyes:

Yes, I am wheelchair bound. I can’t walk, talk, or feed myself. I am completely dependent on others to help me with all aspects of my care.

When I am out in the community, the general population either stares at me awkwardly or completely ignores me. It’s like they don’t even see me, at least not the real me. So I have a message to the world…

Just Like You

With the help of my walker, I can walk!  

Just like you…

 With the help of my communication device, I can talk!

Just like you…

 With the help of my special feeding equipment, I can eat!

Just like you…

 With the help of my power w/c, I can drive to places!

Just like you…

 With the help of adaptive devices, I can use the computer!

Just like you…

 With the help of a stander, I can stand up tall!

Just like you…

 With the help of proper floatation devices, I can swim!

Just like you…

 With the help of the adapted bike, I can ride my bike!

Just like you…

 But this is what you really need to know about me…

 I have feelings, dreams, desires, and goals.

Just like you…

 So next time you see me,

Please remember, I am a human being…

Just like you…

As we go through life, we all have top memories that we will carry with us. In my book, Chaysing Dreams, the main character, Tess, creates some memorable moments. The memories consist of important moments with her family, friends, through her high school years, through her college years, and beyond. As I was writing this book, I couldn’t help but reminisce on some critical moments of my life.

So I thought it would be nice to write a blog on some of our top memories that we will always cherish. Here are some of mine:

Coming to America: I was eight years old, and left India with my mother and sister to join my father in the land of opportunity- America! I didn’t know any English and I remember being scared to death. I had no idea how to even use the toilet (since our toilets were completely different in India)- Learning the western culture was an experience in itself! I will forever remember the “culture shock” and learning the “new way”. So many stories I can share- but I guess that will have to wait for another day!

Duran Duran Days: Yes, I’ll admit it. I fantasized about marrying Simon le Bon all through high school years! Hey, I created some pretty amazing memories because of them. To be young and carefree again…

Relationship with my sister: There are too many memories with her to list. But each one of them will forever be embedded in my heart. Growing up, it was always just my sister and I! And through all of the growing pains, we always had each other’s back- standing by each other through thick and thin! I am so lucky to have such an unconditional relationship!

Myrtle Beach Trips: How can I forget these trips with my best friends? We would rent a car and drive down to Myrtle Beach every year, throughout my college years. We would spend a whole week there, and be wild and crazy! Damn, I even skipped out on my U of I graduation for this trip! I know, I made some crazy choices back then! Oh, the priorities in life…

All of my pets: I will forever remember my pets. I had my two hamsters when I was young, named Fluffy and Fuzzy. Then I had the two parakeets, Snow Flake and Sunshine. Of course, how can I forget my cats, Serena, Tazmin, Velvet, Baci, Titan, Bella.  Oh, and the dogs who always ran away and we had to “bail them out of jail” constantly, my beautiful huskies, Diamond and Zeus. I’ve always been an animal lover, and I’m so fortunate that they’ve been in my life.

My Wedding: I had both American and Indian wedding ceremonies! My wedding was small, and my husband and I paid for it on our own. I think that’s why it was that much more special! It was stress-free, we made our own rules, and we had a blast!

Birth of my children: I am so blessed to receive the gift of my three beautiful kids. I can’t imagine my life without them. I have never loved anything more than my babies. I will always remember the first time I saw them in the operating room- crying at the top of their lungs! Never heard a more beautiful sound!

Memories of my patients: I am so lucky to be in the field that I am. As a physical therapist, not only do I feel like I’m making a difference in my patients’ lives, but I’ve had the privilege of meeting some pretty cool people along the way! Truly these patients have been my heroes, inspiring me, showing me courage, and teaching me what life is really about. I’ll forever cherish my time with them.

Attending The Red Carpet Premier for Twilight in LA:  Yes, this has to make the list! This was truly a once in a life time opportunity! I got the chance to attend the red carpet premier for Eclipse in LA with my best friend! Not only were we in the theater with the stars, but we had the VIP ticket to attend the after party! So yes, we got to attend the party with Rob, Kristen, and all my favorite Twilight stars. It was surreal. What an amazing experience!

Writing Chaysing Dreams: This is something I am so proud of- I can’t even explain it. I never thought I would actually write a book! I’ve always loved reading- and have read so many books ever since I was a little girl! But over a year ago, I started writing Chaysing Dreams. At first, I thought it would be fun. I really didn’t take it seriously. It’s just that I fell in love with the story- and even more in love with the characters! I’m always going to remember my story and the fact that I created it! I absolutely can’t wait until it’s published!

I think it’s important for all of us to slow down and remember what has mattered- our own memorable moments! How about you? What are some things in your life that you’ll never forget?

My character, Tess, from Chaysing Dreams, volunteers at a facility where the residents have autism. Here’s a brief “teaser” from the book when she visits the site on her sixteenth birthday:

 “Tess!” I hear Tony yelling as I enter one of the sites. Tony comes running to me with a big smile. He is eighteen, and has autism. He doesn’t make eye contact, clasps his hands together, and starts rocking.

“Hi, Tony! I miss you so much!” I gently pat his back, and he gives me a shy smile.

“What are we going to do today? Did you drive? Where’s your car? What kind of car do you drive? You look really pretty today. I like your hair.” Tony shoots off rapid-fire questions. 

“Whoa, slow down, Tony!” I say, laughing. “No, I didn’t drive, but I’ll be getting my license soon! I’m sixteen today!” I’m excited to share my special day.

“Tess, it’s your birthday today?” Jennifer, the nurse, asks me. I nod, smiling at her.

Amy comes running to me. “It’s Tess’s birthday, it’s Tess’s birthday. I want cake!” Amy starts yelling and spinning. Amy is fourteen, and she is adorable. She gets over stimulated easily though, so I have to be careful not to stress her out.

I look around and notice that there are six more of the residents surrounding me. They are all very excited. I decide to distract them. “Ok, guys, how about we do some games first? Who wants to play some basketball?”

It works like magic! The residents are now focused on the game. We set up the indoor basketball net, and play HORSE. It’s so fun to laugh and run around with them.

Personally, I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with kids and adults with autism. These guys are truly a treasure. And their intelligence always blows me away.

There are different levels of autism. Some are mild, and some may be severe cases. I can promise you this much, these guys have always been able to bring a smile to my face. They have a heart of gold, and just need their own way of dealing with things.

Maybe you’ve been as lucky as me, and have encountered somebody with autism. Maybe it’s your family member, or a friend, or an acquaintance. If you haven’t, I would recommend you volunteer at places that serve kids or adults with autism. I promise you, not only will you learn from them, but they will make your heart smile.

It’s Autism Awareness Month so I felt that it was important I write a blog about it. The more the general population is aware, the better we can help.

Would love to hear your experiences or special stories regarding autism! Share your stories on how special these guys are!