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Five Star reviews from Readers’ Favorite for My Perfect Imperfections

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My Perfect Imperfections received three different reviews from three different reviewers. I am pleased to announce that all three reviewers gave it five stars. Here’s what they had to say:

Review 1:

My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby is an inspirational story that revolves around Lily who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Lily needs assistance for even her basic needs like walking, talking and eating. Her physical disability leaves her frustrated, but Lily doesn’t let it deter her from strengthening her mind. Her twin sister Layna is very supportive and includes Lily in all the activities. As the story progresses, readers are given a glimpse into the life of a disabled person. It’s a story of love, strength, determination and, most of all, hope and will strike a chord within the hearts of readers.

The story is heart-rending and the three main characters, Lily, Layna and Chance, leave a lasting impression with their strength, determination and ‘perfect imperfections.’ The story is helpful to all those who have disabilities and also to those who deal with disabled people. Lily’s determination to get rid of the fear of living with a disability is very uplifting and inspirational. The bond between Layna and Lily also forms an important part of the plot. Narrated from Lily’s point of view, the story highlights the basic needs that a disabled person looks for in their life; that of being accepted and loved, and being treated properly like any other normal person. The author’s writing style is fluid, which gives the story a good pace and movement. The story is complicated yet simple, and readers can connect well with Lily, Layna and Chance. The emotions are raw and leave readers feeling compassion, and also gratitude for all that they have.

Review 2:

My Perfect Imperfections is a contemporary fiction novel written by Jalpa Williby. When Lily and Layna were born, the doctors advised their parents that Lily had cerebral palsy. It had happened to many other parents, they said, and Lily and the rest of the family would learn to cope with it. Lily couldn’t move like her twin sister did as they were growing up, and she was unable to even feed herself. The physical therapy that was an essential part of her life was something she actually looked forward to. The therapists treated her like they would any other patient, and they pushed her to her limits. When she was finally able to walk with the aid of a rear-assisted walker, her parents beamed with pride, and Lily herself was incredulous at being able to stand and move without someone else’s assistance. Lily was mainstreamed in school for most of her classes. She had a speech device that allowed her to communicate with others, and one of her arms was strong enough to let her control her wheelchair. That control was so important to Lily — it was independence, the ability to leave a situation unaided. But throughout all the strangeness of growing up with cerebral palsy, Layna was there with her. They were best friends and soulmates in a way that some twins are, even with the disease that made Lily’s life so restricted and different. Layna was there.

Jalpa Williby’s contemporary fiction novel, My Perfect Imperfections, is an inspiring and moving story about a young woman who was born with cerebral palsy. The heroine of this tale does not inspire the reader’s pity or sympathy, but rather their admiration as she goes from accepting her imperfections to training on a professional level to help other disabled persons live full and satisfying lives. While this novel is categorized as an inspirational one, it’s also a coming of age, a romance, and a family saga that feels a lot like a fictionalized memoir as well, and it succeeds in all those genres. I learned a great deal about cerebral palsy and what the life of a person with that condition would be like in My Perfect Imperfections and am so pleased to have read it. Lily’s story is exceptionally well told and very authentic. It’s most highly recommended.

Review 3:

My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby is the story of Lily Cooper, a woman born with Cerebral Palsy. My Perfect Imperfections starts with Lily telling how she thinks doctors told her parents about her condition and then goes on to Lily telling the rest of her life story. Lily tells you about everything; from her early years, the cruelty of kids in school and the cruelty of adults in college. She tells about her fears but, most importantly, about her triumphs and success at overcoming and dealing with the problems she faces due to Cerebral Palsy and with all the bad that life throws at her. Through it all, Lily shows her strength and tenacity at living her life the way that she wants to live it.

My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby is an amazing book told in the first person, with clear detail and great imagery that puts you in Lily’s shoes or watching right over her shoulder. My Perfect Imperfections will pull at your heart strings as Lily experiences the ups and downs of life and the ups and downs of her disability. I cried, laughed, smiled, and cried again as I put myself into Lily’s shoes. My Perfect Imperfections was very hard to put down. It was an eye opener as well; it gives a glimpse into what life would be like with a debilitating disease and that you can’t let life pass you by – you have to grab it with both hands and experience the ups and downs that life has to offer.

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It has now been awarded the shiny five star seal! Go me!
Here’s the link to the reviews:

Every Step Matters

small steps

Today is my one year anniversary since Chaysing Dreams has been published. Wow! What a ride.

When I first released Chaysing Dreams, it was more out of curiosity to see if anybody would like it. I thought all I had to do was to write the three books and share the story of Tess and Chayse to the world.

Was I wrong! I had no idea that your work doesn’t end once a book is published. I probably average 20-30 hours per week on writing, reading, and marketing. Most of my marketing efforts have been online. I honestly have had no time to go anywhere personally to get the word out except for a few book signing events I attended.

So, now that I’ve been in this “book” world for about a year, I sat back and reflected on all that I’ve accomplished.

  1. I have my own website! jalpawilliby.com I try to post something weekly if possible. But who would have thought that I was going to have my own website?
  2. I now have a Facebook page, twitter, and I just started Pinterest. Believe it or not, I have over a thousand followers on both Facebook and Twitter. Before all this, I had no knowledge of social media. I was forced to learn a lot—and you know what? I’m glad I did because let’s face it. The world is changing… and like it or not, social media is not going anywhere any time soon.
  3. I’ve got three trailers out on You Tube for Chaysing Dreams. Two are official trailers and one is a fan made trailer. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a very visual person. Watching trailers is kind of like watching the miniature version of your book.
  4. Chaysing Dreams was on the Amazon best seller list several times. Here’s a picture when Chaysing Dreams was ranked just three behind Stephen King. amazon best seller
  5. It received the five star seal from Readers’ Favorite. Three different reviewers read the book and all three gave it five stars. When those reviews came back, it felt pretty damn good. 5star-shiny-web
  6. As of date, Chaysing Dreams has sold 452 copies (includes the paperback and the eBooks) No, it’s not thousands or anything. But to be honest, I was just expecting some close friends and family to buy it. The fact that strangers are buying it and liking it makes it all worthwhile.
  7. It has won “Book of The Month” recognition from Book Review Depot. This group is full of some amazing authors. So, I felt pretty awesome to be voted by them.
  8. More recently, it is a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award finalist in three categories. (Romance General, Romance Suspense, and Fiction Chick Lit). For me, this is completely not the type of recognition I would have expected. I know it’s tough to even be a finalist for these types of awards. If I win any medals from this contest, I’m going to Miami to accept my prize! finalist-shiny-web
  9. I have 68 reviews on Amazon (4.8 out of 5 ratings)… I have 55 five star reviews, 11 four star reviews, 1 three star, and 1 one star. I realize that not everybody’s going to LOVE what I wrote- that’s life. But overall, not bad, right?
  10. The best part of this experience: I have met some pretty cool people. I’ve gotten some loyal fans who contact me regarding my books. I’ve also met some great authors who are more than willing to share their experience and knowledge.

So for now, I’m going to keep on moving forward. It may be at a slow pace, but it’s better than standing still. I’m just glad that I had enough courage to put something out there, not knowing how it was going to be received. Trust me, that’s a very intimidating feeling… you never know if the reviews will be positive or negative.

One year! I made it through one year! Go me!

For me, every bit matters. Every reader matters. Every review matters. Every recognition matters.

I’ll keep taking the baby steps because you know what? Every step matters.

Chaysing Dreams cover copy

 

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