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Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2017
I have so much to tell you guys! In November, I went to Miami for Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Ceremony. Both, Fate’s Cry and Fate’s Roar, won Honorable Mention in Romance-Paranormal category. I am grateful to Readers’ Favorite for awarding the books such a prestigious recognition.
I am excited, yet humbled, that all six books I’ve entered so far for awards are now award-winning novels.
Miami was a blast! I swear meeting up with other award-winning authors is the greatest feeling. These guys are talented, inspiring, and are full of amazing wisdom. Here are some pictures from the Meet and Greet and the ceremony itself.
I have more good news! My Perfect Imperfections was a featured book for a university’s book club! Yes, a university! Holy Family University in Pennsylvania discussed My Perfect Imperfections in November. Man, I’m so excited because when I wrote My Perfect Imperfections, I hoped to inspire and raise awareness. To say I was honored that this story was chosen, is an understatement. Here are some pics from the book club at the library from the university.
If anybody wants to purchase an autographed copy of any of my books, please contact me. Christmas is coming, so this may be a fantastic gift for somebody. 🙂
Lastly, I absolutely love photography. I’m really not that great at it, but I did take this pic while hiking in California one day. I liked it, so I decided to use it. I leave you with this final thought. Until next time, lovelies.
Fate’s Cry Five Star Seal
Fate’s Cry receives the five star seal from Readers’ Favorite! Three different reviewers read the story and reviewed individually. I’m happy to say all three gave the story five stars! Here’s what they had to say:
Review 1: Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite
Fate’s Cry by Jalpa Williby is a paranormal story with very interesting characters and an intriguing plot. The protagonist, Kelsey Taylor, has known the worst of pain. After losing her entire family to a fire, she lives with guilt for a very long time until she meets Damien, an attractive yet mysterious man, the kind of person who could inspire conflicting emotions in a woman. She is in love, but just like many things in her life, Damien suddenly disappears and she does not know where to start searching for him. Joining the police force might have been a move which could lead her to finding Damien, but she is up against a serial killer bent on taking everyone close to her. Can Kelsey make sense of these events and can she apprehend the killer before losing the next important person in her life?
Jalpa Williby’s Fate’s Cry is a riveting work, a compelling story with an interesting plot and solid characters. From the very first page, the reader is drawn into the difficult world of the protagonist as she pines away in grief. But this won’t be for long as things start happening immediately. The writing is stellar, laced with colorful descriptions and engaging dialogue. I enjoyed the conflict and how it develops. The reader reads on with bated breath, always wanting to find out what will happen next to the protagonist. One never knew where the story would turn next. This is a paranormal story that held my attention.
Review 2: Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite
Fate’s Cry by Jalpa Williby is the story of Kelsey Taylor. Five years ago, on Halloween, her whole family died in a fire and she believes there is no one to blame but herself. Deciding she cannot live with grief and guilt, she attempts to take her own life. She is stopped and saved by a man named Damien. Heartbroken, she hopes that the two of them could have a future together, but when he disappears, she is resolved to move on and make something of her life.
Joining the police department was one of the best decisions she ever made. However, when her partner is killed and his daughter is kidnapped by the killer, she is ready to do whatever it takes to save the girl and take revenge. Just when she least expects it, Damien reappears. But she cannot trust him, not now. There is a killer on the loose and he could be anyone. For all she knows, it could be Damien, although her heart says something else. Can she trust her heart? Can she trust Damien? Or is she destined to live in grief and give in?
This was an intense novel and I loved it. Kelsey is a strong character, she was beautifully developed. I sympathized with her and empathized with her. Damien is such an enigmatic character. No matter how hard I tried, he was too hard to figure out. He was definitely a mystery that added greatly to the overall appeal of the novel. Plus, the cover of the novel is gorgeous. It fitted well with the plot. This book is really good! It deserves all the stars I can dish out!
Review 3: Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers’ Favorite
Kelsey Taylor was 18 years old when she lost her family in a fire; her wheelchair-bound mother, her seven-year-old brother Ryan, and her 11-year-old sister Tori. She was a rebel and went out that night, despite her family’s plea for her to stay. After almost five years, the guilt never recedes and haunts her every single moment. If only she had been home that night, she could have saved them. A mysterious man named Damien enters her life and she’s confused by her attraction towards him. At the same time, she’s uncomfortable with his peculiarity and his secretive manner regarding his true identity.
Fate’s Cry by Jalpa Williby is an urban supernatural story that focuses on supernatural beings as classic as vampires and werewolves, but perhaps not as famous – at least not to me. Williby also mixed a dramatic crime thriller and romance into the story, so there’s plenty of action, suspense, and poignant moments. The plot is fast-paced and has a good twist. The prose is straightforward, making the reading flawless and engaging. Kelsey’s character development is well-written, particularly when she’s moving forward from her guilt and has joined the police force. I also like the cover art, so kudos to the artist, Amanda Walker.
On the whole, Fate’s Cry is a good read and a solid debut for the Fate series. Williby has included a sneak peak of the second book, Fate’s Roar. I like the way the story continues, so I look forward to reading about Damien’s brother in the next book.
This is very exciting since this is the first time I’ve written a psychological thriller. Here’s the direct link to the reviews:
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/fates-cry
Fate’s Cry (Prologue)
In seven more days, Fate’s Cry will be released! Yikes! So excited (and nervous). To celebrate, I’d like to share the prologue. Remember, it’s for $0.99 for a very limited time. Soon after the release, the price will go back up, so preorder now.
Prologue
Applying the dark, red lipstick one more time, Kelsey Taylor was pleased at her reflection. She couldn’t wait to get out of there and party with her friends. Maybe “friends” was too strong of a word, but they knew how to have a good time. The Halloween parties were a blast; somebody was always good for bringing the right drugs there. She’d been dying for a fix for the last couple of days.
“You’re going to wear that, Kelsey?” Ryan asked when he walked into the bathroom. “I can see your butt.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes, turning around to see her backside in the mirror. She was wearing a tight, black, cat costume. Yes, it was a little skimpy, but it was sexy. There would be some hotties there tonight. She’d learned very quickly the sexier she looked, the more the guys would hook her up with some free stuff the entire night.
“Shut up, Ryan. You’re too young to understand anything.” She pulled her eyeliner out of her purse again to make sure she was satisfied with her “cat eyes.”
“Why do you always have to go out? Can’t you just stay home tonight?” Ryan begged her with his wide, green eyes.
“Okay, you need to stop talking to me. I’m trying to hurry up and get out of here. I don’t wanna be late.”
“Please, Kelsey,” Ryan said. “You never play with us anymore. We’ll have fun.” He was seven years old, full of life and mischief.
Tori, her eleven-year-old sister, walked into the bathroom and chimed in. “Yeah, Kelsey. We hardly see you anymore. We used to have so much fun when we hung out together. Can’t you just stay one night?”
Kelsey brushed her reddish-brown hair one more time and frowned down at her siblings. “Sorry, I got plans. I’m not wasting my Friday night playing cards.” She purposefully ignored the disappointed looks in their eyes.
As she was leaving, her mom followed her to the door in her wheelchair. “Kelsey, please don’t go. We really miss you around here. Besides, I could use some more help from you.”
Kelsey shrugged her shoulders and flipped her hair back while she kept walking. “Look, Mom, it’s Halloween. That means there are lots of Halloween parties. I’m sorry you got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I’m sorry your husband died. There’s nothing I can do about it. Just because you’re now confined to your wheelchair, doesn’t mean I have to stop my life. I’m only eighteen years old, and I don’t need this shit. I’ll see you later.”
Those were her last words to her mother before she slammed the apartment door behind her. Sure, since her dad’s passing away from the dreadful cancer about five years ago, her mother had worked hard every single day to help provide for her children. Her multiple sclerosis was progressing quickly, though, so they’d been struggling financially since she could no longer work.
As Kelsey sprinted down the stairs, guilt crept up on her for a brief second. She quickly shook it off. She simply didn’t want to deal with that depressing apartment and needed to just get away from it all to have a good time. After all, she was too young to have all those responsibilities.
Kelsey saw Jake’s car already waiting for her as she reached downstairs. When he roared his engine, she smiled. Yes, she was ready for tonight. She had only known Jake for a few months, but she liked hanging with him because she could always count on him for a good time.
The party was at some guy’s house. She didn’t even know his name, but it didn’t really matter. Normally, the same crowd showed up at the parties, and most of the time, nobody really remembered anything anyway. Everybody just did their thing.
As soon as they entered the house, Kelsey began drinking. Soon, Jake brought her some pot to smoke. Feeling pretty good, she swayed to the beat of the music.
“Hey, kitty kitty.” Some guy came up to her and pinched her butt.
“Hey, yourself,” Kelsey said, losing herself in his ocean, blue eyes. The guy was wearing a vampire costume, and from what she could gather, he made a pretty hot vampire.
“So, has the cat woman ever hooked up with a vampire?” he asked.
“I don’t think so,” she flirted back, pouting her lips. “But, there’s always a first time for everything.”
The vampire laughed and leaned down to kiss her. His tongue immediately found hers, and Kelsey closed her eyes as he pulled her against his body.
“Are you with that guy you came with?” He stopped the kiss and frowned down at her.
“Jake? Nah, we’re just buddies.” By then, she was drunk and high, so Kelsey was having difficulty focusing.
“Cool. You wanna go upstairs with me so I can really show you how to party? I got the good stuff.”
Not the one to refuse the “good stuff,” Kelsey placed her arm around his and followed him upstairs into a bedroom. The rest of the night was a blur. Kelsey only remembered being in her own world and escaping into the abyss.
After the party, Kelsey headed home with some guy. She had no idea if it was the same guy who took her to the bedroom or if it was Jake. Everything was still spinning, but at least she wasn’t passed out somewhere. She was just hoping her mom wouldn’t start with her lectures as soon as she got home.
Somehow, her mind registered the bright lights of the emergency vehicles as they got closer to the apartment building. Still not understanding exactly what was happening around her, Kelsey was in a trance as she watched the flames hissing and spitting wildly.
“Shit! That building is on fire!” The guy driving the car came to a halt. “Wow, that’s badass.”
She blinked a few times, forcing her mind to think. She knew something bad was happening right before her eyes as she exited the vehicle. Like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to the fire as it summoned her. In a daze, she was mesmerized by the violent flames as they hungrily ate through the building.
“Miss! You can’t go there!” Somebody grabbed her, holding her back.
When she saw the fireman yelling at her to get back, her mind snapped into reality. Knowing instantly that her family was in that fire, Kelsey turned and raced toward the building. She couldn’t get too far, though, because another fireman grabbed her.
“Let me go! That’s my home! Where’s my family?” Kelsey pulled, pushed, and shook viciously, trying to get loose.
“Please, let us do our job. We’re doing the best we can to help them.”
“They can’t get out! They’re stuck! Let me go!” She tried to kick him, anything to get to her family. She already knew in her heart that there was no way they could get out on their own. “Mom! I’m here, Mom! Ryan, Tori! Hang on! I’m here!” she screamed.
The flames roared louder, taunting her. She helplessly watched the smoke swirl in long wisps and become its own monstrous entity. As the building was completely swallowed by the angry inferno, Kelsey’s legs collapsed from under her. Sobbing hysterically, she rocked back and forth, hugging her body.
“I’m sorry. I’m here now,” she choked in between her sobs.
In that moment in time, Kelsey’s world ended.
Jalpa Williby 