Blog Archives
Outlander Wedding
I had to do a post on the Outlander Wedding. I’ve been obsessed with the books, and now that the series are on Starz, I am glued to the TV on Saturday nights. I mean it’s bad. Nobody is allowed to talk to me while I stand in front of that screen, mesmerized by every scene.
Tonight is the epic wedding! I’m so looking forward to the Outlander Wedding. Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp become husband and wife. This wedding has to happen to save Claire from Black Jack Randall, the cruel English captain. Well, “cruel” is putting it mildly. Let me put it this way. His last week’s performance had chills running up and down my spine. He is the epitome of evil.
Claire is beside herself that she has to marry to save her hide because she has a husband in the 1940’s, and all she wants to do is get back to her life from that time. Jamie, the handsome young lad, is willing to marry her to save her from the evil hands.
Ah, and things only get interesting from here on. You see, Jamie may act like he’s marrying her to help his “friend” out, but in actuality, he’s already fallen in love with her. We learn this much later in the book. Their wedding is the start of a beautiful relationship between them.
I’m a huge sucker for a good love story—always have been. I have to say Outlander is one of the top love stories on my list. I absolutely can’t wait for the big wedding…oh, and then the wedding night. Ha! They better not hold anything back!
As I wait for the show tonight, I had to find a way to calm my anticipation—of course, through writing! So, here I am blogging about it.
To all you fellow Outlander fans, see you at the wedding!
Chaysing Destiny Update
Many of you have been waiting anxiously for the final installment of the Chaysing Trilogy. Let me assure you that I work on it every evening and every weekend—literally, every spare moment. Trust me, I’m dying for my closure too. 🙂
The good news is that the story is done! Man, does that feel good! I’ve gone through it once already, but I’m going through it again. It’s just what I do. I have to go over it to enhance the scenes, work on proper wording, the sentence structure, grammar…you know, just get it right.
For me, it’s imperative that my readers are “there” with the characters. I want my readers to feel the joy, the sorrow, the pain—everything that my characters are going through. So, as a writer, the emotional piece is priceless. I truly get inside my characters’ heads and try to portray what they’re going through.
That being said, what’s next? Well, when I’m done going through it a few more times, I will send the manuscript to editor(s). Then, I’ll revise it some more. When I’m completely satisfied with it, I’ll send it to the publishers. There, the publishers take another couple of months to format it and make it available to the readers on all major sites. Yeah, it is a long drawn out process, but my goal is to send it to the publishers by the end of this year.
So hang in there! I promise it will be worth the wait! I absolutely can’t wait for you all to read it because I love how the story developed.
In the meantime, here’s a little prologue for Chaysing Destiny. Enjoy!
Prologue
The pain is unbearable, but the reward makes it tolerable. I have to push harder to bring my baby into this world. As the fear for my baby’s safety consumes me, an overwhelming sense of sorrow sends tears cascading down my cheeks.
The sound of the explosion has me running toward the source. I have to save him. Screams and cries of women and children urge me to run faster.
Blood everywhere. Too many dead, mutilated bodies are all around me. No, please, no! I’m too late.
Suddenly I’m running through the field of beautiful wild flowers. I’m playing with Gem, and while I laugh, she barks with excitement. I glance over my shoulder to see Chayse running after me. I feel him tackle me, his weight holding me down. I laugh.
When he turns me over to face him, his eyes are not happy. Without any warning, the force of his knuckles land hard on my face.
Everything goes black.
The nightmares continue to haunt me. The dread of not knowing if these nightmares are a part of my past, present, or future petrifies me.
Too many questions. Not enough answers.
But I won’t back down. I will find my answers.
Cutting the Cord
In my novel, Chaysing Dreams, Tess, the main character leaves for Stanford. Here’s a little excerpt when her parents drop her off:
When our parents bring us to our apartment to drop Kylie and I off, it’s the strangest feeling. I mean, we’re going to be totally on our own. Eighteen and independent! Nobody is going to be checking up on me. No curfew! No rules! I can do whatever I want. Wow, it feels amazing to have this freedom.
Both of our parents give us really tearful goodbyes. My dad can barely look at me. He just mumbles to be careful under his breath and walks out.
After they leave, Kylie and I just lie on our beds in our apartment, staring at the ceiling. We both have separate bedrooms, but because the two bedrooms are across from each other, we can see one another. Instead of feeling excited, it feels empty. Just that quick, the appeal of “freedom” is gone.
In my own life, my oldest baby just left for college this week. After living under the same roof for the last eighteen years, I now have to get used to not seeing her every day. It feels like I’m just throwing her out there to the world. Is she ready? Did I prepare her enough? Will she be able to problem solve through tough situations? Will she know whom she can trust, or will she be naïve and trust everybody?
Yes, I torture myself with these thoughts every day and night. It’s just a mother’s instincts to protect her baby. If I can keep all of the pain away from my children their entire life, I would. I want nothing more than to protect them and keep them from all the cruelty and evil of the world.
But the practical side talks to me. Yes, I do have conversations with myself… you know, all of those voices in my head. Hence, I’m a writer. Anyway, the practical side tells me that I can’t keep my children in a bubble their whole life. Let’s face it. They have to go out there and learn. The only way they can grow up to be a respectable man or a woman is by experiencing all that life brings—and that includes the good and the bad. Yeah, yeah… blah, blah, blah…
My husband says it’s time to “cut the cord.” He keeps telling me we did our job with our daughter, and we should be proud. She’s attending a great university and isn’t that what all parents want for their children? To succeed? Okay, I’ll give that to him. But can’t she just go to a local college and commute from home?
Well, it’s been three days since Taj has left. And although, I miss her dearly, I know it would be very selfish of me to keep her from experiencing these years at a major university. After all, I attended the same university, and I have to admit, they were the best years of my life.
So, even though my heart feels like somebody is squeezing the life out of it at times, and I desperately try to take deep breaths to get some air into my lungs, I let her go. Ultimately, all a parent really wants is his or her child to be happy. And I have to allow my babies to find their own happiness.
Here’s to you, Taj. May you find your own path in life. And may your path be smooth and full of happy memories.
Every Step Matters
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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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?
- 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.
Tess and Chayse Moments
Since I absolutely adore Tess and Chayse, periodically, I’ll be doing some memorable moments between them. This one is from Chaysing Memories:
Miles leads me to our table and pulls the chair out for me. Luckily, we’re seated at the dinner table with some of the agents I know, including Sterns. I can’t help but wonder whom he may have brought as a date. Maybe he’s married, but I don’t see anybody sitting by him. Did he come alone? Sterns is such a ruggedly good-looking man, with his almost black hair, brown eyes, and a natural tan. I would think that he would be taken. It’s interesting how reserved and secretive he is about his personal life.
There are at least three hundred people there. I’m glad there’s a great turn out, because I know the tickets are $500 per person. Miles wanted to pay for both of our tickets, but I insisted that I would pay for my own.
The masks on everybody make the atmosphere romantic and mysterious. I receive many compliments on my “transformation”. None of them have seen me dress up prior to this event, and certainly not in a dress like this. Even the members of the rescue team for Pierce are shocked when they see me. The men, of course, can’t resist teasing me.
When the music begins, Miles asks me to dance with him. He’s a good dancer, leading me easily while we move. After a few rounds with him, I notice he begins pulling me closer to him. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I try to think of an excuse to stop our dancing.
“Do you mind if I cut in, Dillon?” Perfect timing! Sterns saves me from the situation becoming awkward.
“No, not at all,” Sterns answers reluctantly. “I’ll get you another drink, Tess. I’ll be at the table.” I smile as he walks away.
As I dance with Sterns, I notice how graceful he is for such a solid man. “So what’s going on with you and Dillon?” Sterns doesn’t hesitate to get to the point.
“Nothing. We just came as friends,” I reply, tilting my head to the side.
“Hm…” Sterns says.
“What’s that supposed to mean? And where’s your date?” I want to change the subject away from me.
“Didn’t have anybody in mind,” he replies.
“What’s the latest on Pierce?” I know he’s not going to tell me anything, but every time I see him, I have to ask. “How is he doing? Could you at least tell me that?”
“He’s doing the best as can be expected, Sanoby. That’s about all I can say.”
Just as I’m about to inquire for more information, the dance changes. All of the women go on the inside circle and their partners form the outside circle. Each partner dances with the other for about a minute and then we switch partners. The circles move fast just like the changing of partners. I have no idea who I am dancing with because of the masks. But each man has his unique style of dancing and leading, and the challenge of switching the dances keeps me intrigued.
Everybody is laughing as the women are spun, dipped, and twirled around the room. I go through at least twenty men and when I switch again, I’m pulled into a pair of strong arms. I gasp when I feel a hard body against me as the dance continues. I look up to see the man, but he makes no attempt to look at me, so I can’t even see his eyes behind his black mask. His dark hair is cut short, his shoulders are broad, and his long, lean body is as solid as a rock. He easily towers over me, even in my four-inch heels. This mystery man is light on his feet as he easily glides me across the dance floor.
He keeps me close against his body as we continue our dancing. I’m in shock at how my body responds to this close encounter. I sink right against him as his touch brings peculiar, yet intriguing sensations electrifying through my body.
Instantly, my body craves more. I hold him tighter, wanting to be closer to him. He continues dancing with me and does not change partners when it’s time; he simply just moves us out of the circle formation.
I don’t complain. I don’t know if it’s the wine or the atmosphere, but I don’t want to let him go. With nothing more than just a dance, this mystery man has made my heart race, my breathing hitch, and my body longing for his touch.
I don’t want to ruin this magical moment so I don’t ask any questions. I don’t even care who he is. All I know is the way he’s making me feel. Not wanting to analyze this further, I just want to lose myself in it. Our bodies continue to move in unison, as if we’ve always danced together. I take this mystery man in, as I inhale his scent and feel his strong muscular body under my hands. Not once does he release me as we dance. I continue to sway my hips to his movement, spin as he twirls me, and keep my soft body against his hard body. I sigh as I sink even more against him, craving his touch while I inhale the scent that permeates the air around him.
Just as the dance is about to end, he dips me with his face buried into my neck. I hold him tightly, not wanting him to let me go. Unfortunately, the music ends, and I’m still dipped with my back arched and his face buried into my neck. Slowly, he lifts his face up and looks at me with such a piercing gaze, that it feels as though he’s looking into my soul with his deep, gray eyes.
I gasp.
He pulls me into standing position, releases me, nods his head swiftly, and before I can process anything, he’s gone. He simply disappears into the crowd, leaving me standing on the dance floor, dumbfounded.
“Pierce,” I whisper.
The Writing Process Blog Hop
I’m so excited to participate in an ongoing blog hop about my writing. I was tagged by James DiBenedetto. Thank you, James, for including me with some very talented authors. James is an author of the incredible Dream Series. You can check him out at this link: http://writingdreams.net
Now, here are the questions that I have to answer as part of this blog hop:
What am I working on?
I am currently working on Chaysing Destiny. This is the final installment of the Chaysing Trilogy. I’m only on Chapter Five, but I’m hoping it’ll be available by Spring of 2015. I’m excited, yet apprehensive to be done with the series. I’ve gotten so attached to the characters… I’m sure it will be bittersweet when I write the conclusion.
How does my work differ than others of its genre?
Well, to be honest, I have to admit that my books are multi-genre. The first book, Chaysing Dreams, could be classified as young adult, new adult, romance, suspense, thriller, action… But it’s still so much more. It talks about family, friendship, growing pains, depression, perseverance, and sacrifice. The main character, Tess, is a young girl of fifteen in the beginning and grows up to be a young woman of twenty-two by the end of the first book. This is very different than other books… my character grows up from an innocent young girl to a strong young woman.
In the second book, Chaysing Memories, Tess’s story continues. Again, this is very different because we watch Tess grow even more through her life experiences. But outside of that, we see the other characters change and grow through their experiences as well. Again, many dynamics are brought into this book. Friendships are tested, lost love comes back in her life, and there’s just more action in this one. Very difficult to just label it into one genre.
I think the books are unique because the readers go through the same emotions as the characters. They can feel their pain, happiness, fears, sadness…I really enjoy getting inside my characters’ heads. I have a Bachelor’s in Psychology, so I believe this helps me to really understand how to accomplish this. Many readers have said that the stories made them “feel.”
Why do I write what I do?
I write because I have this crazy head that’s got an imagination out of this world. All these years, it’s been screaming at me to get my thoughts down. I’ve always been an avid reader, so one day, I decided to listen to the voices in my head and began writing. A year later, Chaysing Dreams was produced! And now, I realize how therapeutic writing is for me. I love creating stories. I love bringing my characters to life. I’ve always read to give myself some escape from the craziness of the real world. Knowing that my books have done the same for others is enough of a reason for me to keep writing.
How does my writing process work?
My laptop is my best friend. I work full-time during the day, so I try to get my writing done either in the evenings or on weekends. When I can, I try to go to Barnes and Noble with my laptop. For some reason, this really creates the right mood/atmosphere for me.
Also, I do have an idea of how my stories will go. I’ve taken notes on each story. I know how I want them to start and how I want them to end. But sometimes, when I’m writing a particular scene, the characters kind of take over, and the scene develops into something completely unexpected. I love that- it’s as if the characters are directing me on how they want their story to go. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy. But hey, I’ve never claimed to be completely sane anyway.
Ok, enough about me… Let’s now move on to some amazing authors that I’m about to tag:
Regina M. Joseph is the author of The Alterran Legacy Series, her first foray into fictional writing. Colony Earth was published in October 2012, Khamlok on March 1, 2013, and on Resurrection May 1, 2014. She is at work on the concluding volume, Redemption. All three novels have been 5 stars by Reader’s Favorite. www.alterranlegacy.com
Errika Lee is a registered nurse dedicated to spreading positive messages of esoteric truth through various routes, her favorite being those that allow her to make use of her creativity. The Kingdom of Dala is her debut novel and marks the beginning of her story-writing ventures. Devoted to her spiritual studies, Errika intends to publish a sequel to The Kingdom of Dala shortly after the first book’s release in hopes of realizing a powerful message. http://www.errikalee.com
Lisa Sommers was born and raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from the University of Phoenix majoring in Business Management. After working in the Accounting field for more than fourteen years she decided to become a stay-at-home mother to her four children. Moving out of San Diego after 37 years, her, her husband and their children moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be near family.
Lisa is just as much an avid coffee drinker as she is a reader and writer. Her genres of reading and writing have been in the romance/erotica/suspense arena. Although, she has been writing for a couple of years she just recently published her first series called, Caught Off Guard, in February 2014. http://www.lisasommers.blogspot.com/
Give these wonderful authors some love!
Your Masterpiece
Now that my first book, Chaysing Dreams, has been out for about nine months, I’ve slowly been learning some tough lessons.
So you write your so-called “masterpiece” and think that it’s going to be an instant best seller. You think people all over the world will somehow know that you just released this novel—the one you put your blood, sweat, and tears into—and immediately buy it because they can’t wait to read your book.
And then, the reality hits. Yeah, aside from a few close family members and friends, nobody knows who you are and couldn’t care less about your “masterpiece.”
Overall, I’ve been lucky. I’m slowly building fans, and I’ve got some pretty cool reviews. I’ve even had a fan send a fan-made trailer for Chaysing Dreams! Now that’s exciting!
As an author, I can tell you that reviews are so important. Really, the reviews are what get your book noticed. So if you read a book, please do that author a favor and leave a review (even if it’s a brief one). Trust me, every review matters.
Again, I’ve been lucky on this as well. Majority of the reviews have been five star reviews. I can’t even describe the ecstatic emotions when you receive these reviews.
But of course, I’ve also received a couple of low star reviews as well. When I say a couple, I literally mean two. The emotions you go through when you read these reviews is quite funny. It goes something like this: “Wait, did I see this right? Maybe they’re confused with another book. Did they even read the book? How did they not understand what the story is trying to convey? They must be young and immature.” Then, when you accept that somebody really didn’t like your book, your thoughts shift to the following: “Maybe the stories are not as good as I thought. Maybe I’m a terrible writer. I hate this–this just doesn’t feel good- I’m just not going to write any more books. I don’t need this negativity in my life.”
Finally, when acceptance sinks in, you are a bit more rational about the whole thing.
Here’s the bottom line: Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. As hard as it may be to believe, NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO LIKE YOUR BOOK. I mean we’re all different individuals, with different tastes. I know it’s a shocker, but that’s the reality.
I’ve decided that perhaps I can learn from these reviews. I’m still growing as a writer. I’m no way near where I need to be- so hopefully, I can utilize some of the criticism to my advantage. If I can’t use anything from it, I’ve learned to shrug it off. Life goes on.
If you’re a reader, thank you so much for your support. It’s the readers that keep the authors motivated to keep writing, so please don’t forget those reviews.
If you’re an author, do yourself a favor. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back for writing your “masterpiece.” Be proud because it takes a lot for not only writing it, but also putting it out there for the whole world to scrutinize.
Hold your head up high, grow some tough skin, and yell, “Are you ready for my masterpiece?”
Remember, at the end of the day, your “masterpiece” is your baby, and nobody can take that away from you.
Dreams
“Run!” Her inner voice yells at her. And she runs. She runs without looking back. She is scared. Something is chasing her. The sound of blood roars through her ears as her heartbeat is racing. What’s happening? But she doesn’t turn around. She runs because she knows her life depends on it. The wind howls and moans as she keeps running. She doesn’t know where she is running. It’s dark. She can’t see anything and she trips. She tries to stop her fall. Her hands get scraped on the ground. She feels branches and twigs on the ground as she pushes herself back up. She runs faster. The bramble and vine that saturate the forest floor lacerate her feet. She doesn’t know what she’s running from, but she can tell it is closing in on her. She can hear something cutting through the fallen branches behind her. She is breathing so fast! She feels the cuts from the branches sting her face. She ducks and dodges as she tries to escape. She is gasping for air, but she doesn’t care. She has to keep running. But she knows this “something” is getting closer. She’s suffocating. She feels like she is trapped. No, no! Please! Not like this! She keeps running, but she’s losing. She’s desperately flailing her arms to fight off whatever that’s chasing her. She screams, “No, no!” It has closed in on her. She feels it catch her. Oh my god! This thing has caught her! It’s shaking her. NO, NO!
In Chaysing Dreams, Tess, the main character, is haunted by her dreams. Eventually, she is forced to face her worst nightmare.
Have you ever woken up from a dream and wondered, “What the hell was that about?” I don’t know about you, but I’ve had the most bazaar dreams in my years.
I’ve had dreams about trying to escape from tornados, snakes, people chasing me, and even ex-boyfriends whom I haven’t thought about in years! I won’t even get started on my sexual dreams.
When my dreams are scary, I usually wake up, breathing heavy, trying to forget the dreams. But many times, the dreams I’m trying to forget, continue after I fall asleep again! What kind of luck is that!
Some of my most memorable dreams have been about people who have passed away. I remember when I was only nine years old, my grandma came into my dream a week after she passed away. Although I don’t remember the details about that dream, I remember feeling happy that I saw her one last time. I was always close to my Grandma Menna. (When my daughter was born fifteen years after her death, I named her Tajmenna after my grandma.)
More recently, one of my patients (I will call her Becky) passed away about five years ago. Although I deeply cared about her, my work colleague was extremely close to other. Becky was like a daughter to her. It was a death that impacted the whole department. My colleague went through deep depression.
Within a few years after her death, Becky came into my dream- twice. She wasn’t disabled and not bound to her wheelchair anymore. She was standing and walking and talking. She was babbling about something or another but dancing and looking beautiful as ever. I woke up in sweat, wondering why I’m dreaming about Becky, when I honestly didn’t even think about her too often. But then I thought maybe it was a message I was supposed to deliver to my colleague. Maybe Becky wanted her to know that she’s fine, and happy, and to not worry. I will forever cherish my dreams about Becky because I truly believe that it wasn’t by coincidence that I dreamed about her. I believe that Becky was worried about my colleague and intentionally used me as a “vessel” to communicate.
I’ve always been intrigued by dreams. Why do we dream? And what the hell do they mean? Ok, let’s get to the basic question. What is a dream? According to Webster, a dream is “a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep.” Ok, sounds simple enough. We dream mostly in our REM stage of sleep, which is when our brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake.
But what do these dreams mean? There are many theories. Sigmund Freud believed that dreams are a representation of our unconscious thoughts and desires. He wrote dreams are “disguised fulfillments of repressed wishes.”
Another theory suggests that dreams are interpretation of signals generated by our brain during sleep (activation-synthesis model of dreaming). This theory suggests that dreaming may be our most creative state, and often can lead to new ideas.
Yet other theories propose that dreams are a result of our brains trying to interpret external stimuli during sleep. (ie the alarm going off, or the radio playing in the background).
Another model suggests that during dreams we are able to make connections between different thoughts and emotions in a safe environment.
Ok, so these are just theories. Nobody knows for a fact why we dream and what they mean. What do I believe? I think dreams have something to do with our subconscious. Possibly our subconscious is communicating with us through our dreams. I don’t think we’ve even tapped into the power of our brains.
What do you guys think? I’d love to hear about some of your dreams or your beliefs/theories.
Jalpa Williby 