Sleepless Beauty – YA Chit Chat

ONE MORE DAY author, Kimberly Kay, joins us today to answer a question I’ve asked of all the anthology authors:

If there was a moment you could freeze in time forever, what would that moment be?

Kimberly’s answer will put time in perspective and break your heart.

Kimberly, my blog is all yours.

***

If I had to take one moment in my life to freeze and display to all the world, which would I select? That’s a tough question, particularly because my answer is on the tragic, rather than joyful, end of the scale. I would select the moment I learned one of the people I most admired had commuted suicide.

It was the day after I found out that my submission to this anthology was accepted. Looking at the text on my phone, I sat down on a desk as the waves of shock washed over me. I thought, “What was I doing last night, when he died? I learned that I’d made it into “One More Day”. One more day. If only I had one more day. If only HE had one more day.” The moment where I dropped to my knees on the floor and shattered?

THAT’S the moment I would display to everyone so that, hopefully, someone out there who was considering suicide would realize that they should not go through with it. They have a purpose. They have a place in this world that will never be filled should they leave. And most importantly, they are loved. Maybe by someone they aren’t even aware of. I don’t think this friend realized how much he meant to me and the rest of our fencing club, or to his friends and family. Long have I wished that he had indicated he needed help instead of quietly slipping away. I wish we could have–not just one–but many more days to spend with him. Most importantly, I wish he’d realized that more than anything, he could have saved himself by loving himself, trusting himself, and believing in himself. Instead, we who are left behind must spread that message to others, and help them realize they are valued. That’s why my piece in the anthology is dedicated to this friend, Tyler. Because, though, I can no longer show him he is loved, I can at least promise he will never be forgotten.

***

Kimberly, my heart breaks for you. I am so sorry to hear about Tyler. I pray for his family’s and your healing. May your words touch someone else so another family and friends do not have to endure such overwhelming loss.

In honor of Tyler, I hope you decide to read a copy of Kimberly’s story, Sleepless Beauty. I’ve included links below, or you can enter to win a copy through the Rafflecopter Giveaway. Whatever you decide to do, please make sure you visit all of Kimberly’s location on the web and say hi and wish her well.

When Kimberly was younger, she was incredibly timid. She didn’t talk much because she was afraid of what others would think of her. Instead, she expressed herself through drawing. Eventually, art alone wasn’t enough. There were some things she couldn’t express with pencils, so she began talking, and when she did, she realized she had something to say. Now no one can get her to shut up! Worse, she’s discovered she can put those words into writing to share what she has to say with even more people.

Kimberly writes short stories and novels—usually fantasy fairytale retellings. Scattered within her works are things she loves: horses, fencing, archery, and so much more. With her friends, she writes fun fan-fiction that expands her creativity, (and shows what a nerd she is).

Through writing, she has found confidence and freedom.

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AMAZON – PAPERBACK AMAZON – KINDLE BARNES & NOBLE

KOBO

“Anthology” or “So Many Stories, So Little Time to Wait!” (everonword.wordpress.com)
ARC Review: One More Day by L.S. Murphy and Various Authors (kookiekrysp.com)
ARC Review: One More Day by L.S. Murphy + Others (bookarooju.wordpress.com)
“Timepiece” or “ONE MORE DAY’s First Day, and its First Story’s Author!” (everonword.wordpress.com)

Happy December 4 everyone! Has everyone had their coffee or tea? 1st, 2nd or 3rd breakfast? By the way, does anyone know what day it is other than Hump Day? Why, it’s day 3 of the ONE MORE DAY blog tour, and today I have on my blog, Marissa Halvorson (she’ll be back in a few days for another post, so make sure you tune back in).

Marissa is one of the authors in ONE MORE DAY. Her short story is titled, Dark Rose, and is really, really good. I also believe Marissa is the youngest author featured in ONE MORE DAY, a sweet young lady still in her teens.

As with all the authors in the anthology, I asked Marissa one particular question:

If you could freeze one moment of your life and put it on display for all to see, what would that moment be?

Her response will warm your heart. Take it away, Marissa.

***

That’s a pretty difficult question, because it calls for me to think about my whole life and choose only ONE moment. If we are talking the most personally important moment of my life, it would be the moment, at about 10:30 at night, when I got the email from J. Taylor Publishing offering me a contract for Dark Rose. It’s definitely the happiest moment, in recent years anyway, that I can remember.

I’m still eighteen and going to school, so I still live at home. My parents had already gone to bed and I was up reading or writing (I can’t actually remember what I was doing, but that seems about right) and my phone lit up with an email. I had been anxiously awaiting the response, so as soon as my phone lit up, I … well, in all honesty, I probably lunged for it.

I have never been so happy in my life (as far as I can remember). When you’ve been working towards something for the last eight years of your life with so many people telling you that it’s going to be a long shot, and that it’s going to be very difficult to get anyone to even take a second look at you, an acceptance even into an anthology is a huge victory.

Anyway, I’ve gotten off track. If I had to display any moment, it would honestly be the look on my mom’s face and the excitement in her voice when I woke her to tell her I’d received an acceptance. It really was one of the most exciting nights of my life.

***

Oh my gosh, how beautiful is that? What a beautiful moment. My mom passed away before she got to see my first work published so this really touched my heart. How lucky for mother and daughter to share such a special time.

Here’s a little bit more about Marissa:

Marissa’s dream of writing came about when she was ten, after reading a particularly inspiring story of dragons and elves. She instantly fell in love with the fantasy genre, and characters soon began to manifest to satisfy her adoration. It started with a forty page handwritten novel, which she dubbed “Dragon Girl” and continued on to more challenging (and better written) works.

Now, Marissa can often be found to be studying literature in English class, curled up at home with one book or another, or with her eyes glued to the computer screen as her newest set of characters manifest.

You can also catch up with Marissa at the follow web spots. Make sure you stop in and say hello.

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Interested in trying your luck at winning a copy of ONE MORE DAY? Click Rafflecopter Giveaway to enter, and good luck!

Can’t wait a month to see if you win? Head on over to one of the links below and grab a copy. Maybe two or three. It’ll make a great gift for the holiday. 🙂

AMAZON – PAPERBACK AMAZON – KINDLE BARNES & NOBLE

KOBO

Thank you all so much for your support. Please come back tomorrow to see what moment in time Kimberly Kay, author of Sleepless Beauty, would like to freeze forever.