Jalpa Williby
Chicago,
Illinois
Jalpa Williby was born in India and immigrated to the United States at the tender age of eight. A voracious reader, Williby’s adolescence was marked by a promising academic career. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science from the University of Illinois, Williby went on to earn Masters in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University. Her passion for helping her patients led her to a specialty in neuroscience, focusing on children and adults with neurological impairments. Juggling her time as a wife, a mother, and working full-time, her love for books never subsided. Williby introduces her debut novel, Chaysing Dreams, as she writes with her heart and soul, her passion flowing through every page. Since its release, Chaysing Dreams is an Amazon bestseller. Williby is currently busy working on the sequel.
Good morning, Jalpa and welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors. We are happy to have you here with us today. What have you written?
I released my first novel,
Chaysing Dreams, just a few months ago. I am currently working on the sequel.
What is your favorite
genre to write?
Since
Chaysing Dreams is the only novel I have published so far, I’d classify it as
New Adult/Romance/Suspense
Favorite food.
Pizza! If I go out of the country
and I haven’t had pizza in a while, I literally go through withdrawals. J
Tea or coffee?
Most mornings I drink Soy Chai Latte from Starbucks. (so tea) But, if
I need something stronger, I get the coffee.
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza, hands down! I used to work at Baskin Robbins in college, and I
think I ate too much ice cream there. Now, I hardly eat any ice cream.
Where would you like to
visit?
I’d like to eventually travel the world because I love
learning about different cultures. But Australia has been sounding mighty fine
lately. J
Favorite musical
artist. Do you listen to music when you
write? What?
I love all types of music. Specifically, in Chaysing
Dreams, I used three different artists and their songs: Beautiful by Christina
Aguilera, A Drop In the Ocean by Ron Pope, and Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin
Park
What makes you laugh?
Oh I can laugh at anything—it could be my kids, my pets, or funny TV
show/movie. I have a very sarcastic humor so I really enjoy sarcastic
comments/jokes.
How old were you when
you started writing?
I used to write just for myself as
a young girl. I also wrote songs/poems- but nothing I published. Chaysing
Dreams is the first novel I published and I started writing it in May of 2012.
Describe your perfect
evening.
I am very content
when I’m on vacations with my family. I love lounging at a poolside with a good
book on my vacations or walking on a beach, listening to the waves crashing.
Where do you get your
inspiration?
I’ve always had
an imagination out of this world- and I’ve always been a storyteller. My poor
friends had to endure me telling them stories every night in our dorm rooms. But
what inspires me? I think knowing that my book gives a bit of escape to readers
out there really keeps me going. Reality can be harsh sometimes so we all need
some type of escape for our own sanity.
What do you do when you
get a writer's block?
I don’t
force myself to write through it. I just take a break first. When I’m ready, I
place myself in the scene, use music to help if needed, and start typing- it
may not come out right initially, but that’s ok. That can be fixed later. I
just need to get the story down first.
Who is your favorite
author?
Khaled Hosseini
Best book you ever
read.
A Thousand Splendid
Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Who is the one person
who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
I really can’t say just one person. I’d have to say my
patients collectively have influenced me the most on who I am today. In my day
job, I’m a physical therapist. And truth be told, I’ve met some pretty amazing
patients who teach me about life every day.
If you could sit down
and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who
would it be and why?
I’m
going to cheat again for this answer because I’ve never been a good rule
follower anyway. ;) For a real person, I’d love to gain some wisdom from
Mahatma Gandhi.
For a fictional character, I’d love to have a one-on-one with Katniss from
The Hunger Games Series. She was so fierce and strong during the entire series,
but a huge disappointment in the last one for me. I didn’t quite understand the
choices she made and how she pushed everybody away from her at the end.
What advice would you
give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Go for it. Life is too short.
Don’t wait on the “right timing” because that’ll never happen. “Chayse” your
dreams today! J
Anything else you’d
like to add?
I’ve met some pretty amazing authors who have given me much needed
guidance. Believe me, I’m learning something new about this literary world
every day.
Also, thanks to all my readers who have been so supportive. You guys keep
me going. And don’t worry! The sequel, Chaysing Memories, will be released
soon!
Synopsis of Chaysing Memories:
Life…secrecy, deceit, danger…No, no! Run,
escape!
“Run!”
Her inner voice is shouting. She has to run faster! She’s about to get caught! No,
no! She has to get away. Please, she must escape!
“Run
faster!”
As long as Tess Sanoby can remember, she has
always had the same nightmares, where the girl in her dreams is running for her
life with an unknown force chasing her. Each time, right before the girl is
caught, Tess awakens, shaken with fear and confusion. Who is the girl? What do
these dreams mean?
Getting through the growing pains of high
school with her best friends Jack and Kylie, and then being accepted into her
dream college, Tess is excited to start her life of independence. There, she
meets the mysterious trainer and mentor, Chris, and she instantly feels a
strong connection with him. Unfortunately, Chris wants nothing to do with her. Although
Chris continues to give her the cold shoulder, his overprotectiveness and the occasional
slips of sensitivity confuse Tess. Not understanding Chris or their
relationship, she is on a constant emotional roller coaster with him. Could her
best friends be the stable force that she desperately needs?
Unfortunately for Tess, the more she tries
to connect the missing pieces of her life, the more obscure her past and future
appear to her. To make matters worse, she realizes she has fallen hard for a
man who may be her worst enemy. As passion ignites between the two, she can’t
help but surrender her heart and soul to him.
Tess is unexpectedly exposed to a world of
secrecy, deceit, and danger, causing her to be running for her life, chased by
the unknown. Can Tess escape and save not only herself, but also her loved
ones? Or, will she be caught, leaving her no choice but to face her worst
nightmare?
Chaysing Dreams is the ultimate love story,
full of suspense, friendship, betrayal, tragedy, and sacrifice. In this epic
tale, you will laugh and cry with Tess--a story full of twists and turns,
keeping you guessing until the end.
Links:
YouTube Trailer:
Young Adult and New Adult are my genres of choice.
