Welcome back Addison Brae to Discover... I love her post for Fearless Friday today. That crazy number 13 can throw people (it's my lucky number) and Friday the thirteenth is particularly scary for some. She's got some great tips on conquering fear and becoming a little more fearless.
Friday
the thirteenth invokes uncontrollable panic in many people. Some experience the
terror because of real events. For example, in 2010, lightning struck a
13-year-old boy in England on Friday the thirteenth at 13:13. The practical
side of me says these details are fudged a bit, but I wasn’t there to prove or
disprove what happened. It certainly makes you think.
There’s
even a name for the fear of Friday the thirteenth: Paraskevidekatriaphobia
(Kudos for anyone who can pronounce it!). The name comes from Greek words “Paraskevi”
for Friday and “dekatreis” for 13. I understand that the superstition is so
widespread in the U.S. that airlines offer cheaper rates to travel on the day.
This
Fearless Friday is a great day to stare down a fear. Maybe it’s tackling
trepidation when Friday the thirteenth comes around. Maybe something else
causes you distress. Since my income depends on working with clients, I
terribly dread saying “no” to them. I did recently when a project went south.
It was difficult. Afterwards, I realized the project had been so stressful I
could actually laugh again.
A
good friend dreams of traveling to Europe and randomly selecting a rail pass to
wherever sounds interesting. No plans. Just explore. Her baby step is looking
for new places to visit close to home. Another friend had a terrifying fear of
heights. She took a ride in a WWI era open-air biplane. The second time was
much easier. Last spring, a dog bit me while I was jogging in my neighborhood
park. This Fearless Friday, I’ll be braver facing these dogs’ owners and not fear
another bite.
In
my romantic suspense called Becker
Circle, Gillian experiences Friday the thirteenth almost every day. Her
luck is rotten. It doesn’t turn in the sequel either where dark energy seems to
find her. No matter her intentions or if she does anything at all, this
overpowering bad karma follows her. She uses her determination to fight back and
turn her luck.
There
are two Friday the thirteenths in 2020, in March and November. We get a break
the following two years with only one per year in 2021 and 2022.
The
next full moon occurs on December 12 at 12:12 a.m. EST – a full 24 hours before
we all face Friday the thirteenth. This full moon is called the Cold Moon or
Long Nights Moon based on the moon’s high path across the sky that causes it to
sit above the horizon longer. This special moon provides an opportunity for us
to gather strength to face anxiety on Fearless Friday.
On Fearless Friday the thirteenth, what fear will
you stare down? You don’t have to be fearless, but I challenge you to at least
take a baby step.
About Becker Circle
My boyfriend believed I was too gutless to
leave. He was dead wrong. I graduated Harvard early and left his hot temper and
everyone else behind for Dallas. Determined to make it on my own, I land a
second job bartending at the neighborhood pub, smack in the middle of drama
central, where almost every jerk in the neighborhood hits on me.
A week into the job, the neighborhood’s very popular drug dealer falls to his death a few feet from the table I’m serving. The cops say suicide, but the hot guitar player in the house band and I suspect foul play, and we intend to prove it. Digging deeper, we’re drawn closer to each other. Then we make a shocking discovery. We know the murderer. Watch the trailer, and look for Gillian’s next experiences in the sequel, Dark Energy, in 2020.
A week into the job, the neighborhood’s very popular drug dealer falls to his death a few feet from the table I’m serving. The cops say suicide, but the hot guitar player in the house band and I suspect foul play, and we intend to prove it. Digging deeper, we’re drawn closer to each other. Then we make a shocking discovery. We know the murderer. Watch the trailer, and look for Gillian’s next experiences in the sequel, Dark Energy, in 2020.
Find
Becker Circle on Amazon US ($0.99 through December 15), Amazon UK (99p through
December 15), Smashwords, Apple Books, Kobo, and B&N
Nook. Proceeds
go to Hope’s Door New Beginning Center to help fight domestic abuse.
About Addison Brae
Addison
Brae lives on the edge of downtown Dallas, Texas. She’s been
writing since childhood and continues as an independent marketing consultant.
She’s addicted to reading and enjoys jogging, sipping red wine, traveling the
world, collecting interesting cocktail recipes, binge-watching TV series,
vintage clothing, and hanging out with her artistic other half and their
neurotic cat Lucy.
Thanks so much for letting me share my thoughts on such an interesting topic. Today's the day to grab an anxiety and face it head on. Good luck to everyone out there. I'm right there with ya!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. Thanks for a great post.
DeleteAddison, thanks for this--we all have fears we need to face down!
ReplyDeleteYeah we do, and we're worth being fearless! Have a great weekend and holiday!
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