Friday, December 13, 2019

#FearlessFriday and Facing your Fear of #Fridaythe13th by Addison Brae

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.

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.

Connect with Addison on her website, Tirgearr Publishing, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

5 comments:

  1. 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!

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  2. Addison, thanks for this--we all have fears we need to face down!

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  3. Yeah we do, and we're worth being fearless! Have a great weekend and holiday!

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