Monday, November 24, 2014

Soulful Friendships and The Release of Medeia Sharif's The Attic of Sand and Secrets


Life certainly has a way of placing people from the past back into our present and future days.  I believe when one’s existence is close to another’s for a long period of time, the souls imprint on one another, creating kindred memories that will last a lifetime.  The souls become protectors, mentors, guides, and most importantly, the best of friends or lovers for each other.
 
Besides feeling overwhelmed from juggling two brands of writing as well as working overtime at the day job, I have also been searching for several voids to be filled in my heart.  It has been aching for the finesse of friendships I was bestowed upon and blessed by from my past.  This is all part of the “taking more time out for my life” and worrying less about the woes of social media. 



Many of my followers know about the downs of my history… the murder of my father when I was 17 years old, the nonexistent relationship I have with a biological father who discovered me when I was 14 years old and then abandoned me for the second time in my life, the loss of one of my best friends to a brain aneurism five years ago, and the battles I watched my mom suffer through as she succumbed to her alcoholism every single day for over 20 years of her life.  She might have won the war when she underwent a life-saving liver transplant due to cirrhosis but many battles are still ahead.
As sad as this all once was, there have also been many blessings wrapped and given to me in the form of friendships.  And two of them walked back into my life over the weekend. 

On Friday, I had dinner with my roommate and best friend from college who I haven’t seen in almost a decade.  At one point, we had grown so close that we learned how to communicate just by reading each other's faces.  If she was about to do something funny, come up with some crazy idea for us to venture off to or pull a prank, I could already tell she was up to no good by the expression on her face. 
 
After college, she got married and had children and we kind of just lost touch afterwards.  We had been messaging each other on Facebook, expressing how much we missed one another so  we decided to make an evening out of catching up.  Her husband and the dear got along quite well as the four of us ate delicious Thai food, reminisced about the good old days while attending Rutgers, and laughed so much, I almost peed myself.   
 
Then, on Saturday, I traveled back home where I grew up for my sister’s college graduation party.  It’s only two hours away from where I live now.  I had been in contact with one of my most beloved friends from high school for the last year now on Facebook.  Back in high school, she and my sister saved me from being the subject of some of the most dreadful instances of being bullied. 

Recently, we had been messaging each other, checking in every couple of months or so.  She lost her father last month who I was very fond of.  He was the chief of police in the town I grew up.  When she confided in me about some of her feelings, I was able to relate to her because I, too, lost two fathers… one who was killed and the other who bounced right out of my little world.


I invited her to my sister’s party and was pleasantly surprised she came, alone.  I haven’t seen her in 15 years!  And when she walked through the front door, it was like a river of fresh air had just entered the room.  As sad as her life may be right now, the connection we had back in high school had lit up our surroundings and shone throughout the house through laughter, long conversations and our love for cheese and food. 

It’s almost as if I stepped back in time this weekend.  Even though the years have gone by, the connections were still there and felt as though we had all picked up right from where we left off.  I remembered how much laughter and joy these two ladies had given to me for the duration of our timeless friendships and this feeling is something I simply can’t explain.  But it felt really good.

I have made future plans with both of these young women because we have vowed to embrace the vitality and soulfulness of our friendships.

 
Now for Medeia Sharif's book blast for her intriguing new novel, The Attic of Sand and Secrets. 
 
I have really been enjoying reading some of my fellow authors' new books and this one is officially added to my TBR list.  The book blast for The Attic of Sand and Secrets will end this week so make sure you enter!!  And if you don't win, grab your copy on Amazon and get lost in Medeia's wonderful writing!
 
THE ATTIC OF SAND AND SECRETS 
by Medeia Sharif


Vendor links will be updated on Medeia’s site.

Middle Grade Historical and Fantasy, Featherweight Press, November 2014

Lily, a learning disabled girl, attempts to unravel the mystery of her abducted mother using supernatural clues from an ancient stranger, even when it means posing a danger to herself.

Learning-disabled Lily desires to prove herself, although her mind freezes when presented with big problems - such as her mother's abduction. With a French father and Egyptian mother, Lily worries that her mother hid her ethnicity from her French in-laws. However, there's something deeper going on. Lily finds a way into an attic that's normally locked and encounters a mysterious, moonlit Egyptian night world. There she finds Khadijah, an ancient stranger who guides her to finding clues about her mother's whereabouts. Lily becomes a sleuth in both the real world and magical desert, endangering herself as she gets closer to the kidnapper.

The book takes place in 1976. Every host for this book blast is going to post one fun fact for that year. For some of you, this will bring back memories. For younger blog readers, you'll learn something new.

[insert fun fact here]


Find Medeia – Multi-published YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Have you ever lost touch with a friend and then reconnected through Facebook or any other kind of social media?  Are there people from your past you wish you could see again?  Will you be reading Medeia's new book?  I know I will be!
 


 

36 comments:

  1. Happy Thanksgiving, Gina! There are few things better than catching up with old friends.

    Congrats to Medeia!

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  2. Indeed, Cherie! Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by=)

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  3. It is a great feeling when friends can pick up where they left off even if the space is decades. Gina - you always share the silver lining in your reflective posts, leaving the reader with something to consider and/or reconsider. And best to Media.

    Have a great holiday.

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    1. Brenda, you must have read my mind. Even while I was writing this post, I was hoping my readers would be able to take something away.
      You've made my week with your comment. Thank you so much!

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  4. I was just thinking of an old friend recently. For some reason, I have a feeling that we are going to reconnect soon. So great that you were able to see some of your old friends again! I know for me, even if I haven't seen or talked to a good friend in years, we're able to pick back up right where we left off without missing a beat. I know how good you must feel. And congrats to Medeia! I saw her book on Stephanie's blog recently. Love the premise. Wishing her much success with her release.

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    1. I saw Medeia's book on Stephanie's blog too! It does sound like an amazing read and I will be adding it to my TBR for December.
      I think you should totally reconnect with your old friend. Especially if you are thinking about him/her. And they would be over the moon hearing news about Gabby=)

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  5. This makes my heart happy to hear about! Social media may be overwhelming, but sometimes it makes awesome things happen :) I'm glad that you got to reconnect and have such a good time! And I'm definitely looking forward to Medeia's book!

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    1. Meradeth, this was so sweet of you to say! I'm happy to make your heart happy=) If it wasn't for Facebook, I would never have found my friends so I am grateful for the technology we have today.
      Yay for Medeia!!

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  6. What a great post and so beautifully written! The story of you and your old best friend lights up the post as much as you both lit up that room you described. It's rather rare for people separated for so long not to have grown apart (as me and my old friends have). That's why your story is so uplifting.

    Thanks for the lovely post, and big congrats to Medeia on her new release!! :)

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    1. Awe, thank you so much, Lexa. I honestly am extremely grateful to hear such kind words from you and previous fellow authors and friends. I also hope this post will inspire you to connect with people you were once close to but lost touch because life sometimes steers us in other directions. It's never too late to catch up with an old pal or kindred soul.
      Cheers to Medeia!

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  7. It's great to reconnect with old friends. :) I love how getting back together can feel like you never lost touch.

    Yes, I read Medeia's book and really enjoyed it.

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  8. Oh, you must share details Kelly! I'm going to read her book in December:)

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  9. Gina, I'm so glad you reconnected with your good friends. I'm happy for you:)
    Medeia, your book sounds fascinating. Wishing you much success.

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    1. Thank you, Sandra=)
      Medeia's book does sound fascinating!

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  10. I forgot to give you a fun fact when I had one left over...the big hit that was Alex Haley's ROOTS. Thank you for participating.

    I would love to connect with some people I've lost touch with. There's always that magical spark of a deep friendship, memories of experiences, and compatibility.

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  11. My pleasure, Medeia! Your book sounds so interesting and I hope it brings you a ton of success.
    Connecting with my friends has really reminded me about the power of friendship. And those friendships we have when we are young truly can last forever.

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  12. So, so sweet. I have had several best friends, one of whom I was able to reconnect with via facebook, and it's been a joy to be in contact ever since. In just two weeks I get to go see my super bestie from childhood--the person who recognizes my writing voice without being told its me, the one who recognizes my jokes and knows every single one of my talents. We used to have sleepovers every other week and compete to tell the scariest story during our school lunch breaks. It's amazing how time can pass, but true friendships remain intact.

    Yay for Medeia!

    Unleashing the Dreamworld

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    1. They truly do, Crystal. I'm so happy to hear you get to reunite with your super bestie in a couple of weeks. How nice this will be! Especially around the holidays and with your wonderful pregnancy news=)
      I also have a bestie from childhood and we have always remained close. We lived next door to one another and had sleepovers all of the time. Til this day, she is the one I call right away if I have a problem or need advice for just about anything.
      Yay for Medeia!!

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  13. Reconnecting with old friends is wonderful! Earlier this year, I was at Wal-Mart when I saw a yellow truck that reminded me of my best friend's dad's truck from fifth grade. The moment I got home I searched for her on FB and found her! At first, she couldn't place me, which was disappointing but then she remembered and she told me something that I thought was amazing. In fifth grade, I gave her a book of quotes for her birthday and she told me that she read that book all the time. She actually used one of those quotes for a tattoo! I was surprised that I could impact someone like that and not even know it. :)

    I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving, Gina!

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    1. This is so sweet, Chrys. Isn't it amazing how we impact others without even realizing it? I'm happy you found your friend on Facebook. Social media can be a wonderful thing!
      Have a beautiful holiday, my sweet friend!

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  14. The feature book blast sounds interesting. I confess, I had a hard time reading the red color font. That's wonderful you've reconnected with some important, soulful women from your past, Gina! I have done the same but sadly, it didn't last. That's okay though, at least I tried and understand that some people like to move on for their own reasons. Great post. Happy Thanksgiving to you!!

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    1. Happy Thanksgiving, Lisa!!
      I have had those kind of friends as well. The ones where you try to keep in touch but receive nothing from their end. I've learned to move on and let them stay in the past. At least we will always have the good memories we made with them. I also think the universe places people in and out of our lives at certain times for certain reasons. Maybe we all are just in different places and our energies realize this before we even do.

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  15. Gina, I am so glad that you finally had a wee bit of "You Time" to enjoy the company of your dear old friends. There is no better way to spend it, than with those who can reminisce about that wonderful past, you had shared together. Although many years had went by, the friendship seemed to naturally rekindle. This is the true meaning of forever friends. Cherish them.

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    1. It's nice to have a bit of "me time." And I'm glad I made the most out of this time by finding some of my good friends who I have been missing over the years. I will always cherish the people from my present as well as from the past... as long as they shared love and laughter with me at some points in my life.
      I'm happy to see you still have some of those forever friendships still surrounding you today. It's nice to have love and support from our loved ones.

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  16. I didn't know about your heartbreaking past. I'm so sorry. You seem like such a warm, happy person. I'm so glad you were able to get back in touch with friends from your past. That's great news--friends can definitely become our family.

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    1. It's definitely been hard at times but I've managed to get through and overcome most of those battles. If it wasn't for the love and support of people surrounding me during those times, I don't know what I would have become. Friends and family really lift your spirits, especially when all you see is the dark and need a bit of light.

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  17. Gina, I just want to seriously hug you, but at the same time laugh with you guys, but not pee my pants. I'm so glad to see how strong you are!!

    Medeia!! love her and congrats!

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    1. Awe, thanks Tammy. I will gladly except a virtual hug=)
      I've only known about Medeia's work for a several months now but during this time, I have observed how awesome and talented she is. I can't wait to read The Attic of Sand and Secrets!

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  18. You have been through so much, Gina. I'm glad you haven't allowed your past to define you in a negative way. It's stories like this that tells me there is hope.

    And yay for Medeia! Glad her work is getting some love. :)

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    1. Thank you for your kindness toward my past, David. It's the past which makes us stronger and I am grateful for this.
      Yay for Medeia!

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  19. I'm thrilled for you, Gina! Deep friendships are difficult to come by and you've managed to rekindle two. :) Congratulations to Medeia on her book release. I've entered the giveaway!

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  20. Good luck, Claudine! It's a fantastic giveaway=)

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  21. I'm so glad you were able to reconnect with those old friends. It sounds like it was exactly what each of you needed - and that is beautiful. Those sorts of friendships don't end, even if they do end up on hold for a little while. What a Thanksgiving!

    Congrats, Medeia!!

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  22. Hope your Thanksgiving was the best ever.

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