It all began on the Messiah Lutheran Day Care Center playground one hot,
summer
afternoon during lunch. As a five year-old, my only thought was getting
through the
hour so we could go swimming! Of course they were just the wading kiddie
pools, but
back then you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t treading water like a future Olympic
gold
medalist! So there I am, scarfing down a bologna and cheese sandwich, and I
notice a
daddy-long-legs crawling on my thigh. I slapped it off. But then there was
another one
crawling beside my other leg. I swatted it away. And then there was another
inching
toward my brown paper bag. So I moved the bag. That’s when I saw they were
freaking
everywhere! Like a Syfy B-movie invasion. But the last straw was when I
picked up my
Doritos bag and a daddy-long-legs crawled out. I think in that moment,
something in my
psyche snapped, and I lost it. A fear mechanism was flipped, and my mind
blared one
red, neon message: SPIDERS ARE EVIL, EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS THAT WILL KILL
YOU!!
Thus began my fear of spiders.
For me, my fear is to the extreme. Like flat-out phobia. My twin sister—who,
coincidentally is just as terrified of them—and I stapled the spider section
of the
Encyclopedia Britannica together so we wouldn’t flip to it by mistake. Of
course, we
didn’t remember that there was the Black Widow section. Or the Brown Recluse
section…
but we were ten. In college, my professor tried to conduct an experiment
where she
would de-sensitize me to them. I didn’t make it past the watercolor of the
thing. There
have been times when I spotted one my porch, and I sat in my driveway in the
Alabama
summer heat waiting for my husband to come home so he could kill the freak
of nature! I
am a Lord of the Rings fanatic. But I still haven’t seen those parts
in
Return of the King and The Desolation of Smaug. Yep, that bad.
I can’t
look at pictures, television, and forget about killing one. That’s what I
have the
hubby for. And the verbiage is included in our wedding vows. I’ve told him
more than
once, peep the small print, buddy! I am a little better. As an adult, I
don’t bust into
crying jags or almost cause car accidents…ooh. Except for that one time… But
still,
spiders are a very real fear for me that others may find silly or
ridiculous. Because,
as my father says, you’re bigger than they are. And my response? But they’re
ugly.
We all have something that terrifies us. Whether it’s snakes, rats, clowns,
olives—I
swear, I saw a show where a woman went absolutely ballistic when she came
into contact
with a jar of green olives! In that moment, I didn’t feel too bad about my
phobia… In
WITNESS TO PASSION,
my new
romantic suspense from Entangled Publishing’s Ignite line, my hero,
Shane
Roarke, has a fear of—you guessed it—spiders. Wonder where I came up with
that idea…
His fear stems from his time in Afghanistan where he came into contact with
these
abominations called camel spiders. Writing the scene where he encounters a
spider was
fun for me. It also allowed me to channel how I feel into this Alpha,
strong, broody,
sexy man, and show this vulnerability. One many of us can relate to.
Giveaway
So what is your fear? What gets your heart pumping, adrenaline rushing, and
you
screaming? Dish, and I’m going to put up a $10 Amazon gift card for one
lucky
commenter! But the first person to point out that a daddy-long-legs isn’t a
spider gets
an eye-jammy! My husband tries that argument like it’s going to make one bit
of
difference…
Naima's love of romance was first stirred by Johanna Lindsey and Linda
Howard many
years ago. Though her first attempt at writing a romance novel at 11 never
saw the
light of day, her love of romance and writing has endured. Now, she spends
her time
creating stories of unique men and women who experience the dizzying heights
of passion
and the tender heat of love. She is the wife to Superman - or his non-
Kryptonian, less
bullet proof equivalent - and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all
live in
perfect, domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.
For Fallon Wayland, birthdays are just another reminder of her looming
spinsterhood.
This year is shaping up to be no different. Unfairly fired from her job,
dumped by her
boyfriend, and oh yes, witnessing the murder of a high-ranking lieutenant in
the local
crime family… Yeah, birthdays suck.
Ever since a disastrous, hot-as-hell kiss years ago, soldier-turned-security
specialist
Shane Roarke has avoided his baby sister’s reckless—and gorgeous—best
friend. Yet when
her life is threatened after she witnesses a gang hit, he insists on
protecting her…
even if she objects.
The two are forced to hole up in a safe house. Alone. Passion long denied
erupts
between them, burning away their inhibitions. But even as layers—and clothes
—are peeled
away, danger closes in. Shane and Fallon might finally have a chance at
love…if they
survive long enough to see it.
What scares me to death is the one second I don't know where my child is. She could be in the bathroom, but if I don't know she is my heart races and I become frantic. I was with my grandmother one day in Walmart and my daughter was 4. I turned my back to look at shoes and when I turned around my grandmother told me she didn't know where my daughter went. Scariest time of my life. The store actually had to call a Code Adam. If you don't know what that is its a special command over the intercom that immediatley lets employees know that a child is missing. After shutting all the doors and all employees began to walk the aisles i was running around like crazy. A woman found her after about 7 minutes. I have never been so scared in my life! She is eight now, but i still have mommy panick attacks if I even think she is missing for a second. (Candace Senese 10:42am June 15, 2015)
I have a fear of heights. I fell off of a hillside as a kid (the flying was fun the landing not so much so now I get awful vertigo where heights are concerned. Still love to fly though (go figure) my husband humors me by doing things like going to the top of the GW monument and taking a picture so I won't have to do it and won't miss out. (Donna Antonio 10:57am June 15, 2015)
Candace, I TOTALLY feel you on that! Isn't that the scariest feeling in the world? I've had that happen to me with my son, and even now, when my daughter goes into the bathroom at WalMart, I stand at the door and make her talk to me. LOL!! Weird, I know, but I'm willing to put up with being labeled the Weird Mommy if she's safe and accounted for. Of course, she's like, Mooooommmmmyyyy!! Buck up, girl!! :-)
Thanks so much for stopping by, Candace!! *fist bump* (Naima Simone 11:07am June 15, 2015)
Hi, Donna! *waving* LOL!! It's all fun 'n games until the landing, right? When we visited Chicago a couple of years ago, it was too windy to go up to the top of the Sears tower. I was all like, "Aaaaw, daaaang-uh" but inside I was doing the Electric Slide! LOL!! No thanks! Your husband rocks! Hahahahah!! That's a cool compromise I wouldn't have thought of!
Thank you SO much for coming through, Donna! (Naima Simone 11:09am June 15, 2015)
Snakes! Enough said..... Can't even think about them without wanting to stand on my chair, desk, highest possible point I can safety get to, without my fear of heights kicking in.... (Cypress Tucker 11:13am June 15, 2015)
Hugs to you Candace and Donna. I would be paranoid for life too.
I keep thinking Spiders are so cute Naima....so cute. LOL. My fear is filthy, disgusting snakes. My husband has predicted our future son or daughter will need a snake for a pet. (Stacy Reid 11:21am June 15, 2015)
LMAO!! Double whammy! Cypress, my parents are BOTH scared of snakes. Not like my phobia with spiders, but they hate them! My father once saw a snake slide under his back porch, and he didn't use the back door or go into the backyard for daaaaays!! LOL!! I'm not gonna lie, though...I saw Snakes on a Plane, and *shudder* I almost had a fear of snakes after seeing that movie! So, yeah, I get it!
Thank yooouuu for coming by and dishing with me, Cypress!! (Naima Simone 11:22am June 15, 2015)
Stacy, nooooooooooooooo!!! They're freaks, I tell ya! Freaks!! I-I-I can'tttttt-uuuh. See? You have me stuttering right now! LMAO!! I can definitely get the fear of snakes but they don't trip me out like the freaks-that-shall-not-be-named. But, uh, if my kid rolled up in my housee with a spider for a pet....both the spider AND the kid would be out on the front porch. Just sayin'...
Thanks for stopping by, Stacy!! (Naima Simone 11:24am June 15, 2015)
I'm with you on the hate of spiders, Naima! Maybe not as extreme, but I still need the hubby to come kill them for me. LOL One other creature that I despise even worse is the Palmetto Bug. Or as we like to call them around here, the Water Bug. Gah! They freak me out! Roaches should NOT grow that big or have WINGS! One landed in my hair once, and after it was over, I broke down and cried as if I'd just survived an armed hostage situation. Yes, they're that awful! We all have our issues. lol (Jessica Lee 11:45am June 15, 2015)
LMAO!! Jessica, we have water bugs, too. Now, I'm originally from NJ where we have regular roaches, not primordial, ancient scarabs masquerading as roaches! They. Freaking. Fly!! That's just wrong. I remember the first time I saw one after moving south. I was like WTF???!!!!! And they don't die easily. It's like you have to throw a brick at it to kill it! LOL!! I think I need another cup of coffee...Irish coffee...Snicker!
Thank you so much for coming through, Jessica!! (Naima Simone 12:05pm June 15, 2015)
Spiders for me, they don't have to be big and they are so disturbingly fast. Makes my skin crawl just thinking about them. (G. Bisbjerg 12:20pm June 15, 2015)
Aaaay-men, G.! For me, the size doesn't matter at all. Like, at. All. A couple of weeks ago there was one in the bedroom, and my husband came in to kill it, and that little--not so little actually!--jumped! Juuuuumped! Nope. Nada. Nyet. It was FAST!! If he hadn't got it, I was going to have a sleepover in the car! LOL!! Imagine that show for the neighbors!
Thanks for stopping by, G.!! *waving* (Naima Simone 12:36pm June 15, 2015)
My fear is not of heights, but of falling... I love rollercoasters, but can not stand ferris wheels.. ladders and I do not see eye to eye... I cling like a monkey just trying to get up and down a few steps... I am sure I make a funny sight... (Colleen Conklin 1:44pm June 15, 2015)
Hey girl!!! Spiders aren't only ugly...they are small and have lots of hairy legs and move really fast...they'll scramble up a pant leg and kill you before you can say 'EEEEEEEEEK'! Hate them! Oh...and heights....when I look down I get this insatiable compulsion to jump. Go figure...so I need to get my hands on Witness fast! I need the stress relief!! (Josie Matthews 1:47pm June 15, 2015)
Spiders including Daddy long legs and closed in spaces (Eva Millien 2:04pm June 15, 2015)
Oooh, Colleen, I feel ya on that! I refuse to climb ladders! I always have this fear of falling backwards-- doesn't help that I'm clumsy as all get out! Even when my hubby climbs them to clean the gutters, I have to go in the house because I get on his nerves with the noises and comments I make. LOLOL!!
Thank yoooou for stopping by and sharing, Colleen! :-D (Naima Simone 2:08pm June 15, 2015)
Okay, Josie, I had to take a moment to purge my mind of the mental images you dumped there!! *shudder* LOLOL!! I see you understand PERFECTLY why I hate the abominations. Like, there are certain countries I refuse to visit because of the spiders there. Australia? Love ya! But I'll watch pictures of you on the television and in books. Nope. Discovery channel's Top 10 spoiled it for me forever! Josie, make sure you read Witness to Passion in a height-free zone! LOLOL!!
Thank you for coming byyyyyy!! (Naima Simone 2:11pm June 15, 2015)
Hey, Eva!! My husband receives the most vicious stink-eyes when he tries to LOGICALLY explain to me that Daddy Long Legs aren't spiders...Just kill it and save the science lesson for later, sir! LMAO! Aaaargh! Now, the hubby detests closed in spaces. So imagine if we were in a tight squeeze and a spider wheedled down between us. Talk about two cats in a bag shadow-boxing! LOLOL!!
Thank you SOOO much for coming through, Eva!! (Naima Simone 2:18pm June 15, 2015)
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