Author Spotlight - Chrys Fey

I'm happy to introduce Chrys Fey who is being showcased on my blog today.



Title: Hurricane Crimes

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Format: eBook

Page Count: 51 (short story)

Official Release Date: March 5th 2014

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press


Book Links:

The Wild Rose Press: http://goo.gl/8OADu0

Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00GVK921G

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GVK921G

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18757793-hurricane-crimes

Blurb:

*Hurricane Crimes is a short story.*

After her car breaks down, Beth Kennedy is forced to stay in Florida, the target of Hurricane Sabrina. She stocks up supplies, boards up windows, and hunkers down to wait out the storm, but her plan unravels when she witnesses a car accident. Risking her life, she braves the winds to save the driver. Just when she believes they are safe, she finds out the man she saved could possibly be more dangerous than the severe weather.

Donovan Goldwyn only wanted to hide from the police, but the hurricane shoved his car into a tree. Now he's trapped with a beautiful woman while the evidence that can prove his innocence to a brutal crime is out there for anyone to find.

As Hurricane Sabrina wreaks havoc, Beth has no other choice but to trust Donovan to stay alive. But will she survive, or will she become another hurricane crime?


Excerpt:
On the television set, which was fighting to stay alive, was breaking news. She caught bits and pieces of it as she emptied the bowl of blood-tainted water and threw out the cloth. It was about a high-speed chase that had occurred about a half-hour ago. Beth shook her head. Apparently, Donovan wasn’t the only idiot driving around during a hurricane.

She went back into the living room and began replacing all the medical supplies into the first-aid kit. Behind her, a reporter was explaining that the driver of the car was believed to be a murder suspect.

“The name of the—”

The lights flashed, prompting Beth to snatch up her flashlight.

“Donovan Goldwyn.”

Her fingers went cold around the plastic tube as ice frosted her veins. She straightened her spine and turned stiffly to the television, her heart wasn’t beating in her chest. On the screen was the picture of the man who was right now changing in her bedroom. Above it was a caption in bold letters that read—SUSPECT.

She gripped the flashlight in her frozen fingers. Her heart thudded fearfully. She stared into the immobilized violet eyes through the glass.

“Oh my god,” she gasped.

She had brought a murderer into her home!



Bio:

Chrys Fey’s debut, Hurricane Crimes, was published by The Wild Rose Press. Mid 2014, she will be coming out with her second romantic-suspense eBook, 30 Seconds. She created the blog Write with Fey to offer aspiring writers advice and inspiration. She lives in Florida where she is ready to battle the next hurricane that comes her way.

Author Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrysfey

Blog: www.writewithfey.blogspot.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChrysFey

Author Interview - Rain Carrington

I'm happy to welcome Rain Carrington to the blog today for this week's interview!


1. Have you always had a passion for writing?

A: Since I was very young I had a great passion for reading and later when I was a young teen it turned into the overly melancholy musings of poetry. I was about 17 when I wrote my first story and from then I was hooked.

2. Does what you read influence what you write and what are some of your favourite authors/books?

A: Everything influences my writing! What I read, watch, see in everyday life. Reading is still a big part of who I am and of course it has a tremendous influence on the way I write. I have too many favorites to list! A few are Patterson, Grisham, Rowling for my vanilla reading and for something spicy give me Logan, Davitt or Cullinan even though the last book I read, Power Exchange by AJ Rose blew me away I loved it so much.

3. What are your biggest inspirations?

A: My family and friends. They inspire me daily to reach for my dreams.

4. Do you have a technique in how you choose characters and/or locational settings?

A: Hmm technique? Well I see a picture of a beautiful man and right away scenes run through my head. Oh! The scenes that play there! Haha Sometimes someone on TV will do it for me. Location is easy. I’ve been all over the US and lived in a few places so I write where I know. I am based in Colorado so there and the surrounding states always get my attention. California and Oregon if I need a coastline as well as Florida.

5. Do you listen to music while you are creating your masterpieces?

A: Sometimes, yes. I’ll throw it on in the background. Most of the time the TV is on. Believe it or not I just wrote a really steamy m/m scene while watching the Waltons! If anyone were to analyze the names of my characters they would be able to tell exactly all of the shows I watch while starting a new story or creating a new character!

6. What do you do to stay motivated and avoid writer’s block?

A: I get up and do my housework, cook a huge dinner. I get my best ideas in the bathroom. It never fails to push me past a block when I am scrubbing the tub!

7. How has becoming a published author (independent or traditional) changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be? (If you are not published yet – what changes do you foresee?)

A: Well people get to a certain age and the dreams they always had seem farther and farther away if they haven’t come to fruition yet. It took me a long time so when I saw my work online for sale I finally felt like a real author. Not that it takes selling a book to be a real author, but that is how it felt for me. It made it real, that people were paying to read what I wrote. It made my dream feel within reach! As for what I expected ? Haha well, I had this picture in my head of my sitting behind a desk writing away for hours as all of my books just sold themselves. I could make my own hours and crank out great stories that would fly off the shelves so to speak. I quickly got a smack down about that! Now of the 14 or so hours I’m in front of my computer half of that at least is spent pushing my book and promoting. Looking for new places to promote. I wouldn’t trade it for the world though!

8. What are your biggest challenges as an author?

A: Finding the quiet I need in a full and busy house and running out of wine at the end of a long day!

9. Do you have any pets?

A: Yes! Two dogs, Anakin and Loki, and two cats, Daisy and Sunny.

10. What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?
A: I cook! I love to cook and I am good!

11. Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?

A: I’ve been all over American except the northeast. I find excitement no matter where I go but where I have had the most fun was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and San Francisco to see Candlestick Park before they tore it down. I’m a HUGE 49er fan!

12. Tell us about your latest work in progress or most recent published work…

I’m in the middle of the second book in my Apishipa Creek Chronicles Series, Penny’s Lane. The first, Rebel Yells is out on Amazon now. They both take place in a small town in Colorado called Apishipa Creek where love is blooming for unlikely couples. The first is a rebellious biker and a sheriff, this one is a rich man and a shy, unsure Native American man. The third and final book in the Honky Tonk series is coming out May 26th also.

http://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Yells-Apishipa-Creek-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00IBL4V9G/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1396837186&sr=1-2

Author Interview Pelaam

Please welcome Pelaam to my blog today for this week's author interview!


1. Have you always had a passion for writing?

Yes. I can remember writing fantasy stories before I was seven years old. I could be happily left to my own devices for hours on end with pencil and paper. Even then I was writing fantasy stories.

2. Does what you read influence what you write and what are some of your favourite authors/books?

Sometimes I may get inspiration from something I read, but my inspiration can be a sentence, or a picture, or a song. I love Watchers, Shadowfires, and Strangers by Dean Koontz. Midworld, Nor Crystal Tears, and Cachalot by Alan Dean Foster. I grew up with Tolkien and Conan Doyle, and a more obscure writer Jeffery Farnol


3. What are your biggest inspirations?
Obscure folk and fairy tales, pictures and suggestions from friends and readers, and song lyrics. Even if the lyrics aren’t obvious. One of my books was inspired by a single line in an obscure folk tale, another by a single image. I have a couple in progress inspired by song lyrics.


4. Do you have a technique in how you choose characters and/or locational settings?

I tend to ‘picture’ a couple, then decide their personalities and quite often will reflect that in the name I give them. I have set some in New Zealand. Sometimes once that’s all mapped out, a particular place will stand out.


5. Do you listen to music while you are creating your masterpieces?

Unlike many of my friends, I find music too distracting. I have a collection of DVDs that I’ve watch many, many times. These include my favourite cartoon character Scooby Doo, Columbo, the old b&w Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple films. These can play and when I look up, I know exactly where I am in the movie.


6. What do you do to stay motivated and avoid writer’s block?

I work on several WIPs at a time. If things slow for one, I switch to another. That way I’m not fretting over progress. That’s also the time I’ll read to relax.

7. How has becoming a published author (independent or traditional) changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be? (If you are not published yet – what changes do you foresee?)

I love being published. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and would repeatedly fill journals with stories that never saw the light of day by anyone but me. I enjoy interacting with readers and fellow writers, and discovering that we share so many traits.
8. What are your biggest challenges as an author?

Trying to keep my writing fresh, and come up with new ideas.

9. Do you have any pets?

Not at the moment, but I’m a huge doggy fan. As and when we get our own home – we currently rent – I’d love to have dogs around the house again.

10. What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?

I’m a foodie and a wine buff. I love cooking, reading cook books, and trying new foods. I belong to a wine club, and enjoy wine tastings, although my palate is more food orientated. My favourite wine is Chablis, and my ultimate comfort food is mac ‘n’ cheese.

11. Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?

The most memorable place was Athens. As a child I loved reading about mythology and especially the Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and creatures. It was amazing to visit places like the Acropolis.

12. Tell us about your latest work in progress or most recent published work…

My most recent work (release date 11 April) is with Breathless Press http://www.breathlesspress.com/ and is titled “Breath of the Feathered Serpent.”  You can buy it here!

It’s m/m, cowboy, steampunk, with a special little twist.

My main character Adam is a Federal Marshal sent undercover with his partner to find and return an ancient emblem of power, the Breath of the Feathered Serpent, to an Aztec prince and prevent war.

During the investigation, he meets Elijah, an incredibly attractive young rancher, who is also a suspect.

Adam has to deal with his own doubts and insecurities as well as face a ruthless and deadly human adversary, and an emblem with power of its own.

You can find Pelaam on Facebook and Goodreads!

Author Interview - Therone Shellman

I have Therone Shellman on my blog today!


1. Have you always had a passion for writing?

Ans. I developed my passion for writing somewhere around 15-16 years old. Before this my thing was drawing.

2. Does what you read influence what you write and what are some of your favourite authors/books?

Ans. Yes, of course what I read has influenced my writing greatly. I’ve always been into informational works and literary fiction. That is fiction which extends itself beyond just entertainment. In regards to fiction I haven’t read much lately, but Walter Mosley would be at the top of the list, then John Grisham after.

3. What are your biggest inspirations?

Ans. My greatest inspiration would be the Creator or Universe. Through my own life I’ve learned that living life itself is the best teacher, and you really need to look, listen and observe. In other words it’s best to pay attention.


4. Do you have a technique in how you choose characters and/or locational settings?

Ans. Well, I was born in Brooklyn, NY but raised out in Long Island (Suffolk County, NY). Since this is so I tend to choose settings in Long Island. But I’ve travelled to over twenty states so my future novels will have various locations/settings. The characters I choose have everything to do with the topic of the story and at this point I just strive to get into the mind state of them and their circumstance.

5. Do you listen to music while you are creating your masterpieces?

 Ans. No, I’m a silent thinker, I like quietness.


6. What do you do to stay motivated and avoid writer’s block?

Ans. I write and read, and do it quite often, and therefore I’ve learned to avoid writers block.


7. How has becoming a published author (independent or traditional) changed your perspective on life and is it everything you expected it to be? (If you are not published yet – what changes do you foresee?)

Ans. Writing and being a published author has changed my thinking drastically. Before being published I had never been out of New York State. After I released my first novel Love Don’t Live Here (revised edition) in 2005, six months later I went on an east coast tour book signing tour. In the process I met so many people from different walks of life, and I was able to see the so many various culture and environments which exist right here in the U.S. It was impossible to not be changed by it.

On the other hand, the business of writing is what you make of it, and it is every bit a business. It can be vile or it can be wonderful. I think I’ve felt a bit of both throughout my career. Right now I’m looking forward to the time ahead because, I’m in a very good mind state right now.

8. What are your biggest challenges as an author?

Ans. My biggest challenge and obstacle is myself, not others, not the industry. I need to work harder and smarter this is all.


9. Do you have any pets?

Ans. Nope, no pets. I’m out and about often. I like animals, but I don’t like them enough to live in a home with them. Well, maybe a cat, but definitely the dog(s) must be outside.


10. What hobbies do you have outside of reading and writing?

Ans. I have just started going back to the gym. I plan to very soon either take a kickboxing class or some form of martial arts. This summer I’m going to start visiting many of the history and arts museums because, I do like art. Right now I’ve completed my first screenplay titled One Good Man which is an adapt of a novel I’m releasing this year, and I’m working on the adaption of No Love Lost which is my sophomore award winning novel which released in 2007.


11. Where is the most exciting/memorable place you have been in the world?

Ans. I would say NYC is the most exciting place I’ve been this far and I’ve seen so much of it, yet there is so much more I need to see even though I’m a fellow New Yorker. It’s an amazing place which most New Yorkers will never get to know in-depth.


12. Tell us about your latest work in progress or most recent published work…

Ans. I have so many projects which are on deck right now. All My Tears: Poetry & Thoughts, One Good Man, and Thicker Than Water are all novels which I will be releasing this year. I’ve written the screenplay for One Good Man and am shopping it right now, I’m currently writing the screenplay for No Love Lost which is my sophomore novel. After I will write the screenplay of Survivor I Changed the Rules Part 1, which is my autobiography.

My most recent published work is Third Eye Awakening which is a spiritual/self help work. The book encompasses over twenty years of my observations and studies, it’s very practical and useful for anyone seeking to understand themselves and think more effectively. I have started a facebook page titled Third Eye Nation which I will begin promoting shortly. The page will be the beginnings of an organization I have been thinking about in many years.


My amazon author page is www.amazon.com/author/theroneshellman Here is where you can read chapter excerpts and purchase titles.

Thanks Johanna for the opportunity.