Thought for the day: Dear Winter, I'm breaking up with you. I think it's time I started seeing other seasons. (Besides, Summer is much hotter than you are.)
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| [image courtesy of seniorark] |
Brrrrrrrrrr! Most of the U.S. has been in a super deep freeze recently, but at least here in the Atlanta area, the temperature took a much-appreciated leap into the sixties this week. I don't know how long it'll last, but we're sure enjoying it while it's here.
♪ ♫ Oh the weather outside can bite me. My muscles ache, despite me. I don't have a happy glow. Winter blows, winter blows, winter blows...♪♫
How cold was it, you ask?
So cold, politicians kept their hands in their OWN pockets... (Now THAT'S cold!)
Okay, let's forget about snow and ice, shall we?. Today's guest post is from the lovely Chrys Fey, whose latest installment of her Disaster Crimes series has just been released... and it's about... fire.
In conjunction with her new release, Chrys is sharing a ten-part account of her memories of the real-life fire that inspired some of the scenes in her new book. I'm pleased to share part five of her story today. Enjoy!
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Take it away, Chrys!
♪ ♫ Oh the weather outside can bite me. My muscles ache, despite me. I don't have a happy glow. Winter blows, winter blows, winter blows...♪♫
How cold was it, you ask?
So cold, politicians kept their hands in their OWN pockets... (Now THAT'S cold!)
Okay, let's forget about snow and ice, shall we?. Today's guest post is from the lovely Chrys Fey, whose latest installment of her Disaster Crimes series has just been released... and it's about... fire.
In conjunction with her new release, Chrys is sharing a ten-part account of her memories of the real-life fire that inspired some of the scenes in her new book. I'm pleased to share part five of her story today. Enjoy!
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Take it away, Chrys!
* * *
AUTHOR NOTE: Many scenes in Flaming Crimes (Disaster Crimes #4) came from real life. For this short blog tour, I am sharing my memories as a ten-part continuous story, so hop along for the entire experience.
Series: Disaster Crimes #4
Page Count: 304
Digital Price: 4.99
Print Price: 16.99
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
BUY LINKS:
FLAMING
GUEST POST PART FIVE:
One of my family members did make it
in the newspaper. My oldest sister. In the picture, she was clutching one of
our pregnant cats (Monkey…yes, really). My sister did not make it to our car with
the cat. Seconds after that picture was snapped, Monkey fought her and got
away. She ran toward the fire….
The reporter who took that picture
ended up getting my sister’s full name and put it and our address in the
newspaper as the photo’s caption. Because the reporter did that, my sister got
a letter in the mail from a prison inmate. I never found out what the letter
said, but my parents reported it.
I remember when, two days later, a
florist delivery came to the door. My sister freaked out as my mom signed for
the delivery. She thought it was from the inmate. Actually, she thought the
delivery person was the inmate. As it turned out, the flowers were for me from
my parents, because my birthday was in a couple of days.
TO BE
CONTINUED…
FLAMING
CRIMES EXCERPT:
“Excuse
me?”
Beth
turned to see a man with a note pad and pen. He had a camera around his neck.
“Is that your home?”
“Yes, it
is.”
“Can I
ask you a few questions?”
“Sure,
but don’t use my full name or put my address in your paper.” She had heard
about a young woman, a victim to these fires, whose address had been put in the
newspaper along with her picture, and because of that, a prison inmate had
written her a letter. Beth didn’t want the same thing happening to her,
especially since there were a few inmates who would very much like her address,
if they didn’t already have it.
The
story will continue on these blogs:
About the Author: Chrys Fey is the
author of the Disaster Crimes Series,
a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with
the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s
also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.
Author Links:
Thank you for reading this post! Don’t forget to hop along to the
other posts on their designated days for the full fiery story.
SHARE: Your fire story with me.
Aaaargh.
ReplyDeleteFire is terrifying. Well it scares me witless anyway. I have loved the excerpts of Chrys's work that I have read and hope it goes gangbusters.
And here in Oz, I am longing for the sweaty season to leave the building.
Fire scared me witless, too. I’m glad your enjoying my excerpts!
DeleteA pleasant little fire in the fireplace is mesmerizing, but a fire out of control is beyond terrifying. Not something I ever care to experience first-hand. (I'll settle for reading Chrys' book.)
DeleteI am always scared of fire, but I am sure Chrys' new book will be enthralling as the others were, too. Thanks for sharing, hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely comment, Valerie!
DeleteI'm sure the book is enthralling, too. (It's on my Kindle, impatiently waiting its turn...) Much less scary to read about fire than to experience it. Hugs back atcha.
DeleteOh, ack, I can't imagine how unsettling it must be to receive a letter from an inmate like that. What a scary thing for your sister to experience, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteLuckily, she didn’t read it, but she knew about it.
DeleteI can tell you firsthand how weird it is to receive a letter from an inmate. A fella in San Quentin sent me a very provocative letter after he found my address in a national amateur radio magazine. (Creepy!)
DeleteThe timing is perfect. In the clutches of this unusually frigid winter, we all need a good read to warm our souls. Fire - of course - can be a terrifying and devastating experience. But Chrys' book sounds like an appropriate thaw for the cold.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love books that are inspired by real-life experiences.
Snow is predicted later today here in the wilds of TN.
There are many fiery scenes in this story to thaw you out. Plus a couple of steamy romance scenes, too. lol
DeleteUGH! Sorry to hear there's more snow in your forecast. (I know how much you LOVE it...) It's just dreary and rainy here. Too warm for snow... but that's subject to change this weekend.
DeleteGreetings. It's been sunny but cold still here in the UK. Sorry for any suffering the weather in the US is causing. Burning in a fire must one of the worst ways to pass! Sounds like a good read. Good luck to Chrys. Blessings to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to be burned by a fire. I get chills just thinking about it.
DeleteGreetings, Andrew. We shouldn't complain too much about the miseries of winter, because they enable us to appreciate spring all that much more. :)
DeleteSaw your post, friend Sue and set it on the back burner as have to watch my front burner with ma chicken noodle soup ... Baby, it's cold outside ... and I hate myself right now cuz all ma curls are gone that developed in the tropics ... in other words: I don't want to be here as I want to be there ... o well guess have to wait til March/ April/ maybe May ... anyway ... Happy Winter, eh? Love always, cat.
ReplyDeletehttp://ckpeacemake.wordpress.com/
... let me correct ma frozen fingers on this frozen key board ... http://ckpeacemaker.wordpress.com/
DeleteYes, happy winter! Take heart. It won't last forever... (It just FEELS like it!)
Delete:)
DeleteThe books sound interesting, I hope they do well. I think fire, along with flood, is the worst possible way to lose your home.
ReplyDeleteThank you, River! A fire certainly doesn’t leave anything behind.
DeleteFires and floods are awful, but I can't think of any GOOD way to lose a home. Mudslides? Earthquakes? Foreclosure? But yeah, I think we all have a visceral fear of fire. And drowning. I had awful nightmares about tidal waves as a young girl, when I didn't even know they were a real thing.
Deletehaha winter blows indeed. Politicians must have had to go spend tax payer money on heaters so they could warm their hands.
ReplyDeleteA fire and a prison inmate, neither sure are things one wants near them.
Nope. And you wouldn’t think that fire and prison inmates go together either. But there’s both in Flaming Crimes, too.
DeleteYep. Winters blows even more up in your neck of the wood. :) It only toys with us down here; up there, it holds you hostage.
DeleteSusan - This is too funny --> "So cold, politicians kept their hands in their OWN pockets... (Now THAT'S cold!)"
ReplyDeleteChrys - Poor Monkey :-( How creepy that your sister got a letter from an inmate.
After something like this, you definitely don’t think you’ll get a letter from an inmate.
DeleteIt'd be funnier if it weren't so darned true!
DeleteYour winter blows is funny especially since we are supposed to be getting freezing rain today. Chrys, this is scary that an inmate tried to contact your sis. I a, also very concerned for Monkey and hope she is ok.
ReplyDeleteI’ll share how monkey fairs next week. Stay tuned. ;)
DeleteWell, I hope winter doesn't blow TOO much for you today. We're getting plenty of rain, too, but it's all liquid. :)
DeleteReally sad about the cat. How terrible the reporter put your address and sister's name in the paper. That was a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteVery bad judgment, indeed.
DeleteReporters don't always use the best judgement when they're chasing a story. When I was a young girl, there was a nasty scandal involving the woman next door, who was shot by her extramarital boyfriend. Lurid front page news. Worst part about it was all of the children were pictured along with that story.
DeleteLoving your cardinal picture and your winter poem. One of the few bright parts of winter is seeing the beautiful red birds in the snow.
ReplyDeleteFires have been a big part of the news lately, both locally and nationally. It is so frightening as it is something It that could happen to anyone even though we think it won’t happen to us. Chrys’ book sounds intriguing and I hope it is a barnburner
Thank you!
DeleteIt is awful to see on the news what has been going on. Because of my experiences, I always feel for the people impacted by fire.
I love seeing cardinals any time of year, but especially in the winter. They're like happy little spots of color.
DeleteYou're right. There have been way too many fires lately. Now that they're finally out in California, they're getting tons of rain and mudslides. Scary stuff.
HA! Barnburner. I like that. :)
I've seen a lot of those ...How cold was it's lately. The cold seems to be on everyones tongues lately, except maybe those in California who took a turn from fires to floods and mudslides. Take care and keep safe and warm!
ReplyDeleteWhat’s going on in California is heartbreaking.
DeleteI get a kick out of the "how cold is it" stuff. Reminds me of the old Johnny Carson show.
DeleteYou take care, too! (I'm sure your sunny disposition will keep you warm.)
Thank you so much for having me on your blog for day 5 of my tour, Susan!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, Chrys!
DeleteThank you so much for having me on your blog for day 5 of my tour, Susan!
ReplyDeleteUm, yep... STILL very welcome! :)
DeletePoor kitty! I hope she somehow got out of the fire to safety.
ReplyDeleteI'll share more about Monkey later. :)
DeleteIt was actually warm enough yesterday that I started sweating at the park. :)
ReplyDeleteLoving the tour, Chrys. Awesome stuff.
This weather has been bizarre, hasn't it?
DeleteThank you, Crystal!
DeleteCreepy about the letter. I wonder what it said.
ReplyDeletePoor kitty! She was scared and didn't know better.
Yeah, it is creepy about the letter, but what's even creepier is the number of women who establish "love relationships" with inmates based on letters they've received.
DeleteI've always wondered what it said, too. It was alarming enough for my parents to report it. I've asked my mom, and she said that the inmate wanted to meet my sister. Creepy, indeed.
DeleteThis hits to close to home for me... Our home was destroyed in the Laguna Beach Fire ... 25 years ago. Because of my stupid x we lost our cat in the fire. We never found out what happened to him. My Son was devastated and we all never forgave the x. We lost everything but the cat was the worse.
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip and mandibles
I'm sorry. As much as I always enjoy hearing from you, I was almost hoping you wouldn't stop by to see this post, because I knew it would hit too close to home for you. Especially with the detail about the cat. I'm so sorry.
DeleteNo, don't be sorry It is a part of life and we need to live. What we live becomes a part of us and part of the universe. Losing the cat was the worst part. I know that he was living somewhere wonderful.
DeleteThanks. Still, I hate to poke at someone's open sores...
DeleteI am so very sorry to hear about your home and your cat. I haven't shard it yet in a post...but it's coming...I did lose a cat because of this fire. Her name was Angel.
DeleteAnd I don't mean for my posts or book to poke at anyone's open sores. I know what the pain is like. This fire has haunted me, and I am always heartbroken to hear about devastating fires.
Cats are usually good at self preservation, hope Monkey knew what she was doing. Fire is our only home heat source, unless you count boiling the kettle, or split food burning on the hob. We would like to never experience a home fire!
ReplyDeleteI hope you never experience a home fire beyond what you need for warmth and cooking, too.
DeleteI've nearly finished reading your book about Anya. You're rather the brilliant writer, aren't ya? :)
Home fires are scary. A couple of years after this wildfire, there was an electrical file in my house.
DeleteThat should say "fire" not "file."
DeleteOk Chrys. I know you know the rule - Don't Kill the Cat. Very creepy about the letter from the inmate - there's a story prompt. Fires are not to be toyed with. My hubby is a retired firefighter - I well remember him coming home from duty, and the smell of the smoke, sweat, and sometimes death, stayed in his hair and skin for days. Looking forward to the next installment. Susan - I love the musical parody! It makes happy my irreverent heart!
ReplyDeleteYes, don't kill the cat... or the puppy.
DeleteThanks, Lee. I'm glad you liked the silly song. :)
When you read Flaming Crimes, Lee, you'll find many similarities from these posts in my book. A cat even makes it into the story. ;)
DeleteWhat a serious breach of information. That reporter needs a new job!!
ReplyDeleteIt's freezing here too. We got several inches of snow in the last few days. The cold is all right when there is pretty snow. Without it, the temperature should never drop below 50.
You're right. Some reporters shouldn't BE reporters. It helps if they have some sort of empathy about the people in the stories they report.
DeleteNippy here... but no snow.
I don't know if my parents reported it to the newspaper or not, but that reporter should've been fired or seriously reprimanded.
DeleteThe weather sure looks cold where you are ... we've had cool grey days in my part of the UK ... but roll on Spring!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds like a good read, I do hope it does well.
Enjoy the coming new week ahead.
All the best Jan
Our area is pretty nippy, but some parts of the country are downright c-o-l-d.
DeleteYou have a super week, too.
Thank you, Jan!
DeleteGreat excerpt! ... How great when only a snippet leaves one wanting more. Coincidentally, just before Christmas, a dear friend's former DIL lost her home when an (unidentified) explosion rocked the downstairs. She had only time to wake her mother and they crawled out the window ... their screams finally alerting someone who rescued them moments before the roof collapsed.
ReplyDeleteI can't get enough of your wonderful header photo. How my mother adored Cardinals (and me, icy weather).
Wow! That was a little too close for comfort for your friend's former DIL. I'm glad no one was hurt.
DeleteI love cardinals, too. Icy weather? Um,not so much.
Oh my goodness! That is scary. I am sorry for your friend's loss.
DeleteYou know it's cold when Old Man Winter nips at your heels. Same here in TX - wind chill gusts...brrrr.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Chrys on another compelling book. Glad she's giving out sneak peak snippets. Fun!
Have a super "warm" week.
Yeah, I think we've both seen colder weather than usual. (Hopefully, it won't last long, though.)
DeleteYou have a super warm week, too, kiddo!
And the snippets of the book I share go with my real-life experience. :)
DeleteThanks, Joanne!
So - It turns out that the UK is not the only place that has some unethical journalists. Who'da thunk it?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, is that a red cardinal in your header photo? We don't see them over here. It must be the most aptly-named bird of them all!
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s morally doubtful Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
There must be journalists who make stupid errors of judgment like this everywhere, huh?
DeleteUnfortunately, journalists like that are still plying their trade, but I like to think the majority of them are decent and genuinely seeking the truth.
DeleteYes, that's a cardinal. Gorgeous little fella, isn't he?
Glad to see Chrys' writing being promoted!
ReplyDeleteMe, too!
DeleteHi Susan and Chrys ... it must be terrifying to find one's house going up in smoke - and some journalists looking around, let alone the sub plot with the inmate ...
ReplyDeleteLove the cardinal ... I've been seeing (even in the snow) the Anna's Hummingbirds feeding around - they seem to survive ... animals are incredible - cheers Hilary
Hi-ya, Hilary. Losing a home in any manner would be awful, but fire adds a deep gut feeling of terror, too. God bless firefighters!
DeleteCheers back atcha!
Ugh on the cold weather - it looks like Florida is participating in this thing called "winter" this year.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a fire story, except that I learned how to cook on a wood-burning stove and I was very good at getting that fire started.
Yeah, I know! Ridiculous for you guys to be hit with cold weather. I'm not all that pleased with winter visiting us, either.
DeleteThat's interesting about the wood-burning stove. One of my grandmother's chores when she was a young girl in Scotland was to light the fire in the fireplace and put the kettle on. She told me she sometimes did it... in her sleep! (So I guess she must've been good at it, too...)
It's really cold outside! Brrr! I've enjoyed reading Chrys's continuing story on the blogs. Clever idea for a book tour!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know! Sure doesn't feel like HOT-lanta, does it?
DeleteYou're right. This continuing story idea is the most clever way I've seen anyone launch a new book.
This sounds interesting. These books should warm up the cold days in New York.
ReplyDeleteThey might help, but I'd also recommend a blanket. :)
DeleteA very interesting book can actually be inspiring. I must read it
ReplyDeleteReally a beautiful blog.It is very astonishing and marvelous design.
ReplyDeleteดูหนัง