A Tidal Wave of Good Reading

Thought for the day: Life cannot be classified in terms of a simple neurological ladder, with human beings at the top; it is more accurate to talk of different forms of intelligence, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This point was well demonstrated in the minutes before last December's tsunami, when tourists grabbed their digital cameras and ran after the ebbing surf, and all the 'dumb' animals made for the hills. [Brian Reynolds Myers]

[morguefile] 

It's a pleasure to be taking part in Chrys Fey's I Survived blog fest today, where in celebration of the release of her latest book, this lovely queen of disaster stories nudged participants into imagining how they might survive a tsunami. Yeah, I know. I've survived a LOT of things in my life, but a tsunami? Talk about a scary thought. Nonetheless, let's give it a go, shall we?

Chrys, take it away...

*********************



"This is Chrys Fey reporting for Disaster 5 news. I am on Fantasy Island, where a tsunami hit yesterday morning. I have Susan Swiderski with me, a survivor of the tsunami. Susan, can you tell our viewers what happened and how you survived?"

"Guardian angels."

"Excuse me? Did you say guardian angels?"

"Yes, ma'am, I did. That's exactly what I said. Guardian angels saved me."

"You're telling us that glowing white creatures with wings and halos swooped down out of the sky and whisked you away to safety?"

"Don't be silly. None of my guardian angels have ever looked like that."

"None of them? Are you saying this isn't the first time?"

"Of course not. Otherwise, I would've been pushing up daisies years ago."

"I see. Would you mind telling us how it happened this time?"

"I will if you stop smirking."

"I'm sorry. This isn't exactly the response I expected. Please go on."

"Well, my husband and I came here to celebrate our fiftieth anniversary. We both have arthritis, so sometimes we have good days, and sometimes we have bad. Yesterday was good for him, but not so much for me, so I told him to go on the tour into the mountains without me, while I stayed at the hotel and got some rest. I took my medicine and was sound asleep when something jolted me awake."

"An angel?"

"I don't know. Maybe, or maybe it was the hand of God. All I know for sure is something or somebody woke me up and forced me out of bed. I hobbled to the window and saw a sight I'll never forget as long as I live."

"Tell us about it."

"Instead of the surf rolling gently onto shore like usual, it was barreling out to sea like a bat outta hell. Some people were standing on the shore watching it like a bunch of dummies, and others were running every which way like a bunch of ants in a crumb factory."

"What did you do?"

"To tell the truth, at first I panicked. I'd seen the tsunami evacuation signs, so I knew that's probably what was happening, and I also knew there was no time to waste. I had to get to higher ground, or at least to a higher floor. So I went to the hallway. That's where my angels were waiting for me."

"And they whisked you away?"

"Not exactly. They helped me up the steps. There were two of them this time. Beefy guys with bald heads, hoop earrings, and tattoos. Lots of tattoos. A little scary-looking."

"But you weren't afraid?"

"Oh, no, I knew right away they were guardian angels. They always show up when I need them the most. I never know what they're going to look like, but I always know they'll take care of me."

"And they helped you up the stairs?"

"All the way to the roof. I never could have made it without them. They practically carried me. Used to be, it would only have taken one of them, but just between you and me, I'm afraid I've put on a few pounds."

"Then what? Did you see them after that?"

"No. I never do. They show up, they get me to safety, and then they're gone."

"Were there any other people on the roof?"

"Maybe twenty of us in all."

"But no beefy bald guys with hooped earrings and tattoos?"

"Nary a one."

"Well thank you, Susan. We're certainly glad you and your husband made it through the tsunami. I'm sure this is an anniversary you'll never forget. And there you have it, folks. Next time you run into some scary-looking tattooed guys with hoop earrings, don't be afraid. Who knows? They just might be guardian angels."

****************************************

Title: Tsunami Crimes

Series: Disaster Crimes #3

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Romantic-Suspense

Page Count: 272

BLURB: Beth and Donovan have come a long way from Hurricane
Sabrina and the San Francisco earthquake. Now they are approaching their
wedding day and anxiously waiting to promise each other a lifetime of love. The
journey down the aisle isn’t smooth, though, as they receive threats from the
followers of the notorious criminal, Jackson Storm. They think they’ll be safe
in Hawaii, but distance can’t stop these killers. Not even a tsunami can.

This monstrous wave is the most devastating disaster Beth
has ever faced. It leaves her beaten, frightened. Is she a widow on her
honeymoon? As she struggles to hold herself together and find Donovan, she’s
kidnapped by Jackson's men.

Fearing her dead, Donovan searches the rubble and shelters
with no luck. The thought of her being swept out to sea is almost too much for
him to bear, but the reality is much worse. She’s being used as bait to get him
to fall into a deadly trap.

If they live through this disaster, they may never be the
same again. 

DIGITAL LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA

Nook / Kobo / The Wild Rose Press

PRINT LINK:

The Wild Rose Press 

99 CENTS: Amazon

And everywhere ebooks are sold. 

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


If you haven't read any of Chrys' books yet, what are you waiting for? There's no time like the present. I mean... NINETY-NINE CENTS, people!!! Catch the wave.

                          Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Feeling Groovy

Thought for the day: The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.  [Mark Twain]

Well, if you want to be technical, nobody actually said I was dead... but the lovely Mary Pax did tag my toe. So to speak. If you don't know Mary, you should. Not only is she a very sweet gal, she's also a very talented writer. Science fiction kinda stuff. Stuff I didn't think I liked... until I read her books. Really. Good stuff. You should check it out.

So anyhow, this meme she tagged me with is fairly simple. She said I didn't have to participate, but then bless her sneaky little heart, she said she hoped I was...  groovy. 

Can you beat that? Me? Groovy? Hell yes. That's me... one of the grooviest little ol' ladies in the whole state of Georgia, so what can I say? I had no choice but to participate, right? I'm no square, dude.

I'd be happy to tell you where this pic came from... if I remembered.

So what's this tag all about, anyway? Well, Mary provided nine questions related to writing, and said I only had to answer four. Actually, that's quite considerate, if you think about it. Less chance that I'll bore you so badly that you need a toe tag.

Anyhow, here's the full gamut of questions:

1. What are you working on right now?

2. How does it differ from other works in its genre? 

3. What experiences have influenced you? 

4. Why do you write what you do?

5. How does your writing process work?

6. What is the hardest part about writing?

7. What would you like to try as a writer that you haven't yet?

8. Who are the authors you most admire?

9. What scares you? 

source

So, ya ready for my groovy answers?

1. What am I working on right now? 

This blogpost. (Sheesh.) Oh, you mean other than blogging, huh? My current WIP, on which I've done very little work and made very little progress, will be more mainstream than my recent release, and will have some delicious twists at the end. The tentative title is Blast Rites. So far, the research process has taught me how to make my own explosives and what it was like to live in a girls' reform school in the early '60s. Fun stuff!

3.  What experiences have influenced me?

All of 'em. Really, I'm not trying to be a smart ass here. (No trying needed... it comes naturally.) I think each of us is the sum product of all our experiences, good, bad, or indifferent. You a one-big-experience kinda person, or would you rather graze leisurely at life's all-you-can-eat buffet? I'm old. I get more bang for my buck at the buffet. Especially if I carry a suitcase-sized purse.

4. Why do I write what I do?

Because I'm the only one who can. Again, not trying to be a smart ass. Each of us is unique, with a unique set of life experiences, and a unique outlook, so that unique voice and outlook is gonna be reflected in our writing. Universal slice-of-life stories about how families and friends interact intrigue me. Quirky characters that can make a reader laugh, cringe, and nod with self-recognition delight me. Unexpected twists make me want to stand up and cheer. In essence, I try to write the kind of story I want to read. I make myself laugh, and make myself cry, and hope readers will have the same reactions when they read it. Heck, who am I kidding? I'm not proud. I hope they read it, period.

7. What would I like to try as a writer that I haven't tried yet?

A Pulitzer would be nice. But I'll settle for overhearing two strangers talking about my book, and how much they loved it.

********************************

That was fairly painless. At least for me. I shouldn't assume for you guys. Thank you so much for thinking of me, Mary.

Now I'm supposed to tag the toes of four other bloggers. So to speak.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Some of you guys are serious writers, some of you aren't. Some of you like doing this sort of thing; others hate it.

So tell ya what. If you want to take all nine questions back to your blog for  an easy peasy almost writes itself post  the enjoyment of your readers, take it. With my blessings. Enjoy! And if ya wanta be extra sweet, include a link in that post back to my little ol' blog, and pass the meme on to four other bloggers. Okay?

OR you can pick and choose some of the questions and answer them right here in the comments. How's that?

What's that? You're not a writer? Okay, then, here's a question for you non-writer types to consider: Who put the bop in the bop she bop she bop? 

Just kidding. On a serious note, do you get sick to death (darned near need that toe tag again!) of seeing blog post after blog post about writing, new book releases, new book cover reveals, etc.? I must admit, I kinda do. That's why I didn't put any effort into trying to promote my book on a bazillion different blogs. (HA! As if!) Sometimes, having something shoved down my throat makes me wanta...  Let me rephrase that. Overexposure to any product makes me less likely to purchase it. You too? Or is it just me?

Oh yeah! Before I forget, a non-blogfest blogfest of sorts will be taking place next Monday. You avoid bloghops at all cost? Don't see the point of three hundred people all over the world writing about the same topic on a given day and then breaking their necks to visit the other two hundred ninety-nine blogs before the day comes to an end?

You aren't alone. Gary is the KING of anti-blogfest curmudgeons. Not really. He's got a heart of gold and an endless supply of witty puns to fit any occasion, but he does like to poke good-natured fun at the bloghopping crowd. So, HEY! Why not have a blogfest in his honor? Yeah, I know. Brilliant, right? The brainchild of the Aloha kid Mark, this fest will be co-hosted by ninja king Alex, and the three lovelies Tina, Robyn, and Morgan. If you want to join in the fun, you can sign up at any of their blogs. No big drawn-out requirements or term paper to write for this one. All ya have to do is come up with three off-the-wall titles for PG-13 blogfests you would never join, and then add a few descriptive sentences. Here's your chance to show off your creativity, imagination, and sense of humor. See? Easy peasy. How outrageous can you be? See ya Monday. I hope y'all have a groovy weekend.

                    Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

Hopping Through the Alphabet

Thought for the day:  You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.  [C.S. Lewis]  A little bit of change is good for the soul.  [me]

Baby bunnies #1 and #2

Yep, change.

That's my way of saying I was too lazy I've been too darned busy no typical Friday megapost this week. And not for a while. Gonna take a hiatus from them until at least May, when we'll pick back up with the state of New Jersey.

In the meantime, our grandchildren in Alabama got their bunnies. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can get the full poop on this past Monday's post.)

Bunny #3

Bunny #4

Cute, aren't they? Especially the first two; they're not much more than little balls of fur. Looks like the other two are in the kitchen. Naaaah, they're not gonna be at all spoiled, I'm sure.

[Let's hope the number STAYS at four. If not, I'll let ya know.]

Have you guys been noticing this badge on a lot of blogs lately? I know some of you are planning to participate in the challenge, but for those who aren't, I figured I'd give y'all a heads up.

Starting this coming Sunday, the first of April (no fooling!) all of the A-Z participants will be doing a post about something beginning with the letter A. Then, each subsequent day, will be doing a post based on something beginning with the next letter of the alphabet, until we run the full gamut. So that'll be twenty-six days of posting, (no more Sunday posts after the first one) which is considerably more than some of us usually do in a month. (like me) Should be fun, though. There are  more than fourteen hundred participants signed up so far, who will be in a frenzy visiting as many of the other participating blogs each day as they can. (If you're interested in joining the insanity fun, you can register up until the second of April.) So, we should have a lot more comments to keep up with than usual, and a lot more other blogs to read than usual, but I'll do my best to keep up with all of you guys, my usual blogger buddies. Except for in the middle of the month. Gonna be spending time with some dear friends we haven't seen in several years then, so phooey on the computer while we're hanging out with them. 

Some of the A-Z participants have selected a theme for all their posts. Mine is amateur radio. I hope you find the subject interesting enough to stick with me through April's madness, but if not, I'll catch y'all in May.

                                          Until then, take care of yourselves. And each other.