I’m excited to introduce Author Chrys Fey to my blog. She is the author of the Disaster Crimes series. She was kind enough to answer a few questions about herself, her story, and her writing process. 

Let’s start by finding out a little bit about you…

1. What is your name and do you write under a pen name?

Chrys Fey is my pen name. Chrys comes from my real nickname Chrissy. It’s just a fun, condensed version. And Fey comes from the word “fey,” which means magical. When I came up with my pen name, I was writing fanciful, paranormal stories, so my pen name was a nod to those genres, but now my pen name is a nod to the magic of writing.

2. If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like?

My childhood home had a palm tree out front. When the branches would start to die and hung low, my brothers and sisters and I would grab onto them and swing around the tree’s trunk in circles. An oak tree beside my house was where I would climb up and sit on a branch to read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Woods—tall pine trees and thick palmetto bushes—surrounded my house on all sides, and deep in the woods in my backyard was my fort, made entirely of pine needles and shaped like an igloo. That fort became my heroine’s fort in Flaming Crimes (Disaster Crimes Book 4), and many of her memories of her childhood home are my own.

3. What is the most terrible thing that ever happened to you?

I’m not sure if I’d call it terrible, but I had spine surgery for severe scoliosis the day after I turned fifteen. I have fusion between my vertebrae and a titanium rod screwed to my spine. I’ve had many problems since then, and my whole body is out of whack.

4. What is your greatest fear?

Wildfire. More specifically, losing my home to a fire, because I had almost lost my childhood home to a wildfire when I was twelve years old. That fire, and all of my memories of it—from my best friend’s father saying, “It looks like it’s right next to your house,” to a firefighter getting burned, a brush truck getting stuck in the woods in my backyard, and one of my cats escaping outside and running toward the flames—are in Flaming Crimes.

5. What is your opinion of novellas?

I love them! I love to read them because they are fast, and I love to write them, too. I enjoy packing a lot of action and excitement into a novella, essentially dispelling the notion that you can’t write a fast-paced novella that is a complete story, with well-rounded characters. You can. And I have, with Hurricane Crimes.

Let’s shift somewhat and talk about your latest story.

1. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say?

Flaming Crimes: a fiery story with steamy love scenes, nail-biting confrontations with criminals, and heart-warming moments between a couple who go through a lot.

2. Is the above book part of a series?

Yes, it is. It is the fourth book for the Disaster Crimes Series.

Hurricane Crimes (Book 1, under 50 pages)
Seismic Crimes (Book 2, novel)
Lightning Crimes (Book 2.5, free short story)
Tsunami Crimes (Book 3, novel)
Flaming Crimes (Book 4, novel)

3. Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)?

For Flaming Crimes, I listened to Demi Lovato’s album Confident for Beth’s chapters (who is a self-defense instructor), and a lot of Daughtry while writing Donovan’s chapters (who is a monster truck driver).

4. How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?

At first, I thought of calling Hurricane Crimes, (The) Hurricane Killer, but I didn’t like that, because I felt that it gave the wrong impression of Donovan Goldwyn. I certainly wanted readers to be suspicious of him—is he a murderer or isn’t he—but I didn’t want that in the title. Then, one day, Hurricane Crimes came to my mind.

When I realized that the story wasn’t quite done, that more stories would follow it, I knew I would keep the two-word title trend for each book, use a word to hint at the disaster that would take place, and pair it with the word “crimes,” because there isn’t a disaster that crimes don’t follow.

5. In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her?

Beth Kennedy is the heroine. She is a tough cookie who teaches others how to defend themselves, but she is also gentle and loving. She’s been through a lot but has come out stronger.

Donovan Goldwyn is the hero. He is strong, passionate, and protective. When someone threatens the woman he loves, he sees red. He will do anything to keep her safe.

Really, you don’t want to mess with either one of them. You want them on your side.

Where can your readers follow you? Please list links to any applicable websites and/or social media accounts.

Website – http://www.ChrysFey.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/chrysfey
Twitter – https://twitter.com/ChrysFey
Blog – http://www.writewithfey.com
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/ChrysFey
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Chrys-Fey/e/B00GWLZJ8O