30 Seconds by Chrys Fey Blog Tour

Today, I’m hosting fellow friend and author, Chrys Fey’s new novella, 30 Seconds.  This is super exciting because she is the first author to ever be featured on my blog!  I read 30 Seconds and I must say, it is quite the suspenseful and romantic read.  Chrys’s writing is thrilling, quick-paced, and leaves you on the edge of your seat! 

I’m also talking about inspiration, friendship and following our dreams.  Chrys has always inspired me to be a better author through her infinite knowledge and support system she offers on her blog.  I was humbled to get to know her through She Writes where she not only befriended me, but showed me the type of support and kindness one can expect from someone as warm and infectious as her.

I asked Chrys to share her inspiration behind 30 Seconds.  The reason I wanted her here to talk about this on my blog is because I am a firm believer in finding one’s passion and never letting it go, no matter what.  We all know how tough this industry is and how many countless mornings, days and nights we spend pouring our heart and soul into our writing and social media. 

 

One of the most important gifts we have as writers is our INSPIRATION.  Yes!  This delicate, yet, boundless word.  Inspiration lives buried deep within our conscious and unconscious states of minds.  It can show up when we least expect it and surprise us in more ways than we could ever imagine. 

With that being said, however, inspiration can also feel far away.  We have our dog days of writing where nothing seems to come out right.  Someone once said to me me, “I’m waiting for something enlightening to come to me before I decide to write my book.”  My response was simply this… “Well, if you are waiting, you might be waiting for a really long time.” 

 

Even though we, as authors, have this gift, we cannot rely on it to always appear.  Sometimes, we need to venture deeper into our souls and rip away at our emotions to get to the core of our story.

 



So without further babble, here is author Chrys Fey speaking about her new thrilling release, 30 Seconds!!

Hi, everyone! This is Chrys Fey. My newest release, 30 Seconds, is now available! A big thank you to Gina for letting me share the inspiration behind my novella on her blog.

My romantic-suspense novella, 30 Seconds, had several sources of inspiration that helped me with its conception.

Dreams are my number one source for story ideas. In one of my dreams, I was spinning wildly on a swivel chair to pounding rock music. My eyes were closed when hands halted my fast rotation and lips touched mine. Strong arms pulled me out of the chair and into a steaming kiss. When I opened my eyes, I saw a hot cop in full uniform. My dream ended when he said, “I shouldn’t have done that.” In the morning, I immediately started to ponder stories about a woman who falls in love with a cop even though she knows she shouldn’t. I even used that dream as a scene in 30 Seconds.

In February 2009, I went to Michigan as a surprise for my brother’s birthday. I had a layover in the Cleveland airport, and when I had to walk into the frigid air to board a tuna can, the cold cut straight through me to the marrow of my bones. The wind was so fierce I could barely walk. When I was back home, I had a vision of my heroine, Dr. Dani Hart, coming home in Cleveland after pulling an all-nighter at the ER, the bottoms of her scrubs soaked by fresh snow. That immediately became the opening scene for 30 Seconds.

Music is my biggest inspiration while I’m writing, so it’s no surprise that my favorite band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, influenced not only the title, but the plot of my story. Nearly every 30 seconds in my fictional world is suspenseful. Something is always happening and there is constant danger surrounding my characters. For one of these scenes, I listened to “Attack” by Thirty Seconds to Mars on repeat, and it’s one of my favorite moments of 30 Seconds.

Many things have inspired my writing, from hurricanes to screws. The great thing about inspiration is that the sky is not the limit, the limit is beyond it.
 

Blurb:

When Officer Blake Herro agreed to go undercover in the Mob, he thought he understood the risks. But he's made mistakes and now an innocent woman has become their target. He's determined to protect her at all costs.

The Mob's death threat turns Dr. Dani Hart's life upside down, but there is one danger she doesn’t anticipate. As she's dodging bullets, she's falling in love with Blake. With danger all around them, will she and Blake survive and have a happy ending, or will the Mob make good on their threat?

Buy Links:

 

The Wild Rose Press: 

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=5801

 

Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00N26EU9G

 

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N26EU9G 

Bio:

Chrys Fey is a lover of rock music just like Dani Hart in 30 Seconds. Whenever she's writing at her desk, headphones are always emitting the sounds of her musical muses -especially that of her favorite band, 30 Seconds to Mars, the inspiration behind the title.

30 Seconds is her second eBook with The Wild Rose Press. Her debut, Hurricane Crimes, is also available on Amazon.

Discover her writing tips on her blog, and connect with her on Facebook. She loves to get to know her readers!

 

Find Chrys Fey Here: Facebook / Blog / Goodreads

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chrysfey
Blog: www.writewithfey.blogspot.com 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ChrysFey

Where you do you find your source of inspiration?  How have your friendships throughout the writing community affected your own journey?  Don't forget to get your copy of 30 Seconds today!!

The Anniversary of 9/11 and Coping With Fear, Loss and Anxiety

Last night, I was driving home from work around 8:30pm.  My job is located just miles away from the Newark Airport, one of the biggest airports in the country.

As I was leaving work and merging onto the highway to head home toward a more embracing giant of lushness and green, I noticed a solace moon enlarged in the sky.  It was hovering just above a mountain range darkened by the sleeping empyrean above.  The moon, however, was wide awake.  There were lonely clouds lingering around his presence but his spirit seemed sadly and utterly alone.

It was almost as if he had lost his best friend or soul mate... as if he had suddenly become a widow to the sky.  His glow was so bright, though, like he was reaching out toward the paradise above to claim an earthly love once again... an admiration for mankind and all of the grace and sentiments we bear throughout our duration here.

As my mind drifted in and out of past and present meanderings a car window can only provide, I noticed the commercial planes flying closely overhead.  They were massively making their way to and from the Newark Airport and their sounds echoed throughout the musings of a somber heart and mournful moon. 

I was in good company last night while driving down an endless highway of inconceivable thoughts.  If only I could have reached up and hugged my desolate friend hanging from an ancient sky soaked in sadness.

As more planes drifted by, I couldn't help but to fear where each plane was destined to go and more importantly, if that plane would safely fulfill the destination of its passengers.  Each time I looked up from the road and saw those distant blinking lights in the sky, my eyes felt gravitated toward the path of the planes.  For the first time in 13 years, I was waiting... watching... hoping that those planes would not crash. 

Several months ago, I blogged about how much joy and comfort the sounds of planes provided for me in "Stories Told by Mack Trucks and Planes Sooth the Recesses of My Heart."  In was in this post where I went into detail about how I could fall asleep to the soothing sounds of Mack trucks and airplanes throughout the night. 

After hearing the president's address to the United States and watching CNN over the last few weeks, the sound of planes now afford me with sleepless nights and grieving thoughts.  I grieve for those we have lost and sadly, for those who we are in jeopardy of losing because of the rising terror threats in and outside of our beloved homeland. 

Last night, each time I heard a plane go by our home, I waited and listened until it completed its journey overhead.  I waited until I heard nothing.  And then, as another one soared by, I waited again... until that one completed its path above my head.  I also couldn't help but to think about the people aboard those planes.  Who were they?  Where were they going?  What were they doing as they flew by my cognizant mind.

Today is the anniversary of 9/11.  Never has it brought about so much pain and fear as it currently does now.  Chaos and heartache has flooded my thoughts taking me back to relive some of my bleakest memories. 

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was 20 years old and attending Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.  At the time, I was staying over a friend’s house several blocks away from where I actually lived.

I remember receiving a phone call from my sister that morning several minutes before 9am.  I was still sleeping because my morning was free of classes.  When I tiredly answered my sister’s call, I remember her telling me a plane had just crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

At first, I thought she was joking.  I told the other housemates but to be honest, we didn’t really think much of it.  We initially thought it was an accident.  However, by the time we turned on the television, we realized not one only one plane was flown into the World Trader Center, but within several minutes after the first catastrophe, a second once crashed into the South Tower.    

 

There was a sudden urgency ringing throughout the streets of our campus that day.  All classes were canceled and we were told to stay indoors wherever we lived.  I remember HUGE military planes flying overhead as we sat on my friend’s porch.  Some of my friends had family members working in the city so there was an immense blanket of worry, frustration, sadness, and anger suffocating all of our hearts.

My roommate called me and told me they could see the smoke of the twin towers falling from the window of the student lounge of our apartment building.  We lived on the highest floor.  I still remember our room number… 1202.

The center of our building had these large, rectangular windows with views of Manhattan.

Even though we were told to stay indoors, no one listened.  Everyone was outside, except for most of the residents in Easton Ave Apartments, where I lived.  They were rounded up in each of their student lounges staring outside of the large rectangular windows.  Those who weren’t gazing out of those windows were either on the phone with their loved ones or heading to the local liquor store to stock up on alcohol since school was canceled.

When I arrived at my apartment building, I quickly rushed up to the 12^th floor student lounge and met my roommates.  All three of them were glued to the window, like breakable statues ready to burst out into thousands of tears.  As I approached them and the window, I saw the sky filling with a colossal amount of unwelcomed smoke.

I can't even begin to describe how much smoke was in the sky.  Our building was located about 45 miles from New York City and the sky was filled with an unforgivable coating of gray floating up toward the Heavens.  We would see, smell and remember the aftermath of this tragic attack on our country and affections forever. 

We sat there for most of the afternoon, at times, silent, and at others, conversing about what was to come.  Military planes continued to fly overhead and we had no idea what was going on.  The moment we found out this inconceivable tragedy was done on purpose, we were all united in a way none of us had ever been before.  We stayed close, watched the news all day, bought some cheap wine and beer, and got lost in the events we knew were sure to follow.

 

And then, after days followed by months followed by years of finally learning to let go of those fears, I find myself here agsain, living just moments from New York City, reliving all of the events which occurred 13 years ago. 

A few months ago, I blogged about Boko Haram, a militant Islamist militant group based in Northeast Nigeria, in "Remembering Their Voices."  Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve watched a tremendous amount of news regarding ISIS, another Islamic militant group who are categorized as terrorists.  The aim of ISIS is to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria.

 

With the seizure of Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, and advances on others, that aim appears within reach.  ISIS controls hundreds of square miles where state authority has evaporated. It ignores international borders and has a presence all the way from Syria's Mediterranean coast to south of Baghdad.

My sister has a colossal amount of anxiety over all of this because she works in a major city.  I spoke to her the other day and she, too, fears the worst is yet to come… another terrorist attack or even another World War.  Today, my love will be traveling to a major city.  He won’t be here with me when I need him the most.  I am so afraid of what might happen so I have looked to my writing and God for answers and comfort. 

I’ve been praying and listening to a lot of Christian music to get me through these last few weeks.  Whenever the words of an artist or melody of a song dance around my heart, I’m brought to my knees with a flood of a thousand emotions pouring from the depths of my soul and out of my weary eyes.  "I Surrender" by Hillsong and "Your Grace Finds Me" by Matt Redman have been helping me cope through these darker days. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFORjUcHkKU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orY_OWKTyfU

Songs like this have such a strong impact on my entire being because I know God is watching over us.  It might not feel like He is there at times, especially after watching and hearing about all of the ugliness and devastation millions of people are suffering through.  But I need something more powerful to lean upon so I look to my Creator and the music of his followers to get my through the dog days.  I also escape in my writing and poetry so I can hide in a world where I am the creator and no one can hurt me.

 

 

How do you feel about everything going on in the world today?  Where were you when 9/11 occurred?  How do you cope with fear, frustration and anxiety?  Does your sadness and anger affect your writing?


 

Hello September, Nice to See You Again

Well, my friends and fellow authors, it’s finally here… SEPTEMBER!  There are so many things I love about this month… mostly because it extends its branches into one of my favorite times of the year, autumn. 

 

Before I venture into all of the wonderful things about September, I want to quickly say how sad and frustrated I am about everything that is going on in the world today.  I've been watching a lot of CNN before bed and I can't tell you how devastated my heart feels.  9/11 is approaching and as the fear of terror rises within our country, I can't help but to worry.  I saw the twin towers fall from the window of my apartment back in college and I still remember that day like it was yesterday.  I will be blogging about this next week.

But onto September and happier news... for now and hopefully, always.  Over Labor Day weekend, I attended my sister's engagement party. 

Here we are at my sister's party.  My mother and I are at the top.  On the bottom from left to right are my aunt, cousin, grandmother and two sisters.  The gal standing behind my grandmother is getting married.

There is quite a lot to celebrate this fall… from school author visits, to trips to the apple farm and harvest festivals, to hosting horror movie nights with imported cheese and scented candles, cider and pumpkin cookies, to baking tons of pumpkin and banana nut muffins, to pumpkin spiced coffee in the mornings while I write… well, you get the gist.  And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a pumpkin junkie when it comes to food, coffee and pumpkin picking during this season. 

We go apple picking each year at a local farm where I stock up on autumn scented candles and apples.  This was taken last October.

My birthday is also nestled within the last week of October.  This year, we are planning a road trip to either Maine or Pennsylvania where we will rent a cottage over the lake or by the mountains and sea.

We took this photo while hiking on a mountain off of the coast of Camden, Maine.  I'd really love to make another trip out there for my birthday.

So if you can’t tell already, I am super stoked for autumn!

BUT, with that being said, we are here today to talk about September.  There is something about this time of year which I can never grow out of.  Even though I am deeply saddened as I wave goodbye to the warmth and freedom the summer rewards us with, September always seems to welcome me with its promises of a new beginning and smells of a colorful season shortly to follow.

 

There is a certain melancholy which rumbles through the anticipation of my children’s author work as well as my early morning writing sessions before the day job begins.  I usually find myself groggily making my way over to the coffee pot at 5am so I can ensure a time slot for writing before work.  This dedication and regimen usually lasts until June, once I’ve retired my imagination blocks after my last author visit has been given.  

Even though I graduated from college exactly ten years ago, I still succumb to “school mode” once September takes me upon its promising winds.

At this time, my children’s book has been selected by an established PR company for an upcoming press release.  This week has been quite time consuming due to preparations for the release, working on my 2^nd children’s book, and getting our condo ready for remodeling.  I’m really excited about the press release, though, because as an independent author, it’s tough to get word out about my work.  This strategy might open doors to author interviews, more schools, radio talk shows and other media outlets.

Plus, over the coming weeks, I am hoping to work on my blog here as well as to touch base with my contacts for my upcoming school visits, presentations and volunteer work. 

 

Besides my children’s books, some of you may already know I have written the 1^st draft to my suspense novel this past winter.  I managed to almost complete my WIP, however, there are tons of edits which need to be done, and of course, the next phase in drafting.  I really miss my characters and honestly can’t wait to be able to sit down and get lost in their world again.  I’m hoping to begin working on this project once things have settled with my other genre of writing. 

I also have several books waiting for me on my TBR list including “In Need of Therapy” by Tracie Banister, “Reborn” by Cherie Reich, “The Backworlds” by M Pax, and “Double Negative” by C. Lee McKenzie. 

My niece has read several of Kelly Hashway’s “Touch of Death” books and she loves them.  I’ve been a fan of Kelly’s ever since I first stumbled upon the blogosphere.  She happily accepted my writing and musings into her heart and I find her to be an incredible author and friend.  You can find her and her books here http://www.kellyhashway.blogspot.com/

I’m currently reading “Silverhills” by Sandra Cox and I love it so far.  Sandra always puts a smile on my face whenever I visit her blog.  She is also one of the kindest people I know and I truly found a sweet soul in her.  She can be found here http://sandracox.blogspot.com/

If you haven’t read “It Ain’t Easy Being Jazzy” by Quanie Miller, then get your butts over to Amazon and get a copy!  I laughed so hard throughout this novel.  Her writing is warm, soulful and funny, just like Quanie.  You can find her and her books here http://www.quanietalkswriting.com/

While on vacation, I read "Soul Cutter" by Lexa Cain.  I liked her book so much that I told our cab driver about her and her work while in Manhattan last weekend.  He was from Egypt and since I only know ONE person who lives in Egypt, I couldn’t help but to throw Lexa’s name out there.  Hopefully, he will buy her book and pass her information along.  Lexa is such a sweet and talented author and you can find her work and website here http://lexacain.blogspot.com/

I’m also hosting two blog tours on Dawning on a New Day for authors Chrys Fey and Crystal Collier.  I am really looking forward to them because I love Crystal’s writing (it’s absolutely stunning) and I admire Chrys’s instinct for exhilarating suspense, crime and romance.   I’ve also followed their blogs for quite some time now and am a huge fan of both amazing women. 

Chrys and her impeccable author advice can be found at http://www.writewithfey.blogspot.com/

Crystal and her heartwarming passion for writing and cheese can be found at http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/  

I’ve read tons of books by so many of you wonderful authors and I’m sorry if I haven’t mentioned you!  Keep on persevering, keep on persisting, keep on failing, and most importantly, when you fail, don’t give up.  It’s bound to happen… over and over and over again.  But each time we fall, we learn something about ourselves and our writing.  And as a result, we become better and closer to mastering our art.

Shelfie Time!

AND last but not least, I'm sharing a "Shelfie" of my desk.  Sometimes, I write here but I also do a lot of my writing on the dining room table overlooking the trees and mountains out front of our home.  The atmosphere of my desk also has a nice tone and it's actually clean today!!  For more on Shelfies, visit Tara Tyler Talks where you can post your own and enter to win her current giveaway!! 
 

Happy September!!

What is on your mind this month?  Have you set goals for September?  Does autumn have a certain appeal on your writing?  How many genres of writing do you have?

 

 

P.S. I'm also participating in the Liver Life Walk in dedication to my mother and the 30 million Americans who suffer from liver disease.  You can sponsor me by donating and helping to raise awareness to an epidemic that is growing every single day.  No dollar amount is too small, especially when it comes to saving Lady of Lourdes Liver Center in Camden, New Jersey.  It is in danger of shutting down due to lack of funding.  This incredible facility is where my mother and many other adults and children have received new livers.  If you click on the link below, you will find my participation profile under my real name... Shhh, don't tell.  I know, I have a really famous last name which is why I chose to conceal it for my author work.  Please, donate here:

http://go.liverfoundation.org/site/TR/LiverLifeWalk2014/LiverLifeWalk?px=1909459&pg=personal&fr_id=4230