If you visited my post in December, you know that I struggled with depression last year, but I did a lot of awesome things in 2017, even with that burden.
In 2017 I:
- went to my first big book event (Space Coast Book Lovers)
- At SCBL, I was part of an author panel.
- Also at SCBL, I did my first recorded interview with Hangin with Web Show.
- signed a contract to publish Flaming Crimes.
- started my YouTube Channel
- In August, I did a radio interview with Off the Chain.
- Then I did a live YouTube Interview with Evan Carmicheal for the IWSG.
- signed a contract to publish Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication
- and then I went to my second book event in November
I did a lot I am proud of, and I am looking forward to 2018.
And kicking off 2018 is the release of Flaming Crimes!
Prompt: What is something ridiculous you would save if there was a fire?
After your family, pets, and important items are safe and sound (that includes anything writing related), what is the one odd thing you'd want to grab from your home?
MY ANSWER: When a brush fire threatened my childhood home, my mom grabbed a bag of potatoes from our house. That seems like a rather odd thing to grab, right? Well, she’ll tell you that she was a mother of five and wanted to make sure she could feed her kids. And just like that, saving a bag of potatoes sounds reasonable.
It was this memory that inspired the blogfest prompt.
 |
| He's missing his nose and beard, but I love him! |
I was only a child when that fire surrounded my house, and I was terrified. I remember grabbing my blanket and my school backpack, but I was so scared that I didn't go back inside to grab anything else. If I had, I would've grabbed my favorite Nutcracker, which I still have. I believe it would be the one thing (after my pets and writing stuff) I'd want to save from becoming ashes.
Series: Disaster Crimes #4
Page Count: 304
Digital Price: 4.99
Print Price: 16.99
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
BUY LINKS:
BLURB: Beth and Donovan are now happily married, and what Beth wants more than anything is a baby. Her dream of starting a family is put on hold as fires burn dangerously close and Donovan becomes a victim of sabotage.
Donovan escapes what could've been a deadly wreck. Their past enemies have been eliminated, so who is cutting brake lines and leaving bloody messages? He vows to find out, for the sake of the woman he loves and the life they're trying to build.
Amidst a criminal mind game, a fire ignites next to their home. They battle the flames and fight to keep their house safe from the blaze pressing in on all sides, but neither of them expects to confront a psychotic adversary in the middle of the inferno.
Their lives may just go up in flames…
Visit the other participants!
I love that your mom grabbed a bag of potatoes. Makes perfect sense from a mom perspective. What a scary thing to have experienced as a child.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new release and Happy New Year!
It really does make sense, but it still makes me laugh to think about.
DeleteThank you! Happy New Year!!!
Wow, you've had an intense year! Congrats on getting all that done, plus starting off the new year with a big bang of a book release! Looking forward to reading the this firey adventure.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tamara! This year will be more quiet. I don't have as much planned, so hopefully that means I'll be able to write more. :)
DeleteSounds like you did very well in 2017, Chrys! Good luck in 2018! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Madeline!
DeleteHappy New Year!!!
I loved the qquote at the begining Chrys. I hope your depression has gone. Not a pleasant thing to encounter as I well know. It was lovely reading of your achievements. Good luck with your blogfest.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year.
Yvonne.
I hope my depression stays at bay this year, too.
DeleteThank you, Yvonne!
Congrats on an amazing year!!! What a way to kick off the new year with a new release! Hope there are a few more to follow in the rest of 2018.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meka!
DeleteWell...I plan to do one in February for my mom's children's book. It'll be fun. :)
Congratulations! My enthusiasm for a lot of things petered out by the end of the year. I hope to spark life back into everything in this one!
ReplyDeleteI think that happens to a lot of us, especially last year.
DeleteThank you, Deb!
You've accomplished a lot this past year. Congrats! Good luck with your new book!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jennifer!
DeleteCongratulations! I admire your mom so much for grabbing those potatoes. This blogfest is such a fun way to kick off the new year. :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I'll tell her you said that. She'll love that.
DeleteThank you, Christine! And thank you for joining the fun. :)
Love that story about your mom. She's such a great lady!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book!! That's such an awesome way to start off the year.
Thank you, MJ! My publisher picked the time. It's crazy planning a release during the holidays, but having a release right now is neat. :)
DeleteThe fire must have been terrifying. Grabbing a sack of potatoes made perfect sense. I feed my 5 sons potatoes every single night. Thankfully, potatoes are still their favourites. Feliz Ano Nuevo, Chrys. I suspect that 2018 if going to be a fabulous year for us both. Best to you.
ReplyDeletePotatoes was our favorite side dish, too.
DeleteHappy New Year, Joylene! 2018 is going to be a great year for us. :)
Wow - what an amazing 2017 you had, and 2018 is off to a fabulous start! I love the fire theme and the inspiration of your new project. Such interesting insights from your childhood experience, watching your mother - what a great story!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lee! So much of what I experienced during that fire is in Flaming Crimes. :)
DeleteCongrats on the release and all of your achievements.
ReplyDeleteI'd save my Minion collection. Or my photo albums. (All 300 of them!) I'm sure the fire would be out long before I finished, too.
Thank you, Diane!
DeleteYour Minion collection is EPIC!
300 photo albums. WOW! Where do you keep all of them? lol
You definitely achieved a lot in 2017. Here’s to another year of achievements in 2018. Wouldn’t think of grabbing potatoes but it makes sense. And as a mom, I’d grab the photo album too. I can count the number of photographs of me as a baby and a young child on less than 10 fingers. Even my grandmother who passed away last year three weeks after 100th birthday didn’t have any photos of her as a child or as an adult. Now, I’ve lots of pictures I’ve taken during high school, college and afterwards. And though I don’t always order pictures when there’s picture day every year, I do try to purchase some when I can.
ReplyDeleteI don't have many pictures of myself as a baby anymore, either. I actually put together a scrap book with a handful of my favorite baby pictures last week. There's also pictures of pets I don't have anymore and my favorite pictures of my family. I even added drawings my nephews did when they were little. It's on my bookcase, so I hope I'd remember to grab it.
DeleteI've been thinking about it, and I'm not sure there is anything weird I would save. My mom used to say, if there's a fire, get the picture albums out, but most of our modern photos are digital now. If there was a fire in my parents' home, I'd sure grab those old albums though. :)
ReplyDeleteI guess that's the one good thing about technology, you don't have to worry about digital pictures burning up. Unless you left the device and didn't upload them somewhere else, like Photobucket or DropBox.
DeleteCongratulations on your new book! Good luck with your plans for this year.
ReplyDeleteI'd absolutely save my 30-year-old stuffed cat Davy, who's been worn thin and threadbare. He's my Velveteen Rabbit.
Thank you, Carrie-Anne!
DeleteAw. That is cute. I have my own Velveteen Rabbit...a stuffed bear I got when I had spine surgery at 15. :)
2017 was a productive year for you. Congrats on the new book release. I love the blurb! We had a fire in our last apartment a few years back. It was very scary. Just took my purse, keys and phone. But turned out we couldn't go back in for a week and then we had to find a new place to live. Next time, I would probably take a box of letters from my grandmother. I don't have much to remember her by except those letters. I guess that's not a weird thing tho. Maybe a bottle of wine...haha. That must have been extremely scary for you as a child! Good luck on your blog-hop!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThat does sound very scary. A couple of years after that brush fire, we had an electrical fire in my house due to an old TV and a candle. It was contained to the TV, but so frightening.
A box of letter from your grandmother is special. I didn't get to know my grandmas, but I've felt a connection to my paternal grandmother who died when I was two. If I had letters from her, I'd want to save them, too.
I can see your mom's thinking there. She'd be more worried about her kids than herself.
ReplyDeleteShe always put us before herself. <3
DeleteCongrats on accomplishing so many amazing things this past year! And it sounds like your mom was a logical person. :)
ReplyDeleteVery logical, and self-less. :)
DeleteThank you!
You did a lot of great things in 2017! I just subscribed to your YouTube channel. I've got one too, but it's mostly music from recitals I've done. Maybe I'll work on creating videos about my books. It's probably a good marketing tool for authors.
ReplyDeleteYour experience when you were a child sounded scary. I'm glad you got out unharmed!
I hope you have a great 2018!
Thank you so much for subscribing to my YouTube Channel! I'll be posting a new fun video tomorrow. :) IF I remember. lol
DeleteThat must have been scary, having a fire surrounding your house. And I understand perfectly why you'd want to save the nutcracker. Congratulations on all your accomplishments in 2017!
ReplyDeleteIt still haunts me today. The only good thing to come out of it is this book.
DeleteThank you, Bish!
Congrats on the new book!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're in a much better place right now and that is wonderful news.
Keep moving forward.
Heather
Thank you!
DeleteI am in a MUCH better place, and it feels great. :)
Congratulations on all your 2017 accomplishments! That's quite a list. Hope you have another great year of positive things.
ReplyDeleteThank you! This year will be quieter, but I am looking forward to that...and to writing. :)
DeleteThat's a good thing to save! I'd probably have to save my boxed copy of The Hobbit - it's gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteYou did SO much in 2017 - hoping 2018 is even more successful for you!!
I just got a really beautiful copy of The Hobbit at a book sale. :)
DeleteThanks, Jemi!
Wow, Chrys! You slayed it in 2017! House fires are so devastating. I lost the one & only draft of my first book in a house fire many years ago. Back in the day where you wrote it out on paper or pecked it out on an old manual typewriter. It took me years to return to writing. Best wishes for a happy, peaceful, productive 2018!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about your loss. I once lost the only draft of book that I completed, and I haven't tried to write it again. It's been ten years.
DeleteI'm glad you are writing. :)
Best wishes to you for a wonderful 2018!
Wow! that was quite a year. No doubt you'll do something just a grand in 2018. See you on the 10th. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I hope so. :) See you on the 10th!
DeleteLots of great things in 2017. Bet the nutcracker would be happy to be saved. I'd grabs the cats, my go bag, and away I'd go lol
ReplyDeleteI think he would be happy to be saved. :)
DeleteYour Nutcracker looks loved. Congrats on such a terrific year. Proud of you. You Go! Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
ReplyDeleteHe was very loved, especially when I was younger. I adored him.
DeleteThank you, Juneta!
I would have grabbed the boxes of Kraft Mac and Cheese instead of the potatoes, but maybe that's just me. :) It sounds like you had a pretty productive year writing-wise. I hope to have a year like that someday.
ReplyDeleteI love Mac & Cheese. :)
DeleteWell, I actually didn't write much at all because of my depression, but I was productive in other ways.
If you could accomplish so much while struggling with depression last year, there's gonna be no holding you back this year! (And you're already off to a great start.)
ReplyDeleteI honestly can't think of anything ridiculous I'd want to rescue from our house during a fire. My hubby, our cats... and me. In that order. Then again, in the chaos of an actual fire, there's no telling what I or anyone else might grab. Your mom's choice is very touching.
Thank you, Susan! I hope so. :) But I do plan to take it easier this year, to prevent that nasty depression from returning.
DeleteYou're right. In real life, there's no telling what you'd grab or what you'd do.
My son would probably try to save his enormous Lego collection.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the blogfest!
That's cute!
DeleteThanks for joining, Sandra!
A huge congrats on an awesome year, Chrys. You accomplished so much. And now you are starting your new year with an awesome new book release. Wishing you tons of successes this year.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalie! :)
DeleteSounds like you had a good year. May 2018 be even more exciting. You're starting it off right, with a new book, and more to come. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beverly! :)
DeleteCongratulations on all your wonderful accomplishments!I've been seeing your blog fest all over IWSG and it has me really pondering what I'd save. Very though provoking and I haven't come up with an answer...I love your mom's potatoes though. That speaks of such love.
ReplyDeleteIf you think of what you'd save, pop back over and let me know. :)
DeleteCongrats on the release and all of your accomplishments last year!
ReplyDeleteI love the story about the potatoes.
Thank you, Sarah!
DeleteCongrats on how well you did in 2017, all the more impressive for getting all that done while dealing with depression. I have a friend who calls this kind of list her to-done list (as opposed to a to do list), and it can really help you deal with feeling like you are spinning your wheels, just to write out what you *did* get done.
ReplyDelete@mirymom1 from
Balancing Act
Thank you!
DeleteA to-done list. I never had a word for it, but I make them every year. :)
Congratulations on the new release and all you've accomplished this last year!
ReplyDeleteWishing you success, health and happiness in 2018!
Thank you, Yolanda!
DeleteI am wishing you all the best that life can offer for 2018! And beyond. ;)
Thank you so much for this cool hop and for stopping by my blog. I love the new book. Congratulations on the release and everything you accomplished in 2017. Looking forward to your Sparks book. Wishing you all the best with your 2018 goals.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Toi! I’m glad you like my blog hop.
DeleteHi Chrys. You've achieved so much in 2017 and into 2018. Well done you. Once again, sorry time didn't allow me to participate in your blogfest of host you. I'm working harder toward publication this year. I know it's up to me to push forward. Luckily I have a store of what I believe is fine writing to sort/edit/publish.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, Denise. I understand. Writing is more important. I’ll be blogging less this year so I can write more. Best of luck to you with your publication goal!
DeleteHappy 2018! You're off to a great start. Good luck with sales :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you were a busy bee in 2017. That's awesome. I bet you had fun at the book events.
Keep smiling,
Yawatta
Thank you!
DeleteI think I tried to stay busy to keep negative thoughts away. I enjoyed what I did, though. The book events were the best.
I am amazed at all you accomplished last year, Chrys, esp. all the public appearances and speaking engagements. You should be very proud of yourself. You also come up with the best blogfest. I love them almost as much as your books. :) Wishing you much success with this new release.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have a lot of fun coming up with these blogfests. I’ll be hosting another one at the end of next month for my mom. :)
DeleteYour 2017 achievements are an inspiration, Chrys. I've got no excuses now for 2018. That bag of potatoes makes total sense. When my mother was a child, she was evacuated from Jersey when the Nazis invaded the Channel Islands. She was only able to take a small suitcase and the family lost almost everything they had there. I know that traumatised her as she clung on to possessions for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteThat would be truly traumatizing. I can’t even imagine what anyone who went through that endured.
DeleteWay to go, Chrys! You really did have a productive 2017! Kudos!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandra!
DeleteCongrats on the blogfest. I'm seeing it everywhere today.
ReplyDeleteYou did accomplish a lot last year. You deserve a large dose of chocolate :)
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what silly thing I would grab on the way out of the house, lol. Probably a bottle of wine to fall apart with later. Or whatever gifts are still under the bed waiting to be given away.
I hope you are as productive in 2018, without the depression, of course.
Grabbing a bottle of wine makes perfect sense to settle nerves after a threat like this. Even if your house survives, it’s still an extremely taxing event. Alcohol would be welcome. and chocolate. ;)
DeleteThank you! All the best to you for 2018!
Congratulations Chrys, you achieved a lot in 2017, hope you achieve more in 2018. Good luck with all your writing goals this year.
ReplyDeleteRachna Chhabria
Co-host IWSG
Rachna's Scriptorium
Thank you, Rachna!
DeleteThat must've been so scary for you when the fire happened.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new book!
It sounds like 2017 was a productive year for you. Best wishes for a great 2018.
It was very scary. I still fear fires to this day because of that event.
DeleteThank you, Cynthia!
Potatoes were a good choice - if we can't eat, we can't do much else, can we?
ReplyDeleteSo true.
DeleteIt sounds like you had a very successful 2017 even dealing with depression and all that comes with it. Congrats on your book, your Youtube channel and so much more! That's awesome! I hope you have just as much success, if not more, in 2018!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you had to deal with a fire as a kid. The good thing is that the only other object you said you would have considered saving is an object you still have!
Thank you! I plan to keep up with my YouTube Channel and to attend the same two book events last year this yer. :)
DeleteYes. It's amazing because I collected nutcrackers when I was little and all of them broke after moving from place to place. All of them except my favorite one...the one I would've saved.
Congrats! You got a lot done. Potatoes! That was a smart move.
ReplyDeleteThanks, H.R.!
DeleteHuge congrats on so many fronts! You deserve extra kudos for last year :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Teresa!
DeleteWow, you got a lot done! Congratulations on your publishing contract, Chrys!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Thank you, Gwen!
DeleteHappy New Year!!!
Congratulations on a very productive year! You also did something I didn't think could be done--got a contract for a second book in a series after self-publishing the first. Food for thought.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteActually, I didn't self-publish the first book in the series. Hurricane Crimes was published by The Wild Rose Press. It was Lightning Crimes, a teaser between books 2 and 3 that I self-published, because it was too short for my publisher. Flaming Crimes, the book I got a contract for last year and just released, is Book 4. :)
I am sorry to hear about your struggles. My depression first started 10 years ago, too, and it got worse because of my back problems, which led to disability.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
Crumbs Chrys - that was one amazing year ... leading to things to be readied for 2018 ... brilliant. Love the ideas for your crime series ... and so good luck for many achievements in 2018 - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hilary! I hope your 2018 is full of fun travel, good food, and time with loved ones. :)
DeleteBravo, Chrys, on your new release. I always like your Crimes novellas. You certainly have had an amazing year. Here's to every blessing in 2018.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Victoria! Hurricane Crimes is the only novella, though. The others are considered novel-length. Woot!
DeleteHey Chrys,
ReplyDeleteYou can relax now. Your wait for one of my highly regarded, much acclaimed comments has finally arrived at your delightful blog.
Wow, you've just had one busy year. Good positive resources for you to utilise. Of course, you've also experienced some traumatic events. Despite it all, you have proven determined resilience against your depression. For you, my remarkable friend, will never ever give your depression permission to overwhelm you. You have demonstrated, as such, by how much you've managed to accomplish.
Congrats on your release. I'm still waiting for a pardon from the Governor.
A peaceful, positive and inspiring 2018 to you, Chrys.
Gary 😀
Yay! I am honored. :)
DeleteThank you for such a thoughtful and kind comment. You boosted me up with your words.
Happy New Year, Gary! May you receive only the best for 2018.
Congrats on your 2017 achievements! I will definitely keep an eye out for when you publish Write With Fey :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth! I can't wait for it to come out myself. :)
DeleteAwesome use of 2017, Chrys! Lots of variety to keep the inspiration free flowing. As an avid nutcracker collector, now you have me thinking I should store my Christmas collection somewhere with easier access. Usually I don't think beyond, pets, clean underwear, phone and lap top!
ReplyDeleteYou collect nutcrackers? :D I used to have about fifty of them when I was little, all because of the one in this post, but after moving again and again they all broke. I have the nutcracker pictured here in my curio cabinet. A few others are on top of the curio cabinet. Trying to get them would probably be tough.
DeleteWow! You had a lot of great things happen in 2017. Yeah!
ReplyDeleteI have been seeing your book all over the blogosphere. Congrats! It has been fun reading all the answers and finding out what people would save. Interesting that your mom grabbed a bag of potatoes. It does make sense when you say why. :)
Here's to a happy and healthy 2018!
~Jess
You may see it a little bit more next week and the following week. I'll be on ten blogs to share a continuing true story about that fire that almost took my childhood home. :)
DeleteHappy New Year!
How can you be sure it wasn't the nutcracker who started the fire?? Just kidding! Congratulations on your new release and for your many awesome accomplishments in 2017.
ReplyDeleteHappy 2018!
He wouldn't be a very smart nutcracker playing with matches or a lighter. He could've caught fire himself! lol
DeleteThank you, Nicki!
Wow Chrys, you did alot in 2017!! I am so happy for you and proud of you! Congrats on the new book! I love the story about the potatoes! I think I would grab my very first teddy bear! Big Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I appreciate that.
DeleteIt seems so many people would grab their oldest teddy bear or stuffed animal. I have a teddy bear from when I had surgery at 15 that I would want to grab, too. :)
I am so happy for you and all your successes. Despite your depression, you have managed to make the best out of life. Such an inspiration. Congrats! May 2018 bring you more joy.
ReplyDeleteThat's the goal...making the best out of life despite depression. :)
DeleteAll the best for you in 2018!
You had such an amazing year and I admire your accomplishments so much knowing you were battling depression along the way. Congratulations on knocking 2017 out of the park! I didn't realize you had signed a contract for the Write With Fey book, somehow I totally missed that. Wonderful news!!
ReplyDeleteThat was some quick-thinking on your mother's part grabbing those potatoes. Congrats on the fest and on the fantastic new release!!
Thank you, Julie! I did my best with what I had. Physically and mentally. :)
DeleteCongrats on all your achievements, Chrys! You have a lot to be proud of. Here's hoping 2018 brings you more (I'm sure it will).
ReplyDeleteLove the story of your mother grabbing a bag of potatoes. That says so much about who she is. Would be great to use in a novel to show character.
Thank you, Holli!
DeleteI did use that scene in Flaming Crimes, though I used it to be more funny. :)
That was definitely a great year, especially appearing at the book events. It can take a lot to put yourself out there. The Nutcracker looks like a jolly fellow - I can see why you'd want to save him. Congrats on Flaming Crimes and good luck for 2018!
ReplyDeleteLast year, putting myself out there as an author was my goal. Something I had never done before.
DeleteThank you!
I've enjoyed your visit today as have the blogster buds.
ReplyDeleteHow is having a perma free working out for you? Do you feel it's drawn interest and helped your sales?
I've enjoyed it, too!
DeleteI love my perma-free story. I never have to worry about promoting it, though I do add it to websites that showcase free eBooks from time to time. The rank is always good, which means it gets downloads. As for do I feel it's drawn interest? I'm not sure. So far, no one has left a review saying they started the series because of the free story, but who knows? Someone could've of. And the readers of my series love it, so that works for me. :)
You closed your blog hop linky thing! I finally published and promoted your book.
ReplyDeleteIt closed before the hop went live. I can manually add your post back. No worries.
Deleteyour blogfest was a huge success! i saw many great posts! congrats on Flaming Crimes!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tara!
Deletewow!
ReplyDeleteloved the place and sharing!
best wishes to your projects my friend!
Love the blogfest! I've been seeing you and your wonderful book all over the place. Huge wishes for epic success.
ReplyDeleteA nutcracker, eh? Honestly, in my younger days I might have saved a multitude of strange things. These days I'd probably go straight for the photo albums--the ones I don't have digitized. Truthfully though, I'd run for my computer: home of all family pictures and books.
Thank you, Crystal! The blog hop was fun. Now I’m doing a 10-Day tour. :)
DeletePhoto albums, especially if they aren’t in digital, is a must.
As I mentioned in another post, I'd save my journal, or I'd save my laptop because both of them have my writing in them. I wish I could leave my cell phone behind, but I'd need that for an emergency like that one. And congratulations on a successful year and the new book! You really did accomplish a lot, and that's great!
ReplyDeleteI’d have to try to rent to grab my cellphone, too. In an emergency like this, one is definitely needed.
Delete