Why did I write a story for Thorn in the Disaster
Crimes series?
When I was writing Flaming Crimes (Book 4), which
featured Beth and Donovan, I was thinking ahead to Frozen Crimes (Book
5) and considering what would come after that. I had a hurricane, earthquake,
tsunami, wildfire, and would soon have a blizzard.
However, there was always one disaster I thought about and
wondered how I’d handle it…a tornado.
*SPOILER*
If you haven’t read Frozen Crimes yet and plan to,
skip down to END SPOILER in red font.
*SPOILER*
Whenever I thought of Beth and Donovan going through a
tornado, for the first time, the odds would not have been in their favor. Now,
I hope if you’re reading this that means you have read Frozen Crimes or
don’t plan to because what I’m going to say next will spoil a huge
surprise…every time I pictured Beth and Donovan hunkering down in a closet or
bathroom, Beth would be sheltering one of their twins, and Donovan would be
holding the other. The tornado would rip apart their house and pick up Donovan
and one of the twins. Afterward, Beth would search for them among the wreckage.
She’d find them. The baby would be okay, but Donovan would’ve died protecting
his child. Even when I removed the baby from that scenario and had Beth holding
both of them, Donovan would be covering them with his body. He would still get
sucked away. He would still die protecting his family.
Every time.
I hated it.
I couldn’t do that to Donovan.
I couldn’t do that to Beth.
*END SPOILER*
A tornado would’ve been the disaster that would’ve beat
Beth and Donovan, and I refused to let that happen.
So, I knew what I had to do…I had to give this disaster to
another character.
Sorry, Thorn.
At this point, you might be wondering why I just didn’t end
the series with the blizzard in Frozen Crimes and just not write about a
tornado. Problem solved. Right? Well, not exactly.
The other reason why I wanted to write a story for Thorn is
because I’d been interested in writing a spin-off for him since Tsunami
Crimes (Book 3), which, at that time, his story would’ve been slightly
different. The woman in that original spin-off idea would’ve had Amanda’s
backstory of abuse, but how Thorn and the heroine met and events after that
would’ve been different. And she wouldn’t have been Amanda.
When I was writing Flaming Crimes and needed to
create a new character who would be Beth’s self-defense assistant at The
Fighting Chance, I came up with Amanda. She was the perfect assistant, being a
survivor of abuse herself, and she worked for the original idea, too, with some
tweaks.
Thorn is instantly head-over-heels for her. In Flaming
Crimes and Frozen Crimes, I was setting up a potential romance and
leading into his own story.
I figured my readers would want to read that story.
And I wanted to write that story.
Also, when I thought of Thorn and Amanda and the two of
them facing a tornado, I envisioned them winning.
Now that I could do!
Pages: 154
Genre:
Romantic-Suspense
Heat
Rating: Hot
BLURB:
*A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster
Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be
read as a standalone.*
Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she
needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to
give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he's
worried the truth will frighten her away.
And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for
Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby
where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates,
jeopardizing their happy ending.
Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and
Amanda have a fighting chance?
Book
Links: Amazon / Barnes
& Noble / Kobo / iTunes
EXCERPT:
Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date
payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye.
She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the
picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a
short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled
from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a
millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the
ledge where they put their purses and cell phones.
“What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her
fingers at April and pointed at the stools.
April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they
blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the
jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield
Amanda.
From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of
the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re
going to be closing.”
“I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.”
The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even
harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her
memories.
Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by
that name here.”
“Don’t bullshit me. I know she works here.”
His voice was closer now.
***FREE
FOR A LIMITED TIME***
THE DISASTER CURSE
Book
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes
Author’s Note: I wrote The Disaster Curse to answer a few lingering questions readers may have after reading A Fighting Chance, and to tie the whole series together with a neat, shiny, perfect little bow. Plus, there was one disaster that I hadn’t written about yet. *wink*
The Disaster
Crimes Series:
*The
Crime Before the Storm (prequel)
Hurricane
Crimes (novella, #1)
Seismic
Crimes (#2)
Lightning
Crimes (free short, #2.5)
Tsunami
Crimes (#3)
Flaming
Crimes (#4)
Frozen
Crimes (#5)
A
Fighting Chance (spin-off, #6)
The
Disaster Curse (short story, #7)
*Free
exclusive story to newsletter subscribers.
***LAUNCHING
A WEBSITE***
TheFightingChance.org is a website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired by the Disaster Crimes series.
***GIVEAWAY***
Prizes:
Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2)
eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a
Volcanic Blast Scented Candle
Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a92670/
Thank you for visiting my blog and taking part in my blog tour!
Blog Tour Stops:
1/11 - Tyrean's Writing Spot
1/12 - M.J. Fifield
1/13 - Peggy Jaeger
1/14 - Diane Burton
1/15 - Joanne Guidoccio
1/16 - Joylene Butler
1/18 - Lynda R. Young
1/19 - Writing in Wonderland
1/20 - WordDreams
1/21 - The Faux Fountain Pen
1/22 - Sandra Cox
1/25 - Emaginette
1/26 - Ninja Librarian
1/27 - Patricia Josephine
1/29 - Elizabeth Seckman
NOTE: Bloggers who signed up and posted will be entered into a giveaway for a $5.00 Amazon eGift card. I will pick and notify the winner on January 30th.
Glad you didn't kill off a main character. Fans would've been unhappy.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on wrapping up the series!
I wouldn't have been able to do it. I would've been very unhappy. lol
DeleteThank you!
I would have been devastated with that original story!!!! This one popped up on my Kindle last night!!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! That's why I couldn't write it.
DeleteThank you for buying the eBook!
I love the covers! Happy New Year and best to you for a safe and healthy 2021!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Happy New Year!!!
DeleteI wouldn't have wanted to kill him off either.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't do it.
DeleteGlad you didn't kill him off. Congrats on your new book and finishing the series!
ReplyDeleteI never would've gone through with it.
DeleteThank you! :)
Isn't it interesting how certain scenarios play out, no matter how much you try to get them not to?
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting. I never would've killed off Donovan, and yet, that's what I kept seeing.
DeleteI definitely understand not wanting to kill one of your main characters! Plus I love the idea of a side story.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the release!
It worked out well with creating a spin-off. I love this story so much.
DeleteThank you!
Congrats on completing an excellent series Chrys.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well.
Yvonne.
Thank you, Yvonne!
DeleteThe covers are great! Very eye catching.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kari!
DeleteHi Chrys - congratulations on this series ... and always important to keep a positive character around - cheers us up. All the best - Hilary
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hilary! All the best to you, too.
DeleteNice to have insight into your writing process. Yeah, if you kill off the main character, the series would be over, unless you're going to write about ghost or there's a resurrection ;)
ReplyDeletehttps://fromarockyhillside.com
Ha! Well, the series is over, but there's no ghosts in this series. ;)
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Chrys! On the new website and the book!! I love this idea of domestic violence awareness coming from the book, plus Thorn and Amanda are strong characters.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa! I felt a calling to do more for domestic violence awareness. <3
DeleteReading it... I'll get back to you.
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you!
DeleteThe cover for Fighting Chance is gorgeous, Chrys. I've entered the giveaway. All best to you in your book tour and launch.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Victoria! Good luck with the giveaway!
DeleteThanks for the list of other people featuring your book on their blogs, Chrys. Now I can see their posts too. May you sell lots of books and lead many to help via your new website.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Louise! And thank you so much for your help and your kindness!
Deletecongratulations on the new book. i loved it and am so glad you didn't kill him off, though that would have been one hell of an ending. i do like to be shook up and have had more than one author kill off one of the main characters and it sure puts a spin on the story. i do like happy ever afters though.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sherry! Glad to know you loved it. :)
DeleteHi, Chrys! Just wanted you to know that my copy of "A Fighting Chance" arrived yesterday afternoon. I read it in bed last night in one go ~ Stayed up reading very late because I didn't want to stop. It felt authentic, terrifying, and steamy. It was great, and I really enjoyed it. It's horrific to think that there are women who live with the fear and defenses that Amanda did in the story. You captured it so well! Thank goodness for the Thorns in this world!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this comment, Louise! Thank you for reading A Fighting Chance. To know you read it in one go makes me so happy. I appreciate your comment so much.
Delete