Thursday, May 28, 2015

An Interview with Chrys Fey

I’ve been reading Chrys Fey’s blog for six months of so.  She is an author from the sunny state of Florida.  The focus of her blog is to help others improve their writing and she is always providing good ideas and tips.  I am honored to interview her, especially since she has a new publication, Ghost of Death, that recently become available. 

Sage:  Chrys, you are from Florida and some of your writings are set in the Sunshine State, but not all of your stories are set there.   What role does “place” play in your writings?

Chrys: Place plays a big role. In Hurricane Crimes, I wrote about Florida during hurricane season. In 30 Seconds, the setting is Cleveland during the winter, so I had to make sure to write about snow, which I’ve never experienced. And in the sequel to Hurricane Crimes, which I just submitted to my publisher, I wrote about Michigan and California, and both of those places are home to some very big events. It’s crucial to get settings right, because places are another character.

Sage: Debra Dean is the author of The Madonnas of Leningrad.   Half of the book is set in Leningrad, at the Hermitage Art Museum during World War II.  When she wrote the novel, she had never been to Russia.  What advice do you give for authors writing about a place they’ve never experienced?

Chrys: Research, research, research! Get nonfiction books about the country, state, etc. Then read fiction books and watch movies set there. Also study photographs of places that your characters will visit. Anything you can get your hands on about that setting will help you tremendously.

Sage: When not writing, what do you enjoy doing?  How do your other interests play into your stories?

Chrys: I draw fashion designs, write songs, and garden. My passion for fashion has helped a lot with my stories. Many of my heroines have worn my designs. ;)

Sage: You seem to enjoy the horror genre.  What draws you to such stories?

Chrys:  Ever since I was little I was interested in the supernatural and horror. I can’t really put my finger on what draws me to them but to say...I like them! :D

Sage: What do you hope your reader will take away from your stories?

Chrys:  My first goal is for them to be entertained. I think reading should be an experience, so I want my readers to feel connected to my characters and to be drawn into the story line. I like them to be on the edge of their seats and maybe even get teary eyed. So, in other words, I want them to have a reaction. And hopefully a good one.

Sage:  Looking ahead 50 years, as you look back on your life, what will be your Magnus Opus? 

Chrys: I’m not sure if I have a Magnus Opus in me, but there is a series that I feel is my best. I wrote a long time ago and I am still perfecting it and trying to get representation for it, which is far easier said than done. I hope to publish these four books one day and then maybe you can tell me if they qualify as my Magnus Opus.

Sage:  Great answer, Chrys!  But I bet you have a Magnus Opus in you!  Let me ask you a few more personal questions to get to know you better.  In responses in my blog, you have mentioned having never kayaked but that you’d like to try the sport.  Will you?  There are some nice rivers in Florida to paddle. 
                              
Chrys: I think I would like to try it with a few experienced kayakers. Funny thing is, Beth Kennedy, the heroine in Hurricane Crimes, loves to canoe Florida rivers, and I haven’t done that either!

Sage: We got to get you in boat!  You have also mentioned in your blog, or maybe it was in a comment in mine that you have a rod in your back.  I am sure that can be limiting.  You don’t have to answer this, but I am curious.  Would you care to share with us how this came about and if it limits your activities?

Chrys:  When I was fourteen I was diagnosed with scoliosis. My spine was curved at a 45 degree angle and twisted. I needed surgery with fusion and a rod to correct this and ease my pain. Except, pain is something I still deal with day to day. It limits a lot of my activities, including how long I can sit, stand, or walk. I can’t even hula hoop anymore and I used to be a champ at that!
                                              
Sage:  Don't worry, I could never hula hoop!  And I am sorry that you have to deal with constant pain for I can't imagine what that would be like.  Your grit and determination is to be applauded.  Somewhere along the way, I remember hearing that Kurt Vonnegut once said that if one wanted to be a writer, they should stay out of writing programs at college.  In your blog, you indicate under “education” that you have a GED.  Congratulations!  It appears your work hard on your craft.  What advantages and disadvantages do you see as an author having less formal education?

Chrys: Thank you, Sage! My GED is something I used to be ashamed about because it’s not your traditional high school diploma, but I enjoy knocking down the stigma that many (not all) people have that GEDs are for slackers. I think that if you mention you have a GED, some people may not take you as seriously, so that’s a disadvantage. An advantage would be the opportunity to prove them wrong, as I have done. ;)

Sage:  Chrys, your hard work is evident. Thank you for taking time to have this conversation with me.  I wish you success in your writing and happiness in life.  For my readers, I encourage you to check out Chrys’ blurb for Ghost of Death: 

*Ghost of Death is a short story.*

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.

Book Links:


BIO:  Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers!

 Author Links:

55 comments:

  1. Refreshing interview indeed, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for checking out my interview, blogoratti!

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    2. Thanks, Blogoratti. It was a pleasure to interview Chrys.

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  2. Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Sage! And thank for for creating such a deep interview. I liked answering your questions. :)

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    1. It is an honor to feature your interview. Thank you!

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  3. Great interview with Chrys! She's making quite a splash with her book.

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  4. Enjoyed the interview. I've not heard of Chrys Fey but will have a look at her stuff. Great name, btw.

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    1. Hi, Charles! That doesn't surprise me. I am a new author, known by only a few. :)

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    2. Both of you are into horror, although I think Chrys might be more into paranormal than fantasy.

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  5. p.s. Wanted to contact you re: those silver mines. Here's my email if you'll send me a message, then I'll be able to email back. Thanks. cleemckenzieATgmailDOTcom

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    1. I will look forward to talking about mining and mining towns--a favorite topic of mine!

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  6. She's right here in South Florida and I didn't know she wrote such interesting books. Great interview. I'm intrigued and will check out some of her work.

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    1. Hi, Ileana! It's always nice to "meet" other Floridians. :D Thanks for leaving a lovely comment.

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    2. Is there something about Florida and creativity?

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    3. It's the heat. We stay indoors and have to find creative things to do. Or at least I do. haha

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  7. Chrys deserves every accolade we can dish out - she is AWESOMELY TALENTED.

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    1. Awesomely talented? *blushes* I'll take that. ;)

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    2. Thanks, hopefully we can get the word out!

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  8. Yay to Chrys Fey. It's a great story! I read it in two sessions on the treadmill and stayed on longer than I was supposed to, it was so good!

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    1. Thank you, Stephanie! I love knowing that you read it on the treadmill. :D

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    2. You must be younger than me---reading on a treadmill. I used to be able to read but as my eyes waned and glasses were required, I switched to listening to books. Chrys, do you have an audio version?

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    3. Sage--one word: Kindle! You can change the size of the text...it's awesome! Look into it, but there's also a way you can have any book you download from Amazon read to you on your iPhone, iPad, or Kindle. My husband showed me once...the voice is robotic and annoying, but you'd probably get used to it after a while. I have an Audible.com membership, but the number of books available on audio is a very small percentage of the books out there, unfortunately.

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    4. Afraid not, Sage. I published this through a small press. But I had no idea you could have a download from Amazon read to you. That's neat! Thanks for the tip, Stephanie!

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    5. I use audible--there are plenty of books there I haven't listened to so even though there are not always the book I want to listen to, they are available. Crys, you should try to do an audible on your own--I wonder is there is a media outlet you could read your own work and sell it?

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  9. I'll look for her book - nice interview!

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    1. Thank you so much, Lynn! It's an eBook and a short story...just so you aren't disappointed. :)

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    2. Lynn, how was Amy Blackmarr's book?

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  10. Chrys sounds like an interesting person. While I'm not into the type of stories she writes, she is to be commended for getting her work out there! And I do hope she kayaks with you, Sage!

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    1. Bone used to push me to lead trips for my blog readers.... I am not really into this type of writing, either, but have been trying to see if I could write YA fiction.

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    2. Thank you so much, Michael! I appreciate your comment. I also write romantic-suspense (Hurricane Crimes, 30 Seconds), Fantasy Romance (Witch of Death), and many other genres that aren't published yet including sci-fi and western. I know not everyone reads my published genres, but I don't restrict myself with them. :)

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  11. Wow, this was an incredible interview, and I'm very happy to be introduced to such a new and inspiring writer. Thanks for sharing Chrys with us!

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    1. It was my pleasure to interview her and for her to be so honest

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    2. Thank you for such a lovely comment, Karen! :)

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  12. I didn't know you were a fashion designer, Chrys! You have many strings to your bow. And I'm confident your series will be published someday soon and be awesome.

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    1. Yes, it is nice to learn what other interest authors have and Chrys recently showed some of her designs in either her post or a post she did in another blog.

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    2. Thank you, Nick. I hope so. And yes, I draw designs and hope one day to be a real fashion designer as well as an author. :D

      Sage, you're right. I shared a design on my blog last week. :)

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  13. Good interview, I'll see if I can get the books to give them a try. Sometimes Amazon UK doesn't hold stock of Yankee books. :-)

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    1. Is Amazon UK biased against us Yanks? I'm actually surprised the UK version is available in the Republic of Ireland. :) Since they are e-books and e-stories (as with the Ghost of Death), they should be available wherever there is internet.

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    2. Guess what, Roaring...Amazon UK and all Amazon branches have my eBooks. :D I think I have my small publishing press to thank for that.

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  14. oh man, pain sucks...but no worries, I can't hula hoop too well either. (plus it's not that exciting an activity! lol) love Chrys, and her blog is SO helpful. My WIP takes place in Florida so I have some of her FL posts bookmarked to fact check things :)

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    1. Maybe we should start a club for hula hoop rejects!

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    2. I love knowing that my posts are helpful to other blogs. If you need a beta reader in the future, Beth, I volunteer. :)

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  15. Excellent interview, on both sides. The new book sounds intriguing for sure. I'm off to check out Chrys's blog!

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    1. Thanks, Bone. This is the fourth such interview I've done and they can be a bit challenge especially when the author is out of my normal genre

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  16. Chrys, your blog is a wonderful tutorial for all writers. Hate to hear about that rod. Pain is a lousy constant companion ... its conversation is so one-sided! It was good to get to know more about you. Sage, thanks for visiting my own blog. :-)

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    1. "pain's conversation is so one-sided" is an enlightening through!

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    2. It sure is a lousy contact companion. :\

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  17. Excellent interview! I enjoyed reading! It's always interesting to read about new authors. I wish you good luck with your writing and publishing, Chrys! I'm going to visit your blog!

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  18. Any parnamoral activity in the South Sandwich Islands, Leni?

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  19. I could never hula hoop.

    You've really never seen snow?

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