When I was in fifth grade, I slept over at my best friend’s house, which wasn’t a strange thing for me to do. Nearly every weekend I’d sleep over at her house. We’d either slumber in her bedroom or set up a bunch of blankets and pillows on the floor in her living room. One night, we stayed up late watching TV in her living room. When we turned off the TV, the comforting glow disappeared. We settled down to sleep, chatting in whispers to each other.
Minutes later, we noticed strange lights flashing on and off, lighting up the living room. Shaking with chills, we sat up and followed the lights toward the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by a low wall. We peered through the opening in the wall and watched the kitchen window lit up with a car’s headlights. It’d snap on and off, on and off.
Staring at those lights, our minds ran rampant. Who was out there? What did he want? Did he know we were in the living room, two young girls? When the lights didn’t stop flashing, my best friend scurried to her parents’ bedroom to tell her dad. He hurried into the closet, got down his gun, and ran outside. But the car and the person were gone.
For Frozen Crimes, I had to write scenes where a stalker torments Beth, my pregnant heroine. I needed to do it gradually, and I wanted to do different things than what may be expected. Something I like to do for all my stories is to slip in things from my real life, and that’s what I did for this scene:
EXCERPT:
A clatter sounded from the kitchen, and Leighton hurried into the living room. “Beth, Beth, there’s someone outside.”
Beth’s insides froze. “What?” Although she had been afraid, she hadn’t believed the person, if it was a person, would come back to taunt her. And not so soon. “Did you see him?”
“Him? No. There’s a car in your driveway. The lights are flashing.”
Frowning, Beth pushed to her feet. Surely Leighton was mistaken. Someone could be having car trouble and put on their flashers. Or maybe it was her neighbor and their car’s blinker was on as they backed out of the driveway.
As she approached the kitchen, she saw the glares coming through the window, filling the room with yellowish flashes. She slowed her steps instinctively. Her hand flattened onto her belly, like a shield. She stopped behind the wall and inched closer so she wouldn’t be seen.
“Beth, be careful,” Leighton whispered.
Keeping her belly safe behind the wall, Beth peeked past the corner. All she could see was the flashing lights dominating the window space. Needing to be sure the lights were malicious, she made her way to the kitchen window.
“Beth, don’t.”
She shifted to the side and peered out the window. A dark-colored car was parked in her driveway. The inside of the car was pitch-black, and the front headlights came on and off. She studied the flashes, seeing if there was a pattern—like SOS—but there wasn’t. As soon as the lights went off, they came back on again. It was a deliberate act. Someone was sitting in that car, flashing those lights into her home.
When disasters strike around every corner, is it possible to have a happily-ever-after?
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Beth and Donovan are expecting their first child. Life couldn’t get any better…until a stalker makes his presence known. This person sends disturbing messages and unsettling items, but it isn’t long before his menacing goes too far.
Hoping for a peaceful Christmas, Donovan takes Beth to Michigan. Days into their trip, a winter storm named Nemesis moves in with the goal of burying the state. Snowdrifts surround their house, and the temperature drops below freezing.
Except, the storm isn’t the only nemesis they must face. Everyone’s lives are at stake—especially that of their unborn child. Will they survive, or will they become a frozen crime?
BUY LINKS: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes
about the PRIZES
Disaster Crimes eBook set: Hurricane Crimes, Seismic Crimes, Tsunami Crimes, Flaming Crimes; set of four Girl Boss Magnets; Inflatable Cup Holder; set of two Adventure Fuel To-Go Cups; Anchor Fashion Scarf; set of two Mermaid Nail Clippers; Citrus and Sea Salt Scented Candle; Snowflake Handmade Bookmark; and Insulated Cooler Bag.
Giveaway Ends: October 30, 2020 12:00am Eastern Standard Time
International Eligibility and only One Winner
Click here to get your name in now
To get the exclusive prequel to the Disaster Crimes series, sign up for Chrys’ newsletter. By signing up, you agree to receive Chrys Fey’s newsletter. After you confirm subscription, you will receive an email (so check your inbox and spam folder) with directions on where to snag your eBook copy of THE CRIME BEFORE THE STORM.
Click here to sign up and get The Crime Before the Storm FREE!
About Chrys
Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com
elements of emaginette 
Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I’m glad to be able to share this real-life tale of mystery with your readers. 🙂
Glad to have you anytime, Chrys. 🙂
So far, I’ve just written non-fiction and memoir, but it would be fun to use real-life events in fictional stories as well. I enjoyed reading about Chrys’s scary moment as a teenager and the excerpt and am glad to see her continue her blog tour!
She does know how to grab the reader. 🙂