Remembering Summers Gone By...

Summer is officially here. This kids are out of school, days are longer, and lightning bugs sparkle in the night. Fourth of July weekend is upon as as well, when families celebrate our freedoms in this country with barbecues, pool parties, and other activities.

Which got me thinking about summers gone by.

I grew up pretty poor, so we didn't really take family vacations. The most my family would do is maybe drive a couple hours to see people for a few days, but we didn't go on long car trips or travel much at all.

However, this isn't me in a vain attempt to garner pity. I was lucky enough to have an aunt and uncle that looked out for me. Summer for me was when I'd get to go spend time at my Aunt Billie's and Uncle Bill's house.

They would swoop in and snatch me away for weeks during the summer, or as long as my parents would let me be gone. Their home was only a few hours away, but it seemed like another world to me. They would take me to movies, museums, theme parks, anything they could think of that was fun to do. Even after they had their own child, they still included me in all their family fun.

Some of our best times were when we'd pile in the car and just take off without a plan, just seeng where we'd end up. Usually it included a book store, because they both held an immense love for reading, and always nurtured that love in me. We'd find out of the way bookstores and spend the whole day getting lost in stories and finding treaures. Even when we'd just stay at the house, we'd have cookouts, fireworks, and play outside in the sprinkler. I had an entire set of friends there, and they were always more than welcome to join in all the fun.

Billie and Bill showed me how much beauty and wonder there was in the world if you'd just stop and take the time to notice. They had a huge garden in their backyard where we'd pick fruits and vegetables daily. Sunflowers taller than me would sway in the wind and yield huge bounties of seeds to munch on. Cats and dogs would play in the sun, or keep me company on lazy days inside reading.

Those times were simply magical to me and helped shape me as an idividual in more ways than I can even explain. They always called me "princess" and made me feel like one, too.

Uncle Bill has long since passed, but Aunt Billie is still around. She still calls me "princess" and makes me smile every second I'm with her. Her home has always been another home to me and always will be. I lived with her when I went to college and learned how to be an adult. Every stage of my life is connected to her in some way, but my childhood summers at her house were just the best times ever.

So what are your best and brighteset summer memories?

Blog, Interrupted

Well, my grandiose plans of being more productive and blogging more frequently kind of got blown all to hell. You know how life can be. Just when you think it's all going according to plan, the Universe gives you a big kick in the stomach as if to say "think again."

My family has been sidelined by ill parents the past two months. First, my mother-in-law got severe pneumonia and had to be hospitalized on a ventilator in the ICU for over a week. She's in physical therapy and recovering, and then my father had a heart attack that ended up in a triple bypass, pacemaker surgery. Complications from that landed him in the ICU on a vent as well. He's finally on the mend, and things look like they might get back to normal.

I've gotten my first round edits for Vampires Don't Dance. Hopefully we can still get it out this summer, despite my little veer off the writing path. Fairy Fury got it's first review. Four Cups from Coffee Time Romance. I'm excited about that, since the book went through a significant plot change during edits. Now I need to haul ass on the next stories, and make up for lost time.

As always, life goes on.

Wednesday Wanderings...

So my post last week was all about finding what people look for in a blog from a writer. I got some excellent comments, and promised to give away a book. So without further ado, the winner is...

Sara Thompson!

Shoot me an email, Sara, at chris_arie at yahoo dot com and let me know what ebook you'd like as your prize! My entire library, along with blurbs and excerpts can be found at www.christlegray.com

Wedensdays are typically "concentrate on writing days" for me. I'm off from the day job that pays the bills, and try to cram in writing, blogging, edits - whatever fills my plate at that particular moment. For those of us that have to juggle a regular job with writing, (and there's alot of us) time management is crucial to our success. Sleep gets pushed to the back burner, along with sacrificing time with family and friends, all so we can chase that dream that drives us - to write and share our stories with others.

There are people who've spent years perfecting the craft and pursuing publication. I took a very long break from writing and didn't really get serious about it again until 2007, and then got my first publishing contract in 2008. Some might say I got lucky, but I'd like to think that I finally knew I had what it took to go after what I wanted, and decided to do it. I'm still learning about the business, but man, I'm loving this ride. The adrenaline rush is addicting, from when you finish a manuscript, to when you get that contract offer, and then see all your hard work come to fruition. It's like running a marathon, the endorphins practically making you giddy.

I still struggle to make it all happen, and there's still plenty to learn, but I'm willing to put in the time and effort. I mean, if I expect someone to pay to read the craziness that fills my head, I'd better be damn sure they feel that craziness is worth it!

And that being said, I've got a couple of personal projects that I hope to be able to share soon, too. Because hey, I make the rules, here, and I do what I want! (LOL)

Until then, Happy Reading!

Tell me what you want, what you really really want...

Soooo...I've been trying to blog more lately (uh-huh), and use my time more effectively (yeah, right), and I've come to one very frightening and obvious conclusion.

I have no earthly idea what I'm doing.

Seriously, I'm just making it up as I go along, people. I want to have interesting things to say, and posts so astounding that you have to talk about them with everyone you know(a girl can dream). But the fact is that I don't really know what people want to read, and what drives them to visit blogs and leave comments, or become members of websites. Hell, I can't even decipher that stuff for my own life. I never seem to know what will prick my interest from one day to the next. (I'm a gemini - don't judge me - LOL)

So what I want to know is - what do YOU guys want to see? What flicks your bic, or floats your boat? If it's contests and free stuff - what kinds of free stuff? Do you like free reads - posted stories or downloadable files? Polls? Heavy topics with controversy or fun, silly things to think about?

To make things more interesting, if you take the time to leave a comment and give me feedback, I'll enter you to win your choice of any of my ebooks, the winner to determined April 6th.

So, fire away, and give me something good!

P.S. - And don't forget to visit Crystal-Rain Love for the tail end of the Fool For Romance Contest! Winner will be picked April 1st!

New Release!

Fairy Fury Released today! YAY!



Sora Starwind just wants to have a normal life. Well, as normal as a banished teenage fairy living in a halfway house for paranormals can have. Squashing her magic mishaps is just part of the equation.

Catching the eye of a certain hottie named Liam Crawford would be a plus, if she could only figure out how to not act like a complete dork around him. Then a surprise visit from her estranged mother brings an ultimatum that threatens to turn Sora’s world upside down.

Unexpectedly faced with her past, Sora has to find the inner strength to deal with her banishment, but there’s more to her story than even she knows…


The characters in this series are very close to my heart, and I'm so glad Sapphire Blue Publishing continues to believe in them and me so that I can share it all with YOU!

Purchase Fairy Fury

Happy Reading!

Fool For Romance Contest!

It's that time of year again! Time to show how much of a fool you are for a happily ever after, and enter to win some great prizes, including a brand spanking new KINDLE!

Crystal-Rain Love has gathered a lovely group of authors to donate prizes. Visit Here for full details and the schedule. I am donating a copy of my Wild Rose Press release, Through Hell and High Water, and perhaps a few other items.

To enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment here on the blog about what you are truly a fool for, when it comes to romance. Me, I'm a sucker for a hero that has a smart mouth and a sense of humor. Nothing is sexier than a guy that makes me laugh.

I'll pick a name from the commenters, and forward that on to Rain for entry into the grand prize drawing. And perhaps a few runner-up prizes as well...

So what are you waiting for?

New Cover Art!

My second book in the Hell House series, Fairy Fury, has cover art! Take a gander!



Kendra Egert has done an awesome job, once again! I just love how tough my teenage fairy, Sora Starwind, looks. She sure doesn't take flack from anyone, and I'm SO excited to tell more of her story!

I'm going through the galley now, and should have a release date sometime soon!

SQUEE!