I’m answering an important question today: “Whom would you want to be stuck with during a blizzard, and what would you do?” posed by the amazing author, Chrys Fey. Ms. Fey’s latest book, Frozen Crimes, in her suspenseful Disaster Crime series is set for release today!

Frozen Crimes

Blurb:

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?

Excerpt

“The crunch of the shovel pounding into the snow and ice filled his ears. It was all he could hear. The rest of the street was silent beneath its wintry blanket. Breathing was difficult with the icy air clogging his lungs. His nose burned. His throat was dry and on fire. But he ignored it, focusing on his task.

Crack, crack, crack.

He jabbed the shovel into a hunk of snow. On the third hit, it shattered into several pieces. He scooped them up and flung them to the side. He surveyed what remained. There was one big ball in the middle of the path that needed to be dealt with next. He moved over to it and struck it. That one impact had it severing in two. He was about to hit it again when something crashed into the back of his head.

Explosions of white light danced over his vision. Pain enveloped his skull.

The shovel slipped from his fingers. Blackness cloaked his mind, coaxing him into its depths.

Beth. Her name was a whisper in his head, as if his thoughts were being sucked into a wormhole.

His legs collapsed under his weight.

Cold. It seeped into him, consuming him. And then his consciousness fled down that same void that ate his thoughts.”

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Who I Want to Be Stuck With During a Blizzard

I’ve been in many blizzards. I used to live on the prairies and indeed, that’s a place you’re sure to witness a good blizzard. I’ve frozen my butt off outside on the ski slopes, or skating outdoors, and even walking to and from class on university campus. Don’t even get me started on driving in a blizzard. Done that too.

So in answer to Chrys’s question; I would choose to be stuck with MAN TRACKER during a blizzard. Here’s how it would go down…

I Got Stuck in a Blizzard With Man Tracker

shelved in: Fantasy 😉

I spot Man tracker while browsing riding boots at The Horse Store-for all your equine needs. I spy the Silver Fox, in a black cowboy hat and faded jeans. His hand is touching his beard when he turns toward me. He looks like he arrived here directly from the wilderness on his silver stallion.

He smiles at me when he catches me staring so I walk toward him without a second thought. I stop short, imagining what it would be like if he kissed me right here in the boot department. His scent of leather, black licorice and pine needles go right to my head. His Stetson hat rests low on his brow so I can’t gaze into his eyes—yet.

I would prefer a kiss but instead Man Tracker takes the boot I’m holding out of my hand. He tells me they’re ‘no good for riding’. He gestures for me to follow him and he shows me another pair in dark brown leather. I’m confused for a moment. I ask, stupidly, “But…you don’t actually work here…do, you?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so,” I say under my breath.

He proceeds to ask my shoe size and pulls a box with a matching number off a stack on the floor.

“Try these.”

“Okay.” I’m not going to say ‘no’ to MAN TRACKER.

I sit down on the bench and I think I must be dreaming when he asks me to place my foot on his leg. He slides the boot on my foot, shimmying them up my leg doing all the work for me. When I have both on I walk around the store fully aware of Man Tracker’s eyes on me. The boots fit like a glove. How did he know?

Then, with a mischievous expression, he simply says, “Let’s go.”

Without question, I grab my sneakers, jacket and purse and follow him up to the cash register. The employee, named Jed, rings me up. I take a deep breath in when he tells me the total. It’s a little more than I was planning to spend but they’re Man Tracker approved. So I get my credit card out.

Man TRACKER leads me outside where his stallion is hitched and beside it a white beauty of a mare stands waiting for me. By now my heart is thrumming to the opening tune of Gunsmoke. Man Tracker invites me onto White Beauty, by offering me a leg up. How does he even know if I can ride? But I can…a little. I quickly throw my sneakers in the nearby garbage can and sling my satchel purse over my shoulder, cross body style.

I’m positively glowing now as Man Tracker helps me lodge my foot into the stirrup, then boosts me atop the white mare.

I follow man tracker out of the parking lot and into the dirt road leading to the forest at the foothills of Kananaskis mountain range. White Beauty and I connect with an undeniable rhythm. While I should heed the common warning, don’t take rides with strangers, I’m not the least bit concerned, even when I see the dark clouds hanging over the mountain peaks ahead of us. Good thing I wore my warmest down-filled jacket.

We begin a trot, warming up our horses who are delighting in the exercise. When the snow begins falling as a light dust, I’m still not concerned. Shortly thereafter, the snow flakes thicken and land on my eyelashes and melt on my jacket. We’re on a narrow trail now following the river as it winds at a gentle incline.

It wasn’t long before Man tracker led me off the trail. I could barely make out his long duster through the near white out. The trail became non-existent and the terrain more difficult for White Beauty. Not for one minute did I doubt my fearless leader though.

Man Tracker halted in a small opening between the tall evergreens. Their canopy provided almost dry ground protected from the snowfall. He hitched Silver stallion to a nearby tree trunk, somewhat sheltered from the wind and snow. He motioned for me to do the same.

I stood under the tree canopy seeking shelter momentarily. Man Tracker asked me to collect any dried wood I could find while he created a tee-pee shaped wood pile and pulled matches from his pocket. Naturally, he was prepared. I noticed he had a compass, a wristwatch and extra tarp and ropes loaded onto his beloved stallion. Droplets of wet snow dripped from his hat as he worked.

The fire roared to life and I stretched out my cold hands and stood closer to take the chill off. Man Tracker told me the blizzard would pass within an hour or two. Again, I couldn’t doubt him. I watched him light up a cigar and admired his sense of serenity. We huddled in silence for quite some time, trying to keep warm. I looked up and saw a bit of sky through the trees, turn from grey to ink blue.

My cheeks warmed when Man Tracker looked into my eyes and told me I was a ‘decent’ rider. Then my heart skipped a beat when he asked me if he could broach a personal question. I pinched myself to check if I was really dreaming.

In a split-second, I imagined lots of different scenarios but instead of answering “yes, I’m single,” I nodded in silence. Then he held my gaze and asked, “Would you be interested in being a guest on my show?”

I looked down disappointedly, at my now wet, brand new riding boots. Obviously, I longed for a different proposition. After careful consideration I shook my head and confessed that I had no sense of direction. With an amused smile, he accepted my reply.

The snow fall lightened as we listened to the eagles cry high above us and the chickadees close by coming out of their nests. They seemed to sense the storm was coming to an end and it was safe to venture out. The fire was dying down now and Man Tracker stood up and brushed snow onto the embers with his boot.

We mounted our horses and turned to go back the way we came. I recognized landmarks on the trail. The stars began to poke the nearly night sky and I looked up in gratitude. Thanking my luck for the interlude with Man Tracker. This was a blizzard to remember for the rest of my life.

He never asked my name. He only smiled and winked as I turned to walk to my car, wearing my now broken-in riding boots. I wanted to turn around and give him my number but somehow I knew that would be trite. I could only take this memory and keep it forever. Few would believe it even happened.

Sometimes you have to take a chance, weather the storm to make a memory worth telling to your grandchildren.

The End.

About Author Chrys Fey

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. chrysfey.com

Author Links:

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