Chelsea Fine's Blog

Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been absent online lately. The last few years of my life have been pretty intense, in both good and bad ways, and I found myself wanting to “live in the moment” as much as possible.

So I made a choice to deliberately pull away from social media—for a short while—so I could really focus on what matters most to me. Specifically, my spiritual life and my loved ones. And that’s exactly what I did.

And it’s been incredible.

I’m not going to lie; stepping away from social media wasn’t easy. It was very uncomfortable and, at times, made me feel left out or irrelevant… but that’s a topic for a whole other blog post. Because overall, temporarily pulling away from social media was one of the healthiest things I’ve ever done.

It allowed me to press a kind of RESET button on my heart. I know that sounds dramatic—and it is—but that’s really the best way to explain how I feel. To better understand, here’s a very brief recap of my last few years:

2014: I fell into a deep depression and tried everything I could think of to bring myself out of it, to no avail. It was really scary and debilitating.
2015: Feeling hopeless and fearing I’d never be happy again, I decided to go on a spiritual journey with a powerful plant medicine, called Iboga, and swiftly came out of my depression with a newfound joy and appreciation for life.
2016: I fell in love with life again, and spent almost all my time listening to and learning from loved ones (a growth experience that was long overdue). I traveled. I danced. I laughed. I cried. I prayed… It was a beautiful year. (see more below)
2017: My brother Matt was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a few months later. My heart broke. I waited in terror for my depression to come back and steal away all the beautiful things I’d just reclaimed. But it never came. I dared to hope…
2018: I was quiet. I was still. Then I smiled and started making new plans…

And now I’m here! Happy and grateful and still completely in love with life. And so excited to be back on social media, connecting with all of you, and sharing all the exciting things to come!

So what’s next for me? LOTS!

I’m working on 3 books right now, one is part of an epic fantasy series I’m hoping to release soon (fingers crossed), one is a non-fiction comedy about being a girl in a guy’s world, and the other is the sequel to Sophie & Carter. (Yep, it’s happening, eeep!) I’m also planning to roll out two new non-book “projects” in the next six months, but they’re kind of a secret right now so I can’t tell you—yet. (But ohmygoodness they’re going to be so much fun!) And lastly, I’m trying my hand at screenwriting. That’s right, my good friend, Amanda, and I have been working on a TV show that I am ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH and cannot wait to share with you guys so stay tuned!

So that’s where I’m at. Hopeful and happy to be here with you guys, and so excited to continue creating new things! I really want to thank you all for your constant support and encouragement these last few years. You’ve been a rock for me–even when I wasn’t online–sending me messages of love and hope and sharing your hearts and dreams with me. You guys are like medicine for the soul and I appreciate you so much.

Here’s a quick list of all the wonderful things I’ve experienced since coming out of my depression. There’s always hope, guys. Always.

I bought a ukulele.
I laid in my backyard grass for hours, looking up at the clouds.
I danced around a roaring fire with a group of girlfriends while singing along to our favorite song.
I stood barefoot on a Mayan Temple overlooking the rainforest.
I meditated at the bottom of the ocean with waves rolling over my head.
I had the honor of marrying two of my very good friends. (I’m ordained. Crazy, right?)
I traveled the west coast in a pop-up camper with my family. It was amazing.
I cut my hair. It’s a pretty big deal.
I painted. A lot.
I built a teepee in my backyard.
I sang. Everyday.
I cried with strangers. I laughed with strangers.
I mourned the loss of my brother with my family members and learned how to be grateful for certain painful things.
I created. I listened.
I forgave. I healed.
I fell in love with myself, my children, my family. I fell in love, all the way.
I started saying “I love you” out loud, all the time, whenever it was true.
I prayed. I chanted. I knelt in temples and worshipped in gardens.
I climbed a desert mountain and roared at the top of my lungs when I reached the top.
I slept on the beach and under the moon.
And I dreamed. Then I woke and started dreaming all over again…

Life is beautiful, is it not? 

I love you guys. I love your guts. Here’s to all the beautiful things to come!

 

The post Where I’ve Been & Where I’m Going appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

 

 

Hello beautiful readers!

I know I’ve been pretty quiet this year (busy writing and dreaming and all that good stuff) but I’ll be stepping out of my writing cave this weekend for a charity book signing event unlike any other…and YOU are invited!

Join me and fellow authors

Heather Lyons, Shelly Crane, and Stacey Marie Brown for

*** A Night of Magic ***

hosted at the incredible

Whimsic Alley in Los Angeles, California.

Saturday, August 13th

For those of you who don’t know what Whimsic Alley is here are a few pictures. It’s pretty much the Hogwarts and Hogsmead all rolled into one.

Pretty spectacular, right?

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

Check out what all is included in the price of each ticket:

All attendees will receive limited-edition merchandise in a special swag bag that will ONLY be available at  A Night of Magic .
Complimentary finger foods, desserts, wine–yes, wine!–and drinks.
Exclusive event merchandise available for purchase from specially selected craft vendors.
A Q&A session with the authors.
Special readings by the authors.
A photo booth with exclusive photo souvenirs.
A silent auction, where all proceeds will go the event charities (listed below). The silent auction will have a plethora of signed books by well known authors, as well as fantastic gift baskets with tons of geeky/fandom merchandise!
Special surprises . . . you never know what could happen (or who you might meet) at this magical event.
Tons of games, raffles, trivia…and more!

And the best part? IT’S ALL FOR CHARITY! *cue confetti cannon*

All door proceeds and money raised through silent auctions will be donated to the Race to Erase MS and Reading is Fundamental charities. So dust off your wand, grab your invisibility cloak, and come join the fun at A Night of Magic! 

Grab your ticket now!

WHEN: This Saturday, August 13th, from 6:00pm-10:00pm (PDT)
WHERE: Whimsic Alley – 5464 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
COST: $75.00  **ON SALE TODAY** for only $65.00 (order HERE)

Hope to see you there! 

~ more about the other attending authors ~

Heather Lyons:  author of the award winning The Collectors’ Society series, The Deep End of the Sea, and other epic, heartfelt love stories with fantastical twists. Coming soon—The Lost Codex the exciting conclusion to The Collectors’ Society.

Shelly Crane: New York Times & USA TODAY bestselling author of the Significance series and The Other Side of Gravity, Crane doesn’t go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately—even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Stacey Marie Brown: award nominated author of the Collector and Darkness series. Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt.

The post California Book Signing & Charity Event – This Saturday! appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

 

 

Hello beautiful readers!

I know I’ve been pretty quiet this year (busy writing and dreaming and all that good stuff) but I’ll be stepping out of my writing cave this weekend for a charity book signing event unlike any other…and YOU are invited!

Join me and fellow authors

Heather Lyons, Shelly Crane, and Stacey Marie Brown for

*** A Night of Magic ***

hosted at the incredible

Whimsic Alley in Los Angeles, California.

Saturday, August 13th

For those of you who don’t know what Whimsic Alley is here are a few pictures. It’s pretty much the Hogwarts and Hogsmead all rolled into one.

Pretty spectacular, right?

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!

Check out what all is included in the price of each ticket:

All attendees will receive limited-edition merchandise in a special swag bag that will ONLY be available at  A Night of Magic .
Complimentary finger foods, desserts, wine–yes, wine!–and drinks.
Exclusive event merchandise available for purchase from specially selected craft vendors.
A Q&A session with the authors.
Special readings by the authors.
A photo booth with exclusive photo souvenirs.
A silent auction, where all proceeds will go the event charities (listed below). The silent auction will have a plethora of signed books by well known authors, as well as fantastic gift baskets with tons of geeky/fandom merchandise!
Special surprises . . . you never know what could happen (or who you might meet) at this magical event.
Tons of games, raffles, trivia…and more!

And the best part? IT’S ALL FOR CHARITY! *cue confetti cannon*

All door proceeds and money raised through silent auctions will be donated to the Race to Erase MS and Reading is Fundamental charities. So dust off your wand, grab your invisibility cloak, and come join the fun at A Night of Magic! 

Grab your ticket now!

WHEN: This Saturday, August 13th, from 6:00pm-10:00pm (PDT)
WHERE: Whimsic Alley – 5464 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
COST: $75.00  **ON SALE TODAY** for only $65.00 (order HERE)

Hope to see you there! 

~ more about the other attending authors ~

Heather Lyons:  author of the award winning The Collectors’ Society series, The Deep End of the Sea, and other epic, heartfelt love stories with fantastical twists. Coming soon—The Lost Codex the exciting conclusion to The Collectors’ Society.

Shelly Crane: New York Times & USA TODAY bestselling author of the Significance series and The Other Side of Gravity, Crane doesn’t go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately—even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

Stacey Marie Brown: award nominated author of the Collector and Darkness series. Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt.

The post California Book Signing – This Saturday! appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

This past April, I had the enormous honor of speaking at a TEDx event in Glendale, Arizona. It was one of the most exhilarating (and intimidating) experiences of my life, and today I finally get to share it with you. #LikeAGirl #GirlsCAN #TEDx

The post My TEDx Talk: What’s Wrong With Throwing Like A Girl? appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

I purposely wore this shirt to the panel discussion because it sums up my journey as a writer, as a mother, as an artist, and as a woman.

Every summer, I attend UtopYA Con and this year they had a panel called “Dealing With Doubts As A Writer.” Which. Was. INCREDIBLE.

And in my case, much needed.

I’m gonna be real with you here: I’ve had some serious writer’s block going on for a good while now and that’s never happened to me before.

This season of chronic writer’s block kind of crept up on me and, until just recently, was really starting to freak me out. Like, holy-cow-I-might-need-to-rethink-my-career-as-a-storyteller-and-go-back-to-being-a-bank-teller.

But WHY? Why haven’t I been able to tell any of the stories racing around inside my head?

The simple answer? DOUBT.

I think we can ALL (writers and otherwise) relate to doubting ourselves in what we do. It’s a crippling obstacle, and it can convince us to give up. But overcoming the dreaded monster of doubt and marching forward despite any insecurities is easier said than done.

Doubt sucks. No matter who you are or what you do, doubt can creep up on you and whisper sweet evils in your ear about giving up. It can talk you into surrender or drown you in a sense of failure. It’s a plague—especially for us artistic types.

Because DOUBT IS THE DEATH OF CREATION.

It’s pretty much impossible to follow-through with your imagination when you’re second-guessing yourself every two minutes (trust me, I know).

I’ve spent the last 9 months doubting myself as a writer. And that’s not a fun place to be. Like, at all. I’ve been wracked with fear and insecurity. Fear that I no longer have the ability to write awesome stories, and insecurity about myself as an artist, as a wife, and as a mother.

It’s hard to find that sweet balance between chasing my dreams and succeeding at the dreams I’ve already caught (dreams like, you know, like being married to an awesome guy and having two super rad kiddos). I’m not good at balancing work and home, and I might never be, but that shouldn’t be an excuse to doubt my ability as an artist—which is exactly what I’ve been doing.

I’ve been so afraid of FAILING that I’ve gotten into this horrible holding pattern of not trying.

Has that ever happened to you? You get so terrified of not living up to your own expectations that you just sort of…give up? (Or in my case, stare at a computer screen for hours on end without typing a single word, and instead of DOING something about it, you diagnose yourself with a severe case of writer’s block and call it a day—or a month?)

Don’t get me wrong, writer’s block is a real thing. I just don’t want it to be a crutch anymore. Because that’s precisely what I’ve been using it as: A crutch—a reason not to work past my fears and insecurities in order to create something awesome.

So I’m trying. I’m pushing onward and writing down anything and everything that comes to mind. Most of it is crap, but some of it is decent, and everyday is better than the day before.

I’m getting my writing mojo back and I have YOU—my incredible readers, my priceless support network, my loudest cheerleaders—to thank. You believing in me gives me every reason to believe in myself. And that’s just what the doctor ordered.

Faith—in ourselves, in our work—is the only way we can truly fight off the relentless monster of doubt.

And I’m fighting. I really am.

I BELIEVE I CAN AND SO I WILL. This is my battle cry.

 

Chasing a dream is scary but it’s SO worth it.
So I’m going to fight until I win. How about you?

 

#DreamCatcher   #Believe   #BeFearless   #DoEpic
 

 

The post Chelsea vs. The Doubt Monster appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

All the fun of a typical book signing…with an added dash of mystery.

But shh. It’s a secret!

 

Details/Ticket Info: https://secretsigningtour.eventbrite.com

This September, I get to join the incredible Amy A. Bartol on her Secret Signings Tour! The two of us, along with the amazing Heather Lyons, will be hosting a one-of-a-kind book event at a SECRET location in Los Angeles, California. Forget about hotels and bookstores—we’ll be hosting this signing at a whole NEW kind of venue.

And. It. Is. Awesome.

Only ticket holders will be told where the signing will be held—but even they won’t be given the venue location until the week of the event (hence, the “secret” aspect of the event). Hee-hee. Fun, right?

Here’s what you can expect from the SECRET SIGNING:

*Author readings

*Exclusive swag

*Free books

*Q&A session

*Complimentary snacks and drinks

It’s gonna be OFF THE HOOK. But tickets are limited so don’t delay!

Grab a friend, secure some tickets, and unlock the mystery.

*whispers* You’re gonna LOVE it.

Details and Ticket Info: https://secretsigningtour.eventbrite.com

The post Shh!!! Secret Book Signing in L.A. appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

Today is the LAST DAY to vote for your favorite books, authors, and bloggers for this year’s UtopYA Awards! (And I’ve been nominated for a few–eeeep!)

Best Contemporary Book of the Year – Right Kind Of Wrong

Best Contemporary Series – my Finding Fate series

Book of the Year – Right Kind Of Wrong

And…Author of the Year!

Squeeeeeeeee!

Click here to vote: http://bit.ly/voteutopyaawards2015

Happy voting!

 

 

The post Last Day To Vote It Up! appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

The 2015 UtopYA Awards are fast approaching and voting begins TODAY! I’m beyond honored to have been nominated in 4 categories this year (see below) and still can’t get over it. Ahhhh!

Best Contemporary Book of the Year – Right Kind Of Wrong

Best Contemporary Series – my Finding Fate series

Book of the Year – Right Kind Of Wrong

And…Author of the Year!

Squeeeeeeeee!

YOU GUYS CAN VOTE HERE! http://bit.ly/voteutopyaawards2015
(it only takes like thirty seconds)

 

So go vote for your favorite books, authors, and bloggers (there are SO many fantastic nominees!) and spread the word! Yahoo!

The post Voting Is Now Open! appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

Such exciting news today! I’ve had the HONOR of being nominated in several categories for the 2015 UtopYA Awards! Squeal with me, guys! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

Best Contemporary Book of the Year – Right Kind Of Wrong

Best Contemporary Series – my Finding Fate series

Book of the Year – Right Kind Of Wrong

I am over the MOON about this! I can’t even tell you. And to make things even more thrilling?

I’VE ALSO BEEN NOMINATED FOR AUTHOR OF THE YEAR! *happy dance*

Ohmygoodness! Ohmygoodness! This is all just too much!

Voting starts THIS THURSDAY (May 7th) and it’s open to the public—-that means YOU! But get your voting fingers ready because there are a TON of incredible books, authors, and bloggers up for the UtopYA Awards this year!

See all the nominees and categories here: 2015 AWARD NOMINEES

Ahhhhhhh!!! I’m still not over it. SO CRAZY!

 

The post And The Nominees Are… appeared first on Chelsea Fine.

The paperback edition of Right Kind Of Wrong has arrived! Find it here:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | IndieBound | GooglePlay | Kobo | BAM!

Whoo-hoo!

The post Right Kind Of Wrong–Now In Paperback! appeared first on Chelsea Fine.