C.C. Hunter's Blog, page 24

Cover Reveal!!

It’s finally here! It’s so bittersweet to reveal the cover for the final chapter in the Shadow Falls series! But I have finished writing Miranda’s book. Yup, I typed “The End,” and sent it off to my editor. I can’t tell you I didn’t cry, but it felt right.  So, today I’m revealing the cover of Miranda’s book, Midnight Hour. Again, St. Martin’s has done a brilliant job. I love this cover! And Midnight Hour will be out in October 2016! But you can pre-order your copy now at all major retailers, and let me know in the comments: What do you think will happen at Shadow Falls in Midnight Hour?

 

 

Oh, I found this photo of a really cool witch’s broom, and I think Miranda needs it. It’s probably the Harley Davidson of the witch’s world. What do you think?

Exciting News!

I have some really exciting news! Last week, I learned that I am a finalist for a RITA award for Unspoken. What’s a RITA, you ask? Well, it’s a very prestigious award given out annually at the Romance Writers of America’s Conference in July. According to RWA, “The purpose of the RITA award is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.”

And Unspoken is a finalist in the Young Adult category. I have been pinching myself and walking around on cloud nine all week! So, wish me luck when I head off to RWA’s Conference July 13-16!

 

Now, on to this week’s blog…

Last week I listed some of the crazy things I’ve Googled while writing Miranda’s book. They also provided you with some clues as to what might happen in her book. I also asked you to tell me some of the weirdest things you’ve Googled, and believe me, there were some odd ones. This week, I’m going to list a few more things I’ve Googled for Miranda’s book. Let’s see if you can guess what will happen.

How would a person say the word rape in the early 1800’s?

How many electrical volts can a human handle?

What country uses the slang word “bloody” the most?

So, any guesses based on last week’s and this week’s lists? Spiders, guns, snakes and electricity? Hmm…all I can say is that Miranda will take you on a wild ride and leave you breathless.

Winner!

The winner from last week’s giveaway is Kylie Xiong. Congratulations, Kylie! Please send your mailing address to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

 

Do you Google?

Do you Google stuff?  Do you use Ask.com?  Well, these are my search engines while writing Miranda’s book.  And I suddenly realized that if someone peeked at my search history they would wonder what the heck I’ve been up to.  Then I realized these thing are pretty good teasers for what’s coming in Miranda’s book?  Here are seven questions I’ve asked that make me look weird, but give you hints of what Miranda and the Shadow Falls characters are up to in my next, and probably my final, Shadow Falls book.

Why exactly do meth house explode?

If a meth house exploded and a person was on the front porch, how far could she be thrown?

Do snakes have eyelids?

Are snakes colder than a dead body?

What kind of spiders lurk in the dank darkness under a house?

How do you write AK 47 the proper way?

How would a person say the word rape in the early 1800’s?

So tell me, what strange things have you Googled?

Newsletter Giveaway!

You know I have giveaways on my blog, right? Well, did you know I also have a newsletter?  This week, one person who posts about the crazy things they Googled and tells me that they either already receive my newsletter or that they have just signed up to receive it will win a signed copy of one of my foreign editions of one of my Shadow Falls books along with a Shadow Falls book bag.  So non-subscribers go to my website Home page and sign up for my newsletter and tell me you did in the comments as well as what weird thing you’ve researched.  And those who have already signed up, also let me know in the comments,, and then tell me what wild thing some cyber spoof would find if they peeked into your search engine.

Five Similarities Between Myself and My Shadow Falls Characters

I dug back into my blog archives, and I thought you might like to read this one again.

 

The one question I always get asked is how much of myself goes into creating characters. Do I draw aspects of my own personality when fleshing out the people who star in my books?  Do I give my characters my own flaws, and weaknesses, and perhaps my strengths?  Do I force my characters to take upon my own bad habits?  Are my characters simply reflections of myself?

The answer is yes . . .  and no.

Everything I write isn’t a reflection of my own life.  I haven’t faced the same kind of things that my character Kylie Galen faces in Born At Midnight.  However, I’ll admit my personal experiences not only show up in my work, they help me create real characters and write real emotion.   For example, while I’ve never seen a vampire with blood dripping from his chin the way Kylie does in the book, when I worked at a restaurant years ago, I was confronted by an angry credit-card thief with a knife large enough to skin Bambi. And the I-could-die emotion and fear–the uncertainty of not knowing if my underwear was going to come through the situation clean–was the emotional force for a lot of the scary scenes in the book.  So when writing about fear, lost love, disappointment, I recall a time in my own life that I felt drowned by that same emotion and it helps me write a scene that reads true.

Now for the five similarities between me and my characters:

1.My ability to laugh in the face of adversity.

I think it’s in my genes, because most of my family is like this.  We love to laugh during good times; but we laugh harder during stressful times.  It’s as if we follow that old adage, “If you can laugh at it, you can live with it.”  The hardest I’ve ever laughed was at a funeral.  I give this humorous way of viewing life to all my characters. The funny moments in Born at Midnight mostly stem from my characters’ ability to laugh during tough times–to laugh at themselves and laugh at their mistakes.

2. My parents divorced at sixteen like Kylie’s parents.

I remember feeling as if someone had walked into my life and yanked the foundation out from under me.  I was angry and hurt.  How could they do this to me?  I couldn’t understand how they could just stop loving each other.  I felt they were acting childishly and as if I was the grownup.  And I saw for the first time their flaws and imperfections. When I decided to have Kylie’s parents get a divorce, I immediately remembered the emotional storm that I felt and it all went into the book.

3. Like Miranda, one of Kylie’s new roommates at Shadow Falls Camp, I’m dyslexic. My son is also dyslexic.

I didn’t learn to read until I was in the third grade.  School was hard for me.  I couldn’t seem to get the written words to stick in my brain.  I often got things backwards, like I’d call the backyard, the “yardback,” and when people would snicker, I still couldn’t figure out what was so funny.  Things like knowing my right from my left is still nearly impossible.  It didn’t help that I could write with both my hands.  When I write, I still leave out words, and I’m still a terrible speller.  I have critique partners who read and proof my work.  But I don’t think I’ve accomplished what I have in spite of dyslexia, I think I’m accomplished it in part due to it.  Dyslexics are very intuitive.  We tend to pick up on emotion and I think this has helped me in my writing.  Also, being dyslexic, I make a lot of mistakes, but I learned to keep going and I think perseverance is what helped me keep writing and growing as a writer/story teller.

4. Like Kylie, I too felt a bit invisible in high school.

I wasn’t really bullied, but I just wasn’t noticed.  Didn’t belong to any ‘In” group.  I had a few friends, and like me, they were mostly quiet and went through school unnoticed.  Now, I’m so not like this anymore.  I think my shyness was in part due to my being dyslexic.  But that feeling of never really fitting in played a big part in creating Kylie’s character.

5. Like Holiday and Kylie in Born at Midnight, I have experienced that feeling of being visited by a ghostly presence.

I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s happened to me several times. The first time, I was only ten.  My great-grandmother had died, and a few days later, I woke up to her hovering over my bed.  She was wearing this beautiful gown and it flowed back and forth, so much so that I didn’t think she had legs.  She said she just wanted me to know that she was fine, and that someday I too would have this beautiful gown.  My parents told me it was just a dream, but I could’ve sworn I was awake.

6. Like Della, I can be a bit of a smarta$$.

Now I wasn’t like that growing up.  It took me years to develop the courage to speak my mind.  And I still don’t do it to be mean, but when something really annoys me, I now speak up, and it usually comes out very sassy and sarcastic!

So what about you guys? Anyone here share any traits with my characters?

 

“Dellatude” and Burnett

Rachel at Fiktshun interviewed me last October 26th when Unspoken came out.  I thought you’d like to read what I had to say

1. In 25 words or less, what can readers expect from Unspoken?

A wild ride of action, suspense, and love that’ll tug at your heart strings. A story of forgiveness and unlikely friendships that’ll make you laugh.

2. What has been your favorite part about writing the Shadow Falls: After Dark series/Della Tsang’s stories?

It’s Della.  Her sassiness, her spunk, her spark.  Okay, you know we all have a little smarta$$ inside of us.  And when I write her, I get to bring out my inner Della and let it party.  My husband calls it “Dellatude.” She’s loyal, she’ll always have your back, but she’s not the girlfriend, you ask, “Do these jeans make my butt look big?”  Because that girl tells the truth, even when a white lie would have been appreciated. Writing her has been . .. as my grandmother would say, “a hoot and half.”

3. Across both Shadow Falls series, who has been your favorite character to write (and why are they a favorite)? And who has been your most challenging character (and what were the challenges)?

Okay, I admit it.  I love Burnett.  He’s a grumpy, macho, sexy vampire.  He drives Della crazy by being so over protective.  But let me tell you, if he wasn’t in love with Holiday, I’d steal him.  His character has slowly evolved in all the books.  As a matter of fact, in Fierce, a novella included in Almost Midnight, [that came] out Feb. 2nd, you’ll discover a little more about his past and the reason he is the way he is.  Now Fierce isn’t Burnett’s story, but rather a story of another character that was a challenge to write.  But Fredericka Lakota demanded her own story.  She bugged me until I finally just cratered.  She wasn’t even a likely candidate, or even a likable character.  She was Kylie’s nemesis —someone everyone wanted to root against.  Yet, even archenemies have stories.  Some of them, like Fredericka, even deserve to be redeemed.  I never thought I’d find myself rooting for her, but boy howdy, when I learned her story, she got under my skin and into my heart.

4. If you had to pick one scene, or one moment, from Unspoken that was your favorite, what would it be?

That would be when Della and her father finally have their “talk.”  There have been times when writing this series that I seriously considered killing Della’s dad.  He was so hurtful to Della and it broke her heart and mine.  But she loved that man wouldn’t let me whack him.

5. Della and Chase have a rather… shall we say… complicated relationship. What do you think the biggest obstacles are for them to have a happily ever after? And, as the author, are you rooting for them or are you maybe rooting for the other boy in Della’s life?

Chase came into Della’s life under false pretenses—for good reason, but no one likes to be lied to.And Della, well, I don’t know if my readers have noticed, but she’s not exactly quick to forgive.  If Chase isgoingto win her back, he’s gotta put up with some crap.  And Della knows how to dish that out in big scoopfuls.  Now as for who I’m rooting for…Whoever Della chooses.And I’m not saying more!  LOL.But I can tell you this, in the Shadow Falls series, Della loves two guys—both are wonderful, caring and deserving of her love.  One of them is a better choice for her.  It’s not an easy choice.  But in good fiction and in life, choosing the right path, and the right person, is never easy.

6. Throughout both series, Della has had some great lines. What are your top three favorites? And has there been anything she said that made you shake your head and say, “Oh no!”?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ll be writing dialogue and think… Della, you can’t say that!  But she’d say it, so I was required to write it.

* From Reborn—Della defending that women can do anything guys can do to Burnett: “I will respect the authority, when the authority respects me!  And that includes my breasts!”  However, in Unspoken, she’s really tired of having to defend this issue and she puts it in another more direct way.  “Oh, please,” Della said.“Excuse me while I go and grow a penis so the sausage-and-meatball-toting gender will stop thinking I need a man to protect me.”

*  From Unspoken –Della telling a crouching man holding his boys.  “Sorry,” Della said.  “I think I’m allergic to perverts.  I get involuntary knee jerks.”

*  From Unspoken—Della’s dialogue to Miranda and Kylie when they walk in on a heated conversation between Della and Chase.  “I’m going to bed.  I don’t want to commiserate.  I don’t want a diet soda.  I don’t want to explain why it feels like the awkward fairy just came down here and pissed all over the room.”

7. I understand that Unspoken is the final full-length book in this series. Are there any plans for another spin-off series about one of the other Shadow Falls characters? Or are there plans for any new novellas?

Well, I told you about Fierce and Fredericka’s story.  Right now, I’m working on Miranda’s book. The readers have already gotten into Miranda’s head in Spellbinder.  Throughout the series they have watched Miranda come into her powers and overcome a lot of issues.  In this last book, Miranda’s newfound powers will be tested.  And she’ll have to make a decision between Perry and Shawn.   And because this is the last book about Shadow Falls, all my characters will graduate.

8. When ending a series what is the thing you miss most about it, what is the hardest thing for you to say goodbye to?

Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.  I’ve been with these characters for over five years.   They have made me cry, laugh and inspired me.  Yes, inspired me to change and to grow.  I know that sounds crazy, because I wrote them.  But when you write a character, you give them the best of you and then you can learn from how they handle the crisis that you also toss their way.

So tell me, who is your favorite Shadow Falls character and why? Who haven’t I written about that you would like to see me write a book or novella about?

 

Cover Me!

I love my Shadow Falls covers, and I think my publisher, St. Martin’s Press has done a wonderful job. I remember the first time I saw the cover for Born at Midnight, l was so excited. It was love at first sight.  So I always find it really interesting when fans send me my covers from foreign countries. Some of them are very similar to the U.S. covers, but some are quite different. So I thought I’d share me of them with you.

From The Czech Republic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Born at Midnight                       Taken at Dusk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whispers at Moonrise                Chosen at Nightfall

From France

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Born at Midnight

From Germany

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Born at Midnight

From Brazil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Reborn

Which foreign cover do you like best? Or do you prefer the US versions? And for my overseas fans, send me more foreign covers at cc@cchunterbooks.com!

Unspoken, Della and Ghosts

In November this interview was posted at To Read or Not To Read, but I thought in case you missed it there, I’d post it for you here.

Unspoken is the last book in the Shadow Falls: After Dark Are you leaving Shadow Falls behind, or do you still have a few more stories up your sleeve?

Don’t make me cry!  Seriously, I’ve been with all these characters for over five years.  The thought of leaving them forever makes my heart hurt and puts a wrinkle in my soul.  That said, I’m not done yet.  In February, Almost Midnight comes out.  This is an anthology of all my previously published novellas.  However, there’s one new one included.  And I think my readers are going to be surprised whose story it is.  She wasn’t a likely choice, or even a likeable character in the first four books.  She was Kylie’s nemesis, Fredericka Lakota.  Ahh, but even archenemies have stories. Some deserve to be redeemed.  In addition to Almost Midnight, I’m working on what might be the last Shadow Falls book on the schedule, Miranda’s book.  You know I’m gonna shed some tears when I type the words “the end” on that story.

Who is your favorite character from this series?

Seriously, this is like asking me which of my children I love the most.  I love all my characters for various reasons. I worked hard to make the girls different so they would shine in their own way and their personalities would make each of them distinct.  Kylie is logical, kind hearted and a peace keeper.  Della is sassy, sarcastic, a fighter, and spontaneous.  Miranda is flirty, a little flighty, and believes the best in people.  They all share the traits of loyalty, determination, and the ability to laugh through some of life’s hardest hurdles. I will say Della’s sassy dialogue is easier to write because deep down I’m a wanna be smarta$$ and maybe I might even have a little of Della in me. LOL. Then I can’t lie, I also love Burnett.  I mean, who doesn’t love tall, dark, sexy and albeit a bit grumpy, vampires?

What do you think Della’s biggest flaw is?

I’m glad you said biggest, because that girl isn’t shy of flaws.  It’s actually hard to pick one, but I guess I’d have to say that Della’s smart mouth really gets her into more trouble.  I mean, she is not the type of friend you ask if these jeans make my butt look big, because that girl isn’t good at sugarcoating things.  She calls it the way she sees it, and she sees things a little differently than most.  Take for example the time in Unspoken that Della is upset at Chase and Burnett for being a tad protective.  She doesn’t say, “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself.” Instead she says… “Oh, please. Excuse me while I go and grow a pe^^!$ so the sausage-and-meatball-toting gender will stop thinking I need a man to protect me.”  Yup, it’s definitely her mouth that is her biggest flaw.

You’ve created an extraordinary super natural world. If you could be any type of super natural creature, what would you be?

I’m more of Fae than I am anything else—so maybe Holiday.  But I would love to fly, so maybe I might swap up and be Della sometimes.  I do love Della’s sassiness.  Although, drinking blood . . . I don’t know.

What your favorite scary ghost story?

When I went to camp as a kid everyone always told the Bloody Mary tale.  Ghosts scare me more than just about anything, because I kind of believe in them.  Haven’t we all had a spooky experience and felt we weren’t alone?  I know I’ve had more than one.  That’s why I added ghosts to Shadow Falls.  I’d never really been afraid of a vampire, but I couldn’t say that about a ghost.

 

 

Yes, I’ll Answer That!

Not long ago, I asked you to leave any questions you have for me in the comment section. I answered a few of your questions in a previous blog, but I thought it was time to answer a few more. Y’all ask some hard questions!

Tana asked: Are you going to split the story again, after you’re done with Della and write books about Miranda?

Tana, I am writing Miranda’s book right now.  That poor witch has got herself in all sorts of trouble. We’re talking explosions, almost being arrested for selling drugs, losing control of her powers, having a past-due argument with her mom.  Oh, did I mention boy trouble?  Miranda and the heart-throb Shawn are together.  But Perry’s back and he’s determined Miranda is still his girl.  Miranda’s story is not going to be a series, just one book, but there are a lot of things happening

Katrina asked:  I just was curious as to when Burnett formed true feeling towards Holiday and not from just from the obvious physical attraction between the two?

It’s funny because Holiday’s and Burnett’s story sort of took place in the background of everything else happening at Shadow Falls.  Not all of their story got page space.  However, if you remember that Perry and a teenage Burnett had shared a foster home.  You might have begun to suspect that it had been Burnett who had paid for Perry to go to Shadow Falls camp.  So while Burnett hadn’t met Holiday in the beginning, he had researched about the camp and admired what she was doing.  While it didn’t always appear that way, he had respected Holiday from afar.  Also because Burnett didn’t grow up with a real mother, the fact that Holiday was a mother figure to all her campers, he couldn’t help but fall in love with her himself.

Kase asked:  Do you think you may ever write a short story from a werewolves perspective or a shape shifter?

I hope you’ve picked up a copy of Almost Midnight.  Fredericka’s story, who’s a werewolf, was my favorite novella in the bunch.  I loved getting into the head of a werewolf and understanding their tendency to be a little aloof and trying describe how it felt to spend one night a month as a wolf.  As for going into the perspective of a shapeshifter. . .   Well, just wait until you read Miranda’s book.  You’ll get an inside view of what being a shapeshifter is really like.

February Appearances

February 19th, I’ll be at Tuloso-Midway High School in Corpus Christi, TX. For more information go to http://www.tmisd.us/index.cfm?load=page&page=61 or call the school: 361-903-6700.

February 20th, I’ll be having fun at the Teen Bookfest by the Bay, 9:00-4:30 at Tuloso-Midway High School, Corpus Christi, TX.  You won’t want to miss it…23 authors and 1 illustrator…5 Author Sessions, a Writers’ Workshop, Illustrators’ Workshop, door prizes and MORE!!!! AND–IT’S FREE!!!! For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/teenbookfestbythebay.

February 24th, I’ll be visiting the Apache Middle School and Apache High School in Apache, OK. For more information go to http://www.apache.k12.ok.us/index.php or call the school: 580-588-3358.

February 25th, I’ll be at the Full Circle Bookstore, 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, at 6:30 PM. I’ll be giving a talk and signing my books. The first 7 people who buy one of my books at the event will get a FREE t-shirt!! For more information go to http://fullcirclebooks.com/.

Winner!!

Thanks so much for all of your input about book reviews. The winner of a copy of Almost Midnight is Shadow Falls Geek. Congratualtions! Please email you address to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com.

 

Book Reviews & a Giveaway!

This week, I’d like to take a minute to thank all those reviewers who have reviewed my books over the years. I’d also like to thank my readers, who post reviews of my books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. I know it takes time to put your thoughts into words and post them, and I really appreciate your efforts. It means an awful lot to an author if you post reviews–and a good review encourages new readers.  But those reviews do more than just that. Retailers, like Amazon and B&N may decide to promote the book themselves if they see a lot of reviews coming in.  And some ad agencies will only promote books that have a certain number of reviews.  So again, thank you!

I’ve read book reviews in newspapers, on reviewer’s blogs, and at book sellers’ websites, but are you familiar with book tubing? That’s where a book reviewer posts a book review on YouTube. Many book tubers have regular posts and their followers eagerly await their reviews. So, the other day, I thought I’d check out any book tubing reviews on my books. It was so much fun listening to what someone thought of my books instead of just reading a review. Kinda like the difference from reading an email and actually talking to someone. But a few of them told a few more details about the story than they might have in a written review.  For me, I enjoyed hearing their enthusiasm, but it got me thinking about reviews and how much is too much to tell?

What do you think? If you watched a review, or even read one, and they told a lot of the story (maybe not the ending), does it make the book less enjoyable for you? Do you watch book reviews on YouTube? How much are you influenced by reviews posted at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, etc?  Oh, and have you written a review about Almost Midnight?

I’ll give away one copy of Almost Midnight to someone who leaves a comment. (Sorry, but I have to limit this giveaway to US residents only. And if you’re reading this on Goodreads, you have to go to my website blog to leave a comment in order to be entered.)

Winner!!

The winner of last week’s copy of Almost Midnight is Andrew Redden. Congratulations! Please send your mailing address to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com.

 

ALMOST MIDNIGHT IS HERE!!

The wait is over! Almost Midnight is out, and I can’t wait for you to read Fierce, Fredericka’s story. Fredericka is one of those characters that wouldn’t let go of me. She held on and kept popping into my head at the oddest times. I knew there was a lot more to her than what my readers had already seen. And now that I’ve gotten to know her, I’m eager that all my readers will finally have the opportunity to see a new side of Kylie’s one time arch-enemy in her very own story.  And oh, the title, it’s perfect to describe Fredericka in the story.  Because she is truly fierce.  People become who they are for a good reason. Everyone has their reasons—including Fredericka.  So, I’m really happy that you finally have the opportunity to get to know her better in her novella, Fierce.

So, I’m posting the first scene of Fierce just to get you ready for Almost Midnight.

Chapter One

Fredericka Lakota slipped the polished hammered wolf pendant on the silver chain, and hung it up.Stepping back, she. . . frowned. She was a better artist in her head than she was in the flesh. But wasn’t that appropriate? She was better at everything in her head—even a better person—than she was in life, too.

Not a good person, but better than most people considered her. But people were like jewelry, the quality depended on what you were made of. She hadn’t come from great stock.

Not that she wasn’t pure-blooded werewolf. Any supernatural could tell that by looking at her pattern. But her parents had been rogue. Or at least her father had, she’d never known her mother.

She stepped back and looked at her ten jewelry sets. At the bottom of the black velvet display case she’d made was her logo painted in silver script: Ricka Lakota Designs.

Ricka because Fredericka was too long.In time, she supposed the nickname wouldn’t bother her.

Was her work good enough to show in a gallery?

In the morning she’d take her entire collection into Fallen, where after viewing her work, Brandon Dee, the owner of the new gallery in Fallen, would either invite her to sell her wares in the new business, or she’d be told to take a hike.

He planned to pick ten individuals’ works to display in his gallery.

However, he’d warned her in an e-mail that he’d already had two other jewelry artists make appointments and only wanted one.

She didn’t know shit about Brandon Dee—she guessed he was human. Was he even qualified to judge her work? What if he didn’t like it? Or didn’t like her? She wasn’t what anyone would call likable. Raised a rogue, always a rogue. So many supernaturals believed it. And she’d given up trying to prove people wrong.

All of a sudden she heard footsteps. The workshop located behind Holiday’s cabin was off the beaten path. Fredericka didn’t get a lot of company, which was exactly why she liked it. The only one who’d seen her work was Holiday. Which was another reason the interview frightened Fredericka.

Moving to the opened the window, she pulled air through her nose to see who trotted through the woods toward her. Instead of picking up a scent first, she heard the rush of waterfalls. What the heck? She’d woken up in the middle of the night hearing it, too.

Then catching the scent, Fredericka hurried over to the chair where her long-sleeved shirt lay and slipped it on over her tank top.

She’d barely gotten the shirt on when Kylie, a chameleon, the rarest species of supernatural, knocked. “Fredericka?”

The door swished open. Fredericka shot in front of the display. Her shirt slipped off her shoulder, but she snagged it back before Kylie’s gaze went there. “What?”

“Holiday sent me,” Kylie said. “Someone’s at the office to see you.”

“You must have misunderstood.” Fredericka stepped forward, hoping the girl would step out. No such luck.

“I don’t think so.” Kylie made an apologetic face.

Oh, please, no one had come to see Fredericka. Case in point, she’d been here six months and hadn’t had one visitor. On Parents’ Day she always found a place to hide out. The last thing she wanted was for her peers to start feeling sorry for her. That was worse than them judging her.

Kylie remained in the doorway. “Holiday said she tried to call you, but you didn’t answer. She texted me and asked me to see if you were here.”

Fredericka pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. It was out of battery again.

“Then let’s go,” Fredericka said, certain Kylie had misunderstood the reason Fredericka was being summoned, but eager to get the girl out of her private haven.

Fredericka gave another wave toward the door. Kylie leaned to the right.

“Wow! Did you make those?” The girl moved around Fredericka. She touched a necklace. Fredericka almost told her to keep her paws to herself.

“Ricka Lakota Designs,” Kylie read then looked back.“Ricka. I like that. Is that your nickname?”

“No.” Fredericka emotionally flinched. And after hearing the name from someone’s lips, she knew her next order of business was to change her logo.

“Can we go?” She motioned to the door for the second time.

“Sorry.” Kylie backed out.

Fredericka locked the door. Kylie waited to walk with her. Any other person would have skedaddled, especially after Fredericka had been so curt. But Kylie wasn’t just anyone.

Not only was she the rarest of supernaturals, who could go invisible—and yeah, Fredericka had actually seen her do it—but unlike so many of those here, she was the type who tried to see good in everyone. The poor thing had to look long and hard before she spotted any in Fredericka. Especially considering they’d had a rocky start. Like boulder-size rocky.

Kylie had taken the one guy Fredericka had thought she loved. Key word, thought.Not that Fredericka held it against Kylie now. Lucas had been the one pursuing the relationship. Fredericka had come to see that.

They started down the path. The cool breeze, scented with wet earth, whispered through the trees and brought with it the sound of rushing water again.

Fredericka stopped and glanced back in the woods. “Do you hear that?”

Kylie stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “Hear what?”

“The water.”

Kylie’s eyes widened as if Fredericka had asked something weird. “You hear the falls?”

“Yeah. Why? Is that bad or something?”

“No, it’s just . . .”

“Just what?” Fredericka asked.

“Usually, when you hear the falls, it’s calling you.”

“Why would it call me?” Fredericka asked.

“Normally, it’s when the death angels are trying to communicate with you.”

“Oh, I have nothing to say to them.”

“I don’t think they call you to the falls to punish you,” she said, reading Fredericka’s fear.

Fredericka’s shoulders tightened. She didn’t like being read. And she sure as hell didn’t want to be called. “Well, if they want me, they’ll have to text me.” And she hoped like hell they didn’t. The death angels were spirits who held supernaturals responsible for their actions. Fredericka had more than her share of negative checkmarks on her conduct card.

Kylie shrugged and they continued on. Before they even got past Holiday’s cabin, the girl spoke again.“Why don’t you want anyone to see your work? It’s amazing. I’d give anything to have talent like that.”

Call it stupid, but the compliment fell like soft rain on Fredericka. “How about I swap you my jewelry-making talent for the ability to go invisible?”

Kylie laughed. “It’s not nearly as cool as it seems.”

“You aren’t gonna convince me,” Fredericka said.

“Seriously,” Kylie said. “That necklace was gorgeous.”

“Thanks. I guess I’ll know for sure tomorrow.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?” Kylie sounded genuinely interested.

Fredericka didn’t have a clue why she did it, but she told her about the interview.

“Oh, you are so gonna get it!”

“I hope so,” Fredericka said, and got a buzz of excitement talking about it. Right then, she realized the reason she might not have told anyone about her work was because she didn’t have friends. Or at least, she didn’t have girlfriends. She hung out with the guys. And face it, those guys weren’t interested in her jewelry making.

Not that she needed anyone to be interested. She simply got along better with boys. Girls could be bitches.

For a while, a rumor spread around the school that she was gay. But nope. She was totally into the opposite sex. In particular, Edward.

Almost if Kylie read her mind, she asked, “So how are things with you and Mr. Kearns?

“Good,” Fredericka said, but they’d be so much better when school was out. Edward Kearns, a full were, taught history at the Academy. Only two years older than she, the guy took her breath away the first time she’d laid eyes on him. Smart and sexy. She’d never been a history fan until now.

He’d acknowledged his attraction to her, but insisted they only be friends until she graduated. The wait was killing her. Meanwhile, they met every day after school, and she’d listen to him talk about all his trips to see historic places—Paris, Rome, Egypt. If it had history, Edward had been there or wanted to go there. Someday she hoped to go with him, too.

“How good?” Kylie smiled in that way girls did when they wanted you to tell them a secret.

“We’re just friends,” Fredericka said.

“Well, think how good it will be when you move it to that next stage. You two will know everything about each other.”

“Yeah.” It hit her that while she’d gotten to know a lot about Edward, he didn’t know much about her. Not his fault. She wasn’t exactly forthcoming.

She’d almost told him yesterday about her jewelry, but had chickened out. He wasn’t like the male were students. But face it, the man got excited about pyramids, about Notre Dame. Her biggest fear was that he’d think her passion for jewelry was silly. And that was the last way she wanted him to see her.

“This is where I drop off,” Kylie said when they got to the main path, obviously going back to her cabin. Her smile came off so real and it made Fredericka wish that she could be like other girls and have close friends. The way Kylie was with her witch and vampire roommates.

“I want to hear how things go tomorrow. Good luck.”

Fredericka nodded, then instantly realized the downside of having shared her secret. If her work didn’t get accepted, everyone would know she’d failed. Why hadn’t she just kept her mouth shut?

Fredericka took off, her pace faster than it had been in the morning. With a full moon coming soon, her strength grew greater daily.

“Hey.” Kylie’s call had Fredericka glancing over her shoulder. “You may want to mention to Holiday about hearing the falls.”

“Yeah,” Fredericka said, but she wouldn’t. She wanted to forget about that.

As she got closer to the office, she wondered exactly what it was that Holiday wanted, because no one could be here to see her. But when she stepped on the front porch, she caught the trace of another were. A familiar trace.

She curled her hands into fists.

What the hell did Marissa Canzoni want? Her gaze shot back to the trail. She didn’t have to face this. Her feet were poised to swing around, when she remembered she’d stopped running from her problems a long time ago.

Bracing herself for whatever shit Marissa had dug up and the emotional backlash that seeing her would bring, she walked into Holiday’s office.

Almost Midnight is on sale in your local bookstore or can be ordered from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and Kobo.

 

 

 

 

 

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