C.C. Hunter's Blog, page 26

Inside Scoop on CC Hunter

November 5, 2015, Fresh Fiction posted this interview with me. In case you missed it there, I thought you might like to read it here. Lots of good Della information!

1.) I love Della Tsang and her determination and loyalty, despite her parents (particularly her father) turning their backs on her. Which scene was the most difficult one for you to write? And conversely, which one was the most fun?

The hardest scene to write was the scene where Della finally confronts her father.  I’m not gonna lie to you, there have been times I seriously plotted to kill that man.  He hurt Della and that hurt me.  But Della wouldn’t let me whack him.  She loved him.  She was loyal to him, even when he never offered her an ounce of love in return.  But people make mistakes, and when we love them, those mistakes, even the bad ones, can be forgiven.  The fun scenes were always those where I got to let Della’s sassy side come out and party.  Those round table diet coke discussions that Kylie and Miranda and her held we’re so much fun.  Those scenes were all inspired by some of my lunches with good friends.  When you are around good friends, you can say what you think, what you feel, and you can laugh about life’s hardest hurdles. As my grandmother used to say, “If you can laugh at it, you can live with it.”

2.) Unspoken dives headfirst into family and boyfriend drama as Della is caught in the middle of a lot of intense situations. Did you know where the Shadow Falls: After Dark series was headed when you first started writing the series, or did Della, Steve, Chase and the other characters surprise you?

Did I know what was going to happen?  Heck no!  That would be too easy.  I always choose to write the hard way.  And while it might be harder, it’s the only way I can write.  If I know what’s going to happen in a story, it’s boring for me.  Writing, my way, is like telling myself a story.  I want to discover what happens as I put words on the paper.  It’s what keeps me writing, and keeps me intrigued.  I’ll be honest, when I sold Shadow Falls: After Dark, I sold it on the synopsis of, “I’ll write three Della books.”  I didn’t have clue where it was headed or what was going move this series forward. I knew it was going to be about her accepting change.  About her learning to trust again.  About her proving to the world and herself that she wasn’t really a monster.

3.) Shadow Falls has now been featured in two loosely connected series and I’ve grown to love the safe haven it represents for teenagers with paranormal abilities. Have we seen the last of Shadow Falls, the F. R. U., and the Vampire Council?

Don’t say that, you’ll make me cry!  Right now, I’m working Miranda’s book.  I think it will be a standalone, but it will be a doozy. I will never say never, but for right now, it’s the last book on the schedule for Shadow Falls.  However, on February 2nd, Almost Midnight will be released.  This is an anthology of all my previously published E-novellas.  However, it has one new novella in it, Fierce.  I think most of my fans will be surprised to learn the protagonist is Fredericka Lakota.  She had been knocking on my mind for a while demanding her story be told.  She’s wasn’t a likely candidate, frankly she wasn’t all that likeable in most of the books.  But she turned out to be a character that pulled at my heartstrings and I think my fans will root for her.

4.) You write in two very different genres, as your Christie Craig books are very different from your C.C. Hunter books. How difficult is it transitioning between the two and do you have any tricks to get yourself into the right mindset for the stories?

It would be easier to tell you that I wear red slippers when I write paranormal and yellow slippers when I write humorous romantic suspense. But that’s not the truth.  I’ve always considered myself a character driven writer.  So it’s the characters, their world, their perspective and their paradigm that drives a story. If there’s a trick, it’s all about getting under a characters skin and knowing what’s important to them.  And that changes with every character.  So I don’t see it as much as a transition in writing, or even in my writing voice. You’ll find humor and suspense in all my books. You’ll find love, friendship, and sexual tension in all my books.  The level of sexual tension and maybe the humor may be higher in my Christie Craig books, but it’s still there in my young adult books.  And because the Shadow Falls series is paranormal, they always have magic.  But it’s all just me just getting into my characters, leaving my world behind, finding entertainment in another place, and hoping to entertain others.

5.) I always love knowing what authors, books, or even musical artists have influenced a writer. Who are some of the authors or other artists that have influenced you?

I love all kinds of music.  But I can’t listen to it when I write.  Song lyrics throw me out of my zone and story. But when I am listening to music,  I want it to have a story.  And sometimes I run across a song that feels as if someone wrote it for my series.  Natasha Bedingfield’s video Unwritten is one song that really seems to relate to my characters, especially Kylie and Della. I swear she has read my series.

6.) I love your success story as you have overcome obstacles, such as dyslexia, to become a very prolific and well-loved author. Any tips you have for young adults who are struggling with their own challenges?

Never give up.  Never!  Keep learning.  Always.  Read.  A lot.  Writing isn’t for wimps.  You have to be able to take rejection and while we must love what we do, we can’t love what we do so much that we won’t change it.  Don’t fall in love with your words, fall in love with your story and your writing.  It’s a process that may take time.  Lots of time.  I wrote for ten years before I published my first book.  I wrote for thirteen more years before I sold my second book.  I’m not here because I was naturally talented, I’m here because I didn’t give up.  Work with other writers to help each other get your story as perfect as you can. Take classes.  Read how-to books. Never lose your passion for the art.  If you lose it, it shows.

7.) While I’m thrilled to see all the various story threads of the Shadow Falls: After Dark trilogy coming to fruition, I must admit I’m also more than a little sad that we’ve reached the end of the series. Any hints as to what you have in store for us in the future?

Let me go and look into my magic ball. LOL.  I had another paranormal series planned, but because the paranormal genre isn’t kicking butt right now, I might be moving over to young adult contemporary.  Maybe one with a little mystery like my Christie Craig books.  Or if by the time I’m finished with Miranda’s book, the trend swings back toward paranormal, I might still write that series.  I’m open.  I will continue to write my adult humorous romances.

 

Be My Guest

This week I have a special treat for you. My friend Teri Thackston, who writes YA as T. Lynn Odom agreed to answer a few questions about her The Jaguar Princess Rules series. All three of her books, Never Pick on a Jaguar Princess, Never Ambush a Jaguar Princess and Never Break the Heart of a Jaguar Princess are all available at Amazon.

Fifteen year-old Juli Perry is new at Onca Lake High School. That’s tough enough without being unexpectedly orphaned, moving to the old family farm…and growing new freckles that aren’t really freckles. Juli has to adjust to more than she expected. You see, Juli is a shapeshifter—and not just any old shape-shifter. She’s a jaguar princess.

 

 

 

 

High school freshman Juli Perry is proud to have made the track team in spite of the bullying tactics of the Track Pack. She’s happy to have best friends, at last, as well as a real boyfriend for the first time in her life. Best of all, she’s learning to manage all the gifts that come with her newfound identity. But someone in the Onca Lake shapeshifter community doesn’t appreciate Juli’s abilities. Someone wants to bring her down.

 

 

 

 

Juli hasn’t been this happy in a long time. She’s dating the guy of her dreams and he’s teaching her to embrace her jaguar side. She’s making more friends than she’s ever had before. But not everything is perfect, and she can’t blame her latest problems on the Track Pack. Actually, those bullies are suffering too—and it might be Juli’s fault. And when her heart is broken…well, things are going to get a lot rougher for everyone involved.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Teri.

First of all, where are you from?

I was born and raised in Southeast Texas. My family goes back to before the Texas Revolution, including one of Stephen F. Austin’s “Old Three Hundred”, a travelling preacher who sermonized in outlaw camps and a WWI hero among others. I guess that’s where I get my love of history, adventure and heroism.

How long have you been writing?

Short stories for long as I can remember, but I wrote my first “novel” when I was 11. My dad borrowed a typewriter from his office for me to type my creation—a spy novel that curiously resembled an episode of the TV series “Get Smart”.

Where did your love of books come from?

Definitely from my mother. She’s always been an avid reader and she has quite a collection of romance and suspense novels. Gothic romances were all the rage when I was a pre-teen, so I got a heavy dose of those elements early on. And, thank God, she also bought every Alistair MacLean book, so I got a taste of adventure stories, too.

Where is your favorite place to write and why?

I have two spots where I do most of my writing – my very messy office for focused-leave-me-alone writing (no music allowed unless I really need inspiration) and parked on the living room sofa for spell-checks or looking for repetative words and phrases (mycharacters tend to nod their heads and smile a lot—gotta watch that)  with Swing or Rock-n-Roll playing.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?  If you write more than one, how do you balance them?

I love to write a spooky ghost story, an action-packed suspense or an adventurous western historical—all with a healthy dose of romance mixed in. Whether for young adult, tweens or “grown-up” readers, I focus on one book at a time for first drafts then I make a schedule that allows me to juggle books. That helps the stories hold my interest and lets me look at my work with fresh eyes every couple of months.

What are some day jobs that you have held?

I’ve worked outside the home for most of my life. I’ve been a chicken-fryer, sales clerk, computer operator and application programmer. Currently, I’m the policy and procedure writer for a deathcare firm—it’s a fascinating business and it’s sparking all sorts of story ideas.

What is your most recent release?

I have a 3-book YA paranormal series about a shapeshifting teenager who just found out what she is. Attending a new school is tough enough, but discovering she’s part of shapeshifter royalty threatens to really mess up her life. The series starts with “Never Pick on a Jaguar Princess”, followed by “Never Ambush a Jaguar Princess” and “Never Break the Heart of a Jaguar Princess”. I published them under my pen name of T. Lynn Odom and they’re available only on Amazon right now, but I’d be interested in hearing if anyone would like to see them for sale elsewhere.

What is the hardest part of writing?

That silly sagging middle. I usually have a beginning and ending in mind when I start a story, but the in-between often challenges me. I really have to work on getting from A to Z in ways that keep things interesting as well as move the story forward.

What are your current projects?

I have 3 projects in various stages right now. A three-book young adult science fiction series that features the element of hard light (think Green Lantern if he was a teenager), a humorous sci-fi screenplay a la “Sharktopus” and a paranormal romance featuring on of my favorite elements—a haunted house. I hope to publish the YA sci-fi trilogy in early 2016.

What other artistic pusuits do you indulge in?

Does pulling weeds count as an artistic pursuit? I do a lot of it! But I do enjoy working in a little “park” area we created in our front yard. A four-foot hedge surrounds it, looking clean and manicured from the outside but deliciously woodland-like on the inside. We have a bench, a stepping-stone path, some concrete animals peeking from under the shrubs and a sundial, all of which creates a lovely setting for daydreaming.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself. Try different genres…you might discover you really enjoy a type of writing that you never considered doing. I found that to be true with Young Adult, and I’m so glad I tried it!

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I deeply appreciate all the support you’ve given me—the kind words of encouragement keep me going in this difficult but wonderful, unbearable but rewarding career.

You can find out more about Teri Thackston/T. Lynn Odom at http://www.terithackston.com/home.

Winners!

Last week’s winners of Born to Read t-shirts are Vanessa Schmidgall and Faith Russell. Please send your mailing address and your t-shirt size to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Congratulations!

 

 

 

Giveaway!

It’s hard to believe Unspoken has been out a week. I had a wonderful turnout by fans at a signing at Katy Budget Books. Romantic Times Book Reviews made Unspoken a Top Pick, giving it a 4 1/2 star review. Other great reviews have been rolling in, too. By now many of you have read Unspoken, so you’ll recognize these quotes. But these are some of my favorites from Unspoken.

“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.”  (You know, she embarrasses me saying things like this!)

Considering his age, Della might have suspected he’d died of natural causes. But there was nothing natural about the knife sticking out of his back.  (Don’t you love the way her mind works?)

“Sometimes when the heart breaks, it doesn’t know what it wants and it doesn’t recognize the difference between the truth and a lie.”  (Kylie always did have a way with words.)

“Here.” Burnett handed Chase a cup. “It’s for you. My personal breakfast blend. O negative with some B positive.”  (Puts a whole new meaning to breakfast blend, doesn’t it?)

Giveaway!

This week, I’m giving away two Born to Read t-shirts to two people who leave their favorite quote in the comment section. It doesn’t have to be from Unspoken, it can be from any of my Shadow Falls books.

UNSPOKEN RELEASE!

YEAH!! October 27th is finally here, and that means Unspoken is finally out! Man, I don’t know about you, but it’s been so hard for me to wait for this day. It took October forever to get here, and then the month just stretched out. But today Unspoken is released and it feels like I just gave birth!

Unspoken is Della’s third and final book in her Shadow Falls: After Dark series. Eternal ended with Della’s dad getting arrested for murdering his sister, and Della feels it’s all her fault. In Unspoken, Della is trying to help her dad, but everything she does seems to only make matters worse. To top it off, Chase betrayed her and now he’s back—and she has to work with him. But can she trust him? Hell, no! She hates nothing more than liars. But he keep showing up and getting her out of trouble…

Let’s not forget Steve, the sexy shape-shifter. He still cares for Della and he’s doing everything he can to make sure she wants to be with him. If you want to know what happens, you’ll just have to read Unspoken.

Unspoken truths will be revealed-and they will change everything–in this dazzling final chapter of the Shadow Falls: After Dark trilogy! 

Della Tsang is facing the toughest fight of her life-and the most personal. In her new role as an elite paranormal investigator, she’s assigned a twenty year old murder case…and the accused killer is none other than her own father.

Making matters worse, since she was reborn, she’s been bound to the mysterious and infuriatingly gorgeous Chase Tallman-a vampire with his own hidden agenda. Della still feels betrayed by all the secrets he’s kept from her, but she’ll need his help to find out the truth about her father. But what about Steve, the hunky shape-shifter who she can’t seem to forget?

The quest for answers will lead them into the darkest, ugliest supernatural gangs in town… and into the scariest reaches of their hearts.

Order your copy of Unspoken at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, IndieBound and Kobo. Look for it in bookstores everywhere today.

Romantic Times Book Reviews says Unspoken’s “…twisty ending is one fans have been waiting for since the very beginning.” Read the full 4 1/2 star review at http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-rev....

Did you go to camp? I did! Find out what pranks I got up to and more in my Romantic Times interview: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/blog/862....

Winner!

The winner of the Kindle Fire HD 8 and Born to Read t-shirt from my Unspoken pre-order contest is Layla Cory. Congratulations! Layla, please email me with your mailing address and t-shirt size at cc@cchunterbooks.com.

 

 

One Week and Counting…

Want to win a Kindle Fire HD 8 and a CC Hunter Born to read t-shirt? All you have to do is pre-order your copy of Unspoken. It can be an ebook or a print book, whichever format works for you. Then you go to Kindle Giveaway and fill in the form. Come on, you know you’re going to buy it anyway, why not pre-order and enter for a chance to win a Kindle and a t-shirt?

I’m getting soooo excited about the release of Della final book! I can’t wait for you to read it. I’ve been posting some teaser the last few months to get you fired up and ready for Unspoken. So, here are the last ones.

In Unspoken, Steve returns and is not in the least bit intimidated by Chase.
In Unspoken, Della finally makes the decision to fake her own death, and to walk away from her family, and it’s breaking her heart.
In Unspoken, Della finally knows which guy holds the key to her heart.

Unspoken truths will be revealed-and they will change everything–in this dazzling final chapter of the Shadow Falls: After Dark trilogy!



Della Tsang is facing the toughest fight of her life-and the most personal. In her new role as an elite paranormal investigator, she’s assigned a twenty year old murder case…and the accused killer is none other than her own father.

Making matters worse, since she was reborn, she’s been bound to the mysterious and infuriatingly gorgeous Chase Tallman-a vampire with his own hidden agenda. Della still feels betrayed by all the secrets he’s kept from her, but she’ll need his help to find out the truth about her father. But what about Steve, the hunky shape-shifter who she can’t seem to forget?

The quest for answers will lead them into the darkest, ugliest supernatural gangs in town… and into the scariest reaches of their hearts.

Who will Della choose? Chase, the sexy vampire she is bonded with? Or Steve, the hunky shape-shifter, who saved her life? Will she prove her father’s innocence? Or will she prove his guilt? Pre-order today for a chance to win in my Kindle Giveaway!

You can pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo.

Don’t Forget!!

October 24th. I’ll be at Spook-Tacular at the Grand Palace, 314-A Pruitt Road, Spring, TX 77380, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. If you live in the Houston, TX area, you won’t want to miss this event. I look forward to it every year because it’s always so much fun. Books will be sold onsite and you may bring up to two books from home to be signed. There will be lots of giveaways and I’ll be holding a drawing for five ARCs of Unspoken. Costumes are encouraged! For ticket information go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spook-tacular-book-bash-tickets-17176450225.

 

 

October 30th, I’ll be at Katy Budget Books, 2450 Fry Rd, Katy, TX 77084, 6:00-8:00 PM. Be one of the first twenty fans to purchase a copy of Unspoken at the book signing and you’ll get a free Born to Read t-shirt. Pre-orders will count towards the t-shirt giveaway, but you do have to be present at the even to receive one. Everyone who buys a copy of Unspoken at the signing will be entered into a drawing where I’ll be giving away five signed ARCs of Almost Midnight.  So you have the chance to own a copy of Almost Midnight long before it’s release on February 2! For more information go to http://www.katybooks.com/event/author-signing-cc-hunter-0.

Counting Down the Days

Only two weeks until Unspoken will be on bookstore shelves, and everyone will be able to read about Della’s struggle to prove her dad’s innocence (even though it really looks like he’s guilty). The smart-mouthed vamp really has her work cut out for her this time! Not to mention having to deal with Chase and Steve–and even Burnett, who doesn’t seem to trust her to cross the street on her own.

I hope you’ve pre-ordered you copy, so you’ll be able to start reading Unspoken on October 27th. And I hope once you finish it, you’ll remember to write honest reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc.

To get you ready for Unspoken’s release, I thought I’d share some quotes this week:

“Sorry,” Della said. “I think I’m allergic to perverts. I get involuntary knee jerks.” (Are you wondering what she hit with that knee?)

“In the last twenty-four hours I’ve committed breaking and entering and grand theft auto. And assault and battery might be included. I’m at the limit for committing crimes.”  (Man-oh-man Della stays in trouble in Unspoken!)

“No jumping off tall buildings or bench pressing cars.  Keep your fangs in. You understand?”  (Duh, when had Della ever been good at keeping her fangs in?  Who do you think said this?)

“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.” (Della tells it like it is!)

“If you hurt Della one more time, I’m going to remove your boy parts, grind them up, and feed them to the hungry rats and scorpions. Is that clear?”(Aren’t you curious as to who said this and who it was being said to?)

Pre-order Unspoken today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Don’t Forget!

October 24th. I’ll be at Spook-Tacular at the Grand Palace, 314-A Pruitt Road, Spring, TX 77380, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Books will be sold onsite and you may bring up to two books from home to be signed. There will be lots of giveaways and I’ll be holding a drawing for five ARCs of Unspoken. Costumes are encouraged! For ticket information go to Spook-Tacular.

October 30th, I’ll be at Katy Budget Books, 2450 Fry Rd, Katy, TX 77084, 6:00-8:00 PM. Be one of the first twenty fans to purchase a copy of Unspoken at the book signing and you’ll get a free Born to Read t-shirt. Pre-orders will count towards the t-shirt giveaway, but you do have to be present at the even to receive one. Everyone who buys a copy of Unspoken at the signing will be entered into a drawing where I’ll be giving away five signed ARCs of Almost Midnight. For more information go to Katy Budget Books.

So if you live in the Houston area, come on by Spook-Tacular and Katy Budget Books. I’d love to meet you!

 

A Vampire and a Werewolf…

As you probably know, the third and final book in Della’s series, Unspoken, will be released Oct. 27th. I’m getting so excited! But I’m also very pleased about the February 2nd release of Almost Midnight. I’ve gotten so many emails from fans who don’t have e-readers, but want to be able to read my e-novellas. Almost Midnight is a print book that will contain all of my e-novellas as well as one bonus novella about Frederike. But it will also be available as an ebook as well. I just got the cover blurb from my publisher and I wanted to share it with you.

A vampire and a werewolf who never fit in. A witch whose spells don’t always work as planned.  And a mysterious new guy who’s hiding something. Together they will discover who they’re meant to be…

Hidden from the human world, Shadow Falls is a secret camp for teens with supernatural powers. But for four very different teens, it’s much more than just a camp—it’s where their destinies will unfold.

Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang didn’t believe in vampires…until she became one. Chase Tallman is the newest member of Shadow Falls, but what made him into the sexy, mysterious vampire he is today? And what led him to Della Tsang? For Miranda Kane, magic has always been something she’s struggled with—until she finally has a chance to prove herself a witch to be reckoned with.  And for Fredericka Lakota, the one guy who challenges her the most will lead her to the life she’s always wanted.

Yes, that’s right! Several of you guessed the bonus novella was about Fredericka. And for a special treat, here is the beginning of her story, Fierce.

 

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 asudden 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.

 

You can pre-oreder Almost Midnight at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

You also pre-order Unspoken at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Kobo. Then you can enter my Unspoken contest. I’m giving away a Kindle Fire HD 8 to one lucky fan who pre-orders Unspoken and I’m giving away three Born to Read t-shirts to three others. All you have to do is pre-order Unspoken, then follow this link to enter: Kindle Giveaway! (Sorry, but this giveaway is limited to US residents.)

And don’t forget about my What Would You Do Contest! What would you do for a signed Unspoken ARC?  Send me a video, an email or a picture showing me what you would do, and I’m giving away ten signed Unspoken ARCs.  And the top three contestants will also win $50 gift cards.  You don’t have to make a video to enter, but videos may score higher.  You can post your video to You Tube and send us a link or send it directly to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Here’s an example of a video just to get you started: What Would You Do?  (Sorry, but this giveaway is limited to US residents.)

HUGE Giveaway!!

Have you pre-ordered your copy of Unspoken, yet? Well, you might just want to do that since I’m having a big giveaway open only to those who have pre-ordered their copies.

I’m giving away a Kindle Fire HD 8 to one lucky fan who pre-orders Unspoken and I’m giving away three Born to Read t-shirts to three others. All you have to do is pre-order Unspoken, then follow this link to enter: Kindle Giveaway!

 

 

 

I’m going to get pretty busy here promoting Unspoken. It will be released in less than a month! To get ready, I’ll be appearing at several book signings in the Houston, TX area. I hope I’ll see you there.

October 24th. I’ll be at Spook-Tacular at the Grand Palace, 314-A Pruitt Road, Spring, TX 77380, 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Books will be sold onsite and you may bring up to two books from home to be signed. There will be lots of giveaways and I’ll be holding a drawing for five ARCs of Unspoken. Costumes are encouraged! For ticket information go to Spook-Tacular.

October 30th, I’ll be at Katy Budget Books, 2450 Fry Rd, Katy, TX 77084, 6:00-8:00 PM. Be one of the first twenty fans to purchase a copy of Unspoken at the book signing and you’ll get a free Born to Read t-shirt. Pre-orders will count towards the t-shirt giveaway, but you do have to be present at the even to receive one. Everyone who buys a copy of Unspoken at the signing will be entered into a drawing where I’ll be giving away five signed ARCs of Almost Midnight. For more information go to Katy Budget Books.

So come on by Spook-Tacular and Katy Budget Books. I’d love to meet you!

New Contest!

What would you do for a signed Unspoken ARC?  Send me a video, an email or a picture showing me what you would do, and I’m giving away ten signed Unspoken ARCs.  And the top three contestants will also win $50 gift cards.  You don’t have to make a video to enter, but videos will may score higher.  You can post your video to You Tube and send us a link or send it directly to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Here’s an example of a video just to get you started: What Would You Do?

The top entries will also be posted on my blog.  Get a little crazy and have fun. Deadline for entries is October 11th, so get busy!

(Sorry, but I have to limit this contest to US residents only.)

Unspoken Excerpt

Unspoken will be out next month on October 27th. I hope you have all pre-ordered your copies so you won’t miss a minute of Della’s latest adventure. Pre-order Unspoken today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

I’ve been posting teasers from Unspoken the last few weeks, but this week, I have a special treat for you–the first scene from Unspoken. Enjoy!

Chapter One

 

The sound of the door swishing open filled the small space.Before Della Tsang heard the footsteps, the scent filled her nose.Another vampire.But not just any vampire . . .

Him.

Chase Tallman.The guy she was regrettably bonded with.The guy who’d given her his blood to ensure she’d survive a rare second turn into vampirism that had made her a Reborn—a stronger kick-ass vampire who attracted ghosts. Not that she’d asked for it, or would have wanted it—especially the ghost part.

His footsteps brought him into the closet-sized room.The door whooshed closed.Her heart thumped against her breast bone.

She’d been to hell and back looking for him.Had even gone to France to find him, with no luck.

And now he just shows up.

Here.

In the ladies’ bathroom at Whataburger.

The door in the stall next to hers opened and shut.Surely he wasn’t . . . He didn’t intend to . . . The sound of someone stepping on the toilet lid echoed.

He did.

She glared up.He peered down at her over the stall wall.His dark brown hair looked a little longer.His bright green eyes were glowing with humor.

“Fancy meeting you here.”He smiled, no doubt at her position—knees bent, locked, her tush hanging two inches above the pot, her jeans down to mid-thigh.Thank goodness her light blue top was long and flared and covered her lady business.

She jerked up and zipped.Never taking her eyes off him, but wishing she had her hands on him.Like her fingers around his throat.He wouldn’t be smiling then.

“No paperwork?” he teased.

He thought this was funny?Seriously?Did the guy want to die?Did he not have a clue how much his deceit had hurt her?

If she didn’t need information, she’d kill him.And she’d make it slow and painful.

But she needed information, needed to find her uncle, the man who’d killed her aunt, and was letting her father go down for the murder.And Chase had that info.Had it from the start, and had lied about it.

She’d recently learned the truth. The man Chase referred to as Eddie, the man who had taken him in when he was fourteen and helped him through his first turn, and bonded with him on the second turn, was Della’s uncle.

Who sent you?She’d asked Chase that a thousand times.And a thousand times he’d lied.

As much as she hated admitting it, she understood Chase’s loyalty to the man.Not only was Eddie his father figure, but she knew better than anybody how a vampire blood bond could mess with your head and your emotions.But Chase’s loyalty to her uncle meant he’d been disloyal to her.He’d made that choice.And she’d be damned if she’d let her own father go to prison for her uncle’s sin.

Bolting out of the stall at the same time he did, she cornered all six feet of him.Her pulse raced with fury.

He held his palms up, shoulders tight, but his eyes exhibited no fear.Instead his pools of green still held a touch of tease.Oh, how she wanted to teach him a lesson.She leaned in, putting her face in his, letting him know she wasn’t intimidated by him.

A move she instantly regretted.This close, his masculine scent all around her, the lure, the attraction, all of which she blamed on the bond, chipped away at her sanity.She fought it.Didn’t want it.

“What are you so happy about?” she growled.

“You,” he said.“Being around you makes me happy.”

She flattened her palm on his chest, ready to give him a good thump into the wall.

“Wait,” he said.

“For what?” she seethed.

His lips twitched into a bigger smile.He pointed to the wall behind his shoulder.“The sign says you need to wash your hands.”

That did it.Her canines came out to play.Her eyes stung, a tell-tale sign that her dark brown irises, inherited from her Asian father, were growing brighter.

“I’m not an employee.” She stared him dead in the eyes.His disloyalty stung.“How’s Feng, my uncle?”

The playfulness vanished and damned if guilt didn’t fill those pools of green.“I was going to tell you.”

“Sure you were.”

“I wouldn’t . . .”He stopped talking as if the words didn’t sound right.It took her about two seconds to realize what he’d been about to say.

“Wouldn’t what? Lie to me?All you’ve ever done is lie.”

“Della?” her name being called from the other side of the door barely registered.The fact that she was in vamp mode hardly concerned her.Or rather, when it did bring on a distress signal, it was too late.The bathroom door swung open.

Chase, in a quick swoop, swapped places with her and used his arm to hide her face from Lilly’s view.However, the way he leaned in, his hand on the wall, his lips inches from hers, gave the impression they were making out—swapping spit—in a bathroom.Oh, yeah, like that was something she’d actually do.Everyone knew what kinds of germs hung out in public restrooms.

“What . . . ?Della?” Lilly, her former human friend, blurted out as if shocked.The girl rose on her tiptoes to see over Chase’s shoulder.“Is that . . . you?”

Della glanced to the side to hide her eyes and canines.“Yeah.”

“Oh, my,” Lilly said.“And who are . . . you?”

No doubt the question was meant for Chase.Della didn’t glance up at his expression, but she knew he’d put on his charm:all smiles and good ol’ boy innocent eyes.“I’m a friend.”His voice still held on to the tease.

“Looks like you’re a good friend,” Lilly said in a playful tone.“Are you the notorious Steve?”

Chase’s shoulders tightened.His gaze shot to Della, the humor in his eyes fading to hurt, maybe even jealousy.

Not that he had any right to feel it.

Della forced her fangs in, and attempted to calm her inner vamp.“No, he’s just someone I know from Shadow Falls.”

Feeling under control, she nudged Chase back, giving herself a couple of inches, but no more.Not enough room for him to slide out.She focused on Lilly and motioned to Chase.“We need to talk. Can you give us—”

“No,” Chase said.“I just wanted to say hi.I’ll swing by your place later.”

“No.” She cut him a cold glare.He was not getting away.Della grabbed his arm, her grip locked around his bicep.“I’d prefer to chat now.”She slapped a smile on her face for Lilly’s sake.

“Don’t be silly.It’s a girl’s night out.” He gently pried her fingers free with ease.

Then before she knew his intent, he’d planted a quick kiss on her lips.His tongue swiped across her bottom lip, making her knees weak.That taste . . . That quick taste of him had her breath hitching.Her body humming.Her heart wanting.And she hated her own weakness.

She inhaled, fighting the bond while at the same time resisting the urge to go full vamp on his ass again.But before she could figure out her next move, he’d moved out the door.Gone.

Lilly, whom Della hadn’t even thought about in a year, leaned against the wall.She stared in shock at his quick exit.“Wow, he’s fast.”Then she giggled and shook her finger at Della. “Now, now, Miss Tsang.I think you’re keeping secrets.”

Ya think? Della wanted to scream.The first secret was a real doozy.Della was no longer human.Hence the reason she lived at Shadow Falls, a boarding school for supernaturals.If not for the trouble at home, she’d still be at school—with friends who understood and didn’t judge her for downing a glass of blood every now and then.

She didn’t even understand why Lilly had just shown up tonight.If her mom hadn’t overheard Lilly’s invite, and insisted Della go, she wouldn’t be in this jam.But since her family didn’t know her secrets, it was kind of hard to explain why she couldn’t maintain old friendships.

“No, no secrets,” Della lied. “That wasn’t at all what it looked like. He’s just . . . a guy.”

“He didn’t look like just a guy.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Della walked out.She moved down the hall and inhaled to see if she could still lock on to Chase’s scent.She let go of a deep gasp of air.Only the smell of hamburgers and fries scented the air.Still, her gaze shifted left then right, hoping for the off chance he was still around.Nope.

Chase was gone.Why the hell had she let him get away?The answer bumped into her back.Literally.Lilly.If Della had used force to detain him, her old friend would have freaked.Then she might have mentioned it to Della’s parents.And with all the crap going on with her dad’s murder charge, the last thing she wanted to do was give her parents something else to toss and turn about at night.

She faced Lilly, but someone called her name.

“Della Tsang?”

Della turned and saw Mrs. Chi inching closer.She was an older neighbor who co-owned a small jewelry store with her husband, just a couple of blocks away from Della’s house.“I have not seen you in forever, young lady.”

“Hi,” Della said and noticed her neighbor glance at Lily.“This is my friend Lilly Shay.”

“Hello,” Mrs. Chi said.Lilly barely nodded.She hadn’t even met the woman’s eyes and was already pulling her phone up.Had her mother never taught her manners?

“How is Chester?” Della asked.Before she’d left for Shadow Falls, she’d cared for the Chis’ cat when they’d gone on vacations.

“The same.He brought me dead rat yesterday.I call exterminator out and they say I have no rats in my home or the store.Where does that cat go to find them?”

“He gets around,” Della said, remembering she’d seen the cat snooping around her dad’s shed three nights ago when she’d gone out late to the supernatural blood bar.

Mrs. Chi patted Della’s arm.“I will go and grab dinner for Bojing.He is at store . . . closing.”She glanced at Lilly.“Have good night.Be careful.It is dangerous for two girls to be alone.The neighborhood is not safe as it used to be.”

“We will.”Della watched the elderly woman move to the counter.Then plastering on what she hoped was a friendly expression—but still irritated by Lilly’s rudeness—she faced the blonde.“Did you finish your hamburger?”

“Yeah.”

“Then maybe you can drop me back home.”She didn’t know if Chase had been serious about coming by or if she could add that to his list of lies.Probably a lie, but she should be there, just in case.She wouldn’t let him get away this time.

“But we’re going over to Susie’s to watch a movie.”

“Yeah. Sorry, I’m just not up to hanging out.It’s that time of the month.”She pressed a hand low on her abdomen.It was of course another lie—Aunt Flow had already come and gone.But Mother Nature had plagued women with the monthly curse, and Della figured that meant women had the right to use it as an excuse whenever needed.

Lilly frowned.“But your mom already. . .”She shut her mouth and even curled her lips as if wanting to pull the words back in.

“My mom already . . .what?” Della asked, sensing Lilly had her own secrets.

The girl rolled her green eyes, and Della remembered she’d never really cared too much for Lilly.Even before she’d gone off to Shadow Falls, she and Lilly had drifted apart.“Spill it,” Della snapped.

“Your mom paid me to get you out of the house.”

Della stood there, mortified and furious that her mom had paid someone to be her friend.Della had friends.She had the two best friends in the world back at Shadow Falls.

Right then she wanted nothing more than to go home, grab her bags, and get back to where she belonged.Where she didn’t feel like a monster.

“It’s not like I didn’t want to see you or anything.But I wasn’t going to turn down twenty bucks.”

“Take me home.”Leaving the stench of grease and beef behind, Della hurried out of the restaurant, fighting the temptation to fly home herself.When the cold Texas air hit her face, she inhaled and swallowed the tears down her throat.She might be hurting on the inside, but she’d be damned if she’d let Lilly know it.

Giveaway!!

I’m going to be doing a HUGE giveaway very soon, but you have to have pre-ordered Unspoken in order to enter. I’ll be giving away a Kindle Fire and Born to Read t-shirts. So, pre-order Unspoken today and look for more details on how to enter in next week’s blog.

Winner!!

The winner of last week’s giveaway of a signed ARC of Unspoken is Kaitlyn Cox. Congratulations! Please email your mailing address to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

Unspoken Giveaway!

Okay, I know you’re excited about the release of Unspoken on October 27th. I know because I’ve been getting lots of emails and comments on my blog from you. I’ve also been giving you teasers these last few weeks, and you seem to really enjoy them too. So, why change now? Here are a few more things that happen in Unspoken:

In Unspoken, Chase has to eat crow not once, but twice for Burnett.

In Unspoken, every attempt to prove her father is innocent leads Della to more evidence that he’s not.

In Unspoken, Perry returns to Miranda, but a certain FRU agent refuses to be forgotten.

Pre-order Unspoken today at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

 Giveaway!!

This week I’m giving away an ARC of Unspoken to one person who leaves a comment. Why do you think Chase has to eat crow? Who is the FRU agent who refuses to be forgotten? (Sorry, but I have to limit this giveaway to US residents only. If you’re reading this on Goodreads, you must go to my blog and leave a comment in order to enter.)