C.C. Hunter's Blog, page 32

Unbreakable Excerpt!

Okay…September 30th is right around the corner.  And that’s when Unbreakable will release.  Chase is one of the guys vying for Della’s heart in my Shadow Falls: After Dark series.  I wrote Chase’s story because he was so mysterious, even to me.  I wanted to peer back into his past so I could understand him a little more.  And what I found was a story that took my breath away.  I cried, I laughed, and I wanted to reach out and hug him.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s the guy Della is going to choose, I’m just saying that unearthing more about his past made me understand that whether he gets the girl or not, he’s a character you can’t help but love.

Chase’s story is one of those that just flowed out.  Amazingly, this is the first complete YA story I’ve ever written from a boy’s point of view.  So I had fun getting inside a guy’s head for a while.  And just to tempt you a bit more into picking up his story, below is the book blurb and an excerpt.

Unbreakable Blurb:

He isn’t everything he says he is. He’s even more…

Who is Chase Tallman, the newest member of Shadow Falls? What made him into the sexy, mysterious vampire he is today? And what led him to Della Tsang?

Step back in time and unearth the secrets that haunt him. The secret of how he became a vampire—and how he knows so much about being reborn. Secrets about his first love, his family–and what steers him toward Della, the beautiful, complicated girl he just can’t seem to stay away from. The one who makes him want things he thought he’d given up on long ago.

It all began with a research study, a palm reader, and a plane crash that sent him on a quest…for a love that’s unbreakable.

Unbreakable Excerpt:

Sunday, November 1, 6 a.m.

Breaking News

Missing plane spotted in Jasper Mountain Range

According to a statement from Sheriff Ted Carter, wreckage of a Cessna 210, believed to be the same one flown by Dr. Edward Tallman, was spotted in the Jasper Mountain Range. A SAR (Search and Rescue) team was called in when twenty minutes after takeoff the plane fell off radar yesterday at 4:20. Two helicopters from Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) searched the perimeter of the area yesterday but didn’t spot the downed plane until this morning. Due to low clouds and high winds, visibility of the crash site was poor and they were unable to spot any signs of survivors. Flying with Dr. Tallman were his wife, Amy, their two teenage children, Mindy and Chase, as well as a family friend, Tami Collins.

Emergency ground crews have been put on call, but are waiting for a break in the weather. A spokeswoman was quoted saying that they know it’s imperative to get to the site as soon as possible, but the safety of their crew must be considered.

It was speculated that Dr. Tallman and his family may have flown into Jasper to take part in a genetic study, however no local research facility reports any of the Tallmans’ participation. Meanwhile, friends of the Tallman family and the parents of Tami Collins are in Jasper praying the news will be good once Search and Rescue teams are on the ground.

One day earlier: Saturday, October 31, 10:30 a.m.

Chapter One

Chase Tallman watched as the bright-eyed, bloodthirsty lab tech tied a large elastic band around the middle of his arm hoping to expose a few of Chase’s veins.

“There’s a good one,” the woman said as she passed two fingers over the crook of his arm where a blue vein now bulged out. “You have great veins,” she said, sounding sincere.

Her hands were cold. Extra cold, making a chill run up his arm.

“Just a little stick and we’ll be done.” She smiled at him and reached over to pick up the needle with the large tube attached, taking the plastic tip off the syringe. Shit! How much blood did the woman need?

He freaking hated needles. But he didn’t flinch. Fourteen was too old to flinch. He hadn’t even cried when he broke his arm last summer during baseball practice. It had hurt like hell, but his coach had been the one to take him to the hospital and the last thing he’d wanted was to look weak in front of his coach.

Chase glanced around the small lab in the doctor’s office that was practically hidden in some remote part of the Rockies. He wasn’t exactly sure why his dad had insisted on them taking part in this research study, but it had to be pretty important for his dad to get his plane checked out and fly them up from Houston to participate.

Not that Chase liked it. Who gave up their blood for no reason? But the promise of a weekend in a cabin in the mountains, plus the plane ride, made it worth it. The fact that his sister’s best friend, Tami Collins, tagged along, made it more than worth it. Hell, he’d let them stick him with needles all day for the pleasure of seeing her in her bathing suit again. Holy cow, she’d looked hot last night when she’d joined him and his sister in the hot tub.

For a second last night, he would’ve sworn she’d been playing footsies with him. It could have been an accident, but he hoped not. And he wished like hell he hadn’t shifted away.

He liked to think she’d finally stopped looking at him as her best friend’s baby brother and started looking at him like . . . a guy. A potential boyfriend kind of guy. Hell, he was less than a year younger than she and stood a good eight inches taller. Most people took him for at least sixteen.

Feeling the prick of the needle, the medical tech dug around for a vein. To distract himself from the pain, he closed his eyes and thought of Tami’s dips and curves, of how her dark brown hair had looked dancing on her bare shoulders. It worked, too.

Unlike most of his friends who were into computer games and denied their fascination with the opposite sex, Chase gave up his denial. He’d rather study a pretty girl than get to the next level of Battlefield 4 any day of the week. Hell, he’d rather touch or kiss a girl than play baseball. And he really liked playing baseball.

Problem was, he was better at sports than he was at even getting close to first base with a girl. Or at least that’s what Susie Muller told him last year after the eighth grade dance. But the girl had braces, how was he supposed to kiss her?

Somehow he just knew if he got the opportunity to kiss Tami, he’d be better at it. She didn’t have braces and her mouth was . . . so soft looking.

Hell, he’d practiced kissing her in his fantasies a hundred times. He should be an expert by now.

“All done,” the lab tech said, patting Chase’s arm with one hand while she pressed a cotton swab over the tiny drop of blood oozing from the needle’s prick. “Oops, I’m out of Band-Aids here. Hold this for me.”

He put his finger on the ball of cotton. She reached around to get a Band-Aid out of the cabinet. He kept his finger on the piece of swab, but probably not hard enough, because a red stream of blood seeped from under the cotton ball and oozed down the crook in his arm.

“Push on it a little harder,” she said, still facing the cabinet as if she knew he was bleeding. Then she turned and peeled the Band-Aid open.

As she secured a bandage over the puffy piece of cotton, he glanced up at her. When her eyes shifted upward, he almost gasped at how her eyes glowed. They had been bright green before, but now they were fluorescent lime green.

To More of Unbreakable click HERE.

Giveaway!!

I’m giving away two t-shirts today to my loyal fans. To enter, leave a comment telling me that you have pre-ordered Unbreakable. (Sorry, this giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only.)

New Street Team & New Fan Club!!

Man, talk about feeling loved.  Talk about hard decisions.  It was so hard that I got with my publisher and they agreed to send me a few more ARCs of Eternal.  So…here are seven people who have been added to the Street Team: Mara Petrovsky, Rowen Teskey, Jessica Marend, Sara S., Nicholas Redden, Kayla Edwards and Rachel@ A Perfection Called Books. Please email me in the next two days at cc@cchunterbooks.com and send me your address and t-shirt size.  I so wished I could accept all of you, but I don’t have enough books for everyone.  That said, I would love to start a fan club.  What is a fan club?  Well, it’s a lot like the Street Team.  Sadly, you won’t get an ARC because we don’t have them, but  . . . in the next few weeks you will get some other cool stuff.   And you’ll will be on the waiting list to be on the Street Team.  So who all is chosen?

Everyone who has posted on this blog and emails me with in the next week.  That’s right.  All you have to do is send me an email, tell me you posted on the blog and that you want to be a part of my fan club.  Make sure you tell me the name you posted under, because I’ll be checking.  Send me your address.   And in case I order more t-shirts, send me your t-shirt size, too.  And within the next month you will get a package from me with some cool Shadow Falls: After Dark items.

So how can someone make it onto my Street Team?  Well, if I see your name regularly appearing in the comments on my blog, on Facebook, and if you leave reviews on Amazon, B&N and Goodreads, then the next time I have slots open on my Street Team I will pick from my fan club members.  By the way, when you post a review, let me know that you’ve done it.  I will keep a list of all my fan club members and every three months I will have a drawing and send an active fan club member a prize.  And Street Team members, this goes for you, too.  Every three months, I will be sending out a prize to active Street Team members.

Eternal Preview!

Are you a Wattpad fan?  Then make sure you pop over on Sept. 26th to read the first chapter of Eternal.   Then on Oct. 10th, they will post chapter two, and on Oct. 26th you can read the third chapter.  Don’t miss it!

Join My Street Team

How many of you have pre-ordered Unbreakable?   It will release September 30, just 14 days to go.   How many of you have pre-ordered Eternal?  Are you getting excited?  I know I am.

Now, I have some great news for some of you! As you know, Eternal will be out on October 28th, and I already have some ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) for my Street Team members. I know some of you aren’t Street Team members, but that’s where the good news comes in. You see, I just found out that I have room for a few more on my team.  Now, these openings are for US residents only.  Sorry.  (I’ll try to do a contest for international readers soon!)

So, ask yourself if you are one of my biggest fans? Do you tell all your friends about my book, appearances and workshops? Do you walk up to complete strangers in the YA aisle of bookstores and recommend my books? Do you post comments on my blog almost every Tuesday? Frequently post on my Facebook pages (CC Hunter Books & Shadow Falls Series)? Have you emailed me? If you can answer yes to several of those questions, then you are the kind of fan I’m looking to add to my Street Team.

Here’s what being a Street Team Member is all about.

* You get an early copy of Eternal, a T-shirt, and other goodies.

* You read the book ASAP.

* You help me promote the book by doing all the things mentioned above—from telling your friends to posting on social media.

So, tell me in the comment section why you should be on my Street Team. What will you do as a member and what have you already done in the past?  Now, there’s only a few spots available, because I only have a few copies of Eternal, but I want you all to know how much I appreciate each and every one of my fans.  You guys rock!!!

Giveaway!

As I said, I only have a few openings on my Street Team, so you won’t all make it. However, I’m offering three Shadow Falls: After Dark t-shirts to three other die hard fans.  (Sorry, but this giveaway is limited to US residents only.)

 Want to be a Writer?

Are you a writer? Do you want to be? Then you’ll want to attend my workshop, “Polish Me Pretty: Five Polishing Tips to Take Your Writing to the Next Level,” on September 23 at the Palacios Library at 326 Main Street, Palacios, TX 77465. I’ll be there at 1:00 PM along with Donna M. Johnson, who will be teaching her workshop called “Your Life as Story: Transforming the Ordinary, the Tragic and the Dull as Dirt into Compelling Memoir.” Best of all, it is FREE and open to the public, although they recommend you call (361) 972- 3234 and pre-register to hold your spot.

Ghosts, Characters and Writers

Since you all were so curious and asked me so many questions, I thought I’d answer a few more this week.

Mica asked: A while ago, I asked whether you believe in ghosts, and you replied saying you had a ghost encounter yourself. My question is, if you don’t mind me asking, could you share what happened in that encounter?

Well, you see to me, ghosts are scarier than vampires or werewolves. Probably because I believe they exist. Not that several of my supernaturals don’t scare the crap out of me, but on a personal scale, ghosts are the scariest.

My personal ghost story happened when I’d just turned ten, and I woke up one night to find my great-grandmother hovering over me. She always was one to hover over you, but at this point, she’d been dead for a week! And actually, she was more like floating. She was in a long white gossamer gown that flowed around her, so she looked like she didn’t have feet. She said she just wanted to let me know that she was okay. Then she told me that someday I’d have to give up the rags I called clothes (she hated the new fashions), and I’d be wearing a gown like hers.

My parents still insisted I was dreaming, but I don’t believe that. J

Caroline asked: How can you (and so many others) write stories with so many different characters? 

Well, I could write a story with only one character, but I think it would be pretty boring. I love secondary characters. That’s what Holiday, Burnett, Della and most of the Shadow Falls campers are, and I couldn’t imagine my books without them. Often my secondary characters become so real to me that they demand their own story. Like Della.

Kisa asked: How did you know you wanted to become a writer?

I get asked that a lot, and I have to explain to people that I grew up in Alabama, which is the Deep South. So, we pride ourselves in learning to tell a good tale, the bigger, the better. And growing up in my family, I learned from some of the best! But being dyslexic, I never really thought I’d be able to become a writer. Then, when I was in my early 20’s, I was considering going back to school to become a teacher. But I told my hubby I didn’t really want to be a teacher. When he asked me what I wanted to be, I told him a writer. Wonderful man that he is, he said I should go for it. So, I did. It took me a long time to get my first book published, but I never gave up on my dream.

So, I’m going to ask you a question. After all, turnabout is fair play! Do you believe in ghosts? Do you have your own ghost story?

Come Meet Me!

On Tuesday, September 23, I will be participating in the Palacios Library and the Writers’ League of Texas’ Half Day of Writing Instruction and Discussion. The event is free and open to the public and I’ll be discussing “Polish Me Pretty: Five Tips to Take Your Writing to the Next Level. Donna M Johnson, author of her memoir Holy Ghost Girl will be discussing “Your Life as Story: Transforming the Ordinary, the Tragic and the Dull as Dirt into Compelling Memoir.” Join us from 1-4 PM at the Palacios Library, 326 Main Street, Palacios, TX 77465. Advanced registration is encouraged and can be made through the library at 361.972.3234.

Did you know I’ll be teaching at Montgomery County Book Festival’s Ramos Family Writer’s Workshop on September 27? I’ll be at the South Regional Branch Library, 2101 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands, TX 77380. For more information contact Natasha Benway: 936-442-7727 ext. 6370 or email her at nbenway@countylibrary.org. Hope to see you there!

My Answers

Last week, I asked all of you to think of questions you’ve always wanted to ask me and post it in the comment section. So, here are my answers to a few of your questions, and Ill try to answer the rest of your questions over the next few weeks.

Destany asked:  Can you write wherever you are, no matter how loud it is around you, or do you get distracted?

I have a study in my new house and I finished putting it all together now long ago. So, I love how it turned out. I do most of my writing sitting at my study desk, surrounded by books and trinkets (and a pet or two!).   I love the peaceful silence that is my own.  However, I write regular working hours and life doesn’t always cooperate, so I’ve had to write in hospitals, hotels, at my mom’s, and recently at the beach house we rented in Galveston. So, I guess I’ll have to say I can write anywhere, but I prefer to write in my study with only the soft wispy sound of my ceiling fan for background music.

Alexandra asked: Is Unbreakable only going to be an e-book or is it going to be an e-book and in paperback?

Okay, I would love to see the novellas in print.  And while I have to say that right now, like my other novella Saved at Sunrise, Unbreakable is only being scheduled as an ebook, I still remain hopeful that maybe in the future they will combine all the novellas and put them in one book.  Fingers crossed.

Karina asked: Is it hard to kill off a character? How do you decide if it’s necessary?

It’s always hard to kill off any of my characters, especially the ones I’ve come to know and love. You wouldn’t believe how much I have cried when I’ve had to kill off one of them. And in my Shadow Falls series I’ve killed off one character, which was hard enough to do, then my editor decided I really should kill off a different character. So, I had to go through it all over again.

As for as deciding if it’s necessary, well . . .    I try to write stories with real-life crises.  I’ve lived through and therefore I’ve written about the pain of watching your parents get a divorce, the hurt of not fitting in with your peers, and the devastation of a breakup.  And as hard as it is, I’ve also dealt with the loss of loved one.  I want my stories, even though they are pure fiction, to reflect real life.  I want my characters to experience the wonder of what it is to be alive, because through them, my readers experience it.  And death and overcoming grief is a part of life.  It’s a lesson that most of us will have to face at some time.

Now, if you’ve thought of a few more questions you’d like me to answer, post your question in the comment section, and I’ll try to answer them in the coming weeks.

Ask CC

Okay, this is your chance! I’ve decided to do an “Ask CC” blog this week. I did one a long time ago, so I thought it was time to do another one. I get emails all the time asking about my Shadow Falls characters. I also get a lot of emails asking for writing advice. So this is your opportunity to ask me your most burning questions about Shadow Falls or writing. But be forewarned–I won’t give out spoilers! I’m not that kind of a girl! LOL

So leave your questions for me in the comment section, and I’ll try to answer them over the next few weeks.

 

 Winner!!!!

Last week’s winner of a signed copy of Chosen at Nightfall is Leslie Salazar.  Please email your mailing address to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Congratulations!

Unbreakable!

Well, I promised a big announcement and here it is! I’ve written a new novella called Unbreakable, and this one is all about the sexy vampire Chase. Check out the cool cover with Chase and Della. I love the lightening! I enjoy trying to read the story from the cover. And this cover can tell two stories. One of Chase’s present and one of Chase’s future. You see, the girl in the background could be the girl Chase cared about when he was young. Or, because someone told Chase he was going to meet another girl in the future, it could be Della.

 

If you’ve read Reborn, you’ll know that Chase is a guy with a lot of secrets. He’s also the vamp Della keeps finding herself around–even when she doesn’t want to see him. She’d rather be with the sweet shapeshifter Steve–or would she? Sometimes she’s not even sure.

Unbreakable is the story about how Chase lost his family and was turned. In Unbreakable you’ll learn:

1. Della Tsang isn’t Chase Tallman’s first love.

2. Never eat a hot dog in two bites in front of someone you want to impress.

3. When your dog doesn’t like someone, trust your dog.

4. According to a palm reader, Chase will come upon an amazing power, but whether he will use it for good or evil is yet to be seen.

5. Never let someone you don’t know very well get you alone in a haunted house.

6. Chase is told he’s a bad kisser.

7. To a boy, girls are as frustrating to understand as they are intriguing.

8. Never underestimate the power of a pet’s love.

9. Siblings can be a pain in the butt, but never take them for granted.

10. Never turn your back on a challenge. Especially if that challenge involves a life or death decision.

Unbreakable will be available September 30th as an e-book and will be sold wherever e-books are sold.

Giveaway!

Tell me, are you looking forward to reading Unbreakable? Do you like Chase or do you like Steve better? Leave your comment and I’ll giveaway another signed copy of Chosen at Nightfall.  (Sorry, I have to limit this giveaway to U.S. residents only.)

Winner!!!! 

Thanks for all the wonderful comments last week.  The winner of the signed copy of Chosen at Nightfall is Maria C.  Please email your mailing address to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Congratulations!

 

Summer’s Over!

Gosh! Where did the summer go? I was looking at my calendar, trying to figure out all of my upcoming book signings, and I realized August is almost over. You know what that means? School will soon be starting. Here in Texas, we start in August, but I know up north many of you start school in September. But whether you live in the north or the south, you know we are down to the last few weeks of summer. I hope you all enjoy them and have a great time.

I can remember looking forward to going back to school so I would see some of my friends I hadn’t seen over the break. Heck, I can even recall looking forward to certain classes or seeing some of my favorite teachers. And there was always the cute teacher, the heart throb teacher that every girl in school had a crush on.

Are you looking forward to going back to school? If so why? Or are you really sad that summer is drawing to a close?

 

I’ve got some exciting news for y’all! I’ve written another novella, and this one will be out in September. Who is it about? Well, be sure to read my blog next Tuesday because I’ll be telling all and revealing the cover.

Leave a comment on this blog and you could win a signed copy of Chosen at Nightfall. So be sure to check back next week for my cover reveal and to see if you are the winner.

Come Peek in My Office

So many people ask me what my office looks like.  So, I thought I’d invite you in.  It’s where I spend a lot of my time, so I wanted to make it comfortable. But I’ll tell you a secret, it’s the little things that sometimes seem to matter the most.  My goofy toys.  Like my Crazy Eight Ball.  And oh yes, I ask it questions daily.  My desk accessories.  The books I’m reading.  The books on my bookshelves.   The inspirational sayings.  I love my space…even when it’s messy.  It’s my mess.

 

A Good Time

The Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference in San Antonio was fabulous.  I had a blast.  There is nothing like getting together with old friends and new friends who share the same sickness.  I’m talking about the writing bug.  This passion for writing makes us more than just friends, it sort of bonds us like family.  I’ve belonged to RWA for…Oh, goodness, this is gonna show my age…for twenty-seven years.  Just remember, I was only ten when I joined.  LOL.  It is through RWA that found my education, my family, my critique partners, my assistants.  It is where that I found my career.  And each year at the annual conference, I’m given a booster shot of all I’ve attained from RWA.  I walked away with great tips for marketing and writing.

Being around all that creativity was amazing.  I really think we fed off each other.  We talked, laughed, and commiserated about any of the career’s hurdles.  We drank wine, shared meals, and talked late into the night.  Did I say we laughed?  One friend–and I’m not listing names, actually told me– “We have to stop laughing or I’m gonna pee in my pants.”  Frankly, she wasn’t alone.

 

I enhanced my vocabulary, learned a new word, “Dingle Butt,” look for it an upcoming book.  I made new friends, rebonded with old friends and got recharged as a writer.  Oh, did anyone else see the billboard sign on I-10 that reads:  “There is not a cop hiding behind this billboard.  I promise.  Texas Highway Patrol.”

It is times like this that I realize how wonderful it is to have these people in my life.  And I have to tell you, the camaraderie is part of the sisterhood that RWA has encouraged.  So thank you, RWA, and thank you to all my friends whom we laughed, hugged and celebrated the sisterhood of being writers.  I’m already excited about going next year’s conference in New York City.

Loyal Fan Winner!!

Yes, I didn’t announce a contest last week. However, I decided to give a Shadow Falls: After Dark t-shirt to a fan who posted on last week’s blog even though there wasn’t a giveaway. So, Hannah F., congratulations! You have won! Please send your mailing address and t-shirt size to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

 

 

Celebrating Girlfriends

Della has Kylie and Miranda, and even Jenny.  Do you have a girlfriend or girlfriends that you completely adore, trust, and just love spending time with?  Well, this last weekend, I had a girl’s only party.  We sat around and laughed and talked and shared—just like Della, Miranda, and Kylie do sitting around their kitchen table.  We got silly, we got serious, we had a blast.  And that’s what girlfriends do.  They make our troubles feel a little less like something we can’t overcome, and instead, we find ourselves facing those difficult things with a little more confidence.  So here’s to girlfriends, here’s to laughter and sharing.  Tell me about your girlfriends. Do you have your Miranda and Kylie?

 

If you live in San Antonio area, please stop in at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel, 3rd floor ballroom, 101 Bow Street, San Antonio, TX 78205.  I’ll be at the “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing on Wednesday evening, July 23rd, 5:30-7:30 PM. Over 500 authors will all be in the ballroom signing our books, and the proceeds from the sales all go to literacy programs. Just follow the above link for a list of all the participating authors. And please come by, find me, and say hello.