C.C. Hunter's Blog, page 4

Merry Christmas, Y’all!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Holiday Traditions

Traditions
are an important part of who we are. They’re what families have in common. And
this time of year seems to be steeped in tradition.

In my
family, we have traditions that we carry out year after year. Like we all go to
have our picture taken with Santa—and I mean ALL of us, not just the little
ones. Our entire family and any visitors all meet up at the mall and we have
our picture taken. I have pictures of my mom, my dad, even my grandmother
sitting on Santa’s lap.

We also have a tradition of fun presents at the Craig house. You see, at gift opening time, we sit in a big circle and take turns opening gifts.  Every present has a clue written on it and before a person can open a gift, he or she has to read the clue and try to figure out what it is.  If stumped, everyone will join in and try to guess.  And I admit, the crazier the clue is the better the time we have.  So, in addition to the real gifts, we actually go out and buy crazy gifts so we can have some crazy, crack-you-up-laughing clues.  So there’s lots of laughter.

We
can’t talk the holidays or tradition without talking about food.  Gathering around a table and eating the food
that has been part of the holiday season before some of the family members were
born.  For our house, the main course is
always the turkey and dressing.  That’s
dressing, not stuffing.  And that’s
cornbread dressing. (My mouth is watering just thinking about it.)

I’ll
dropkick, go ballistic or have a conniption fit if any oyster or fancy sausage
even thinks of trying to sneak into my dressing. We’ve got southern standards,
steeped in Alabama law (yes that’s where I’m from) of what does and doesn’t
belong in dressing.

There’s
fresh green beans, and because my granddaughter loves peas, but isn’t a green
bean fan, peas have found their way onto our holiday table.  That said, my son-in-law and hubby despise
peas, so the joke is always to keep passing them their way.  “Hey, you didn’t get any peas.”

Mashed taters, whipped with real butter, is a regular. White rolls and gravy is a must.  And yes we are soppers, meaning we use those rolls to sop up the gravy.  I know in some fancy restaurants where you get confused what fork and knife to use, it might be bad-mannered to sop.  But you get one fork with your holiday dinner at the Craig house and sopping is allowed. What are your favorite family traditions? Do you always serve the same food? Are you soppers? Do you put oysters or sausage in your dressing? Do you go Caroling? Maybe go to church? What are your holiday traditions?

Winner!!!

The winner of last week’s giveaway is Kristin Whitehouse. Congratulations! You’ve won a CC Hunter t-shirt. Please email me at cc@cchunterbooks.com with your mailing address and you t-shirt size.

To Gift Card or Not to Gift Card

This is the question that I think so many of us are debating this holiday season.  Just the other day, I was walking behind two women and they were talking.  And yeah, you know me, I eavesdrop.  One of them said, “This year we are doing the $25 Christmas gift card exchange.” The idea of just trading cards didn’t thrill me.  It’s like pulling $25 out of your purse and exchanging bills. Maybe the fact that it’s from a certain store might be the surprise, but . . . uh, no.  It didn’t feel festive.

Don’t get me wrong, I see the
pros and cons of a gift card.  And I’ll
admit, I’m about to go shopping for cards myself.  But have you ever given someone a surprise
gift that was just so darn perfect?  I
mean, something that they really wanted, but either didn’t know they wanted it,
or had forgotten they wanted it?  Or
didn’t think anyone would get it for them. 
Something that is so perfect that their expression is worth ten times
more than you paid for the gift.  I love
giving those kinds of gifts.  It just
warms my heart and makes the hours I spent fighting the scrooges at the mall so
worth it.

Ahh, but have you ever had to buy
a gift for someone, and you didn’t have a clue what to get?  I mean, they are very selective—yes, that’s a
nice way to say picky, but that’s not really a bad thing. But you know where
they love to shop. So you get them a gift card from there. Is that so
wrong?  No?  Maybe? I mean, isn’t it better than getting
someone something that they won’t use or don’t like.  Or even worse, will use as a white elephant
gift next year.  I’ve gotten a few of
those.

But how many gift cards have you
gotten that you didn’t use?  Sadly, I
have a few.

But if you ask someone what they want and they say… “Oh, I love shopping at Marshalls. Or I need t-shirts and I usually get them at Target.”  And yes, there are people who love shopping.  Shopping is part of the gift.  My daughter always plans a day after the holidays where she will head out with all the gift cards she received and shops till she drops.  And my granddaughter has decided she likes that, too.  It’s a ritual. Their thing.  So is it so wrong to get them what they want?  I don’t think so. And frankly, if I had something in mind that I want from a certain store, I’d like getting a gift card from that store.

But here’s the little issue.  I don’t want to just give them cards.  No, I
need something to go along with the card. 
In the Craig house, we give lots of little gifts, some are gag gifts,
some aren’t.  But now these gifts can’t
be pricey, or it takes away from the value of the gift card.  So, the whole gift-card giving makes the
holiday season easy, doesn’t pan out. 
No, it makes it a bit harder, because now the gifts have price limits,
making it more challenging.

So I give gift cards, but I don’t just do gift cards. What about you?  Do you do them?  Do you like giving them?  Like getting them?  Do you feel it’s taken some of the gift-giving joy out of the season?  Do you think Scrooge invented them?

Giveaway!!

I’ll give away a C.C. Hunter T-shirt, to give away as a gift or to give yourself, to one person who tells me how they feel about gift-card giving. I’ll announce the winner next Tuesday. (Sorry, but this giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. If you’re reading this on Goodreads, you must got to my blog to enter.)

Happy December!

Let the
frantic holiday season begin! Yes, it’s time to search for the perfect gift for
Aunt Beth, unless you are planning on giving her another fruit cake—that she
might turn around and give back you next Christmas.  Then you need research for the “hottest toy”
this Christmas for your child, or niece or nephew. Don’t forget to bake
Christmas cookies and pastries. It’s also time to put up all those Christmas
decorations.

Now, we put
up decorations, but we don’t go crazy like some of the displays you see on TV
and YouTube.  A couple of years ago, I
bought one of those light display things that had lights dancing on my house. I
also pull out my sixteen-foot tall Christmas tree, and it takes a ladder and
several people to decorate.  Then I have
some holiday knickknacks that I put out through the house.

So you know
it’s Christmas at my house, but I’m not the one where the neighbors complain
because of all the traffic the Christmas spectacular brings. But I do
appreciate the effort that goes into one of these displays. So I wanted to
share some of the best ones I found, but be sure your speakers are on. Then be
sure to tell me which one is your favorite?

Trista
Lights

Musical
Instruments

Amazing
Grace

Pirates of
the Caribbean

Sale Ending! Last Chance!

It’s your final chance to get One Foot in the Grave (Mortician’s Daughter, Book 1) for only .99 cents. This sale ends soon! Get it now at Amazon and Kobo.

I hope you
all are having a good time getting ready for the holiday.  If nothing else, grab a book with a holiday
theme, a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy the season.

Happy Thanksgiving, Now Start Shopping!!

It’s
Thanksgiving week and I hope you enjoy a nice gathering with your family on
Thursday. But this week also means it is the official start of Christmas
shopping. Yup, Black Friday is coming up fast. But now, there’s also Cyber
Monday. Not to mention how some of the stores have started having pre Black
Friday sales. It seems like stores want you to start your shopping earlier and
earlier. Heck, I know people that are already finished with their shopping, but
most have barely started. I’m one of the later. But I’ve been really busy
finishing up a book, and now that I’ve got time, I’ll get serious about
shopping.

Last year, I
did almost as much in-store shopping as I did online shopping.  I actually see shopping store to store as
part of fun of the season.  Almost a
tradition. No, I don’t enjoy it if the crowd is manic, but there’s something
about being in the stores, Christmas music playing and seeing everyone shop for
their loved ones.  There’s something special
about finding that perfect gift for someone. 
I don’t quite get that same seasonal joy while shopping online.  Half the time I’m scared the gift will arrive
and not meet my expectations.  Maybe I
need to put on some Christmas music, pour myself some eggnog and try to make
online shopping more of a seasonal treat. 

What kind of Christmas shopper are you? Do you shop ahead all year? Maybe have it all done by mid December? Or are you scrambling around a few days before Christmas, trying to find something last minute? Do you buy everything on line or do you shop at your favorite stores? 

One Foot in the Grave on Sale!

Did
you know my YA One Foot in the Grave is
the winner of Romantic Times Reader’s
Choice Award, Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers PRISM Award,
Write Touch Readers’ Award, I Heart Indie Contest & the JABRIC Award? Did
you know you can download it now for only .99 cents? Hurry, this sale is about
to end!  Get it now at Amazon and Kobo.

Oh, The Seasons…

I love this time of year when the leaves change and there is a crisp chill in the air. It’s a time of transition, when we shift from the hot Texas summers where we go tubing down a river, or just watching my dog try to catch the water as it squirts out of the hose, to the cold darker winters when we grab a blanket and sip from cup of hot chocolate. 

But between summer and winter is fall, when everything is alive with color: reds, golds and oranges. Only followed by the cold darker days of winter.  But that too passes and we move into spring when everything feels brand new and the blue bonnets and Indian paintbrushes speckle ours roadsides.

Like our
world, life has seasons.  We move from
being a child, to being a teen, to being an adult.  From being single to being in a relationship.  From being footloose and fancy free to being
a parent with responsibilities.  From
being newlyweds to celebrating thirty-five years of marriage.  We move from having full nests to being empty
nesters.  We move from being someone’s
child, to being that person’s caretaker.

Oh, the
seasons of our lives.  They each bring with it some beauty, each offering
different perspectives and changes.  Some inspire us, some humble
us.  Some require us to hang on to things so tightly, others require us to
let go.  And while some of the changes are welcomed, soul freeing and make
us want to dance with joy, other’s can break our hearts.

When I
encounter some of the heartbreak, I try to look back on other seasons where I
struggled. Like the full nest season to being an empty nester.  Oh, that hurt.  Then one of my darling children moved back
home for a while and…  Oh, that hurt!

I look back
on some of the seasons that were hard, and I find hope in that I survived. So I
guess even during the seasons that bring heartbreak, we need to be there, to be
present, to be counted, to be countable. I’m trying to remember this as I deal
with my father’s declining health.  I try
to remember to enjoy even some of the difficult times, because the next season
may be one in which he is not here.  I
try to remember to hold tight for now, because soon I’ll be letting go.

I try to remember after this, there will be another season.

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE SALE ENDING SOON!

Don’t forget One Foot in the Grave (Mortician’s Daughter , Book 1) is on sale for only .99 cents, but this sale ends soon. Get it now at Amazon and Kobo.

What Are You Watching?

There is an abundance of new shows out this month and I, for
one, am paying attention.  You know I’m
working on a book and I work around ten hours a day, but when I move out of my
office, I usually either whip up some dinner or order in and watch a few
shows. 

Here are the show I’m watching:

Emergence

It’s what I would call a speculative fiction.  A young girl survives a plane crash
unharmed.  But overtime we see she has
powers.  A detective ends up taking her
in and trying to protect her from the unknown. 
But the question becomes do they need protecting from the child? 

Evil

Now can I say I watch this one with one eye closed?  It’s spooky. 
A young mother, with three girls, who does not believe in demons and
such, is hired to work with a group of religious investigators.  Basically, she tries to disprove that demons,
ghosts and other creepy things don’t exist. 
But let me tell you, there’s a lot to disprove.  It’s scary, it’s really creepy.  But I kind of like it.

Stumptown

I love this one guys! 
It’s a lot like my humorous romantic suspense novels.  A sassy, kick butt army veteran becomes a private
investigator who stands up for the underdog. 
She’s flawed, so very flawed, but you have to love her as she always
sets out to protect someone who deserves protecting.  And she finds herself up to her eyebrows in
trouble fighting bad guys.

All Rise

This one is a legal show about a new judge who is determined
to make her court fair to those who are not getting justice.  She’s creative, she’s got guts.  She’s the kind of judge we would all love to
think wears a robe and determines what’s right and wrong in courts.

Bluff City Law

Jimmy Smit and his daughter are lawyers with a tumultuous
relationship who take on the injustice of the world one client at a time.  It’s largely a family drama with characters
who fight for the underdogs.

As I’m writing the descriptions of what I’m watching, I realize
how close my interest in shows is to the plots I choose to write.  Paranormal elements, ghosts, sassy
characters, underdogs that need championing, and a touch of danger and suspense. 

In The Mortician’s Daughter you totally get the paranormal element.  Poor Riley is faced with spirits left and right.  However, you still have the underdogs, and you get the sass.  If not from Riley, then from Kelsey.  That girl calls it like she sees it.

Snag a copy One Foot in the Grave (Book 1) for only .99 cents for a limited time at Amazon and Kobo.

So what are you watching?  Are you watching any of
the shows I mentioned? Do the shows you watch on television fall in line with
the types of books you read? 

New Things

When I was first asked to write a young adult book, it scared the bejeezus out of me. I’d been writing romantic suspense novels under my real name, Christie Craig. (In fact, I have another Christie Craig book out today.) An editor from St. Martin’s Press contacted me and asked me if I wanted to try my hand and writing young adult. You see she’d read my Christie Craig books and thought my funny, sarcastic way of writing would transfer well to YA. (My momma always told me my smart mouth would get me into trouble!)

Trying something new is always scary. Trying something new
in the public eye was doubly scary. But this editor had an idea for a YA
series. She said: a paranormal camp. So, I went home and thought about it.
Actually, I did little else. My mind kept churning, and these characters
started showing up in my head. By the time I told her I would do it, I had the
idea for Shadow Falls fleshed out.

So, as afraid as I was to do something outside my comfort
zone, I did it anyway. And I’m so glad I did. Not only did I write a highly
successful series, but I fell in love with my Shadow Falls characters, and they
will forever be a part of me.

I have a lot of fans that discovered me through my Shadow
Falls series, but I have a lot of fans that came to my books later. But for
those of you who haven’t read Shadow Falls, I urge you to try this series. Here
is a list of my Shadow Falls books and novellas in the order in which they were
published, so you know the order in which to read them.

Shadow Falls Series

Born at Midnight

Turned at Dark—E-novella about Della

Awake at Dawn

Taken at Dusk

Whispers at Moonrise

Saved at Sunrise –E-novella
about Della and Steve

Chosen at Nightfall

St. Martins combined Born at Midnight and Awake at Dawn and called it Shadow Falls: The Beginning.

St. Martins also combined Taken at Dusk and Whispers at Moonrise and called it Shadow Falls:  The Next Chapter.

Shadow Falls: After Dark Series

Reborn

Unbreakable—E-novella
about Chase

Eternal

Spellbinder—E-novella
about Miranda

Unspoken

Almost Midnight –anthology
containing all of my E-novellas, plus an E-novella called Fierce about
Fredericka Lakota.

Midnight Hour—Miranda’s
book

Fighting Back—E-novella about Kylie and Lucas

So tell me, what have you tried that was new that you
found scary? How did it work out?

Book Sale!!

Have you heard? One Foot in the Grave, Mortician’s Daughter, Book 1, is on sale for a limited time for only .99 cents! That’s right. So if you haven’t read my Mortician’s Daughter series yet, now’s your chance to snag a copy. Get it now at Amazon and Kobo.

“This series is
the perfect blend of eerie paranormal action, drama and plenty of
will-they-won’t-they scenarios with to-die-for crushes.” –RT Book
Reviews.

Reviewers Are Awesome!

I love book reviewers! They can really make a difference
when it comes to book sales. I have a list of book review websites that receive
advanced copies of my books. Then, they are asked to read it and post an honest
review. I have been fortunate and received some wonderful reviews. Some
reviewers also request interviews. I try to post links on my social media to as
many of those reviews as I can.

I know a good review can sell books and a bad review can
hurt sales. So obviously many people read reviews of a book before they
purchase it. I have been known to read the reviews on Amazon, B&N, etc.,
check out how many stars a book got when deciding to purchase it.

But you don’t have to have a blog or website to post a review of a book. I ask my readers to please post reviews of my books on their purchase sites. It can really make a difference. And I do read those reviews. And to those that have left reviews of my books on social media—THANK YOU! You are awesome and I really appreciate it.

Here are just a few of my favorite reviews of my Mortician’s Daughter series:

“This series is the perfect blend of eerie paranormal action, drama and plenty of will-they-won’t-they scenarios with to-die-for crushes.” —RT Book Reviews



“If you’re looking for binge-worthy paranormal romance read for the spooky season that is approaching this is definitely not to be missed!”–The Bookish Chick about The Mortician’s Daughter series.



“Master storyteller C.C. Hunter has a way of drawing you into a story and never letting go. Her characters are so alive, you feel like you’re sitting next to them, and their stories so real, you feel included in every aspect of their lives. Smart. Captivating. Heart wrenching. Miss Hunter is, and will always be, on my MUST READ list!”—NY Times Bestselling Author Darynda Jones.

Do you read book reviews before purchasing a book? If you’re in a book store and see a book, do you look up reviews on your phone? If you read 10 good reviews and 1 bad one, would you purchase the book anyway? How much do reviews influence your book purchases?

Winner of my Trivia Contest!!!

I have a lot of super fans that entered this contest–and they knew all of the answers. But I had to pick a winner, so I chose a random entrant, and it was Casey Wood! Congratulations, Casey!! Please email your postal address AND t-shirt size to cc@cchunterbooks.com, and I’ll get your tote and t-shirt to you.

I

Trivia Contest!

I hear from fans everyday who say they love my books. Some of you love my Shadow Falls series more or my Mortician’s Daughter series, or my stand alone books, This Heart of Mine and In Another Life. But have you read all of them? I thought I’d have a little trivia contest with a question from each of my series and stand alone books. If you answer all of the questions right, you’ll be entered to win this CC Hunter tote and a t-shirt. But don’t answer the question in the comment area of the blog or everyone will know the answers. Please email your answers to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

Here goes:

1. Which character had dyslexia in my Shadow Falls series?

2. What was the name of Riley’s cat in the Mortician’s Daughter?

3. What was the name of Chloe’s best friend in In Another Life?

4. In This Heart of Mine, what’s the name of Matt’s twin brother?

Not too hard, right? Remember, email your answers to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

Okay, there you have it. Good luck. (Sorry, but this giveaway is for US residents only.)

Winner!

Last week’s winner of my t-shirt is Connie. Congratulations! Please email your postal address and t-shirt size to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com.