C.C. Hunter's Blog, page 45

What’s Up, Kylie?

Kylie Galen freezes as soon as she sees me. Her eyes grow wide with surprise. “Not you again!”

“Hi, Kylie,” I say, giving her what I hope is a reassuring smile. I know it’s always disconcerting for my characters when I summon them to the office in my mind for a chat. If they’re not already freaked out by the idea of talking with their creator, there’s always the décor of my office. Let’s just say my mind is scary place to be. I’m talking abandoned plot devices sitting inside a broken basket next to the wall, smidgens of ideas I haven’t fully developed yet bouncing around the corner of my brain. Then, in the dark shadowy corners something is hiding, and even I can’t quite figure out just what that something is. Oh, and the occasional dead body that I haven’t decided how to use.

“I hope you don’t mind,” I tell her, “but I wanted to interview you for my blog to promote the release of Taken at Dusk.” I motion toward the sofa. “Have a seat. This won’t take long, I promise.”

She glances over her shoulder, looking for the exit. “You are one freaky, strange, and a few French fries short of a happy meal ol’ lady.”

“Now that hurts,” I tell her. “I’m not that old.”

“Sorry. I’m sixteen, everyone past thirty is old to me.” She frowns. “I don’t like being interrogated.” She wraps her arms around her midsection.

“This isn’t an interrogation,” I say, speaking calmly. “It’s an interview. Big difference.”

“Feels like an interrogation.” She takes her seat on the sofa.

“People are curious about you and Shadow Falls, and they want to know more about you.”

“People think I’m a freak,” Kylie says. “Even the other supernaturals at Shadow Falls.”

“No, they don’t,” I correct her.

“You made me glow in that last scene in Whispers at Moonrise. Believe me, they think I’m a freak. Fredericka called me a glow worm. Della said I looked like a firefly. Can’t you write me a few chapters of easy stuff?”

“You know it doesn’t work that way, Kylie,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “Easy stuff is boring.”

“And serial killers and ghosts are interesting?” She slumps back on the sofa.

“What’s interesting is seeing you stand up to the challenges. Besides, I write some good scenes. Remember the one in Taken at Dusk when you woke up and your entire room was filled with roses that some special guy had brought you. And then he–”

“That was a great scene.” She smiled. “But I’m furious at that guy right now.”

“That’s life,” I tell her. Men always do things to piss us off. If there not leaving the toilet seat up, they’re leaving their dirty socks everywhere.”

She sighs loudly. “Let’s get this over with so I can leave this whacky place. What do you want to ask me?”

I pull out my notes. “In Taken at Dusk, your ghost has amnesia. This must make helping her cross over even more difficult.”

Kylie nods. “Every spirit is a challenge. Like with the one I’m working with now. Spirits are supposed to be dead. This person isn’t dead. How can I–”

“Sorry,” I interrupt her. “We can’t talk about Shadows at Moonrise. This is about Taken at Dusk.”

She frowns. “You bring me here and then tell me what I can and can’t talk about. That’s not nice.”

“Sorry.” I wait a minute to continue. “Now. Without giving too much away about the plot, I want to ask you about the big game changer in Taken at Dusk. Namely, when someone you think is your enemy turns into a friend who’ll do anything to save you. How did that make you feel?”

A shadow crosses her face, and she folds her hands in her lap. “That . . . that was really an emotional scene. I honestly never thought. . .” She takes a deep breath. “It was a lot for me to digest, and I think I’m still trying to understand it.”

I decide to move on to a lighter subject. “I have to ask you about Burnett . . . and the kangaroo.”

Her face dissolves in a grin. “Poor Burnett. He was . . .”

“Hopping mad?” I suggest.

“Yes!” Then, she laughed. “Of course, he didn’t find it that funny.”

“Yeah, but vampires aren’t known for having great senses of humor,” I point out.

“True.”

I nod and then flip the notebook closed. “Okay, that about does it for my questions. Thanks so much for giving me a few minutes of your time.”

“No problem.” Then, her forehead starts to scrunch up in concentration. “Okay, I have a question for you.”

“What?”

“Why is there a bunch of rusty iron and herbs in the middle of your mind? I know that’s about me, but I can’t figure it out. What does it mean?”

I shake my head. “Oh, that’s for a scene in Whispers at Moonrise. Sorry, but we can’t talk about that because it hasn’t happened yet. But I promise you’ll find out in the next few scenes.”

She stares at my forehead again. “Uh-huh. Well, nothing personal, but I don’t think I want to find out. Change that scene!”

I smile. “Trust me, Kylie. This will all work out well in the end.” I rise to my feet.

“That’s what you always say.” She stands up and starts heading to the door.

“Mmm. And I’m always right, too, aren’t I?”

Kylie turns back. “Good point.” She pauses. “Can I have some more roses? And more of those kinds of scenes.”

“I’ll try to work one in,” I say. She heads out the door and back to Shadow Falls in a flash that sends a stack of papers on my desk fluttering to the floor. As I stand there, I realize that I’m almost done with Whispers at Moonrise, and that means I only have one more book in this series left to write. One more and I’ll have to make a lot of decisions. Like who is Kylie really going to end up with, Lucas or Derek? Will Miranda and Perry stay together? Will Della find her true love? Will Burnett and Holiday finally stop fighting and admit they love each other.

And then . . . then, I have to say goodbye to them to all. To all my Shadow Falls characters. But dang it, that’s sad. Very, very sad. I’ll end it on good note, I tell myself. I’ll leave them all in happy place.

Giveaway!

Okay, I had my interview with Kylie, so now it is your turn. If you could ask Kylie a question, what would it be. And remember, I’ve only written the first four books, so her knowledge is limited. As for Lucas or Derek–don’t even ask!

Anyway, I will give a $10 Amazon gift card to the person who asks Kylie the best question. So, come on, what are you dying to ask her??

 

Taken at Dusk Release!!!

 

It's here! The day has come at last! Taken at Dusk is now available at book stores and online! I don't know about you, but I thought this day would never get here. Yes, I wrote the book, and yes, I know what happens in it, but you see, an author first and foremost is a storyteller. While I love writing, what I love more is sharing the stories I write. So I can't wait for you to read Taken at Dusk.

Now I bet you are wondering what's in store for Kylie in this book. Well…perhaps I'll give you a clue. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but I can tell you there are three things that leave Kylie breathless in Taken at Dusk:

A curl your toes kind of kiss. (No, I'm not telling you from which guy!)
A fire breathing dragon that nearly sends up the dining hall in flames.
Falling off a cliff and seeing her life flash before her eyes.

Do I have your attention? Hmm…maybe you need a bit more. What about the three things that happen in Taken at Dusk that shock Kylie?

Seeing Burnett get changed into a very unhappy kangaroo. (Which is also pretty amusing!)
Seeing a sink hole pull Perry into it.
Discovering the person she thought was out to kill her, was really trying to protect her.

Okay, that's all I'm giving you, you'll just have to read the book to get the rest.

Oh…don't forget to enter the contest to win a T-shirt and some promotional items. Macmillan is giving away FIFTY t-shirts:  http://us.macmillan.com/macmillansite/promo/shadowfallsgriffinteen?WT.mc_id=10582&WT.mc_id=0.

In celebration of the release of Taken at Dusk, I'm going to be pretty busy making appearances and signing copies.

~April 14th, I'll be signing copies of Taken at Dusk at Katy Budget Books in Katy, TX from 2-4pm. For more information see: http://www.katybooks.com/.

~April 18th, I'll be at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. I'll be in the Macmillan Adult Booth #1704 from 10:15 to 11:15am. For more information see: http://www.txla.org/events.

~May 9th, I will be chatting at the Euless Public Library in Euless, TX. For more information see: http://www.euless.org/library/.

~May 12th, I will be at the Barbara Bush Library in Spring, TX from 2 to 4pm. For more information see: http://www.hcpl.net/location/barbara-bush-branch-library-cypress-creek.

~May 26th, signing at Barnes and Noble in Pasadena, TX.

~June 15th, I'll be signing in Barnes and Noble in Oceanside, CA.

~June 16th, I'll be speaking and signing at the San Diego Romance Writers of America in San Diego, CA.  See: http://www.rwasd.com/.

~July 25th, I'll be signing my books at the RWA Annual Conference and Literacy Autographing in Anaheim, California from 5 to 8pm. For more information see: http://www.rwa.org/cs/literacy_autographing.

 

 

 

Living My Dream

Wow, there's so much going on in my life right now. Where do I begin? Maybe by telling you how lucky I feel knowing my third book, Taken at Dusk, will be released very soon. And I just found out Awake at Dawn is a finalist in the New England Readers Choice Bean Pot Award in the Young Adult category. I feel so honored and excited. So, a big thank you to all my readers, because without you, none of this would be possible.

When my editor asked me to write young adult, I wasn't sure how it would go. But then my mind started racing and the characters suddenly sprang to life. The rest, as they say, is history—at least what's happened in the first three books. I am working on book number four, Whispers at Moonrise, and it isn't done, yet. So I'm not sure how this one will end, but I know it will be interesting. And I'm oh so excited for Kylie and—Derek or Lucas! No, I'm not saying anything. You'll just have to wait.

All the buzz for Taken at Dusk has been phenomenal! I have a blog tour, so check my Facebook page to see where I'm blogging and giving away books every day. I've also got several book signings and appearances scheduled, and I'll be announcing those on Facebook as well. And to top it off, Macmillan is having a sweepstakes and they are giving away FIFTY Shadow Falls t-shirts, pens and note pads. If you want to enter, go to  http://us.macmillan.com/macmillansite/promo/shadowfallsgriffinteen?WT.mc_id=10582&WT.mc_id=0, but hurry, the last day to enter is April 16th.

As an author, I can't imagine my life any better. Well, maybe I can because I do have a pretty wild imagination. But I am very happy being right where I am as I am living my dream. So, tell me, if you were living your dream, what would your life be like?

And today I'll give away a copy of Awake at Dawn and some pens and notebooks. So make sure you post and come back in one week to see if you won.

Soul Mates

 

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"This series has everything a reader could want…I read it over a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I can't get it out of my head. I can't wait to read more!" — Awesome Sauce Book Club

Available April 10, 2012

 

 

I'm almost at the end of Whispers at Moonrise and Kylie finds herself wondering if we really have soul mates in this life? Is there one person you were meant to find and spend your life with in this world? Or are we capable of connecting with several someones that we find during our lives. Yes, she's trying to decide if Lucas or if Derek is her soul mate.

As a writer and reader, the premise of soul mates is found in so many literary works. There's something romantic in the idea of being on a journey in which our main goal is to find that one perfect person. Ahh, is that really real? I have to tell you that I'm not completely sure I believe it, I'm not completely sure I don't believe.

When I look at all the little things that had to happen for my husband and I to find each other in the world, it's makes me wonder if Fate didn't have a hand in it.

You see, he was from Texas, I was from Alabama. When bad economical times hit in Texas, he applied for jobs all over the US. He had offers in several different states. The one he took was in California. When he moved there, of all the apartments he could have chosen to rent, he picked one in the complex where my mom lived. Because she had a southern accent, similar to his Texas drawl, he met her one day out by the pool. And when I found myself needing to start my life over, I moved to California.

So many things had to have been lined up for us to meet. Is that not Fate?

But the thing about soul mates, and finding them, is that sometimes it seems our hearts tell us this one person is it, and then later down the road in life, it seems to be evident that they weren't the person. Both my hubby and I had thought we'd found the right person before we found each other. To be honest, as a teen, I thought numerous guys were my soul mates.

Maybe they weren't so much my soul mates, maybe they were simply stepping stones, learning tools, to help me grow into the person I am, and the person I needed to be when I did meet my hubby.

Yup, the idea of soul mates really does intrigue me–almost as much as it intrigues Kylie. So what about you, do you believe in soul mates?

Winner!

The winner of last week's Shadow Falls t-shirt and other goodies is Sandi Bothum with "Whatta ya mean, tastes like chicken??!!" Congratulations, Sandy! You have a week to send your snail mail address to me at cc(at)cchunterbooks(dot)com.

Legend of the Falls

[image error]In Taken at Dusk, Kylie learns that she has Native American blood. While I'm told I, too, have Native American blood in me (my great, great grandmothers on both my mother and father's side), this isn't where this idea stemmed. It came from a legend and a park I visited numerous times as a child. And amazingly, this legend also involves a falls.

The story associated with the park is a sad tale of lost love, but I guess even as child I was a romantic at heart. So I rewrote the ending to that legend and I have to tell you, I like my version better. Hey…I like happy endings.

This last weekend, I went to my hometown and visited the park again. Each time I go there, I feel something akin to magic. Maybe like in my book, the falls are magical.

Now the falls are amazing, but even before one spots the rush of [image error]water cascading 90 feet into the breathtaking ravine, they see the 13-foot-tall bronze statue, caught mid-stride on a rock overlooking the falls. Erected in 1958, the statue with the inscribed story of Noccalula—a young girl who was determined to follow her heart.

Once named Black Creek Falls, legend has it that there was a beautiful Cherokee maiden deeply in love with a warrior of her own tribe. Her father, a great chief, ordered her to marry a Creek chief. The wedding day came and she allowed herself to be arrayed in festive wedding robes. But heartbroken, she quietly slipped away to the falls. For a moment she stood poised on the edge, and then with one leap, her life was over. Grief stricken, her father gave the great cataract his daughter's name, and since that day, the falls have been called Noccalula.

See, that's just too sad. But in my version, her warrior was there waiting beneath the falls and he pulled her out, right before she was yanked into the dark murky undercurrent. Believed dead, she was free to leave. So her and the young warrior, who was quite good looking in my version, left together and found happiness. Don't you like my ending better?

[image error]Today, they also have a small zoo there. So, I snapped a few pictures of some animals. And one of the images just screams for a caption. Today, I will give away a Shadow Falls T-shirt and some promotional items, like pens and pads, to one person who gives me the best photo caption for the photo at the left.

 

 

 

Winner!!

The winner for last weeks giveaway is Missy. Congratulations! So, Missy, please email me within one week at cc(at)cchunterbooks(dot)com with your snail mail address.

An Author’s Secret

Most authors will admit it. Some are afraid to admit it. But for me at least, the truth is that my books are a reflection of my personality, my moral character, and of the person I really am. So, if you’ve read my Shadow Falls books, you should have a pretty good clue as to who I am. But just in case you missed it, I decided to include a list:

Five Things You Should Have Realized About Me From Reading My Shadow Falls Series

1) I don’t like bullies.

People like Fredericka infuriate me. Making people feel badly about themselves just so you can feel good about yourself is just so darn wrong!!! I really try to accept people for what and who they are. Just because someone is different doesn’t mean they are bad.

2) I’m a romantic at heart.

Duh, you should really have figured that one out. I love romance. I love the thought of two people falling into that special emotional place where everything outside of the world disappears until all you can think about is that person. How he makes you feel; how his soft touch makes you glow on the inside. And how his kisses taste.

3) I follow the theory that laughter is the best medicine.

Have you noticed that Kylie and all her friend regularly get together and find tons of things to laugh about? I mean, how can a person not understand that laughter is key to getting though life’s crappy stuff. Seriously, bad stuff is going to happen sometimes, and the best way to survive is to tap into the wonderful healing power of laughter.

4) I believe in magic, fate and Karma.

Some people call it woo-woo. I just believe things happen for a reason. I believe the tiny choices we make in our lives guides us down a path and define our future. I believe when you give to the universe, you get back. If you are short on time, give some time away. If you are short on love, give some of that away. If you are short on money, give some of that away. It has worked so often for me, and I encourage you to try it.

5) I believe our mistakes are learning tools.

Look, everyone makes mistakes. We say the wrong thing, we let our mood effect how we treat people, and sometimes, we trust the wrong people. I’ve always said,” It’s okay to make mistakes if you learn from them. “ I believe in practicing forgiveness when it comes to mistakes, not only for other people, but for yourself. However, there is a difference between a mistake and character flaw. A mistake happens because someone wasn’t thinking clearly, a character flaw happens because a person doesn’t have the moral character to act and react in a good way.

Okay, so there you have it.  Five things you should have guessed by reading my books.  So tell me, is it true that a reader’s personality can be detected from the type of books they love to read?  What do you think?  What do your reading tastes tell about you?  Or is not the same thing?

Since last week’s giveaway was so much fun, I’m doing it again! I’m giving away another ARC of Taken at Dusk and a Shadow Falls t-shirt. All you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win. I will announce the winner next week, so be sure to check back then.

 Winner!!!

We have a winner from last week. The lucky reader is Christina M. So, Christina, you have a week to email me your snail mail address to cc(at)cchunterbooks(.)com. Congratulations!

An Author's Secret

Most authors will admit it. Some are afraid to admit it. But for me at least, the truth is that my books are a reflection of my personality, my moral character, and of the person I really am. So, if you've read my Shadow Falls books, you should have a pretty good clue as to who I am. But just in case you missed it, I decided to include a list:

Five Things You Should Have Realized About Me From Reading My Shadow Falls Series

1) I don't like bullies.

People like Fredericka infuriate me. Making people feel badly about themselves just so you can feel good about yourself is just so darn wrong!!! I really try to accept people for what and who they are. Just because someone is different doesn't mean they are bad.

2) I'm a romantic at heart.

Duh, you should really have figured that one out. I love romance. I love the thought of two people falling into that special emotional place where everything outside of the world disappears until all you can think about is that person. How he makes you feel; how his soft touch makes you glow on the inside. And how his kisses taste.

3) I follow the theory that laughter is the best medicine.

Have you noticed that Kylie and all her friend regularly get together and find tons of things to laugh about? I mean, how can a person not understand that laughter is key to getting though life's crappy stuff. Seriously, bad stuff is going to happen sometimes, and the best way to survive is to tap into the wonderful healing power of laughter.

4) I believe in magic, fate and Karma.

Some people call it woo-woo. I just believe things happen for a reason. I believe the tiny choices we make in our lives guides us down a path and define our future. I believe when you give to the universe, you get back. If you are short on time, give some time away. If you are short on love, give some of that away. If you are short on money, give some of that away. It has worked so often for me, and I encourage you to try it.

5) I believe our mistakes are learning tools.

Look, everyone makes mistakes. We say the wrong thing, we let our mood effect how we treat people, and sometimes, we trust the wrong people. I've always said," It's okay to make mistakes if you learn from them. " I believe in practicing forgiveness when it comes to mistakes, not only for other people, but for yourself. However, there is a difference between a mistake and character flaw. A mistake happens because someone wasn't thinking clearly, a character flaw happens because a person doesn't have the moral character to act and react in a good way.

Okay, so there you have it.  Five things you should have guessed by reading my books.  So tell me, is it true that a reader's personality can be detected from the type of books they love to read?  What do you think?  What do your reading tastes tell about you?  Or is not the same thing?

Since last week's giveaway was so much fun, I'm doing it again! I'm giving away another ARC of Taken at Dusk and a Shadow Falls t-shirt. All you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win. I will announce the winner next week, so be sure to check back then.

 Winner!!!

We have a winner from last week. The lucky reader is Christina M. So, Christina, you have a week to email me your snail mail address to cc(at)cchunterbooks(.)com. Congratulations!

It’s All very Amusing

[image error]I love amusement parks, and so does Kylie. In fact, she is still dreaming of the day when she and Lucas can go to an amusement park together. You see, because Lucas was brought up as a supernatural (and werewolves are pretty much as supernatural as you can get!), he didn’t have a normal upbringing. He never did the normal things that human teens did like spend the day at an amusement park. Kylie was fortunate enough to be able to do all those normal growing up activities, and now she wants to share some of those fun things with Lucas. Because, when you care about someone, you naturally want to share everything with them—especially things you love.

As a kid, every summer I would go to Six Flags Over Georgia. Or [image error]we’d take off to Florida and do Disney World, or go to one of the theme parks in Tennessee. I can still remember the cotton candy, the hot dogs and the rides. Now, I can’t even remember which park it was– I’m sure I blocked it out of my mind–but the ride was an old fashioned wooden rollercoaster. Let me tell you, it scared the beegeezus out of me. It creaked and moaned and sounded like it would break apart throughout the entire ride—the longest 2 minutes and 15 seconds of my life! Now you might be wondering what got me thinking about amusement parks, well, I’m going to one this week. Well, it’s not really an amusement park, it’s a virtual amusement park. Barbara Vey, a friend of mine, is having a week long party celebrating her fifth year as a blogger for Publishers Weekly’s Beyond Her Books. And on March 8th, she is having a very special young adult author’s party, and the theme for the day is amusement parks. It’s sort of like a live [image error]chat, everyone makes posts and leaves comments, and when the week is over, Barbara gives away lots and lots of prizes. Last year, Barbara had tons of giveaways from many young adult authors, and this year looks to be even bigger! I’m going to be giving away a copy of Born at Midnight, a Shadow Falls t-shirt and other cool stuff. However, St. Martins is also giving away some other Shadow Falls books. Even a few copies of Taken at Dusk. So you have to come by and celebrate with your favorite authors and you could win some great prizes. I’ve already decided that I’m bringing cotton candy to the party. Oh, and if there’s any wooden roller coasters, I’m telling you right now, I’m going to chicken out.

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook/

So, I hope to see you at the party. And since we’re on the subject…how do you guys feel about roller coasters? Do you have a favorite theme park? A great memory from a day spent riding roller coasters and Ferris wheels? What is your favorite ride?

Oh, to one lucky poster, I’m going to send a Shadow Falls T-shirt and an ARC of Taken at Dusk. So make sure you leave a comment.

 

 

It's All very Amusing

[image error]I love amusement parks, and so does Kylie. In fact, she is still dreaming of the day when she and Lucas can go to an amusement park together. You see, because Lucas was brought up as a supernatural (and werewolves are pretty much as supernatural as you can get!), he didn't have a normal upbringing. He never did the normal things that human teens did like spend the day at an amusement park. Kylie was fortunate enough to be able to do all those normal growing up activities, and now she wants to share some of those fun things with Lucas. Because, when you care about someone, you naturally want to share everything with them—especially things you love.

As a kid, every summer I would go to Six Flags Over Georgia. Or [image error]we'd take off to Florida and do Disney World, or go to one of the theme parks in Tennessee. I can still remember the cotton candy, the hot dogs and the rides. Now, I can't even remember which park it was– I'm sure I blocked it out of my mind–but the ride was an old fashioned wooden rollercoaster. Let me tell you, it scared the beegeezus out of me. It creaked and moaned and sounded like it would break apart throughout the entire ride—the longest 2 minutes and 15 seconds of my life! Now you might be wondering what got me thinking about amusement parks, well, I'm going to one this week. Well, it's not really an amusement park, it's a virtual amusement park. Barbara Vey, a friend of mine, is having a week long party celebrating her fifth year as a blogger for Publishers Weekly's Beyond Her Books. And on March 8th, she is having a very special young adult author's party, and the theme for the day is amusement parks. It's sort of like a live [image error]chat, everyone makes posts and leaves comments, and when the week is over, Barbara gives away lots and lots of prizes. Last year, Barbara had tons of giveaways from many young adult authors, and this year looks to be even bigger! I'm going to be giving away a copy of Born at Midnight, a Shadow Falls t-shirt and other cool stuff. However, St. Martins is also giving away some other Shadow Falls books. Even a few copies of Taken at Dusk. So you have to come by and celebrate with your favorite authors and you could win some great prizes. I've already decided that I'm bringing cotton candy to the party. Oh, and if there's any wooden roller coasters, I'm telling you right now, I'm going to chicken out.

http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/beyondherbook/

So, I hope to see you at the party. And since we're on the subject…how do you guys feel about roller coasters? Do you have a favorite theme park? A great memory from a day spent riding roller coasters and Ferris wheels? What is your favorite ride?

Oh, to one lucky poster, I'm going to send a Shadow Falls T-shirt and an ARC of Taken at Dusk. So make sure you leave a comment.

 

 

Shadow Falls Music

 

"This series has everything a reader could want…I read it over a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I can't get it out of my head. I can't wait to read more!" — Awesome Sauce Book Club

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers.  Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she's meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean.  But she's about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together.  Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it's not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever could have imagined.

While I am busy working on my fourth Shadow Falls book Whispers at Moonrise, I can't wait until Taken at Dusk, is out. Kylie is one of those characters who is always surprising me. She is such a strong, mysterious character. Even to me, the person who created her. I sometimes wonder who is writing this book, me or Kylie?

Of course, I have to give her a little of a break. In Whispers at Moonrise, not only is she trying to cope with the normal teenage girl problems (if you can call having to choose between a faery and a werewolf for a boyfriend normal—but you know what I mean), but she is also desperately trying to figure out more about her supernatural identity. (In case you missed it the above book blurb, in Taken at Dusk, Kylie discovers what she is. But it doesn't mean she has all her answers.) So, Kylie's on wild quest to find her out things that she still doesn't understand about herself.

Recently, as a song came on the radio while I was driving, it hit me like a train. The song that was playing described how Kylie was feeling to a tee. It was Kylie's theme song! It just fit her so well, and so I wanted to share the song with you. It is called Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.

You know, some of my readers have written to me and suggested the Shadow Falls series be made into a movie, which would be super! Some readers have even gone so far as to suggested songs for the soundtrack of the movie. I think it is so cool that my readers think about my books that way. As I said earlier, to me, my characters are real, and I see their lives play out like I am watching a movie—and I love knowing that my books instill that same feeling to my readers as well.

So, I have given you the song I believe represents Kylie. Do you think it is the right song for her? Do you have any other suggestions? Maybe Derek's song? Lucas's song? What about Miranda and Della?