C.C. Hunter's Blog, page 8

What’s in a Name?

I’ve had fans ask me where I get the names for my characters in my books. Well, that depends…it’s kind of like asking where I get the ideas for my stories. Like my ideas for my books, I get my character names from all sorts of places. Sometimes I hear a name on TV or in a movie and I just like the way it sounds, the image it projects. Other times a baby name book can come in handy. And then there’s always the Internet. You can look up popular names, unusual names, even names by ethnicity. Did you know the top three names for babies born in 2019 in the U.S. are Olivia, Emma and Eva for girls and Noah, Liam and Elijah for boys?

So where did I get the name Cash,
the hero in my book In Another Life that releases
TODAY?  My nine-year-old granddaughter.  She was talking about a boy
in her school, and his name was Cash.  For some reason that name created a
character who had tons of back story and secrets. I’ll even admit that
because my hero’s father is a con man, I
could see him naming his son Cash.  So tell me, does a character’s name
create an impression of a person?  Do we name our children because a name
fits who we think our children will grow up to be?  Do you like your name?

What are
reviewers saying about In Another Life?

I’m so excited! My C.C. Hunter young adult novel In Another
Life releases today. You can find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Books and Powells. Her are just a few
things the reviews are saying about it.

“It’s fast paced and holds
your attention. You can whip through this book in a few days.”—Saturday Niter
Reader  https://tinyurl.com/y4xkqvu2

“The story,
from beginning to end, is captivity and the characters are one with whom I
identified and empathized.”—Macsbookshttps://tinyurl.com/y4qpw84e

“I cannot remember the last time I
read a book in a single day, butIN ANOTHER LIFE was a page-turner.”—Do You Dog-Ear https://tinyurl.com/y293lqqq

“IN
ANOTHER LIFEwas an exciting
and intriguing young adult thriller that had me devouring pages until the very
end.”—A Dream Within a Dream https://tinyurl.com/yxrn8gng

“I will recommend this book to any
mystery/thriller action book lover if you also like a little bit of YA romance
mixed with suspense and build-up tension, then you won’t want to miss
reading IN ANOTHER LIFE!—The Cozy Corner https://tinyurl.com/yxzhdwdk

“I will tell you that I devoured this read. It was so good and I couldn’t even put this book down.”—Cecily’s Book Reviews about IN ANOTHER LIFE https://tinyurl.com/yy2s8vsf

Winner!!

The winner from last week’s giveaway of a tote filled with cool stuff is Jennifer Prager. Email you postal address to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com, and I’ll send you your prize.

Past Do-Overs Giveaway!

Last week, I told you about an embarrassing incident in my
life and how I wish I could go back and change it. I also promised you another
thing I would have liked to change in my past in this week’s blog. So, here is
the second thing I would change if I could.

I’d have stood up to that school bully a lot
sooner than I did.

She made my life miserable for over a year.  It was something that left a few scars on me and dinged my self-confidence.  I think because it did leave some lingering hurt, I use this in my books a lot. In In Another Life, there’s a guy, Paul, who is a bully. He tries to intimidate my hero, Cash, as well as Chloe.  Both Chloe and Cash stand up to him.   Cash even puts a camera in his car and video tapes the guy to show he’s the one who keyed his Jeep.  But there’s something that Cash, realizes.  Bullies are generally bullies because of some issue going on in their own lives.  It doesn’t make it right, but Cash decides to cut this guy a little break.

“What the hell is your boyfriend up to?” A voice says behind me.

I swing around.  A very angry Paul is storming toward me.  Cash told me he was sending the video, so I know what this is about.  “I’m pretty sure he explained it in his text,” I say and I know that, too, because I helped him write it.

“He’s trying to mess up my chances at a football scholarship, isn’t he?”  He gets in my face.

I take a step back.  “Get the hell away from her.” I hear Cash, and he’s running toward us.

“What are you trying to pull?” Paul yells at Cash.

“Not a damn thing.  Read the damn text.  Now get lost,” he says.

I see Cash’s fist held tight at his side.  His expression is rock hard. Anger tightens his face.  He looks ready to fight. 

“What are you going to do?  Take it to the coach?” Paul says.

Cash takes my arm.  “Come on.” I start walking with him.

Paul bolts in front of us and takes a defensive stance.  Cash releases me and grabs Paul by his shirt and slams him into a car.  “Listen to me.  I know your father is a piece of shit.  I had one like that, too.  I’m giving you a break, but it wouldn’t take much to change my mind.  Now get the hell away from me!  And stop trying to be like your damn father!  Got it?”

In The Mortician’s Daughter series, One Foot In the Grave, Riley had a huge issues with a couple of mean girls.  Riley even ends up being hit and even gets a black eye.  In the second book these girls are still up to no good. I love the scene when Riley finds her spunk and uses her smarts to teach the bully a lesson.

I grab my cardboard pizza and am heading to Kelsey in the back when I’m smacked in the face with a bread roll, which drops on top of my pizza. Laughter echoes. I look around for the guilty person, but there’s really no point. It’s not like I’m going ape-shit on anyone’s ass.

I’m the one who hates conflict.

Then I see the table that’s laughing the hardest. It’s Jamie, Jacob’s ex, who has it out for me, and her minions. Candace, Jamie’s friend, waves at me. Yeah, she’s the one who picked on me the first week of school and caused a scuffle that led to me getting a black eye.

I don’t know what happens, but suddenly the idea of going ape-shit on someone is sounding better and better. I square my shoulders and head straight to her table.

I should be afraid. I should be smarter and turn around. But all I feel is anger.

I stop right behind Candace, who is looking over her shoulder at me, sneering. “Did you give her the book?” Jamie asks.

So that’s who put the book in my locker?  I feel my face get hotter. “I think you lost this.” I hold up the roll and then drop it. It plops in her bowl of chicken soup.

Okay, I know this doesn’t qualify as going ape-shit on anyone, but at least I’m not slinking away. I’m turning to leave when I hear, “Freak. Does your dad get it on with the dead women in his funeral home?”

I swing around. Everyone at the table goes silent. Everyone’s holding their breath to see what I’ll do.

Honestly, I’m kind of waiting too.

Oh, I know what I want to do. I want to hit her. I’ve never ever wanted to hit anyone before. Until now. But my gut says that’s what she wants. I swallow air and try to roll back my emotions. To reevaluate. Refrain from acting. Rethink my position.

I’m not going to hit her. Not going to give her what she wants. But I’m not just walking away, either. I’m going to outsmart her. I lean down, get close to her ear, just to show her I’m not afraid. Then I whisper, “Disrespecting the dead is dangerous. Be careful.” I’m impressed at the spookiness level in my tone. “Be very, very careful.”

She laughs, but when I pull back I see it in her eyes. Fear. I think I even smell it on her. Then again, that might just be her chicken soup.

Yeah, I know I’ve probably upped my freak level, but with only three months left of school, it might be worth it.

So what about you? 
Did you ever have to deal with bully? 

Giveaway!!

Leave a comment and one person is going to win a one of my new tote bags with some SWAG (promotional items) in it. (This giveaway is limited to U. S. residents only.)

Winner!!

The winner of last week’s giveaway of a tote filled with swag is
Kira Moericke. Kira, please email me at cc@cchunterbooks.com with your postal address, and I’ll send you your prize.

Calling All Writers!

Are you trying to write a story, but it’s not coming out right?
Are you procrastinating? Are you too afraid to even begin?

Well, you don’t need to feel that way anymore!

I’m going on a creative writing adventure and I want you to come
with me!

Click here to join me at my Wonder Quest Event: http://wonderquestevent.com/christie.

In this adventure, we’ll experience the wonder of the creative
writing process from beginning to end. We’ll learn how to find a good story,
how to tell it and then how to share it.  It doesn’t matter what you’re
writing, whether that’s a novel, a memoir, a screenplay or a short story!

Sessions are led by international bestselling authors,
publishing experts and book coaches, including me.

It’s easy to come along. You don’t need writing experience.
You don’t need to be a published author to have this adventure. You can fit
it around your schedule and best of all, it is my gift to you. It
doesn’t cost you a dime.

Don’t be alone in your creative process! Let’s make it playful
instead of serious! Come join me!

Reserve your spot in the adventure here: http://wonderquestevent.com/christie.

I know there’s a lot going on in your life. Let’s make 2019 your best year yet by helping you get moving on your project!

Also, remember that March 26th is the release of my C.C. Hunter YA In Another Life.  And because my new release is about discovering who you really are, I’m giving away an ancestry DNA kit.  All you have to do is pre-order In Another Life now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Books and Powells. Then if you send a link or a screenshot of your order to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com, you’ll be entered to win. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th.(Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)

Hope to you see at the Wonder Quest Event.  Let’s get creative!

I Wrote the Book on Embarassment

I
said it many times, I hated my teenage years. 
When I look back, there are so many things I wish I could go back and
change.  But I can say that those
experiences are fodder for my books. 
There are two things I’d change. Here is the first one and the scene
where I used my experience. I’ll share the other one next week, so be sure to
check back.

I’d have safety
pinned my bikini top on before I jumped off the high dive at the local pool.

Yup, it really happened.  I was lucky that I found it, but I didn’t
even realize it was gone until after I stood up in waist deep water.  So yup, I pretty much flashed everyone.  When the air hit the boobs, I dropped back
down to chin deep so fast, you’d have thought a shark yanked me under.  It was humiliating.  And while I was quick, I know some people saw
me.  Talk about embarrassed.  I never went back to that neighborhood
pool.  Thankfully, Dad built our own pool
the next year.

 While I’ve never had a heroine lose her bathing suit top—yet—I have had Leah, in This Heart of Mine, yank her hoodie out of the dryer and rush to leave with her guy boyfriend Matt, not realizing that, due to static electricity, she had a pair of lacy panties stuck to the back of her jacket.  I can say I borrowed the embarrassment I felt in the pool to write this scene.

Ponytail in place, I dig through my closet for my new long-sleeved burgundy shirt and matching hoodie. I remember I’d worn it over the weekend.

            I tear off to the laundry room to see if Mom washed it. It’s in the dryer. Still warm.

            I ditch the blue sweater.  Yank the static-electrified tee and hoodie from the dryer, and put them on. 

            I’m still dressing when the doorbell rings.  I fit my arm in the hoodie, grab my purse, and run out.

            Mom, phone to her ear, comes to the kitchen opening. She offers me a wave and returns to the kitchen and her conversation.

            I open the door.

            Matt’s there.  He wears the same thing he wore to school, but he gives me a quick once-over. 

            Approval lights up his eyes.  I like approval.

            “Where’s Lady?”

            “In the car.  I didn’t know if I had to come in and I’m not in the mood to pick up shit in your house again.”

            I laugh. We head out.  I feel him staring, but when I glance at him, he looks away.

            When we get in the car, I drop my purse to the floorboard. Lady tries to get in the front seat.  Matt tells her no. 

            “Uh…”  Matt’s looking at me strangely again.  Almost smiling.  Almost not.

            “What?” I ask.

            “You have . . . something stuck to the back of your jacket.

            “What?” I look over my right shoulder.

            “Here.” He reaches behind my left shoulder and pulls off a wispy piece of material.

            It takes me one second to recognize my new lacy wine-colored panties.  The static must’ve gotten them caught on my hoodie.

Giveaway!!

If you are older, what is something you would change from your teen years? If you are a teen, what would you like to change now?  Leave a comment and one person is going to win a one of my new tote bags with some SWAG (Promotional Items) in it. (Sorry, but this giveaway is for U.S. residents only.)

Don’t Forget My Contest!!

You can pre-order In Another Life now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Books and Powells. Then if you send a link or a screenshot of your order to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com, you’ll be entered to win an Ancestry DNA kit. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th.  (Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)

The Big D

I’ve been there.  Done
it.  Wore the t-shirt.  Still carry a few scars.

Divorce is ugly.  And
until recently, when the word was mentioned, the pain it brought bubbling to
the surface was the lingering hurt I went through with my first husband.

But when writing In Another Life, the big D took me back a little further.  It took me back to being a teen, to being a teen watching the foundation of my world crumble as my parent’s marriage fell apart.

For me, like most teens, my family was my security blanket.  Not a blanket that I dragged around with me, ached for, or even valued.  It was simply . . . there. We were a family of five.  We argued some, laughed more, but we always had each other’s back.

Dad came home from work every day.  We sat at the dinner table and shared a meal
and whimpered, whined or bragged about our day. 
I didn’t appreciate the family unit, because I’d always had it.  I didn’t fear losing it because first,
divorce wasn’t the rampant virus then as it is today, and second, unlike the
few families I knew who’d caught the virus, my parents loved each other.

And then that security blanket, the foundation of my life,
was gone.

Oh, my parents told me the same things that most parents say
to their kids.  They both still loved
me.  It wasn’t my fault.  They’d always be there for me.

But they weren’t.

Not that they were terrible or didn’t try.  You see, I’m not talking about the big
things.  It’s the small ones.  It’s those conversations that happened over
dinner.  The fact that a flat tire was
nothing, because Dad was always there to fix it. 

It’s more than just the loss of having two parents in the
house, I’m talking about the fact that my family was my tribe, and my tribe had
been torn apart.

When I was writing In
Another Life, I unintentionally tapped into the pain of the past.  As a writer, I’ve always known that my life,
my own emotional journey, is the grist for my writing mill.  It’s the core of my stories. 

But I won’t lie to you, I was surprised when the feelings of
being a child of divorce was still so raw. 
Like Chloe, my seventeen-year-old heroine in In Another Life, my parent’s divorce was bitter. Whether they meant
to or not, I felt forced to take sides. 
I was exposed to the flaws of my parents that I had previously blissfully
missed. 

Unlike me, Chloe is dealing with a triple whammy.  While trying to wade through the loss of her
home life, she’s also dealing with her mother’s cancer.  Then she learns what she believed to be true,
that she was adopted at age three, may have been a lie.  A young girl who looked just like her, and
from the same town she was adopted from, was kidnapped at age three.

Were her parents behind it? 
If not them, then who? 

Cash, my seventeen-year-old hero, is dealing with his own serious
life issues.  When he sees Chloe and
realizes she is identical to the age progression photo of his foster parent’s
missing child, he is determined to give them back the child they lost.

While searching for answers, Chloe and Cash fall for each
other.  They become each other’s touch
stones.  But the closer they get to the
truth, the more someone is trying to stop them. 
Someone who will kill to keep the truth from being exposed.

In Another Life is a work of fiction, but there’s a lot of truth in this story.  There’s even some lessons for parents struggling through divorce that could be taken to heart.  I hope everyone enjoys Chloe and Cash’s journey as they let go of the past and find a future.

Contest!!

You can pre-order In Another Life now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Books and Powells. Then if you send a link or a screenshot of your order to me at cc@cchunterbooks.com, you’ll be entered to win an Ancestry DNA kit. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th.  (Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)

IN ANOTHER LIFE

March 26th, In Another Life, my C.C. Hunter YA about adoption is coming out. This is a theme I had kicking around in my head for a long time. You see, I have always marched to beat on my own drum. I’m slightly different from my family. Not so much in appearance, but in our interests and outlooks. My two brothers and parents are people who like to work with their hands, who seldom slow down. They play sports, do crafts, and build houses. Me, I can sit by a window and stare out at nothing, I will ponder something to death. Because what’s going on inside my head is much more interesting than what is probably happening around me.  Being dyslexic, I wasn’t a reader growing up, but I was writing books in my head by the time I was eleven.  Sometimes these stories would last months. Several of them included discovering that I was adopted. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my family, I just always felt different. 

So, adoption has always
fascinated me. And adoption has touched more lives than you think. In fact,
about 140,000 children are adopted every year, and today, almost 60%-70% of domestic adoptions are now open
adoptions, which means there is a degree of openness and disclosure of
information between adoptive and birth parents regarding the adopted child. But
open adoptions weren’t always that common, and that often resulted in adopted
children searching for their biological parents. In
a study of American adolescents, the Search Institute found that 72 percent of adopted adolescents
wanted to know why they were adopted and 65 percent wanted to meet their birth parents. And not all
adoptions are legal, and that makes it extremely hard for the children to track
down their biological parents.

Chloe in In Another Life has always known she was adopted, but now that
she’s at a crisis point in her life, she’s having question about her adoption.
When Cash confronts her with some of his suspicions, she suspects that maybe she
wasn’t adopted but kidnapped. If this is true, were the people she calls mom
and dad behind it?  She will unearth the truth, even if it threatens everything she’s ever known. Even if it
puts her life in danger.

Contest!!

You can pre-order In Another Life now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indie Books and Powells. Then if you send a link or a screenshot of your order to me a cc@cchunterbooks.com, you’ll be entered to win an Ancestry DNA kit. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th.  (Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)

Change and a Contest

Change.  It’s hard for some of us.  It takes courage to go a different route.  To choose differently.  To trust that something new and different will be okay. I’m not talking about huge life decisions.  Buying a house, or moving to another state.  I’m not talking about quitting a job, or trying a new genre.  I’m talking our hair.

I have an appointment today with my hair dresser. And I’m already feeling antsy.  Every time I go, I think this time I’ll tell her to do something completely different.  To go a little crazy.

And then I don’t.

I have friends whose hair is different every time I see them.  Sometimes I really like it, sometimes I don’t.  But I always admire their courage.

Now, I have excuses.  I have fine hair and, therefore, the number of styles that actually look good on me are limited.  I could go short and spiky?  I just don’t see myself as a short-spiky-haired girl.

I could have it dyed a different
color? Yeah . . .  No! 

So I’ll go and I’ll probably ask
her the same question I ask every time. 
“Any recommendations?”

I know she’ll offer something, and I’ll listen and then I’ll say . . .  “Just do the regular.”

What’s wrong with me guys?

I mean, I don’t shy away from change in other areas of my life. I jump genres, I recently moved from the house I’d lived in for twenty years.  I’m not afraid to travel.  I’ll try different kinds of food.  Heck, I ate toad soup once. 

But my hair?  I never venture too far from what I’ve always had. 

Any hair style advice for fine hair?  Any advice on taking a leap of faith at the salon?  Are you like me, afraid of a new hair style? 

Contest!!!

So, I have a little contest for you. Would you like to win an Ancestry DNA kit?  You know, the ones that check your DNA and tell you if your Irish, Italian, or whatever. Pre-order In Another Life and send a link or a screenshot of your order to me a cc@cchunterbooks.com and you’ll be entered to win an Ancestry kit. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th.  (Sorry, but this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I love romance. I love when two people find each other and something special happens. That’s probably why I write the books I write. Romance is an integral part of my plots. And this week, we celebrate the most romantic day of all—Valentine’s Day.

But what exactly is Valentine’s Day? Is it just a day when
you appreciate your honey? A day for giving flowers, chocolates or jewelry? Or
is it more? Did you know the origins of Valentine’s Day has its roots in Roman
times?

It’s widely believed that Saint Valentine was a
Roman priest who performed weddings for soldiers forbidden to marry, because of
the Roman emperor felt married soldiers did not make good warriors. He wore a
ring with a Cupid on it—a symbol of love—which helped soldiers recognize him.  When the emperor found out, he sentence
Valentine to death. While in jail awaiting his execution, he fell in love with
his jailer’s daughter.  When he was taken
to be killed on Feb. 14th, he sent her a love letter signed “from
your Valentine.” This story set the groundwork for establishing the day as a
holiday for romantic love.

So, our day to celebrate romantic love is
actually based on a sad story. The story may be true, but if not and I had
written that tale it would not have ended sadly. I’m a happy ending kind of
girl?  That said, Valentine’s Day has
evolved past its roots into a holiday for declaring your feelings for someone.

How will you spend Valentine’s Day?  Are you the happy ending kind of girl, too?

Hey, did you snag your paperback copy of This Heart of Mine? That’s right, This Heart of Mine is now in paperback. Order your copy of This Heart of Mine from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound and Powell’s.

Winner!

The winner of last week’s giveaway is Rosario Vasquez. Please email me a cc@cchunterbooks.com with your postal address and I’ll send you an ARC of In Another Life.

Preorder Contest

So, I have a little contest for you. Would you
like to win an Ancestry DNA kit?  You know, the ones that check your DNA
and tell you if your Irish, Italian, or whatever. Pre-order In Another
Life and send a link or a screenshot of your order to me a cc@cchunterbooks.com and you’ll be entered to win
an Ancestry kit. I’ll be closing this contest on March 25th. (Sorry,
this contest is limited to U.S. residents only.)

Pet Peeves

We all have pet peeves in our lives and in our fiction.  I have a few, okay I have a lot.  Lemon seeds.  I love lemon in my water, but I hate the seeds.  So, I ask for lime in my water.  A lot of times they just stick a lemon in it.  That means, I’ll spend a good minute removing seeds from a the lemon.  I also frown when someone is driving 10 miles under the speed limit in the left hand lane.  Then again, I get agitated when someone is riding my bumper, or I see them darting in and out of traffic going too fast. Yup, we all have pet peeves.

I think my biggest pet peeve in life that bleeds over into fiction
is when a character is a bully.  It’s not
that I think characters need to be perfect, or that they don’t occasionally
hurt someone. Good people make mistakes. 
Good people snap at people they love. 
Good people lie.  They push people
away.  But we all know the difference
between the mean girl, and girl who loses it for a little while, or makes the
wrong choice.  For me that difference is
why a character does something and how she comes to realize she’s made a
mistake. 

What is something that will make you put down a book? 

Or maybe not pick it up in the first place?

This week I’m celebrating the release of This Heart of Mine releasing in paperback. Yes, if you have been
waiting to finally read This Heart of
Mine, well, now’s a good time.

A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find
out what really happened to its donor?

C. C. Hunter’s This Heart of Mine is
a haunting, poignant tale about living and dying, surviving grief, guilt, and
heartache, while discovering love and hope in the midst of sadness.

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An
artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only
offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t
likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a
heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah
discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he
killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may
hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt
refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns
they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While
unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each
other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts
don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living, took more courage than dying?

Order your paperback copy of This Heart of Mine from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound and Powell’s.

Giveaway!!!!

This week I’ll give away an ARC of In Another Life to one person who leaves a comment. (Sorry, but this giveaway is for U.S. residents only. And if you’re reading this on Goodreads, you must actually go to my blog to enter.)

Emotional Footprints

This last weekend, my daughter and granddaughter came over
and we spent the day together.  One thing
that my two girls love to do is go thrift-store shopping.  So off to Goodwill we went.  While there, my hubby and were cruising the
aisles.  Hubby stopped and was giving
something his serious attention, so I went to see what had caught his eye.

It was a vase.  But it had been decorated with some bead work and had some painted inscriptions on it.  Someone had made this vase for a fiftieth anniversary gift.  This couple was married Nov. 22nd 1953.  The gift had been given in Nov. 2003.  It had names of the lucky couple. 

There was something nostalgic and kind of sad to see the
vase at Goodwill.  Or maybe it wasn’t so
much sad as it felt as if there was an untold story there, a Pandora’s box of
two people’s lives that begged to be opened up. Hubby even contemplated buying
it. We didn’t.  But I did take a picture
of it.

And for some reason I was curious.  Mentally I guesstimated if the couple was
married at age of 20 then they’d be eighty-six now.  I was going to add the picture to the blog,
but I Googled the names. And it appeared the couple may still be alive.  So to add it felt somehow like stalking.

But that feeling, of an untold story still lingers.  I get that feeling a lot when I go into antique
stores and I see old photographs.  Or I
see postcards and I turn it over and read it. 
The crazy thing is that it’s not all of them.  One photograph or postcard will sudden catch
my attention and draw me to it.  And I
find myself with tons of questions.  Who
was this person or persons?  What’s their
story?  Did they have dreams that they
accomplished?  What were their struggles?  What lessons could the world learn from their
stories?

You know, some people believe that objects can hold an emotional
essence, a footprint of sort.  Is that
why some photos just speak to me, the reason that the vase at Goodwill had the
same effect on me as it did my husband?

What do you think?  Do
you ever get that untold story feeling? What was the item
that made you stop and ponder? Or does this only happen to someone with a writer’s
and writer’s spouse’s curiosity?

School Memories

School lunches.

What goes through your mind first?

Just those two words conjure up all sorts of smells and
memories for me. I especially remember walking into my high school cafeteria on
tuna noodle casserole day. Actually, I could tell tuna casserole was on the
menu long before I ever got to the cafeteria. It wafted down the hallways. And
it’s not like the casserole ever tasted good. No, I dislike the smell to this
day.

In fact, I used that memory in One Foot in the Grave, the first book in my Mortician’s Daughter
series. Riley walks into the cafeteria of her new school and is hit by the tuna
smell.

When I was in school there weren’t a lot of choices. There
was usually a featured dish or a hamburger, but the hamburger tasted more like
mystery meat.  Schools didn’t serve
salads then. Pizza day wasn’t too bad, but back then I hadn’t had really great
pizza. So I didn’t know any better.

About the only thing I really liked that was served were the
chocolate oatmeal fudge cookies. I’d skip whatever food they had and just savor
that cookie.

Today, a lot of the schools bring in food from fast food
places. So there is more variety, but it’s probably much worse for you—and more
expensive.

Thoughts of school-lunches also evoke memories of me feeling like the odd man out.  Sort of like Riley, I wasn’t a big fan of lunch period.  I had a couple of friends in school, but we didn’t share the same lunch break every year. And those years, I’d end up sitting by myself.  It was kind of odd how one can be in a room of so many people and feel completely alone.

So, when you were in school, what did you like or hate about school lunches. What food did you like, or hate?  And if you’re still in school, what do you like or hate about school lunches.

Winner!

Congratulations, Nicole Hosein, you’ve won one of my C.C. Hunter t-shirts. Please email me at cc@cchunterbooks.com with your postal address and you t-shirt size.