C.C. Hunter, author of
UNSPOKEN, sits down with Fresh Fiction reviewer Debbie
Wiley
to talk about
UNSPOKEN, pseudonyms, and overcoming challenges.
Debbie: Hi C.C! Thank you for joining us today at Fresh Fiction! I love
Della Tsang and her determination and loyalty, despite her parents
(particularly
her father) turning their backs on her. Which scene was the most difficult one
for
you to write? And conversely, which one was the most fun?
C.C.: The hardest scene to write was the scene where Della finally
confronts her father. Iโm not gonna lie to you, there have been times I
seriously
plotted to kill that man. He hurt Della and that hurt me. But Della wouldnโt
let
me whack him. She loved him. She was loyal to him, even when he never offered
her an ounce of love in return. But people make mistakes, and when we love
them,
those mistakes, even the bad ones, can be forgiven. The fun scenes were always
those where I got to let Dellaโs sassy side come out and party. Those round
table
diet coke discussions that Kylie and Miranda and her held weโre so much fun.
Those scenes were all inspired by some of my lunches with good friends. When
you
are around good friends, you can say what you think, what you feel, and you can
laugh about lifeโs hardest hurdles. As my grandmother used to say, โIf you can
laugh at it, you can live with it.โ
Debbie: UNSPOKEN dives headfirst into family and boyfriend drama as
Della is caught in the middle of a lot of intense situations. Did you know
where
the
Shadow
Falls: After Dark series was headed when you first started writing the
series, or did Della, Steve, Chase and the other characters surprise you?
C.C.: Did I know what was going to happen? Heck no! That would be too
easy. I always choose to write the hard way. And while it might be harder,
itโs
the only way I can write. If I know whatโs going to happen in a story, itโs
boring for me. Writing, my way, is like telling myself a story. I want to
discover what happens as I put words on the paper. Itโs what keeps me writing,
and keeps me intrigued. Iโll be honest, when I sold
Shadow
Falls:
After Dark, I sold it on the synopsis of, โIโll write three Della
books.โ
I didnโt have a clue where it was headed or what was going move this series
forward. I knew it was going to be about her accepting change. About her
learning
to trust again. About her proving to the world and herself that she wasnโt
really
a monster.
Debbie: Shadow Falls has now been featured in two loosely
connected series and Iโve grown to love the safe haven it represents for
teenagers
with paranormal abilities. Have we seen the last of Shadow Falls, the F. R. U.,
and the Vampire Council?
C.C.: Donโt say that, youโll make me cry! Right now, Iโm working
Mirandaโs
book. I think it will be a standalone, but it will be a doozy. I will never
say
never, but for right now, itโs the last book on the schedule for
Shadow
Falls. However, on February 2nd, Almost Midnight will be released.
This
is an anthology of all my previously published E-novellas. However, it has one
new novella in it, Fierce. I think most of my fans will be surprised to learn
the
protagonist is Fredericka Lakota. She had been knocking on my mind for a while
demanding her story be told. Sheโs wasnโt a likely candidate, frankly she
wasnโt
all that likeable in most of the books. But she turned out to be a character
that
pulled at my heartstrings and I think my fans will root for her.
Debbie:You write in two very different genres, as your
Christie
Craig books are very different from your
C.C.
Hunter
books. How difficult is it transitioning between the two and do you have any
tricks to get yourself into the right mindset for the stories?
C.C.: It would be easier to tell you that I wear red slippers when I
write
paranormal and yellow slippers when I write humorous romantic suspense. But
thatโs
not the truth. Iโve always considered myself a character driven writer. So
itโs
the characters, their world, their perspective and their paradigm that drives a
story. If thereโs a trick, itโs all about getting under a characters skin and
knowing whatโs important to them. And that changes with every character. So I
donโt see it as much as a transition in writing, or even in my writing voice.
Youโll find humor and suspense in all my books. Youโll find love, friendship,
and
sexual tension in all my books. The level of sexual tension and maybe the
humor
may be higher in my Christie Craig books, but itโs still there in my young
adult
books. And because the Shadow Falls series is paranormal, they always have
magic.
But itโs all just me getting into my characters, leaving my world behind,
finding
entertainment in another place, and hoping to entertain others.
Debbie:I always love knowing what authors, books, or even musical
artists
have influenced a writer. Who are some of the authors or other artists that
have
influenced you?
C.C.: I love all kinds of music. But I canโt listen to it when I write.
Song lyrics throw me out of my zone and story. But when I am listening to
music, I
want it to have a story. And sometimes I run across a song that feels as if
someone wrote it for my series. Natasha Bedingfield's video
Unwritten
is one song that really seems to relate to my characters, especially Kylie and
Della.
Debbie:I love your success story as you have overcome obstacles, such as
dyslexia, to become a very prolific and well-loved author. Any tips you have
for
young adults who are struggling with their own challenges?
C.C.: Never give up. Never! Keep learning. Always. Read. A lot.
Writing isnโt for wimps. You have to be able to take rejection and while we
must
love what we do, we canโt love what we do so much that we wonโt change it.
Donโt
fall in love with your words, fall in love with your story and writing. Itโs a
process that may take time. Lots of time. I wrote for ten years before I
published my first book. I wrote for thirteen more years before I sold my
second
book. Iโm not here because I was naturally talented, Iโm here because I didnโt
give up and kept learning. Work with other writers and help each other. Take
classes. Read how-to books. Never lose your passion for the art. If you lose
it,
it shows.
Debbie: While Iโm thrilled to see all the various story threads of the
Shadow
Falls:
After Dark trilogy coming to fruition, I must admit Iโm also more than
a
little sad that weโve reached the end of the series. Any hints as to what you
have
in store for us in the future?
C.C.: Let me go and look into my magic ball. LOL. I had another
paranormal
series planned, but because the paranormal genre isnโt kicking butt right now,
I
might be moving over to young adult contemporary. Maybe one with a little
mystery
like my Christie Craig books. Or if by the time Iโm finished with Mirandaโs
book,
the trend swings back toward paranormal, I might still write that series. Iโm
open. I will continue to write my adult humorous romances. As a matter of
fact,
the same day
UNSPOKEN releases I have
DIVORCED,
DESPERATE & DARING, sixth book in my
Divorced
and
Desperate series, releasing.
Debbie: Thank you for the interview and sharing!
C.C. Hunter grew up in Alabama, where she caught lightning bugs, ran
barefoot, and regularly rescued potential princes, in the form of Alabama
bullfrogs, from her brothers. Today, she's still fascinated with lightning
bugs,
mostly wears shoes, but has turned her focus to rescuing mammals. She now lives
in
Texas with her four rescued cats, one dog, and a prince of a husband, who for
the
record, is so not a frog. When she's not writing, she's reading, spending time
with her family, or is shooting things-with a camera, not a gun.
C.C. Hunter is a pseudonym. Her real name is Christie Craig and she also writes
humorous romantic suspense romance novels for Grand Central.
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Unspoken truths will be revealed-and they will change everything--in this
dazzling final chapter of the Shadow Falls: After Dark trilogy!
Della Tsang is facing the toughest fight of her life-and the most personal. In
her
new role as an elite paranormal investigator, she's assigned a twenty year old
murder case...and the accused killer is none other than her own father.
Making matters worse, since she was reborn, she's been bound to the mysterious
and
infuriatingly gorgeous Chase Tallman-a vampire with his own hidden agenda.
Della
still feels betrayed by all the secrets he's kept from her, but she'll need his
help
to find out the truth about her father. But what about Steve, the hunky shape-
shifter who she can't seem to forget?
The quest for answers will lead them into the darkest, ugliest supernatural
gangs in
town... and into the scariest reaches of their hearts.
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