Top 12 of 2012: 10 C.C Hunter

Welcome to day 10 of my Top 12

I discovered this series in 2012 and fell in love. I signed up to be on the 'Street Team' for promotion of the book and was thrilled to be a part of it.  I read the entire series (all 4 books) in August, I just couldn't get enough.

The covers are beautiful too. Here's a picture of the 4 that are out, book 5 which comes out this year and a short story that has been released:

So,
Book 1 - Born at Midnight
Book 2 - Awake at Dawn
Book 3 - Taken at Dusk
Book 4 - Whispers at Moonrise
Book 5 - Chosen at Nightfall
Short Story - Turned at Dark

I love how the entire series works together and just fits. They look so beautiful!!!

These are the type of books that get you totally hooked in and obsessed. They were literally all I could think about for at least a month. They still remain firmly in my brain even now and I can't wait for the next book.

So here's a little information about the world of Shadow Falls.

Shadow Falls is a camp; presented to parents as a place for 'troubled teens', this is a front for a whole new level of trouble.
Every teen at the camp is special, and not at all what you would expect. Some of them are vampires, some are werewolves, others are Fey, perhaps you would like to meet a witch, or perhaps a shapeshifter. They're all right there. Who said growing up was easy? Not in this camp.

The protagonist of the series is Kylie, sent to the camp with no idea what lies in store for her, once there she ahs to find out just what she is. But what if it isn't as simple as that? Everyone knows she isn't normal, but they don't know what she is either. Being the odd one out is never fun, but even worse when you don't know if you belong anyway.

There is a host of fab characters from 'Holiday' the camp counselor to Kylie's room mates, Della a moody Vampire with an attitude and Miranda a Witch with spell issues. I loved these two, they are fabulous characters.

But what story would be complete without a love interest. Introducing Derek, part Fey and totally lovely. Or his rival, Lucas, werewolf with a temper. I know who I prefer, but according to a poll on C.C Hunter's Website it's 49% - 51%, so practically an even split. (and no I won't say who's winning)


Anyway, just for you the amazing C.C Hunter has agreed to do an interview, so here it is:

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1)    When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?

When I was young, I made up stories in my head.  Long chapter books.  However, because I am dyslexic I never really dreamed of writing until I was twenty-three.  My new husband wanted me to go back to school and become a teacher.  I told him, I didn’t think I wanted to be a teacher.  I confessed something to him that I had hardly even confessed to myself. I wanted to be a writer. But I wasn’t an overnight success. It took me ten years before I sold a book. You see, I was a pretty good story teller, but I had to learn to write, spell, and type.

2)    Do you plot out your stories or do you just sit and write and see where it takes you? 

Writer’s call this a plotter or a pantser.  You either plot the story or you sit down and write by the seat of your pants.  And I’m a pantser.  Now, I have to have some idea where I’m taking the story because the publisher will want to know, but nine times out of ten, when I write the story very little of my original ideas are there.  I’m also a character driven writer, and as I get to know my characters better, the plot sort of comes from their story and background.  

3)    If you could belong to one of the groups at Shadow Falls (Fairy, Werewolf, Witch, Shapeshifter, etc) which one would you choose?

This is a hard question to answer, because I think they are all cool.  Personally, I made sure all the supernaturals had something special about them.  However, because I’m dyslexic, and dyslexics are known to have some innate ability to read people, I’m already a little bit of an empath.  So I guess I’ll go with Fae/Fairy group.  I think I succeeded at writing not in spite of dyslexia, but in part, due to it.  I think my ability to read people and sense their emotions has helped me write about people and get their emotions on the page.

4)    Were any of the characters based on people you know in real life? Arguing best friends? Dreamy boyfriends? Over protective councillors?

Oh, goodness, I think I’ve had a little bit of all those in my life.  Actually, the arguing friends came from my father and his best friend who grew up with him.  They bicker constantly.  Boyfriends? Oh, my, I had my share of those. And I had some authority figures who took the role a little too far.  I think I take bits and pieces of people I know, and some that I wish I knew--like actors and such--to help me create characters.      

5)    Do you find your characters do what you tell them to do or do they try to take over when you’re writing? I would imagine Kylie would by quite willful, and Della, well she certainly has her own mind.

All the time!  I will have an idea how the scene should go and it’s as if the characters will just sit down on the job, and look at me and say, “I’m not doing that, saying that.  I don’t like that idea.”  So I have back up and see what it is that doesn’t fit and when I figure it out, I can move forward.  And you know what, Kylie’s not as easy going as you would think.  I mean sometimes she’s adamantly against what I have planned.  Yes, Della is more stubborn.  I sometime try to put kinder words in her vocabulary, but she will come back with something sassy.  Honestly, when you write a character who doesn’t talk back, it’s a sign that you haven’t really fleshed out that character.  So I guess I’m always happy when the characters become so real to me that they have opinions in my subconscious.

6)    Is there a future for Holiday and Burnett? Can you give us any hints?

Now, now, I can’t give anything away.  But I will say this: I believe in happy endings.  I get so mad when I read a book or watch a movie and things don’t finish well.  I can accept that not everything is tied up in a neat little bow.  Life isn’t always perfect and neither should fiction be.  However, if I wanted to be completely sad or unhappy, I could watch the news.  I want to show characters struggling, but I like it when those struggles are lessons that help the characters end their journey at a good place.

Thank you so much for the interview!

  

Thanks C.C, great answers and I can't wait for more. Why not check out her website for more information. Or hop onto the Facebook fan page.

                                   

If you haven't read this series, it really is a must!!! You won't be disappointed.

Display I put up at the library. ;D

Come back tomorrow for my next pick of 2012.

Don't forget you can win one of the featured books from any of the days if you go to the 'Introduction post', any time during the duration of this feature (1st - 14th Jan) Earn extra entries for spreading the news.