I’m in the middle of Reborn, the first book in Shadow Falls: After Dark.  These books will be from Della’s point of view.  And I have to tell you, Della is so sassy.  And since I’m so deep into the story, I’m sort of channeling her.  Which means, I’m being a bit mouthy and I’m in the “I’m-not-taking-crap-off nobody” mood.  Poor hubby is getting an earful of Della..isms.  Thank goodness, he kind of likes Della.

Now, I will agree that sometimes Della gets a bit carried away.  Like when she told Miranda she was going to kill her and sell her blood on E-Bay.  Ahh, but there are times I know we all need to speak up for ourselves a little more.  We shouldn’t say yes when we really mean no.  We shouldn’t agree to do something just because someone is pressuring us.  We need to know our opinions count and matter.  And we need to voice those opinions.   I think we could all use a little Della spunk in our lives.  I’m not saying we should be ugly or mean, but I remember clearly being young and never speaking up for myself.

So today, I hope all you guys will channel a little of Della.  And since I’m deep into Della’s character I thought it might be fun to take a few questions from you guys for Della.  I can’t answer them all, but I’ll try to answer two or three a week.

And I’ll give away another Shadow Falls T-shirt to one person who leaves a question. (Sorry, I have to limit this giveaway to those living in the U.S.  Also, if you are reading this on Goodreads, you have to leave your question for Della on my CC Hunter Books website in order to enter to win.)

Oh, I had a signing this last Saturday with Joy Preble and Mary Lindsey at the Barnes & Noble in Pasadena, Texas.  I just want to say thank you to everyone who showed up with books in hand for me to sign.  I love meeting you guys. So, I thought I’d share some photos of the event.

Winner!

The winner of a Shadow Falls t-shirt from last week’s blog is Tara McFadden. Please email your mailing address and t-shirt size to cc@cchunterbooks.com. Congratulations!

I admit it, I don’t like change.  When I was in school, I didn’t really like summer because everything changed and I didn’t like September because again, I had to change my schedule because of school.  Ahh, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the one consistent thing in life is change.  Life is about change.  I know some of you are dreading having to wake up early, having to fit time for  homework into your day.  And some of you participate in sports or are in band and that requires practice sessions.  It may have been awhile, but I remember how it was when I was in school.

However, even when you’re older and out of school, life still changes.  There are new jobs, or new bosses, or new houses. New boyfriends, and life altering changes like moving to a new town.  I’m buying a new house now and that means a lot of change. I’ll have to find a new grocery store, a new dry cleaners, a new path on which to take my walks.  I’ll be writing in a new study.  Oh, goodness, what if I find it hard to write in a new place?   I admit it, I really love my new house, but I dread all the changes, I dread having to adapt.  I know I’ll adjust, just like you guys will get accustomed to new teachers, new classmates and new routines.  Let’s hang in there together.  And let’s all try to remember change is good.  Change bring about growth.  We will make it.  This week, I’ll give a t-shirt to one person who leaves a comment.  (Sorry, but this giveaway is for U.S. residents only. And again, if you are reading this on Goodreads, you have to leave a comment on my CC Hunter Books website in order to win.)

Meet Me

This Saturday, August 24th, I’ll be at the Barnes and Noble in Pasadena, TX at 2:00 PM. And I won’t be alone! I’ll be joined by my good friends and talented authors Mary Lindsey (author of the Soul series) and Joy Preble (author of the Dreaming Anastasia series and The Sweet Dead Life series. So, if you live in the Houston or Pasedena area, stop on by. I’d love to meet you!

If you follow me on Facebook at CC Hunter Books or Shadow Falls Series, you may have already seen my post revealing the cover to Della’s first book, Reborn. If you don’t follow me on Facebook, you should! I post a lot of my news there, especially if it can’t wait until my blog. But for those of you that missed it, here is the cover. I love the feel of it. The colors are dark, and that fits since the series is Shadow Falls After Dark. And Della, she just looks strong, like she won’t put up with anything from anyone.

Appearance in Texas!

Do you live in the Houston, Texas area? Well, I was asked to participate in a Girl Scout Silver Award Project. It’s a program called “Reading Rocks!” for children, ages 5-13, to show them the benefits of reading. The event will be held Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, from 3:00 PM-4:30 PM, at the Henington-Alief Library, 7979 South Kirkwood St., Houston, TX 77072. I’ll be giving a talk about writing and my books.

Winner!

Last week’s  winner of a Shadow Falls t-shirt is Erin Paine. Congratulations, Erin! Please email your mailing address and t-shirt size to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

Well, I’m working on Della’s first book,  Reborn, now and it’s going great.  Yesterday, I was working on a scene where Della has a parents’ weekend and something hit me.  You know how hard it is on her when she goes home?  The funny thing is, I realized that it’s always hard to go back home. No matter who you are.  It’s not easy to leave the nest in the first place, but then oddly, it’s also hard returning to the nest.  I remember going back home to live with my parents after I’d been living on my own for a while.  They still sort of treated me the way they’d treated me before I’d moved out, and I didn’t want to be treated like that anymore.  I wanted to be treated like an adult, and they weren’t so sure I was ready to be an adult. Needless to say, I wasn’t very happy.

I know some of you guys are probably home for the summer, or maybe getting ready to leave the nest for the first time.  I’ll just tell you to hang in there, remember your parents love you and most of the time their actions, right or wrong, stem from love.  Della even realizes this. Yes, it’s very painful to have her parents think the worst about her, but she knows they love her and are just concerned.  So she’s trying really hard to be understanding, which as you can guess, doesn’t come easily to her.

Now remember, when your parents are driving you crazy, they only have your best interest at heart. And if Della, my volatile vampire, can hold her temper, so can you. But tell me, what do your parents do that makes you nuts?

Giveaway!

I am giving away a Shadow Falls t-shirt to one person who leaves a comment. (Unfortunately, I have to limit this giveaway to those living in the U.S. Sorry! And if you are reading this on Goodreads, remember you need to leave your comment on my Website in order for a chance to win.)

Have Lunch With Me!

I was recently invited to participate in the Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation luncheon in Wisconsin April 26, 2014, and am I ever excited! The luncheon will be filled with fun, gift bags and door prizes. There will also be a raffle of many baskets filled with books and other items. There will be 40+ authors attending (of which I’ll be one!), and NYT Best-selling author Debbie Macomber will be the key note speaker.

If you arrive Friday, you’ll be able to attend a Q & A session with a chance to ask authors questions. Afterward, there will be a Harlequin sponsored meet and greet with the authors.

Hurry, there’s only enough room for 500, and it’s filling up fast! You can find all the details at Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Luncheon.