Has anyone ever come up to you and said, “I have good news and I have bad news.  Which one do you want to hear first?”  Well, I’m saying it to you now.  But for the record, I always ask people for the good news first, so let’s start with that.

My good news is actually an answer to Gabriella’s question on the blog I posted earlier.  Will the new series have Derek in it?  And the answer is a big YES!  In Reborn you will get a peek into the romance between Derek and Jenny.  Ahh, but there’s even more.  I wrote several scenes, from Derek’s point of view.  Some of them are scenes that actually happened in Chosen at Nightfall and some are scenes that happened off screen.  But these scenes are about Derek’s feelings toward Jenny.  And…my publisher is going to use these scenes to help promote Reborn.  So for all you Derek fans out there, you have a treat coming soon.

Another question by Hannah Rose (Yes, I’m postponing giving you the bad news): Does Della ever tell her family what she is?  That’s a really good question and one I’m considering as I write Eternal.  I’m thinking the answer might be yes, but it probably won’t happen soon.

Okay, are you ready for the bad news?  Don’t hate me! Please don’t buy a voodoo doll that looks like me and start poking it with pins. As I told you recently, I finally finished Reborn. And I really did, it’s done and my publisher now has it. However, I was a little late. As a result, the release date had to be changed from April 15, 2014 to May 20, 2014.

I know, that’s a whole month later, and some of you are already dying to get your hands on it, but I promise it will be worth the wait.  And I blame it all on Della.  That girl can be pretty stubborn and uncooperative. She didn’t always want to do what I wanted her to do. And I usually lost most of the arguments I had with her. But on the bright side, I think she was usually right. I’m really happy with the way it all turned out, and I hope you will be, too. You’re just going to have to wait a teeny, tiny bit longer to find out for yourself.

In the meantime, I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Do you have any special New Year’s Eve plans?  Maybe with a special someone?  Do you have any New Year resolutions?  This last year I lost almost 40 pounds and I still need to lose another 20.  So I’m going to be working hard on that.  I was going to a gym, but since I’ve moved I haven’t joined one around my new house.  So that is on my to-do list as well.

Giveaway!

Today, tell me what’s on your New Year to-do list and I’ll give away a promotional pack to one person. (Unfortunately, I have to limit this giveaway to US residents. If you are reading this on Goodreads, you have to leave your comment on my website blog for a chance to win.)

I hope all of you are having a great time this holiday, spending time with your loved ones. I’m having friends and family over, but I’m sneaking away to my study to work on Eternal.  Shhh…Yes, I have to write, even during the holiday.  Okay, I’m not going to be working as much, I can’t because well…it’s not the season to focus solely on work.

If you’ve read my books, you could probably tell how important I think family and friends are.  Kylie is so lucky to have a great mom, even a stepdad, and she’s extra lucky to have Miranda and Della in her life.  And let’s not forget Lucas and even Derek.  All the Shadow Falls crew are her family.  So this year, I hope you all will hug those you hold dear to your heart and remember what this season is all about.  It’s not about the gifts (yes, they are nice) or the milk and cookies and the egg nog (yes, I enjoy those, too).  It’s all about the people who love us and the people we love that makes this season so special.

Below is little poem I wrote just for fun.  Happy Holiday’s guys!!

A Holiday Poem

‘Tis a week before Christmas and all through the camp

Not a supernatural is complaining,

Not a chameleon . . . or even a vamp

The blood is served in the dining room hall

The weres are poised for the full moon to fall

Witches are waiting for the high priestess to call

Each fae longs to offer merry to all

The forest trees are decorated, and stand amazingly tall

Stocking are hung on the cabin walls

A few ghosts and elves may stop by

But something odd crosses over the dark sky

Is it a sleigh, or a shape-shifter in flight?

Everyone hears the clatter happening this night

But the death angels assure us there’s no reason for fright

It’s just a jolly ol’ soul passing through

Collecting holiday wishes from all the Shadow Falls crew

Merry Christmas from Kylie, Lucas, Della, Miranda, Perry, Steve, Holiday and Burnett

I have to say, you guys can ask some really great questions. Many of you asked more than one. Katie B. was one of those who did, so I’m going to try to answer them, because they are questions I’m often asked.

1. Is Holiday going to have the baby during this series??? I need to know!”

Great question!!  And the answer is… A definite yes!  You won’t even have to wait too long!!!  And I can tell you that I cried big Texas tears when I wrote that scene, too.  (And how big are Texas-sized tears?  Big!  The kind that smears your mascara and gives you raccoon eyes.)

2. How many books will be in Della’s series?

I’m planning on three.  It could change, but I think three is a great number.  I’ve finished Reborn and am working on Eternal now.  Della is up to her eyebrows in trouble.  That girl stays in trouble.  She and Burnett are butting heads constantly.

3. Are you still going to involve the falls?

Oh, yes!!  You’ll get plenty of the falls.  Scenes that are both creepy and heart soothing.  Scenes that will make you want to find your own falls, or at least your own special place where you can relax and find some peace.

Thanks Katie B. for asking so many questions.

Street Team News!!

In my October 1st blog, I announced that I was forming a new street team for Della’s Shadow Falls:After Dark. The response was over whelming. I really want to thank everyone for taking the time to answer all my questions. I was going to select the new members of my team before now, but I got pretty busy with moving into a new house and finishing Reborn. But I’m finally caught up (sort of), and the street team welcome letter will go out this week. So, be sure to check your email.  I wish I could have included everyone, but unfortunately, I had to limit the number. I’m sorry if you didn’t make my team, but maybe you will next time.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Be careful what you wish for?” Last week I asked for some questions you’d like me to answer, and you sent in a lot of them. They’re good questions, too. But where do I begin? Well, I chose a couple that got asked more than once.

1. Will I ever write from a guy’s point of view?  Well, hmmm…  This may be letting the horse out of the barn too soon, but I have written a couple of scenes from a male point of view.  All I’m going to say is that it is from one of Kylie’s love interests, and you’ll have an opportunity to see it before Reborn is out.
2. Was it difficult switching from Kylie to Della?  I admit a couple of times, I found Della answering in a toned-down voice and I realized that Della wouldn’t say it like that.  It’s as if Kylie spoke nicely, but thought with sass.  Della speaks with sass and then thinks nicely.  She’s working on trying to be nicer.
3. Do I see a Miranda POV book?  I would really like to do a story from Miranda’s point of view.  But to do that, I need to cause a lot of havoc in Miranda’s life.  I mean, she and Perry would have to have some major issues. Why?  Because it’s the issues that makes a story good.  But who knows.  I think I might at least find a novella from Miranda.
4. Has Della’s sassiness made me a less or more sassy person?  I hate to admit this, but I think channeling Della has given me a little more backbone.  “Don’t mess with me” seems to be my mantra.  There’s something about getting into Della’s skin that just gives you a bit more sass. I like it.  I might keep the Dellatude!

 Join Me in 2014

January 16, 2014, I’ll be at the Perfect Blend Bakery Café at 329 Sawdust Road in Spring, Texas (just south of The Woodlands). If you live in the area, stop on by from 7-9 PM. I’ll be reading from my books and answering questions.  I’d love to meet you!

Winner!

Last week’s winner of a Shadow Falls t-shirt is Mara Petrovsky. Congratulations, Mara! Please email your address to cc@cchunterbooks.com.

This week I decided to do something a little different.  I’m always getting questions from fans, and I decided to answer a few of them on the blog.

Three Questions I’m regularly asked:

1) Was it hard ending Kylie’s story?

It was terrible.  Seriously, one day my hubby and I were driving somewhere and he asked me that very question and I started crying.  Big Texas-size tears, too.  I think that’s why I was so compelled to write Saved at Sunrise, which is the story about Della and Steve’s mission.  I just wasn’t ready to say good bye to all my wonderful Shadow Falls characters.  And as it worked out, writing that novella is what landed me the contract to write Shadow Falls: After Dark.  You see when my editor read it, she could tell that I was still very close to that whole world, so she proposed that I write Della’s story.

2) What are the differences between Shadow Falls and the new series, Shadow Falls: After Dark?

A lot of fans have emailed me worried they will no longer be able to catch up with Kylie and Lucas. Well, don’t worry, in Reborn you get all sorts of glimpses of these two.  They even have a small argument.  And Kylie tells Della and Miranda how wonderful it feels to be his girlfriend.  The story will pick up where Chosen at Nightfall ended.  The big difference is that these next books will be from Della’s point of view.  And because Della is a bit sassier than Kylie, you’ll get a little more snark.  Ahh, but when you get inside Della’s head, you are also going to get an inside view of her pain, her insecurities, her fears.  Yes, Della does have fears.   You’ll also see just how much she cares about Kylie and Miranda.  Yes, she loves the witch even if she’s always arguing with her.  The book will also be a little more kick a$$.  Hey…that’s who Della is.  She’s just that kind of girl.

3) If you could go back and tell your teen self a piece of advice, what would it be?

There is a piece of advice I’d give my teen self, and it’s the same advice I regularly give myself today.  Be careful who your friends are.  You see, our actions, our moods, and our accomplishments are often times effected by who we call our friends.  And that is true as adults as well as teens.  When you hang around with someone who is a go-getter and sets goals and meets those goals, you have a tendency to do the same.  When you hang around someone who is always whining and seeing the worst in life, you have a tendency to see things that way as well.  Negativity is as contagious as a stomach virus.  But the good news is so is happiness and motivation.  So if we hang with people who try to do the right thing, we are encouraged to do the right thing.  Your friends won’t be perfect, they may be grumpy from time to time, like Della is.  But when it matters most, our friends should be role models.  A good friend is someone who encourages you to be a better person, not someone who pulls you down and leads you down the wrong path.

T-Shirt Giveaway!!!!

Now it’s your turn.  Leave me some questions and over the next few blogs, I’ll try to answer a few of them.  Oh, and I’ll give away one T-shirt to someone who leaves a comment. (Unfortunately, this giveaway is limited to US residents. Sorry! And if you are reading this blog on Goodreads, you have to leave your comment on my website blog in order to be entered to win.)