It’s Thanksgiving.  Boy Howdy!  What a couple of months I’ve had.   A whole boat load of things for which to be thankful–four book releases—two by C.C. Hunter, and two by Christie Craig—one kidney transplant, a wedding anniversary, and a birthday.  (Not my kidney transplant, my hubby’s, but and since I’m his spouse, I’m gonna claim it.) And the one I’m proudest of?  Sorry fans, that kidney comes first.

I didn’t talk about my husband’s health issues a lot.  Hubby, who loves to keep everyone laughing, didn’t want his hard times out there.  But after almost five years of dialysis, it had taken its toll.  To anyone who has dealt with a chronic illness of a spouse or a loved one, you know the heart break, the fears, and the emotional roller coaster.  You alternate between having faith, and preparing yourself for the inevitable.

I offered him my kidney, but as a pre-diabetic, I wasn’t a candidate.  My daughter offered him hers.  He wouldn’t take it.  He said she was too young and she might become diabetic because it ran in my family.  My son couldn’t donate because he has PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) like his dad.  His sister couldn’t donate because she has high blood pressure.

The kidney he got was a gift from a donor who had lost his life.  I grieve for the family and loved ones who lost this generous person.  Later on, I will get the chance to write them a letter of thanks, and you can bet I will put my heart and soul into that letter.  I want them to know what this gift has given our family.  And to anyone out there who is debating whether or not to sign up to be a donor, I want to encourage you to do it.  When I no longer need this body, I hope it can offer someone a chance at life.

A lot of people have asked me how I managed to write my humorous tales while we dealt with difficult times.  I have told them that writing isn’t just what I do for a living, writing is my passion, and my salvation.  To put aside my own worries and write a love story that makes me laugh got me through some hard times.  It just goes along with the family motto: if you can laugh at it, you can live with it.  Believe it or not, while we have had some tough times, my family has lived and laughed our way through this last five years.  And we laughed our way through this kidney transplant, too.

So this year, I’m very thankful for a lot of things.  Kidneys, releases, life.   I’m also very thankful for my fans.  You guys make it possible for me to do this.

And here’s a contest for my loyal fans.

I’m giving away two sets of signed hardback copies of Reborn & Eternal.  So leave a comment and tell me what you are thankful for to be entered to win.

Miranda’s back! Well, she never really left, but this time she has a novella of her own. I mean, I’ve written Kylie’s series, I’ve written Della’s series (well, I’m almost done with Unspoken), and Miranda was getting upset with me for not writing anything about her. She was even starting to threaten me with her little pinky. Not wanting to end up a skunk, I thought perhaps it was time. And really, Miranda has a pretty interesting story to tell. So I’ve written her novella. I don’t have a release date and I only have a working title, but I’ll let you know all that very soon right here on my blog, so be sure to check back regularly.

Miranda is in for an adventure when she goes to a magic tournament and ends up saving the day and almost cooking her bacon when a giant fireball goes awry. Don’t worry, her friends Kylie and Della are there to support her. And so is the cute FRU agent, Shawn.  Yup, he’s back, and now thanks to Della, she knows he’s sweet on her.  What about Perry?  Well, let’s just say Miranda’s developed a gaming addiction, especially when the game involves killing shapeshifters. Oh and to make matters worse, Tabitha, Miranda’s old arch enemy, is back and looking for trouble. Will Miranda give her what she wants? Is Perry going to be able to win her back? Will Miranda and her mother ever get along? You’ll have to wait and read Miranda’s novella.

Since I don’t have a cover for Miranda’s novella, I found myself searching my clip art photos looking for her. Believe me, it was hard to find my idea of Miranda. Oh, and I have to tell you that in my novella, Miranda changes her hair back to her natural strawberry blonde color. But anyway, I came up with a few possibilities, and I thought it would be fun for you to vote on who you think is closer to your idea of Miranda? Who would you choose?

Miranda A.

Miranda B

Miranda C.

My friend and talented author, S.C. Montgomery, has a new YA novel out called Two Blue Lines, and I’m really excited about it. Two Blue Lines is a realistic story of first love and all that goes with it, and can go wrong with it. I stayed up way too late finishing this book.

His fear . . . Her secrets . . . Their choice. What if the only girl you’ve ever loved lied to you? Lied to everyone? Those two blue lines changed everything for Reed Young and Melissa Summers. In more ways than one. And now, he must decide for himself . . . Man up or walk away? SC Montgomery has created an emotional tale of first love, difficult choices, and impossible secrets. A deliciously angsty debut you need to read for yourself.

***Reader Warning*** Two Blue Lines is the emotional, honest story of two teenagers whose lives are about to change forever. While not glorified, or portrayed in detail, there are themes of sexual assault and teen pregnancy, as well as allusions to teenage drinking and some foul language. It is all meant to create an honest, relevant novel, but please be aware and read only if you’re comfortable. ***Note, while this novel is a standalone that deals with mature subject matter, it may be helpful to read Lines in the Sand first to understand what makes Reed Young tick and hear about the summer that changed his life forever. Well, before this one.

S.C. agreed to answer a few questions for us.

1. In a couple of sentences tell us what your book is really about?

Two Blue Lines is a coming-of-age story about two teenagers, Reed and Melissa, who are dealing with the unthinkable…an unplanned pregnancy. It is their love story, but it’s also about family, secrets, and the pain of growing up.

2. What is your favorite scene in the book?

I have so many that I love for different reasons, especially the ones where you get glimpses into their relationship and see why and how they love each other.  But, I guess if I had to choose one, I’d pick the opening.  It sets the stage for the emotional story to come and it came to me in such a vivid way when I was trying to imagine Reed’s story after Lines in the Sand, the series prequel, which takes place during the summer he turns 13. Both important summers that force him to grow up, and fast.

3. What scene was the hardest to write and why?

I think the scenes with Reed’s father. In Lines in the Sand, his relationship with his mom is the centerpiece. But, as he’s grown into a young man, his relationship with his dad is so very important to him. Due to some family secrets and Reed’s mistake, it all becomes strained and painful. That emotion wasn’t always pleasant to delve into, but it was necessary and I think, in the end, made the story more relevant.

4. What are you working on next?

This is the first in a three novel series.  Two Blue Lines is Book I, and next I’m working on Book II, Blurred Lines. This is Reed’s best friend, Jonah’s story. And if I thought Reed and Melissa’s story was emotional, Jonah and Autumn’s is proving to be even more so. And, after that, I’ll get started on the third and final installment, Between the Lines, which will be Melissa’s brother Chris’s story…and believe me, he has some secrets of his own.

5. How did you get started writing YA?

Well, I’ve been writing adult contemporary romance for several years now under my other pen name, Shauna Allen. In one of those books, the heroine had a teenage son, which I loosely based on my own son. I found I really enjoyed giving him a voice and seeing his perspective on things. Plus, my family and friends all told me how much they enjoyed him and that I could do YA. I didn’t think much of it until my mom became very ill and I got the idea to write a short story just for her, no pressure. I created a story I knew she’d love about a couple of boys on an emotional journey that had a hint of a mini-mystery to it and gave it to her for Christmas. Long story, short, she loved it (and C.C. loved it, too, LOL!) and gave me her blessing to share it with the world. So, Lines in the Sand was born. And, once that YA bug bit and I fell in love with those characters, I knew I had to carry it on as a series and see where it goes. And, I have to tell you, I’m loving the ride!

Thanks, S.C., for joining us today.

S.C. Montgomery is a self-proclaimed nerd and readaholic. She has dabbled in telling stories since she was very young by letting her imagination play out with her Barbie dolls and her bestie many a weekend. She also writes contemporary adult romance under the pen name Shauna Allen, and it was in one of those novels that the YA bug bit when she wrote a teenager loosely based on her own son. Her first story, Lines in the Sand, was penned as a gift to her mother, but was published with her blessing, and has just taken off from there.

S.C. is married with three teenagers of her own, who give her plenty of inspiration and advice, and are a constant source of laughter and new terminology.  Besides writing, she loves reading, movies, signing and dancing, reality shows and going to the beach.

You can buy Two Blue Lines at Amazon, Barnes & Noble,  and Kobo.

You can find out more about S.C. on her website: http://www.scmontgomery.com/.

Wow! It’s been a busy week. Eternal was released last Tuesday, and since then, I have been on a blog tour, taught a writing class and had a wicked Halloween! I want to take this moment to thank all of you who have bought Eternal, it had a great debut week.  And speaking of my blog tour, it continues, so keep checking my Facebook pages (CC Hunter Books & Shadow Falls Series) for my latest stops and giveaways.

But I have something special for you today. I’m happy to reveal the next cover in Della’s series for her final book, Unspoken.  And yes, it is the same girl on each of Della’s book covers. I’ve posted all three of her covers here so you can see. Which one do you like the best? I’m torn.  But I will say that I love the motion of Della’s hair in Unspoken.  To me, that tells a little of Della’s character, she’s always on the move.  And when I look into her eyes, I see it. I see the turmoil she’s feeling.  What do you see in these images? 

Winners!!!

As you know I’m giving away THREE Kindles, one to a Street Team member and one to a Fan Club member who are out there promoting my books on social media. The third Kindle goes to someone who left a comment on last week’s blog stating they bought Eternal and told me their bullying story. I want to thank my Street Team and Fan Club members for doing a great job spreading the word about Eternal’s release. But there were a few of you that really went above and beyond. My Street Team member that won the Kindle is Katina Hall. Katrina, you’re a star! I had several Fan Club members that went all out on social media, but Crystal Chapman won the Kindle. And from those that posted on my blog, Gabrielle Saunders, you have won a Kindle! So, Katrina, Crystal and Gabrielle, please confirm your mailing address by sending an email to cc@cchunterbooks.com. You guys rock!

I’m also giving away a few more things to my Street Team and Fan Club members. I’m giving away a $15 gift card (Amazon or Barnes & Noble, your choice) to Sarah Smith and another one to Jonathan Goldhirsch. I’m also giving away hardcover, signed copies of Reborn and Eternal to Angela Sickles and also to Lucy Bashford. And as a special thank you, I’m sending Nicholas Redden my copies of Shadow Falls books in German. Please confirm your mailing addess at cc@cchunterbooks.com.

But that’s not all! I also said I would give away a Shadow Falls: After Dark t-shirt and hard copies of Reborn and Eternal.  So, the winner of a Shadow Falls t-shirt is Taryn Courville, the winner of the hardcover, signed copy of Reborn is Zara Wild and the winner of the hardcover, signed copy of Eternal is Vickie Wu. Okay, please email your mailing address (I have yours Taryn) to cc@chhunterbooks.com. Congratulations, everyone!

Don’t forget the giveaways don’t stop here. Every three months, I’ll be giving away goodies to my Street Team and Fan Club members who are out there on social media spreading the word about Shadow Falls and Della.