Happy Tuesday! Today, I’m pulling out three questions for Kylie from the comments section of my What’s Up, Kylie blog of April 17th. Hope you enjoy!

1. If Red would not have died, what would you have done? You were sort of sad when he died, and found out that he wasn’t all that evil. If he wouldn’t have died, would you have become his friend and welcomed him into your life, or would you have told him to leave you alone again, and stay away? [Winning question from Lilly G.]

C.C. Man, is this is good question. And it’s going to be a hard one for Kylie to answer, too. But let me see if I can channel Kylie and get the answer.

Kylie: You think this is a “good question?” Seriously?

C.C.: I do. Any question that makes you think, makes you dig deep for the answer is a good question.

Kylie: You sound just like Holiday. But, fine. I’ll try to answer the question. (She’s quiet for a long moment.) Okay, I think the answer would depend on Red/Roberto’s actions. For example, would he be willing to own up to his mistakes and accept the consequences of his actions? He saved my life, but he also killed two girls, and that’s not a small mistake, no matter how you look at it. But . . . (She falls silent for another long moment.) But my opinion of him changed a lot once I got to know him. Honestly? I feel sorry for him because I think his actions were caused by his grandfather and the upbringing Red was given. If he had lived, I don’t know that he and I could have ever become friends, per se, but I don’t think we would have been enemies, either.

2. Kylie, if you could go back in time to a mistake or a memory and change it, would you? And what would you make different? [Question from Missy]

C.C. Another good question! (I turn to Kylie.) Kylie, what do you think?

Kylie: (A glimmer of pain crosses Kylie’s face.) I wish I could have saved Ellie. (Her voice nearly cracks. Tears glisten at the corners of her eyes and she swipes her right hand at them and looks down at her lap.) I wish that more than anything, although . . . (She takes a deep breath.) I know that I couldn’t have changed things. I know that logically, I mean. (She raises her head.) There are some things that simply have to happen, and that was one of them. Still, in my heart, I wish I could have saved Ellie.

3. Since you’ve found out that you may be able to change your brain pattern, do you intend to attend all of the species groups to learn about each culture and their unique gifts? [Question from J.B.]

C.C. I know the answer to this one. (I smile at Kylie.)

Kylie: You know, I really hate it when you turn all writer-knows-all on me. It’s not fair. Plus, it’s kinda’ annoying.

C.C.: Sorry.

Kylie: Whatever. (She shrugs.) But back to J.B.’s question—which she directed to me, I might add . . .

C.C.: (My smile turns into a full-fledged grin. Doesn’t Kylie know that she’s a figment of my imagination? Probably not. Sometimes, I have hard time realizing it.)

Kylie: I plan to attend meetings for all of the species groups, to learn about their culture and their gifts . . . assuming they will all let me, that is. I would want to do that even if my brain pattern wasn’t changing all the time. It’s about respect and honoring their culture. But since I’m still trying to figure out where I fit, it’s even more important that I learn about the other species.

Okay, so there you go, three questions answered by a channeled Kylie, and some tense moments between an author and her character. LOL. Make sure you leave a comment. And if you have other questions, perhaps for me, C.C. or Kylie, just leave them in the comment section, and I’ll try to post them and the answers in a future blogs.

Winner

As promised, I randomly selected a winner from the correct answers from my May Day Contest. You had a lot of great guesses, but only a few of you came up with the correct answer, which was Monte Carlo, Monaco. That was the Monte Carlo Casino in the background, a casino featured in several James Bond movies.  So, the winner is Abigail. Abigail, please email me at cc(at)cchunterbooks(dot)com and let me know if you prefer and Amazon gift card or a copy of Taken at Dusk.

Ellie James is my very special guest blogger today.  Ellie writes the Midnight Dragonfly books that follow the life of a 16-year-old psychic. Her latest book Broken Illusions is being released today, and it is fantastic.

Sometimes it’s a whisper, that quiet voice inside you when you see someone for the first time. Eyes meet—or they don’t—and something inside you shifts. You’re either immediately drawn, or immediately repelled. Maybe you’re not even consciously aware of the sensation. Maybe you write it off to something that happened earlier that day, to being tired or sad or a thousand other things.

Other times it’s more of a shout, a fierce, urgent voice from somewhere unseen, screaming for you to shove your way across the room before someone walks away—or insisting that whatever you do, you stay exactly where you are. That you don’t cross the room. You don’t walk through the door. You don’t step into the darkness.

And yet, whether the knowing comes through a whisper or a shout (or somewhere in between) the source is the same: instinct. It’s hard-wired in us. Our senses are constantly working in concert, like the most amazingly well-rehearsed symphony, often behind the scenes, to guide us in the right direction, to make the right decisions. It’s the mother who knows when her baby is sick or hungry, and the teen who knows which stranger is going to lead to big trouble. The key is listening. Hearing. Trusting. Often this means ignoring conventional wisdom or logic, advice or what appears to be fact. This is how our ancestors survived, how they knew when to seek shelter or stand their ground, when to go for the kill or run for their lives.

In many ways, instinct is the soundtrack of our lives. In movies or television, music provides the prompt. You can close your eyes and simply listen, and the music tells you when to be afraid, when to run, when to melt.

Unfortunately, in real life we don’t get the pounding percussions (at least not usually!) when we meet someone who is trouble, or the rich, swelling melodies when we meet someone of a whole different kind of trouble! But we know all the same. We know. Maybe the warning comes through a quick chill or a warm rush, a sharp twist of the stomach or a tightening of the throat. Those are all cues—instinct—every bit as much as music in movies. And yet, sometimes we ignore or suppress, pretend it’s not happening, because we don’t like what it’s telling us. We want to trust that incredibly charismatic stranger, or to be part of the “in” crowd. We want to walk into that room or take that chance.

We don’t want our instinct to be true.

The same is true with writing. You have the perfect plot. You’ve slaved over every action and reaction, sweated every twist and hammered out every detail. You know exactly what needs to happen, and why. And yet, once the words hit the page, something…happens. Maybe it’s the whisper. Maybe the shout. Regardless of the form, your inner knowledge it trying to communicate: something is wrong.

Over the years my muse has become increasingly vicious with me. Typically as I’m tired and racing toward a deadline, I try to ignore the whispers. However, rather on the tenacious side, she gets more aggressive, spewing cold through me with little messages that claw at my gut. Foolishly I lean on Tums, dark chocolate, and wine to silence what I don’t want to hear. But with time (and great pain) here is what I’ve come to realize. We know. All of us. Even when we don’t want to, even when we don’t understand why, we know when things are right, and when they’re wrong. We know when to rush forward or regroup, when to retreat or recreate.

With the book I just turned in, the third in my Midnight Dragonfly series, I had a new character painted one way, but he totally needed to be someone else. I tried to convince myself he was fine the way he was, but my muse did her cruel, evil, vicious thing, and ultimately it became in my better interest to change the character, versus ignore what instinct was trying to tell me. And now that he’s fixed, wow, not only do I love him, but he won’t stop whispering his story into my ear!

The key, I’ve learned, is remembering that whether instinct whispers or shouts, the message is the same: Listen up, or you’ll be sorry!

About Ellie James

Ellie James is the author of the Midnight Dragonfly books, a new series about a teenage psychic, dreams that terrify, and secrets with the power to heal, and destroy. Most people who know Ellie think she’s your nice, ordinary average wife and mom of two kids. They see someone who does all that normal stuff, like grocery shopping, walking the dogs, going to baseball games, and somehow always forgetting to get the house cleaned and laundry done.

What they don’t know is that more often than, Ellie is somewhere far, far away, in an extraordinary world, deeply embroiled in solving a riddle or puzzle or crime, testing the limits of possibility, exploring the unexplained, and holding her breath while two people fall in love.

Regardless of which world Ellie is in, her story worlds or the real world, she loves rain and wind and thunder and lightning, the first warm kiss of spring and the first cool whisper of fall, family, friends and animals, dreams, happy endings, and…chocolate chip cookies.

You can follow Ellie on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Midnight-Dragonfly-Books-by-Ellie-James/154988421236309.

Her next book, Broken Illusions, is available from Griffin Teen as of today.

Happy May 1st, a day known in many parts of the world as May Day. On this day in Great Britain there are festivals with dancing around a May pole. In Ireland May Day goes back to pagan times when it was known as Beltane. In Sweden it is celebrated as International Workers Day. In France it is customary to give your loved one a sprig of lily of the valley in return for a kiss. So, you see, it is celebrated internationally. Which brings me to my next point. I have a photo of Taken at Dusk snapped by one of my readers someplace in the world. You have to guess the CITY in which it was taken. But the world is a big place, so of course I am going to give you some clues to help. This city is located in a country that still has a real live prince, who recently married his princess. (How’s that for romantic?) It is also home of a famous car race and a casino featured in several James Bond movies.

Email your answers to me at cc(at)cchunterbooks(dot)com. I will randomly select a winner from the entries with the correct answer. The winner will receive either a $10 gift card to Amazon, or a copy of Taken at Dusk, and be announced on my blog in two weeks. In addition, I want to see your photos of Taken at Dusk snapped in different or creative locations. So come on, use your brain and figure out where my photo was taken and share your own photo of Taken at Dusk. I’ll post some of them on my blog.

And because we’re talking international, I’m opening this contest internationally.

Unanswered Questions

FYI: Since so many of you had some really great questions for Kylie, I have decided to let Kylie answer a few of them on upcoming blogs. So watch for them!

When I posted “What’s Up, Kylie?,” I asked you what question would you ask Kylie. Well, there were some wonderful questions. So, it was hard to pick a winner, but I said I would, so I did. The winner of the $10 Amazon gift card is Lilly G. So, Lilly, you have a week to email me at cc(at)cchunterbooks.com with your address to claim your gift card.

I received a shock this week. My Shadow Falls series made the New York Times Best Sellers List!!!! I hadn’t dared to even hope, but then it happened, and I got that call. After I stopped screaming and dancing around my kitchen, I thought about you because I know I never would have made that list without my readers. So, a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who have supported me by buying my books. You rock!

Now on to today’s blog, and I have a special treat for you! Fellow Texan and YA author Victoria Scott is guest blogging. She writes dark, humorous books and shares my love of cotton candy.  Victoria has some good advice for those of you who have told me you want to be writers.

The Awesomeness That is Beta Readers

Beta readers. I love em’ and hate em’ equally. No. That’s not right. I love the ones who love my book, and hate the ones who don’t. True story.

Beta readers are people who read your manuscript before you submit it to agencies/editors and give their opinion on what should change. And for the record, I support the idea of using these peeps even after you’ve signed with an agent or pub house. One bit of advice, though. When utilizing beta readers, always have the following on stand-by:

A reason why you hate each person.

This is crucial to the process. It’ll help you dismiss any negative feedback. Also handy? A list of replacement friends. Any writer should have this. It’s as important as pen and paper.

On the reals, betas have taught me a lot. For example, if I haven’t answered every question man has ever thought to ask within the first 3 chapters, the book is crap. I kid. Kind of. Also, people who don’t read your genre are not good betas. They will hurt your feelings. Trust me. When this happens, reach for your friend-replacement list. I kid. Kind of. Lastly, don’t use as many betas as you have at your disposal. Choose 1-3 people who read your category, and can give honest feedback in a nice way. If you use more than a small group, you’ll get conflicting feedback and it’ll drive you bat shit. I kid. No, I don’t. This one’s true.

Overall, beta readers give me great feedback that I’m confident makes my stories stronger. They push me to answer questions. They ask for more description in some places, and less in others. They tell me what they love, and aren’t afraid to pinpoint what they hate. And they do it all with kindness.

So, once you’re done with your second draft (or first draft, if you’re an edit-as-you-write person), show the entire manuscript to your chosen readers, and incorporate the feedback YOU agree with. It’ll improve your book, and make you a better writer in the future.

Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a deep love for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by Laurie McLean, and her debut book will be The Collector: A Dante Walker Novel (Entangled Teen, Mar. 2013). Visit her online at http://www.victoriascottya.com/.

Kylie Galen freezes as soon as she sees me. Her eyes grow wide with surprise. “Not you again!”

“Hi, Kylie,” I say, giving her what I hope is a reassuring smile. I know it’s always disconcerting for my characters when I summon them to the office in my mind for a chat. If they’re not already freaked out by the idea of talking with their creator, there’s always the décor of my office. Let’s just say my mind is scary place to be. I’m talking abandoned plot devices sitting inside a broken basket next to the wall, smidgens of ideas I haven’t fully developed yet bouncing around the corner of my brain. Then, in the dark shadowy corners something is hiding, and even I can’t quite figure out just what that something is. Oh, and the occasional dead body that I haven’t decided how to use.

“I hope you don’t mind,” I tell her, “but I wanted to interview you for my blog to promote the release of Taken at Dusk.” I motion toward the sofa. “Have a seat. This won’t take long, I promise.”

She glances over her shoulder, looking for the exit. “You are one freaky, strange, and a few French fries short of a happy meal ol’ lady.”

“Now that hurts,” I tell her. “I’m not that old.”

“Sorry. I’m sixteen, everyone past thirty is old to me.” She frowns. “I don’t like being interrogated.” She wraps her arms around her midsection.

“This isn’t an interrogation,” I say, speaking calmly. “It’s an interview. Big difference.”

“Feels like an interrogation.” She takes her seat on the sofa.

“People are curious about you and Shadow Falls, and they want to know more about you.”

“People think I’m a freak,” Kylie says. “Even the other supernaturals at Shadow Falls.”

“No, they don’t,” I correct her.

“You made me glow in that last scene in Whispers at Moonrise. Believe me, they think I’m a freak. Fredericka called me a glow worm. Della said I looked like a firefly. Can’t you write me a few chapters of easy stuff?”

“You know it doesn’t work that way, Kylie,” I say, keeping my voice calm. “Easy stuff is boring.”

“And serial killers and ghosts are interesting?” She slumps back on the sofa.

“What’s interesting is seeing you stand up to the challenges. Besides, I write some good scenes. Remember the one in Taken at Dusk when you woke up and your entire room was filled with roses that some special guy had brought you. And then he–”

“That was a great scene.” She smiled. “But I’m furious at that guy right now.”

“That’s life,” I tell her. Men always do things to piss us off. If there not leaving the toilet seat up, they’re leaving their dirty socks everywhere.”

She sighs loudly. “Let’s get this over with so I can leave this whacky place. What do you want to ask me?”

I pull out my notes. “In Taken at Dusk, your ghost has amnesia. This must make helping her cross over even more difficult.”

Kylie nods. “Every spirit is a challenge. Like with the one I’m working with now. Spirits are supposed to be dead. This person isn’t dead. How can I–”

“Sorry,” I interrupt her. “We can’t talk about Shadows at Moonrise. This is about Taken at Dusk.”

She frowns. “You bring me here and then tell me what I can and can’t talk about. That’s not nice.”

“Sorry.” I wait a minute to continue. “Now. Without giving too much away about the plot, I want to ask you about the big game changer in Taken at Dusk. Namely, when someone you think is your enemy turns into a friend who’ll do anything to save you. How did that make you feel?”

A shadow crosses her face, and she folds her hands in her lap. “That . . . that was really an emotional scene. I honestly never thought. . .” She takes a deep breath. “It was a lot for me to digest, and I think I’m still trying to understand it.”

I decide to move on to a lighter subject. “I have to ask you about Burnett . . . and the kangaroo.”

Her face dissolves in a grin. “Poor Burnett. He was . . .”

“Hopping mad?” I suggest.

“Yes!” Then, she laughed. “Of course, he didn’t find it that funny.”

“Yeah, but vampires aren’t known for having great senses of humor,” I point out.

“True.”

I nod and then flip the notebook closed. “Okay, that about does it for my questions. Thanks so much for giving me a few minutes of your time.”

“No problem.” Then, her forehead starts to scrunch up in concentration. “Okay, I have a question for you.”

“What?”

“Why is there a bunch of rusty iron and herbs in the middle of your mind? I know that’s about me, but I can’t figure it out. What does it mean?”

I shake my head. “Oh, that’s for a scene in Whispers at Moonrise. Sorry, but we can’t talk about that because it hasn’t happened yet. But I promise you’ll find out in the next few scenes.”

She stares at my forehead again. “Uh-huh. Well, nothing personal, but I don’t think I want to find out. Change that scene!”

I smile. “Trust me, Kylie. This will all work out well in the end.” I rise to my feet.

“That’s what you always say.” She stands up and starts heading to the door.

“Mmm. And I’m always right, too, aren’t I?”

Kylie turns back. “Good point.” She pauses. “Can I have some more roses? And more of those kinds of scenes.”

“I’ll try to work one in,” I say. She heads out the door and back to Shadow Falls in a flash that sends a stack of papers on my desk fluttering to the floor. As I stand there, I realize that I’m almost done with Whispers at Moonrise, and that means I only have one more book in this series left to write. One more and I’ll have to make a lot of decisions. Like who is Kylie really going to end up with, Lucas or Derek? Will Miranda and Perry stay together? Will Della find her true love? Will Burnett and Holiday finally stop fighting and admit they love each other.

And then . . . then, I have to say goodbye to them to all. To all my Shadow Falls characters. But dang it, that’s sad. Very, very sad. I’ll end it on good note, I tell myself. I’ll leave them all in happy place.

Giveaway!

Okay, I had my interview with Kylie, so now it is your turn. If you could ask Kylie a question, what would it be. And remember, I’ve only written the first four books, so her knowledge is limited. As for Lucas or Derek–don’t even ask!

Anyway, I will give a $10 Amazon gift card to the person who asks Kylie the best question. So, come on, what are you dying to ask her??

It’s here! The day has come at last! Taken at Dusk is now available at book stores and online! I don’t know about you, but I thought this day would never get here. Yes, I wrote the book, and yes, I know what happens in it, but you see, an author first and foremost is a storyteller. While I love writing, what I love more is sharing the stories I write. So I can’t wait for you to read Taken at Dusk.

Now I bet you are wondering what’s in store for Kylie in this book. Well…perhaps I’ll give you a clue. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but I can tell you there are three things that leave Kylie breathless in Taken at Dusk:

• A curl your toes kind of kiss. (No, I’m not telling you from which guy!)
• A fire breathing dragon that nearly sends up the dining hall in flames.
• Falling off a cliff and seeing her life flash before her eyes.

Do I have your attention? Hmm…maybe you need a bit more. What about the three things that happen in Taken at Dusk that shock Kylie?

• Seeing Burnett get changed into a very unhappy kangaroo. (Which is also pretty amusing!)
• Seeing a sink hole pull Perry into it.
• Discovering the person she thought was out to kill her, was really trying to protect her.

Okay, that’s all I’m giving you, you’ll just have to read the book to get the rest.

Oh…don’t forget to enter the contest to win a T-shirt and some promotional items. Macmillan is giving away FIFTY t-shirts:  http://us.macmillan.com/macmillansite/promo/shadowfallsgriffinteen?WT.mc_id=10582&WT.mc_id=0.

In celebration of the release of Taken at Dusk, I’m going to be pretty busy making appearances and signing copies.

~April 14th, I’ll be signing copies of Taken at Dusk at Katy Budget Books in Katy, TX from 2-4pm. For more information see: http://www.katybooks.com/.

~April 18th, I’ll be at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. I’ll be in the Macmillan Adult Booth #1704 from 10:15 to 11:15am. For more information see: http://www.txla.org/events.

~May 9th, I will be chatting at the Euless Public Library in Euless, TX. For more information see: http://www.euless.org/library/.

~May 12th, I will be at the Barbara Bush Library in Spring, TX from 2 to 4pm. For more information see: http://www.hcpl.net/location/barbara-bush-branch-library-cypress-creek.

~May 26th, signing at Barnes and Noble in Pasadena, TX.

~June 15th, I’ll be signing in Barnes and Noble in Oceanside, CA.

~June 16th, I’ll be speaking and signing at the San Diego Romance Writers of America in San Diego, CA.  See: http://www.rwasd.com/.

~July 25th, I’ll be signing my books at the RWA Annual Conference and Literacy Autographing in Anaheim, California from 5 to 8pm. For more information see: http://www.rwa.org/cs/literacy_autographing.

Wow, there’s so much going on in my life right now. Where do I begin? Maybe by telling you how lucky I feel knowing my third book, Taken at Dusk, will be released very soon. And I just found out Awake at Dawn is a finalist in the New England Readers Choice Bean Pot Award in the Young Adult category. I feel so honored and excited. So, a big thank you to all my readers, because without you, none of this would be possible.

When my editor asked me to write young adult, I wasn’t sure how it would go. But then my mind started racing and the characters suddenly sprang to life. The rest, as they say, is history—at least what’s happened in the first three books. I am working on book number four, Whispers at Moonrise, and it isn’t done, yet. So I’m not sure how this one will end, but I know it will be interesting. And I’m oh so excited for Kylie and—Derek or Lucas! No, I’m not saying anything. You’ll just have to wait.

All the buzz for Taken at Dusk has been phenomenal! I have a blog tour, so check my Facebook page to see where I’m blogging and giving away books every day. I’ve also got several book signings and appearances scheduled, and I’ll be announcing those on Facebook as well. And to top it off, Macmillan is having a sweepstakes and they are giving away FIFTY Shadow Falls t-shirts, pens and note pads. If you want to enter, go to  http://us.macmillan.com/macmillansite/promo/shadowfallsgriffinteen?WT.mc_id=10582&WT.mc_id=0, but hurry, the last day to enter is April 16th.

As an author, I can’t imagine my life any better. Well, maybe I can because I do have a pretty wild imagination. But I am very happy being right where I am as I am living my dream. So, tell me, if you were living your dream, what would your life be like?

And today I’ll give away a copy of Awake at Dawn and some pens and notebooks. So make sure you post and come back in one week to see if you won.

“This series has everything a reader could want…I read it over a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I can’t get it out of my head. I can’t wait to read more!” —Awesome Sauce Book Club

Available April 10, 2012

I’m almost at the end of Whispers at Moonrise and Kylie finds herself wondering if we really have soul mates in this life? Is there one person you were meant to find and spend your life with in this world? Or are we capable of connecting with several someones that we find during our lives. Yes, she’s trying to decide if Lucas or if Derek is her soul mate.

As a writer and reader, the premise of soul mates is found in so many literary works. There’s something romantic in the idea of being on a journey in which our main goal is to find that one perfect person. Ahh, is that really real? I have to tell you that I’m not completely sure I believe it, I’m not completely sure I don’t believe.

When I look at all the little things that had to happen for my husband and I to find each other in the world, it’s makes me wonder if Fate didn’t have a hand in it.

You see, he was from Texas, I was from Alabama. When bad economical times hit in Texas, he applied for jobs all over the US. He had offers in several different states. The one he took was in California. When he moved there, of all the apartments he could have chosen to rent, he picked one in the complex where my mom lived. Because she had a southern accent, similar to his Texas drawl, he met her one day out by the pool. And when I found myself needing to start my life over, I moved to California.

So many things had to have been lined up for us to meet. Is that not Fate?

But the thing about soul mates, and finding them, is that sometimes it seems our hearts tell us this one person is it, and then later down the road in life, it seems to be evident that they weren’t the person. Both my hubby and I had thought we’d found the right person before we found each other. To be honest, as a teen, I thought numerous guys were my soul mates.

Maybe they weren’t so much my soul mates, maybe they were simply stepping stones, learning tools, to help me grow into the person I am, and the person I needed to be when I did meet my hubby.

Yup, the idea of soul mates really does intrigue me–almost as much as it intrigues Kylie. So what about you, do you believe in soul mates?

Winner!

The winner of last week’s Shadow Falls t-shirt and other goodies is Sandi Bothum with “Whatta ya mean, tastes like chicken??!!” Congratulations, Sandy! You have a week to send your snail mail address to me at cc(at)cchunterbooks(dot)com.

In Taken at Dusk, Kylie learns that she has Native American blood. While I’m told I, too, have Native American blood in me (my great, great grandmothers on both my mother and father’s side), this isn’t where this idea stemmed. It came from a legend and a park I visited numerous times as a child. And amazingly, this legend also involves a falls.

The story associated with the park is a sad tale of lost love, but I guess even as child I was a romantic at heart. So I rewrote the ending to that legend and I have to tell you, I like my version better. Hey…I like happy endings.

This last weekend, I went to my hometown and visited the park again. Each time I go there, I feel something akin to magic. Maybe like in my book, the falls are magical.

Now the falls are amazing, but even before one spots the rush of water cascading 90 feet into the breathtaking ravine, they see the 13-foot-tall bronze statue, caught mid-stride on a rock overlooking the falls. Erected in 1958, the statue with the inscribed story of Noccalula—a young girl who was determined to follow her heart.

Once named Black Creek Falls, legend has it that there was a beautiful Cherokee maiden deeply in love with a warrior of her own tribe. Her father, a great chief, ordered her to marry a Creek chief. The wedding day came and she allowed herself to be arrayed in festive wedding robes. But heartbroken, she quietly slipped away to the falls. For a moment she stood poised on the edge, and then with one leap, her life was over. Grief stricken, her father gave the great cataract his daughter’s name, and since that day, the falls have been called Noccalula.

See, that’s just too sad. But in my version, her warrior was there waiting beneath the falls and he pulled her out, right before she was yanked into the dark murky undercurrent. Believed dead, she was free to leave. So her and the young warrior, who was quite good looking in my version, left together and found happiness. Don’t you like my ending better?

Today, they also have a small zoo there. So, I snapped a few pictures of some animals. And one of the images just screams for a caption. Today, I will give away a Shadow Falls T-shirt and some promotional items, like pens and pads, to one person who gives me the best photo caption for the photo at the left.

Winner!!

The winner for last weeks giveaway is Missy. Congratulations! So, Missy, please email me within one week at cc(at)cchunterbooks(dot)com with your snail mail address.