C.C. Hunter Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from C.C. Hunter

C. C. Hunter is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty-five books, including her wildly popular Shadow Falls and Shadow Falls: After Dark series. In addition to winning numerous awards and rave reviews for her novels, C.C. is also a photojournalist, motivational speaker, and writing coach. In February 2018, Wednesday Books will publish her contemporary young adult and hardcover debut, This Heart of Mine. And the first book of her new paranormal young adult series, The Mortician's Daughter: One Foot in the Grave will release on October 31st 2017. C. C. currently resides in Texas with her husband, junkyard dog, Lady, and whatever wild creatures that meander out from woods surrounding home.

C.C. Hunter is a pseudonym. Her real name is Christie Craig and she also writes humorous romantic suspense romance novels. www.christie-craig.com

C.C. would love to hear from you. Because of deadlines, it may take some time to get back with you, but she will reply. cc@cchunterbooks.com

What were your inspirations for the character development?
The plot of This Heart of Mine came from the thought of writing a book about a girl getting a transplant. The story was born from personal experience. My husband had recently had a transplant. So I took a lot of the difficulties, the pain, and the emotion that my husband went through and created a girl with enough gumption to deal with all that it entailed. Once I got into her head and figured out her likes and dislikes, her quirks, what made her laugh, what made her cry, she just blossomed.

Was there a particular event or time that you recognized that writing was not just a hobby.
Good question. The first book I wrote, I wrote with nothing but gumption. I really didn’t know how to write a book. I’m dyslexic and lacked the educational background so many authors had. I was someone who never really excelled at anything, and who never really had a passion. I wasn’t good in sports, wasn’t good in school, and had no musical talent. I hadn’t even read a lot because it was so hard. But since I was ten years old, what I had done in lieu of reading was create stories in my head.

When I started writing, I found my passion. I can’t say I was great at it, but I was pretty good. My passion gave me the willpower to start learning and growing. I forced myself to start reading. Studying books. And in 1988, I entered my very first contest. It was the Golden Heart contest, a huge contest for romance. When I finaled, I was validated. I knew this was what I was meant to do. From then on, I wrote with purpose. I wrote believing that eventually, I would make it a career.

What was your unforgettable moment while writing THIS HEART OF MINE?
This Heart of Mine is my 39th published book. I had a set writing schedule, sort of regular hours, but when I started writing this book, it grabbed me by my throat and wouldn’t let me go. One night, only a few days into writing this book, I went to check my email before bed. I read the last paragraph I’d written that day and thought of good line. Then, I couldn’t stop writing. And I couldn’t stop crying because the scene was so close to what my husband and I had endured. I just fell into the story. I think I wrote like thirty five pages that night. I suddenly heard my husband clear his throat. He said, “I’m going to assume you are writing, and the reason you are sobbing is because it’s a sad scene. But it’s four in the morning, and I just wanted to make sure you aren’t having an online affair.” He was joking, but still laugh about it.

What part of Leah did you enjoy writing the most?
I loved watching her learn to live again and fall in love for the very first time. I loved watching her realize she had an opinion and she should let it be known. I’ve written a lot of love stories, but Leah’s and Matt’s story left me breathless at times. They both helped each other survive something so difficult. I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes my characters teach me something or reinforce something. Leah and this story reinforced the importance of how precious time is. And how we should cherish every moment we have with those we love.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating Matt?
That the human spirit is amazingly strong and love is thing that can give us strength. Matt lost his father and shortly after that, he lost his identical twin brother. At times, all he could feel was grief. But through love, love of his mother, love of Leah, he overcame the darkness of grief, and began to embrace hope and joy.

What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
It’s a tossup. I love to read, curl up somewhere really comfortable and lose myself in a story. I also love sitting outside on the porch—if weather permits— sipping a glass of wine and chatting with friends.

What is your happiest childhood memory?
I loved going to my grandmother’s house. She was the kind of grandmother who made chores fun. We would go pick strawberries out the garden, or we’d go for a walk in the woods. Or we’d make fudge. She always made me feel special. And I didn’t get that a lot being the middle child between two brothers who excelled at everything.

If you wrote a journal entry today, what would it say?
Deep breath. Deep breath. Too many books to read, and write, and not enough time. Just stay balanced. You can do it. You can.

Right now I’m contracted for five books, so I stay busy. It’s good thing I love doing this!

TEN FACTS ABOUT THIS HEART OF MINE
Here are ten facts readers and Leah learns in This Heart of Mine.

While first kisses are awesome, the second ones can be great too.
We shouldn’t be afraid to take a chance. Win or lose. That’s what life is, a bunch of chances.
Even an artificial heart can break.
Getting a second chance at life is a miracle, but knowing someone had to die to give you that life, is hard to swallow.
Almost losing your life can give you a new perspective of how you want to live.
Dreams are sometimes more than just the subconscious. Someone might be trying to tell you something.
Living a day at a time isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. You need to embrace the future and learn from the past.
You can be dying and still feel the butterflies from a hot guy and the perfect kiss.
Sometimes you have to follow your heart, even if it wasn’t always yours.
You need to be whoever you are and not worry about what others might think.

A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor?

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living, took more courage than dying?

Praise for THIS HEART OF MINE

"I was addicted from page one!" ―New York Times bestselling author PC Cast

"Heartbreaking and heroic. Hunter’s characters will leave you breathless and flipping the pages for more." ―New York Times bestselling author Kristin Cast

An artificial heart that is keeping Leah alive puts her days on earth numbered as she battle a very rare illness. Having a very rare blood type, a heart transplant seems far off. She is given another take on life as she receives a donor. However, she learns that her donor is from Eric, a boy from her school, who has been rumored that he killed himself. Eric’s twin brother, Matt, is in distraught of his death and refuses suicide as the cause. When Leah and Matt start having similar dreams, the two are determined it will reveal the truth leading up to the final moments of Eric’s life. THIS HEART OF MINE by C.C. Hunter is an endearing story about the meaning of life from two very fascinating counterpoint—facing the anxiety of loss and dealing with the aftermath.

Just by reading the synopsis of this incredible book, readers must prepare for a roller coaster of feels. A lot of times we take life for granted and sometimes forget that it can end at any time. Knowing life is numbered can really alter one’s mindset in living and author Hunter really captures this viewpoint with Leah. She is eager to relish the limited time she has. Her point-of-view really puts readers in the cockpit and explores all the thought process one may go through when knowing life could end at any time. At another end of the spectrum, readers learn about Matt’s heartache with the loss of his brother. He knows in his heart that depression didn’t take his brother’s life. Author Hunter dives deep into Matt’s grief and provides a detailed interpretation of coping with loss.

THIS HEART OF MINE covers many emotions. The subject matter of organ donation is a tough pill to swallow but the writing conveys this topic in a very well mannered and fitting approach. The plot moves forward fluidly through the two counterparts point-of-views of love and loss. Readers will appreciate that a seemingly contemporary YA novel quickly stems into a murder mystery that can be enjoyed by any age category. The plot main course has a healthy serving of sub-plots that engages the characters to respond in certain circumstances smoothing out on the creases of their character building. C.C. Hunter offers up a very heart-warming story about love and loss in rare perspectives and guides it through with determined characters and powerful writing etiquette.

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