Happy Halloween everyone! I’m thrilled to feature a Q & A with an author that definitely knows how to put chills on the page…C.C. Hunter! Her Shadow Falls series has come to a close with the release of MIDNIGHT HOUR and C.C. took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few of my questions for her fans.
1) MIDNIGHT HOUR is the last book in your Shadow Falls series. On your blog, you talk about the difficulty in saying goodbye to the characters. With that in mind, which character(s) are you the most attached to and why?
I’m attached to the characters for different reasons. They all have parts of me in them. They have some of my traits, even some of my flaws. I spent five books with Kylie Galen. I can honestly say, she’s more like me when I was a teen than the other girls. Like Kylie, I’m an internalizer. Even when young, I had a tendency to think something to death before I acted on it. I hated to be the center of attention.
Della, however, she’s more like the person I’ve grown into, and often the person I wish I was more like. She’s speaks her mind, calls it like she sees it. I love that about her. Ahh, but the very thing I love about her is what sometimes drives me crazy.
Miranda is smack dab in the middle of these two. She’s kind, but can speak her mind when pushed. But deep down she’s so insecure. Dyslexia can do that to you. I know, because I’m dyslexic as well. I feel a special bond with her for this reason. I loved watching her find herself in Midnight Hour.
But I must say, when I think about the three girls, I can’t help but think of the boys they love. Lucas, Chase and Perry. They all stole a part of my heart.
Then, there’s Burnett. I love, love that guy. In every book, I felt like I learned more about him. If you think I have a soft spot for guys who are hard on the outside and marshmallow in the inside, well, all I can I say is “guilty.”
These characters feels like family. I know, even though I won’t be writing about them, I’ll find myself mentally taking short visits to Shadow Falls.
2) The book trailer for MIDNIGHT HOUR does a great job of setting the tone for the book. Did you come up with the concept? Who worked behind the scenes to make the trailer come to life?
My behind-the-scenes person is R.M. Brand. She’s a gamer, a graphic artist, a writer, an amazing and talented person and a friend. We always begin working on a video by spending time talking about the book. I’ll tell her the feel, the vibe that I want expressed in the video. She takes that, uses her magic and she’ll pull something together and show me. I usually offer suggestions to add an image or take out an image. Then, we work on the script together. And I can say, I’ve never been disappointed.
3) Miranda’s growing tattoo in MIDNIGHT HOUR appears after a near-death experience. Is the symbolism of the tattoo more magical or spiritual…or is it a mix of both?
Maybe a little of both. The tattoo symbolizes the birth of confidence, of acceptance. It signifies the greatness we all have in ourselves when we move past our insecurities and learn to embrace what makes us different. It represents discovering our inner strengths and moving past the stigma of how others perceive us.
That said, I don’t think of symbols while I write, and I don’t write to showcase symbols. I write to entertain. But when you get into a character’s skin, their character arc, their story always comes with an underlying message and symbols that represent it. For Kylie, it was struggling with an identity crisis. For Della, it was acceptance of change and dealing with those who can’t accept who and what we become. Miranda’s message is finding self-esteem, discovering self confidence and accepting our flaws. This dyslexic witch learns that every flaw can be turned on its head, and when dealt with properly, it can offer us gifts and talents.
Thank you so much for sharing MIDNIGHT HOUR with your fans. Here’s to getting lost in a book!
For more information about C.C. Hunter, please visit: www.cchunterbooks.com
To read a spotlight about MIDNIGHT HOUR and to enter a giveaway for Shadow Falls swag, visit my blog feature HERE.
Jennifer Mary G 