Guest Post: Top Three Reasons to Write a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series by C.C. Hunter
1. It’s therapy and can lead to some self-discovery.
When I was asked to write the series, I came within a breath of saying no. It had been a long time since I had been a teen. I worried I wouldn’t get it right. The first thing I did was take a long walk down memory lane. I wouldn’t have taken that journey if I hadn’t been asked to write a young adult novel. And it was a very interesting journey that reconnected me with my teen self. While I will admit my teenage years weren’t my favorite, I learned a lot. You know the saying that hindsight is twenty-twenty. Amazing how looking back on something can not only help you see where you went wrong, but also where you went right. I think sometimes seeing where you’ve been helps you understand where you are, and even where you want to be. I can actually understand who I am a little better now that I’ve taken that stroll back in time.
2. It rekindles your connection with that thing called love.
I’m married and I love my husband. Ahh, but there’s something about reliving the emotional vibrancy of young love that can make you appreciate love in a new way. When we are young, we somehow embrace the power of love a little stronger. To remember a first kiss, a first touch, and to allow love to consume you is a wonderful thing.
3. Anything can happen. Talk about liberating!
When I write contemporary romance, I have to follow the rules, color inside the lines. Not only does the young adult genre have less rules, but when writing paranormal the sky is the limit. As long as I am true to my world, anything can happen. Characters can fly. Sink holes can appear out of nowhere. Characters can manifest into dragons. I love letting my imagination take a walk on the wild side.
Question: Was it difficult changing point of view characters and having the world of Shadow Falls seen through Della’s eyes instead of Kylie’s?
When you are in one character’s point of view, as I was in Shadow Falls, you are basically describing the world through that character’s eyes. My readers experienced how Kylie felt about things, people, and the world in general. What Kylie thought of as beautiful or frightening or how she related to the other characters could be completely different from Della. I was constantly asking myself, how would Della see this? How would Della say that? How would Della feel about that person? While switching point of view took some brainstorming, it was also a challenge I enjoyed. Take for example how Kylie was so close to Holiday, the camp leader. But when I switched to Della’s point of view, since Della is a vampire, it was Burnett who became her mentor. Through Della’s eyes, we get a deeper look at Burnett’s character. And right now I’m working on a novella from Miranda’s point of view, and I’m having so much fun.
Title: Eternal (Shadow Falls: After Dark #2)
Author: C.C. Hunter
Blurb: All her life, Della’s secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she’s where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself.
From bestselling author C.C. Hunter comes Eternal—a must-read for fans of the Shadow Falls series—and the sequel to Reborn.
This book is also available on audio. Check out a sample:
About the Author:
C.C. Hunter grew up in Alabama, where she caught lightning bugs, ran barefoot, and regularly rescued potential princes, in the form of Alabama bullfrogs, from her brothers. Today, she’s still fascinated with lightning bugs, mostly wears shoes, but has turned her focus to rescuing mammals. She now lives in Texas with her four rescued cats, one dog, and a prince of a husband, who for the record, is so not a frog. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, spending time with her family, or is shooting things-with a camera, not a gun.
Great guest post! Totally nailed what I love about young adult – the ability to enjoy the excitement of young love without the sucky parts… you know, being a teen! LOL! Thanks for sharing!
Berls @ Fantasy is More Fun recently posted…Pinching Pennies | October 2014
Great guest post! I like all 3 of her reasons but I liked #2 a lot. I think it’s why YA Romance in general has become so popular with adult women. I know it’s one of the reasons I loved Twilight – which launched me into reading other YA series, including Ms. Hunter’s. 🙂
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…**New Adult Review ~ True ~ Erin McCarthy**
Agreed, reading YA Romance is pretty awesome.
Sounds really good. Thanks for sharing.
Jennifer Bielman recently posted…Guest Post: The Secrets Behind Divinicus Nex Chronicles by A&E Kirk (Blog Tour & Giveaway)
Julie,
Thanks so much for having me on your blog. I love bloggers. You guys are the best book pimps. LOL.
CC
I agree that with YA there are fewer rules. I think that’s one of the many reasons I love to read YA.
The change in perspective is something I always wondered about in writing. It seems to me writing from a single perspective, especially first person, would be really difficult. You have to think about everyone else’s motivations and feelings, while only relating what the narrator would know. Loved reading a writers perspective on perspective. 😉
And I agree with Carmel. The theme works great. The page navigates much better now. The widgets are pretty cool, too.
Leila @ LeilaReads recently posted…BookBlogWriMo – I’ve Finally Lost It
Hehe a writer’s perspective on perspective 🙂
Glad you like how the theme looks. The widgets are all the same as before though, just things look a little different.
I like reading Young Adult for the very reason the author mentioned in her first point; it’s a great way to revisit your teenage years without having to go through all of the awkwardness again. And, look at you ladies with your snazzy new theme—nice!
Carmel @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Early Review: Otherworld Nights by Kelley Armstrong
Yea I wouldn’t want to live through the awkwardness again either heh. This author is local to me so I was happy to participate in her tour 🙂
Thanks 🙂 Our previous free theme got corrupted so we bought a new one to replace it. We’re still tweaking some details though and playing with colors a bit but at least it works well and is purty.