Knickknacks & Giveaway!

Posted on June 28, 2016 by admin

I love my office. It’s my writing sanctuary, and everyone knows when I’m in there writing, they better be bleeding or the house needs to be on fire before they disturb me. It’s where my ideas flow. I look around at my shelves and I see all my favorite little knickknacks. They serve as reminders and inspiration. So, I thought I’d give you a little peek into what I’m surrounded by as I write.

My little dragon buddy was given to me as a white elephant gift. I usually put these gifts away to use for another white elephant gift, but I loved him so much he lives on a shelf on my study. Right after I got him, I was writing one of my Shadow Falls books. I was trying to figure out what I needed Perry, my funny, lovable shapeshifter to turn into. I saw the dragon and BAM! Perry became a dragon. Now, every time is see the this knickknack I think of that scene. What this item reveals about me? That I love fun, playful things around that remind me not take things so serious.

I saw this mermaid on a clearance rack. I couldn’t leave her there. She needed a home and she now lives on my office desk. I smile every time I see it. And I think I love it so much because it reminds me to never stop believing in magic.

When I bought my new house I went and bought all new knickknacks. I wanted things that reflected who I am, and some of my core values. I write romance and I believe in the power of love. Plus, it has an umbrella. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know, but I love anything that has an umbrella in it. Maybe I need to talk to someone about this fetish.

Let me be honest, I don’t even know what this is. My son brought it home because it was funny, and he thought it would make a good gag gift, but I can’t part with it. It lives on my office desk, and I can’t look at it without almost chuckling. It’s another reminder that life should never be taken too serious. We can find things to laugh at. Laughter is good for the soul.

A friend of mine had one of these in her kitchen and I fell in love with it. I told her how much I loved it, so she went out and bought me one for me when I moved into my new house. Why do I love it? Well, it’s multipurpose. It holds my knives and it speaks to my love of a good mystery murder plot. And it scares the shit out of my husband. Once, when hubby was already asleep, I picked it up and placed it on his bedside table. Just a subtle reminder he needs to work at making me happy. LOL.

A close and dear friend, Faye Moore, gave me this for Christmas because she knows I’m a little bit of wine fanatic (understatement!). I love it because it speaks to me because I’m a wine lover, but also someone who loves a good laugh.

I have this because I’m a mother. Most parents have things given to them by their kids that . . . well, may not be the most beautiful piece of art, but I love this because my daughter made it and it makes me laugh. She sees it now and cringes and tells me, “You don’t have to keep that.” I just grin and say, “Oh yes, I do.” I’m considering putting in my will that she gets it when I pass.

This has a very special meaning to me. When I first started writing, I told someone my dream and knowing I was dyslexic, they laughed and said, “Sure you’ll sell a book. When pigs fly.” Well, my thirty-fifth book, Midnight Hour, will be out October 25. I’ve hit the New York Times Best-Seller List, and my books are sold in at least 12 different countries. This is a symbol that shows anything is possible and I can’t let any naysayers chip away at my dreams. I actually have three different ceramic figures of this. A close friend, Tracy Goodwin, also a writer, even gave me a coat pin with one on it. This defines one of my longtime beliefs: with hard work, just about anything is possible.

Giveaway!

Do you have a special knickkanck that means something to you? I’ll give away a t-shirt and a $10 Amazon gift card to someone who tells me about their special knickknack (posting a pic is even better!).

Are You Missing Out?

Have you joined my Christie Craig Love, Laugh, Read Facebook Group? How about my CC Hunter: Thrills, Chills, Laughter Facebook Group? If not, you’re missing out. You could have won my an Amazon gift card and a t-shirt in my latest, exclusive giveaway. So you better pop over to them both and request to join so you won’t miss my next giveaway. Plus, I’ll be posting exclusive inside information there before I post it anywhere else. Christie Craig: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1105178872886019/. CC Hunter: https://www.facebook.com/groups/223426974711034/.

School and Writing

Posted on June 21, 2016 by admin

School is out for the summer in most places. So, that started me thinking. I did an interview for Jean BookNerd last year, and I talked about my school days, but also a few other things I thought you’d find interesting. So, I’m re-posting it here.

1. Greatest things you learned at school.

* That I don’t like hamburgers that only contain 50 percent real meat.

* That sometimes how well I learn is directly linked to how the teacher teaches.

* That learning can be fun.

*That not doing well on standardized tests isn’t always a sign a of person’s IQ.

*Sometimes teachers are wrong. I was told many times that if I didn’t get my head out of the clouds I would never amount to anything. Amazingly, I make a living by spending a lot of time up in those clouds.

*Sometimes the cutest boy in the class isn’t worth wasting my time on.

2. Defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer.

There wasn’t one. I’m dyslexic and I didn’t think I could be a writer. I sure as heck couldn’t spell and left words out all the time. It wasn’t until I was twenty-three that I realized that not everyone made up stories in their heads that lasted weeks and sometime months. Imagination is a terrible thing to waste. And I wasted it because I didn’t even realize it was probably my strongest talent.

3. What fiction most influenced your childhood, and what effect did those stories have on Eternal?

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. I know it sounds crazy, but I was certain Charlotte and Wilbur were in love. So, I think my passion of writing about two different species and showing them overcoming their differences might even come from that.

4. What’s the best advice you can give writers to help them develop their own unique voice and style?

The first thing you need to do is write and write a lot. If you are really confused as to even what genre you should write, look at the kind of books that appeal to you. Do you love scary books? Do you want there to be a romance in your book? Which scenes in a book usually stand out to you? Do you love those action scenes? Then, look at the movies you enjoy. Do you love comedies? Do you love dramas that will make you cry?

Once you have the genre, then it’s time to think about voice and tone. First tip is to write the story you want to write. Do not try to write like anyone else. Write like yourself. I explain writing voice as a reflection of your personality. It’s not just what you say, or what you do on those pages, it’s how you say it and how you do it. If you are having a hard time figuring out what your voice is try writing the same thing in various tones and see which one feels right. Let’s say you want to write a scene where a young girl takes a walk in the woods and finds a creature unlike anything she’s ever seen. Try writing that to be funny. Then, try writing it to be mysterious. Then, write it filled with lots of action. Then, write it to be scary. Try making it sad. When you’re done with all these writing exercises, look at the one that felt more like you? Are there two that feel right? Could you perhaps blend a little of the funny with the action?

Finding your voice can take time. But you’ll only find it if you are writing. So, never stop writing.

So tell me, what did you learn in school? Are you an aspiring writer?

Cowboys vs Cops

Posted on June 14, 2016 by admin

I love creating sexy heroes in my books. The kind of guys that melt your heart and make you wish you could be the heroine they ride to rescue, the one that ends up kissing Mr. Sexy. So, I have to ask myself what do I think makes a man sexy–physically and mentally? What kind of guy would make my readers’ hearts beat a little faster?

I may have grown up in Alabama, but I’ve been living in Texas for a long time now. And I’m pretty observant. And I’ve observed that when I’m sitting in a restaurant or maybe pumping gas into my car, and a nice looking, cowboy hat wearing, pickup truck driving man comes along, my heart definitely starts racing. So, I realized I think cowboys are dead sexy. I mean just look at my Hotter in Texas series. Dallas, Tyler and Austin all look great in tight jeans and a cowboy hat. And they all have a strong sense of what’s right. So I’m pretty sure other people think they’re sexy too. Not to mention the long tradition of sexy cowboy heroes in movies. Remember Clint Eastwood, Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck, Sam Shepard or Daniel Craig sitting atop a horse in one of their movies. Doesn’t your heart speed up?

I also like to write about sexy cops, usually the broken ones, the ones with a lot of baggage. I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to cops, but I just know that they do for me what cowboys do for me. They make my heart go pitter patter. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the uniform, but most of the cops in my books don’t wear uniforms because they’re detectives. Again, it could be that they also have a strong sense of what’s right–and they know how to protect a girl from a hit man like in Divorced, Desperate and Daring.

Since I like cowboys and cops, what could be better than a sexy cowboy detective? But that’s me. What do you prefer: Sexy cowboy, sexy cop or sexy cowboy detective? Which makes your heart skip a beat?

July Contest

Starting in July, I’m going to be holding a month long contest with weekly prizes and a BIG prize at the end of the month. So, be sure to check it out!

Winner!

The winner of last week’s trivia contest is Brandi Poage. Brandi, email me at christie@chritie-craig.com and tell me which book you want and the size of your t-shirt. Thanks to everyone who entered. There are definitely many of you who really know my books well.

Murder, Romance and Trivia?

Posted on June 7, 2016 by admin

Have you read all of my books? If you have, this should be easy. Okay, maybe you remember I had a trivia contest a while a go. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun with it, so I thought I’d give you part two. Please email your answers to me at christie@christie-craig.com. I’ll give away a t-shirt and a print copy of one of my books to the person who has the most correct answers.

In what book was a dead guy found in a port-a-potti wearing a hat that said, “Shit Happens and Then You Die?”
In which book did the heroine have a head-on collision with a casket?
In which book did the heroine’s smoking mom come back from the dead to help play matchmaker?
In which book was strip scrabble played?
In which book did the simple chore of washing dishes become a real sexy treat?
In which book was the hero locked in a closet with litter box and a cat who had to go?
In which book did the hero and heroine both die in the first chapter?
In which book did the heroine puck all over her dead ex-husband’s body and get accused of killing him?
In which two books did my heroes meet their future mother-in-laws while buck naked?
In which book was the heroine a nervous puker and the hero was a sympathetic puker?

Summer is here, and I’m going to be busy with appearances, workshops, book signings, etc. I hope you’ll come to see me if I come to a city near you.

This weekend, June 10th-12th, no matter where you live in the US, Barnes & Noble is having their First-Ever National Teen Book Festival. There will be tons of book signings by your favorite authors, activities, swag giveaways, games, and more! I’m celebrating their festival with THREE appearances in the Houston, TX area!

Saturday, June 11th, I’ll be at their Champions Forest store, 5303 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX 77069 at 1:00 PM with Joy Preble and Becky Wallace. There will be giveaways!

Saturday, June 11th, I’ll be at their Pasadena location, 5656 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX 77505 at 5:00 PM. Again, I’ll be with the talented Joy Preble. So, this is your chance to ask us questions and pick up signed copies of our books.

Sunday, June 12th, I’m off to their Deerbrook Mall store, 20131 Hywy 59, Humble, TX 77338. I’ll be there at 1:00 PM, so join me and be ready to party!

Do you live in Southern California? Well you can catch up with me there.

July 13-16^th, I’ll be at the Romance Writers of America’s Annual Conference in San Diego, CA. Wednesday, July 13^th, I’ll be signing books at the “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing, 5:30 to 7:30 PM. This is a great event where all profits go to literacy—and it’s absolutely FREE and open to the public! For more information go to https://www.rwa.org/conference.

So, come and spend a little of your summer with me!

BIG NEWS!

I’ve hear many of you say you miss my Facebook posts and announcements. So, I’ve created two private Facebook group for my die hard fans. One is for my Christie Craig fans: Love, Laugh, Read, and the other is for my CC Hunter fans: CC Hunter: Chills, Thrills, Laughter. Be sure to join today for extra offers, special giveaways, and the inside scoop on all things Christie Craig and CC Hunter. And it’s great if you want to join both groups. Many of my fans read both genres.