Author Christie Craig - Interview and Giveaway!

Help me welcome author Christie Craig! So happy to have you here today. Y'all be nice to her and leave lots of comments. If you haven't read her books, I highly recommend them! She is fabulous!

Without further ado......

Please tell us a little about yourself. (Author bio)

C.C.: Here’s my bio, but I have to tell you when I reread it, I thought…who is that person? LOL. What the bio doesn't say is that I’m a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and someone who feels dang blessed to make a living doing what I love—writing and making up stuff.

Christie Craig, an Alabama native, is an award-winning, multi-published writer, multi-published photo journalist, motivational speaker, writing teacher and recently reached her goal of hitting both the New York Times and USA Today list. Her romance fiction is widely acclaimed for combining witty humor and heart-felt emotions with a suspenseful, sexy tone. She currently writes for Grand Central/Forever. Her backlist titles are available wherever e-books are sold.

In addition, Craig writes romance-flavored non-fiction with Faye Hughes, including The Everything Guide To Writing A Romance Novel and Wild, Wicked and Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You Are in a Romance Novel, a humorous self-help relationship book. You can learn more about Christie's books with Faye at www.WritewithUs.net.

Craig also writes the New York Times and USA Today best-selling young adult paranormal romance series, Shadow Falls, published by St. Martin's Press/Griffin. You can learn more about C.C.'s books at her Website www.CCHunterBooks.com .

Did you always want to be an author?

C.C.: No, I've always been a story teller, but being dyslexic, I didn't think I could do it.

What made you choose to write romance?

C.C.: A bad marriage. But seriously, that made me start dreaming up romances. Thankfully, my second hubby came around and rekindled my belief in real love.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

C.C.: Staying in PJs all day, and hearing from readers that I’ve given them an escape with lots of laughter.  If I wasn’t a writer, I think I would have been a standup comedian.  I love giving people something to smile about.

Tell us a little about your book. What inspired you to write it?

C.C.: I love writing about Texas cops and Texas Private Investigators. I saw a news show about a cop who was arrested and claimed he was being framed and wham…I was hit with the idea for my Hotter in Texas series: three guys, ex-cops, now ex-cons, who were framed, arrested, and only after sixteen months, were they exonerated. Let down by the system, by the women they loved, they are determined not to give their hearts away again. Now they offer help to others in sticky legal situations. The hero in Blame It On Texas is about one of those three heroes and a girl, who after seeing her picture on television show, believes she is the kidnapped heiress of Texas Billionaire family.

A Hotter in Texas Novel

Blame It On Texas

Zoe Adams has always been content with her quiet nights at home, sitting alone on her couch munching popcorn and watching TV—until her life turns into a real-life episode of the Unsolved Mystery Hunters show she loves. The story of a kidnapped girl triggers unexplained memories, and Zoe is dead set on figuring out why. Her search leads her to one of the Lone Star state’s richest families and to sexy PI Tyler Lopez.

Tyler has sworn off women, especially redheads with killer curves who poke their noses into his clients’ personal affairs. Still, he can’t deny the attraction any more than he can deny that some of Zoe’s crazy story makes sense. But when she becomes a hit man’s target, this cold case really starts heating up. Suddenly, Tyler will do anything to protect Zoe—even if it means risking his heart.

Do you plot and outline or do you just write? Plotter or Pantser?

C.C.: For sure I’m a pantser! I never know what is going to happen next.

Can you tell us about the process of getting your first book published?

C.C.: Ten years of long hard work, and learning how to translate my story telling ability into writing ability.

What advice would you give new authors? What have you learned about the business?

C.C.: I am often asked to speak and give workshops to aspiring writers, and when I do, I tell them the same things I tell anyone who has a dream they cherish. Namely, believe in yourself. Believe in your dream. And don’t give up, no matter how many rejections you may accumulate. Stay strong and keep working toward your goals. If it’s writing, take writing classes, attend writers’ conferences and soak up as much knowledge as you can while you’re there. And read. Read widely. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on. And most of all, never let anyone steal your dream from you. Because I don’t care what the “experts” will tell you about the odds of making your dream a reality. I heard it all, too. I was a dyslexic high school drop-out when I decided I wanted to make my living as a writer. Believe me, the experts didn’t think I had a good chance of making it. If I’d listened to them, I never would have made it. But I listened to myself. I believed in myself. And I made it. You can, too. Oh…one other piece of advice. Do not work on the same book over and over—unless you are doing revisions for either an agent or editor. Finish the dang book! Rewrite it. Then, start something new. You learn something more every time you write a new book.

Do you have another book in the works?

C.C.: Oh, yes. I also write a YA series for St. Martin’s Griffin. So I write about three to three and a half books a year. I’ve always got another book in line. Right now, I’m finishing the last in my Shadow Falls series, Chosen at Nightfall, and then I start the last book in the Hotter in Texas series, Texas Hold ‘Em. And then I have a brand new YA series I have to start spitting out. Too many books to write and not enough time.

What do you like to do in your free time, besides read and write of course?

C.C.: I love to sip wine with good friends, walk my dog with my hubby and my neighbor, sit in a hot tub and get massages. Oh, and I like to cook when I’m not too snowed under by a deadline.

Where do you dream of going on vacation?

C.C.: Hmm, right now I would love to rent a beach house anywhere on the beach and just spend my time listening to the ocean and looking for seashells. If I have to name some specific place, I would say, I haven’t gone to Italy yet, and I've had that on my wish list for a while.

Boxers or Briefs?

C.C.: Commando. Tyler my hero in Blame in on Texas is a commando kind of guy.  It makes the scene of Strip Scrabble very interesting. LOL.

Cookies or cake?

C.C.: For sure cookies.

Pizza or hamburger?

C.C.: Pizza, of course.

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink?

C.C.: Wine, a good cab'. Give me some grapes, some cheese and some French bread to go with it and I'm in heaven.

Questions for Tyler and Zoe from Blame It On Texas:

What were your first impressions of each other?

Tyler: When I first laid eyes on Zoe, she was on her hands and knees under my desk and I spotted her from behind. All I could think was… nice view. Of course when she crawled out and I got a peak at her from the front, with her low scooped t-shirt, I wasn't sure which view I liked best. I thought she was the new receptionist. Of course, when she took one look at me and screamed to high-heaven, I thought she was a few eggs short of a grand slam breakfast. But short or not, she was still so dang pretty.

Zoe: I screamed because he was wearing a clown costume. And okay, fine, I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a coulrophobic. (I have a fear of clowns.) And then there was the little fact that I’d just gotten caught trying to sneak some info from one of his files, but hey…I had a good reason to go snooping. But even slap dab in the middle of a panic attack, I couldn't help but notice his sexy brown eyes. Not that the eyes were enough to keep me there. I mean, I did the only logical thing a girl could do in my situation. I ran like hell.

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Tyler: I love Zoe's ability to laugh in the face of adversity. I love how she opens herself up to everyone. Zoe is . . . genuine. I never met anyone quite like her before.

Zoe: Tyler is loyal and protective. You should see him with his niece and his family. Hey…even my cat Lucky likes him. And Lucky doesn't warm up to just anyone.

What are your plans for the near future?

Tyler: Well, according to C.C., she only writes happy endings. So we are going to live happily ever after. Have a few kids. Buy a house. And make the most of this life.

You can find Christie at:

www.christie-craig.com

www.cchunterbooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/CCHunterFans

https://www.facebook.com/christiecraigfans

Follow her on Twitter at @Christie_Craig and @CCHunter

Giveaway!

Christie is giving away a $10 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon. So be sure to leave a comment.