Whispers at Moonrise Review and Interview with C.C. Hunter

Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I am a Shadow Falls Street Team member, and I was given this ARC courtesy of CC Hunter and St. Martin's Griffin. Thank you!

I am a huge fan of this series and the fourth installment, Whispers at Moonrise is spellbinding! It never loses momentum. I didn't put it down until I finished it! CC Hunter is an amazing writer, she is great at evoking every emotion in her books. One minute I was laughing, the next my heart felt so heavy.

It seems like Kylie's life is nothing but questions. Every time she thinks she has something figured out, more questions arise. Now she knows what supernatural powers she possesses, but no idea what it means, nor how to harness them. Her Grandfather wants her to leave with him, promising to train her. Shadow Falls has been the only place that Kylie has fit in her whole life.

Added to her frustrations, Kylie has to deal with the profession of Derek's love, and Lucas' obligations to the Ware Council. A new ghost shows up, and resembles someone that Kylie is close to. She has to figure out what the ghost wants before someone else dies.

My favourite quote from the book:

Life could still hurt like a paper cut right across the heart.

And she had a few paper-cut scars to prove it. A vision of Ellie filled her heart. Yet as a breeze carrying the misty coolness brushed her face, the ache faded into acceptance. Every new day was about opportunities. You couldn't always control life, just your response to it.



Interview with Author C.C. Hunter
1. Do you see any of your teenage self in Kylie?

C.C.: Oh, this is a great question. And yes, absolutely. I see a lot of my teenaged self in Kylie. But you know what? I think there is a little bit of me in all of my characters. For example, I'm dyslexic. I'd struggled a lot in school, but I didn't get diagnosed until my son was diagnosed. I wanted to make one of the characters in the book dyslexic, and Miranda seemed the perfect choice. I really liked the idea of a dyslexic witch—it's a lot like being a dyslexic writer. Witches need to get their spells right for them to work, and writers need to make sure they get their words right so their stories work.

But I do have a lot in common with Kylie. I drew upon a lot of my high school memories—like falling for the wrong boy and seeing good friends make bad decisions—when I was developing Kylie's character. Plus, my parents divorced when I was Kylie's age, and that was so hard. But I think the biggest thing I have in common with Kylie are the ghosts. I've actually felt and seen a few over the years, and using my own personal experience really helped when I was writing about Kylie's ghost whispering.

2. Granted, Lucas and Kylie have a certain connection, but I am fond of Derek. I'm putting you on the spot here... who would you choose: Derek or Lucas?

C.C.: Oh, Ashley, that is just not fair. I love both Lucas and Derek—they're different, of course, but both equally desirable. Lucas is the bad boy, and what girl can resist a bad boy, especially when he has a tender, soft side? Plus, Lucas and Kylie have a history—he melted my heart when he gave her Socks Jr. in Born at Midnight . . . and I have it on pretty good authority that he melted Kylie's heart, too. But Lucas is a were, and having a long-term relationship with him could be problematic because of his pack, no matter how much Lucas may say otherwise.

And then there is Derek. He's no bad boy—in fact, he's the opposite: a good guy with a good heart. Because he's half-fae, he "gets" Kylie in a way that Lucas never can. But Derek is far from perfect. He's had some issues with jealousy in the past, but he's gotten over that, I think. Plus, he's admitted he made mistakes in their relationship, which is a huge, huge thing.

So, which one would I choose if I were in Kylie's shoes? Honestly? I don't know . . . which is why I know Kylie will have a hard decision ahead of her. But this one thing I do know: if Kylie listens to her heart, she'll make the right choice. And . . . I will tell you that in Whispers at Moonrise, Kylie admits she’s in love with “someone.”


3. What paranormal powers would you pick, given the option?

C.C.: I've actually thought about this a bit. Each supernatural species and their powers have something great about them. Imagine being a vampire and being able to fly! I think that would be so cool. So would being a shape-shifter and being able to turn into any creature I could imagine. Or being a werewolf and having that kind of agility and strength. And faes are awesome, too. They can actually help people through emotionally painful situations by a simple touch of their hand.

But while all of the supernaturals have something special about them, I think I'll go with being a witch. I’d like to have different powers. If someone was being bitchy, I could zap them an attitude adjustment. (I really don’t like bitchy people.) Men who cheated on good women would find themselves being a whole lot less of a man. LOL. Chocolate and red wine would be free of calories and writing would offer the same physical benefit as using a stair master. I’d be in such good shape. So, yep. I think I'd definitely be a witch.