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Author Interview,  Giveaway,  Hope-filled Fiction

C.C. Warrens: Suspense, Fur-babies, a Giveaway & More

November 16, 2022 /

I can’t tell you how stoked I am to host C.C. Warrens on the blog this week. I love her Holly series, as well as her standalone novel, Firefly Diaries. I had the privilege of being on her launch team for her new release, Cross the Line, and I highly recommend it if you’re a suspense/mystery fan.

Be sure to comment below by November 22 for a chance to win an ebook of Criss Cross, Book One in the Holly series!

Welcome, C.C. To kick things off, let’s go back to your childhood. Tell us what you wanted to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a singer and/or a writer. I have way too much stage fright to perform professionally—though I did perform a few school solos while staring at the ceiling—and I’m much more comfortable creating stories from the privacy of my own home.

We have a love for singing AND writing in common.  I’d love to know if you have any hobbies. What do you do for fun?

I love to draw and design—t-shirts, stickers, bookmarks. I enjoy including them in book packages as a little surprise.

I’m sure your readers love that. Do you have any pets? Do they find their way into any of your stories?

My husband and I have three fur-babies—all feline rescues. But it’s former pets that usually make it into my books. Holly’s cat Jordan is based on the blue-eyed, gray cat I had as a teenager. My Jordan cat, however, was quite the wanderer.

Share with us how and when you started writing. 

I started writing in junior high, creating short stories that my friends and I could enjoy. Shaping fictional characters and worlds was both therapeutic and enjoyable.

Jr. High is when I remember writing my first short story too. What genre do you write and what inspired you to write that particular genre?

I love suspense, but I also enjoy fiction that touches on the trials women face in this world. Unfortunately, secular suspense novels were too inappropriate and graphic, so I decided to try to write my own books that encompass both subjects. That’s how Criss Cross came to be.

And that’s why I love your stories so much! You bring in real struggles while keeping me on the edge of my seat with suspense. How do you incorporate Christ and hope into your writing?

I weave spiritual lessons into each of my stories, showing the struggle but also the hope that comes through a relationship with Jesus. I never know what those lessons will be until I’m deep in the book, and the characters reveal their struggles to me. 

I love that your characters lead you through the story. What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Don’t give anyone the power to discourage you from following your passion. They may speak words of doubt and failure over you because they can’t imagine success is possible, but don’t let their lack of imagination stifle yours. Anything is possible.

A great word! If you could only publish one book in your lifetime, which of your novels would you choose?

Probably “Firefly Diaries.” I love the messages in that story. It’s also the only one of my books that stands on its own. The others are all interconnected.

I loved that one! Such an important topic and so relevant for today. If you wrote in a different genre than your current one, which would you choose and why? 

Probably speculative fiction. I enjoy fantasy type books with shapeshifters, faeries, and the like. Unfortunately, very few of them are clean, let alone told from a Christian perspective. 

How do you tackle research for your novels?

I research as I go, since I have no idea where I’m going when I start the book. lol

I’m encouraged that you write by the seat of your pants and produce such amazing books. That gives me hope for my own stories. LOL How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

Around six or seven months. And then the editing begins…

What does your writing space look like?

C.C.’s Office Space

Thanks for giving us an inside look at your writing space. I love it! What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

I love being able to share the characters and stories in my head with others, and I love that I’ve discovered a way to share Jesus that doesn’t send my inner introvert into a panic.

What’s next from you?

I’m planning a second book related to “Firefly Diaries,” a children’s book called “Criss Cross Applesauce” and another Holly Novel, unnamed to date.

I love the title of the children’s book. So cute! And I’m always up for another Holly novel. Thanks so much for sharing on the blog this week. It’s been fun learning more about you. I pray God will continue to bless you as you write for Him.

Join the conversation. Have you read any of C.C.’s books? Which is your favorite? Do you appreciate how she incorporates real life struggles with edge of your seat suspense and a strong faith message?

Be sure to comment below by November 22 for a chance to win an ebook of Criss Cross, book one in the Holly series!

Cross the Line by C.C. Warrens

(Latest release: A Holly Novel, Book Four)

Click the book cover for purchase link

An unexpected, late-night visitor.
And a missing teenage girl.

Holly’s quiet evening at the investigative agency takes a curious turn when a frantic woman shows up on the doorstep after closing with a tale about a missing prostitute.

With JGH Investigations in financial distress, and a client who can’t afford their services, Holly decides to tackle this investigation on her own time. She soon learns, however, that this missing girl isn’t just missing—she’s been taken. Holly’s questions dredge up more danger than answers, and if she’s not careful, she might disappear just like the girl she’s trying to find, the girl some people believe is already dead.

Determined to keep Holly safe, Jordan joins the investigation, and together, they wade through a world of prostitution, wealth, and lies in search of the truth. But the truth is hard to find, when even the witnesses have secrets.

Jesus and laughter have brought C.C. Warrens through some very difficult times in life, and she weaves both into every story she writes, creating a world of breath-stealing intensity, laugh-out-loud humor, and a sparkle of hope. Writing has been a slowly blossoming dream inside her for most of her life until one day it spilled out onto the pages that would become her first published book.

If she’s not writing, she’s attempting to bake something—however catastrophic that might be—or she’s enjoying the beauty of the outdoors with her husband. One of the many things she’s learned since she started this journey is that the best way to write a book is to go on a long stroll with her husband. That is when the characters—from their backgrounds to the moments that make them laugh or bubble over with anger—come to life.

Connect with C.C.: Website / Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook / Zazzle Store

Please share C.C.’s interview on social media to help spread the word about her new release!

If you missed last week’s interview with Hannah Linder, find it here.

As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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