INTERVIEW WITH C.C. WARRENS

Happy Friday, friends!

It's A.D. Lawrence. I’m so excited to introduce you to one of my favorite suspense authors! Read to the end for ways to connect with C.C. Warrens and learn how to win a Kindle copy of her Holly Trilogy. I’ll share her bio then we’ll dive into the interview. 

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. 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. 

INTERVIEW

What unfinished writing projects do you have gathering dust in a drawer? Do you think you’ll ever try to publish them, or were they just part of the learning process?

My first novel, the one I worked on piece by piece over a period of about five years, is “Darkness Within.” It’s more of a Christian fantasy book than Christian suspense, my current genre. I haven’t finished it, but at some point I hope to go back and overhaul it so I can share it with the world. It would take a LOT of overhauling, but that actually sounds kind of fun.

We all have projects that are a real bear! Which book of yours was the toughest to write? Why?

I think all my writing projects go a little bear at some point. Some just go full-on grizzly, and I’m rubbing my hands together and wondering, “should I run away from this before it emotionally chews me up and spits me out?” My last grizzly was “Imperfect Justice.” Pulling together the events of five previous books into that one to create a courtroom trial was . . . a bit hair-pulling. I was terrified it would fall apart or be so boring people would read it because they needed something to help them fall asleep. The biggest challenge is that I never planned for there to be a trial when I wrote the previous books, so I had nothing planned for the defense. I had to build the case for the prosecution and then see where I could poke holes in it and twist the perception of facts. Phew! Reading courtroom transcripts came in handy.

Where did you grow up, and do you use this setting in your novels?

I grew up in a little country village in Ohio. Lots of cows, horses, and goats around. In fact, we had all three at one point. While I’m renaming the village, it is the basis for the town in my current work in progress. Right down to the Developmental Center that was shut down, leaving a spooky old building that some out-of-towners sneak into because they’re looking for ghosts.

What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever had happen to you as a writer?

Funny . . . oh boy.

There was the time we went to visit New York City, where my novels are set, and my husband almost got us arrested. Richard Marx, the detective in the novels, is from the 25th precinct. We decided to visit that precinct, but apart from a small lobby up some steps, we couldn’t see anything. My husband, who is in a wheelchair, spotted a wheelchair ramp and decided to go right up. I asked if he was sure we were supposed to go up there, but he assured me it was the wheelchair entrance to the building, so we were fine. Two people, who turned out to be officers in plain clothes, even held the door for us.

This was the jail cell area, and there were a lot of uniformed officers hanging around. One of those large officers looked right at us and demanded, “What are you doing in here?”

I had never been in a police department before, so I was a little intimidated to begin with. Of course, now all the cops are looking at us, and the big officer was mean mugging us for waltzing right through the door… that his officers held open.

My husband explained that I’m an author, and we were hoping to take a look around. Oh, that went over well.

The big officer said, “There are only two ways you come in here. Either you’re a cop, or you’re wearing these,” and held up handcuffs. That was it. I was ready to go. My husband tried to discreetly take video of the layout as we left.

Which character in your books is most like you?

I think Holly is most like me. Physically, we couldn’t be more different, but she inherited many of my quirks and perspectives, especially burning things in the kitchen and fumbling her way through social interactions. We also both really hate the colors yellow and brown.

Here’s a bit of information about C.C. Warrens’ most recent book, Imperfect Justice:

Ten months ago, he nearly killed her.

By the grace of God, she survived.

But the fight to regain her life is just beginning.

Holly Cross is counting down the hours to the moment her foster brother’s trial begins. Collin has haunted her footsteps—and her dreams—for fifteen years, and she wants nothing more than to put that pain and fear behind her and build a new life. But before that can happen, she has to confront the man who tried to destroy her.

Can she find the courage to face her monster in court, or will she trust the survival instincts that are screaming for her to run while there’s still time?

DA Shannon Marx is known for her skill and force of personality in a courtroom, and she's determined to put Collin Wells where he belongs: behind bars and away from everyone she loves. But Collin Wells is unlike any defendant she's ever come up against in court. He's intelligent, charming, and completely devoid of conscience.

Will the jury be able to see the monster beneath the civilized veneer?

Collin Wells is a man accustomed to getting what he wants, and he has every intention of walking out of that courtroom a free man. He will fight with everything he has, and if Shannon and her loved ones can be certain of anything, it's that Collin Wells never fights fair.

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List of books:

Criss Cross
Cross Fire
Crossed Off
Injustice for All
Holly Jolly Christmas
Imperfect Justice

WIP: Firefly Diaries.

Social Media links:
Website
Facebook
Facebook Group
Instagram

Holly Cross from C.C. Warrens’ Holly Novels is one of my favorite fictional heroines. Let me know your favorite in the comments for a chance to win the Kindle Holly Trilogy!

Last month’s drawing winner for a Kindle copy of The Purple Nightgown is MiMi N! I’m sending a copy of the book to the email address you provided. Enjoy!