Monday, March 06, 2006

Fallen Angel Reviews Interview


I thought y'all would like to check out my interview for the lovely ladies at Fallen Angel Reviews: http://www.fallenangelreviews.com

P.C. Cast Interview
Fallen Angel Reviews would like to welcome best-selling author PC Cast. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. PC Cast is the author of the Goddess Summoning series as well as the Partholon stories. I have been lucky enough to read most of the Goddess series, but haven't yet picked up the Partholon books. Are these two series entwined or can they be read as stand alones?
My Partholon and my Goddess Summoning series are completely different. The Partholon books for LUNA are all set in a world of my creation which is loosely based on Celtic mythology, and they are considered more “fantasy” than “paranormal romance,” even though all of my books, no matter the genre, have strong romantic elements. The Luna books do share characters and one follows the other, but I work hard to be sure that they can be read separately. My Goddess Summoning books truly stand alone. Once in a while I’ll have overlapping characters, but each book is a separate story unto itself.

Do you have a character that is especially close to your heart?
This is a hard question because I become emotionally involved with all of my characters. I will say that the centaur Huntress, Brighid, from BRIGHID’S QUEST is very close to me. Through her I dealt with several issues involving my own childhood and family. Brighid’s mother and my biological mother ended up being disturbingly similar, and like Brighid, I, too, had to learn to overcome a lot of childhood baggage in order to evolve into a healthy adult.

Do you have any special rituals to help you get in the mood to write?
I used to have to light my special butter rum candle, brew tea (or pour wine – depending on the time of day), and escape to a quiet room to write. I don’t have that luxury anymore. The truth is too often people view authors through highly romanticized lenses. Actually, writing is a profession, and even though I love it – it’s still a job. So I have to be able to produce work with or without the rituals and perfect settings.

How do you know what to name your books or the characters?
Book titles are very changeable. You’d be surprised how often authors have little or nothing to do with them. I’ve had so many young authors come to me agonizing over “I can’t figure out a title for my book!” I tell them just call it anything, and write it. It’s very likely your editor will change it anyway. Characters are different (although I have had an editor request I change a main character’s name before). I do a lot of name research. Meanings and sounds are important to me. And then when it’s right – I just know it.

Where do you get the inspiration for your stories?
Lots of different places! During research I find idea after idea after idea. Sometimes I brainstorm plots with an editor. Sometimes there’s a story that I’ve been passionate about telling for quite some time, as in my February release, GODDESS OF THE ROSE, which is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Finding ideas for books has never been difficult – they just keep coming and coming and coming!

While writing, how does the story develop for you? Do you go from start to finish or create scenes as they come to you?
I write from start to finish after completing a proposal, which is usually from 5 to 10 pages outlining the beginning, middle, end, and main characters of the novel. Usually chapter 1 comes to me very easily, then I struggle for about 200 pages, then the book starts to write itself (I wish that part happened sooner!).

How many hours a day do you spend writing?
It varies greatly depending on deadlines and where I am in the writing process. After I hit about 200 – 250 pages I can’t stay away from the computer and writing for 10-12 hours a day isn’t unusual. Even when I’m not actually writing my mind is constantly percolating plots and scenes, so that when I do sit down to write my time tends to be very productive.

Most people only dream of becoming a successful writer. Now that you have accomplished that is there anything else you dream of doing?
Actually, I won’t consider myself a “successful writer” until I consistently hit major lists. I always set my goals high and I’m rarely really pleased with myself until I accomplish them. Other dreams…hum…I’d like to speak fluent Italian…take pottery classes…travel around the world… I have a secret desire to be an artist; it’s a shame I don’t have the talent to go with the desire!

What would you like to accomplish with your writing career?
World dominance by women! Okay, just kidding (sort of). I want to help women feel good about themselves and remind them that we should rely on our intuition and gut instincts more – as well as treasure our girlfriends.

What is the biggest misconception about being an author?
That there’s some secret magic formula to writing. It’s simply hard work and tenacity – nothing more, or less, romantic.

What is the best advice that anyone ever gave you?
In life: don’t ever date anyone you wouldn’t at least consider marrying. In writing: just write the book you love! Don’t worry about the publisher or the editor or the agent or which way the readers are buying or not buying. Just write what you love. That’s really the only part you can control anyway.

Have you ever had an embarrassing moment at a book signing?
Oh, jeesh, lots of them. Only I wasn’t really “embarrassed.” I think bemused would be a more accurate word. People have asked me where the restrooms are…to help them find a book because clearly I must work there…and over and over “You mean you really wrote these books??” Sigh. I’ll bet people don’t ask Nora Roberts to point them to the potties!

You have a new book out, Goddess of the Rose, the fourth in your Goddess Summoning series; do you see an end for this series or do you have more ideas in the works?
Well, right now I’m working on my spring Goddess Summoning book, GODDESS OF LOVE, in which Venus is my heroine. I do have ideas for several more, but I also have several other paranormal series I’m itching to write, so we’ll see…

Can you give us a peek into Goddess of the Rose?
Absolutely! I love this book! Goddess of the Rose is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast – with a modern, adult slant. My heroine, Micki (named after the Mikado Rose), and all the women in her family have a special affinity for roses – their blood, diluted in water and applied during the night of a new moon, makes roses grow spectacularly. What the women don’t know is that they have this ability because they are descendants of a High Priestess of the Goddess Hecate. Hecate is Goddess of Night, Magick, the Crossroads of Man, and of Beasts. She is also the proctrectess of The Realm of the Rose – the place wherein all dreams and magick originate. This realm is guarded diligently by The Guardian, a creature on which the myth of the Minotaur was based. The Guardian swore himself into Hecate’s service for eternity, and in return the Goddess gifted him with the heart and soul of a man, even though he has the body of a beast. But all is not well in The Realm of the Rose. The Guardian made a terrib! le mistake, arousing the Goddess’s wrath to such an extent that she bespelled him and the realm, and Hecate swore that they would sleep eternally unless the Beast was awakened by a woman who carried the magickal blood of Hecate’s priestess, and was wise enough to see the truth, and compassionate enough to act upon it. Micki does awaken the Guardian and he abducts her to The Realm of the Rose thinking that she would automatically break the curse placed on the realm and set things to right, but modern woman Micki is a very unexpected kind of High Priestess, and there are forces at work within the realm, both of love and of hatred that might change the shape of dreams and magick for all of eternity unless Micki is brave enough to make the ultimate sacrifice…

Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I would like readers to know that there seems to have been an unfortunate mistake made with my release date of GODDESS OF THE ROSE. Way back last summer Berkley decided to move up the release from April to March, and then, finally, to February. Well…not everyone got the word on the February date change, so there has been some problem with purchasing and distribution. I would very much appreciate it if my fans would request that the book be ordered in through their local chain bookstores if they don’t find it on the shelf. That would help to correct the release date confusion. I would also like to send a Big “thank you!” to my wonderful fans. The women who read my books are loyal and intelligent and fabulous! I truly appreciate and love to hear from them! And thank you Fallen Angel Reviews!!

Thank you again for taking the time to talk with us. If you'd like to read more about Ms. Cast and her books, you can take a look at her website at: www.pccast.net. Interviewed by: Serena

4 comments:

Kristen Painter said...

Great interview! GOTR is on my nightstand right now!

Unknown said...

Yeah really great interview. And I just finished GOTR. While I did enjoy it a lot, I still have to say that Spring is still my favorite summoning book. But Persephone was always my favorite myth.:-)

PC Cast said...

Hurry Kristen! I'd love to get your feedback. Hey - you are going to be in Atlanta, right?

Kathy - I do understand your love for Persephone. She'll always have a special place with me, too.

Jeri said...

I read a third of GotR last night--quite an accomplishment for short-attention span li'l me. Hoping to see more Guardian dude in the upcoming pages. You write the most amazing tortured heroes. Congrats on the interview!