Questions answered group #2

(Cool HoN doodle by Jazmin Haque!)

We're back from NYC and I'm hard at work on TEMPTED. So, as I said in an earlier post, I'm going to back off answer personal email until the book's done and turned in. What I will do is post groups of questions with my answers. Here's another gaggle o' questions I get:

1. QUESTION: I have to write a paper/do a report and I need you to answer some questions for me about yourself and your writing and your books and your daughter and...

P.C.'S ANSWER: If I answered your homework questions, which basically amount to interview questions, I wouldn't get my own work done. So, no, I can't send personal answers to you OR, and yes, I've actually been asked this, do your homework for you - not even if your mom asks me to. Here's the deal - Kristin and I have given a lot of interviews that are easily found on-line with a little work and perseverance. And we don't answer personal questions, i.e., exact birth dates, places, addresses, etc., for obvious reasons.

2. QUESTION: Who is Zoey going to end up with? And when the heck is she going to settle down with one guy and be good?

P.C.'S ANSWER: Kristin and I don't know who Zoey is going to end up with because she doesn't know yet BECAUSE SHE'S NOT EVEN OLD ENOUGH TO VOTE, LET ALONE CHOOSE A PARTNER FOR LIFE! Jeesh. And give the girl a break. She can be interested in more than one guy. Girls are all the time - too many girls think they have to vow eternal love to some kid before they're of legal age. That's ridiculous. Dating is an interview process. Lots of guys need to be fired! And, yes, it goes the other way for guys, too. Zoey happens to be honest enough, with herself and her friends, to admit to liking more than one guy at a time. Besides that, you need to remember she's living in a matriarchal society where women are highly respected and valued, which means she shouldn't be judged as harshly for her boy issues as many of you are judging her because a lot of what she's doing is cultural for a High Priestess in the House of Night world.

Here's the bottom line about Zoey and guys - she has to be a mature, independent woman who knows herself and is okay with being alone BEFORE she chooses a life partner. That's impossible right now because she's only seventeen. That is, by-the-by, good advice for any young woman (or young man!).

I find it interesting and disturbing that Zoey gets called all sorts of names because of her boy issues. I think it's indicative of our society and the issues of inequality with which we still struggle, and it saddens me when young girls are so eager to take nasty swipes at Zoey, but think it's okay that Erik acts like a possessive jerk. Wow. Not cool at all.

3. QUESTION: How come you have gay guys as main characters but no lesbians?

P.C.'S ANSWER: Well, I don't know many "out" teenage lesbians, and in order for me to create a credible character, especially in a YA novel set in a modern world, I prefer to work from a framework of observation. Plus, my novels aren't social platforms. I'm telling a story, and it just so happened that Damien became part of that story. If a lesbian character shows up as part of the story - I'll write her. But I'm not going to fill some kind of character quota and stuff a gay girl in to weirdly "balance" things. Doesn't make any sense to me...

4. QUESTION: Where did the idea of the fledgling/vampyre Mark come from?

P.C.'S ANSWER: Ancient goddess lore. During my research I came across references of ancient peoples, from the Celts to the Egyptians, Eastern Indians to Native Americans, who physically marked people who where considered priestesses, or wise women, holy people or shamans. Many of those marks were tattooed into the skin. In Marion Zimmer Bradley's fabulous book, MISTS OF AVALON, she had her priestesses tattoo a a crescent with the two ends pointing up in the middle of their foreheads when they were accepted into the service of their Goddess. I just took it a step farther, and added my own spin to it.

5. QUESTION: Where can I get the shirts and/or jewelry you guys wore on tour?

P.C.'S ANSWER: You can get both in the campus store link on the house of night site. You can also scroll through my blog archives for jewelry info, or go directly to the lovely Fire Goddess's site, www.firegoddess.com. She is our exclusive jeweler and she creates all her wonderful HoN pieces with my input and by staying true to the HoN world. (They're not ridiculously expensive, either, but she will do custom work if you ask.)

Okay, back to writing TEMPTED! More later...

XXXOOO
PC