PC's Blog

Lenobia's Party pics!

2012-02-01T19:19:00.001-08:00

Thanks so much to all our wonderful fans who came to our party! Here we are with our prize giveaway - my handsome Dad introducing us - and a few of our awesome fans (hi Sarah Dees! happy birthday!).

We had a blast! And y'all did a great job with the tattoos!!!

We heart you!
PC

Lenobia's Vow Party!

2012-01-27T21:50:00.001-08:00

Hi Guys!
I got my copies of LENOBIA'S VOW, and the novella is beautiful! I think y'all will love the story (I made myself cry - and Kristin cry - so you know what that means - SORRY...), and the illustrations are gorgeous! Hope to see my Oklahoma fans at The Book Place on Tuesday, the 31st, 6:00-8:00 pm for the party. We'll have lots of books available for purchase - as well as all three of the comics. My comic adapter, Kent Dalian, will be there to sign as well. We're giving prizes and I do believe there will be yummy snacks! Ooooh! Here's the info:

Owner: Janice Mills
e-mail: service@the-bookplace.com

Store Location
North-west corner of
101st & Elm in Broken Arrow

Mailing Address
The Book Place
732 W. New Orleans, Ste. 136
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
(918) 455-1422

LENOBIA'S VOW LAUNCH PARTY

TUES, JAN 31ST

6:00 - 8:00 PM

Kristin's beautiful bridal portrait

2012-01-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Kristin and I would like to thank all of our wonderful fans who have sent well-wishes to her for her wedding and marriage. The wedding was a wonderful, lovely event - Kristin was stunningly beautiful. We'd like to share my favorite of her bridal portraits with you.

We heart our fans!
PC & Kristin

LENOBIA'S VOW PARTY!

2012-01-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

Oooh! It's almost time for the release of LENOBIA'S VOW! I love this novella so much! And I'm super excited about the launch party Kristin and I are hosting at The Book Place in Broken Arrow, OK (just down the street from where I used to teach!). It's going to be a fabulous party! We'll have snacks, prizes for best costumes/tattoos, a Q&A, and one lucky fan will win a signed copy of my favorite illustration from the novella (pictured above), entitled The Kiss. So come party with us HoN style! Details are:

Lenobia’s Vow Launch Event
Featuring PC and Kristin Cast
January 31, 2012
6-8pm

THE BOOK PLACE
732 W. New Orleans
(Northwest corner of 101st & Elm)
Broken Arrow, OK 74012
(918) 455-1422

For those of you who can't make the party, but want a signed copy of Lenobia (or any of our other books), you can place your order with the Book Place by calling 918-455-1422 or emailing janice@the-bookplace.com. They’ll need your credit card number, mailing address, and how you would like it/them signed. Books can be shipped anywhere in the United States! If you live outside Oklahoma, the book with shipping is $15.00. If you live in OK, $15.92 with sales tax & shipping. Just remember, LENOBIA'S VOW can't be shipped before January 31st.

Hope to see a bunch of you on the 31st! It's gonna be fun!

XXXOOO

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of you a joyous holiday season! I'm still on Cayman and two chapters away from being done with my Harlequin novella (title is AFTER MOONRISE and will be out in November 2012 in a duology with my good friend Gena Showalter). Then I'll take a little break and begin the next House of Night novel, HIDDEN, the first of the year.

Happy reading everyone!
PC

Checking in!

2011-11-26T14:17:00.001-08:00

Hi Guys! Just checking in...sorry I've been so quiet, but I'm hiding at my house on Grand Cayman (Cammy loves "his" beach!) writing a paranormal romance novella that will be published in a duology with my good friend Gena Showalter (more info on title and pub date to come), and I'm doing the Master Cleanse (google it if you don't know about it - I'm really enjoying it) - so my energy has been super focused here.

I probably won't have any more movie news until early in 2012. I know my producer is working hard on the set of the latest Resident Evil movie, and I don't imagine he'll be free until after the holidays. Don't worry - as I find out casting and filming info I'll post it.

LENOBIA'S VOW will be released January 31st, and we're having a giant release party at The Book Place in Broken Arrow, OK. I'll give you guys more info about that as we get closer to the date.

HIDDEN will be the next big book in the HoN series, and it will be released in October of 2012. I'll be launching into it soon!

The comics are awesome! The next one will be released December 7th. Hope you're enjoying them as much as I am. My adapter, Kent Dalian, and I have been brainstorming more HoN comics and I'll have news about that soon. He is for sure adapting my retelling of Beauty and the Beast, GODDESS OF THE ROSE, to comic/graphic novel format for Dark Horse. I know my Goddess Summoning readers will love seeing that story come to life! I don't have release dates for the first of those comics yet, but stay tuned...

Happy reading everyone!
PC

Comic madness!

2011-11-10T17:11:00.000-08:00

The first issue of the HoN comic is out! Check out what readers are saying!

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/house-of-night-dark-horse-111109.html

http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2011/11/09/comic-review-house-of-night-1/

MOVIE NEWS! (Finally!)

2011-11-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

OH BOY! I am absolutely thrilled to finally be able to make this announcement! I'll cut and paste from the press release so that I don't mess up the details. Here goes:

SAMUEL HADIDA’S DAVIS FILMS ACQUIRES FEATURE FILM RIGHTS TO

HOUSE OF NIGHT VAMPIRE-BASED BOOK SERIES

Major Film Franchise Potential for Young Adult International Bestselling Books

Los Angeles – November 2, 2011: Samuel Hadida announced today that his company, Davis Films, has acquired film rights from authors P.C. and Kristin Cast to their phenomenally successful House of Night young adult fiction book series.

“We are thrilled to bring P.C.’s and Kristin’s stunning series of books to worldwide film audiences,” stated Samuel Hadida. “They have created a world of adolescent growth against a backdrop of supernatural suspense that resonates around the world with young readers immersed in Twilight and Harry Potter. House of Night connects on a profound level -- what growing up means today.”

Davis Films is known for its successful film series, including Silent Hill and most notably the Resident Evil films. “We see with House of Night the same franchise potential,” Hadida added.

Personally, True Romance, a Davis Film, is one of my longtime favorite movies, and the Resident Evil series is one of Kristin's favorites. Oh boy!

On a more HoN specific note - Not only am I impressed with Samuel Hadida as a producer, but he and I have had HoN discussions and I feel certain that Davis Films will make beautiful movies that stay true to the spirit and world of House of Night.

When I spoke with Samuel yesterday he asked me to pass along to my fans that he is very interested in hearing what you guys want from the HoN movies. There will be forums set up soon so you can give him your ideas. We're in the very early stages right now, so give us some time to get this going. We're working on screenplay and director at the moment.

Yes, I will have creative input.

Yes, Samuel is very excited about the possibility of doing as much filming as possible in Tulsa.

Casting: just through preliminary talks with Samuel we've discussed open calls as well as using known talent. Right now my guess is the final cast will be a mixture of both. Please don't send me your resumes, etc. We're not at that point yet. Don't worry - I'll let you know when we're there!

So, my wonderful fans, thank you for waiting along with me semi-patiently for this wonderful news. I'll keep you updated as I know more. And hang on - the ride is gonna get crazy!

XXXOOO
PC

USTREAM TONIGHT!

2011-11-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here's where you can go for more info: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/house-of-night

We're in beautiful NYC getting ready for the event tonight, and guys, WE HAVE A HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE! OH BOY!

XXXOOO
PC

Comics! Oh boy!

2011-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Oooooh! Look at these! SO COOL!

http://www.tfaw.com/blog/2011/11/01/pc-cast-welcomes-us-into-the-house-of-night-comics-from-dark-horse/

Hilarious blog article written by our Dark Horse senior editor (he's also Joss Whedon's editor! oh boy!)

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/10/pc-cast-and-the-house-that-the-house-of-night-built

And our fabulous main artist:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=34853

We totally heart us some Joelle!

XXXOOO
PC

Dark Horse teaser!

2011-10-29T01:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! Guys, this is so cool! Check it out:

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/10/28/house-of-night-comic-video-teaser/?a_dgi=aolshare_twitter

PC

HoN Jewelry sale!

2011-10-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,
Check it out - the wonderful Fire Goddess has all the HoN jewels on sale as a celebration for DESTINED! Just go to www.firegoddess.com for more info!

XXXOOO
PC

Destined Video!

2011-10-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ooooh, y'all! Check out the video trailer my awesome publisher made for DESTINED!

LIve Stream Event for DESTINED!

2011-10-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, the venue is the Mont Clair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Ave., Mont Clair, NJ 07042. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. We speak at 7:30.

Here's more info:

The House of Night Facebook page has announced Destined: A House of Night Event.

This event will be an online chat between P.C. and Kristin Cast and fans around the world. Fans are asked to submit questions for the event and watch to see if their questions get answered. Questions can be submitted to houseofnight@stmartins.com.

The event will be taking place on November 2, 2011 from 7:30-8:30 PM EST. On the facebook event page we have a list of ways you can watch. You could watch on Facebook, Ustream or even on your iPhone or Android device via Ustream.

Can't make it during those times? Don't worry, you can actually watch the even after it has taken place.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Chat with P.C. and Kristin Cast - National House of Night | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/house-of-night-in-national/chat-with-p-c-and-kristin-cast#ixzz1bfH7n8vj

I'll let y'all know more info as I get it. Oh, also just 'cause I know some of you guys are super curious - the reason we're not touring for this book is because it's too close to Kristin's wedding, and also because of my tight deadline schedule this year. But, oh baby, I wish we were able to return to some of our favorite places like Victoria and San Francisco and Portland and Chicago and Austin and our second home on Grand Cayman (just to name a few). We miss you guys!

XXXOOO
PC

DESTINED LAUNCH IN OKLAHOMA!

2011-10-22T12:49:00.001-07:00

OH BOY IT'S TIME TO LAUNCH DESTINED!!! So, here's where Kristin and I will be:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
WALMART #838
220 S Highway 97
Sand Springs, OK 74063
918-245-0213

We'll begin at 7:00 pm and do a little talk and then open it up for a Q&A session with our fabulous fans (Kristin won't let me give away secrets, but you guys can try to distract her...). Then we'll sign books!

Yes, we're also doing a livestream cool event in the NYC area that will be open via the magick of the internet to a whole bunch of you guys (I don't really understand that part) on November 2nd. More to come on that when I have specifics.

Hope to see y'all at Wallymart in Sand Springs!

XXXOOO
PC

Dark Horse preview!

2011-10-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

Oooh, guys! Check out this preview of the first HoN comic! OH BOY!

https://digital.darkhorse.com/profile/1202.house-of-night-free-preview/

XXXOOO
PC

LotR Concert! Oh boy!

2011-10-16T21:49:00.001-07:00

I just went to the MOST AWESOME concert ever! The LORD OF THE RINGS concert in San Diego! Wow - what an amazing night! Full orchestra - incredible conductor - live choir - and totally into it audience. If y'all get a chance to attend one of these GO!

Loved it!

Hey, Lenobia is done...can't wait for you guys to read it! And it's almost DESTINED release time!

XXXOOO
PC

Destined Author Event – Vote now!

2011-10-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Since we can’t do a major tour for DESTINED would you guys LOVE a virtual author event streamed live? Cast your vote at the HON Facebook page: www.facebook.com/houseofnight

Chapter two of DESTINED!

2011-10-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys - I'm between Montana (where I just bought the Most Awesome Gelding in the Universe!) and San Diego (where I'm cooking up a special HoN treat for y'all with my good friend Colette Baron-Reid, and I just realized chapter two of DESTINED has been posted on the HoN site. Here's the link: http://www.houseofnightseries.com/books/destined/

Enjoy!
PC

Lenobia's Vow - Cover Revealed!

2011-10-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

New lines from Destined!

2011-10-04T10:40:00.001-07:00

Bonnie’s huge hooves drove into the ground. Lenobia could feel the mare’s powerful heartbeat. The warm night air whipped her hair back and the Horse Mistress leaned even farther forward, encouraging Bonnie to let loose—to give her everything.

The mare responded with a burst of speed that shouldn’t have been possible for a creature who weighed two thousand pounds.

As the wind whistled around them, lifting Lenobia’s long silver hair in time with the Percheron’s mane in that magickal dance that melded horse to rider, Lenobia thought of the ancient Persian saying: The breath of heaven is found between a horse’s ears.

“That’s right! That’s exactly right!” Lenobia yelled, and clung to the speeding mare’s back.

DESTINED EXCERPT!

2011-09-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

THANKS TO MAIKE FOR LETTING ME KNOW MY PUBLISHER POSTED THIS EXCERPT FROM DESTINED! I'm working hard on Lenobia's story, and I was totally preoccupied and clueless.

You can go to the House of Night website and click into the DESTINED link to see it all pretty, but here ya go:

Destined - Excerpt

Prologue

Zoey

I think my mom is dead.

I tested the words silently. They felt wrong, unnatural, as if I was trying to comprehend the world turning upside down or the sun rising in the west.

I drew a deep, sobbing breath and rolled onto my side, reaching for another tissue in the box that was on the floor next to the bed.

Stark muttered and frowned and moved restlessly.

Slowly and carefully, I got out of bed, grabbed Stark’s giant sweatshirt from where he’d tossed it, pulled it on, and curled up on the beanbag chair that sat near the wall of our little tunnel room.

The beanbag made that smushy noise that always reminds me of the balls in those inflatable kid party houses, and Stark frowned and mumbled something again. I blew my nose. Quietly. Stop crying stop crying stop crying! It won’t help. It won’t bring Mom back. I blinked a bunch of times, and wiped my nose again. Maybe it had just been a dream. But even as I thought the words my heart knew the truth. Nyx had pulled me from my dreams to show me a vision of Mom entering the Otherworld. That meant Mom had died. Mom told Nyx that she was sorry for letting me down, I reminded myself as tears leaked down my cheeks again.

“She’d said she loved me,” I whispered.

I had hardly made any noise, but Stark tossed and turned restlessly, and muttered, “Stop!”

I clamped my lips together, even though I knew my whisper wasn’t what was messing with his sleep. Stark was my Warrior, my Guardian, and my boyfriend. No, boyfriend is too simple a word. There’s a bond between Stark and me that goes deeper than dating and sex and all the stuff that comes and goes with normal relationships. That’s why he was so restless. He could feel my sadness—even in his dreams he knew I was crying and hurt and scared and—

Stark pushed the blanket off his chest and I could see that his hand was clenched into a fist. My gaze went to his face. He was still asleep, but his forehead was furrowed and he was frowning.

I closed my eyes and drew a deep, centering breath. “Spirit,” I whispered. “Please come to me.” Instantly I felt the element brush against my skin. “Help me. No, actually, help Stark by shielding my sadness from him.” And maybe, I added silently, you could help shield some of my sadness from me, too. Even if it’s just for a little while. I drew another deep breath as spirit moved within and around me, swirling over to the bed. Opening my eyes I could actually see a ripple in the air surrounding Stark. His skin appeared to glow as the element settled against him like a diaphanous blanket. I felt warm and glanced down at my arms and saw that the same soft glow was resting against my skin. Stark exhaled a long sigh with me as spirit worked a little soothing magick, and for the first time in hours I felt a little, tiny bit of my sadness lift.

“Thank you, spirit,” I whispered and crossed my arms, hugging myself tight. Wrapped in the comforting touch of the element I felt closest to, I was actually a little sleepy. It was then that a different kind of warmth penetrated my consciousness. Slowly, not wanting to disturb the comforting spell the element was working, I unwrapped my arms from around myself and touched my chest.

Why is my seer stone warm? The small, round stone was dangling from its silver chain, resting between my breasts. I hadn’t taken it off since Sgiach had gifted it to me before I’d left the beautiful, magickal Isle of Skye.

Wonderingly, I pulled the stone out from under the sweatshirt, running my fingers over its smooth, marble surface. It still reminded me of a coconut-flavored Life Saver, but the Skye marble glittered with an unearthly light, as if the element I had invoked had made it alive—as if the warmth I felt was because it pulsed with life.

Queen Sgiach’s voice echoed through my memory: “A seer stone is in tune with only the most ancient of magicks: the kind I protect on my isle. I am gifting you with it so that you might, indeed, recognize the Old Ones if any still exist in the outside world . . .”

As her words replayed in my mind the stone turned slowly, almost lazily. The hole in its center was like a mini-telescope. As it shifted around I could see Stark illuminated through it, and my world shifted, too, narrowed, then everything changed.

Maybe it was because spirit was so close to me at that moment, but what I saw didn’t feel anything like the mind-blowing first time I’d looked through the stone on Skye and had ended up passing out.

But that didn’t mean it was any less unsettling.

Stark was there, lying on his back, most of his chest bare. The glow of spirit was gone. In its place I saw another image. It was indistinct, though, and I couldn’t make out his features. It was like someone’s shadow. Stark’s arm twitched and his hand opened. The shadow’s hand opened. As I watched the Guardian sword—the massive long sword that had come to Stark in the Otherworld—took form in Stark’s hand. I gasped in surprise and the phantom-like Warrior turned his head in my direction and closed his hand around the sword.

Instantly the Guardian sword shifted, changed, and became a long black spear—dangerous, lethal, tipped in blood that looked way too familiar to me. Fear spiked through me.

“No!” I cried. “Spirit, strengthen Stark! Make that thing go away!” With a noise like the beating wings of a giant bird, the apparition disappeared, the seer stone went cold, and Stark sat straight up, frowning at me.

“What are you doing over there?” He rubbed his eyes. “Why are you making so much noise?”

I opened my mouth to try to explain the bizarre thing I’d just seen when he sighed heavily and lay back down, flipping open the covers and motioning sleepily for me. “Come here. I can’t sleep unless you’re cuddled up with me. And I really need to get some sleep.”

“Okay, yeah, me, too,” I said, and on shaky legs I hurried to him and curled against his side, my head resting on his shoulder. “Hey, uh, something weird just happened,” I began, but when I tilted my head so that I could see into his eyes, Stark’s lips met mine. The surprise didn’t last long, and I slid into the kiss. It felt good—so good to be close to him. His arms went around me. I pressed myself against him while his lips followed the curve of my neck. “I thought you said you needed some sleep.” My voice sounded breathless.

“I need you more,” he said.

“Yeah,” I said. “Me, too.”

We lost ourselves in each other then. Stark’s touch chased away death and despair and fear. Together we reminded each other of life and love and happiness. Afterward we finally slept and the seer stone lay cold and forgotten on my breast between us.

Chapter One

Aurox

The human male’s flesh had been soft, pulpy.

It had been a surprise how easy it had been to destroy him—to end the beating of his feeble heart.

“Take me to North Tulsa. I want to go out into the night,” she’d said. That was the command that began their evening.

“Yes, Goddess,” he’d responded instantly, coming alive from the corner of the rooftop balcony that he’d made his own.

“Do not call me Goddess. Call me . . .” She’d looked contemplative. “. . . Priestess.” Her full lips, slick and reddened, turned up. “I believe it is best if everyone should simply call me Priestess—at least for a short while.”

Aurox had fisted his hand over his heart in a gesture he instinctively knew was ancient, though it somehow felt awkward and forced. “Yes, Priestess.”

Priestess had brushed by him, gesturing imperiously for him to follow her.

He had followed.

He’d been created to follow. To take her orders. To obey her commands.

They’d entered something Priestess had called car, and the world had flown. Priestess had commanded him to understand the workings of it.

He’d watched and learned, just as she’d commanded.

Then they’d stopped and exited the car.

The street had smelled of death and rot, corruption and filth.

“Priestess this place is not—”

“Protect me!” she’d snapped. “But do not be protective of me. I will always go where I wish, when I wish, and do exactly what I wish. It is your job, no, your purpose to defeat my enemies. It is my destiny to create enemies. Watch. React when I command you to protect. That is all I require of you.”

“Yes, Priestess,” he’d said.

The modern world was a confusing place. So many shifting sounds. So much he did not know. He would do as Priestess commanded. He would fulfill his reason for creation and—

A male had stepped out, blocking Priestess’s way.

“You way too pretty to be in this here alley so late with nothin’ but one boy keepin’ ya company.” His eyes widened, as he took in Priestess’s tattoos. “So, vampyre, you stoppin’ here to get you a little snack from this boy? How ’bout you give me that purse then you and me, we’ll talk ’bout what it’s like to be with a real man?”

Priestess sighed and sounded bored. “You’re wrong on both counts: I am not simply a vampyre, and this is no boy.”

“Hey, what you mean by that?”

Priestess ignored the man and looked over her shoulder at Aurox.

“Now you should protect me. Show me what kind of weapon I command.”

He obeyed her without conscious thought. Aurox closed on the man with no hesitation. In one swift movement, Aurox plunged his thumbs into the man’s staring eyeballs, which made the screaming begin.

The man’s terror washed over him, feeding him. As simply as drawing a breath, Aurox inhaled the pain he was causing. The power of the man’s terror swelled through him, pumping hot and cold. Aurox felt his hands hardening, changing, becoming more. What had been normal fingers became claws. He pulled them from the man’s eyes when the blood began to seep from his ears. With the borrowed power of pain and fear, Aurox lifted the man, slamming him against the wall of the nearest building.

The man screamed again.

What a wonderful, terrible thrill! Aurox felt more of the change ripple through his body. Mere human feet became cloven hooves. The muscles of his legs thickened. His chest heaved and split the shirt he had been wearing. And most wonderful of all, Aurox felt the thick deadly horns that swelled from his head.

By the time the man’s three friends ran into the alley to help him, he had stopped screaming.

Aurox dropped the man to the filth and turned to place himself between Priestess and those who might believe they could cause her harm.

“What the fuck?” The first man skidded to a halt.

“I ain’t never seen nothin’ like that,” said the second man.

Aurox was already absorbing the fear that was beginning to radiate from them. His skin pulsed with the cold fire of it.

“Is they horns? Ah, hell no! I’m outta here.” The third man turned and scurried back the way he had come. The other two began to back slowly away, eyes wide, shocked and staring.

Aurox looked to Priestess. “What is your command?” In some distant part of his mind, he wondered at the sound of his voice—how it had become so guttural, so bestial.

“Their pain makes you stronger.” Priestess looked pleased. “And different, more fierce.” She looked at the two retreating men and her full upper lip lifted in a sneer. “Isn’t that interesting . . . Kill them.”

Aurox moved so quickly the nearest man had no chance to escape. He gored him through his chest, lifting him so that he writhed and shrieked and soiled himself.

This made Aurox even more powerful.

With a mighty toss of his head, the skewered man flew into the building to land, crumpled and silent, beside the first man.

The other man didn’t run away. Instead he pulled out a long, dangerous looking knife and charged at Aurox.

Aurox feinted to the side and then, when the man overcompensated, he stomped a cloven hoof through his foot, ripping off his face as the man fell forward.

Breathing hard, Aurox stood over the bodies of his vanquished enemies. He turned to Priestess.

“Very good,” she said in her emotionless voice. “Let us leave this place before the authorities descend.”

Aurox followed her. He walked heavily, his hoofs gouging furrows in the dirty alley. He fisted his claws at his side as he tried to make sense of the emotional storm that flowed through his body, taking with it the power that had fueled his battle frenzy.

Weak. He felt weak. And more. There was something else.

“What is it?” she snapped at him when he hesitated before entering the car again.

He shook his head. “I do not know. I feel—”

She laughed. “You don’t feel at all. You’re obviously overthinking this. My knife doesn’t feel. My gun doesn’t feel. You’re my weapon; you kill. Deal with it.”

“Yes, Priestess.” Aurox got in the car and let the world speed past him. I do not think. I do not feel. I am a weapon.

---

Aurox

“Why are you standing here looking at me?” Priestess asked him, staring at him with eyes of green ice.

“I await your command, Priestess,” he said automatically, wondering how it was possible to have displeased her. They had just returned to her lair at the top of the magnificent building called Mayo. Aurox had walked to the balcony and simply stood there, quietly, gazing at Priestess.

She blew out a long breath. “I have no command for you at this moment. And must you always stare at me?”

Aurox looked away, focusing on the lights of the city and how they glittered alluringly against the night sky.

“I await your command, Priestess,” he repeated.

“Oh, by all the gods! Who would have known the Vessel created for me would be as mindless as he is beautiful?”

Aurox felt the change in the atmosphere before Darkness materialized from smoke and shadow and night.

“Mindless, beautiful, and deadly . . .”

The voice rang in his head. The enormous white bull formed fully before him. His breath was fetid, yet sweet. His gaze was horrible and wonderful at the same time. He was mystery and magick and mayhem together.

Aurox dropped to his knees before the creature.

“Get off your knees. Get up and go back there . . .” She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture toward the shadows that edged the far recesses of the rooftop.

“No, I’d rather he stayed. I enjoy gazing on my creations.”

Aurox didn’t know what to say. This creature commanded his attention, but Priestess commanded his body.

“Creations?” Priestess put a special emphasis on the last part of the word as she moved languidly toward the massive bull. “Do you often make gifts like this to your followers?”

The bull’s laughter was terrible, but Aurox noticed Priestess didn’t flinch at all—that instead she seemed to be drawn closer and closer to the creature as he spoke.

“How interesting! You are actually questioning me. Are you jealous, my heartless one?”

Priestess stroked the bull’s horn. “Do I need to be?”

The bull nuzzled her. Where his muzzle touched Priestess the silk of her gown shriveled, exposing smooth, naked flesh underneath.

“Tell me, what do you believe is the purpose of my gift to you?” The bull answered Priestess’s question with one of his own.

Priestess blinked and shook her head, as if she was confused. Then her gaze found Aurox, still on his knees. “My lord, his purpose is protection, and I am ready to do as you bid to thank you for him.”

“I will accept your lush offerings, but I must explain to you that Aurox is not simply a weapon of protection. Aurox has one purpose, and that is to create chaos.”

Priestess inhaled a deep, shocked breath. She blinked rapidly, and her gaze went from the bull to him, and then returned to the bull.

“Truly?” she asked in a soft, reverent voice. “Through this one creature I can command chaos?”

The bull’s white eyes were like a sick, setting moon. “Truly. He is, indeed, one creature, but his power is vast. He has the ability to leave disaster in his wake. He is the Vessel that is the manifestation of your deepest dreams, and are they not for utter and complete chaos?”

“Yes, oh yes,” Priestess breathed the words. She leaned against the bull’s neck, stroking his side.

“Ah, and what is it you will do with chaos now that it is at your command? Will you take down the cities of humans and rule as vampyre queen?”

Priestess’s smile was beautiful and horrible. “Not queen. Goddess.”

“Goddess? But there is a Goddess of Vampyres. You know that all too well. You used to be in her service.”

“You mean Nyx? The Goddess who allows her minions free choice and a will of their own? The Goddess who will not intercede because she believes so strongly in the myth of freewill?”

Aurox thought he could hear a smile in the beast’s voice, and wondered how that was possible. “I do mean Nyx, Goddess of Vampyres and Night. Would you use chaos to challenge her?”

“No. I would use chaos to defeat her. What if chaos threatens the very fabric of the world? Would Nyx not step in and defy her own rules to save her children? And by doing so wouldn’t the Goddess rescind her edict that grants humans freewill and betray herself? What would happen then to her divine reign if Nyx changes what is destined to be?”

“I cannot say, as that has never before happened.” The bull snorted as if in amusement. “But it is a surprisingly interesting question—and you know how much I enjoy being surprised.”

“I only hope that I can continue to surprise you over and over again, my lord.”

“Only is such a small word . . .” the bull said.

Aurox continued to kneel on the rooftop long after Priestess and the bull had departed, leaving him discarded and forgotten. He stayed where he had been left, staring up at the sky.

GO TRAPPERS!

2011-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

So...as a much earned break from writing writing writing, I'm taking a mini-vacay to go to the fabulous Rendezvous in Cody, Wyoming. My nephew (yea Keithen!) is attending Northwest College up there, and he's a big wrestling star - so the coach, Jim Zeigler, and I came up with a cool idea for a fundraiser: the boys are gonna push a car ten miles through town during the Rendezvous, and get pledges to support them - then I'm going to match everything they raise! Oh, yeah! A double down! So all my fans in WY, please consider pledging to support the Trappers wrestlers. You can find more information at http://www.northwestcollege.edu/wrestling. And if you're at the Rendezvous I may see you there!

XXXOOO
PC

TRAPPER UPDATE! So, the car push was successful - the guys did it in something crazy like 7.5 minute miles. Thanks to everyone who supported the team! Go Trappers!

Catmouflaged!

2011-09-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sweating my way through the first half of LENOBIA'S VOW and my writing "help" is sleeping on the job! Jeesh. (And, clearly, she's not missing many meals...) Fired!

Back to work...
PC

DESTINED TEASER!

2011-09-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

(Keep checking for the next one...)

XXXOOO
PC

We want you to write in to the House of Night letter column!

2011-09-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

Oooh, guys! Check this out! Post in!

http://www.darkhorse.com/Blog/587/we-want-you-write-house-night-letter-column

XXXOOO
PC

p.s. This isn't an actual snail mail write in thing - it's just posting on line.

Research...research...research...

2011-08-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

Oooh! I took a conceal and carry class today! Check me out on the firing range! Gotta get used to that Colt 38...

All in research for the HoN book after DESTINED. Don't know the name of it, but I know my cowboy is packing a gun. (Well, he's not MY cowboy - he's Lenobia's cowboy. Ooops, can't tell you anything else!)

Back to writing,
PC

Blog tour for TWISTED by Gena Showalter!

2011-08-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

So, some of my longtime fans already know this, but Gena Showalter (fabulous YA and paranormal romance author) and I are longtime friends. We've gotten into major trouble together - put our bizarre imaginations together and created a couple anthologies - and just generally had lots of fun. *Inside note to Gena's fans: she's a TERRIBLE dancer. Seriously.* Anyway, Gena has a new YA book releasing and I'm part of the scavenger hunt/blog tour she's having in celebration of TWISTED. Yes, there are prizes involved! Oh boy! You'll find everything you need below (and the puzzle piece is the dagger posted above). Have fun and yea for Gena!

XXXOOO
PC

Here ya go:

How do you define the “Best Night Ever?” Does going on a mini shopping spree for a chic new outfit, dinner out with your bestie and seeing your favorite music act live in concert sound like it would do the trick? If so, read on!

To celebrate the release of, TWISTED, the third book in her Intertwined series featuring Aden Stone, Gena Showalter is rocking out with her author buds on The TWISTED Tour. The tour spans almost two weeks and 11 author websites, including this one, from August 22nd through September 2nd. The Grand Prize winner will be awarded all the essentials for a perfect night out, including:

- $250 Ticketmaster Gift Card
- $100 American Eagle Outfitters Gift Card
- $100 Visa Gift Card for Dinner
- Glam Urban Decay Makeup Gift Set

A Second Prize winner will receive an autographed set of Gena’s Intertwined series, including INTERTWINED, UNRAVELED and TWISTED.

HOW TO PLAY: Visit www.knightagency.net/twistedtour.php and check the tour schedule. Visit the sites of each author on their assigned tour date and locate the concert ticket image.

At the end of the tour, fill out the form on the aforementioned TWISTED Tour contest webpage by matching the images you found to the authors’ websites that they were located on before Sunday, September 4th at 11:59pm ET. The winners will be randomly drawn and notified on or around September 9th, 2011.

Good Luck & ROCK ON!

The 411 on TWISTED: His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.

Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.

Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?

The first HoN comic! Oh boy!

2011-08-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Oooh! So, here's the cover of the first HoN comic! It's the one with the forest cats and Zoey! It'll go on sale November 9th, and Dark Horse (my awesome comic publisher) is selling this first one FOR $1.00! Seriously! It's the first of five comics, which will release one right after another monthly. They're set between the first few books. You get Z and the early nerd herd, and you also get ancient vampyre stories woven within the modern story.

Also, here's a cool close-up of Zoey from the big announcement poster Dark Horse did at ComicCon. I think the artist did an amazing job!

XXXOOO
PC

*Additional note: The comics will be available in all stores that carry comic books in the US, UK, and Canada. In order to be sure they get the very first issue fans need to go to their local store and ask to pre-order (for $1.00!) the HOUSE OF NIGHT issue #1, on sale November 9th. Can't wait to hear what you guys think!

DESTINED COVER! OOOOH!

2011-08-09T09:48:00.001-07:00

Check it out! Isn't the US cover gorgeous?! Oh, and this isn't Stark - it's Aurox! Oooh!

Release date: October 25th.

XXXOOO
PC

Calling in extra writing help...

2011-08-07T11:59:00.001-07:00

I'm on schedule to turn in DESTINED this week and, as you can see, I'm calling in special cat assistance to help me with the conclusion! You didn't think I wrote all those books by myself, did you...

XXXOOO
PC

ComicCon Announcement!

2011-07-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Oooh! Sooooo, check this out: Kristin and I have teamed with the amazing comic publisher, Dark Horse! Starting in November of this year, the first of five House of Night comics will be released! There will also be a graphic novel collectable of all five comics! The stories will begin between MARKED and BETRAYED and weave ancient vampyre stories into modern day House of Night action! The amazing screenwriter, Kent Dalian, is adapting the stories to comics - AND YOU WILL JUST DIE WHEN YOU SEE THE ART! Joelle Jones is doing all the modern day stuff. She is awesome!

The Big Announcement was made by Dark Horse last night when they uncovered a massive wall with art from their three new series: House of Night, and Orchid (by Tom Morello), and Strain (by the super incredible Guillermo del Toro). The three of us did a panel today at ComicCon, which was totally fun!

Can't wait for you guys to see these comics! Ooooh!
XXXOOO
PC

COMICCON AND A TEASER!

2011-07-18T08:40:00.001-07:00

I have a big surprise for y'all at ComicCon! All I can say right now is to be there this Wednesday, 7:30, booth #2615! SanDiego here Kristin and I come! Ooooh! ComiCon!

See you there!
PC

DRAGON'S OATH PARTY!

2011-07-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Ooooh! Kristin and I had such fun at the Books-A-Million launch party tonight! Thanks to everyone who came out and waited in line! We heart y'all! Here are just a few pictures - sorry, I didn't get names!

XXXOOO
PC

Exciting News About Dragon's Oath!

2011-07-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I have some fantastic news to share about Dragon's Oath!

St. Martin's Press did an interview with House of Night artist Kim Doner and me where we talk about the process behind the illustrations you'll see in the book. Kim and I have known each other for about 15 years, so it's better than just a Q&A - it's more like girlfriends talking about a cool project (which is exactly what it was!). I think it'll give you an interesting inside look at D'sO!

Also, on the House of Night site is posted a behind-the-scenes peek at the hard work Kim puts into all of her artwork. You'll get to see how one of the key scenes in the book came together from start to finish. You can read both here!

To top it off, you can enter for a chance to win a print of that scene (US residents only, sorry - I'm not in charge of this, it's something St. Martin's is doing), via my publisher's sweepstakes page here.

This is what the final illustration looks like - isn't it awesome?!?

More exciting news soon!
XXXOOO!

DRAGON'S OATH LAUNCH SIGNING!

2011-07-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hey there to our Okie fans! Just a quick heads up about our launch signing for DRAGON'S OATH. It'll be Tuesday, July 12th, 7:00-9:00 pm, at the Books-A-Million off hwy 75 (south from Tulsa). If you need to GPS the address is 7404 South Olympia Ave, Tulsa, 74132. For more info call the store at 918-447-2702.

Hope to see y'all there!
XXXOOO
PC

p.s. Sorry guys, I'm not touring for DRAGON'S OATH. I'm working hard to get DESTINED in for its early deadline and early release date of Oct 25. And I don't have a clue about that tour yet. I'll post when I know something.

DESTINED NEW RELEASE DATE!

2011-06-25T23:31:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys,
Just coming up for air as I head into the climactic scene of DESTINED because I wanted to let y'all know the release date has been moved up to OCTOBER 25th! Oh boy! Yea for you guys - holy crap for me.

Oh, this is a pic of the "real" HoN. It's a lot prettier than this right now, as everything is green here in T-Town. I'll have to go by and take a more recent picture for y'all. Till then - happy reading!

Speaking of reading - have you guys read the George RR Martin books the HBO series GAME OF THRONES is based on? TOTAL ABSOLUTE AWESOMENESS! While you're waiting for the next HoN, check them out. Wow, what a fabulous author!

Back to work for me...
XXXOOO
PC
p.s. NO, I don't have a clue about our tour schedule yet. I'm still trying to get the book done... (Just as a shout out to our Canadian fans: Kristin and I would LOVE it if we could revisit Victoria this tour! Oooh! The brunch ferry from Vancouver! Yum.)

Dunkey Self Service...

2011-06-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm working so hard on DESTINED that the animals at the ranch have started feeding themselves! Now if I could just teach him to type...

XXOOO
PC

HoN jewelry sale!

2011-06-16T16:35:00.001-07:00

The wonderful Fire Goddess, exclusive jeweler for the House of Night, is having a big sale on HoN jewelery! Ooooh! For a limited time (through summer and until school starts) they are selling all the dedicated House of Night jewelry for COST or 25% off everything. This does require a minimum order purchase of $15.00, but if the order is over $100.00 you will also receive FREE SHIPPING & HANDLING.

So get together with your friends and save save save!!

All you have to do is go to Firegoddess.com, place your order and enter the coupon code: HoN Special in the appropriate coupon block at checkout. Coupon code may be shared with others, but is only valid on the House of Night Jewelry line.

Oh boy! Have fun shopping!
PC

Book giveaway for DRAGON'S OATH!

2011-06-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

GoodReads is hosting a fabulous giveaway for DRAGON'S OATH! Check it out at:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/11750-dragon-s-oath

XXXOOO
PC

DRAGON'S OATH LETTER

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hey there to all our awesome HoN fans!

Kristin and I are so excited that the first of our novellas, DRAGON'S OATH, is nearing release time! To help get you ready for it I thought I'd give you a little inside peek at how these novellas came about.

Last winter I was in New York City having a fabulous meeting with my lovely HoN publishing team at St. Martin's Press. Happily, over the years we've become good friends with our SMP team. Kristin and I aren't being hyperbolical when we call them our family - we truly heart our publishing team! Anyway, during the meeting we're all chatting about the HoN because my publisher, editor, agent, publicist, etc., etc., are honestly huge HoN fans, so they always have lots of what you and I would call "fangirl" questions for me. Well, the conversation kept circling around to questions about the past. I think what set me directly on the path of the novellas was a comment someone made about how sad they were because Anastasia had been killed, and how awful it was that Dragon seemed to be unable to recover from her loss, which led to someone else chiming in and saying that they'd love to know how Dragon and Anastasia met. I remember saying that they'd met when Dragon was a fledgling, and that the story inside my head had Anastasia as a little older than him and not particularly impressed by the young Bryan "Dragon" Lankford.

Then questions were fired at me: "When exactly did they meet?" "Why didn't she like him?" "Where were they?" "When were they?" But mostly: "WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" I think it was then that I said something like, "Well, I could tell their story." And there was a resounding, unanimous "Yea!" from my publisher.

So then I got to reach into my imagination and pull out those mental back files I have on my characters. It was such fun to bring alive Dragon when he was just teenage Bryan Lankford, rebellious son of the Earl of Lankford. It was also a pleasure to flesh out the Anastasia of the past, who was the youngest vampyre to be made a professor at the Tower Grove House of Night in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 1800's.

And what I discovered as I told their story was that their past was shaping the very fabric of what was happening today at the Tulsa House of Night. So, by reading about fledgling Dragon you will find keys to understanding adult Dragon's motives and actions in DESTINED.

Oh, and yes, I made myself (and Kristin) cry at the end of the novella...

Happy reading!

PC"

DRAGON'S OATH RELEASE DATE: July 12th!

Home and writing!

2011-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

My research trip to New Orleans was wonderful! I have Lenobia's story totally outlined. Little hint: most of the action will be set in 1788 in the French Quarter.

I don't have the release date of this novella yet. I just know when I have to turn it in. But my guess is it'll be out early 2012.

It was my first trip to New Orleans and I loved the city! (I think I gained five pounds. Soooo much good food!)

So I'm back in Tulsa now. I'm over the 200 page mark in the DESTINED manuscript and all is well. Wait, let me rephrase that: all is well with me. If you're a HoN character, all might not be well...

Thought you'd like to see some pic from my lovely back yard and my view as I'm writing.

Back to DESTINED...
PC

New Orleans!

2011-06-04T23:15:00.001-07:00

I'm in New Orleans researching for Lenobia's story (not sure of the release date for it yet - probably early 2012). I'm loving me some French Quarter! And the Garden District - FABULOUS! Oooh!

Writing...writing...writing...
PC

As promised HOUSE OF NIGHT KITTENS!

2011-06-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

So out here at Rancho Cast we've had coyote/owl issues. Tragically I've lost three out of five cats, one the mighty Patchy Poo the Pud who was fifteen glorious years old and my favorite cat in the universe. I hope he gets tired of frolicking with the Goddess and decides to return reborn to terrorize Kristin for another fifteen years!

Speaking of Patchy Poo the Pud being reborn: not long ago a very sweet cat showed up at the ranch, which is not unusual because of ignorant folks dumping their pets in the country. Ugh. Anyway, I adopted her and, of course, she was pregnant. (Yes, I'm a responsible pet owner and she will be spayed ASAP.) Her kittens were born about three weeks ago. I'm going to give them all House of Night names - well, the ones I keep anyway. I have several friends who keep "dropping by" to "see me" but who really are scoping out which kittens they're going to stick in purses and pockets...

Here's the litter! With mom shortly after they were born, and today. Adorable!

XXXOOO
PC
p.s. Reminder: be a responsible pet owner. Spay or neuter your animals!

Cooling off from DESTINED

2011-05-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

What do I do to cool off and relax between burning up the keyboard trying to get DESTINED in on time?? My water horse and I go for a swim! (I swear Anjo is half hippo. She loves to submerge herself in the water.) Also pictured is Janelle on David the Dunderhorse having an anxiety attack (David, not Janelle).

Next up - HOUSE OF NIGHT KITTENS! Oh boy!

Back to writing...
PC

Homework and interviews and such

2011-05-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,
Okay, it's obviously nearing the end of the school year here in the US of A, which means I'm getting a zillion requests to be interviewed for school projects, research papers, power point presentations, etc., etc. Here's the deal:

1) To successfully complete a research paper or homework assignment in general it requires the student to actually do the work and research. I know this because I taught English for fifteen years (at the above pictured school). So, believe me when I say YOUR TEACHER DOESN'T MEAN FOR YOU TO SKYPE OR EMAIL OR CALL YOUR RESEARCH SUBJECT AND HAVE THEM DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU.

2) All the information about me I want shared with the public can be found with actually very little effort through the internet. Anything else is private.

3) I don't give homework/research paper "interviews" because I need to do my job, which is writing my next novel.

4) For real interviews (this doesn't mean homework assignments) the requests need to go through my publicist, Rachel Ekstrom at rachel.ekstrom@stmartins.com.

5) Snail mail: You can send letters to us in care of St. Martin's Press, 175 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Enclose a SASE. I'm way behind on my fan mail, but I do try to respond to everyone. No, that doesn't mean I write interview question answers. Please refer to 1-4 above for that.

6) To all those teachers out there who are thinking it'd be better to hurl themselves off a bridge than read another poorly written paper: hang in there. It's almost summer. I heart you.

XXXOOO
PC

German HoN! Ooooh!

2011-05-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

So as y'all who are not from the US know, there is often a time difference in the release of the English written versions of the HoN books (as well as my other books) and foreign copies. Well, in Germany, where we have a zillion amazing fans, book 6, TEMPTED, is getting ready to release. Our super cool German publisher (wave at Julia, our editor!) hosted a giant HoN party in celebration. Kristin and I would have loved to have been able to be there, but deadlines are killing me. So instead we recorded a little hello and answered some questions. Here are some great pictures from that night! Ooooh! Love the Temple of Nyx and the "tattoos"! Also, here's the link to the recording of the evening. Uh, yeah, it's in German. Well, except for the part Kristin and I did. Still, it's fun to watch!

http://www.houseofnight.de/Bewerbung_Berlin

NEW HoN Character! Ooooh!

2011-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

While y'all are waiting for DESTINED (and while I'm plodding my way through the middle of it) I thought I'd tease you guys by giving you a glimpse of someone a new HoN character is based on, Big Bonnie! Bonnie is a fabulous Percheron mare who will be joining the Tulsa HoN (along with a cowboy I'm not going to tell you anything about yet!). Okay, so, the first picture is my brother, Brad, on Bonnie. The next is Brad, Bonnie, and my mare Anjo the Wonder Horse and me. Please note that Bonnie makes the my wonderful mare look like a pony... AND SHE'S NOT. Bonnie is just ginormous.

Oh, to recap: DESTINED will be released in OCTOBER 25TH NO, IT'S NOT THE LAST HON BOOK. No, I don't know for sure how many there will be, but I can't finish the story in DESTINED.

And I can't give you many more details about DESTINED. Not only because I can't give you plot spoilers, but also because I'm in the middle of writing it, and even though I'm following an outline stuff always changes.

XXXOOO
PC

OK Magazine Article

2011-04-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Oooh! The issue of Oklahoma Magazine with the article on Kristin and me is out! It's a lovely piece. Okies - I just grabbed my copy from Petty's (grocery store) in Tulsa. Non-Okies, here's the OK Mag website: www.okmag.com.

Happy reading!
PC

CCBA/A Story Before Bed

2011-04-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,
I posted earlier about how honored Kristin and I are to be finalists in the Children's Choice Book Awards, and that I did a video recording of BURNED for the nice people at A Story Before Bed. Well, they've grouped some of the authors together. It's fun to watch!

http://www.astorybeforebed.com/ccba

XXXOOO
PC

Awesome photo shoot!

2011-04-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Jeremy Charles (www.jeremycharles.com) just did a photo shoot of Kristin and me for Oklahoma Magazine. Here's one of the pics they aren't going to use. Just wanted to give Jeremy a big thumbs up! He was great to work with, and took beautiful pictures. Tulsa area people - I highly recommend him!

Oooh! Me reading!

2011-04-07T19:36:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys!
Because BURNED is a finalist for the Children's Choice Book Award, the nice people at A Story Before Bed asked me to video myself reading Chapter 1 of the book. I did, and here's the link:
http://www.astorybeforebed.com/recordings/470dc0512f267b0e

Okay, yes, I'm dorky. Yes, MY DOGS ARE REALLY LOUD. (Sorry about that. They only bark once.) Oh, and sorry about the plane, too. It's a beautiful evening in Tulsa and I have all of my windows open...

Enjoy!
PC
p.s. Story Before Bed is a really cool idea and an awesome website! Check them out at www.astorybeforebed.com

Which one???

2011-04-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys,
We're having a little debate here in the House of Night world! We're wondering which cover my fans like best. Can you help me out and weigh in with your choice? The purple cover is the US version. The blue/black cover is the UK version. Which one would you rather buy?

You guys are the best!
XXXOOO
PC

UK DRAGON'S OATH

2011-03-24T10:03:00.000-07:00

Oooh! I just got this from my fabulous UK publisher! Here's the UK cover for DRAGON'S OATH. It's going to be published simultaneously with the US, which means it'll release July 12th. What do you think? I really like the blue!

XXXOOO
PC

Yep, a burro...

2011-03-21T00:33:00.000-07:00

So, I promised y'all more pet pictures. You saw my majestic mare, Anjo the Wonderhorse, and the Snottie duggies, one ginger cat, and Cul. Now, for your viewing pleasure, I present Seoras's paint horse, Okie Dodger and Dunkey! Yep, I have a kinda crazy burro named Dunkey at the Cast Ranch. (Please note the Scotties scrambling out of the way in the Okie Dodger picture!)

I'm letting DRAGON'S OATH (release date July) sit for a little while before I do a rewrite, so I'm working on DESTINED (release date November)! Oooh, you won't believe what's happening!

Back to writing...
PC

Childen's Choice Book Award Finalist!

2011-03-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

OH BOY! Kristin and I are honored to announce that BURNED is a finalist in the Children's Choice Book Awards!

The complete list of YA finalists:

Teen Choice Book of the Year:

Burned (House of Night, Book 7) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan)

Fang (A Maximum Ride Novel) by James Patterson (Little, Brown)

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, Book 5) by Richelle Mead (Razorbill/Penguin)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (Dutton/Penguin)

We're super excited! What great books! Y'all can find out more and learn how to vote for your favorite at: http://www.cbcbooks.org

Congratulations to all of the finalists and thank you so much to those of you who helped put us on the list!

XXXOOO
PC

Dogs!

2011-03-15T15:08:00.000-07:00

So y'all already saw my wheaton colored Scottie, Cammy. Now Chloe and Cul want their turns! Chloe (also know as the Sapulpa Assassin) is my black brindle Scottie who is Boss of Everything. Cul, or if you want to be formal Cuchulain. He's just a puppy - only seven months old. He's a greyhound/deer hound mix. Chloe, Cammy, and Cul have epic mock dog fights, which Chloe always, always wins. Check out her Scottie sneak attack! (No, nae duggies got hurt!)

Next up: a burro! What? A burro at the Cast Ranch? Yep. I'll have to figure out some way to write him into the HoN...hum...

Back to writing...with or without burros!

PC

More animals!

2011-03-14T21:19:00.001-07:00

Since y'all liked my post with my Scottie dog and ginger cat I thought I'd show you some of the rest of the menagerie at the Cast Ranch. This is my fabulous, amazing, incredible mare, Anjo the Wonder Horse! She's actually even more beautiful than these pictures, especially as she still has her fuzzy winter coat on. I heart her totally (even though in the picture with me on her she was not behaving very well and got in lots of trouble that day...).

Next, more dogs!

Back to writing!
PC

Oklahoma in the Spring...ugh

2011-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, my state is beautiful. But it's spring. Pollen. Rain. MUD. Just thought I'd share with y'all an example of the MUD. Yes, the dog came inside (ahhhhhh!). WHY IS THE CAT CLEAN???

I'm still working on DRAGON'S OATH! Ooooh, it's good!

XXXOOO
PC

Foreign Book Sale Update

2011-02-22T18:26:00.000-08:00

*UPDATE: SALE WILL END MARCH 15TH!*

Hi Guys,
We've reached the $500 mark on our sale of my foreign book copies, and all of that will go to Will Rogers High School and their English Department! Yea! Thank you so much!

I still have books left, so what I've decided to do is to donate the rest of the proceeds to the fabulous Tulsa organization, Street Cats! (Yes, it is a real cat rescue organization, but it's not run by nuns.) You can learn more about them through their website, www.streetcatstulsa.org.

So here's a list of the books I have left. It's probably easiest if you email my PA, Kat, through The Assistant Agency, if you'd like to purchase one: theassistantagency@gmail.com
(REMEMBER, THIS LIST WILL CHANGE AS THE BOOKS SELL.)
Oh, yeah, Kristin and I have signed all of the books.

Marked-Germany
Marked-Mainland China
Marked-Slovakia
Marked-Norway
Marked-Vietnam
Marked-Finland
Marked-Korea
Marked-France
Marked-Romanian
Marked-Polish
Marked-Sweden

Betrayed-Thailand
Betrayed-Finland
Betrayed-Mainland China
Betrayed-Germany
Betrayed-Vietnam
Betrayed-Swedish
Betrayed-Lithuania
Betrayed-French
Betrayed-Korea
Betrayed-Polish
Betrayed-Romanian
Betrayed-Dutch

Chosen-Sweden
Chosen-Taiwan
Chosen-Germany (audio)
Chosen-Sweden
Chosen-Germany
Chosen-Japan
Chosen-Norway
Chosen-Thailand
Chosen-Mainland China
Chosen-Slovakia
Chosen-France
Chosen-Italy
Chosen-Portugal
Chosen-Poland

Untamed-Denmark
Untamed-S. Korea
Untamed-Thailand
Untamed-Lithuania
Untamed-Chinese
Untamed-Portugal

Hunted-Sweden
Hunted-Slovakia
Hunted-Denmark
Hunted-S. Korea
Hunted-Thailand
Hunted-Italy

Divine By Choice-France
Divine By Mistake-Lithuania
Divine by Mistake-Spanish
Divine By Blood-Norway
Divine By Blood-France

Tempted-Thailand

Burned-Thailand

I thank you, the kids thank you, and the cats thank you, too!

XXXOOO
PC

NYX IN THE HOUSE OF NIGHT

2011-02-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

In an earlier post Christina reminded me about this book. I heart me some BenBella Books (a lovely small press). Leah Wilson (editor) and I have worked together on several project, so when she came to me with a proposal to do a Smart Pop (popular culture) book on the mythos of the House of Night I was thrilled to say yes! Actually, I asked to include illustrations to be created for it by a good friend who is part of Clan Wallace, Alan Torrence. AND I said I wanted to write one of the essays, too! The book is awesome, and will be released in June. You can find out more info at http://www.smartpopbooks.com/book/nyx-in-the-house-of-night

Here's some more info:

Nyx in the House of Night

Mythology, Folklore, and Religion in the PC and Kristin Cast Vampyre Series

Edited by P.C. Cast

With more than 10 million copies sold internationally, and 7 million copies in print in North America alone, P.C. and Kristin Cast’s House of Night series, featuring fledgling teenage vampyre Zoey Redbird and her friends at the Oklahoma House of Night vampyre boarding school, is more than just another vampire series.

A big part of the reason is its strong mythological underpinnings. From Nyx, the goddess worshipped by the series vampyres, to the Cherokee legend that drives the plot, the House of Night series is infused with elements from multiple mythos and religious traditions to create a new, modern mythology all its own.

Edited by P.C. Cast, Nyx in the House of Night—a 2-color illustrated guide to the House of Night series—brings these rich mythological influences to life, providing the real-world stories behind the series and insight into the way those stories are used to create the captivating story of Zoey and the House of Night.

Chapters includes:

• Wiccan ritual
• The original story of Erebus and Nyx
• Cherokee mythology
• The historical significance of tattoos
• And more

The book also includes an original introduction and chapter on Scottish folklore by P.C. Cast herself.

Dragon's Oath!

2011-02-16T11:53:00.001-08:00

Ooooh! Check out the cover of DRAGON'S OATH! Its release date is July 12th of this year. It's the first of the House of Night back story novellas. Here's the back copy:

Before Zoey is Marked and arrives at the House of Night… before she rises in power to confront utter darkness, and the House of Night is divided… there’s Dragon’s Oath, the thrilling story behind the House of Night's formidable fencing instructor and warrior – the love that will transform him, and the mercy that will come back to haunt him…

I'm writing it right now, and NO I won't answer any questions about it (mostly because the plot unfolds as I'm writing, so I don't know the answers yet!).

XXXOOO
PC

HoN Book Sale!!!

2011-02-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys!
As many of you know, the House of Night has been translated into a bunch of languages (over 30). Well, every time the book is released in a foreign country, I get copies of it. Sometimes I just get one or two - and sometimes I get a bunch. So, what's happened is that they've been piling up in my office. I've donated to our local libraries and our Oklahoma Equality Center, but still I have a bunch of books.

Long story short - what I've decided to do is to put my excess foreign copies up for sale, and donate the proceeds to the English department of Will Rogers High School. Some of the books are already up on ebay (follow this link and click into store to find them: Http://myworld.ebay.com/theassistantagency11). You can also purchase them by emailing The Assistant Agency at theassistantagency@gmail.com and inquiring about the language and title you'd like, and then check on shipping. Yes - we will ship outside the US, but you'll have to pay for it.

There are also some books for sale through Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A2CV7ENNSAYQ6G

Yes, Kristin and I will sign every copy. Below is a list of the languages currently available. This will change as they sell. To ask about a specific title, just email The Assistant Agency, or go to the ebay link.

Yea! Let's support Will Rogers High School!

**Hey guys, a quick additional note: Tulsa is in the middle of a nasty bit of weather. I'm at my ranch, which is outside the city. As soon as I can safely get into Tulsa and get these books signed they'll be put in the mail. Actually, I'm going to instruct my PA to make weekly trips to the post office after I've signed them all. So be a little patient, especially if we get more snow on Wednesday as they're forecasting...ugh...

XXXOOO
PC

p.s. Oh, there are also limited copies of my Partholon books available in foreign copies, too.

HoN copies available in the following languages:
ITALIAN
KOREAN
SWEDISH
CHINESE
VIETNAMESE
PORTUGUESE
DUTCH
FRENCH
SLOVAK
GREEK
ROMANIAN
POLISH
SWEDISH
CHINESE
ITALIAN
DUTCH
DANISH
LITHUANIAN
NORWEGIAN
POLISH
ROMANIAN
AUDIO CD GERMAN
POLISH
GERMAN
THAI
LITHUANIAN
SCANDINAVIAN
PORTUGUESE
ITALIAN
GERMAN
CHINESE
DANISH
KOREAN
THAI
SPANISH

PARTHOLON BOOKS:
FRENCH
SPANISH
SWEDISH
NORWEGIAN

MY PA ALSO JUST DISCOVERED A BOX OF GODDESS OF THE SEA AND OLD COPIES OF DIVINE BY BLOOD, BOTH IN ENGLISH. WE'LL BE PUTTING THOSE UP FOR SALE ON EBAY, TOO.

SNOWPOCALYPSE!

2011-02-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

For all of you watching the weather (especially my friends on Grand Cayman Island) wondering if it's really as bad in Oklahoma as the news is reporting: HELL YES. IT'S REALLY THAT BAD. At least we haven't lost electricity. Yet. Ugh.

Time to burrow!

Amazing new series!

2011-01-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

Whilst you're waiting for the next HoN book I'd like to highly recommend a new series to you. It's already been released in the UK, and tomorrow, February 1st, it'll release in the states (coming soon to Germany, too). THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER is by my good friend Jana Oliver. It's an awesome book, filled with a cool new mythos about demons and those who trap them. It's funny and smart, as well as dark and kinda scarey. Check it out! And as of tomorrow: HAPPY RELEASE DAY JANA!! I'm wishing you all the best, girlfriend!

XXXOOO
PC

Interview

2011-01-30T23:01:00.001-08:00

Check out the interview I gave to the very cool Lambda Literary site. You can find it at:
http://www.lambdaliterary.org/interviews/01/13/p-c-cast-standing-up/

XXXOOO
PC

Cool Girlfriend Release!

2011-01-28T10:30:00.001-08:00

I have a group of amazing friends, for which I am very grateful. They're talented, funny, and interesting. Among my friends is the fabulous intuitive, Colette Baron-Reid. She and I have been buddies since she read my very first book (DIVINE BY MISTAKE, originally published as GODDESS BY MISTAKE). Well, not only is she a good friend and an excellent intuitive counselor, but she's also a well published author. Her current release looks fascinating. I'll be picking it up as soon as I can get myself to the 21st Street Borders in Tulsa. It's called THE MAP (pictured above), FINDING THE MAGIC AND MEANING IN THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE. I know for a fact Colette is magical - she predicted the success of the HoN before I'd written the books! (As a side note, she tells me that my success will move to film - and I'm believing her!)

In honor of the release of THE MAP, Colette is hosting a great giveaway. You can find out more info at www.themaplaunch.com.

Also, check out Colette's WISDOM OF AVALON oracle cards (easy to find on Amazon or B&N or Borders sites). I have a pack, and I love them!

Here's wishing Colette a magical launch!

XXXOOO
PC

Safely home!

2011-01-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

So, I went from frosty but magical Scotland (picture taken by Loch Lomond) to sunny but cold Oklahoma (picture taken of my front pasture).

I want to say a big thank you to all my Scottish fans! You made my mini-tour wonderful! Now I'm going to wade my way through jet lag and get back to writing. First I'm going to finish the Dragon and Anastasia Lankford story, DRAGON'S OATH (release date summer of 2011) and then continue working on DESTINED (release date of November 2011).

Hugs and Kisses to my friends in Scotland!
PC

Glasgow Event!

2011-01-19T03:48:00.001-08:00

I'm looking forward to my Glasgow event, which will be the last one of my mini-tour (I'm always a little sad when I leave Scotland!). It's tomorrow (Thursday the 20th) at the Sauchiehall Street Waterstone's, 6:30 pm. I know the event is sold out, but as with the Stirling Waterstone's I'll stay afterward and sign a bunch of stock so there will be autographed copies available in the store.

See y'all there!
PC

My favorite moment from the Golden Globes, too!

2011-01-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

I had to share! Yea for Chris Colfer, who I think would make a fabulous Damien! Hugs and kisses and congrats to him and Glee!

XXXOOO

Fun in Stirling!

2011-01-18T02:47:00.000-08:00

The event at Stirling was a blast! Special thanks to the lovely Alex Nye who interviewed me (pictured with me above), and to Ian Wandless and his Waterstone's for being gracious hosts. The crowd was wonderful - excellent questions! And I did sign a bunch of stock for the store, so if you didn't get a ticket to the event you can still pick up a signed book.

XXXOOO
PC

Stirling event!

2011-01-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

Oooh! I'm looking forward to the Stirling event! I love the city, and simply adore the staff of the Waterstones there. Hope everyone who wanted a ticket was able to get one (I know they're sold out right now.). For those of you who couldn't get a ticket I'll be signing lots of stock before I leave, so you'll still be able to get a signed copy from the bookstore.

See y'all at 7:00 on Monday! Let's hope for no rain...

XXXOOO
PC

Edinburgh Event!

2011-01-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to my Edinburgh event on the 13th at the Scottish Book Trust building @ 10:30 am. I hear it's sold out! Yea! See y'all there! (I'll be shopping afterward - love me some Edinburgh!)

XXXOOO
PC

Awakened + The Tour of Tulsa Sweepstakes!

2011-01-04T09:46:00.001-08:00

Hey Gang!

AWAKENED is on-sale today! To celebrate, check out the super-cool Tour of Tulsa Sweepstakes:

PLUS - Tonight I'll be signing books at the Will Rogers High School! Here are the details:

January 4, 2011 - 6:00 pm
Will Rogers High School Auditorium
3909 E. 5th Place
Tulsa, OK 74112

But wait! There's more!

Kristin and I will be stopping by the Barnes & Noble Facebook page for a live chat on Thursday, January 6th from 6-8PM EST. Don't forget to RSVP here!

Happy Awakened day!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:40:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone!

Kristin and I can't wait until Tuesday and the release party for AWAKENED! Tulsa area folks remember that the launch party is at Will Rogers High School, starting at 6:00 pm. That's at 3909 East 5th Place, Tulsa (just across and down the street from the east side of the University of Tulsa campus). Borders will be there, and they'll have plenty of books available for you. And I'll have cake and cupcakes and surprises!

See my Scottish fans soon, too!

XXXOOO
PC

While you're waiting for Jan 4th

2010-12-27T23:06:00.001-08:00

While my adult fans are waiting for January 4th and the release of AWAKENED, here's a little PC Cast fix for ya. GODDESS OF LEGEND is out right now! It's a new adult paranormal romance from my Goddess Summoning Series. This one focusing on Camelot. Don't we all want King Arthur to get a H.E.A. (happily ever after)?? I do! I love this series and retelling mythology - no, you don't have to read them in order.

Keep in mind, this book is R rated and not intended for YA.

Enjoy!
PC

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-26T00:43:00.000-08:00

Kristin and I would like to wish all our fans the happiest of holidays and brightest of New Years! We hope you follow your dreams in 2011 and remember the power of positive thoughts and actions. Please step into the new year with dignity and integrity, and when you can choose love...always love...

Thank you for your support and loyalty!

PC & Kristin

House of Night merchandise

2010-12-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys,
Several of you have had questions about where to find House of Night merchandise: jewelry, clothing, etc. Okay, here's the deal: the only authentic HoN merchandise available at this time is the jewelry you can purchase through my friend, the lovely Fire Goddess at www.firegoddess.com. Anything else you find for sale on sites like Cafe Press or Zazzle, etc., are illegal and NOT okayed by me. Kristin and I are working on the creation of a fabulous line of clothing based on the tattoos from the HoN. We're shooting for early 2011 for it to be launched. I'll post here and give you all the info, links, etc., as soon as I can. Until then I would respectfully ask that you not buy HoN merchandise from people trying to make money off my world illegally.

As a side note: it is ABSOLUTELY OKAY for you to make your own cool tee shirts and such for yourself, and even for you to share them with your friends. That's a wonderful compliment to Kristin and me, and shows how much you care about the HoN and our characters. It's selling merchandise without my permission that is not legal and very, very bad Karma. Kinda like downloading ripped off books from the internet. Super Bad Karma. (If you can't afford to buy books, borrow them from your public library - that's Super Good Karma!)

So, as soon as we have our authorized shirts and such available I'll let you know. Until then the only HoN merchandise approved by Cast and Cast is the Fire Goddess jewelry.

Thank you for being such wonderful, supportive fans! We heart you!
PC

Tour Info for AWAKENED

2010-12-16T00:42:00.001-08:00

First, let me start by saying that Kristin and I are not touring in the US for AWAKENED. We are launching in Tulsa at fabulous Will Rogers High School on Tuesday, January 4th, 6:00 p.m. We'll also be doing lots of interview and probably some live chats, etc., but our US publisher, who makes the decisions about touring, decided the weather in January is just too questionable for a tour.

Also, let me reiterate - Kristin and I DON'T CHOOSE WHERE WE TOUR. Our publishers set up our tours, keeping in mind things like weather, market, and our writing schedule. What this means is asking us "please oh please will you come to ___________ some day?" or "you never come to my town, why not?" are questions I can't answer. I'd love to travel all over and tour, tour, tour - but 1) I'm not in control of that (like I just said) and, 2) If I toured all the time I'd never write and there would be no more HoN books...

However, I am going to Scotland with Seoras to visit family, and I've agreed to three events while I'm there. Kristin can't come with me this time, and I did not choose the three venues, my UK publisher did. Below is where I'll be and when. Scotland is a second home to me, and so I'm really looking forward to returning and meeting with my lovely UK fans!

See y'all in January!

XXXOOO
PC

TOUR DATES AND PLACES:

Thursday, January 13th
10:30 a.m.
Scottish Book Trust, Edinburgh (Talk/Reading/Q&A and signing)
Venue: 55 High St., Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 1SR
For more info see: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/meet-out-authors/individual-events-programme/pc-cast

Monday, January 17th
7:00 p.m.
Waterstone's Stirling (Talk/Reading/Q&A and signing)
Venue: Cowane Centre, Cowane Street, Stirling
For more info contact Waterstones Stirling 0843 290 8615

Thursday, January 20th
6:30 p.m.
Waterstone's Glasgow (Talk/Reading/Q&A and signing)
Venue: Waterstones, 153-157 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3EW
For more info contact Waterstones Glasgow 0141 332 9105

Horses! Ooooh!

2010-12-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

I know some of y'all are getting awful weather right now (hello my friends in the UK!), but it was gorgeous in Oklahoma today. Kristin and I went for a lovely ride. I'm on my Super Mare, Anjo, and Kristin's riding Seoras's gelding, Okie Dodger (Seoras took the picture).

Speaking of the UK - guys, I'll be there in January! Doing three events in fabulous Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Sterling. I'll post exact dates, times, and venues as soon as I get them. And let's hope Scotland thaws a little by then...

XXXOOO
PC

Excerpts from AWAKENED!

2010-12-07T13:31:00.000-08:00

Just released: three chapters from AWAKENED!

Click here to read a chapter, plus download two more chapters for your mp3 player! YEA!

Oooh! New HoN Jewelry!

2010-11-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

As Stevie Rae would say, "Ohmygoodness!" Check out the new piece of HoN jewelry from the fabulous Fire Goddess! (http://www.firegoddess.com) Kristin and I just got our special preview pieces in the mail, and the wing is beautiful! Our Fire Goddess has outdone herself this time!

Oh, and whose wing is it? After you read AWAKENED, you decide...

Happy Thanksgiving!

XXXOOO
PC

Nice review

2010-11-16T10:17:00.001-08:00

I rarely read reviews of my work, but my good friend and fellow author, Merline Lovelace sent me this link to a lovely review from Seattlepi Books on THE AVENGER. Merline is one of the three other authors who, along with me, contributed to this series - all of us are military veterans - all of the heroines are also military. It was a lot of fun to write and it's nice to see the book is being appreciated! So, check it out! Here's the link: http://www.seattlepi.com/books/430236_148473-blogcritics.org.html

p.s. THE AVENGER is absolutely not YA. It's rated R.

Thank you!

2010-11-15T10:42:00.001-08:00

Thanks to your support Kristin raised the most money for the Tulsa SPCA! Over $5,000!!! Here she is with her dog, Mo, at the announcement ceremony. And here are my very shaggy looking Scotties, Cameron and Chloe, there to support Kristin and Mo!

Yea for the SPCA!

XXXOOO
PC

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T07:52:00.001-08:00

I'd like to say "thank you" to those who have served and are serving - and the families who support and sacrifice with them.

And as an aside to some of my younger readers in case nobody's ever told you this: if you're traveling (or shopping or whatever) and you see someone in the uniform of our armed forces, it's nice to say a quick thank you to them. You never know when the man/woman you're thanking is just coming back from or heading out into harm's way so that you can reap the benefits of freedom.

PC

Oooooh! Check it out!

2010-11-09T20:08:00.000-08:00

To view this email as a web page, go here.

New, never-before-seen line!

"You know what, Erik?

All I'm gonna say to you is this:
evil wins when good folks do nothing."
- Stevie Rae

HouseofNightSeries.com


Subscribe/Unsubscribe

Ooooh! Thank you!

2010-11-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of our wonderful fans who made THE FLEDGLING HANDBOOK 101 debut #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List! You guys are awesome!

(p.s. - I know it's also out in the UK. I don't have the release schedule for any other foreign publishers. It is on Amazon and all the other major internet sites and can be ordered, though.)

XXXOOO
PC

Rankings Copyright © 2010 by The New York Times November 14, 2010 THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Children’s Best Sellers This Week PAPERBACK BOOKS
1
1 THE FLEDGLING HANDBOOK 101, by P.C. Cast with Kim Doner. (St. Martin’s Griffin, $12.99.) From history to bodily chang¬es, a compendium on vampirism for neophytesl. (Ages 12 and up)

2 THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. (Knopf, $11.99.) A girl saves books from Nazi burning. (Ages 14 and up)

3 FALLEN, by Lauren Kate. (Delacorte, $9.99.) Love is thwarted at boarding school. (Ages 12 and up)

4 THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean. (HarperCollins, $7.99.) To avoid a killer, a boy lives in a cemetery. (Ages 10 and up)

5 THREE CUPS OF TEA: YOUNG READERS EDITION, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. (Puffin/Penguin, $8.99.) A former climber builds schools in Pakistani and Afghan villages. (Ages 9 to 12)

6 THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME IN¬DIAN, by Sherman Alexie. Illustrated by Ellen Forney. (Little, Brown, $8.99.) A young boy leaves his reservation for an all-white school. (Ages 12 and up)

7 HUSH, HUSH, by Becca Fitzpatrick. (Simon & Schuster, $17.99.) A love story of immortals and ancient battles. (Ages 14 and up)

8 SHIVER, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Scholastic, $8.99.) Love among the lupine. (Ages 13 and up)

9 NERDS (BOOK ONE: NATIONAL ESPIONAGE, RESCUE, AND DEFENSE SOCIETY), by Michael Buckley. (Amulet/Abrams, $6.95.) Stealth is challenging when you wear orthodontic headgear. (Ages 8 to 12)

10 BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. (Little, Brown, $17.99.) A secret wrapped in a Southern Gothic novel. (Ages 12 and up)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTIN!

2010-11-03T23:12:00.001-07:00

Today, Nov 4th, is Kristin's 24th birthday! Yea! Seoras and I are taking her and her boyfriend, along with my parents to a lovely dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant in town. We'll have a blast!

Happy birthday to Mama's Precious! I love you and I'm proud of you. If I could have chosen from all the girls in the world I would have picked you as my daughter.

Love always
Mam

We need your help!

2010-11-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, Kristin's passion is helping animals in need. She's still in school, but after graduation plans on opening a no kill dog rescue facility in Midtown Tulsa. (Yes, Tulsans, we'll be calling for doggie helper volunteers some day soon!) For now, Kristin and the Tulsa SPCA need your help in a different way. Kristin and I are participating in the SPCA's Tulsa Dog Walk on November 13th. We would appreciate your support through well-wishes and through donations. The fastest, easiest way to donate is by going to: http://www.firstgiving.com/kristincast. Every dollar helps, so don't think you have to have like a zillion dollars to donate. Five bucks buys dog food! Yea! Donating is also the an efficient way to support fund raising efforts to find homes for abandoned and lost animals.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

xoxox

PC & Kristin

p.s. The picture is of Kristin's two dogs, Marlon Brando and Anna Nicole Cast!

AWAKENED COVER!

2010-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here is it! Love it love it love it!

Yes, it's Rephaim (as he saw himself in the fountain at the end of BURNED).

No, I can't tell you anything more about AWAKENED. Not sure when they're going to post chapter 1 yet, either.

Oh, and it doesn't look like Kristin and I will be touring the US in January for the release of AWAKENED because the weather is so crazy during that month, but I am going back to Scotland with Seoras just after the holidays so I've asked my lovely UK publisher to set up a few signing events there. Don't know exact locations yet, but I wouldn't be suprised if one of them is the wonderful bookstore I heart so much in Sterling!

XXXOOO
PC

Magickal Book!

2010-10-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

As y'all know, I've finished AWAKENED. That means I'm in the middle of the production process and awaiting copy edits. That also means I GET TO READ AGAIN!! I'm a total bookaholic, but when I'm under heavy deadline I don't have time to read; I just write. So it's a real treat for me to put my face (or my ears) back into books. While you're waiting for January 4th and the release of AWAKENED, I thought it'd be fun to share fabulous book discoveries with you. Here's the first:
Nancy Pickard's THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING. Oh. My. Goddess. I started listening to this book in audio in my car. Today I literally sat outside my house for ten minutes before I could force myself to turn off the CD. If I hadn't been 30 minutes from the nearest bookstore, and hadn't been totally loving the reader of this book (so I want to hear her finish it!) I would have turned around and bought the dang thing so I could curl up with it tonight.

Guys, I don't know Ms. Pickard, but her prose is so evocative and lovely that I'm totally in love with her! She's literary, with spice (no, this isn't for young teens - I'd say 16 and above unless you're precocious). Her writing is smart. Her characterization is wonderous - especially the characterization of her male leads. And I'm totally drawn into her plot. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

My recommendation: don't walk. RUN out to buy this book. Then post here and we'll talk about how wonderful it was!

Happy reading,
PC

It gets better!

2010-10-19T21:14:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys,
The lovely people at www.itgetsbetterproject.com have designated today, Oct 20th, as Spirit Day in acknowledgment of the recent tragic suicides of young gay kids, and ask that you wear purple in support of LGBT youth (you can go to their website for lots more info).

We should not be defined by our sexual orientation. Period.

I'd like you to consider taking a moment today not simply to wear purple and put on the trappings of love and equality. Could each of you please pause to consider the importance of living a life of integrity? If your life has integrity and if you live respecting the world and those around you, then what follows will be more than just a one day of a show of support for LGBT youth. Straight kids: I'd like to ask you to take a stand and show personal integrity. Don't tolerate the bullying of others. Don't laugh at jokes that degrade people. Don't stand silently in the background while another's words and/or actions hurt people. Stand Up. Don't allow Darkness to win, in whatever guise it cloaks itself: religious intolerance, social fear, hazing, or simply bad damn taste and ignorance. As Erik says in AWAKENED, "...what if all the good folks leave and evil gets bored playing all by itself and goes home, too?" I think Erik may have a point. Stand up to Darkness - if that means walking away from certain "friends," then do it. Don't give bullies an audience, whether it's on the internet or in person. Oh, and when you walk away - take the kid being bullied with you. Believe me, he/she will be a lot more fun to hang out with than the jerks who are bullies.

Gay kids: it gets better. I promise. And I heart your bravery.

XXXOOO
PC

NYC view!

2010-10-08T09:13:00.001-07:00

Ooooh! Check out the view from my NYC hotel room! And it is GORGEOUS in the city this weekend! Kristin's not here with me (she's working hard on her first novel!), but her birthday is the 4th of November, so guess who's going to get a little NYC present? (Diane von Furstenberg store...)

Hope to see y'all tomorrow and/or Sunday at ComicCon!

XXXOOO
PC

ComicCon in NYC! Come see me!

2010-10-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Oooh! Remember that I'll be at ComicCon in New York City this weekend! I'll be in booth #2467 Sat, Oct 9th and Sun Oct 10th announcing the release of my first graphic novel, GODDESS OF THE ROSE, A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast! Check out the poster my artist, the wonderful Alan Halpin, and I will be signing! Hope to see y'all there!

XXXOOO
PC

AWAKENED DONE!!

2010-09-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,
Join me in the celebration! I turned in AWAKENED early this morning! Yea!!!! Now I get to take a few breaths while I wait for editorial feedback, which means I'm heading for the trails behind my Oklahoma ranch with Anjo, The Smartest Mare in the Known Universe (I'll have to post pictures of her - she's gorgeous).

Oh, 1) no, the book can't come out any earlier than January 4th. Now it has to go through the publication production process, which usually takes anywhere from 3-6 months or so. But, remember, you'll get THE FLEDGLING HANDBOOK October 26th!
2) NO I WON'T TELL YOU PLOT SPOILERS! Except that I made myself cry twice while I was writing it. And let's just say Neferet = eesh!

XXXOOO
PC

DARKNESS DIVINE

2010-09-25T21:40:00.001-07:00

FOR ALL OF YOU WANTING THE PREQUEL TO DIVINE BY MISTAKE IN PRINT - Here's the deal: Divine Beginnings is available, but you have to order it from the Amazon UK site. It's leading an anthology called DARKNESS DIVINE with stories by Gena Showalter, Maggie Shayne, and Rhyannon Byrd. Sorry, I can't control whether it's released in the States or not...

XXXOOO
PC

Attention Tulsa Area Folks!!

2010-09-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend Kristin and I will be appearing on the OSU-Tulsa campus during the Celebrations of Books Festival, which is a wonderful event! Super cool authors will be there! Lots of books! Panels! Books! And much more!

It kicks off Friday night at the Tulsa Jazz Hall of Fame, and then I'll be on a panel Saturday morning on campus. THEN Saturday evening, at 4:30 Kristin, Seoras (the real man, not the character), and I will close the conference in the convention center on campus as my friend and illustrator of THE FLEDGLING HANDBOOK 101, Kim Doner, interviews us. (Yes, we'll take questions from the audience.) Cool announcements will be made, and Seoras will definitely be playing his bagpipes.

Registration for the conference itself is $25, but teachers get in free. Oh, and if you just want to come to the closing ceremonies, show up a little before 4:30 and let the folks at the info desk you're here to see the Casts and they'll let you in. I't going to be a blast! Hope to see you there (yes, we'll sign books afterwards). Here's the link for more info: http://poetsandwriters.okstate.edu/celebration/index.html

And here's the article that was in the Tulsa World today:

Cast team will wrap up Celebration of Books

TULSA WORLD, OKLA. | JAMES D. WATTS JR. | Thu, Sep 23, 1:25 PM

Sept. 23--In the three years since publishing "Marked," the first book in the "House of Night" series, Tulsa writers P.C. and Kristin Cast have become a publishing phenomenon. More than 10 million copies of the six volumes of the "House of Night" novels are in print, with the last three books debuting at No. 1 on the USA Today best-seller list.

The mother-daughter team's next book, "Awakened," won't be available until Jan. 4. It's the lead title in the Winter 2011 catalog from their publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, and will get the full public relations push -- with a national authors' tour, national print and online advertising, even a "Win a Trip to Tulsa" sweepstakes, to visit the locations that the Casts use as the setting for their stories about Zoey Redbird and her adventures at the House of Night.

For those who can't wait until the turn of the new year, the Casts will be featured as the final guests of the 2010 Celebration of Books, Saturday at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood Ave.

P.C. and Kristin Cast will take part in a public discussion at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, moderated by Tulsa author and artist Kim Doner, who collaborated with P.C. Cast on "The Fledgling Handbook 101," the first ancillary book to the "House of Night" series.

The idea behind "The Fledging Handbook 101," due out Oct. 26, is that it is the volume given to newcomers to the House of Night, explaining a lot of the mythology that underpins this fantasy series.

Before the Casts, the Celebration of Books will offer a wide range of panel discussions, public interviews and workshops that will give attendees the chance to meet with and learn from some of the best writers working today.

Among the special guests are three Pulitzer Prize winners -- playwright Beth Henley, novelist Michael Cunningham and poet Rita Dove, who is also the recipient of the Ambassador Award from the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers, the celebration's presenter.

Sue Monk Kidd, author of the acclaimed best-seller "The Secret Life of Bees," is the recipient of the Homecoming Award. Other participants include novelist and newsman Jim Lehrer, rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson, top New York literary agent Marly Rusoff and best-selling Tulsa novelists S.E. Hinton and William Bernhardt.

CELEBRATE

Admission to the Saturday sessions of the Celebration of Books is $25 per person. Passes are available at the ticket office of the Auditorium on the OSU-Tulsa campus, 700 N. Greenwood Ave.

Kristin is hilarious!

2010-09-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this video HarperTeen did for the release of their KISSES FROM HELL anthology Kristin is in! Mama's Precious is so dang funny... (And the other authors are great, too!)

XXXOOO
PC

Coming to NYC ComicCon!

2010-09-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! I'm going to be at ComicCon in New York City next month! I'll be in booth #2467 Sat, Oct 9th and Sun Oct 10th, and I'll be making a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! It's not HOUSE OF NIGHT related, but it is super cool! This sketch is just a teaser for you!

Oh, of course I'll sign HoN books if you want to bring them by. Come see me!!

XXXOOO

Lovely Fans

2010-09-08T00:03:00.001-07:00

Sadly, I wasn't able to make DragonCon this year, but I love that HoN fans were there! I heart Emma and Rachael! Well done guys!

Oh, and FYI: I'll be at ComicCon Oct 8-10 in NYC! Oh boy!

XXXOOO
PC