While you're waiting for Jan 4th

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!

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

Tour Info for AWAKENED

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!

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!

Just released: three chapters from AWAKENED!


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

Nice review

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!!

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

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!!

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!

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!

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

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

Fun with Gena Showalter!

So, as may of you guys know, I have several friends who are also authors. (Waving to Kresley, Jana, Jeri, Mel, Cindy, Merline...) Well, out of the author friend herd, my fellow Okie, Gena Showalter, and I are like peas and carrots. Naturally when she asked if I'd be a part of scavenger hunt to celebrate the release of her latest YA, UNRAVELED, I said, "No. Post on your own dang blog." Just kidding! What follows is info about the book and the scavenger hunt. Have fun!

XXXOOO
PC

Gena Showalter’s YA series, Intertwined, featuring paranormal magnet Aden Stone continues this September with UNRAVELED. To celebrate her new release, Gena and her author BFFs are hosting a 4-day scavenger hunt on their blogs; including this one. Three grand prize winners will each win a $100 Visa gift card, plus Gena’s giving away signed copies of UNRAVELED to five lucky runner-ups! All you have to do is find all eight letters, unscramble them and email the word to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net . Today, I’ve got my letter front and center! To get the skinny on where the other letters are hiding in the great internet universe, click here for a contest road map and rules.

Participating UNRAVELED hunt blogs include superstar authors Rachel Caine, Marley Gibson, Rosemary Clement-Moore and Tina Ferraro. This contest runs from Monday, August 30th to Thursday, September 2nd. All entries must be received by Monday, September 6th at midnight ET. Happy Hunting!

So, are you behind the curve and wondering what UNRAVELED is all about? ;-) Read on to learn more about Aden:

For once, sixteen-year-old Aden Stone has everything he’s ever wanted:

A home.

Friends.

The girl of his dreams.

Too bad he’s going to die... Since coming to Crossroads, Oklahoma, former outcast Aden Stone has been living the good life. Never mind that one of his best friends is a werewolf, his girlfriend is a vampire princess who hungers for his blood, and he’s supposed to be crowned Vampire King – while still a human! Well, kind of.

With four – oops, three now — human souls living inside his head, Aden has always been “different” himself. These souls can time travel, raise the dead, possess another’s mind, and, his least favorite these days, tell the future.

The forecast for Aden? A knife through the heart.

Because a war is brewing between the creatures of the dark, and Aden is somehow at the center of it all. But he isn’t about to lie down and accept his destiny without a fight. Not when his new friends have his back, not when Victoria has risked her own future to be with him, and not when he has a reason to live for the first time in his life.

New Fledgling Handbook Content!

If you haven't checked your email yet, take a look at the new Fledgling Handbook content that was released yesterday! Yea!

For more info, visit houseofnightseries.com/pages/fledglinghandbook.html

xoxo

Kristin's release date!

Ooooh! Today the anthology of YA stories that Kristin's leading, KISSES FROM HELL, is being released! I'm so proud of the piece she has in it, ABOVE. It's a completely new take on the vampire mythos. I think her idea is fresh and her writing is unique and interesting. Check it out and you'll see how different our voices are.

And, yes, I'm very pleased to announce that Kristin is currently working on the first book in her own series based on the world and characters from ABOVE.

Happy reading!
PC

Update

Well, I'm home in Tulsa (the view out of my front door) working like crazy on AWAKENED! Yes, it'll be released January 4th. No, I can't write any faster - just thinking about my due date makes me want to run shrieking down that lane!

I don't have any firm movie update, though I am excited about the direction my producer is taking and hope to have good news for all of you soon soon soon!

No (again) I don't have casting call news. No (again) I don't have a clue when a movie will be released. Uh, it's not filmed yet. Yes (again) I'll post news here as I get it. If I haven't posted the answers to your movie questions it's either: 1) because I don't know them, or 2) have already answered them in a previous post.

I should have some fun FLEDGLING HANDBOOK sneak peeks for you soon! Oh, and I do know it'll be released in the UK/Australia/New Zealand in October, too!

UK folks - sadly, it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to tour in the next couple months like I was hoping to. I really have to focus on getting AWAKENED finished. You want me to finish it, right? Right? Sorry, I'm really missing the Highlands, especially 'cause it was 107 degrees Fahrenheit today in Tulsa. NO JOKE. It's too hot to breathe...

XXXOOO
PC

Advice for Aspiring Authors

Apparently my archived blog on this subject got overloaded with posts, and has been unable to accept more - so it looked like I was ignoring y'all when I really was posting your questions and trying to respond. Soooo, I'm redoing this entry. If you posted and didn't see your question, please retry.

Here ya go:

P. C. CAST’S ADVICE ON BEING AN AUTHOR

1. If you want to be a professional author you need to approach the career like you would any other job. RESEARCH THE WRITING PROFESSION. You can begin by reading: BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott, HOW TO GET HAPPILY PUBLISHED by Judith Appelbaum, THE WRITERS MARKET, and THE AGENTS MARKET. Ignore the romanticized idea that says being an author is something magical and mystical – that you lay around, waiting for your Muse to whisper in your ear, or for your dreams to coalesce, and then you’re simply the vessel through which all the stories flow. Ugh. Being an author is a job. Writing is work. Period.

2. Speaking of work – please remember that whatever you write represents you. No one is going to correct your errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. That’s not an editor’s job. Your editor is there to guide you into honing an already well written manuscript into the best work it can possibly be, and not to be a remedial writing coach. You need to work on the mechanics of writing and be as perfect as possible BEFORE you submit work to an editor or agent. Spelling counts! Even in emails. Get serious about that or no one will take your writing seriously.

3. What do I do to overcome writer’s block? Answer: I don’t believe in it! Again, writing is a job. When I was teaching there were many days I didn’t particularly feel like showing up at school and teaching 100+ teenagers, but it was my job and I did it (and did it well) whether I felt like it that day or not. That’s what writing is, too. Some days it’s a pleasure to be an author. Some days it’s hard as hell. Actually, most days it’s hard as hell. But I write whether it’s a breeze or whether it’s sloughing through mud, and so will you if you’re a real author.

4. How do I get inspired to write? Again, it's my job. I have contracts and bills to pay. It's what I do for a living. Yes, I love creating worlds and telling stories. I believe people are happiest doing what they're passionate about - and I'm passionate about storytelling. That doesn't mean it comes easily. I've found inspiration is part research, part imagination, and part good old fashioned work. If you're continually coming to a dead end in your work, perhaps you need to tell a different story. Or perhaps writing isn't for you. I wanted to be a veterinarian, but when I got serious about the career I realized I really didn't like dealing with parasites and poop, so even though being a vet seemed like a good idea, it really wasn't the right job for me.

5. Should you ask me (or any other published author) to read your work in progress, idea, summary, essay, poetry, etc.? NO. Okay – here’s the truth: another author can NOT get you published. Agents and editors can. Focus on them. Oh, and regarding allowing tons of people to read your work as you write – my advice is DO NOT. If you need feedback get into a writers’ group, or a creative writing class, both of which you can find by searching the internet. Honestly, if you're so insecure about your writing that you have to be told by others whether you're good enough to write you probably need to look at another career. Professional authors are tough and tenacious. If you manage to get published you need to have a firm backbone and thick skin because it's like putting your child out there for everyone to take potshots at - and, yes, they will blow holes in your baby. So if you don't believe in yourself before you're even published I'd run screaming from attempting writing as a profession.

6. For the record – no, I don’t read unpublished work. First, I can’t read your work and still have time to write my own. Second, my opinion doesn’t mean anything. I can’t get you published!

7. How can you get published? That’s a question you need to research and work on yourself. See #1 above for more info. Here’s the deal: you wouldn’t walk into a dentist’s office and say, “Hey! I want to be a dentist, so could you tell me how to drill on that guy’s teeth and let me have a whack at him?” Same thing about being an author. I can’t tell you how to do it. I can’t tell you how to write a book. Those are things you need to research and then do for yourself.

8. How do you start writing? JUST WRITE. Sometimes doing an outline helps. Sometimes drawing a chart helps. Sooner or later it all comes down to the writing. There is no magic pill that makes it suddenly happen. Read a lot. Write a lot. That’s all you can do. And is any age too young to start writing? Hell no! I wrote my first book in first grade. It's not about age; it's about talent and drive and tenacity. Teenagers: yes, you can begin trying to get your work published! BUT do your homework first. Know about manuscript format and how a book gets published (by a real publisher, which means you don't pay for it - they pay you). Understand an agent's role in the process. Hone your skills. Then go for it!

9. Go to book signings and buy books signed by someone with a pulse. Don’t ask anything of the author – just go. It builds up good Karma and it helps support the career to which you aspire.

10. Don’t ever download a pirated copy of any book. It’s stealing from an author and her publisher. Yes. It’s seriously bad Karma, whether you ever want to be published or not. If you can't afford to buy a book visit your public library.


As an additional note - some of you have asked about self-publishing. My advice is if you want to write as a hobby, then it's just fine. If you want to making writing your career, then don't self-publish (actually self-print is a better word). Yes, I know there are exceptions, and some self-pubbed authors have gone on to have successful careers with real publishers, but those few are the exception. Real publishers pay their authors, not the other way around. If you want to be a career writer, you need a real publisher. Period.

So, in summary: writing is a job like any other. Educate yourself about it. No, that doesn’t mean you have to be a literature major in college. It means you need to read writers’ resource books and become knowledgeable about how the publishing business works. Yes, it’s a lot to know. Just like in any other job. No, there are no shortcuts to being published (and being self-"published" is really being self-"printed"). Yes, you have to have a completed, rewritten manuscript – in an acceptable format – before you begin looking for an agent or an editor. No, an “idea” won’t sell unless you’re a celebrity, and then it’ll be ghost written anyway, and that’s a whole other issue. Oh, and be careful of Karma...

I wish you much luck in your quest!

PC

Happy 4th of July!

I'm in the Caribbean working hard on AWAKENED and Seoras and some friends surprised me with a Scottish/Irish/Lithuanian 4th of July celebration! It wasn't exactly "safe," but it was fun!

Hope you had a happy 4th!

XXXOOO
PC
p.s. No, it's not cold here, but it's been raining for a week and the mosquitoes are awful! That's why the weird clothing.

Tulsa World article featuring Kristin!

And it's Kristin's turn for some PR! Check out this story by our very own Tulsa World that gives you a peek at Kristin (and a mention of her new story/series!).

http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=275&articleid=20100628_44_D1_Kristi499570

The Telegraph

Here's a link to a piece I did for The Telegraph about my favorite home away from home place in Scotland. Re-reading it makes me miss the Highlands!


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/scotland/7846027/Aberfoyle-Scotland-My-kind-of-town.html

MSNBC TODAY

Check out this MSNBC TODAY on-line article. Our Damien gets a lovely mention!

Teen books with gay themes take off - booknews
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37877961/ns/today-books/from/toolbar

UK fans - check out Mills & Boon NOCTURNE!

So, the super cool Nocturne series I'm part of is being released in the UK by the lovely Mills & Boon (that's Harlequin in the UK). I had a wonderful time writing my book, THE AVENGER. Hope y'all enjoy it! Today is PC Cast day on the new Nocturne UK site: www.nocturnebites.co.uk and their facebook and Twitter:
Twitter
http://twitter.com/MillsandBoonUK

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/romancehq?ref=ts

They're running competitions every day to win cool stuff. Looks like loads of fun!

XXXOOO
PC

Working on Awakened

Hi Guys!
Just wanted to keep you updated. I'm working hard on AWAKENED (release date is January 4th), and thought you'd like to see my view as I'm schlepping away at the keyboard.

You won't believe what's happening in this book!

Oh, and I'll have details about THE FLEDGLING HANDBOOK (release date Oct 26th) to come shortly.

Happy reading!
PC

Bad GLEE pics, but still...

Oooh! Glee was amazing! I was up in the front, center of the mezzanine - nice seats but they made for crappy pictures. Still, for your viewing pleasure:


Outside waiting to get in.



All the Gleek stuff for sale inside (yes, I bought a tee shirt!).



Inside the super cool Radio City Music Hall!




The cast of Glee performing! (Yes, I know it's not a good picture...sorry...)

GLEE!

Oooh! Guess where I'm going this weekend?? TO NYC TO SEE THE CAST (cast...heehees) OF GLEE PERFORM AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL!! Oh, baby! I'll report all Monday!

XXXOOO
PC

Oooh! Divine by Choice!

Oooh! Check it out! DIVINE BY CHOICE is a finalist for best cover at The Cover Cafe! You can vote in all their categories by going to:
http://www.covercafe.com/contest/2009/coverintro.shtml

Don't you love seeing all the different covers!?

XXXOOO
PC

Quick Correction

Oopsie - Seems our event at the Camana Bay Books & Books on Grand Cayman Island is at 4:00 today, Saturday, May 15th, and not 7:00 today. Good thing I double checked...

Hope to see a bunch of you this afternoon!

XXXOOO
PC