Happy Holidays!

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!

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!

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/

Latest Movie News

Just wanted to keep you guys in the loop. WE HAVE NO UPDATED MOVIE NEWS. Yes, the series has been optioned by Davis Films of the Resident Evil franchise for more than two years. I AM WAITING IMPATIENTLY ALONG WITH MY FANS, so refer all of your frustration, questions, casting choices, dreams and wishes for what could be total awesomesauce if, as Stevie Rae would say, "The dang things ever get made!" to my producer, Samuel Hadida, at Davis Films. XXXOOO PC p.s. Let me know if you hear anything!

USTREAM TONIGHT!

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!

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!

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

Destined Video!

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

LIve Stream Event for DESTINED!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

New lines from Destined!

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!

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!

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!

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!

(Keep checking for the next one...)

XXXOOO
PC

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

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...

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!

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!

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!

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...

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

PC

DRAGON'S OATH LAUNCH SIGNING!

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!

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...

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

Book giveaway for DRAGON'S OATH!

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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!

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

OK Magazine Article

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

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