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