Fan Q&A
You have questions? P. C. & Kristin have answers for you!
What inspired you two beautiful ladies to bring HoN back? The fans of your beloved series? Just because it’s the tenth anniversary? Or another reason entirely different?
-RHIANNON “RHINNY” RICKETS
P. C.: I’d always planned on writing another HoN book, but I thought I should wait about five years or so and then write a book set in the distant future—at least fifty years after the events of Redeemed. Then Kristin and I realized the tenth anniversary was upon us and we wanted to do something special for our fans. Though neither of us read reviews, we do interact with fans a lot, and we listened to what our readers were saying—what they missed most about the HoN, what they most wanted to see if/when I wrote a new book. Then we brainstormed a few different possibilities, like a new novella or perhaps an anthology of short stories, because I didn’t think I’d have time in my schedule to write an entire book. But Kristin and I kept circling around to a new idea we had that would open up a whole other dimension to the HoN world. We decided I should go for it and see if I could get the book done in the time I had—and I did! It was such a pleasure returning to the HoN world that we outlined a second book as well, and I’m currently working on it!
P. C. and Kristin Cast, not only mother and daughter, but a wonderful writing duo. As coauthors, how exactly do you work together so successfully and what role do each of you play when writing the HoN series?
-LUC WEST
P. C.: For the HoN series, I do all of the writing and Kristin serves as my frontline editor. Early in the series she made sure Zoey and the gang didn’t sound like fortysomething disgruntled schoolteachers. As the books progressed, the characters’ voices became set, so Kristin shifted to being much more involved with plotting and brainstorming with me. I rely on her editorial advice completely.
Kristin and I do actually coauthor books. Together we wrote The Scent of Salt and Sand (a novella in Kristin’s new-adult series, the Escaped), and we’re coauthoring a new YA paranormal series scheduled to debut in 2018 titled The Dysasters. When we co-write we choose our own characters and decide whose turn it is to write which chapter according to whose character has the main point of view in that particular chapter. Careful outlining is very important when we co-write.
People often ask what happens when Kristin and I disagree and how we resolve fights between us, and that question makes us laugh. We don’t fight! We work together with mutual respect and very little ego. As to final plot and character decisions—if we’re actually co-writing, we tend to leave that up to whomever is writing that part of the novel. If it’s a HoN issue, I have the final decision as I’m doing the writing, but I pay close attention to Kristin’s advice—she’s usually right!
When writing the outline for the story of House of Night, was Nyx the only Greek goddess considered, or were there other options that may have been chosen but for certain reasons, they didn’t make the cut?
-ELLA MAY FLEMING-CHRISTIE
P. C.: I had help finding Nyx! As I was creating the HoN I asked a student of mine if he would like to research goddesses for my new series. He was excited to help, and all I told him was that I needed a vampire goddess and I would prefer she be based on one of the lesser-known mythological deities. He brought me this poem of Hesiod’s, and I knew immediately that Nyx was my goddess and the House of Night was what the school would be called. In return my student helper was the inspiration for Damien!
There also stands the gloomy house of Night;
ghastly clouds shroud it in darkness.
Before it Atlas stands erect and on his head
and unwearying arms firmly supports the broad sky,
where Night and Day cross a bronze threshold
and then come close and great each other.
(Hesiod, Theogony, 744 ff.)
What was your inspiration to write the series? A lot of writers don’t keep a series going for as long as HoN. What kept you going with it?
-EVEE HILTON
P. C.: In 2005 my agent, Meredith Bernstein, and I were having dinner at a writers’ conference and she said she would like me to write a series set at a “vampire finishing school.” She wanted me to write something really hot (for adults), but I was teaching high school and I immediately envisioned it as a YA series. I proposed it to her as young adult and she fell in love with the House of Night!
I had a story arc outlined for the House of Night, and because of my deadlines and my word count restrictions, it simply took twelve books to get to the conclusion.
At what point in the series did you decide to make the dynamic between Aphrodite and Zoey change to where they become best friends? When did you decide to make her one of the “good guys”?
-FELICIA CAREY
P. C.: From the very beginning! I knew I wanted to stay away from clichés, whether they were vampire or teenage in origin. I believed it was important to show the multilayered personalities of girls who, like Aphrodite, get labeled bitches or bad guys. I also wanted to allow all of the main characters the opportunity to develop, mature, and grow.
I would like to ask a two-part question. From all of the phenomenal characters in HoN, who was the first one? How did you decide if they were going to be good or evil? Thanks :)
-NANCY WENTE
P. C.: Zoey was the first character I created. Sometimes I planned the character development very early and intended them to be good or evil all along, as in Aphrodite and Neferet. Sometimes characters stepped up and demanded I pay attention to them, like Rephaim, Nicole, and Aurox.
Who is your and Kristin’s favorite character from the series?
-JAZZ ALEXANDRIA SCHAGANE
P. C.: My favorite to write is Aphrodite, but Zoey will always hold a special place in my heart.
K. C.: Heath is my absolute favorite character! He’s super loosely based on a guy I went to college with, who is very, well, Heath-like.
I have a question. Are there transgender vampyres and would Nyx gift them with the body they truly want?
-EMILY FRIESEN
p. C.: There absolutely are transgender vampyres! In the HoN society, ALL are accepted by Nyx and her followers. I’m not going to say Nyx would never gift one of her people with the body that truly reflects who she or he is, but the Goddess doesn’t like to manipulate human events. Instead, she blesses her people with strength, wisdom, kindness, tenacity, etc., and allows them to find their own paths.
Sister Mary Angela … Maya Angelou. Intentional or just a happy coincidence?
-RACHEL FORRESTER
P. C.: Intentional! And I’m thrilled that an ex-student of mine caught that! XXXOOO
Zoey’s love life is so complicated and stressful it always made me relate it to myself and my real life. Why did you choose to continue the strenuous love complications for so long for Zoey instead of cutting it short and simple like most writers would have to avoid the conflict of fan opinions?
-CHRISTINE CARECHILD
P. C.: I’m glad you asked this! From the beginning of the House of Night, Kristin and I felt strongly about making a clear point about treating Zoey’s love life realistically. The truth is teenagers are confused about who they should date, and that’s great! Thinking that a young person who isn’t even old enough to vote is old enough, mature enough, to choose a life partner is ridiculous. You have to know yourself well before you can choose with whom you’d like to spend your life. Teenagers are just beginning to discover who they are. They need to move through that journey of discovery without being shackled to a life partner before they’ve barely begun to experience life!
It is also a sad truth that young girls are consistently slut shamed if they dare to date more than one young man, but the young men? They’re hailed as studs and heroes for being popular with the girls. I created a matriarchal society for our vampyres in the HoN, and one of the beauties of a society run by women is that women aren’t judged for choosing their own way—and that often means they date more than one guy at a time, especially if they’re barely eighteen years old.
K. C.: I do have to stand up for all of my fellow authors out there who chose to equip their characters with a more simplified relationship status. They most likely did not do it to avoid the conflict of fan opinions. As authors, we love you. We appreciate you. We need you. That being said, a lot of authors write the book they want to write whether or not readers will have conflicting opinions. Actually, as an author, I hope readers have different opinions. It means you heard me. It’s a fabulous feeling to have one of my books be the catalyst that gets people talking to and learning from each other.
Which character did you find the most enjoyable to write, and which did you find the most challenging and why?
-TED RYAN
P. C.: I enjoy writing Aphrodite most. She and I share a sense of humor and a few other personality traits (it’s probably best I don’t elaborate on that!). Neferet is the most challenging character to write. Her descent into Darkness was a tough journey to follow.
Why did you kill Loren Blake?
-MARYON PEFFERLE CONCHA
P. C.: I’m glad you asked! Loren Blake was a predator. He manipulated and used Zoey. Adults who abuse their positions of power (teachers, the clergy, politicians, public servants) instead of serving and protecting those in their care should be held responsible. Loren is not a romantic character—no matter how handsome and charming he appears. He’s an abuser and a predator.
As the authors, if you could bring one of your characters off the page and into our world to have dinner, which character would it be and why?
-CATHRINE JAMESON
P. C.: That’s a hard question! I would really like to have dinner with the entire Nerd Herd! But if I have to choose one character I would probably pick Lenobia. She and I share the same horses!
K. C.: I would love to have dinner with Aphrodite! Can you imagine all of the HoN gossip? It would be fabulous!
Here’s a question for ya, I don’t know if it was ever touched on in the books if the adult vamps could have kids? Little Zoey/Starks running around would be adorable. But I’m guessing they probably can’t reproduce?
-MEGAN MCGURN
P. C.: It is impossible for vampyres to reproduce in the HoN world. The Change increases a fledgling’s metabolism and body temperature so that by the time they are adult vampyres women no longer have periods, which means they no longer ovulate, and men no longer produce viable sperm.
K. C.: This will never change. No HoN vampyre will ever have a child. Never ever. No way. Not happening.
Was there any inspiration from a fan or any fans on certain characters or any inspiration from fans on the settings, plots, and themes of any of ya’ll’s books? And I love ya’ll’s books so very much!
-JEREMY GRACE
P. C.: Yes! Some of the characters were inspired by real people. Example: Zoey was inspired by Kristin at sixteen years old. But Zoey and sixteen-year-old Kristin are also very different. Once I put a character in his or her fictional world that character begins to take on a life of his or her own. Because the world is different than our own, the characters develop as unique people and often end up having little in common with the “real” person who inspired them.
As to setting, plots, themes … For Loved, Kristin and I did take into consideration the things fans have been asking us about for the past three years, and we wove answers into the story!
What was your favorite part about writing this book? Is it hard to pick back up after being done with these characters for the last three years?
-LEAH GEORGE
P. C.: My favorite part of writing this book was the whole thing! It surprised me how nervous I was to write another HoN book. I felt a lot of stress about it, and it took me several months to begin writing, but as soon as I dove back into the HoN world the book took off! It was like I’d traveled a long, difficult distance to visit a group of very close friends, but once I got to their “house” I was completely at home again and had a fantastic time! I’m already working on the second book and loving it! No more stress—no more nerves. All is well at the HoN (for me, that is—for the characters, not so much).
Did you plan out how the whole story would progress, major plot points and such, or did you just make it up as you went?
-THERESE EWA KLINGBERG
P. C.: For the HoN, Kristin and I brainstorm major plot concepts and write a very loose outline. I usually begin with a clear opening scene and know where I want to be at the conclusion. What happens in the middle is much less clear and often changes and surprises me!
This is a question for you both—If you could change one thing in the entire series, what would it be and why?
-ANITA JOUBERT
P. C.: I’d definitely change the length of the books! I love writing long books, and I would have vastly preferred writing six big books instead of twelve regular-sized books.
K. C.: I would have encouraged P. C. to write a novella about the origin of our vampyres. It’s a really interesting story that no one else knows, and I think readers would enjoy it so, so much!
What is the hardest part of dealing with publishing? Are there any secrets to dealing with publishers as an upstart author? Do you ever get so tired of editing your drafts that you begin to think your novel sucks? How do you keep inspiration flowing when you hit a really bad writer’s block or just lose interest?
-ALYXANDREA JADE LOFFER
P. C.: The hardest part of publishing is that the outcome and success of your career is such a fluid, subjective thing. As an author, I write the best books I can, and that’s the last bit of control I have over them. Then they go out into the world and I basically have to just wait and see what happens with them! Example: Chosen, the third book in the HoN series, was my first book to hit any bestseller list. Chosen was my eighteenth published novel.
Secrets to dealing with publishers? YES! The best advice I can give to aspiring authors is to research the job of being a professional author as you would any other profession. You wouldn’t walk into a dentist’s office and announce, “Hey! Someone hand me a drill and I’ll get to work!” without years of training. It’s the same with the business of being a professional author. Know the steps that have to happen to take a manuscript all the way to becoming a book on the shelf of a bookstore. Know an editor’s job. Know an agent’s job. Decide whether being an author is your career choice or a hobby. Then read and read and read, and write and write and write.
If you get tired of editing your drafts, you need to choose a different career. Writing is rewriting.
How do I keep inspiration flowing? Writing is my job. I’m under contract to produce books. I don’t look at publishing through rose colored glasses or treat it like a hobby. I write whether I feel like it or not, just like I used to teach whether I felt like it or not because it was my job and I had a responsibility to do it well. Professional authors don’t have time to indulge in writer’s block.
K. C.: For me, the hardest part about the publishing industry and the secret to dealing with publishers go hand in hand—develop thick skin. Major publishing houses are not in the business of candy coating. If they think you suck, they’ll tell you, but in a more eloquent way. There’s an enormous chance you’ll be rejected more times than you thought you were able to deal with, but if this is your career and not a hobby, you will persevere.
If you’re hitting a wall with your writing, whether it’s “writer’s block” or losing interest, you’re not writing the right thing. Go back a scene. Skip to a new chapter. Take a walk. Don’t just sit there trying to force the sentence, scene, chapter, whatever. It’s clearly not working, so it’s time to try something new.
My mind is fried after noticing that this question might be published in my favorite series. I’m simply over the moon and floating amongst the stars with the prospect of another HoN book. But I do wonder … How are you able to not only juggle writing this book, but your new series, the Tales of a New World?
-DANIELLE BITSCHE
P. C.: I’ve been writing for a long time and I know how to move from world to world and book to book without having my characters and plots blend together. I also schedule my deadlines so that they don’t usually run over the top of each other. As I’m answering this question, I’m working on copy edits for Loved, the draft of the next HoN book, the first book in Kristin and my new YA series, The Dysasters, and Wind Rider, the third book in my Tales of a New World series. It’s about focus and dedication and hard work.
Of all the stories you (and Kristin) have written, which is your (and her) favorite?
-CAITLIN EVANS
P. C.: That’s a really difficult question to answer. Books are a lot like children or fur babies—it’s hard to have a favorite. I’ll always love my first published book, Divine by Mistake. Currently, I’m really enjoying my new fantasy series, Tales of a New World, particularly Sun Warrior (October 2017 release). I think my favorite book in the HoN series is Burned, but Loved is a close second.
K. C.: Scarlet Rain, book two of my Escaped series. I’ve always wanted to write a book about a super gross pandemic/disease creature/bug thing, and I did (but with a heavy dose of magic and Greek mythology)!
Is there going to be a HoN movie?
-SARAH NORMAN
P. C.: In November 2011, Samuel Hadida at Davis Films purchased the film rights to HoN. Kristin and I met with Hadida in Paris and had a lovely time discussing what was supposed to be the first of five major motion pictures. Hadida hired a fantastic screenwriter, Marc Haimes (Kubo and the Two Strings). Marc wrote a wonderful screenplay that has my full support. Hadida has done nothing with it. There isn’t anything more Kristin and I can do until the rights revert to us in 2020. Yes, we find the situation very frustrating. If you want to make your voice heard and tell Samuel Hadida you would like the HoN to come to film (or TV!). Here is his contact information. He’s not listening to the authors. Maybe he’ll listen to the fans!
Twitter: @Metropolitan_Fr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavisFilms.us/
Email: [email protected]
Mailing address:
Davis Films
29 Rue Galilée, 75116
Paris, France
Would HoN be better as movie or TV series?
-JACKIE RAE HANSEN
P. C.: I’d like to see it as a cool cable series!
K. C.: Me too!
Are you guys planning on coming out with anymore “products” based off the series? Like the candles and the wisdom cards?
-MEGAN CHAPMAN
P. C.: Yes! Stay tuned to our websites, www.PCCastAuthor.com and www.KCastAuthor.com for new merchandise!
What’s next for you two?
-DEREK CHARLES
P. C.: Thank you for asking! In October 2017 Sun Warrior, the next book in my YA fantasy series Tales of a New World releases, and HoN Other World book two releases in 2018.
K. C.: P. C. and I are also working on a new YA series, the Dysasters, which releases in 2018 as well. As for my solo project, I’m busy writing something that is absolutely amazing and that you will totally love!