Forgotten

by P. C. Cast

  How do you create the spells/poetry/rhymes?

  —Jessica Blaine

  P. C.: The spells, etc., are really just poetry, so what I do is think of the scene as a poem—and then write it. I’m Pagan, so the spells and rituals come easily to me—writing them is my personal devotion to the Goddess.

  How did you create the lore for HoN?

  —Evie Lynne

  P. C.: I began with biology, which means I called my dad! He taught biology for a zillion years and has always been my reference for science-based things. He makes sure my ecosystems work in all my books, and I don’t mix up stuff like meiosis and mitosis. After he answered a bunch of questions, I created the foundation of how my vampyres Changed from human to vamp. Then I delved into the sociology of the HoN world. I made the decision quickly that mine would be a Pagan matriarch, and that informed many of my world’s details. Next came the creation of my heroine, Zoey Redbird. I based her very loosely on Kristin when she was a teenager, and Kristin is of mixed heritage, which I mimicked in Z. For the rest of the lore, I went back to my Celtic roots, added a dash of Wicca and a dose of fantasy—and the House of Night was created!

  When you two write a book together, do you send it back and forth or do you sit down and bounce plot ideas off of each other?

  —Patricia Darlene Morales

  P. C.: Kristin and I don’t write the HoN novels together. I do all the writing and Kristin is my editor. We do co-write the Dysasters, another YA series. We outline the books together and divide up the characters, choosing which characters each of us can envision the best, or has the best automatic connection with. Then when we start writing, whomever’s character is the focus of a chapter writes that chapter. At the conclusion we do physically sit together and pass the laptop back and forth, though, because there are so many characters and so many points of view going on.

  Have you two ever gotten to that point where one of you does not want to work with the other for a while? If you have, how have you worked past that?

  —Victoria Morrison

  P. C.: I’ll answer from the mom point of view. I had a toxic mother. Not only did she constantly pick at and demean me, but she and her mother couldn’t be in a room together without sniping and bickering. Years before I was pregnant with Kristin I vowed to break that cycle. Kristin and I do not fight. When she was a child I made the rules and enforced them, but I also listened to Kristin—and tried to see things from her point of view—to really understand her. I made mistakes, all parents do, but I acknowledged them and apologized and tried to do better. I have always respected, as well as liked and loved, Kristin. So, when we began working together we already had a strong, healthy relationship. I am proud to say that relationship has continued into her adulthood. She is wonderful to work with. I know I can count on her honesty, her intelligence, and her talent. I appreciate her. If she or I ever have an issue with a project we’re working on all we do is talk about it—just like any other problem we’ve had. Kristin is my best friend. I wouldn’t fight with my bestie.

  K. C.: P. C. is fantastic to work with! She’s telling the truth when she says that we don’t fight. If I don’t agree with something that’s happening in one of the books, she listens when I voice my opinion and we come up with a solution together. It really helps that we had such a strong relationship prior to working together and that we continue to have a strong relationship separate from writing.

  Out of the elements, which one do you and Kristin connect with the most?

  —Ande Gullickson

  P. C.: I’m an earth girl!

  K. C.: I totally connect with the tranquil and also destructive power of water!

  There is a running theme of elemental affinity in your work. What research led you to finding that particular theme, and what goal(s) have you both in giving such descriptive language for the feeling of being attached to them? I have an affinity with air and water, and I honestly fell in love with these books and the Goddess Summoning series for the familiarity and kinship I feel with the language used!

  —Elizabeth Fontenot

  P. C.: Thank you, Elizabeth! I’m Pagan and respecting and honoring the elements is an important part of that tradition. I prefer to keep the magick in my books element-based because of my belief system—though I do add a nice dose of fantasy and fiction to the mix. Being descriptive is simply part of good writing!

  A lot of a story involving a hero or heroine requires progression (feats, new powers, love, loss, etc.). Have you given any of your characters any power or feat that you regret? I imagine it’s difficult to constantly be trying to best your previous climaxes and gains over and over.

  —Byron Cox

  P. C.: I don’t have an issue with this because my characters are so much more than their paranormal abilities. They’re living, breathing people first—paranormal beings second. I don’t try to best their abilities book after book. I simply allow them to mature (or not—depending on the character’s choices), so that becoming decent human beings, or vampyres or whatever, is their superpower. The rest is just icing.

  Being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve always loved and appreciated the representation in your books. Why has it been important to both of you to have that representation present? Would you ever consider having one of the characters’ Other World counterparts be a different gender or identify differently?

  —Daniel Jackson

  Would you ever include a transgender or gender nonconforming vampyre/character in any of your books?

  —Mina Baptista

  P. C.: As these two questions are very similar and very important I’m going to include both and answer them together.

  I taught secondary school for fifteen years in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (Go Tigers!). When I began writing HoN, I made a commitment to populate my world with characters who truly reflected the teens I interacted with on a daily basis, so it was completely natural for me to include the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond that I have long been an advocate for marginalized peoples. I am a successful, educated, upper-middle-class cis white woman. I have a powerful voice. I will always use it to protect, empower, and advocate for those whose voices have been drowned out by racism, homophobia, religious hypocrisy, and misogyny. Think of how much could change—how much true good could be done in the world—if all white women metaphorically linked arms and refused to allow the voices of hatred and ignorance to have a platform. Women are powerful. We are wise. We should be joining to nurture one another and make our country and our world a place of love and Light and acceptance. What can you do to make the world better?

  I do have an awesome transgender female character, Charlotte, in the Dysasters, the YA series Kristin and I write together. And in my fantasy series, Tales of a New World, I introduce River, who identifies as gender neutral. I absolutely would add a trans or gender nonconforming character to HoN should she/he/they speak to me.

  When I say the answer is “love … always love,” I’m not being hyperbolic or clichéd. I’m being real. Love has no gender.

  K. C.: The reason why I feel it’s important to include LGBTQ+ representation in my novels is simple—I write stories about humans. Our species is so unique and complex. To write a book that ignores the beauty and challenges of our uniqueness and complexities wouldn’t be true to who we are as a people.

  Will you continue to write about the characters into adulthood (whole new series) and make it into more of an adult series? Hope to see the characters live on in more series and spin-offs to come! PS, how’s life being a grandma/mom?

  —LeAnna Herstowski

  Do you think that we might get more books after the conclusion of this series? I absolutely adore your books and would love for new stories all the time from this book universe!

  —Shelly Harris

  Will there be more novellas on some of the characters?

  —Ande Gullickson

&
nbsp; I asked this on the last post but for good measure (because I really want this): Have you ever considered a novella about Sgiach and Seoras?

  —Niki Rangnow

  Will you and Kristin make anymore novellas? If so, will they be about what the whole Nerd Herd has been up to/doing since graduation? I’d really like to know their side stories!

  —Ashley Munoz

  Will this series be as long as the original HON series? I hope so, I love this universe and these characters. I wish it would never end.

  —Alyssa Hawk

  P. C.: So many of you asked questions similar to these that I grouped several together and will answer them all at once. Okay, here’s what’s up with more books—and this goes for all your favorite authors who write the books and series you love:

  Career authors, like Kristin and me, who make their living writing books, write what our publishers contract us to write—it’s how we pay our bills, buy groceries, and support our families. If you want more books from them all you have to do is buy their books—encourage friends and family to buy their books—gift people with their books—spread the word and get a buzz going about their books! Publishers will only contract authors for books that sell. So, if you say you’re going to wait around until the series is completed to “binge” it, like you’re watching Netflix, chances are very good that the series won’t be completed. It has happened to me, and I’ve been a bestselling author for more than a decade. Imagine how devastating it can be for new authors! Also, never, ever download a book illegally. Not only is it stealing and creating some seriously awful karma, but you’re dooming that author to career failure.

  As to whether I want to write more books in the HoN world—of course! I love this world. I’ve always wanted to tell Grandma Redbird’s story. I would love to write a book set after the first vampyre was created (you can find that creation story in Kalona’s Fall). I love Sgiach and would definitely tell the story of the Great Taker of Heads. It would be fun to write an anthology with short stories that tell about how each of the Nerd Herd was Marked. I could go on and on, but whether I do depends on whether I’m contracted to write more, and that depends on you. So, the end … for now?

  PS In answer specifically to LeAnna—I absolutely love being a grandma!

  Who are your personal top-three favorite characters and your top-three least favorite characters, and why?

  —Josie Buckner

  P. C.: FAVES: 1) Aphrodite—she has always been very easy for me to write and I love the evolution of her character, 2) Grandma Redbird—she is the incarnation of the Crone, the third face of the Goddess, so writing her feels like a blessing, and 3) Lenobia—she has my horses!

  LEAST FAVES: 1) Zoey’s mom—she represents all those moms who used to sit across the table from me at parent-teacher conferences trying to justify why their teen was failing or acting out, when it was obvious that their child was screaming to be heard—to be a priority, 2) Aphrodite’s mom—she’s an entitled racist person who deserved the end she got, and 3) Neferet—I don’t actually dislike Neferet, but she is a difficult character to write because of her descent into Darkness.

  K. C.: My absolute favorite characters are 1) Heath—he’s such a squishy lovebug and I absolutely adore him, 2) Aphrodite—she’s so sassy and fabulous and has grown so much. I’d love it if she was my friend, and 3) Jack—I AM SO GLAD HE’S BACK! (Still mad at P. C. for killing him.)

  My least favorite characters are 1) Loren Blake—he was a total predator. And then he was murdered … twice, 2) Dallas—he turned into such an ass. Yuck! And 3) the White Bull—because, well, evil.

  1) There are many inspiring and powerful quotes in all of your books. As an author, how does this part of creation work? Do you create those quotes and then insert them into the story or are they something that comes naturally during the writing process? 2) How do you feel knowing that there are so many fans around the world who are inspired and passionate about your work? 3) You and Kristin always keep in touch with all of your fans and that’s something we don’t see coming from other authors or known people. How did it start?

  —T. J. Marques

  P. C.: (Waving at Thiago and all our Brazilian “Nighters”!)

  The quotes come naturally from the characters as I write them. If I try to be clever or to insert myself too much in what my characters say I fail miserably.

  The worldwide love for the House of Night is one of the greatest joys of my life, and will be until the day I go to frolic with the Goddess.

  I love connecting with my readers! It started because I can (literally) talk to moss about my books. Ask Kristin. Seriously. So, when readers actually talked back to me it was fantastic! My only regret is that sometimes it’s difficult to keep up and get my writing done.

  If you could bring alive one person from the book (from either world) who would it be and why? (A question for both P. C. and Kristin.)

  —Randy Shewmaker

  P. C.: Grandma Redbird because the world needs more kindness and wisdom.

  K. C.: Definitely Aphrodite. We would have so much fun!

  What does a real Okie twang sound like? Will you ever come to Jacksonville, Florida, for a book signing? It’s beautiful (and will still be lovely weather) in the fall!

  —Sara Rennard

  P. C.: Well, those of you listenin’ to the audio will hear an Okie twang right now! Ha!

  Thanks for asking about book signings! Many readers don’t know that authors don’t set their tours—publishers do that. If you want to try to get your favorite authors touring near you the best things you can do are to 1) buy their books locally and encourage friends and family to buy their books, and 2) ask your local bookstore management to request, via the authors publisher(s) that their store be added to a tour stop list. Publishers listen to bookseller requests—and they also look at sales numbers when deciding where to tour their authors.

  Fans always have a way of showing support for their favorite books/authors (I have a tattoo that was inspired by the cover of Untamed). What is the strangest thing anyone has given you or shown you that was inspired by your books?

  —Maureen Gurney

  P. C.: Oooh! I love this question! (And please share a pic of your tattoo with me online!) Fans have gifted me with so, so many fantastic things! Right now I have a hand-knitted shawl wrapped around my shoulders that a fan gifted to me almost twenty years ago after my first book was released. It’s decorated with symbols from my Partholon books and I adore it. But the weirdest thing by far was when a woman asked Kristin and me to take a picture with her “babies” that she had created based on HoN characters. I was confused because we were at a signing and she had no babies with her, but I said, “Sure!” She took off her fanny pack, opened it, and pulled out little babies that represented the Nerd Herd and they were made of hair! Kristin almost lost it. Our editor was standing behind us and (after the woman left) she said that was the strangest thing she’d ever had happen at a signing.

  K. C.: The hair babies!!! I just cannot …