Mother and daughter writing duo, PC and Kristin Cast, have a new book out now! LOST is the second installment in their bestselling House of Night Other World series. Pick up a copy of LOST today and read below to learn a few fun facts about this dynamic duo, as they answer our 20 questions!
1.Your best virtue as an author.
PC: Tenacity
KC: Getting sh*t done even though I procrastinate, or tenacity (as PC said way more politely than I did.)
2. Your most quirky author habit.
PC: I’ve been writing while I walk on a tread desk since 2009. I love it!
KC: I keep hardcopies of each version of my manuscript. I recently had to reorganize my garage in order to find a new place to store them. The rational part of my brain understands that I don’t need them for any reason, but the emotional part gets massive anxiety when I think about dropping them in the recycling bin.
3. Your favorite quality in a protagonist.
PC: The ability to learn from his or her mistakes.
KC: Same, same! The books I love to read the most all have protagonists who grow and learn and evolve throughout the story. It’s one of the threads I love to follow as I’m reading.
4. Your favorite quality in an antagonist.
PC: Selective compassion.
KC: Extreme, crazy violent scariness. I don’t like to watch scary movies or shows, but I love terrifying stories. This is how I get my horror fix.
5. If you could ask any other author, past or present, a question who would it be and what would you ask?
PC: I would love to hang out with Anne McCaffrey in her home in Ireland, Dragonhold-Underhill, and ask her about the amazing world of Pern she created. One question would definitely not be enough.
KC: One of my favorite horror writers is Ray Bradbury. I would love to ask him what truly scares him.
6. When you aren’t writing, you are____
PC: …feeling guilty for not writing.
KC: …eating!
7. Your easiest book to write.
PC: The first House of Night Other World novel, LOVED. Writing it was like coming home.
KC: The first book in our new series, The Dysasters. I’m really in tune with the two characters whose points of view I was writing from. They each have a lot of aspects of my personality and it was fun for me to explore those further.
8. Your hardest book to write.
PC: WIND RIDER, the third book in my post apocalyptic fantasy series. I love the series and the book, most especially because it made me grow as an author.
KC: I haven’t written enough books yet to have one that was particularly harder to write than the others. While The Dysasters felt a tad easier, they’re all still very difficult to write.
9. Your ideal writing place.
PC: In my home office on my tread desk with candles burning, a full pot of tea brewed, and my dogs and Maine Coon snoozing around me.
KC: This kind of depends on my mood and what’s going on around me. Since I have an infant at home, I tend to write at the dining room table so I can stare at him obsessively while he naps, which may or may not be what I’m doing at this very moment.
10. Your favorite childhood book.
PC: When I was very young Dr. Seuss’s I HAD TROUBLE IN GETTING TO SOLLA SOLLEW was my favorite. And I’ll always love ALL HORSES GO TO HEAVEN, an anthology of horse stories selected by Beth Brown.
KC: A Porcupine Named Fluffly by Helen Lester (author) and Lynn Munsinger (illustrator). I still have my original copy!
11. The book you’ve reread the most.
PC: THE SILVER METAL LOVER by the late, great Tanith Lee is pure magic. A girl comes of age – a robot develops a soul. I cannot count how many times I’ve read it.
KC: The only books I’ve reread are the books I had when I was a kid. I will watch the same TV shows over and over again, but will only read a book once.
12. Your favorite hero from literature.
PC: Let’s make it heroine instead. It has to be Celie from Alice Walker’s masterpiece, THE COLOR PURPLE. I love her for her strength and the fact that she found hope in a seemingly hopeless world.
KC: After watching the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice sometime around when it first came out in the 90s, I made it my mission to read the novel. I was in love with Darcy, (and from then on Colin Firth, too), but admired Elizabeth more. Not only was she strong, resilient, witty and bold but she was also able to learn from her mistakes and move forward without shame or fear.
13. Your favorite villain from literature.
PC: J.K. Rowling’s Lord Voldemort is a great character study. I love the backstory Rowling created. It made him the perfect mix of creepy and pathetic.
KC: Bram Stoker’s Dracula was the first gothic/horror novel I read and it will forever hold a special place in my book loving heart. Dracula is an excellent example of the personification of evil.
14. The name of your autobiography.
PC: P.C. Does Not Stand for Politically Correct
KC: From Red to Blue (and all the colors in between)
15. Your favorite comfort food.
PC: Pasta! Pasta! Pasta! With a side of Italian red.
KC: Copier, copier bo-boppier! Psketti has always been my favorite food, and then suddenly it was PC’s…
16. First thing you do when you finish writing a novel.
PC: It’s usually dawn so I like to watch the sun come up as I feel an immense sense of relief and almost perfect happiness.
KC: I either call my mom and yell that I’ve finished or run into the other room and yell to my significant other that I’m finished. So, I guess I yell a lot.
17. A secret talent you have.
PC: I have a way with orchids. They love me and I love them right back!
KC: I can adapt really well to different situations. I don’t actually like change, but I am good at readjusting.
18. Where have you always wanted to travel?
PC: Australia and New Zealand!
KC: Bora Bora, the Maldives New Zealand and Japan
19. One tip for aspiring authors.
PC: Research the job of being a published author. Learn what editors do and don’t do. Learn the process it takes to turn a manuscript into a book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble.
KC: I’ve sat in front of my computer staring at the screen while totally feeling hopeless and defeated. Writing is difficult and can lead you to feeling like you have writer’s block, but that’s all it is – a feeling. It’s like anxiety or happiness. The way you talk to yourself while you’re in it makes all the difference. If I sat there and told myself how horrible I am, I would never be able to finish my book. I believe one of the most important parts of being an author (and being a human being in general) is to exchange the negative self-talk for positive affirmations.
20. Puppies or kittens?
PC: As I just welcomed two Scottie puppies into my home I’ll say puppies!
KC: Puppies! That breath is everything!
To learn more about PC and Kristin Cast and their books check out www.infinitelyinteresting.co
