Colleen Houck Book Club discussion

Welcome to the group! Diana will be answering questions during the month of December 2015 in this thread only. In the meantime if you have a question for the author or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do so in this thread.

Hi Diana! I absolutely loved Rampant! Do you ever plan on revisiting the series? I'd love to find out what Astrid's up to! :)

Had you always planned on writing a middle grade novel?

How is it different shifting from middle grade to YA and back?

Can I ask where you got the idea for the unicorns?

Hi Miss Colleen! I'm new to goodreads and still trying to learn how to navigate it. I am looking forward to finding this book in the library so I can start reading it!!

Miranda (MirandasBookBlog) wrote: "Hi Diana! I absolutely loved Rampant! Do you ever plan on revisiting the series? I'd love to find out what Astrid's up to! :)"

Hi, Miranda! Sorry, for the delayed response. I was having some technical difficulties. I do want to finish the series one day. I have an outline for what would happen in the final book, and even a title (TRIUMPHANT). But I haven't quite figured out a good way to publish it, as Harper has passed on doing any more unicorn books at this time. In the mean time, I have written half a dozen short stories set in the unicorn world. These stories are:

1. "Errant" (in the anthology Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal LoveKiss Me Deadly as well as by itself in ebookErrant at all major retailers): Set in 18th century France, about a travelling unicorn hunter and her pet zhi who come to celebrate a very strange wedding..

2. "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" (in the anthologies Zombies Vs. Unicorns, and The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year): about Wen, a young Unicorn hunter and the baby unicorn she finds in the woods. These character reappear in Ascendant.

3. "Hammer of Artemis" (in the anthology Cast of Characters: A Novelists Inc Anthology): Set during the Renaissance, this story is about the brother of a unicorn hunter who is sent to Rome to collect his sister from the Cloisters. A sister who doesn't want to come.

4. "Huntress Sinister" (in the anthology Athena's Daughters, Vol. 1): Ever wondered what happened to Melissende on that mountain in Ascendant? Find out here.

5. "Last of the Unicorn Hunters" (in the anthology When the Hero Comes Home: Volume 2: a retired hunter returns to the Cloisters during the time of Clothilde.

Right now I'm super busy with other projects, but I do want to find the right time to finish Astrid's story!

Colleen wrote: "Had you always planned on writing a middle grade novel?"

Hi, Colleen! You know, I didn't think too much about it being middle grade. I wanted to write Omega City, and then when I talked to my agent about it, he said it sounded like a middle grade novel. I think the biggest effort to make it sound "middle grade" was in revisions, when we were working on the voice, the phrasing, and the vocabulary.

I'm not a writer who has thought of herself as working in this genre or that genre. My first four books were what was known at the time as chick lit, but now there's a whole genre of books set in college called "New Adult" which didn't even exist then. And sometimes my books are sold as adult books here and teen books overseas. So those decisions are often out of my hands.

Colleen wrote: "How is it different shifting from middle grade to YA and back?"

I think the biggest difference is being much more cognizant of what the "gatekeepers" think is appropriate for 8-12 year olds to read. When you are writing YA, you are writing for teens who are reading really challenging stuff in school -- Hemingway and Shakespeare and such. So I'm never worried about the content. I've been gory or violent, I've discussed serious or racy topics. That's why the books are for "young adults."

Whereas for kids , even though I think they can handle serious topics like nuclear war or plagues or divorce, which are all touched on in the book, you have to be more careful with *how* you present the material. This is probably the first time the kids have heard about the Cold War, for example. So really working to make it accessible.

Colleen wrote: "Can I ask where you got the idea for the unicorns?"

It was a crazy mix of things. Way back in 2005, I had a dream I was being chased by some scary, shadowy unicorn. I woke up and tried to look up dream meanings and unicorns, but the only descriptions i could find were nice, friendly unicorns. So I looked up scary unicorns, and it was like a world opened up. There were all these myths and legends about terrifying, man-eating unicorns that I'd never even heard of before. I'd always thought unicorns were these gentle creatures, but that's a much more modern interpretation. Throughout history, unicorns have been all these other things, and that wasn't well understood. People thought Alexander the Great's warhorse was a unicorn, there were legends of killer Chinese and Turkish unicorns. So I thought, I'm going to write about this other side of unicorns, this one that has sort of been lost to history.

Hi Diana! Thanks for answering my question, I love the title of the 3rd book!
My next question: Since you got the idea of killer unicorns from a dream, have you ever gotten other ideas from dreams for your other books? Also, how or where do you find most of your inspiration comes from?

Miranda (MirandasBookBlog) wrote: "Hi Diana! Thanks for answering my question, I love the title of the 3rd book!
My next question: Since you got the idea of killer unicorns from a dream, have you ever gotten other ideas from dreams..."

I don't really think of it as being an idea from a dream -- not like Stephenie Meyer had for Twilight or anything. I had a dream about a unicorn, which led me down the path of researching scary unicorns, but the real germ of the idea was about the secret history of unicorns. About there being a whole mythology of unicorns that was being ignored. I spent a lot of time looking at old medieval bestiaries and reading up about Alexander the Great and castes of female priestesses and hunter goddesses. I even went to Rome to research bone chapels and cities of the dead.

Most of my ideas are more about something like that -- some topic I get my teeth into and can't let go. Like my first series, about a girl in a collegiate secret society, that was also about wanting to explore a counterpoint to an established narrative -- the idea of these all powerful secret societies where college kids rule the world. But of course, because it's me, I also wanted to talk about feminism on campus. It's interesting to me ten years on that the kind of issues I was writing about -- like how rape is dealt with in the university system, or the dangerous culture of hazing and pranks, are still such major issues.

For Darkness Shows the Stars was because I love retellings, and I love PERSUASION, and I wanted to retell it. But once I got into it, I realized there as so much more I wanted to write about: genetic engineering, and fear, and human potential. And then with the sequel, I was able to retell another story I love (The Scarlet Pimpernel) and also talk about all the fun sci fi tech and other examinations of the same topic I had to avoid with For Darkness. Plus: frocks. I love clothes, and I really got to let my imagination run wild with the gowns in that one.

Finally, with Omega City, I was talking to my husband about how you never saw sort of funny adventure stories with normal kids, anymore like when we were kids -- stuff like the Goonies. Even children's stories were these big epic fantasies, like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. So I decided to write my own. We actually sat down and made a list of the things we thought were cool when we were ten -- spaceships and jumping off tall things into water and treasure maps, and then built a story around that list.

This is about Across a Star-Swept Sea, so I'm embarrassed to say that the only experience I have with the Scarlet Pimpernel is the Daffy Duck version. I LOVE LOVE the idea of the hero being in disguise as a silly fop. When did you first read that story and how long was the idea percolating in your mind?

Again about Across a Star-Swept Sea, it says that their ancestors went to space to avoid the destruction of the Earth. Did they repopulate a portion of the Earth or are they somewhere else?

I love the Polynesian feel of the two land masses in Across a Star-Swept Sea. Is this a case of the people adopting the culture of the area or a culture adapting an area to what they knew before?

Diana wrote: "I have an outline for what would happen in the final book, and even a title (TRIUMPHANT). But I haven't quite figured out a good way to publish it, as Harper has passed on doing any more unicorn books at this time. In the mean time, I have written half a dozen short stories set in the unicorn world. These stories are:"

I love the title! Such a unique idea with that story. Would you consider self pubbing?

Diana wrote: "Colleen wrote: "Can I ask where you got the idea for the unicorns?"

It was a crazy mix of things. Way back in 2005, I had a dream I was being chased by some scary, shadowy unicorn. I woke up and t..."

Love it! I sort of have a thing for unicorns too ;) Qilin are in Tiger's Destiny and there may just be something fun appearing in the Reawakened series as well.

In For Darkness Shows the Stars can you tell us where there heroes are now? What happened to them since we last heard from them?
...
Oh, snap! Just got to the part in Across a Star-Swept Sea that answers that question. So then these two books are happening around the same time, right?

Do you have plans for more books in the Stars series? I'd love to see more of Elliot, Kai and Persis and Justen.

Where is the country in For Darkness Shows the Stars located? And what are our names for Albion and Galatea?

Hi Colleen & Diana!
This question is for Diana. I have not read your book Omega City yet. I love how in the summary it compares the book to The Goonies. Gillian sounds like an endearing, passionate character. Who (if any one person) was your inspiration for writing Gillian's character?

Now the cover. I love the intricacies of the artwork. Were you able to get involved with the cover design & if so what was your role?

Oh and I'm so ecstatic to see you have an outline & a title for the final book about Astrid and the killer unicorns! Triumphant is just a great title! I'm also interested if you'd consider self publishing this book?

Colleen wrote: "This is about Across a Star-Swept Sea, so I'm embarrassed to say that the only experience I have with the Scarlet Pimpernel is the Daffy Duck version. I LOVE LOVE the idea of the hero being in disguise as a silly fop. When did you first read that story and how long was the idea percolating in your mind? "

Hi! Checking in post holiday.

I think I first read the book of the Scarlet Pimpernel in high school, but I'd seen the movie with Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews and Ian McKellen in 5th grade, and it left a huge impression. I love how the Pimpernel was a hero without being physical -- a trickster.

Oddly enough, we're all a lot more familiar with the Scarlet Pimpernel than we think, because the story was enormously popular in the first part of the 20th century and was actually an inspiration for another rich guy who plays dumb so no one knows he's secretly a superhero: Bruce Wayne, aka, Batman.

After For Darkness Shows the Stars came out, people wanted a sequel. I didn't want to do another Austen book, but I was joking with a friend about how I'd had to write a scene into For Darkness where Elliot wears a frock, because they put a girl in a frock on the cover. And since they'd probably do that with a sequel, I needed the frockiest book on the planet to retell.

Well, The Scarlet Pimpernel is SUPER frocky. And as soon as I started thinking about it, the ideas came fast and furious: the idea of "beheading" as less of a physical punishment and more of a mental one; the shadow of revolt that lies over For Darkness actually coming to fruition and what that would mean for the upper classes, the opportunity to put in all the advanced tech that I couldn't write about in ForDarkness... it was perfect!

Colleen wrote: "Again about Across a Star-Swept Sea, it says that their ancestors went to space to avoid the destruction of the Earth. Did they repopulate a portion of the Earth or are they somewhere else? I love the Polynesian feel of the two land masses in Across a Star-Swept Sea. Is this a case of the people adopting the culture of the area or a culture adapting an area to what they knew before?"

I combined these two questions because they are related. The population of Across a Star-Swept Sea came from two different sources. In the future depicted in these books, the mistakes of the Reduction led to an epic World War that destroyed every civilization on Earth, using a tectonic weapon that caused massive earthquakes and volcanoes. This weapon also created a new land mass in the middle of the Pacific, which one group of people (who had spent the war living in space stations). terraformed, landed on, and decided to stay there. The other population were survivors of these tectonic weapons who also managed to get to New Pacifica. Because of the location of this land mass and the makeup of the people who likely managed to get there, it makes sense that the culture and ethnicity would be largely Polynesian in origin. I definitely had Hawaii, Fiji, etc. in mind when I was writing.

For Darkness Shows the Stars covers about a year... I'd say Across A Star-Swept Sea begins a month or so after the end of For Darkness?

Yun-a wrote: "Do you have plans for more books in the Stars series? I'd love to see more of Elliot, Kai and Persis and Justen."

Thank you! Right now, I'm not planning on writing more of their story, but never say never. It depends on if I find the right story to retell, and what more I have to say about that world. In the meantime, you can read the prequels free online: Among the Nameless Stars and The First Star to Fall.

Yun-a wrote: "Where is the country in For Darkness Shows the Stars located? And what are our names for Albion and Galatea?"

For Darkness Shows the Stars takes place on what is currently the North Island of New Zealand. Elliot's farm, the North Estate, is located near what is known as 90 Mile Beach.

Albion and Galatea do not exist in our world. New Pacifica, the land mass where they live, was created by its original settlers. In the wars of the Reduction, a giant tectonic weapon (this is my geology degree going wild!) destabilized the tectonic plates of Earth, causing massive earthquakes and volcanoes. One of these eruptions resulted in a new landmass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I created a map of this landmass, using as models Pacific atolls (which are the remnants of vast undersea volcanoes) as well as other crescent shaped volcanic islands, like Santorini in Greece.

You can read more about how I invented the island (and see the map) here: http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/findi...

Miranda (MirandasBookBlog) wrote: "Gillian sounds like an endearing, passionate character. Who (if any one person) was your inspiration for writing Gillian's character?

Now the cover. I love the intricacies of the artwork. Were you able to get involved with the cover design & if so what was your role? "

Thank you! I don't know if any one person was my inspiration for Gillian. All of my heroines have a bit of me in them, definitely, but Gillian is designed to be the heroine for the story she is in. Since my middle grade novel. despite all the adventures, is a story about a family, she's someone for whom family is very important.

Her name, Gillian Seagret, is a bit of an in-joke. She was probably born in 2002 or 2003 and her father is a big conspiracy theorist (I often describe him as "imagine Fox Mulder as a history professor") -- so of course he named her after Gillian Anderson, who was starring in the X Files when Gillian would have been born. And their family name, Seagret, sounds a bit like "secret."

The cover was designed by the amazing Vivenne To, who is a well-known designer of children's book covers. (She also did the Loki's Wolves series and the redesign of Suzanne Collins Overlander books!) It was my first illustrated cover and I love how much input I got into it. First they sent a sketch, and I got the chance to talk about what elements i wanted added or changed. For instance, it was my idea to have Gillian turning around and reaching for her brother's hand on the ladder, which I thought really drove home the point that SHE was the protagonist of the story, as well as her dominant personality trait.

Miranda (MirandasBookBlog) wrote: "Oh and I'm so ecstatic to see you have an outline & a title for the final book about Astrid and the killer unicorns! Triumphant is just a great title! I'm also interested if you'd consider self publishing?"

Yes, it is something I have considered. I've actually self-published several things -- a bunch of backlist short stories, two original prequel novellas (Among the Nameless Stars and The First Star to Fall), and even several original adult romance novels under the name Viv Daniels. So I'm not newcomer to self publishing. So that possibility is out there. But the difficult with something like that is splitting up the rights to the series -- trying to make sure there's access to the audience and that the audience has equal access to the entire series. So I think it would take a lot of careful planning and consideration to do it right.

Hi Diana,
First, let me just say, that I got pulled in with your Rampant series (Killer Unicorns!!! who even knew that was a thing), before getting lost into the world of Amy and Poe, and of course Kai and Elliot. I <3 Kai and Elliot so much (to be fair, Persuasion is probably my favourite Austen novel, but Kai and Elliot really really hold a special place in my heart). The short version of this gushing session is that I love you're writing, especially aimed at "older audiences" (NA/YA).

So...I'm not sure if this is cheating, but my question is aimed at Viv Daniels ^^. I was wondering if you ever planned on revisiting the Canton Series (especially Sweet & Wild)?

Best to you. Happy Holidays

You do a ton of research for your books! With Omega City there's a lot of conspiracy theories. It would take me a year to research all of those! How long did it take you for this one? Do you research ahead or do a little as you go along?

And the winner of the Diana Peterfreund chat this month is Miranda! Msg me with your mailing address so I can ship out your prize. Thanks for all the great questions! I'll be sending you my own personal copy of Omega City, Across A Star-Swept Sea, and Rampant, as well as one of my books. Congrats! Don't forget to check out my next chat where I'll be featuring author Alexandra Monir!