P. C. Cast: On Women’s Roles in Mythology
A veteran of the United States Air Force, P. C. Cast also taught high school English for 15 years before retiring to write full time. Her novels have been #1 on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and her landmark House of Night series has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. She now lives near Portland, Oregon, near her fabulous daughter (and occasional co-writer) Kristin Cast. Learn more at PCCastAuthor.com, and follow her on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, P. C. discusses the inspiration behind her new novel, Boudicca, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: P. C. Cast
Literary agent: Rebecca Scherer
Book title: Boudicca
Publisher: Morrow
Release date: January 21, 2025
Genre/category: Fiction
Previous titles: The House of Night series, Tales of a New World series, Partholon books, Goddess Summoning Series, Into the Mist, Out of the Dawn
Elevator pitch: Inspired by the rich history of the Celtic queen Boudicca’s attack on Roman occupied Britain, bestselling author P. C. Cast crafts an epic, mythic retelling of one of history’s most legendary warriors.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I have always written books to empower women and have been intrigued by women’s roles in mythology as well as history—especially when that history or mythology has been blemished by the patriarchy. I love removing the patriarchal bias and reviving history and mythology so that women’s stories can be told authentically. My goal is to breathe life into forgotten or misrepresented queens so that they are viewed with the respect they deserve.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I first began researching the amazing Iceni queen Boudicca in 2007 when I was writing a paranormal romance book for Harlequin, which I set during her life. Boudicca intrigued me then and has remained in the creative part of my mind since. I got serious about telling her story about three years ago and dived back into research. I had a couple false starts I had to scrap, but when I finally heard her voice writing that magnificent queen’s story was pure pleasure.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Yes! At first I tried a YA angle to tell Boudicca’s story. I wanted to begin with her youth and continue the story with her much younger than she historically was (early 30s). I wrote the first third of the manuscript and it just didn’t work, so I scrapped it. Very quickly I realized that I needed to stay as true to history as I was able, which was difficult because the Iron Age Britons didn’t have a written language. I had to depend on faulty and biased accounts by the Greeks and Romans, and on archeological records, which were also biased. I wrote the first half of the manuscript in third person, and then on the advice of my agent I revised it to first person, which is when I found Boudicca’s voice!
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Many! I loved how little details surprised me—like the wolf pups. But the biggest surprise was the overwhelming sense of joy that filled Boudicca for the vast majority of the book. I expected to discover a wise, strong warrior queen. I didn’t expect to find that she also was such a unique, spectacular human being.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope Boudicca’s strength empowers them—her wisdom and compassion fills them—and her joy stays with them long after they turn the last page of the book.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
For new authors: Research the business of publishing. Know all the ins and outs of how a book goes from being inside your head to the shelves of Barnes & Noble.
For experienced authors: Challenge yourself! Try writing something out of your comfort zone, even if it never gets published.
