Q: Aaahhh, you ended Hourglass on a cliffhanger! How could you do that to me?

A: A: I'm sorry! Would you believe me if I said I didn't mean to? Well, that's not exactly true.

I can't say I didn't plan it this way, but back when I did plan it this way, the books in the Evernight series were going to be released six months apart. I reasoned that six months wasn't too terribly long to leave people in suspense, especially as most people don't grab the book the very week of release. Of course, as you know, the decision was made to release the books once a year instead—and by the time that happened, I'd written too far in to change the pacing of the story so as to avoid a cliffhanger.

So here it is. I'm sorry if it drives some of you nuts. But I hope you enjoy the book and rest a little easier knowing that Afterlife is finished, already making its way through the publishing pipeline, and will be coming to you in March 2011.

::runs, hides::

Q: Are there more books in the Evernight series? When will they be released?

A: There are four books in the Evernight series proper. Hourglass will be released in March 2010, with the fourth and final book, Afterlife, following in March 2011. (I know, I wish they could come out faster, but the publication schedule's not up to me.) Also, HarperTeen will be publishing a fifth, stand-alone book all about Balthazar, which will come out following Afterlife—I'll let you know a publication date for that as soon as I have it.

Q: Do you have any other books besides the Evernight series?

Although I don't have anything else in bookstores now, I will be publishing the Spellcaster series as soon as I'm finished with the Evernight books. That will be a three-book series in which a well-meaning young witch, Ivy, finds she must call upon darker powers to defeat a dangerous enchantress and break the curse on the man she loves. I'm very excited about these books and hope you will be too.

Q: What actors would you cast as Lucas and Balthazar? What actress would you want to play Bianca?

A: Honestly, their images in my mind don't look much like any actors I know. Several fans have suggested different people, all of whom look good to me. One actress that does strongly resemble a character is Yaya Dacosta, who is very close to my idea for Patrice.

Q: What is your advice for aspiring writers?

A: The two most important things are (a) reading everything you can get your hands on, because the best writers are always avid readers, and (b) writing as frequently as you can, so that it becomes a habit. You will have to work your way through many bad pages before you start writing good ones, so go ahead and begin now! You should also educate yourself about the business, which means following reputable agent websites and online fora such as Agent Query and Absolute Write. Finally, don't be too anxious about getting published before graduating from high school or college—a lot of people are worried about this, but you shouldn't be. Worry about getting your writing ready; it happens on its own schedule.

Q: Why vampires?

A: Why not vampires?

I would say that I've always been interested in vampires, werewolves, ghosts and pretty much anything that should exist (if far from me) but doesn't. I used to check books of folklore out of the library and read for hours. Then there was Anne Rice, then there was Buffy, then there was Moonlight—basically, if it had vampires in it, particularly if it wasn't flat-out horror, I wanted to check it out. Then, a couple of years ago, the idea for the Evernight series came to me, and I thought I would give it a try.

Q: Vampire lore has many variations. Sunlight, garlic, crosses affect some, some can turn into wolves, bats, mist... et cetera. Did you sit down and come up with a set of rules for how your vampirism works before writing? And what are they?

A: I did sit down and come up with the rules before I wrote the series. Not all the rules—some of those I worked out of realized as I went along—but the fundamentals I had to get straight before I got started. As for what those rules are, well, right now, I think a couple of the most important ones would be a bit spoilery.

Q: What, to your mind, are your primary vampire sources—everybody will draw upon Dracula and Nosferatu, of course, but how about Angel, Nick Knight, and other pop culture "Children of the Night?"

A: Nick Knight I'm not as familiar with; the others I'd definitely all call myself a fan of. (And if you haven't seen the Werner Herzog remake of "Nosferatu," check it out!)

Q: Did you base Evernight Academy on your own creepy boarding school experiences or was there an entirely different inspiration for the setting?

A: No boarding school for me, thank goodness. (I actually think I might have enjoyed that experience, but let's just say, not at Evernight Academy.) I went to a fairly atypical high school and knew I would have to write about an unusual place—the school came first, and the vampires followed.

Q: Do you have sequels already planned, or are you still working on ideas?

A: When HarperCollins agreed to publish Evernight, we decided together that it would be the first of a series of four books. Before I completed Evernight, I sat down and worked out rough outlines for what would happen in all four novels. Although I have deviated from those outlines somewhat, and am always brainstorming for new elements to add or ways to make them better, the core story arc and major events remain the same. I have ideas for Evernight books beyond these four, but hey, what's that way out there in front of my horse? I think it's a cart!

Q: Have you always wanted to write YA?

A: Honestly, it was only a few years ago that I seriously started thinking about writing for publication at all. But once I did, I realized I was interested in telling YA stories. I would also like to write for adults someday, but YA is incredibly energizing and fun. So I hope to keep doing this for a long while to come.

Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?

A: I enjoy pretty much the whole process, but I particularly like it when a scene starts to go well and I get really into it. I also love hearing from readers and finding out what they thought about the story.

Q: What books or authors have influenced you most in your own writing?

A: There are so many I could never possibly name them all. If I had to pick one out from the horde, I'd have to say Gone With The Wind and Margaret Mitchell.

Q: How long did it take you to write your books?

A: It depends what you mean by "write." In terms of sitting down and typing, maybe six months. But I worked on my outlines and ideas for the whole series before I even finished Evernight, so by the time the fourth book is done, I will have been working on it off and on for more than two years.

Q: When you write, do you have to have silence, music, etc?

A: I'm not too particular about my surroundings, so long as I can be comfortable and not have too much racket to deal with. Ideally, though, I like to put on some music. I create a soundtrack for every book I write, and I listen to it while I work (or sometimes on my iPod while I'm out walking, so that I can brainstorm what comes next). So most of my writing is done to those soundtrack. (You can check out partial versions of each book's soundtrack here.) But I will write anywhere: on the subway, on an airplane, outside, etc.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration? Are you influenced by other works of fiction, or the news, or is it all out of your own head?

A: All of the above.