TULSA, Oklahoma -
A Tulsa woman who says her name appears in a series of popular teenage vampire books is suing the Oklahoma authors. Erin Bates alleges the authors published defamatory statements about her in the novel "Hidden," the latest installment in the House of Night series written by an Oklahoma mother-daughter team: P.C. and Kristin Cast.
"In her petition, Ms. Bates complains of their actions and describes the novel as untruthful and intentionally depicting her as shallow, materialistic, promiscuous and heartless," according to attorneys Daniel E. Smolen and Miranda Russell.
Bates is suing for actual and punitive damages in excess of $125,000, according to court documents.
The House of Night books are set in Tulsa and feature real locations for the fictionalized work. The House of Night is a boarding school for vampire "fledglings" - adolescents who are destined to become adult vampires.
Cascia Hall, Utica Square, Gilcrease Museum and the Tulsa Jazz depot are a few of the locations featured in the works.
The Erin Bates character is one of several high school vampires that are friends of the main character, Zoey Redbird. The Erin character has been used in all the novels but the portrayal changes in the tenth installment titled "Hidden," where the girl has a falling out with her friends.
Attorney Miranda Russell says in a news release that Bates is a former student and assistant to P.C. Cast, who published several supernatural romance books before teaming with her daughter Kristin for The House of Night series. The first House of Night novel, "Marked," was released in 2007.
The books have been published worldwide. The Casts sold film rights to the young adult fiction series in 2011 to Davis Films, known for the "Resident Evil" series and "Silent Hill."
Bates "also claims the Casts' actions have subjected her to unreasonable and highly objectionable publicity and placed her before the public in a false position," the news release states.
The Casts have no comment on the lawsuit, according to P.C. Cast media relations representative Sherry Roland.
P.C. Cast and daughter Kristin Cast.
