It's Time...

Time for the blog tour to begin!  With MIDNIGHT RECKONING coming out on January 1st, I start roaming the internet today, giving away signed copies and chatting about Jaden, Lyra, and how exactly a cat vamp and a werewolf manage to get together when they make one another's fur stand on end!  Today I'm being hosted by the lovely Carmel at Rabid Reads...hope you'll stop by and try to win the prize!

Shameless Romance Reviews today!

Just a reminder that I'm at Shameless Romance Reviews today!  I had a lot of fun with the post...see my overweight cat! Discover the source of my inspiration for the Dark Dynasties!  Enjoy a picture of some hot dude taking off his pants!  Come on over and try for the giveaway...you know you want to:)  Hope to see you there!

Music Monday 7/11 & Blog Tour Update

Happy Monday, everyone!  First, here's a song to get the day started.  It's by a British band called A Silent Film...they're very good.  This is a fan-created video, since they don't have an official one for the song.  Pretty pictures!:)


More writing for me today!  The kids have gone to their grandparents' for a few days, so IN THEORY I should be able to get work done while the sun shines.  First, however, I appear to need more coffee. 

In other news, the Release Month Blog Tour for Dark Awakening rolls on!  Tomorrow I'll be at Shameless Romance Reviews talking about how I came up with the Dark Dynasties (featuring cat pictures and one of my favorite hot man photos of all time...some of you will recognize him, as I've drooled over it before).  And of course, there's a giveaway!  Wednesday I'll be at Bitten by Books with an interview I did with Ty MacGillivray, the hero if Dark Awakening.  He was reluctant at first, but we managed nicely!  You can RSVP HERE to get an extra 25 entries in my giveaway to win one of five signed copies of the book (and let me know if you have trouble with the link, as I have a different one if there are problems).  At the very least, make plans to swing by and chat with Ty and I.  It was a fun post to do!

Have a great day...it may be a Monday, but the sun is shining here:)

Bookmarks, Contests, and a NYC Wrap-Up!

Right off the bat, I've got to tell you about a lovely author who invited me over to blog today.  Joan Swan, who makes her Kensington debut soon, interviewed me...and she's made absolutely GORGEOUS bookmarks with a Dark Awakening theme.  There are five she's giving away, and you have to see how pretty they are!  Apart from that, there's a copy of Renegade Angel and a signed copy of Dark Awakening up for grabs.  Prizes galore!  Please come visit, it was great fun to do the interview.  And for real, those bookmarks.  WOW.  Click HERE to go!

And now, the NYC recap.  I realize I'm late on this, but I paid for my week o' fun with the Migraine From Hell, which cranked up shortly after I got home.  The week was well worth the headache, but it took me until today to really feel human again.  So without further adieu, here are some snippets from my week in New York!

On Tuesday, I quickly met up with my buddy Cheryl Brooks and some of her Sextet (if you like some serious hawtness, check out their menage anthologies from Siren...or just check out Cheryl's Cat Star Chronicles, because ROWR).  We wandered away from Times Square and, um, in some sort of direction.  I don't know what direction because I never really know where I am.  Eventually, we ended up at the Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue, and did what writers do...we hunted for our new releases!  It was soooo cool to find them both, nearly side by side!  After that we went to Trump Tower to have lunch. The man has his face on the water bottles, his daughter's jewelry line on display, and a bunch of Apprentice-themed junk for sale.  It's like crappy Disney World.  Still, we had a ball.  Except for the hair I found in my salad, which then got exchanged for another salad.  Ew.

That night was the ENORMOUS Literacy for Life signing.  The one in which I participated a couple of years ago in DC was nowhere near this big!  I had my little RITA finalist flag at my spot, and I only barely restrained myself from making off with it.  I can't even begin to describe the noice to you.  Check out this little vid of the place before the doors opened to the public.  The sound?  Just authors.

After that, a bunch of us, including the lovely Marie Force, went and got rowdy at Sardi's.  There, it was decided that erotic YA Amish romance is, indeed, the wave of the future.  The food was great, but I could have eaten twice as much as what I ordered.  I know, right?  Oink.  I loves mah food.  Here's me and Sextet member Mellanie Szereto.

Wednesday was kind of the Literacy Signing hangover day.  It had been so loud, and I shouted so much (because it's impossible to talk otherwise) that my throat was pretty raw.  On the upside, I got to sit by Janet Chapman, who has been enchanting readers for a loooong time, and she is a completely awesome human being.  I loved talking to her.  On my other side was Linda Castillo, who made a smart, funny neighbor.  I am seriously in awe of these women.  Seeing what they have done and continue to do keeps me pushing.

So Wednesday I had lunch with Ann Leslie Tuttle, my editor at Nocturne, and we went to a very swanky restaurant called Blue Fin.  Several tables away Tara Gavin was entertaining the likes of Gena Showalter and Nalini Singh.  I was very good and did not explode into some kind of insane fangirl moment...but you know I wanted to!  Instead, I had a lovely time with Ann Leslie.  She showed me pictures of her adorable baby.  I made her look at pictures of my kids and my big slobbery dogs.  It was great:)

I had my fangirl moment later, and also snagged a signed copy of Archangel's Consort. *happy sigh*

I wore a lot of black, by the way.  And my feet are still killing me.  Such pretty heels.  Such terrible instruments of torture.  Wednesday night I went to dinner with Kristen Callihan, who makes her debut with Grand Central in the spring with Firelight, a Victorian paranormal that not only has a gorgeous cover, but is also just generally kick-ass from the excerpt I read.  Kristen is awesome.  We had burgers and beer, and I failed to get her to adore fried pickles.  Check out her cover!

Thursday was insane.  Had a great meeting with Kevan...you know, I'm just realizing that I have NO pictures of Kevan and I.  I have no idea why.  I ran around a lot.  I grabbed too many signed books because I have no willpower, got to attend the GH/RITA finalist reception (free champagne, woot!), and then walked with a group of people to the Grand Central cocktail party.  There are not words for how cool it was.  Hopefully someone will have pictures from it...I know there were some taken.  I, um, had my hands full of a glass of ever-refilling wine. *ahem*  I just love the staff there...so much energy!  So irritatingly younger than me!  SO FREAKING FUN.  After taht, I caught a cab back to the hotel, and my father (who had arrived earlier in the day) and I went to see Rain, the Beatles tribute on Broadway.  It so rocked.  I grew up loving the Beatles, and it was great fun to do this with Dad.  The guys who play them are just crazy talented.  Then we went for the best Italian food I've had in years at Villa Barulia.  Great night.

Friday arrived.  I was dragging butt a little, but it's hard to flag for long when you've got all this outside your window (an insane 44 floors down!).  I was nervous for the RITAs.

The day was a blur.  Had a great sit-down with Selina McLemore, my editor (who, damn it, is also younger than me by a couple of years!).  Ran into a lot of fun people.  Talked incessantly.  Ate very good sushi.  And in the evening, made my way to the Marsal-Lyon Agency cocktail party waaaay up in The View Lounge at the top of the hotel.  It rotates. *urp*  I combattted the unpleasasnt sensation with cosmos and good conversation.  Here's me, Marie Force, and Robin Kaye enjoying the evening.

I was already all dressed up for the awards, as was my dad.  Didn't he look handsome?  I was seriously so, so glad he was there.  And he was in awe of what a big event this actually is.

So after a quick dinner with Marie, Dad and I made our way to the ballroom to meet Ann Leslie.  I had to do some mini-interview, which I barely remember and probably don't want to.  My nerves were shot!  Plus, I always think I must look like a complete dork.  Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, who knows?  Or maybe I'll just try not to ever see it. 

The ceremony itself was great.  I loved listening to the speeches of the writers who won...all very inspiring.  I didn't end up taking home the gold statue, but you know, being at conference this year made me realize that I'm at the beginning of what looks like it could be a nice, long career.  As impatient as I am, I do have time.  All I can do is keep working hard.  Um, and I really do want to win one of those statues one day:)  After it was all over, Dad snapped a shot of me and my cheering section.  Can't tell you how lovely it was to have two of my dearest friends rooting for me in the audience!

You know, I'm 34.  You'd think that eventually I would stop being surprised that I am possessed of a fairly ridiculous amount of cleavage.  And yet, this picture made my eyebrows go up.  Oh well...artfully displayed is key, right?:)

I spent the rest of the night in my room, decompressing and eating incredible bacon-covered pizza with my father.  I was sad, sure.  There's just as much stress as excitement involved in something like the RITAs, but I wouldn't have traded a moment of it.  And I was, cheesy as it may sound, proud of every woman who took the podium that night.  Writing is tough.  Celebrating the women who do it, and do it well, is wonderful.

So here I am, back at home.  I spent a nice weekend with my parents (at least, utnil my stupid headache kicked up).  I have been hugged and slobbered on, I have thrown my heels into the recesses of my closet, and I'm getting back to work. 

And there you have it...probably the longest post I've ever done on here!  Have a great day, ladies, and I hope you enjoyed the pictures!  
 
 

And the Winner Is...

Carla!  Your name was picked from the prize hat this morning, courtesy of my daughter (who is soon going to insist on some kind of sparkly dress and theme song to announce her if I keep making her do this).  Please send me your address at kendra@kendraleighcastle.com, and I'll get your book out to you this coming week!

Thanks to everyone for participating.  I now have a TON of new reads on my list to check out!  I'll be doing another giveaway once my author copies arrive, so keep an eye out:-)  Have a great weekend, everyone! 

Friday! And More Free Stuff!

Happy Friday!  I'm...not exactly sure where this week went on me.  Well, okay, I am a little, since I've resumed my passionate love affair with my Nook and am happily devouring Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter books (I'll be finishing Archangel's Kiss today).  The story is, of course, right up my alley (Angels! Vampires! Everyone is hot and many are snarky!), but her voice is the kicker.  Juuuust right, drew me right in.  I would like a man-harem of the Seven, please.  As soon as they can be delivered.  And of course, I'll have to read her Psy-Changeling series after this.  Hooray for getting into an author when she has a big backlist for me to enjoy!

So, a small announcement, and then I'll open the floor to discussion so somebody can win a signed copy of Dark Awakening, since I have another to give!  It looks like I WILL be doing at least a couple of HOT short stories for Nocturne's new Cravings line, which will be available online only (this is a more erotic counterpart to their Bites line).  I've just gotten the thumbs up on the outlines I did, so I couldn't tell you yet when these will be available, but I think quite early in 2012 with the schedule I've set up.  I will, of course, keep you posted!  I'm going to a dark faerie tale place with these, which should be a lot of fun! 

Aaaaand now,  the (very non-fancy) contest: like last time, open until midnight PST.  I'll do a drawing, assisted by my lovely hat-owning, paper-selecting daughter.  Just let me know if you'd like to be entered in the comments!  And for discussion, since I have the summer ahead and am determined to carve out more reading time on my brand spankin' new screened-in porch, what are the books you have REALLY loved this year?  Did you grab one that really lit a fire under you, like "OMG MUST KEEP READING NOM NOM NOM" (or something like that)?  I love to hear what people are reading, esp. because I love a book I can sink my teeth into myself:-)  I mean, you don't even want to know how excited I am that Dmitri's Guild Hunter story is coming out in September. *happy sigh*  Oh, and please check out this AWESOME review from the amazing Kristina!  She has a great book review site going, and I am completely tickled that she loved Dark Awakening so much!  Click HERE for the goodness!

We Have A Winner!

Thanks so much for playing along, everyone!  I had my daughter pull a name out of a hat this morning, and the winner of a shiny new copy of DARK AWAKENING is...

NANCY!  Congrats!  Drop me a note at kendra@kendraleighcastle.com, and I'll get your book out to you on Tuesday.

I'll be giving away another book this coming Friday, so be sure to come back!

Dark Awakening Giveaway!

It's Friday!  Friday, Friday, gettin' down on...oh, God, forget I sang that.  Anyway, a couple of days ago, I received a most excellent surprise from the fabulous Latoya Smith: four hot off the press copies of my book!  They are gorgeous.  So, so gorgeous.  I was on my way out, so I grabbed one and forced all the parents at my youngest kid's preschool to observe its beauty.  Probably they were afraid, but I was excited:-)

In any case, I gave a copy to the graphic artist who did the Dynasty tattoos for me, and I'm hanging onto a couple until my actual box of author copies arrives, but I thought it would be fun to give one away.  Because, hey, Friday, free stuff, it's all good.  I'm not going to get fancy, just do a drawing, so if you'd like to be entered let me know in the comments.  Contest open until midnight tonight (PST), and I'll announce the winner tomorrow.

And for discussion, since I started with that awful earworm of a song (the Epic Mullet Guy version is way better), what other sings make you crazy in a "this sucks but it won't leave me alooooone" kind of way?  A recent one for me was Nickelback's "This Afternoon" (you click that link at your own risk...some of the band is cute, but the video quickly becomes obnoxious bimbo overload).  Yes, I know there are a lot of Nickelback fans out there.  I'm not one of them, belonging to the prestigious Every Time a Nickelback Song is Played, God Kills a Llama group on facebook.  And yet, despite my lunging to change the channel every time I heard the opening chords of that song, there it would stick.  Sometimes for days. *shudder*  Share you pain, win free stuff.  It's all good!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Win a copy of Dark Awakening!

Hard to believe, but the release of Dark Awakening is only a couple of months away!  Wanna win a copy and read it, say...now?  My publisher, Forever Romance, is having a week of giveaways on Twitter to celebrate the royal wedding, and today they'll be asking trivia questions and selecting FIVE winners to receive a copy of Dark Awakening!  If you're into Twitter (I keep trying, and then forgetting about my account, and then trying, and then forgetting...it's a vicious cycle), check it out a @ForeverRomance all day today.  Good luck!

I just finished writing the sequel, actually, and am now crawling out of the Writer's Cave O'Pain to re-engage with normal life.  It's been a busy year, but things should be smoothing out now a bit, so I'll be here more often:-)  YAY for hitting another deadline!