Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

Today's the day! I can't believe that Wild Highland Magic , the last book in my MacInnes Werewolves trilogy, comes out today, but here we are. And I think I've managed to bring the story to a close in style. These books will always have a special place in my heart, both because I've fallen in love with the characters and because this trilogy was the start of my career as a published author. This has been an amazing journey so far, and I can only imagine (usually with a glass of wine in hand, gazing into the distance dreamily and eating junk food) what the future might hold. But what a beginning, and what an awesome group of writers to have it with! Anyway, on to the blurb, for those of you who don't yet know what the third installment of the MacInnes saga has in store... Bastian an Morgaine has always been a man apart. The only male ever born into the Dyadd Morgaine, Tribe of the Goddess, his unusual powers and silent strength have kept him a mystery even to...

Since I'm feeling a little tapped out in the blogging department today, having blogged about both my new book and my life as a writer so extensively that I am now fairly sure I'm one of the more boring people walking the earth, I thought I'd give an interactive blog a shot for today. Casababes, you up for it? We all talk so much (out of necessity, it's true) about the writing aspect of our lives that I sometimes feel the fun and fascinating women behind the curtain get a little obscured to people who don't shoot the breeze with us on a regular basis. So today, I thought it might be fun to each volunteer something our readers probably don't know about us, a fun and funky little known fact that is as much a part of who we are as the laptops we're so often attached to (my father recently suggested I just go ahead and get a lanyard for mine). I'll start, and then open the floor, otherwise known as the comments section, to the 'babes. And readers, pl...

So this is a picture from my vacation. Yeah, yeah, so it's the "online surfing" portion of my vacation. Who said my brain didn't get to have a Spring Break too? And anyway, it's Wednesday, and everyone can use a little Fabio to get them through the rest of the week:-) Anyway... I really am on vacation with the kids in North Carolina right now and trying to keep my computer time light so I can actually enjoy the week off, but my mom and I were having a discussion about romance this afternoon: what we liked in books, didn't like, etc. I can see that I probably picked up Marie's cosmic vibes or something, because she talked about one side of that equation on Sunday with her pet peeves (and IMO, they were pretty spot on). So today, I thought I'd mention a few of the things that draw both me AND my mom, who I've mentioned is an avid reader and by the way has a TON of books here I want to read, to pick up and enjoy a romance novel. They're thin...

I may never have mentioned it, but as someone with a degree in English (Secondary Ed/English concentration, actually), I'm not only a lover of literture...I've gotten swept away by a fair number of poems, as well, some of which are as inspiring as the most beautiful pieces of music. I thought, for this Monday, I'd share one of my very favorites. Like much of my favorite poetry, it's moving, lyrical, wistful, and its imagery, speaking of love captured in one of its fleeting moments of perfection in a decidedly imperfect world, has always rung true for me. The picture, which I put up recently on Wickedly Romantic, is also by an artist I've always liked, an early twentieth century illustrator named Maxfield Parrish. This piece is called Sleeping Beauty...I thought it fit:-) Hope the picture and the poem help start your week off with something lovely. And if you're a poetry lover, are there any special poems you carry with you? -Kendra Lullaby by W.H Auden Lay your ...

It isn’t every day that we get the chance to provide food for a Romance party. We Casablanca writers take our romance very seriously – and our food! Tasty dishes are our forte, so when the opportunity arose to serve up something spicy, hot, delectable, and addicting for Publishers Weekly’s Barbara Vey’s Bash for her second anniversary of “Behind the Book,” we rose to the challenge. It had to be pleasing to the palate, every morsel mouthwatering, pleasurable while partaking, extremely satisfying when completed, and also make one hungry for more. Are we still talking about food? Maybe! W e will let y ou decide what you now crave – either way, the desired gratification can be found at our blog. Books to the left….. recipes below……. Read on, let your imaginations go wild, and be sur e to cli ck over to Barbara’s Romance Blow Out to join in the fun. Eve ryone is invited! There are dozens of giveaways (including th e Casablanca novels), numerous host s and special guests, hunks galore roam...

Hello, everyone! Another week, another Monday...and I was completely gypped out of this past weekend, since we were moving into our new house (with the help of our parents, who came up because they love us enough to withstand several days of moving-related torture). I'm still awash in boxes, and there are still piles of things laying around waiting to be put away, but at least we're completely extricated from the rental house. I wasn't sure that was EVER going to happen. And also, I'm puzzled as to when, exactly, we accumulated so much useless crap. Wow. Anyway, considering the continuing insanity around here, this sounds like the perfect time to indulge in a new book. Not that I'm at all sure when I'm going to be able to sneak off and read in the near future, but man, does this picture look like a good idea. Turns out I'm not the only person craving a good book, though, and this is where the "help a reader out" bit comes in. When I (finally) manag...

My mom's birthday is always a special day in the Castle family. It should be, considering the number of years she spent making her three kids eat vegetables, driving us to various school activities in lousy weather, taking her life into her hands to wake me up on school days, and generally taking excellent care of her unruly brood. That includes Dad, by the way:-) I wanted to share her day with all of you today, though, not only because she's an awesome person who deserves it, but because I probably wouldn't be writing what I do if it weren't for her. See, my mom is the Original Romance Junkie. And I don't only owe her my existence...I probably owe her my career. Oh my God, I can already her her gloating out there somewhere. Yeah Mom, you were right. You always said I should write a book. Annoying, but you were right:-) My house was chock full o' romance for as long as I can remember. I know I've already told the story of my early reading revelation around h...

We've all met a few of them along the way: those characters who live on in our thoughts long after the story has ended, prompting us to wonder, however irrationally, what happened to them. As a reader, I've encountered a number, and going back to read their tales is like meeting up with old friends. For instance, I'm re-reading Stephen King's masterpiece The Stand right now, a book I've revisited every couple of years since discovering it in the sixth grade. His particular gift as an author, and one that has always inspired me, is to create characters who leap off the page and truly breathe. I have wondered about the eventual fates of Frannie, Stu Redman, and Tom Cullen for a long time, wishing I could check in on them. There's no way to know, of course. Stephen King himself probably doesn't even know. So I re-read their story and try to content myself with revisiting the places I, and they, have already been. And "Don't Fear the Reaper...

Well, tomorrow's finally the day! Hope to see lots of new faces and intriguing ideas at tomorrow's pitch contest, where the trick is to hook our lovely editor Deb Werksman in fifty words...or less:-) Sound impossible? It's not. But man, does it take some creative editing! Writing up a quickie blurb, the fast pitch, is always a challenge for me. It can also be fun, in a sick-and-twisted, semi-painful sort of way, but it has never been easy. You see, I'm what is nicely described as *ahem* somewhat long-winded. Meaning my most frequent writing sin is that I stuff so much information into my drafts that they then require a machete to free the good stuff from the, er, voluminous extra. So I figure having to write blurbs is good for me, though I'm like Cheryl in that no one should expect me to be able to rattle off a snazzy pitch verbally. You'd only have me gaping at you in silent horror, totally floored without a glowing screen and about an hour to whittle the descr...

By Kendra Leigh Castle Jean Pierre wrinkled his nose. “Do you know, I really detest that word. We’re Dagmorvanian royalty. Leave it at that, please.” “Sure, no problem. I mean, sorry.” Tricia looked at them, trying not to be overwhelmed by the sight of three gorgeous extraterrestrial men with their pants undone, all looking at her like they’d like her to remove what scant clothing she was still wearing. She wondered, fleetingly, what it would be like if all three of them really did want to ravish her, a faint flush rising to her cheeks. Then Merry spoke, a welcome distraction from strange and heated thoughts. “All right, boys, that’s quite enough,” she said, wagging a finger at the grinning trio. “Boys?” asked Tricia, eyebrows raised. Whatever else she might have called them, she doubted that was a word she would have picked. “Merry was our governess for many years,” Marcus said, turning Tricia’s attention with his deep, honeyed voice. There was humor in his deep blue eyes whe...

By Kendra Leigh Castle Tricia tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear, feeling her curiosity beginning to overtake her fear. She glanced around quickly, and decided that she was safe enough from being either ravished or dragged off somewhere for the time being. There were bound to be other band members wandering through. Still, for the moment, they were alone. “So you’re telling me Armand is lying?” she asked, arching a skeptical brow at him. “I mean, the sex slave dealer was a new one on me, but still. I know Armand. I don’t know you.” Not , Tricia silently amended, that I wouldn’t like to fix that problem . The dark, handsome stranger was even more compelling close-up, his fair skin a striking contrast to close-cropped ebony hair and eyes such a dark blue they were almost black. His mouth, a hard yet somehow sensuous line, curved slightly upward. “That, I'm happy to fix.” He put his hand out, and Tricia let her small hand be enveloped in his large ...

Amazing. Just a couple of years ago, I would never have believed that I'd be in this picture. And yet there I was on Saturday, signing my books alongside the lovely Marie Force and Robin Kaye at the B&N in Baltimore's inner harbor (and by the way, Robin and Marie, you guys are SO much fun, and I'm so glad I got to hang out with you!). It was a little slow, since it was windy and freezing outside (and eventually, snowing), but I don't think I could ever be bored in company like that. If ever there were two women born to write witty contemporary romance, it's Marie and Robin. The laughter kept me warm. Which is good, since we were seated very near the front doors. That's me on the right, with the big smile and the frozen cleavage, shortly before I mooched Robin's scarf. Casa Babes rock even more in person. DC is going to be a blast this year! But anyway, as I sat there on Saturday, sampling our buffet of Hershey's kisses and dishing about every...