A Whirlwind through Cleveland . . .

I had so much fun in Cleveland! First I talked at a school on the West side. The kids and I had a lot of fun! The next day I did a signing on the West Side at the Crocker Park Barnes and Noble, then off to the east side for a signing at Joseph Beth in Legacy Village. Here are a few pics...!
I read from Book 2, Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness, from a chapter called "The Memory Mogul." Sound familiar? (see the name of this blog....) It was a fun section to read, but since everyone was laughing it was hard to keep a straight face!

I love the enthusiasm of kids. But, just as great is the enthusiasm that comes out in adults when they let the child in themselves come out! (Kind of a habit of mine...)

This was a beautiful and huge store. Look what a good job they did decorating the table I signed at! They even put fake cobwebs up --- (let's hope they were fake!!)

Kids of all ages and sizes came around for the signings. I met a boy who was seven at another store who had read all the Harry Potter books. He was home schooled, and his mother told me he was doing ninth grade algebra, and was writing a novel!!

Speaking of home schooled kids, I saw this link that was a tribute to some amazing things home schooled kids have done. Check it out! http://www.amazing-kids.org/kids1-99.htmhttp://www.amazing-kids.org/kids1-99.htm

Until later ... with love,
Kaza

Jonathan and me

The fourth book signing I did in Cincinnati was another special one. Another Cincinnati Bengal Pro Football player, Jonathan Fanene, met me at the Barnes and Noble in Newport (across the river in Kentucky) to sign my books with me. Like Landon Johnson, his agent is a friend of mine. It was a quieter signing for some reason, but it was really fun to have him there. It was the day before a home game, and pretty much right after he was done he had to go check into a hotel downtown with the rest of the team.

Like Landon, he was a super nice guy. He made the signing extra fun for me. And interesting! I got to find out more about what goes on in the minds of athletes before big games. Oddly, it reminded me of what goes on in writers' minds as they work. Same getting-in-the-groove, psyching-up issues. Writers have a lot of rituals and superstitions about their work, too.

Check out Jonathan at http://www.bengals.com/team/player.asp?player_id=67

Soon I'm off to Cleveland, and get to meet some great kids at a school on the West Side. Then more book signings, then I get to go home for a few days!!

Until then, all love ---
Kaza

Landon and Me

Hi everyone! This is my first post on my new blog. Of course I had to pick now to start a real blog. I have nothing else to do ... that is, except start my book tour in a few days, arrange details with the schools I will be talking at, pack, oh - and, oh yeah ... work on book three, Erec Rex: The Search for Truth.

For those who don't know me yet, I am Kaza Kingsley, author of the Erec Rex fantasy series. My first book, Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye came out last fall and hit the bestseller list in fantasy last winter. It's out in paperback now. Book two, Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness, just hit the shelves.

So it's starting all over again. The interviews, book signings... But this year my first signing was a little different, and very cool. Cincinnati Pro Football starting linebacker Landon Johnson came to sign my books with me at the Barnes and Noble in Westchester (part of Cincinnati.) I am friends with his agent, and, well . . . It was amazing, really. He was (is this so typical to say) SO nice. He really made the signing fun.

BTW, in the picture I look exhausted. That's, well, because . . . I was exhausted!

It was odd, though. I almost felt like it was a contest - how many people came up to him, and didn't know about me, versus how many came for the book and my signature and didn't recognize him. I'm sad to say he was starting to win (okay, he's hard to miss, he looks like an athlete. More in person than in the picture.) I had fun sneering and pretending to act jealous, but then a few people would come to me, so excited to read book two, and not noticing him, and then it would all be better.

So what does Landon say? You'd think a famous player (and he is getting more and more known around here) would say something obnoxious when I even started to get competitive with him. But instead he was so nice. He said that his career would be over soon and mine would last my whole life, I'd be much more famous than him, it's the nature of his business . . . It made me feel bad I was even messing around with him. What a sweet guy.

More about Landon at: http://www.bengals.com/team/player.asp?player_id=44

Soon I'll spill all about the next (yes, you are hearing right) football player I signed with a few days later!!

Until then, all love.....
Kaza
http://www.erecrex.com/