Phew!!!

Man, it's good to be home. I had such a great time on the East coast ... up until the last few days. I was so excited before that, enjoyed every minute of it. I, literally, was the only person smiling on the subway from Brooklyn (where I stayed with my sister) into NYC. (I'm sure the regular passengers thought I was nuts. I was just so excited to get into the city again!)

But the second to last day of my tour I got the Big Sign that it was time to go back. I had a lot to do - certain stores I had to stop by and sign books for, a store event that night, an afternoon online appointment... But to start I had a killer amount of email to answer - the night before I was up 'til 2 AM, then did two more hours that morning before I got started. So I essentially (after all that) started my day in a panic. After that, my rental car broke down, computers malfunctioned so I missed my afternoon online thing - after half an hour of needless trying - parking was impossible all day, I hit traffic . . . And basically I lost every reserve of energy I had.

Perfect time to come home and collapse!!

But - I'm already getting excited for my California part of my book tour. I have some great events and school visits lined up, and some great people to hang out with over there.

Until then,
All my love --
Kaza ;D

Things are Getting Stranger...

I just got into DC last night. It was great hanging with my brother. He told me something freaky though, and I just have to share. It's becoming a strange world (guess it always has been, but wait 'til you hear this!)

Because of all the gamers online now, there is a new sweatshop type industry that has popped up in China now. People (mostly kids) are working around the clock doing video games - for money - to rack up points for people. In other words, gamers can buy points online to help them with their games. But the points have to come from somewhere. These people, called "gold farmers," are racking up points, getting paid for them, and their employers are selling the points online.

This amazes me. Any time I think my life is strange...

Here's a YouTube vid about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho5Yxe6UVv4

and here is more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmer_(gaming)

Hope you're all doing great!!
Love, ya - Kaza

Sister Time...

When I was in NYC a few days ago I got to stay with my sister, Jennifer. It was great to see her, her husband Sam, and their cute baby, Isaac! Sam was out of town two of they days I was there, so at night, when I was done signing books at stores, and Isaac was asleep, Jen and I got some rare sister time to talk, eat pizza and laugh. I think I kept her up far too late, considering she had to get up early for Isaac and for work!


And, of course, while in New York, I couldn't resist stopping by China Town and getting tons (yes, tons) of amazing Chinese pastries. Jen, Sam and I shared what I didn't scarf down immediately. (If you haven't had fresh rice cakes from a Chinese bakery you don't know what you're missing! They can be gooey - and I guess might be an acquired taste - but ... yummm!!!)

And I bought myself a little dragon to add to my small collection. I like to look at them when I write.

Since then, I did a great signing in Willow Grove (Philly) and got to eat a cheese steak (yes, this is becoming all about food...)

Then I did a signing at the Barnes and Noble Power Plant in Baltimore. The coolest interior of a Barnes and Noble I've seen yet! It actually used to be an old power plant. This link shows some of the brass and metal structures running through the middle of the store!
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nd.edu/~sheridan/Baltimore%25202006/Baltimore%25202006-Images/38.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nd.edu/~sheridan/Baltimore%25202006/Baltimore%25202006-Pages/Image38.html&h=449&w=674&sz=165&hl=en&start=4&sig2=nagxvLybcKVUje2Wv3xJsw&um=1&tbnid=z7N8vBM1dwfUPM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=138&ei=3r4cR6aAPY7mgALhxe2RCQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbarnes%2Band%2Bnoble%2Bpower%2Bplant%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN
This one shows the cool look from the outside. The whole area feels like a big party:
http://www.teemorris.com/blog/uploaded_images/powerplant-730871.jpg

Now on to DC and to see my brother!!

All love,
Kaza

And .... she's off!

I just got into Albany, NY today. The whirlwind starts! I'm excited, yet nervous and apprehensive, wondering what this book 2 tour will be like for Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness. So far in Cincinnati and Cleveland the book signings have been even more amazing this time. I've gotten to meet some really excited fans, and that is so fun for me!

Tomorrow I'll be interviewed on Disney's Backyard Radio show. I think it's live, at 10:30 AM eastern time tomorrow, but last year when I was on it, it was taped. I'll let you know - and here's a link: http://radio.disney.go.com/

Then I'll be doing a signing at 6:00 at the Borders Crossgate Lanes here.

I already went to my absolute favorite spot in Albany today. It's an organic food shop that I found here last year called "Honest Weight Co-Op." Sooooo amazing.

If you're around Albany, it's worth checking out. Not only do they have amazing local, organic produce, but they have about 100 cheeses from all over the world, tons of great chocolates ... I could go on and on!


Now I went and made myself hungry. Time to eat some cheese...!
All my love --
Kaza

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/