For the next three weeks, I’m going to be changing my blogging schedule, although it will serve much the same purpose. I’ll still talk about my writing life. But I’m going to be couching it in terms of the trip I’m on. I’m writing this from Matera Italy, where I’m attending the Women’s Fiction Festival…. Read More

I hope J.K. Rowling makes more money than God. Not just because I thought the Harry Potter series was seriously brilliant, beautifully innovative and clever as hell. Because J.K. Rowling seduced generations of kids into reading. I admit. I came to Harry late. But then, my kids were already grown when he showed up. I… Read More

People often ask me who my favorite characters are. After thirty-six books, I’ve had quite a few. But I’ll be honest with you. My favorite character is often one of the secondaries. The supporting players who fill out the story, but don’t make it. The reason for that is perfectly selfish. In any popular fiction… Read More

One of the choices authors make as they write their books, is whether or not to write the story in its proper order. Some write back to front. Some write the scenes as they come to them, some the character scenes, the clue scenes, the action scenes, all in a bunch. Me? I’m a firm… Read More

As I tootled along the back roads of England, I found myself obsessing over pubs. I photographed them, counted them, and wanted to sit in each and every one and have a drink. What is it about those places that draws me? It isn’t the drink. Believe it or not, I don’t drink beer in… Read More

About a year ago, my husband and I got the chance to travel to India for a wedding. While there, I took the opportunity to do some research for my Drake’s Rakes series. So far Grace and Harry Lidge both lived there. So I hunted down the places they would have lived, and I interrogated… Read More

Congratulations to both Karen and Linda! You’ve each won a signed copy of Barely A Lady. Please email my assistant at kimscastillo @msn.com (no spaces) with your mailing address. She’ll get your prize out to you. Stay tuned next month for another contest.

My friend Karyn and I used to play a game. We were mall-walkers in those days. Half-a mile up, half a mile back. We did the first circuit fast, scouting out the stores, and then, if we needed to, we’d stop on the way back and make our purchases. We were deadly Christmas shoppers. The… Read More

Now, as anybody knows who either knows me or has been reading my travel blogs, I am not the kind of person who usually joins tours. I’m too impatient, and too impulsive. If I want to stop to take a picture(and I do. Often), I want to stop. Then and there. Not so possible on… Read More

I was going to write something esoteric about the fact that my book, BARELY A LADY, came out this week. I thought to wax rhapsodic about the joys of publishing. Maybe next week. For now, I’m going to give you a break and skip straight to the good stuff. The contest. BARELY A LADY is… Read More