No Small Thing
Well, lovely people, it is no small thing to receive not one but two terrific reviews from Kirkus Reviews in a matter of days, since Kirkus is known for being fairly brutal. Or brutally fair, perhaps, depending on your perspective. (In either case, I'd braced myself for evisceration.)
The full reviews are not yet available to the public on Kirkus's website, but they're very good, and here are excerpts from what the publicists at St. Martin's and University of Nebraska Press sent me.
On Hell or High Water:
On Island of Bones:
Fantastic. I'm very grateful to the person or persons responsible.
Not entirely sure what it signifies that the word harrowing occurs in each, but there you have it. Maybe that could be my new slogan: Castro: Harrowing a Specialty.
As the countdown to Hell or High Water's launch continues, I'm doing more and more writing for publicity's sake, which is interesting. None of it has appeared yet, but apparently nearer the launch date (July 17th), many little essays and interviews will begin appearing all over the Internet, and you will all be bludgeoned into being interested in buying my book. That's how it's supposed to happen, at any rate. You'll see me popping up all over the place, opining on things upon which I have no business opining, and the sheer quantity of exposure will make you hand over your credit card in surrender.
And once you're thoroughly saturated with my thoughts on everything under the sun, it'll be time for Island of Bones to launch, and I'll spout even more.
You will love it.
Let me just say publicly here on the blog that I am thrilled that Reza Zaidi, friend extraordinaire, will be flying in from L.A. for the launch party on July 17th at Indigo Bridge Books. Reza has known me since I was 17, when we met at the Café Suisse at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio--I was the little hostess up front who seated people, and he waited tables (he's now an aeronautical engineer)--and he has persisted in liking me all these years. He even rang the church bell at my wedding to the HH. When we talk on the phone, it's like no time has passed since the last time we spoke.
Like I said, no small thing.
The full reviews are not yet available to the public on Kirkus's website, but they're very good, and here are excerpts from what the publicists at St. Martin's and University of Nebraska Press sent me.
On Hell or High Water:
Castro's first mystery is fierce and intense, with both harrowing depictions of New Orleans after Katrina and psychological mayhem for its troubled heroine, who crawls under your skin and lingers there long after you've finished reading.
On Island of Bones:
Throughout her life, Castro has had to redefine her identity, both to herself and to others. These powerful transformations form the backbone of this slim volume of visceral pieces. Potent, emotional essays that speak to the relatable experience of rising above a harrowing childhood.
Fantastic. I'm very grateful to the person or persons responsible.
Not entirely sure what it signifies that the word harrowing occurs in each, but there you have it. Maybe that could be my new slogan: Castro: Harrowing a Specialty.
As the countdown to Hell or High Water's launch continues, I'm doing more and more writing for publicity's sake, which is interesting. None of it has appeared yet, but apparently nearer the launch date (July 17th), many little essays and interviews will begin appearing all over the Internet, and you will all be bludgeoned into being interested in buying my book. That's how it's supposed to happen, at any rate. You'll see me popping up all over the place, opining on things upon which I have no business opining, and the sheer quantity of exposure will make you hand over your credit card in surrender.
And once you're thoroughly saturated with my thoughts on everything under the sun, it'll be time for Island of Bones to launch, and I'll spout even more.
You will love it.
Let me just say publicly here on the blog that I am thrilled that Reza Zaidi, friend extraordinaire, will be flying in from L.A. for the launch party on July 17th at Indigo Bridge Books. Reza has known me since I was 17, when we met at the Café Suisse at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio--I was the little hostess up front who seated people, and he waited tables (he's now an aeronautical engineer)--and he has persisted in liking me all these years. He even rang the church bell at my wedding to the HH. When we talk on the phone, it's like no time has passed since the last time we spoke.
Like I said, no small thing.
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