I’m very excited to have cornered “The Book Geektress”, aka Christina Castillo for an interview!
For many years now, The Book Geektress has been friend and companion on a trek to prove that real girls like comic books, eat Zombie movies for breakfast, like a good whiskey, and read horror novels before bedtime that would make Freddy Kruger share a bed with Frankenstein’s monster and sleep with the lights on. Not only that, but she was the catalyst who got me to sit my ass in the chair and bust out a novel or two for publication; I couldn’t have done it without her!
On any given day you might catch her reading Harry Potter or Wil Wheaton’s ‘Just a Geek’, catching up on the latest ‘Preacher’ graphic novel, or turning the pages of the ‘Hunger Games’ to see if it holds a candle to ‘Battle Royal’ (not) …all while listening to io9 podcasts of her favorite authors and dishing the down low on her latest reads. Come with me through the labyrinth of her library to meet her. Careful–don’t lean on that! The towers of books are most carefully balanced; this is not a game of Jenga.
Q: Book Geektress, Years ago, I had suspicions you were a book fiend with a dark penchant given that you were managing a gothic-themed coffeehouse named after a character in a book; namely, Lestat. I know you’ve read Anne Rice’s books, but did you ever get to meet her?
Book Geektress: You know, unfortunately I never did get a chance to meet her. I know she lived in La Jolla, CA which was about 20 minutes away from the coffee house, but I think she was a bit of a recluse. If she had come in I am not sure how I would react. I have served a few well known people over the years and being a attendee of San Diego Comic Con for almost 20 years I have had run ins with people I admire, but I really have never been good at the running into celebrity things. Last year at SDCC I didn’t know what to say to tv writer Jane Espenson, so I blurted out that I loved her! Luckily, instead of being freaked out she told me she loved me too! J
Q: Lol! I love you more. Something that struck me from the moment I met you was your keen sense of trend spotting whether it’s games, books, graphic novels, horror or technology. How and where do you find this stuff?
Book Geektress: Haha! Trying to steal my secrets, eh? Actually to be perfectly honest I pay attention. I am constantly on sites like Facebook and Twitter and various blog sites around the web. I also listen to quite a lot of podcasts for my geeky news. I love research and that is basically what it all comes down to. I was always the kid that if I came across a word or a concept in a book I didn’t know I would look it up. The same applies today.
Q: You have a penchant for reading books that walk on the darkside, and urban fantasy featuring heroines that not only kick butt, but have brainpower. What are a couple of your favorite darker reads?
Book Geektress: Wow. That is actually a hard question because there are so many good ones. I really enjoy the Kim Harrison Hallows series. Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series is an excellent urban fantasy which has some dark tendencies considering you are dealing with some occasionally nasty fae. And if you are so inclined, Seanan McGuire’s alias Mira Grant writes an excellent series about zombies and government conspiracy. In fact, that is my next review for the site. Vicki Pettersson’s Sign of the Zodiac series is also good. Of course Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series is a must read. I could spend all day talking books and books suggestions!!!
Q: Oh, Lady, I quite agree; books are food for the brain and soul, what’s not to like? For those of us who enjoy a classic Jayne Eyre along with our Zombies, are there any authors or books you can recommend to fill that need?
Book Geektress: Well, there are the obvious ones like Pride Prejudice & Zombies, which incidentally there is a sequel too as well. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer was an excellent book. I can’t wait for the movie to come out! There is also a series of books starting with Jane Bites Back, where Jane Austen has actually been turned into a vampire. I haven’t read that one yet, but it is on the list.
Q: Love the classics and the zombie twists! Jayne Slayer is another that comes to mind. Now, aside from books, I know you play pool competitively on a local scale, but are you still actively engaged in games such as Halo and —?
Book Geektress: I am still an extremely avid video game player although admittedly it gets harder and harder to find time to do so. I honestly haven’t played Halo in a long time. My favorite series right now is probably the Assassin’s Creed games. And of course one of my all time favorites is the Resident Evilgames . There is a new one coming out this fall and I can’t wait. I love playing games that can scare the bejesus out of me!
Q: Nothing like enjoying a good scare your pants off game or book! A geek-girl requires knowledge of all things Firefly and Doctor Who, both written and on screen. If you had to, which show would you give up? Lol! Come back here, I’m kidding!
Book Geektress: Hahaha! I am glad you added that last line!
Q: Blue police-booth lands in front of you, Time-Lord steps out and invites you inside for a few years of danger in good company with the right Doctor. Do you get in or play it safe?
Book Geektress: You get in of course!!!! Can you imagine what it would feel like if you played it safe and went back to your boring old life when you could have gone to see other planets and the edge of the universe, not to mention the events in history you could be there for!? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
Q: Correct answer. What’s your favorite Doctor Who quote, and do you own a sonic screwdriver?
Book Geektress: There are so many good Doctor Who quotes!!! Here is a good one:
People assume that time is a strict progression of cause-of-effect…but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly…timey-wimey…stuff
I actually own a couple sonic screwdrivers.
Q: Lol! The Doctor Who and Joss Whedon series feature some pretty adventurous heroines. What are some of your favorite book heroines and why do they hold your interest?
Book Geektress: Alex Craft from Kalayna Price’s series by the same name is probably one of my current favorites. She is a badass witch who Death himself just happens to be in love with. I like her because she has a lot of power, but she isn’t perfect and some of the sticky situation she tends to get in reminds me of me. [Kim Harrison’s] Rachel Morgan is much like Alex Craft; Badass witch who has a penchant for getting in trouble. But that is what makes her more of a real character.
I enjoy heroines who are strong and have a good sense of self, but are not all powerful and have certain vulnerabilities. Several of the characters in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Underworld series are like this. Phédre from the Kushiel’s Dart series is another one. She is a woman born to a certain circumstance that she cannot change, so she learns to live and work with it and it is all on her own terms. Again, this list can go on and on, but I don’t want to bore you!
Q: Phaedre and Rachel are two of my favorites from your list, and immensely engaging! Okay, when you are not reading or doing book reviews, you listen to Podcasts. What’s the draw, or appeal of Podcasts to the booklover?
Book Geektress: Mainly to keep up with what is going on in the book world and finding out what interesting books that I may not have thought to look at before are floating out there. I really enjoy it when the Podcasts have author interviews. It is always fun to hear what the author was thinking while writing the book or how the idea may have popped into their head.
Q: Nice. I listened to the Podcast with Cherie Priest: terrific, and I could get stuff done while listening! About your own site, you have some pretty detailed book reviews there. What was the driving force behind making the decision to share your knowledge of the books you read with an audience?
Book Geektress: Honestly, I love talking about books, thinking about books, being surrounded by books. I think if I could craft a bed made out of books I would do it! My office is a cluttered mess of books everywhere and I love it! It makes me feel safe. But, I mainly started the blog so I could focus on reading different types of books and put a bit deeper thought into what I was reading and to share my thoughts. I would like people to read what I am writing, but at the end of the day I did it for me as a catalyst to write more and to read more!
Q: With all that you’ve got going on, do you see yourself hitting the keyboards with your own novel anytime soon?
Book Geektress: I really hope so! I have a lot of ideas floating in this brain of mine that are just dying to get on paper, but it is a game of finding and balancing the time to do it. I honestly don’t know how other authors do it! I am in constant awe.
Q: Well, I don’t know about you, but all this talk of books and Nerd-vana makes me ready for a good night’s read. Let’s share a nightcap to ease into a relaxing evening with a selection from the Book Geektress’ shelf; whiskey or wine?
Book Geektress: Ha! Depends on the night (and the book). Tonight is feeling like a very red wine type of night.
Q: Red wine it is. *clink!* It’s been lovely spending the evening amongst the towering shelves of your library, Book Geektress, I hope you’ll visit again very soon!
Book Geektress: Thanks for having me! Hopefully you won’t find me buried underneath any of those towering book shelves.
Q: Stop it; you’re teasing the Zombies with delicious talk like that, pinned human and all sounds like dinner!
Now, how can we contact you and where do we find your book reviews?
http://thebookgeektress.blogspot.com
C.K. Garner: We’ll see you there! And remember; after you visit The Book Geektress’ Blog, check out my steampunk novella “Stealing Time” releasing August 10, 2012 at http://www.musapublishing.com
Kate Dancey 