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171 ratings | 58 reviews | avg rating:4.70

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Kay Castaneda

Goodreads Author

Born

Indianapolis, The United States

Website

https://bookplaces.blog

Twitter

@kcastanedauthor

Genre

Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Member Since

March 2012

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Kay Castaneda is retired from a career as a college writing instructor. She was also a substitute teacher and special education tutor. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in English at Indiana Purdue University in Indianapolis. Her publications include poetry and creative non-fiction in literary journals plus articles about education for reference books. Kay attended writing seminars in Lithuania, Scotland and Mexico. In Lithuania, Kay explored the city of Vilnius and imagined that she was a long-lost relative of Good King Gediminus, Grand Duke and Ruler, 1315-1364, since he did have numerous wives, mistresses and children. In San Miguel Allende, Mexico, Kay sat at every outdoor cafe and park she could find, reading and writing to her heart's conten ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Kay Castaneda I don't really have writer's block unless it would be about something I don't like. If I was assigned a job to write about sports or business, I woul…more I don't really have writer's block unless it would be about something I don't like. If I was assigned a job to write about sports or business, I would have to do research first. I am a procrastinator, and I'd put this type of writing off until the bitter end! Fiction and poetry are my favorite genres. They are much more fun. A problem with writing is not having a set schedule due to work and family life. My husband and I are self-employed and the hours are unpredictable. So I can't just say I will write during the hours of 10:00 am to noon each day for example. When I do sit down at my computer, I continue with everything I worked on the day before (or last week)! The process of editing, revising and proofreading leads me to other ideas to write about. I might think of using a character in one of my stories or poems to begin another piece of writing such as a new short story. I like to think of my characters as being able to go from a novel and then moving into a short story or even a piece of non-fiction. When I think of a new topic or character, even a location, to use in new writing, I make a reminder to myself. I use a pen and actually write in a lined-notebook. Then I write what's on my notes on a new Word document. Each document might be just a character's name or what they will look like. Any ideas I have are assigned a separate document which I then save in a folder. I have folders named Places, People, Locations or anything that needs a separate folder. Some folders are named Novel Ideas or Story Ideas. I put bits and pieces of things I find that I don't exactly know what to do with in a folder called Research. So what I really need is better time management and organizational skills even though I already do okay.

I wrote something in response to an article on Twitter that another author sent me. It's about WIP or Works in Progress. Too bad Twitter only lets you use a few characters! I hate that! This one is really short.

Should I say Goodbye to my WIP? Yes, no? I don't have writer's block. I love my premise. I have faith in it. I know I'll beg it to return if I let it go. I want to finish no matter how long it takes. I'm resting, waiting for that nudge (shove), slap, anything. Make me sit my butt in my chair. Someone push me!🌻Thanks Anne

http://annerallen.com/2018/04/saying-...(less)

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Kay Castaneda Being a writer is part of my identity. I used to hate when people would ask that tired, all-too-common question that I'm sure everyone's heard before.…moreBeing a writer is part of my identity. I used to hate when people would ask that tired, all-too-common question that I'm sure everyone's heard before. "What do YOU do?" with the emphasis on the word you. To my ears, it sounded as if they were speaking to me as an older adult would talk to a younger person. I always had an image of the Queen bending down to a child, patting her head and calling her Sweetie. The other way people would ask me about myself had the emphasis in the word do. "What do you DO?" As in how do you spend your time? What type of employment could you possibly be qualified for?

When I finally decided to become more serious with writing, that gave me a better view of myself. I don't just tell people that I write, I say I am a Writer. I worked at jobs I hated or drove me crazy with boredom. Now when people ask me that question, I tell them about myself, but I am taking my images of them as inspiration for my books. I keep that secret and won't tell them what I am doing, creating characters and story lines inside my writer's mind. (less)

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Kay Castaneda’s books

Average rating: 4.09 · 130 ratings · 92 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	Death Among Us by Stephen Bentley, Greg Alldredge (Goodreads Author), Kelly Artieri (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 97 ratings — published 2019 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Emmie of Indianapolis 3.91 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 2015 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	WHERE ARE YOU IRIS ROSE?: An Emmie O'Brien Mystery 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	EMMIE OF INDIANAPOLIS: The Story of an American Girl 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Kay Castaneda's Blog

Meet Lizzie Chantree, Author

Welcome to my blog! I would like to introduce author Lizzie Chantree today. Lizzie is an international best-selling author and business mentor from the U. K. She has appeared on Sky News, ITV Lunchtime News, This Morning, The Gloria Hunniford show, The Big Breakfast, BBC’s Worldwide Radio Service, amongst others for becoming one of Fair Play London’s Female Innovators for inventing Runaway Spray,

Kay is Currently Reading

Kay Castaneda is currently reading

An Orphan of Scotland (The Maxwell Family Quartet #1)

by Gwen Kirkwood (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 15, 2026 05:03PM

Kay Castaneda is currently reading

War and Peace

by Leo Tolstoy

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 01, 2026 11:59PM

Kay Castaneda is currently reading

Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite

by Teresia Renata Posselt

bookshelves: currently-reading

read in October 2021

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Nov 06, 2021 05:04PM

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Kay’s Recent Updates

Kay Castaneda is currently reading An Orphan of Scotland (The Maxwell Family Quartet #1) by Gwen Kirkwood (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 15, 2026 05:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of An Orphan of Scotland by Gwen Kirkwood. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — An Orphan of Scotland by Gwen Kirkwood <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kay Castaneda wants to read Sarah (Women in the West Adventure Series Book 2) by Kaye Lynne Booth (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 06, 2026 09:30PM · like
Kay Castaneda started reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 01, 2026 11:59PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kay Castaneda rated a book it was amazing The New York Times Supersized Book of Sunday Crosswords: 500 Puzzles (New York Times Crossword Puzzles) by The New York Times	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2025 02:17PM · like
Kay Castaneda wants to read Open House Heist (Lily Sprayberry Realtor #5) by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2025 02:16PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Open House Heist by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Open House Heist by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kay Castaneda wants to read Black Saturday: An Unfiltered Account of the October 7th Attack on Israel and the War in Gaza by Trey Yingst	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2025 02:15PM · like
Kay Castaneda wants to read Quest for Love: Memoir of a Child Sex Slave by Anneke Lucas	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2025 02:15PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Quest for Love by Anneke Lucas. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Quest for Love by Anneke Lucas <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kay Castaneda wants to read A Book A Week: How I Outline and Draft a Full Novel in Just A Week (Self-Publishing Success, #1) by Kate Hall	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Kay Castaneda wants to read Ku-Klux: The Birth of the Klan during Reconstruction by Elaine Frantz Parsons	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2025 02:15PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ku-Klux by Elaine Frantz Parsons. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ku-Klux by Elaine Frantz Parsons <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Kay Castaneda wants to read The Survival Gardener's Guide to Growing Your Own Caffeine: Coffee, Tea, and the Black Drink (Survival Gardener Guides Book 2) by David The Good	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 17, 2025 02:15PM · like

More of Kay's books…

Kay’s Quotes

“I do things like get in a taxi and say, "The library, and step on it.”
― David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest

tags: books, infinite-jest

4224 likes

“Dying
Is an art, like everything else.
I do it exceptionally well.
I do it so it feels like hell.
I do it so it feels real.
I guess you could say I have a call.”
― Sylvia Plath, Ariel

tags: death

1907 likes

“I write only because
There is a voice within me
That will not be still”
― Sylvia Plath, Letters Home

1123 likes

“Stay wild, moon child."
I will shine my full silver light on your path, Moon child. Trust your intuition and follow your dreams. When I go dark, go within and tend to yourself, set your goals and release what no longer serves. When I come out of the shadow Moon child, go, be brave, and to yourself stay wild and true.”
― Riitta Klint

tags: brave-heart, goals-in-life, light-and-darkness, lightworkers, moonchild, true-self, wild-woman, within-quotes

133 likes