Richard Castle = my favorite author... and he's not even real.

This might not be YA-related, but it's just so cool. A fictional TV character wrote a book. No, really.

Nathan Fillion plays TV's Richard Castle, the title character in ABC's CASTLE. Castle, a famous mystery writer, wrote his latest bestseller, HEAT WAVE, in season one. The release party was in the beginning of season two. And right here, in the non-fictional world, you can buy your very own copy of HEAT WAVE.

Let's back this up. Here's ABC's description of CASTLE:
He’s famous. He’s gorgeous. He’s smart as hell. He is mystery novelist Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), and he’s hot on the trail of real world criminals. ‘Why,’ you ask? Because he’s got nothing better to do.

Bored with his own success, Castle shadows the every move of NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). She’s an aggressive detective who keeps her investigations under tight rein, and her feathers are oh-so-ruffled by Castle’s presence (in spite of the fact that she’s secretly a huge fan.) Amid incessant sexual tension and constant close talking, this flirtatiously-charged duo builds on their mixed-up relationship as they look to solve strange homicides in New York. Kids, this is as much fun as one can possibly have with death and murder!

[Gushing Side Note - This show is SO MUCH FUN. The snappy dialogue keeps me grinning like an idiot the whole way through. All the characters are well-written. The will they/won't they bantering chemistry between Castle and Beckett is phenomenal. And Nathan Fillion's Castle is the most deliciously entertaining main character ever. I haven't enjoyed a show this much in years, and I love my TV.]
 

So Castle's shadowing Detective Beckett on her homicide investigations because she's his inspiration for his newest mystery series' main character, Nikki Heat. Thus, HEAT WAVE was born. The book is mentioned every couple episodes, but then the ABC people decided to be brilliant and actually WRITE IT.
 
So Richard Castle is the author. Nathan Fillion's picture is on the back cover. The author bio on the inside flap? It's Richard Castle's, referencing his previous bestselling Derrick Storm series (they don't exist, but if the Nikki Heat series takes off, I wouldn't be surprised if they one day do) and his TV family. HEAT WAVE even has blurbs from actual bestselling mystery authors -- James Patterson and Stephen J. Cannell, who make cameos on the TV show (as themselves) as Castle's poker buddies.
 
And the acknowledgements read "To the extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12th"
 
Is that cool or what?
 
My favorite moment on the show had to be when Castle gave Beckett an advanced copy of HEAT WAVE and told her that the steamy scene is on page 104. Check your books, people - it's there.
 
And Richard Castle even has his own Twitter page.
 
With all this crazy cross-genre marketing, I may just forget that Richard Castle's not real, and thus the ABC marketing people will all die happily.
 

How do you like my devilishly handsome author picture?

Now, I know this isn't the first time people have mixed fiction with the real world. Princess Mia Thermopolis wrote RANSOM MY HEART, after all! And plenty of YA characters do interviews, and they even write diaries and have their own blogs and Facebook pages and such. And how about the HUNGER GAMES mockingjay pins? But hey, YA is all about thinking outside the box to hook and hold on to fans.
 
But this is the first time I've seen this kind of cross-genre tie-in with a TV show geared towards adults. Actually, even with YA, I don't think I've ever seen a cross-genre tie-in like this. I'm totally intrigued.
 
I haven't read the book yet, but I plan on it soon. For a great review of the book and it's appeal to non-TV show watchers, click HERE. And for goodness sakes, start watching CASTLE! You won't be disappointed! And hello, it's about a WRITER!
 
What do you think of this cross-genre idea? Any others you've heard of lately? And are there any CASTLE lovers out there?