The invention provides novel compounds useful as kinase inhibitors or as starting materials And/or intermediates in the synthesis of compounds useful as kinase inhibitors. The compounds have The general structure of formula (I) ##STR00001## wherein A is a 3- to 8-membered ring, optionally substituted and/or heteroatom-containing, and R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6, X, Y, Z, p, and q are as defined herein. The compounds may also be in the form of a salt, ester, amide, or other analog. In preferred compounds, A is a 5- to 8-membered ring, R.sup.1 is hydrogen, q is a bond, X is N, Y is C.dbd.O, Z is N, R.sup.2 contains a terminal amino moiety, p is 1, and R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are linked to form a pyrrole ring fused to a second cyclic group. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods for using the compounds are also provided.