BIDDING ON THE BOUQUET (Trying Out for Love) - Catherine Castle - One Free Ebook

Welcome back, Catherine. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I write the stories that come to me, whether it’s a sweet contemporary romance, a romantic suspense or a romantic comedy.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I’d have to say days. Wedding my high school sweetheart and the birth of our daughter are at the top of the list. All else pales in comparison. Although winning the Rone Award for my inspirational romantic suspense The Nun and the Narc gets high marks, too.

How has being published changed your life?

I do a lot less housework, and I’ve learned to live with dust bunnies. But overall, I wouldn’t say it has made a major change. Even if I hadn’t published, I’d still be writing the stories that constantly jump into my head. I can’t not write them down.

What are you reading right now?

I’m actually reading through the novellas in Trying Out for Love, which is the boxed set that my newest book Bidding on the Bouquet is in.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m in between novels at the moment, concentrating on promoting Bidding on the Bouquet. But that doesn’t mean I’m not writing. My husband and I are the drama ministry leaders at our church, and we’re writing drama sketches to supplement the minister’s sermons. We try to work several months in advance on this project.

I did that at the church we attended before we came to Gateway Church. What would be your dream vacation?

We love to go to Disney World and vacation on the lake. 

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Well, I don’t know. I think the setting chooses me in the same way that the story does. I rarely go into a book thinking I’m going to set it in a particular place. It’s an organic sort of process.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

It might be fun to pick James Scott Bell’s brain for an evening. He has some interesting writing tips. But I might be a bit intimidated by his success.

He’s very easy to talk to, and he’s rather funny, too. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like to garden, quilt, go to the movie and theatre, act on stage, and write for the stage. I also have a thing for making crafts from greeting cards.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Weasel words. I find that every book has its own set of words that I love to overuse. I keep a check list and once a book is finished, I run a word count program that tells me how many times I’ve used every single word in the book. It takes several weeks to methodically go through and tackle the weedy words and phrases.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Don’t give up. The author who makes it big with his or her first book is as elusive as the Abominable Snowman—and quite possibly as mythical. Write the next book and the next book. Eventually you’ll begin to make some money, gain a fan base, and touch some lives.

Good advice. Tell us about the featured book.

Bidding on the Bouquet came about because of a challenge on the ACFW loop to write a story about Bridezilla who was making her bridesmaids bid on a spot in the wedding party. A couple of ideas jumped into my head when I read the news article—and yes, it was a real story that sparked the challenge. Bidding on the Bouquet is the one I went with—this time. The other story still has a future. I’m just not sure when or where it will appear in publication. The synopsis is fully written. I just need to find the time to flesh it out.

Here’s the blurb for Bidding on the Bouquet.

The chance to catch a bridal bouquet containing a solid gold rose makes underprivileged, down-on-her-luck grad student Marietta Wilson pawn everything she owns to come up with a bid to win a bridesmaid spot in the most prestigious wedding of the season.

When he discovers his sister is auctioning off bridesmaid spots in her wedding party, wealthy, elitist Chip Vandermere is appalled. Not only is it in poor taste, but no self-respecting lady would stoop so low as to bid. Convinced Marietta is a gold digger, Chip sets out to thwart her plans.

A social climber and a social misfit. Can a bridal bouquet unite them? 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Marietta Wilson dropped the mail and her one hundred and fifty dollar business marketing book on her desk, then sank onto the desk chair with a sigh. Two more months to graduation and she hadn’t scored an interview with her dream company, Branson and Filo Marketing Agency. Life in New York would be expensive. If she didn’t have a good paying job she’d never achieve her life-long goal of breaking her family’s chain of poverty. With all the drama happening at home no way would she go back there. She’d rather sleep in the soup kitchen where she volunteered.

Scooping up an envelope, she studied the glittery pink heart adorning the tip of the closure. Who would send her something encased in such fancy wrappings? Junk mail was the usual fare. Intrigued, she flipped over the envelope.

Her name and address, written in elaborate calligraphy, nearly filled the front side. Definitely not from a marketing company. A Love stamp hugged the right corner, with pinkish-gold flowers drawn all around the stamp’s edge. Flowers of the same hue also surrounded the return label. A wedding invitation? She didn’t even know any engaged couples.

Slipping the letter opener from the orange juice can she stored it in, Marietta slit the top of the envelope. A rose-gold interior glistened from the flap. Without a doubt, not junk mail. She withdrew a piece of flat cardstock. As she did, glossy flowers showered onto her lap. She turned the card in her hand. Rose-gold flowers bordered it as well. Shiny, embossed flowers.

“What the heck?” she muttered as she began reading the card.

You are invited to participate in the season’s most prestigious event.

Date: June 17

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Place: The Vandermere Estate

Event: The auction of bridesmaids’ positions for Chrissy Vandermere’s wedding

Light refreshments will be served

℘

Chrissy is auctioning off a chance to be an attendant in her wedding.

Winners will be escorted down the aisle by New York’s finest bachelors,

and they will procure a bridesmaid-only spot at the tossing of the bride’s bouquet event.

Chrissy guarantees one of the bridesmaids will catch the bouquet,

containing a solid 14-carat rose-gold flower.

℘

Opening bids begin at $100 and are non-refundable. Cash only.

You may make an opening bid higher than $100 if you choose.

Please RSVP by April 30

Marietta dug into the envelope again and retrieved a smaller card and matching envelope. 

I am very intrigued, and I’m sure my readers are, too. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Catherine’s website: https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com

Catherine’s blog: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/

Catherine’s Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle

Catherine’s Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085414.Catherine_Castle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle    @AuthorCCastle

Facebook: https://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor

Google+ :  https://plus.google.com/109253925035989625956/posts

Stitches Thru Time: http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/

SMP authors blog site:   http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

Buy links for the books mentioned in the interview:
Bidding on the Bouquet https://www.amzn.com/B077X1RZ6X

Trying Out for Love boxed set https://www.amzn.com/dp/B078SDRHP9

The Nun and the Narc www.amzn.com/B00CHU9DH2

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing this book with us.

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