Monday, February 18, 2019

MY BEASTLY BILLIONAIRE - Jackie Castle - 2 Free Ebooks


Welcome back, Jackie. Tell us about your salvation experience.
I was raised in a church, so I thought I was “good” with the salvation check-box. But then one Sunday, when I was in my early teens, the Lord impressed upon me the need to go up when they made the altar call. I thought it was silly. I was good. I had this. I was a long-standing member and all that. Ha!

Then He said I couldn’t ride into Heaven on my family’s coattails. It was time for me to make the choice for myself. Would I serve Him? Would I give my life and heart to Him? Once I realized He was being serious, I was up there in a heartbeat, giving my live over to Him.

That is such a good explanation about what needs to happen for those of us who grew up in the church. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?
Oh boy, that’s not a fair question at all. I have way too many very dear writing friends to only pick four.

I will say this. My author buddies are the pillars of my career. I so appreciate having friends with a common interest who understand the struggles and challenges of this crazy profession we’ve somehow ended up in. They pray for me, answer my questions, encourage me to not give up. What a blessing from God each and everyone is. Which is why I can’t pick just a few. Sorry.

I totally understand. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
Ugh, I hate public speaking. However, I have found myself in a couple of situations where I’ve taught a class or given a lecture at a writer’s event or at church.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
How much space do I have?

I guess it was on one of our anniversaries. My husband had a friend who worked in the hotel business and they set us up at a hotel in Dallas that they said we would love. My husband and I are Comfort Inn or Holiday Inn peoples. So, we came home from work and threw a few things in a bag for our special weekend.

Now when I say “bag” we had a duffel for our clothing and a couple of Walmart bags to hold the last minute stuff like snacks and drinks, shoes, etc.

We followed the address and pulled into the Adolphus.

For those who don’t know about this hotel, it’s old, prestigious, and we were like the Beverly Hillbillies pulling into the drive in my husband’s old beat up Ford truck and our Walmart bags. The valets were trying hard not to laugh as we piled our stuff on the luggage cart.

I was completely embarrassed and knew we were totally out of our element. But they were gracious and treated us in the same way they would have treated any other visitor.

Eventually, I got over my embarrassment. My husband doesn’t get embarrassed, though we decided to pretty much stay in our room. He didn’t even own a tie, which was required to enter the lounge. I didn’t think my jeans would be proper attire. We still had fun and have a great story to tell people, like now.

I was at the Adolphus as a guest on the set of a movie. It is really posh. People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?
Get ’er done! Do it! What’s stopping you? Are you done with it yet? =)

Tell us about the featured book. 
His withdrawal from society and her need to prove her worth come to a head in this modern-day Beauty and the Beast retelling.

When Elisa Lucken's interior design company is hired to decorate the huge but neglected Grimwood Manor for an impromptu holiday gala, Elisa is put in charge of managing the indoor crew. The only catch is--do not disturb the reclusive Duncan Grimwood.

Thrilled and excited about her chance to finally prove herself, Elisa is so absorbed in her work she doesn't hear the blizzard warning that sends the rest of her crew home.

Jewelry Artisan Duncan Grimwood had a reputation of being a playboy until the motorcycle accident that left him damaged inside and out. After a year of recuperating, Duncan has withdrawn from his lavish lifestyle and now lives like a hermit ignoring his family and the terms of his inheritance trust.

Duncan will lose his portion of the Grimwood estate, his personal assistant urges him to re-enter the real world by hosting a holiday gala at the manor to display his latest works. He agrees on the condition that nobody disturbs him while he works to finish his last few pieces.

Snowed in for the weekend with his unexpected guest, Duncan is forced out of his cave. Will the beautiful decorator he's stuck with help him find a new respect for life before he loses everything?

My Beastly Billionaire is the first in the Grimwood Legacy Series. Check for the next book, My Charming Billionaire now on preorder.
Worried that

Each book in this series can be read as a stand-alone in any order, however, it is recommended, for the best reading experience, that you read them in order.

Please give us the first page of the book.
Elisa Lucken’s nervous gaze moved upward to take in the expansive two-story stone mansion. The French Provincial might have been beautiful if not for the pale gray sky and the bared trees whipping in the wind like dancing skeletons. But from her perspective, Grimwood Manor reminded her of the setting for one of those old horror movies.

The grounds were well-kept, but something about the shadowed arched windows and tightly closed curtains that unsettled her. The request to decorate Grimwood Manor’s front entrance and main first floor rooms had come late in the season, leaving Elisa’s boss, Kelly Stewart scrambling to come up with a sufficient plan for the unexpected project.

Thanksgiving was only two days away. Mr. Grimwood’s personal assistant had said that her employer was hosting an impromptu party the following weekend. If they finished the job before the end of November, they would be given a substantial bonus. That was all Kelly Stewart, owner of Stewart Designs, needed to hear. They would work right up to Thanksgiving Day, and hopefully, have everything accomplished.

Elisa parked her Jeep behind the supply truck.

Kelly Stewart had scrounged through all her storage rooms to gather what left-over decorations they could use to transform the massive home into a spectacular holiday sanctuary. It was too late to order specially made ornaments, and there was no time to spend on shopping. They had three other jobs lined up over the next two weeks.

Most of Stewart Designs’ wealthy clients hired them in the spring to decorate for Christmas. Elisa and Kelly spent March through June planning, sketching and ordering so that as soon as Halloween was over, the team could get to work turning the mansions into spectacular wonderland worlds that would put Santa’s North Pole to shame.

Checking her reflection in the Jeep’s side mirror, Elisa pulled her long brown hair over her shoulder and secured it with a band. Then she applied a bit of lipstick to freshen her appearance. Billionaires seemed to like their staff to look professional and well dressed. The cold front that had blown through made Elisa choose a wool plaid skirt, black cashmere sweater and knee-high leather boots over thick leggings hoping they’d keep her warm enough. The larger houses often tended to be more drafty.

Elisa hurried to find Kelly, who’d parked her black Lincoln under the carport.

With clipboard in hand, Kelly was already barking orders to the staff on what to bring in. “Elisa, oh there you are,” she patted her chest as if fearing she might suffer a coronary at any moment. “I feared you were lost after I lost sight of you on the expressway. These out-of-the-way country roads can be confusing. I’ll never understand the people who wish to live out in the wilds.” Kelly lifted her Ray-Bans and glanced around at the surrounding woods, then back to the towering building. “Stunning, isn’t it? I hear there’s a private tennis court in the back acreage, along with a helicopter landing pad, and a driving range. Though I doubt Mr. Grimwood gets to enjoy many outdoor activities after his accident.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?


Thank you, Jackie, for sharing this new book with us. I know we’ll want to feature each of this new series. One of the reviewers of my book The 12 Gifts of Christmas called it a Billionaire romance. They’re quite popular right now.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

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2 comments:

Rachael said...

This book sounds like something I'd enjoy, probably because I love Beauty and the Beast��! Please enter me in the drawing, I live in South Africa. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

Connie Porter Saunders said...

Beauty and the Best is a story that never grows old. I look forward to reading your version.
Blessings!
Connie from Kentucky
cps1950(at)Gmail(dot)com