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.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

THE NUN AND THE NARC - Catherine Castle - One Free Print or Ebook, Winner's Choice

Readers, this is a new author to this blog. Welcome, Catherine. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Wow, I’m not sure I know how much of myself I write into a character, at least not consciously. My daughter, however, says she can see bits of me in my characters. I think we all write from a position of knowledge and our actions, reactions, and mores creep into our characters whether or not we want, or intend, them to.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I rode the Twin Racers at King’s Island backwards once. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but I’m not a big daredevil. The rollercoaster has two trains, one that goes forward and another that goes backwards. My daughter challenged me to ride the backwards coaster. I nearly chickened out, thinking it would be really scary not seeing where the coaster took me. You know how you can lose your stomach and your seat when the coasters barrel downhill. I was afraid I might lose my lunch. But it actually wasn’t as bad as the forward coasters.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve known I was a writer since I was a kid. I wrote short stories in grade school and had penned my first romance book by the time I was a teenager. I was the kid who loved the term paper and essay assignments, as long as I could choose the topic. However, I never thought of it as a career choice back then, just something I loved to do.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I have everything on my book shelves, real and virtual: children’s books, mysteries,  romance, adventure, biographies, fantasy, and sci-fi. I’ve even been known to read nonfiction, the encyclopedia, and the dictionary. I have a dictionary entitled Mrs. Byrnes Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words by Josefa Heifetz Byrne that I pick up occasionally and peruse. But I have to say my favorite genres are romance, fantasy, and mystery in that order. I love happy endings, exploring the unknown, and unraveling a puzzle.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Prioritize tasks. I keep a running list of things to do which works for me, if I don’t forget to look at the list. If I don’t get it down on paper, I don’t remember it. I also spend time with friends and family. The hubby and I have standing date nights and a weekly movie out with our best friends. I also spend time talking to my daughter almost every night.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I don’t have a set method for choosing a character’s name. Sometimes I look through the baby name book I keep on my desk to find something I like. Other times the characters tell me who they want to be, because they refuse to cooperate until I get the right name. Other times I just leave a WIP name until I find the right one. I once wrote almost an entire book with a character entitled Mother 3, because every name I assigned to the character didn’t fit. In The Nun and the Narc I liked the alliteration of Sister Margaret Mary’s name. I originally called her Mary Margaret, but the hero kept calling her Maggie, so I eventually changed her name to Margaret Mary. Occasionally, I’ll still put Mary before Margaret. I also like to play with the names, hence the hero of The Nun and the Narc has an undercover agent name of “Bond. Jed Bond.”

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Professionally, it’s writing THE END on each book I write. Until you write THE END there’s always the chance your book will stall.

I think I may have written THE END on my first novel, but I haven’t since then, and I’ve had over 30 published books. I just stop writing when it’s finished. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

I have absolutely no idea what kind of animal I would be. If you’d asked what kind of flower, I could tell you – a daylily, because it’s my favorite bloom. But animal …? Not a clue.

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate, of course. The darker the better. It should be one of the major food groups as far as I’m concerned.

I agree with that, and now they say it’s very good for us. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest roadblock to writing was probably the fact that I didn’t recognize it as a career choice until much later in my life. I loved writing, but had always been single-minded about my original career choice. When that dream failed, it took me quite a while to realize that writing (the other thing I loved to do) was an option. When my daughter was in middle school, I started writing as a contributor to the local newspaper. That stringer job, and the guidance the editors gave me, provided me the confidence I needed to pursue a writing career.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Nun and the Narc was a 2007 ACFW Genesis finalist and is a 2014 EPIC Ebook finalist.  Readers have called it “…an inspirational tale with a definite twist” and said the “plot is unlike any I've read or could have imagined.” One of my goals was to write a book that Christians as well as non-Christian readers would enjoy. Readers have said the book “… shares Margaret's deep faith and her hilarious need to pray and confess even when bullets are flying, but it never seems too preachy or sanctimonious, even when Jed starts turning more and more toward Margaret's God. It has all the makings for something that could annoy non-Christians, but I found myself nothing but charmed and warmed.” Maybe I should have said that is my greatest writing accomplishment. J

 The Nun and the Narc
Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor hammered the last nail into the tin roof, descended the ladder, and inspected her handiwork. The early morning sun glinted off the bright surface. Her humble creation couldn’t compete with the colorful casetas that climbed the surrounding hills, flooding the mountainside with the colors of a pastel sunset, but it would keep Esperanza’s family dry. She’d promised the house would be ready yesterday. Already behind schedule, Margaret started work at daybreak. A promise was a promise, even though Esperanza would not be here to collect.

“What do you think about your new house, Rafael?”

The teenager dropped the load of rugs he carried on the dusty ground beside her, shooting puffs of gritty dirt into the air. Margaret wiped the taste of dust off her dry lips as Rafael squinted up at the shiny roof, and said something in Spanish.

“English, please. You know I don’t understand much Spanish.”

Rafael squatted down in the dirt. “If you like basura, it is okay.”

Sighing, she crouched down beside him. “I know it’s not the Taj Mahal, but it’s certainly better than the cardboard shack you were living in.”

“Don’t matter where I live now. Without Mamacita, I don’t go back.” He pulled a cigarette stub out of his pocket and lit it.

“Your mama wouldn’t like that, Rafael,” Margaret said softly.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com

Blog: http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle

Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7085414.Catherine_Castle

Twitter: @AuthorCCastle

Facebook: http://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor

Buy links for The Nun and the Narc:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Nun-Narc-ebook/dp/B00CHU9DH2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1368652543&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Nun+and+the+Narc

Print version:

http://www.amazon.com/Nun-Narc-Catherine-Castle/dp/1619352966/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380639013&sr=1-1&keywords=the+nun+and+the+narc

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nun-and-the-narc-catherine-castle/1116942061?ean=9781619352964

Thank you, Catherine, for visiting with us today.


Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com