Story Sparks
Welcome to the Story
Sparks multi-author blog tour. Between May 21-26, 2018 readers get a chance to
enter and win ebooks from six different authors. Today Catherine Castle is the
featured author. Catherine’s winner may choose an ebook from any of her three
books listed above on her book spine. Today Catherine will talk about the story
sparks that started each of these books rolling. Read on to discover what inspires
Catherine’s creativity and to enter the Rafflecopter
giveaway .
Hi, everyone!
I began my writing
journey as a stringer for a local weekly newspaper. The hardest thing about
that job was finding ideas to write about. I was in Writer Heaven when the
editor called with a story idea. It was like getting a bright, shiny gift
topped with a beautiful ribbon. The problem was those editorial gifts didn’t
come in as fast as I wanted them to when I first started writing. So, I had to
figure out where to find more ideas to write about. And of course, the burning
question back then was, “How do I find an idea?”
It’s also the
question most people ask me when they find out I’m a writer. Now I know the
answer. J
After I published my
first book, a multi-award-winning inspirational romantic suspense titled The Nun and the Narc ,
my daughter bought me a tee-shirt that read Careful,
or you’ll end up in my novel. I’m not sure if she knew how true that quote
is, but I suspect she did, because whenever I’d hear, see, or read something
interesting, she heard me say, “There’s a story somewhere in that.” For me story
ideas are everywhere and within everyone. I find story spark ideas in: the things I’m
interested in, in other stories, in the news, in things people do, in things
people say, at museums, in places I visit, in places other people visit, in
magazines, and even through the tidbits of information on the backs of cereal
boxes.
The Nun and the Narc originally started with the heroine as a
missionary to Mexico building houses for the poor. I’d been working on some
news articles about Habitat for Humanity for the newspaper, which probably
spurred the original story plot. But the story wasn’t working for me. I couldn’t
get my head wrapped around the missionary heroine. Then a critique partner
suggested I consider making the heroine a novice in the Catholic Church. Now, I am fascinated by nun stories. “The
Sound of Music” is my favorite musical, and I loved the television series “The
Flying Nun.” As a stringer for the local newspaper, I interviewed a nun who
left the order to marry, and, in real life, I knew a nun who had also left the convent
to marry. I do admit to having a curiosity about how those women dealt with
leaving the convent, and I think part of that curiosity spurred my story.
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.
Although the book was a hard sell—the
Christian market doesn’t usually like you to name denominations—the story was
so intriguing to me, because of my interest in nuns, that I wrote it anyway,
knowing it might never leave my hard drive. It was a book of my heart—inspired
by my own interests and my feature stories for the newspaper.
My second book, a
sweet romantic comedy with a touch of drama entitled A
Groom for Mama, got its inspiration from a radio play my husband and I
wrote years ago, entitled a “Bride for Mama.” The original play finaled in the
contest, but my hubby and I never did anything more with it. When I was
searching for something new to write, I remembered the radio play. I asked my
husband if he minded it I took the original premise—a dying mother wants her
son to find a bride before she leaves this earth—and turned the plot on its
ear, creating a new story. He agreed and A
Groom for Mama was born. I found inspiration in another story.
A Groom For Mama
Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes she has one wish—to find
a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service
of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.
The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious
with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to
admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a
cure for her terminal illness.
A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of
disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.
My most recent
release, a contemporary inspirational romance entitled Bidding
on the Bouquet, was ripped from an internet headline about a bride who
was making her wedding attendants bid for places in her bridal party. My story,
however, bears little resemblance to the news story. With plot twists and
character changes I created a new story. All I needed was spark of an idea
provided by the Bridezilla who wanted to get money for her wedding.
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?
So, you might want
to be careful the next time you ask a writer, “Where do you get your story
ideas?” They might just say, “Why, from you, of course.” Because everything is
fodder for the imagination of a writer.
Thanks for coming by
today and don’t forget to enter a Rafflecopter
giveaway for a chance to win books from these six authors: Carole Brown,
Catherine Castle, Linda Matchett, Amber Schamel, Terri Wangard, and Jodie Wolfe.
About the Author:
Multi-award-winning
author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre,
and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside
Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational
romances. You can find her books The Nun and the Narc, A
Groom for Mama, Bidding
on the Bouquet and Trying Out for Love boxed set on
Amazon. Connect with Catherine on her website and blog, FB, or Twitter @AuthorCCastle
Buy links:
The Nun and the Narc www.amzn.com/B00CHU9DH2
A Groom for Mama www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1
Bidding on the Bouquet
https://www.amzn.com/B077X1RZ6X
Trying Out for Love https://www.amzn.com/dp/B078SDRHP9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle @AuthorCCastle
Link to Rafflecopter entry: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/831a42731/?
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