Interview with CATHERINE CASTLE

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Captured by the local Mexican drug lord after she barges into the middle of a drug deal, novice Sister Margaret Mary risks losing her life, her vocation, and her heart when she falls for undercover DEA agent Jed Bond who is imprisoned with her. Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary. Jed knows she’s off limits, but his heart can’t help wanting this woman who’s been promised to God.

Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?
The Nun and the Narc is an inspirational romance. In inspirational romance the faith journey of the characters is just as important as the romance and the external problems the characters face. There are no sex scenes in inspirational romance. Holding hands, a hug, or a maybe kiss is all the physicality in these types of books. I also write sweet romance as Catherine Castle, but I’m not picky about the sub-genres within these two categories. I read and write eclectically. I have partials of an inspirational historical romance, a sweet contemporary romance, another suspense romance, and even a Biblical era novel on my computer waiting to be finished.



When did you start writing toward publication?
I was a published journalist, under my real name, before I started on the serious road to fiction writing. I’ve always loved writing and probably missed my true calling as a college student because I had tunnel-vision about the career I’d chosen. I wanted to be a singer back then.

Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?
I think every writer has at least one book stashed away somewhere in a drawer before they get published. I had a couple of play manuscripts I had coauthored with my husband as well as a couple of completed books in my computer when I wrote The Nun and the Narc. I don’t have an agent, so anytime anything goes out it is done by me.



What is your writing routine like?
Since selling The Nun and the Narc, it’s been a bit non-existent as I’ve been concentrating on marketing. In general, I think we all have to find what works best for us. I’m not a very disciplined writer unless I’m under a deadline. Then everything else comes to a screeching halt except for writing. I don’t usually set daily goals, but often set whole days or blocks of times aside for the task of writing. I probably do it this way because once I get in the zone I hate to stop. I’m like that with my gardening, too. It’s an I’ll-just-finish-one-more-flowerbed-then-I’ll-quit mentality. But four hours later I’m still out there saying the same thing. It drives my husband crazy when I say, “Be there in a minute,” and I don’t shut the computer off until hours later. Time flies when you’re having fun. LOL



What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?
Right now, most of my promo is through my blog and guest blogging. I will be doing a virtual book blog tour in the near future. Readers can follow me on that through my website. I’ll be posting where I will be each day. And, no, I don’t have any help, unless you count my husband, who helps cut my gardening chores in half by being day labor so I can get back to marketing ASAP.


Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?
For years I was the president of a local writing group, Queen City Writers, which has now become a monthly critique group. Currently, I belong to ACFW national and the regional ACFW Ohio group, RWA national and Ohio Valley Romance Writers of America (OVRWA). I joined RWA and OVRWA back in the 1990s, and through OVRWA I formed some wonderful friendships that have lasted nearly 20 years. Most of the writers I’ve met are willing to help other writers learn the ropes, and the email loops can be great information sources. So, yes, I think these organizations can be extremely beneficial.

What’s next for you?
The same thing that’s next for most debut (and multi-published) authors—get a handle on the marketing and write the next book. My biggest problem is that I have so many partial books in the fire, I’m having trouble deciding which way to go.



BOOK BLURB

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.



A little bit about the author.

Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. Before beginning her career as a romance writer she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. Besides writing, Catherine loves traveling with her husband, singing, and attending theatre. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.

To see pictures of her garden, read her poems and blogs, connect with her, and follow her stop by her blog at http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com or her author page on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle. She’d love to see you there.



Excerpt

Margaret inched forward, hoping to hear what they were saying. A mariachi band nearby blared out a tune, the polka-like melody destroying any hope of eavesdropping. The shriek of off-key brass sent chills up her spine. She covered her ears and moved closer to Rafael and the stranger.

After a couple of minutes of conversation, the man removed an envelope from his jacket and pulled out a handful of bills. He folded them in half and then slipped them into Rafael’s extended hand. With a furtive glance around, Rafael moved closer to the man, blocking Margaret’s direct view, and handed something to the stranger.

A wave of apprehension swept over Margaret. The chapulines she’d snacked on earlier that morning threatened to see the light of day.

A drug deal! Of all the things Rafael could do, this was the worst.

Esperanza had fought so hard to keep her son away from bad influences. Now he appeared to be involved in the very thing she’d hated most. Margaret imagined Esperanza banging on the gates of purgatory, trying to get out and rescue her son.

She hesitated for a moment, hearing Mother Superior’s admonishment. Stay out of trouble while you are in Mexico, Sister.

Silencing the nagging voice in her head, Margaret charged forward, protective instincts in full swing.

Stopping Rafael and talking to him about the dangers of drugs surely wouldn’t qualify as trouble. Bluntness, maybe, but not trouble. It was more like saving. Yes, that’s it. I’m saving him.

Margaret grabbed Rafael by the shirt. “I’ve been searching for you, young man.” She faced the stranger, giving him her best withering stare. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

The man stuffed the plastic bag into his jacket pocket. “Who is this?”

“Some crazy gringa.” Rafael shrugged, hard, trying to escape her grasp.

The plastic bag contained something white. Heroin? Cocaine? Margaret tightened her hold and drew Rafael closer. She would save him whether he wanted to be saved or not.

“Get out of here,” Rafael snarled.

“What would your mother say if she saw this?”

Rafael’s expression darkened. “Leave my mother out of this!” He wrenched out of Margaret’s grip and spun around to face her. His expression morphed from anger to fear. “¡Madre de Dios!”

The man’s head jerked around. “Get down!” he shouted.

Rafael took off running down the street as the top row of pottery in the stand exploded like popcorn.

Margaret jumped at the loud noise and whirled around searching for the source. The man removed a gun from his jacket, swung around, and scanned the area.

Margaret’s knees buckled at the sight of the handgun. Her body tensed, her gaze frozen on his weapon. He fired off a couple of shots. Heart thumping like a jackhammer, she ran for cover behind the open car door. The window glass shattered as bullets whizzed over her head. She scrambled into the car and crouched on the floorboard. Another row of pottery shattered, sending fragments into the car like tiny projectile rockets. Sending up a quick prayer, she covered her head.

Slamming the door shut as he passed, the man leapt over the trunk. He jerked open the driver’s door then jumped behind the wheel. Jamming the car into gear, he roared out into the market street. Shoppers and vendors screamed, leaping out of the car’s path.

Margaret scrambled into the passenger seat. “Stop this car immediately!”

“Keep down,” he ordered, “unless you want to get shot.”

The rear window glass erupted into the car’s interior, punctuating his words. The man fired at the attackers through the shattered back window.

“Shot?” Her voice rose an octave. “Oh, dear Lord in Heaven, what have I gotten into?”

“Trouble, Lady.” He fired off another round. “Big trouble.”



How can my readers buy your book?

The Nun and the Narc is currently available as an eBook through Amazon. Here’s the link:

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



You can find more information about Catherine Castle and her book, The Nun and the Narc by

visiting her website, http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com, or visiting her Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle

or her blog at http://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/



A few quickies if you don’t mind!

1) Favorite kind of ice cream? Chocolate

2) Pepsi or Coke? Coke zero

3) Mountains or Beach? Both. The beach in the winter and the mountains in the summer

4) Denim or Leather? Denim

5) If you could choose a favorite career, what would it be? Besides writing, it would be singing. I always wanted to be a professional singer.

6) What’s your favorite romantic thing your husband has done for you? Wow, this one is hard as he is a romantic and is always surprising me. Guess I’d have to say getting serenaded by the barbershop quartet on Valentine ’s Day at our favorite restaurant.

7) What’s your favorite time of day? I have no idea. Perhaps it’s late morning after I’m done weeding the garden and I’m sitting on the deck admiring the flowers. I do enjoy that quiet time.



Sarah,

Thanks for hosting me on your blog. It’s been great!

Catherine