Talkshow Thursday: Sit down with Catherine Castle
Linda: Thanks for joining me today. You recently
published a new book that is a romantic comedy. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Catherine: A
Groom for Mama is a romantic comedy
with a touch of drama. The premise of the book is based on a radio play my
husband and I wrote in 2003 as a contest entry for a local radio station that
was looking for radio plays. The play finaled in the contest, but didn’t win.
We set it aside, considering it an exercise in playwriting.
Later, I asked my husband if I could use the premise to
write a romantic comedy. He agreed. I tweaked the title and the character, the
main character was originally a male, and added a bunch more stuff because the
play was only 20 minutes long, and A Groom for Mama was born. Here’s
the book blurb.
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.
LM: You write
books, poetry, and plays. Which of those is your favorite?
Catherine: That’s
a hard choice, Linda. Each one has its own rewards. Poetry was my first writing
love. I’ve done that since I was a teen. With books, there’s a great
satisfaction in coming up with a story line and getting to the place where you
write those all-important word: THE END. And nothing beats the thrill of seeing
your words acted out on the stage. It’s impossible to say which is THE FAVORITE,
because I love doing them all.
LM: You have
co-authored books with your husband. How do you share the writing process?
Catherine: We
plot heavily and talk a book or play to death. He’s more the idea guy who can
braid multiple story lines together. I’m the first draft writer who follows
what we’ve laid out, but not always to the letter. He edits each day’s work. Sometimes
the characters do things I don’t expect, and I have to go to hubby and say,
‘Oops. This didn’t go where we thought.” If he doesn’t like the direction the
characters took me, then we hash it out and I start over. When the first draft
is done, we retreat to his office and begin the editing process, making sure
all the plot lines mesh, there are no holes, and all the other fun editing
stuff writers have to do when the first draft is done.
LM: What do you
do to prepare yourself for writing? For example do you listen to music or set
up in a specific place?
Catherine: Other
than thinking about a project constantly when I’m working on it, I don’t do any
ritualistic prep. I have a dedicated, very messy office where I write.
Sometimes we’ll do a lake retreat and write.
LM: If money were
no object, what is your idea of the ultimate vacation?
Catherine: My own waterfront house in a seaside
village, or maybe on Lake Michigan, with caretakers to mow the lawns keep the
beautiful gardens and clean the house. I think I’d snowbird there. A house on
the water is so relaxing.
LM: What is the
quirkiest thing you’ve ever done?
Catherine: I
don’t have much quirkiness or dare devil in me. I did ride a rollercoaster
backward once.
LM: Yikes! That
was brave of you. So, what is your next project?
Catherine: I’m
working on a Christmas story and plotting a new book with my husband.
LM: Sounds
intriguing. I can’t wait to hear more about them. Where can folks find you on
the web?
Catherine: I’m on several social media sites, but my most active one is
my blog. I also post on Stitches Thru Time and the SMP authors blog site,
listed below:
Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/catherinecastle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle
StitchesThruTime Blog: http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com/
SMP Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Want to read A Groom for Mama? Visit http://www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1 to pick up your copy.
Thanks for hosting me today, Linda.
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