The Bridesmaid's Checklist
by K.T. Castle
K.T. Castle will award paperback copies of The Bridesmaid's Checklist Series and a $10 Amazon GC (US/Mexico only) to one randomly selected commenter and digital copies of The Bridesmaid's Checklist Series and a $10 Amazon GC (international) to a second randomly selected commenter. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.
Interview with K.T. Castle:
Crystal: Today I have the pleasure of hosting K.T. Castle! Welcome K.T.! I'm so happy to have you here today.
K.T. Castle: Hello, everyone!!!
My name is K.T. Castle and I’m super excited about visiting you guys today :)
Crystal: Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?
K.T. Castle: By know you guys know that I’m a writer, but there’s many other things that I do besides it.
I have a beautiful family and spend as much time as possible with them. We’re a family of three, and its two boys against me, hehe. So I got myself a baby girl in the form of a schnauzer pup that my son named Raven.
I’ve worked in education for the last twelve years. I love my job and know that I’m making a difference in our community.
On my down time I like reading, it’s the best moment of my day! When I can let myself go and immerse myself in an exciting story. I do my best to draw and paint as often as possible. Art, in it’s many forms, is my passion. I wish I could dedicate more time to sketching, it is another creative outlet that I have.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?
K.T. Castle: The scene that comes immediately to my mind is the one when Laura and her husband-to-be are having their engagement party. There’s lots of things that came out wrong and it was so fun to read how Kassandra, the main character, struggles to get them resolved.
But it’s such a hard question. The brunch the bride and groom have with the maid of honor and best man also comes to mind… it was really good! Then the bachelorette party in Vegas was super hot too ;)
You guys can read what happened to Josh and Kass on New Years by visiting my blog.
Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for your latest release?
K.T. Castle: Some years back there was summon to write a story about bridesmaids. I decided to take a chance and participate. I didn’t meet the deadline to the contest, I only had a month to write the story when I saw it, but I decided to finish it anyway. Had lots of fun while doing it!
My bridesmaids are different from anything I’ve ever read. I wanted to write something different that would stand out, something me or my friends would read. So I went to them and asked for their insight:
“The bride has to go completely Bridezilla on everyone,” one said.
“The maid of honor definitely has to sleep with the groom,” another one mentioned.
Then the story began shaping in my mind. I would tell the story from the maid of honor’s perspective, Kassandra would have had a past relationship with the groom…. How was she going to explain that to her best friend? Then I thought about the rest of the girls, the bridesmaids, they all needed to be busy and married and not help Kassie with wedding preparation. So, who was going to help her? The best man, of course. I wanted to have that cliché, but I didn’t want the main character to be okay with it.
I loved to create all this problems and then see how Kassie would make her best to get past them.
Crystal: What are you currently working on?
K.T. Castle: I have several projects in mind. For starters, finishing the BCL series. Laura and Marisol had their wedding. Natalie’s Wedding will be published in early 2018. Then Denise and Kassie will get to tell their story.
I also have a paranormal romance that I will edit and publish as soon as I can. But it needs a lot of work! So I might take a year for it to be ready for your eyes.
There’s a couple other romance stories that I’m writing, and I’ll make the time to finish them and have them publish.
These are some cover ideas for the books that I’m writing :)
Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?
K.T. Castle: I sure do, I’m a creature of routine and order.
First of, I tell my family that I’m going to get to work. That way they do their best not to interrupt. Instead of writing in my beautiful desk, I usually write with my laptop on my living room with Raven by my side. I usually go to my draft to select a chapter to write and choose a playlist to help me concentrate. When my time is limited, I make sure to set up my alarm so that I know I used my time wisely and reached my goal, and when time is up I count the amount of words I wrote to add them to my tracker. Then I mark the chapter I worked on on my draft, so that on the following writing session I choose another chapter to work on.
Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?
K.T. Castle: I usually do a lot of research for my books, I even have a file with notes and pictures to keep track of everything I need to know about my story.
Knowing about my character’s likes and dislikes is a must. Their relatives, any family issues that might be important, birthdays, where they live (the exact address). Then I also research the settings, how they look, where they are…. Pinterest is my best ally for this.
If needed I also interview people that have a similar background to that of my characters.
There’s a lot of interesting things to research while you’re writing a book, even if the book isn’t Nobel Prize material. The fact that people find the most interesting is in Laura’s wedding the one Kassandra, my main character, mentions about people and planning skills: “I knew that eighty percent of the populations struggled with planning, and I also knew I was one of the privileged ten percent fortunate enough to be born with a brain that had no problem planning. I hadn’t ever even needed to learn any planning skills. But, come on, I wasn’t about to be left alone planning this wedding.”
Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?
Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?
K.T. Castle: Let me tell you the list is loooong! And in a way diverse. Starting from Cassandra Clare and Stephenie Meyer, to something more mature like J.R. Ward and Lynsay Sands.
I love Jay Crownover!!! I’m proud to be part of her crowd.
The great thing about reading is that I keep meeting new authors that rock, such as Santino Hassell, L.J. Shen, Meghan March and Kylie Scott. They all certainly inspire me. It is through their beautiful words that I feel empowered and determined to keep writing.
Crystal: Is there a genre you haven't written that you would like to try?
K.T. Castle: I’m really curious about young adult. I admire writers like Cassandra Clare and would love to try and write something in that genre. Only time would tell if my creativity will allow me to reach for new frontiers, At the moment I’m happy with contemporary romance and I have a paranormal romance project that I can’t wait to launch.
Crystal: What are you currently working on?
K.T. Castle: The Bridesmaid’s Checklist: Natalie’s Wedding is in hands of my editor. It should be out at the beginning of next year.
This is the third book for the BCL series, and as the title says it deals with Natalie’s wedding.
Kassandra, my main character, is the last single girl in her group of friends after Laura gets married in BCL1. In that book, she finally gives Josh a chance. Josh is a handsome womanizer that has been after her for years. In the first book we see her deal with her commitment issues and it pretty clear why she is the last single friend.
BCL2 continues Kassandra’s romance while another of her friends, Marisol, deals with an unexpected pregnancy and giving up her career to take care of her family. As the story advances in the present with these issues, it also goes back in time as they both remember Marisol’s wedding. I had a blast writing this book, and I’m proud of it because it deals with Marisol and her husband’s cultural differences.
My current project, BCL3, continues with the retelling of three stories: Kassandra and Josh’s relationship advancing, Natalie’s current life situation and the retelling of her wedding in the past. In Natalie’s case, she believes her husband is cheating on her, she’s so very heartbroken and reaches Kassandra and Josh for advice. This book deals with the age difference between Natalie and her husband, and everything they went through when they got married because of it. Natalie isn’t his first wife, now the question is if she’s going to be the last.
This is not the cover for Natalie’s Wedding, but the idea that I have for it :)
You’ll be the first to see when it comes out!
Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for either your current release or your current WIP?
K.T. Castle: Some years back there was summon to write a story about bridesmaids. I decided to take a chance and participate. I didn’t meet the deadline to the contest, I only had a month to write the story when I saw it, but I decided to finish it anyway. Had lots of fun while doing it!
My bridesmaids are different from anything I’ve ever read. I wanted to write something different that would stand out, something me or my friends would read. So I went to them and asked for their insight:
“The bride has to go completely Bridezilla on everyone,” one said.
“The maid of honor definitely has to sleep with the groom,” another one mentioned.
Then the story began shaping in my mind. I would tell the story from the maid of honor’s perspective, Kassandra would have had a past relationship with the groom…. How was she going to explain that to her best friend? Then I thought about the rest of the girls, the bridesmaids, they all needed to be busy and married and not help Kassie with wedding preparation. So, who was going to help her? The best man, of course. I wanted to have that cliché, but I didn’t want the main character to be okay with it.
I loved to create all this problems and then see how Kassie would make her best to get past them.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite snack that like to munch on while writing? If so would you mind sharing what it is with us?
K.T. Castle: I wish I could munch while writing, but I can’t. My favorite snack is blue Ruffles, but I can’t seem to write and munch on them at the same time. I do have them while reading, and if I’m happening to be revising my writing, or proofreading it, I can pull it off.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?
K.T. Castle: The scene that comes immediately to my mind is the one when Laura and her husband-to-be are having their engagement party. There’s lots of things that came out wrong and it was so fun to read how Kassandra, the main character, struggles to get them resolved.
But it’s such a hard question. The brunch the bride and groom have with the maid of honor and best man also comes to mind… it was really good! Then the bachelorette party in Vegas was super hot too ;)
You guys can read what happened to Josh and Kass on New Years by visiting my blog.
Crystal: When you are not busy writing wonderful stories to keep us lucky readers entertained, what do you like to do? Do you have a hobby?
K.T. Castle: My hobbies are simple and repetitive, I’m all for having a routine and sticking to it. Reading is my all time favorite hobby, as it is to watch series on Netflix. Drawing and Painting are hobbies I do my best to incorporate to my schedule.
There’s certainly little glimpses of my likes and hobbies in my characters, things I love doing and some others I wish I could do.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite background noise you like to having going while you write (TV, Music, kids playing)?
K.T. Castle: Music is my go to background noise.
TV doesn’t help at all, I’m really visual and I tend to forget that I’m writing and looking at the screen. Kids playing would be a “no thanks,” I would be asking them to keep it quiet all the time.
I usually listen to something, but it depends on my mood and what I’m writing. I have different playlists in Google Music and YouTube, some even in Japanese because sometimes I find myself singing to Jessie J or adding too much Adele to my writing. I hear romantic soft music, but I also like pop, pop rock, punk, metal, and some others that have way more guitar and drums.
But, sometimes I even find music distracting.
Crystal: Thanks for visiting. It has been a pleasure having you visit today. Can you think of anything else you would like to share with us today?
K.T. Castle: Thank you for having me over!! I had such a wonderful time.
As I mentioned BCL is a different kind of wedding romance. There’s hearts and flowers, but there’s also drama, conflict and lots of sexy. Kassandra and her friends are upbeat and silly, making the story entertaining. Give the girls a chance, I’m sure you’ll fall in love with them.
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BLURB:
Kassandra is a single, independent woman who prides herself on her own success. But when she’s asked by her best friend Laura to be the Maid of Honor in her wedding, Kassandra finds herself questioning her lifestyle. Helping Laura plan the wedding is no problem—she’s done it before for all their other friends. The first time was a blast, the second super fun, but doing it without receiving any help from the rest of the girls gets old really fast.The whole event kicks off with the worst kind of surprise when Kassandra discovers who her friend's fiancé really is, and she's torn between supporting Laura's future happiness and hiding the deeply buried, intimate past she shares with the groom-to-be. Struggling to be the bigger person and do all the hard work on her own, Kassandra finds surprising comfort in Josh, the best man in the wedding and someone she's been avoiding for years. He's charming, thoughtful, handsome, and the worst kind of womanizer, but she just can't seem to stay away. All the while, Kassandra can't help wondering if the wedding could be any more cliché—until she finds unexpected ways to change things up a bit.
GENRE: Contemporary (New Adult) Romance
The Bridesmaid's Checklist is on sale for only $0.99.
The Bridesmaid’s Checklist Series
Laura’s Wedding
Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01IOOBO0I
Marisol’s Wedding
Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MT0ECVP
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Excerpt:
“Why are you here, Josh?” I couldn't hold back my curiosity any longer.
“What do you mean?”
He seemed completely caught off guard by my direct question, and I had to remind myself that he couldn’t see inside my head. I really didn’t know what I wanted to hear, but Edward’s words kept coming back to me. Maybe Josh only wanted to sleep with me, nothing else—although it seemed like a lot of trouble for only a night of pleasure.
“Do you really only care about getting into my pants?” I asked, bordering somewhere between a pleading glance and a glare.
Josh seemed to relax a bit before he answered me. “You know I do. But not in the way that moron phrased it. I don’t want you thinking about it like that.”
“You have no idea what I’m thinking,” I quipped.
“I don’t,” Josh said quietly. “I wish I had a clue.” Then he stepped closer to me and tilted his head. “And obviously you don’t know how I feel about you, either.”
“Then explain it to me.” I didn’t try to back away from him this time.
This time he looked at me with different eyes. I didn’t see myself broken in them anymore.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
K.T. Castle is an author/artist on a quest to find the words, forms, and colors to materialize the worlds and people of her imagination. She never saw herself as an incurable romantic, but lately, that's what she finds herself musing about. Love is found everywhere, regardless if it comes from a nice person, an ass — mundane or even vampire. When she's not busy with work, in front of a computer placing many thoughts in order, she makes her best to be creative or relax with a good book and a snack. Some of her favorite characters are Sookie, Rule and Shaw, Bella, Edward, Clary, Jace, Wrath, Hollywood, Blaire, Woods, Ethan, the Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel.
Get to know her more on her social media pages.
Facebook: @KTCastle.author
Instagram: @k.t.castle
Google+: +K.T.Castle
Twitter: @KTCastle_author
Pinterest: KTCastle_author
Website: www.ktcastle.com/
congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteHello, Lisa
Deletethanks for stopping by today :)
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the excerpt, interview and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteHi, James!
DeleteGood to see you here. I'm happy you enjoyed the post.
Hello, everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal, thank you so much for having me over today. I had lots of fun with your interview. I hope eveyone likes it.
If you have some other questions for me, don't be shy!! Ask away :)
I'm at work and will do my best to sneak whenever I can.
Later,
Great interview, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Victora :)
DeleteHave a great day!
Hmm, I have never heard of blue Ruffles...and although blue IS my favorite color, I'm not sure I'd appreciate it in a snack food, lol. Good luck on the tour and thanks for the fun interview!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ally!!!
ReplyDeleteSee you around :)
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! Looking forward to checking out this book!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview & excerpt, LOVE the back stories behind the books :) Thanks for the chance to win ;)
ReplyDelete