~Romance in Florida ~

Just in time to add to your summer reading pile, Wild Rose Nell Castle has a new release for you to enjoy. If you like Florida, romance, and women who care, you will want to read her contemporary romance, Turning the Tides. Today Nell shares about her life, her jobs, and her writing.

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Tell  us a little about yourself. 

I always loved to write, but I couldn’t figure out what to write about. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when I decided to “rewrite” my friend’s life and give her the happily ever after she deserved with an (unfortunately for her) fabricated love interest, that I found my voice. That story became my first novel with The Wild Rose Press, A Leap of Faith.

Is writing something that comes easy to you?

 Writing is easier than talking. I need the extra time allowed by writing to figure out how  to say what I want to say. Writing well is an arduous process for me, full of deletions and re-tries. I’m lucky to complete 1,000 words a day. I usually don’t have to do much revision because I revise as I go, and I plot out each chapter and event.

Where do you get your ideas?

For romance, I just look around at the people I know and start to spin alternate realities for them. The character of Lee Cooper in Turning the Tides is based on a friend from college who was adopted from a Korean orphanage at the age of two. However, her circumstances, her profession, the setting I plopped her in, and the  love interest I gave her were products of my imagination influenced by experiences and interests of  my own, and places I’ve visited or lived.

I’m working on another romance inspired by my oldest friend, who met her husband of 25 years when she was only 15. She’s already living the so-called fairy-tale ending, so I’m re-writing her story to imagine what would have happened if her life had taken a different turn. In the end, I’ll return her to the man she was meant to grow old with.

What are some interesting jobs you have had?

 The worst job I ever had only lasted a day. It was at a bathing suit store in South Florida, and part of my training was to try on about 40 swimsuits and then stand before the sales team and a large mirror, turning 360 degrees so they could help me understand why it looked bad on me. Ostensibly, I would then be able to help customers avoid making the same mistakes. I still cringe at the memory. Years later, I overheard one of my children telling their friends that their Mom had been “a swimsuit model,” a misinterpretation that made my face red all over again.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I love the job I have right now, teaching a creative writing class through role  playing to kids between  the ages of 6 and 14 at a summer enrichment program. The kids go on quests and fight monsters, becoming more powerful with  each word they write about their challenges. My day job is teaching a multi-sensory language program to children with dyslexia, a rewarding but taxing occupation; so I love the freedom, expression, and fun of the writing class.

Do you have advice for aspiring writers?

Realize that if you want to write a novel, the only thing stopping you is you. Anyone who wants to write should already be a voracious reader. If you feel you have a story in you that needs to come out, it  will only happen if you have the discipline to work on  it every day, whether the words are flowing or not. Be disciplined and prioritize your writing schedule. The sense of accomplishment when the book is finally written will do great things for your self-esteem!

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Turning the Tides

by Nell Castle

Ever the black sheep of her adoptive family, Lee Cooper has finally buckled down to a responsible job as a social worker in Southwest Florida. Defending her client against charges of child abuse awakens buried memories of her own abandonment in a Korean orphanage. Can she remain objective for the sake of a child?

Bricker Kilbourn, the court-appointed guardian, doubts Lee’s judgments–and his opinion might determine the little boy’s fate. He’s got his own family issues and haunting secrets to keep. Falling for a woman is not part of his plan.

He’s running from his past. She’s searching for answers. Will their resolution to protect a child bind them together or wrench them apart?

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Buy links

Amazon  |  The Wild Rose Press 

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Learn more about Nell Castle here

Website   |  Facebook

Amazon Author Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

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