Father’s Day is this month. With this holiday comes a rash of blogs about fathers and how they affected their children’s lives. I thought I’d add mine to the mix, but with a writer’s slant.

When I was growing up and working on a school assignment, I often wanted to use a word I didn’t know how to spell. You have to realize that this was way before the advent of computers where misspelled words are often automatically corrected by computer software programs. My available resources were a beat up dictionary and my parents, who didn’t have more than an eighth grade education. I’d usually ask my dad how to spell a word since Mom claimed she never knew. Every time I asked, Dad’s answer was always, “Go look it up in the dictionary.”

“How can I look it up, if I don’t know how to spell it?” I whined.

“Figure it out,” Dad said.

At the time, I thought Dad didn’t know how to spell and he was ashamed to tell me. So, I’d get the dictionary, look up the word using phonetics, and eventually I’d find the correct spelling.

Years later, when my own daughter would ask me how to spell a word, my answer to her was more often than not, “Go look it up.” And it was not because I couldn’t spell.

You see, after years of searching the dictionary for illusive words, somewhere along the way I became a great speller. Thanks to my father.

Today it doesn’t matter whether my father could spell or not. Today I see there was wisdom in my dad’s avoidance of handing me an answer. Instead of relying on someone to give me an answer, Dad taught me to go figure it out on my own. What a great lesson that was for a future writer.

Thanks, Dad.

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 inexplicably attracted to him, he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them by 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.

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. A former freelance writer, she has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit (under her real name) in the Christian and secular market. Now she writes sweet and inspirational romance. Her debut inspirational romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, from Soul Mate Publishing, has garnered multiple contests finals and wins.

Catherine loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, watching movies, and the 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.

Learn more about Catherine Castle on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out Catherine’s Amazon author page and her Goodreads page. You can also find Catherine on Stitches Thru Time and the SMP authors blog site.

Anticipation. That’s the title of a great song, the jingle for an ancient advertisement, and a marketing tool for authors. Oh, and anticipation makes good food better too. What more could you ask of a word?

You already know the classic song (thanks, Carly Simon!), and if you’re of a…ummm…certain age, you probably remember the ketchup commercial too. (Sorry if the jingle is now an earwig! Confess—you’re humming, aren’t you?)

As far as making good food better—our barbecue pulled pork recipe is DEFINITELY worth waiting for! Put all the ingredients together, then grab a good book to read while you’re anticipating the meal to come.

PULLED PORK

½ cup ketchup
1 ½ cups barbecue sauce, divided
1 cup water
1 onion, chopped (or a similar amount of frozen chopped onions)
1 tsp. garlic, chopped
3 ½ pound pork roast (a shoulder cut works well)
Hamburger buns

Mix ketchup, ½ cup barbecue sauce, and water in a small bowl. Stir in the onions and garlic.

Set pork roast in the crock pot and pour sauce mixture over it, coating the meat well. The liquid should almost cover the meat. Add more if necessary. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Remove the pork roast from the crock-pot, let cool, and shred with a fork. Set aside.

Empty the liquid from the crock-pot. Put the pulled pork back into the crock-pot, add the remaining barbecue sauce, and mix well.

Cook on low for two more hours; then reduce setting to warm until ready to serve.

Serve on buns.

Tips and Tricks
Crock pots are ideal for tenderizing less expensive cuts of meat. The longer the cooking time, the more tender the meat becomes.

Feel free to add more sauce to the first cooking; meat cooked in liquid is moister.

For an added crunch, serve chips of your choice as a side dish.

If you want to serve the pulled pork for lunch, set up the crock pot to cook overnight.

Once upon a time there was a mother/daughter author duo named Helen and Lorri, who wrote as HL Carpenter. the Carpenters worked from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories was unreal but not untrue. Then one day Lorri left her studio to explore the land of What-If, and like others who have lost a loved one the magical place lost much of its magic. But thanks to family, plus an amazing group of wordsmiths named Authors Moving Forward (AMF), the magic is slowly returning.

Recently, I was
cornered, er asked to have a chit-chat with Mirror World Publishing’s
promotional specialist, Rhiannon Lotze. Though this interview appeared on their
blog at the end of February 2024, I thought it would be appropriate to share
this Q&A with my readers on the Victoria Day holiday here in Canada. So, if
you’re opening the cottage, setting up your trailer at the campground, or in
your backyard garden getting your hands dirty, take a break, grab a chair and
your favourite beverage, then relax to find out what the next chapter of my
author life looks like in the near future. Cheers, and enjoy the grilling…

Most
authors are also avid readers. Would you also consider yourself to be an avid
reader? What was the first book you remember that you couldn’t put down?

Actually, no. I’m a slow reader, so it takes a lot of time for me to read, say
a 300-page book. So, I select my books wisely – sometimes buying them ahead of
time for research purposes – or what other readers have recommended. The first
book I couldn’t put down? Hmm. Hard question! I’d have to say the time travel
romance, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon,
where I paced myself every night, and absorbed the story in my own time. Pun
intended.

What would you say were your first early
experiences that showed you the power of language and writing? 

In high school, a girlfriend of mine had a way with words. Even when she wrote
a letter or poem, she chose her words carefully, and from the heart. I wished I
could write like that; to easily articulate stories or poems like she did. It
took quite a few years for me to jump into the writing pool and try my hand at
writing a book, but I got up the courage in my mid-thirties, and took that leap
of faith.

Finding time to write can be a struggle for plenty
of authors. How do you maximize your writing time? What would you consider
“maximization” when it comes to your particular style of writing?

I’ve been retired for over twenty years, so I plan my days where I’m either
writing or editing or creating a blog post or ad blurb. I find scheduling my
writing time in a day planner helps tremendously. When I first started writing
(mid 90s), I used to drop my son off at school, then go home and hone my craft
on the days I was off from working at our graphic trade business.

To be honest, I do have a problem
with ‘maximization’, as I attend to checking emails, sharing author friends’
posts, and promoting my books first, before I sit down and actually write in
the day. Guess I’d better revisit my priorities! LOL! I’m a very intuitive
plotter with a touch of the methodical thrown into the mix. So, even if I plot out
a book, my muse eventually hijacks the story, and takes me in another
direction. Gotta love when that happens!

Do you normally think of the plot first or the
characters first? Can you describe your process for developing the stories you
write?

I think of both, actually. Presently, I’m writing two young adult book series
with Mirror World Publishing. The Last Timekeepers time travel adventures
include the same cast of main characters, though the POV switches with each
book. My other series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, are stand-alone books
with a different psychic teen solving a mystery in the small tourist town of
Fairy Falls. Though, each character from my teen psychic mysteries makes a
cameo in the next book, the story focuses on the new character and the
challenges she or he face possessing a psychic ability. It’s quite exciting and
fun to keep those characters moving forward.

 I’m a very organized person, so I
planned each book out for both book series, and created a master list. It’s
quite fluid, so if something changes, or I get a better idea for a title or
premise of each book, I can easily add or change it in the documents. When I’m
ready to sit down and plot out the next book in the queue, I pull out my
character tracking sheets, a pad of lined paper, and get to work developing the
story. There’s a lot of research involved in both series, so I make sure I’ve
got most of the information needed before I start. If it sounds like a lot of
work, it is, but the end results are so rewarding! 

What are three things you must have in your
writing space to stay focused?

Single Malt Scotch. LOL! Kidding. Definitely a bottle of water (or sometimes a
tea or coffee depending on the time of day). My office door must be shut (I
like quiet when I write). And a few healthy snacks in my desk drawer like
almonds or walnuts, and a bar of dark chocolate. Face it. When you’re hungry,
your mind is not focused on your story. Wink. 

How often do you take risks in your writing? Have
you ever tried something risky that turned out really well or really poorly?

I don’t take too many risks, but I’ve changed directions in where I want to
take both my series. I’ve always included characters with diverse ethnic backgrounds
and cultures, as well as feature characters with different gender identities.
This is our world now, and I love the cornucopia of expressions offered by each
and every one of my characters who can shine their own light in a sometimes
harsh and dark world. Risk comes with rewards, so even sitting at my keyboard
and writing something completely out of my comfort zone is a risk I’m willing
to take. Whether it ends really well or really poorly, I’m more concerned with
getting the message out of my bones, and onto the screen or paper. It’s so
cathartic.

If there’s one thing you could change in the
publishing industry, what would it be?

The ridiculous amount of book marketing authors must do. LOL! No
seriously. It’s crazy!

You enjoy writing about topics that revolve around
things like mysteries and legends and the arcane, just to name a few. What
topic or theme would you like to explore in your magnum opus?

I’m working up to that with the two book series I have on the go. Once they’re
finished, I want to develop a trilogy based on how humanity is growing and
evolving, and what’s next for us. I’ve actually written ideas and book titles
for this magnum opus, and hope I live
long enough to breathe life into this unique creative endeavor. Fingers
crossed!

Writing is a craft that is typically learned and
honed over many years of practice. If you could pick one famous author (dead or
alive) to mentor you, who would it be?

Wow, tough question! You know, I would love to be mentored by Rick Riordan, who’s
created this whole mythical universe of characters and their stories, and has
an enterprise based on his book series that’s geared for middle grade and young
adult readers. Love the humour and wit he injects in all of his books. Plus, he
has an ‘in’ with the Disney Corporation. Sign me up!

How would you define success as a writer?

That I basically learned the craft of writing a novel from the ground up. It
took fifteen years of practice, patience, and perseverance to actually get my
first book published. Truthfully, many people would have given up. Writing is
not only an investment in yourself, it’s an investment in your readers. It’s a
process that you have to LOVE, no matter what. So, just showing up for myself
as a writer, getting the work done, and believing in my ultimate goal of reaching
readers throughout the world is success to me. The gravy part of this journey
is creating long term relationships with those readers, and getting paid for
just being me.

Do you have anything else to add?

First, I want to thank you
for interrogating, er I mean interviewing me, Rhiannon. Your questions are all
thought-provoking and insightful. I just have an update in my writing world.
Shortly, I’ll be submitting the third installment of Mysterious Tales of Fairy
Falls titled, Stick and Stones, for
publication in 2025. It’s about fourteen-year-old Thane Berg, who’s been
forced to live with his estranged father in Fairy Falls, and how he deals with
his unique gift of psychokinesis (the ability to move objects and bend metals). Then, it’s on to book four
of my time travel saga, The Last
Timekeepers and the Reluctant Scribe, which will feature Treena Mui’s POV.
There’s gonna be a lot of research for this tale, with tons of twists,
entanglements, and of course my brand of humour. Stay tuned, and happy reading,
everyone!

What Mirror World Publishing is looking for: 

Here is a dessert I confiscated and made my own. This New Orleans treat is perfect on a special night for two as well as holiday gatherings and everything in between.

Here are a few tips to make preparing this dessert easier:

Soak the raisins in bourbon before you start this recipe. You can even soak them a day or two ahead.

The bread you use should be a little dry. If the bread you are using is fresh, after you cube it, spread it out on a sheet pan and put it in a 200° F oven for 10 minutes.

Go easy on the bourbon sauce. It is strong! But so delicious.

Bread Pudding
1 cup raisins
¼ cup bourbon whiskey
1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 qt. milk
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ – ½ tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. butter, melted

Combine raisins and bourbon in a small bowl. Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours or until the raisins have absorbed most of the bourbon.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Pour milk into a large bowl. Add bread and press into milk with your hands or a large spoon until all the milk is absorbed.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, allspice, and cinnamon. Pour over bread mixture. Add bourbon-soaked raisins, with or without the remaining soaking liquid. Stir gently to combine.

Pour melted butter onto bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in bread mixture then egg mixture.

Bake 35 – 45 minutes, until liquid has set. The pudding is done when the edges are just brown and pulling away from the pan edge.

Bourbon Sauce
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey, amount according to taste

Make the bourbon sauce while the bread pudding is cooking.

Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Whisk in sugar and egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove pan from heat.

Do not allow mixture to simmer! Or the sauce will curdle. By the way, if your sauce curdles, just take it off the heat and blend it smooth in a blender.

Whisk in bourbon. Whisk again before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.

Serve with whiskey sauce on the side. This dessert is best eaten the day it is made.

Please allow me to share a sneak peek of my Southern Gothic book while you enjoy your pudding.

Koush Hollow:
Where bayou magic abounds and all that glitters…is deadly.

After her father’s untimely death, Jenna Ashby moves to Koush Hollow, a bayou town outside of New Orleans, dreading life with her wealthy mother.

As the sixteen-year-old eco-warrior is introduced to the Diamonds & Pearls, her mother’s exclusive social club, she comes to the troubling realization that secrets are a way of life in Koush Hollow.

 How do the Diamonds & Pearls look so young, where does their money come from, and why is life along the bayou disappearing?

As Jenna is drawn into their seductive world, her curiosity and concerns beg her to uncover the truth. However, in this town where mysticism abounds and secrets are deadly, the truth is not what Jenna could have ever imagined.

Leigh Goff writes young adult fiction. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI).

Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she enjoys the area’s great history and culture.

Her third young adult novel, Koush Hollow, a Southern gothic set in New Orleans, will release on September 1, 2020 from The Parliament House.

Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.