My publisher wanted some stories set in the National Parks across the US. So, I started doing some research. Finally, I zeroed on the Great Smoky Mountain Park. Next, I needed to figure out who my heroes would be. I then settled for a medically discharged US Marine. I wanted him to be a park […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Leeann Betts and the book you always wanted to write
So you have a great idea for a book. You’ve done some character sketches. You know where the story is going. The only thing that’s left, apart from the writing, is to decide where to set your book. Your hometown? No, too many people know you there. That little town where you went on vacation […]
Castle Gate Press wins a Selah Award!
We are so proud. Our book Cruel Messenger by Timothy W. Ayers just won a major award, the Selah Award for speculative fiction from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers’ Conference. The same book is also up as finalist for the Realm Award, recognizing the most excellent speculative fiction books written by Christian authors, and for the Excellence […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Barbara M. Britton sifts through the Bible to find her characters
The Bible is full of wonderful characters, or should we say, Wonder Women. Ruth and Esther have their own books. Deborah, the Judge, has a few chapters devoted to her bravery. Rachel and Leah have a sisterly battle for years over Jacob. But numerous novels have been written about these women of the faith. Do […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Johnnie Alexander recalls a childhood on the farm
See below for giveaway! The strong sense of place imbedded in my Misty Willow Series comes from all the childhood moments, those forgotten and those I will never forget, that made up my life on a central Ohio farm. We moved there when I seven or eight, living first in the upstairs apartment of a […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Delia Latham fell in love with a beach house
As a lifetime California gal, I found it a bit of a shock to find myself living in East Texas in my late fifties. It’s so beautiful here, but things are…different—just as they would be had we moved anywhere else that wasn’t ‘home.’ Still, my grandchildren live close now, and that makes this location perfect […]
Our approach to editing your book
Castle Gate Press is unusual in several ways. One of them is in our team editing approach. The contests where we’ve been entering our books often ask who the editor of the book is, leaving space for the name of one editor. This is apparently the common way for the big publishers to do it, with […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Donna Schlachter says research isn’t work
I always thought history was boring, probably because about the only thing I remember is memorizing dates for the reigns of monarchs (I’m from Canada, so we focused on British history). And I don’t do well with memorizing. But give me a tidbit of historical information, like the Pony Express, and I’m off to the […]
Our book Cruel Messenger finals again!
Judges are loving this book! So far, it’s a finalist in the Realm Award, the Excellence in Editing Award, and now: the Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference! We’re excited about this news and hope you are too. Author Timothy W. Ayers has managed to pen a truly winsome suspense story. […]
We’ve got a finalist in another contest!
Our book Cruel Messenger by Timothy W. Ayers is getting another nod from contest judges. The Christian Editor Connection is announcing finalists for its Excellence in Editing Award. Final results will be announced at the end of June. Cruel Messenger is already a finalist for the Realm Award this year, choosing the best speculative fiction written by […]