Romance writer finds inspiration in court
The Booker be damned. A Calgary-area author isn’t likely to capture any highbrow literary awards. But no matter. She’s winning plenty of praise and accolades for a completely different type of writing. And penning the proverbial bodice rippers is a whole lot of fun, too.
Sarah Castille’s work is termed “erotic romance” and her books embrace it fully: Legal Heat (Passion this hot should be illegal); Unraveled (Bikers, billionaires and alpha bad boys); Against the Ropes (He scared me, he thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more); and Barely Undercover (With passion at full throttle, there’s no turning back), which was named the Must Read Erotic Romance of 2013 by Reader’s Choice Awards.
“I remember having a client once in Vancouver who wrote Harlequin Romances and I remember thinking that is the coolest job in the world,” said Castille, a former lawyer, who once lived the high life working for one of the world’s biggest law firms in London, England.
Castille’s books have made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and it’s quite a feat considering she only started writing four years ago after a debilitating illness. Pregnant at 38 weeks with her third child, Castille contracted the H1N1 virus and ended up in a coma for two months in 2009. Her child was delivered via emergency C-section and it took Castille almost a year to recover.
It was a life-changing experience and she decided to try the one thing she’s always wanted to do — write a book. Castille had always been intrigued by the romance genre.
“My grandmother used to visit from Ireland and she would bring Harlequin Romances and hide them under her pillow.”
Romances also helped her recover during those lonely months in hospital.
“They always have a happily-ever-after end and I felt that very uplifting. It was a hard time for me. I missed my kids and this was the one thing I had to look forward to each day.”
When she began to write, Castille smartly combined her legal knowledge with a steamy thriller and a new career was born.
“I thought I’d write paranormal romances but that requires so much world building. ... I blended the legal side and a romance and it really took off.”
A busy wife and mom living in the country near Strathmore, Castille writes mostly at night when the kids are in bed.
She’s written seven books so far and has no plans to return to the courtroom anytime soon. Except perhaps to research a future bestseller.