Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host K.T.
Castle and her new book, “The Bridesmaid's Checklist: Natalie's Wedding”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish
Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in
this post.
Be sure to make it to the end
of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card, an autographed copy of winner's choice book from The Bridesmaid's Checklist Book Series, AND some swag (stickers and bookmarks) ALL to one lucky winner!! Also, come back daily to interact with K.T.
and to increase your chances of winning!
All THREE books in The Bridesmaid’s Checklist Book Series are on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99 EACH!!! See below for more details.
All THREE books in The Bridesmaid’s Checklist Book Series are on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99 EACH!!! See below for more details.
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
The Bridesmaid's Checklist:
Natalie's Wedding
(Book 3)
by K.T. Castle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Kassandra
never thought she’d be in another committed relationship, but now she’s living
with her boyfriend Josh. Things can’t get any better. But they can get worse.
Natalie
has dropped a major bomb on her, confessing she believes her husband is having
an affair. Kassandra is always ready to help a friend, but accepting that one
of their marriages isn’t working goes against everything she believes about the
people she loves. Wanting to help their friend overcome this difficult
situation and provide Natalie the support she needs, Kassandra and the girls
pull a lot of strings to help Natalie uncover the truth. In the process,
Kassandra discovers remarkable similarities between Josh’s recent changes and
those in Natalie’s allegedly cheating husband. She’s always been an independent
woman who prides herself on her own success, and when she digs up one dirty
secret after another, she can’t help but wonder if her man’s womanizing days
are really behind him.
Sometimes,
love makes us twist reality to avoid hurting those we hold closest to our
hearts. Join Kassandra and Natalie as they struggle to reconcile their fears in
love with the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT FOUR:
From Chapter 9
Boston,
Massachusetts. Seven years, two months ago.
The
enrollment packet sitting on my desk mocked me.
UMass
Graduate School
The
end of May brought with it my last semester of college. I still felt remarkably
uncertain about what I’d be doing with my life, even though I had plenty of
options. Making a decision was the hard part.
Sitting
around me, the other students in the classroom eagerly jotted down notes,
listening intently to the talk given by the graduate school admissions team.
Dr. Cadwell had insisted that I attend a friendly talk about the opportunities
the University of Massachusetts had for further education. So, of course, I
went, as did most of the other students he’d spoken to about the lecture,
especially the girls. Dr. Marc Cadwell was a hottie; he was an intelligent man
and a wonderful teacher, but many of us took his lectures because we enjoyed
the eye candy. Tall, he was built like an athlete, his light blond hair styled
with care—not in the latest trend but in a way that still suited his masculine
features. His neatly trimmed stubble most definitely added to the fact that
eighty percent of his students were female, and it made him look like the
heroes of the romance novels Denise always talked about. Personally, I though
his most attractive feature was his eyes—the clearest, lightest blue I’d ever
seen. Even hidde
n
behind his refined-looking eyeglasses, they called to me in a way most students
never wanted to feel about their teacher.
The
bright Spring sun snuck through the vast windows, casting a cheeriness around
the room. Every other conference attendee seemed interested and excited about
being a prospective student in the master’s program, and I felt like the odd
woman out. The most difficult decision was whether or not I should go back home
or give Boston a few more years of my life, and my heart felt torn in two.
Babushka
and Dzed expected me to come back to L.A. And I missed them dearly. I had spent
my summers studying in order to advance in the program so I could go back home
sooner. But I also remembered exactly why I’d decided to study in Boston. I
followed the track to independence taken by most teens—to leave the house right
after graduating from high school to spread my wings, become an adult, and
start my life. No, I didn’t have parents who were kicking me out the door as
soon as the ink on my diploma dried; my grandparents wanted nothing more than for
their granddaughter to study close to home and stay with them. Especially
somewhere I could potentially meet a nice Russian man to marry. That had
essentially been the determining factor in which college I chose.
Babushka
had been smothering me. I loved her with all my heart, but after graduation,
all her conversations revolved around my single status. She constantly asked if
I’d met anyone, failing to hide her disappointment when I hadn’t. Even if I
had, the conversation would have then moved to whether or not he was Russian. I
tended to run as far as I could from Russian boys, and I blame that on her.
She’d set me up with so many of her friends’ grandsons, it had scared the hell
out of me. So, for my own sanity and though I missed her every day, I needed to
put some space between us.
It
might have been silly, but I’d always felt a little awkward living with my
grandparents, and I’d be lying if I said part of that didn’t have to do with
the color of my skin. Babah and Dzed were as white as white could be, and I
wasn’t. My father was African American, my mother was white Russian, and I fell
into the caramel-colored middle. This had gotten me a lot of odd compliments
over the years—and yeah, I’d also been called derogatory names, but I refused
to validate those. Somehow, I once thought I would feel more at ease if I lived
with someone who looked like me. But that wasn’t always the case.
Grandma
and Grandpa Hope were wonderful people—intelligent, elegant, and charming. Five
minutes into a conversation with them, one couldn’t help but instantly fall in
love. They were everything a person could want in their parents, even more so
when they happened to be one’s grandparents.
After
my parents died, Grandma and Grandpa offered to take care of me in Boston, but the
judge decided it was best for me to remain in my hometown and continue my life
as normally as possible. Babushka and Dzed had even moved into my parents’
house to ease the load of changes to my life at five years old. The Hopes had
to settle with holiday visits, and for the first few years, they came to see me
in L.A. When I got older, I went to visit them, and I always enjoyed the Boston
visits, treasuring the few moments a year I got to spend with them.
Being
with Grandma Hope, though, was completely different than being with Babah. The
woman spoiled me rotten; we went shopping at the upscale boutiques, she bought
me simple, girly jewelry, and I ate whatever I wanted. The visits were
wonderful and short. Leaving their house with no rules to return to a
controlled life with Babah left me wishing I never had to leave.
What
I didn’t understand back then was that, for the Hopes, my visits were always a
celebration, a type of holiday. They were so thrilled to have me for a short
time, they’d do anything I wanted. It took some time to get used to the fact
that it wouldn’t happen every single time I came to stay. Regardless, when it
came time for me to choose where I wanted to get my degree, I decided it would
be Boston. And I could be close to my other grandparents. Granted, it wasn’t as
magical as I’d envisioned it, but it had been a good decision; I had the
opportunity to get to know my father’s parents better than I ever had when I
was younger.
I
fell completely in love with them. They allowed me my independence, and I could
always count on them to let me use their laundry room and have a home cooked
meal ready when I visited. They were interested in my studies, congratulated me
on my grades, and asked about who I dated without overstepping any of the boundaries
I’d established since moving into UMass’ dorms. It turned out, though, that I
had become what Babushka and Dzed had raised me to be—a nice Russian girl. My
coloring might have been more similar to the Hopes’, but my heart was certainly
fonder of my old Russian grandparents.
Suddenly,
the large classroom felt too crowded, too sunny, too suffocating. I looked
around once more to assess whether or not I was the only one feeling this way.
Thick drops of sweat crawled down my neck to my lower back, and I realized I
was breathing a little too heavily. I made a conscious effort to inhale and
exhale slowly, so my heart wouldn’t pound out of my chest. My hands felt a
little numb; I opened and closed them to pump the blood around. Maybe I’d been
sitting still for too long. Maybe I wasn’t getting enough oxygen to my brain.
Maybe I was having a panic attack.
All
this because I couldn’t make a life-changing decision? I needed to get a grip.
There were more complicated things in life, one of them being that I’d now
added love to the equation. Not the kind of love that came from family—the kind
of love that filled your body with heat and made your heart sing. I had Edward
in my life now, and I didn’t even want to start thinking about the
ramifications our relationship could bring to my future. Even though my heart
seemed to favor Los Angeles over Boston where family was concerned, Edward had
entangled himself forcefully in a new part of my heart, occupying space and
making sure he conquered all of it.
“Let’s
talk about our future together,” had never been a conversation he and I ever
came close to discussing. We weren’t there yet. Or, at least, I didn’t believe
we were.
He
had a year left before finishing his MBA and was contemplating the possibility
of opening his own club. Boston was his first choice, but I already knew L.A.
was option number two. A friend of his in California was trying to convince him
to come back so they could work together, expanding his successful scouting
business and looking into opening a bar to further enjoy L.A.’s nightlife. The
business opportunities Edward had in Boston came with some big investors, but
his friend in Los Angeles seemed to be more like family.
Any
decision I made would affect more than just myself—Grandma and Grandpa Hope,
Babah and Dzed, and even Edward, who seemed to have clawed his way into how I
made my decisions lately. Still, there was no way in hell I’d be the girl who let
her boyfriend make her decisions for her, and the indecision scared me.
The
room was unbearable now, feeling smaller by the minute. The light was too
bright and the lecture too loud, echoing in the cramped space and depriving me
of the ability to think. I was sure there was a problem with the ventilation
system; the air had to be thin. I felt nauseous. I had to step out.
As
quietly as I could, I moved around the wooden tables, grateful that all the
event’s guests faced the front, their eyes on the presentation, and ignored me
completely.
The
moment I opened the door to the auditorium and left the conference, the air
seemed rich with oxygen, filling my lungs so I could breathe normally. The
fresh breeze calmed my overheated skin, which still felt clammy. The sounds of
nature and murmurs of people passing by were a welcomed change from the voice
trying to convince me how my future would benefit should I apply to the
graduate program.
A
warm hand pressed on my shoulder before I heard the question. “Ms. Hope, are
you okay?”
I
turned around and found the comforting smile of my teacher. “Professor
Cadwell,” I said in surprise, then took a deep breath. “I’m okay. I just needed
some air.”
“I
can see.” His piercing blue eyes sparkled at me. “Have you slept at all?”
I
didn’t think many of my classmates had slept in weeks this close to graduation.
I certainly hadn’t. When I wasn’t studying or working on my thesis, I was in
front of my computer, working on the document that would define my future. And
then, of course, there was time spent with Edward.
“A
little,” I told him. “Do I look that bad?”
“No,
not at all. You always look good. But for a second there, you turned green. I
thought you might faint.”
Now
that I thought about it, it might not have been concern about my future that
had given me so much anxiety. I was definitely a little sleep-deprived, to say
the least, and then my stomach made a big production of reminding me that I
hadn’t eaten anything all day. “Apparently I also forgot to eat.”
“That’s
a bad combination,” Dr. Cadwell said with a smile. God, he was beautiful.
“It
is,” I agreed. “I should probably go grab a bite and then try to chill for a
bit. I have to work on my thesis.”
“You
should.” He took a moment to just look at me, then added, “Do you mind if I
join you for lunch?” That took me completely off guard. “There’s a bistro a few
blocks from here. Are you okay with walking?”
“Walking’s
fine,” I answered, not really understanding that I’d just agreed to have lunch
with one of my college professors.
“Then
let me help you with your bag, and we’ll go grab a bite.”
We
walked mostly in silence. I didn’t exactly know what to do, as I was about to
have lunch with the hottest teacher in history. Part of me felt as though I
should have checked with Edward first, but the other part of me reasoned that
this was a friendly lunch with one of my professors, nothing more.
When
we arrived at the bistro, Dr. Cadwell opened the door and directed us to the
counter to place our orders, recommending the portobello hamburger. I chose a
Niçoise salad instead, not wanting to agree with him on everything. Somehow, it
felt important that I didn’t. I chose a table at the far corner of the place, away
from any windows, and I made sure there was ventilation close by. My body still
needed the air.
Our
conversation was light and amicable at the beginning. We discussed trivial
things like the weather—nothing too serious or uncomfortable. With each passing
minute, I felt more at ease with our impromptu get-together. But I should have
known that when a teacher asked a student out for lunch, it wasn’t because he
wanted to discuss anything else but school.
“What
did you think about the presentation?” he asked. “Are you interested in the
master’s program?”
“To
be totally honest, I can’t make up my mind.” I played with the rings on my
fingers, having nothing else in front of me to eat because I’d devoured my
salad already. Talking about my plans for the future still felt uncomfortable,
and I was sure he could tell that that had been the source of my near panic
attack earlier.
Professor
Cadwell pushed a side of fries to the middle of our table, and I grabbed a
couple without giving it a second thought. “How so?”
“I
don’t really know if I want to continue studying or not. And it sounds like a
lot of work.”
This
made him laugh. “I don’t think you’re the least bit scared of hard work.” He
took his glasses off and placed them on the table. I wished he hadn’t; now those
shockingly crystalline eyes pulled me in like a magnet I couldn’t fight. “As a
matter of fact, I bet your thesis is already finished and you just keep adding
more to it because you’re a perfectionist and you can’t find it in you to stop
pushing yourself.”
“Oh,
no. Not at all.” I avoided looking straight at him and opted to concentrate on
the fries between us. “I’m not even halfway through, and I know time’s running
out.”
“I
could give it a look if you want. But knowing you, Ms. Hope,” he said, giving
my hand a light pat, “I’m pretty sure you don’t need any help.”
“That
would be great, Professor. Thanks.”
“Don’t
mention it.” He took a cleaning cloth from his backpack and rubbed his glasses
with it. “Do you mind if I call you Kassandra? It seems fair now that we’ve
shared a side of fries.”
“I’m
so sorry,” I said, looking down to see I’d just eaten half his fries. “I didn’t
realize…”
“That’s
fine,” he said with a smile, obviously enjoying the blush creeping up my neck.
“As long as you don’t take a bite of my steak. Have as many fries as you want.
Maybe then you’ll agree to call me Marc.”
“Thanks…
Marc.” It was easier to look at him now, since he’d replaced his glasses, and
his eyes seemed less penetrating and deep behind the lenses.
“My
pleasure. That salad didn’t look particularly filling.” I just smiled and
glanced at the table, feeling silly for having thought the salad would impress
him. “Anyway, I have been meaning to talk to you for a while,” he confessed. I
glanced up at him, wondering what he meant, and then he added quickly, “About
the master’s program.”
We
spent the rest of the meal discussing the many advantages of getting a master’s
degree and how Dr. Cadwell—Marc—felt I was perfect for it. He thought I had the
brains and dedication needed to overcome the challenge and be successful. His
high opinion of me was definitely flattering. More than anything, his passion
for the program made me interested in participating.
“UMass
should get rid of that crowded conference and just let you talk to the students
instead,” I told him. “If anyone could convince me to apply to the program, it
would be you.” I smiled, trying to joke around a bit now that I felt more at
ease. “Do you get a commission or something if I enroll?” I laughed at my own
joke and grabbed the last fry from the dish in the middle of the table. When he
didn’t laugh with me or reply in any way, I looked up and noticed him blush for
the first time since we’d met.
“There’s
no commission, Kassandra. Only the satisfaction of knowing you’ll continue
studying and possibly attending my classes. That in itself is enough of a
reward.”
“Oh.”
What else could I have said to something like that?
“I’m
sorry, Kassandra. I haven’t been completely honest.” Marc looked at me, his
astonishingly gorgeous eyes fixing me with more than interest. “As great as it
is to talk to you about the graduate program, I had more selfish intentions of
joining you for lunch. I really wanted to ask you out for dinner. On a date.”
Time
stopped for a minute or two as I digested what he’d just said. It was quite
possibly a fantasy come true, something every girl—and maybe a few boys—from
our class had put on their college bucket lists but never imagined would
actually happen. But the excitement of it was dampened by the fact that Edward
and I had been dating for four months.
“So,
what do you say? Can I take you out for dinner?”
“I’m
sorry, Marc. I’m going out with someone.”
“The
guy from the business program?”
“You
know him?” It surprised me at first, but then I remembered that Marc’s graduate
classes were part of the Isenberg School of Management, where Edward studied
for his MBA.
“I’ve
seen him with you. I didn’t think it was... serious.” The way he said the word
stoked my curiosity, and if I’d been braver, I might have asked him why he’d
made such an emphasis.
Instead
I only managed to say, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t
be.” He smiled. “I’m a patient man. I can wait. “Before I could even start
thinking in another direction, he added, “How about dessert, then? I think
that’ll make me feel better.”
“Chocolate
soufflé?”
“Great
choice.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR BIO:
K.T. Castle loves
reading, writing, and painting. She's on a quest to find the words, forms, and
colors to materialize the worlds and people of her imagination. She loves
reading Romance, especially Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, and
Paranormal. She never saw herself as an incurable romantic, but lately, that's
what she finds herself musing about. Love is found everywhere, regardless of
whether it comes from a nice person or an ass—mundane or even vampire.
When
she's not busy with work, in front of a computer placing many thoughts in
order, she does her best to be creative or relax with a good TV series and
snacks. Some of her favorite characters are Lucifer, Jace, Clary, Affton,
Cable, Poppy, Zack, Maleficent, and Ariel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONNECT WITH K.T.:
Website:
Blog:
Email:
ktbook00001@gmail.com
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Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page – Natalies’s Wedding – Book Three:
Goodreads Book Page – Marisol’s Wedding – Book Two:
Goodreads Book Page – Laura’s Wedding – Book One:
Amazon Author Page:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOOK BUY LINKS
& BOOK SALE INFO – NATALIE’S WEDDING – BOOK THREE:
**Natalie’s Wedding is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!**
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOOK BUY LINKS
& BOOK SALE INFO – MARISOL’S WEDDING – BOOK TWO:
**Marisol’s Wedding is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY
$0.99!!**
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Laura’s Wedding is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!**
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BAM! Books-A-Million:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFO:
K.T. will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC, one autographed copy of the book (reader's choice out of the BCL series), and some swag (stickers and bookmarks) to
a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just
helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the
sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish
Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
