Copperas Cove woman has first book published

By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press

Longtime Copperas Cove resident Regina Castillo wears a number of hats, and her newest one is that of a published author. 
Sangre Cove, a young adult fantasy novel, was published by Calumet Editions in December 2020. It tells the story of Maria, a teenager who knew she was different from an early age. Born in the middle of the Bible belt, her supernatural abilities would be misunderstood—at best. Her father fought to keep her and her sister safe, but after his murder, her family became divided. Her mother sought solace in strong drink, leaving Maria alone to handle the centuries-old feud between the Tonkawa and Apache tribes. 
However, Maria’s path leads her to learn more about her abilities, the dark secrets that have come to claim her and her heritage. With an alpha-controlled wolfpack and an eagle as protectors, Maria will discover her ultimate role as the last healer of her tribe.
Castillo said that, the book took about a year to write, altogether. She initially started writing, but as if often goes, life happened and she shelved the book for some time. The story has had changes over time, after Castillo worked with critique partners and edited her story. 
Then during 2020, Castillo picked up her book, finished it, submitted it for consideration to Calumet Editions, and then the publication process began.
A mother of seven boys, Castillo said living with them is an adventure and they were her inspiration to write the book.
“Using their personalities and interests, I began to build a fictional world to highlight some of the things they love. While I started building this world, I included our home and some of the beauty of our town,” said Castillo. “With the inspiration from my boys, my husband and our town, I was able to spin a fantastic world where supernatural things happen.”
Castillo said that years ago, her high school English teacher at Belton High was a great teacher, and she had the privilege to be in her class for three years. There, the seeds were sown that began to germinate as Castillo explored fiction writing. 
“She was all about writing and the process of writing. I struggled a little back then, but I liked it. Going to college and living life, you put things to the side,” said Castillo. “When our fifth son was a year old, he had some health issues. My husband and I decided it would be best if I stayed home with him. This gave me some free time and I had time to read and write. Then, I really started to lose myself in my writing. I’ve worked on a couple of other pieces, but I kept coming back to this one. I worked on it, tweaked it and tried to make it better. I think it’s my favorite because my boys are intertwined in the characters and places. Now is the difficult part. I have to be vulnerable and put myself out there, hoping others will love it as much as I do.”
Along with being a wife and mother, Castillo is the Instructional Coach at Cove Charter Academy. She began teaching in 2000.
Readers can order her book online, which is available in both print and digital editions, on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Sangre-Cove-Gina-Castillo/dp/1950743411, at Walmart online at www.walmart..com, and Barnes & Noble online.