Cate Masters's Blog, page 2
April 4, 2019
Happy Spring!
This week, I sent out what may or may not be my final newsletter under the pen name of Cate Masters. If you're a subscriber, I hope you enjoyed the extra goodies! If you didn't receive a copy and would like to, simply drop me a line and I'll send it off to you.
This past year or so, I've been writing under my pen name of C.A. Masterson, the name under which I initially began writing (also my maiden name). Because I love all genres, it made more sense to explore stories in genres other than romance. Romance will always have a special place in my heart, but my writing heart is restless and needs space to expand.
The story I'm currently writing will probably become two full-length novels. There's a lot to explore in this alternate world. I'm not even certain what genre it fits into. The only thing that matters to me is making it the most compelling story possible, with characters readers will love as much as I do.
If you'd like to keep up with news from C.A. Masterson, you can find me here:
Painting Fire with Words blog (more of a web site, really)
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter (though I don't tweet much)
and find C.A. Masterson's books (including some freebies!) here:
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Have a wonderful spring!
This past year or so, I've been writing under my pen name of C.A. Masterson, the name under which I initially began writing (also my maiden name). Because I love all genres, it made more sense to explore stories in genres other than romance. Romance will always have a special place in my heart, but my writing heart is restless and needs space to expand.The story I'm currently writing will probably become two full-length novels. There's a lot to explore in this alternate world. I'm not even certain what genre it fits into. The only thing that matters to me is making it the most compelling story possible, with characters readers will love as much as I do.
If you'd like to keep up with news from C.A. Masterson, you can find me here:
Painting Fire with Words blog (more of a web site, really)
Twitter (though I don't tweet much)
and find C.A. Masterson's books (including some freebies!) here:
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Have a wonderful spring!
March 17, 2018
The Vitruvian Man, a fantasy/paranormal romance novel
Monsters come in many guises. No one knows better than Bruno DiCesare, whose ancestor was cursed centuries ago by none other than Leonardo da Vinci, whose experiment to create an actual Vitruvian Man went horribly wrong. The beast within Bruno prevents him from mingling with people – except during Carnevale. The festival provides him ten days of glorious freedom.Ten days of freedom isn’t enough for Melina Weaver, whose work at the Institute has taken a frightening turn. She’s ordered to experiment on inmates, but she never signed on to create monsters of men. Carnevale might provide more than a temporary escape, especially after she meets Bruno.
Brought together by accident, bound by fate—and magic. Love works its charm over Bruno and Melina, but each one holds a secret. Bruno thinks his secret will drive Melina away. Melina’s afraid Bruno will hate her for what she’s become. He’s become her world, but his world is full of monsters who want to destroy them.
Available at:SmashwordsAmazon(Coming soon to other online retailers)
Thanks to Decadent Publishing, who first published this story as The Vitruvian Man trilogy of novellas (Cursed, Charmed, and Claimed) in 2013.
Reviewers have said (of previous versions):"A spellbinding tale of love, mystery, suspense and intrigue like no other""A unique blend of historical facts and paranormal elements that combine in an action-packed romantic story""A magical novella that will surely engage the imagination of a reader"
The previous novellas totaled 66,528 words. After revisions, which included cuts as well as additions, the word count for The Vitruvian Man novel is now at about 83,000.
I hope you'll love this story as much as I do!
March 9, 2018
One last tango with romance
After nearly two years, I’m finally finally putting the finishing touches on The Vitruvian Man! First published by Decadent Publishing as a novella trilogy (Cursed, Charmed and Claimed) in 2013, I asked for the rights back a few years ago so that I could combine the stories into one full-length novel, and expand the story as it should have been from the first. Because of the word count restrictions on Decadent’s line that I subbed the stories for, some readers said the story felt rushed. I couldn’t argue – I had to cut quite a bit, and abbreviate some sections to fit the guidelines. It’s long been a regret.
The story’s been one of my favorites. I’d read an article in Smithsonian Magazine about Carnevale in Venice about the same time I read two other intriguing science articles, one about human tests of the hormone oxytocin (not to be confused with the street drug), and another about scientists embedding the text of books into human DNA.
While researching Venice, I fell in love with the city. The history’s so rich, and the setting’s incredibly beautiful. My longtime interest in Leonardo da Vinci played right into it, and after learning of the objections of his contemporaries to his gruesome study of human anatomy, that also played right into the story line of da Vinci experimenting not only with his inventions, but with dark magic.
Add the Goo Goo Dolls’ song to the mix, and that’s how Cursed first came to me.
Since getting the rights back to the three releases, I’ve made a few important changes to the story premise. The hero is now a descendant of the man to whom Leonardo subjected his experiments to become a literal Vitruvian Man. The story goes into greater detail about the antagonist characters, and as I mentioned, is expanded in general.
The exceptions are the sex scenes. I’ve honestly never been comfortable with writing them. Editors were constantly prompting me to add more “body parts” and lengthen the sex scenes. Another publisher once pushed for me to include the “C” word, which I flatly refused. I have never liked reading stories that demean women in that way, and I will certainly never write one.
So I’ve taken out any explicit sexual language from this story, and the scenes focus more on the emotional aspect.
This will be my last release as Cate Masters, at least for awhile. I have so many other stories I want to tell that, while they may or may not include a romantic aspect, will not dedicate more than fifty percent of the story to the romantic development, as the romance genre requires.
I’m grateful that readers have loved my romance stories, and I’ve had a lot of fun writing them. It may be more difficult to find a publisher for the novels I’m writing now, but I need to follow my writer’s heart – into speculative, fantasy, magical realism, and mainstream stories, writing as C.A. Masterson.
I hope you’ll come along for the journey.
The story’s been one of my favorites. I’d read an article in Smithsonian Magazine about Carnevale in Venice about the same time I read two other intriguing science articles, one about human tests of the hormone oxytocin (not to be confused with the street drug), and another about scientists embedding the text of books into human DNA.
While researching Venice, I fell in love with the city. The history’s so rich, and the setting’s incredibly beautiful. My longtime interest in Leonardo da Vinci played right into it, and after learning of the objections of his contemporaries to his gruesome study of human anatomy, that also played right into the story line of da Vinci experimenting not only with his inventions, but with dark magic.
Add the Goo Goo Dolls’ song to the mix, and that’s how Cursed first came to me.
Since getting the rights back to the three releases, I’ve made a few important changes to the story premise. The hero is now a descendant of the man to whom Leonardo subjected his experiments to become a literal Vitruvian Man. The story goes into greater detail about the antagonist characters, and as I mentioned, is expanded in general.
The exceptions are the sex scenes. I’ve honestly never been comfortable with writing them. Editors were constantly prompting me to add more “body parts” and lengthen the sex scenes. Another publisher once pushed for me to include the “C” word, which I flatly refused. I have never liked reading stories that demean women in that way, and I will certainly never write one.
So I’ve taken out any explicit sexual language from this story, and the scenes focus more on the emotional aspect.
This will be my last release as Cate Masters, at least for awhile. I have so many other stories I want to tell that, while they may or may not include a romantic aspect, will not dedicate more than fifty percent of the story to the romantic development, as the romance genre requires.
I’m grateful that readers have loved my romance stories, and I’ve had a lot of fun writing them. It may be more difficult to find a publisher for the novels I’m writing now, but I need to follow my writer’s heart – into speculative, fantasy, magical realism, and mainstream stories, writing as C.A. Masterson.
I hope you’ll come along for the journey.
August 24, 2017
Never Say Never
Being focused on pushing forward to new and exciting story horizons, I don't like going back to revised old stories.
Usually.
But, as the blog post title says, never say never.
When a publisher put out a call and the submission guidelines specifically included previously published stories, I had two novels that fit the other specs. Well, after a few tweaks.
I've spent the past month or so revising them both. I was going to merely sub the revised versions, but liked them so much better, I published the new versions on Amazon and Smashwords. Once they go through the review process, Smashwords will release the updated version to its secondary affiliate sites such as Barnes and Noble, etc.
Fear not, I'm not going to be one of those authors stuck on their old stories, constantly updating the old with new versions. How many versions of one story can anyone read?
But I promise, these two are much better stories for the revisions.
That leaves only one more to finish. The Vitruvian Man trilogy of novellas (Cursed, Charmed and Claimed) will become one full-length novel. It's taken me forever because not only did life keep getting in the way, as so often happens, but the main character will undergo some major changes, and the story's going to go into more detail, as well. I'm hoping to finish that by the end of the year.
In the meanwhile, I hope you'll try the new and improved stories!
Surfacing is my contemporary fantasy, a 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semi-finalist. The story follows a mermaid who meets and inspires a wannabe rock star. Set in Weeki Wachee Springs, home of the Weeki Wachee mermaids!
You can view more detail on Smashwords or Amazon.
Angels, Sinners and Madmen is my historical romance, an adventure that I couldn't resist after visiting Key West and learning about the wreckers.
More deets on Smashwords and Amazon.
The fact they're both set in Florida is a happy coincidence. Or maybe Florida is a writer's muse? I did visit Ernest Hemingway's house while in Key West... maybe his ghost followed me home!
Usually.
But, as the blog post title says, never say never.
When a publisher put out a call and the submission guidelines specifically included previously published stories, I had two novels that fit the other specs. Well, after a few tweaks.
I've spent the past month or so revising them both. I was going to merely sub the revised versions, but liked them so much better, I published the new versions on Amazon and Smashwords. Once they go through the review process, Smashwords will release the updated version to its secondary affiliate sites such as Barnes and Noble, etc.
Fear not, I'm not going to be one of those authors stuck on their old stories, constantly updating the old with new versions. How many versions of one story can anyone read?
But I promise, these two are much better stories for the revisions.
That leaves only one more to finish. The Vitruvian Man trilogy of novellas (Cursed, Charmed and Claimed) will become one full-length novel. It's taken me forever because not only did life keep getting in the way, as so often happens, but the main character will undergo some major changes, and the story's going to go into more detail, as well. I'm hoping to finish that by the end of the year.
In the meanwhile, I hope you'll try the new and improved stories!Surfacing is my contemporary fantasy, a 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semi-finalist. The story follows a mermaid who meets and inspires a wannabe rock star. Set in Weeki Wachee Springs, home of the Weeki Wachee mermaids!
You can view more detail on Smashwords or Amazon.
Angels, Sinners and Madmen is my historical romance, an adventure that I couldn't resist after visiting Key West and learning about the wreckers.More deets on Smashwords and Amazon.
The fact they're both set in Florida is a happy coincidence. Or maybe Florida is a writer's muse? I did visit Ernest Hemingway's house while in Key West... maybe his ghost followed me home!
August 18, 2017
Cate Peace: Why Worldbuilding Is the Secret Ingredient
Ever read a book and wonder how the author created such an incredible, engrossing world? Do you want to BE that author? Writing is a lot more than just Characters + Dialogue + Action = End. For genre writers especially, worldbuilding is a critical skill that will help you create a world that jumps off the page and into your reader’s mind.
How do you get there?
Where do you start?
Worldbuilding is one of the most intimidating aspects of the writing process, but it doesn’t have to be. In
Why Worldbuilding (is the Secret Ingredient): The Complete Beginner’s Guide
, Catherine Peace, author of books like Gemini—a science fiction romance featuring a universe built around giant cats, Chuck Norris facts, and aliens galore—will guide you on the journey from creating bland settings to vibrant, believable worlds for your characters and stories to inhabit. Starting October 16, you'll get your chance to learn about one of the hardest and most rewarding parts of the writing process: Worldbuilding. Using examples from some of science fiction and fantasy's best known worlds, you'll gain the tools and insight you need to create your own. Once you’ve gone through the course, you should be able to: Understand worldbuilding’s importance and function in your storyUtilize the building blocks that will guide you through building your worldCalculate the air speed velocity of an unladen European swallow (this is not true; I suck at math)Seamlessly weave your worldbuilding elements into your story Over the five-week course, we’ll explore some of storytelling’s lushest worlds—from Westeros to Hogwarts with a few unexpected stops in-between—and break them down into easily digestible concepts you can use to beef up your stories and give them the punch that will set them apart. BAM!
Full syllabus is here.
Each class is $30, or you can complete the set for $130. Registrationis open through September 15. Don’t miss out on your chance to take your worlds from bland to BAM!
About the crazy person running this shindig:
Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember.
June 23, 2017
Adult coloring pages for Goddess, Spellbound. Yours for the downloading!
For the past few months, I've been working on a special project. One, because I've been feeling the need to sketch, and two, because I thought it would be fun to create coloring pages based on my book, Goddess, Spellbound.
Today, I finally finished! And Smashwords didn't explode when I uploaded the file, lol.
So now you can download a copy of Goddess Spellbound Adult Coloring Pages for yourself! For free!
I was hoping to make a PDF myself, because the images scanned better into that format, but sadly, that was not to be. I had to rescan the sketches as JPGs, which didn't pick up as much detail as the PDF, for some reason.
But I hope you will still enjoy coloring these pages - if you're into that kind of thing. The sketches depict scenes in the book, or show other cool ancient Egyptian artifacts. Or the cover, which you see below.
If you download it, I suggest going for the PDF. Then you can print the pages as many times as you'd like to color them.
If you do download it, please let me know how you like it!
Again, I hope you enjoy this labor of love.
Today, I finally finished! And Smashwords didn't explode when I uploaded the file, lol.
So now you can download a copy of Goddess Spellbound Adult Coloring Pages for yourself! For free!
I was hoping to make a PDF myself, because the images scanned better into that format, but sadly, that was not to be. I had to rescan the sketches as JPGs, which didn't pick up as much detail as the PDF, for some reason.
But I hope you will still enjoy coloring these pages - if you're into that kind of thing. The sketches depict scenes in the book, or show other cool ancient Egyptian artifacts. Or the cover, which you see below.
If you download it, I suggest going for the PDF. Then you can print the pages as many times as you'd like to color them.
If you do download it, please let me know how you like it!
Again, I hope you enjoy this labor of love.
April 19, 2017
Spread the love
Writing can be a discouraging business. Lately, it seems like readers are more harsh in their reviews, picking out inconsequential details to slant a review toward the negative. An author on Facebook recently said she received a complaint from a reader who’d purchased one of her books on an illegal download (I refuse to romanticize them with the term ‘pirate’) site, discovered there was only one page in the ebook, and blamed the author.
By the way, this is only one of the many reasons not to use illegal sites. Many times, the ebooks offered contain malware and viruses. Not to mention that the author is obviously not getting compensated for their hard work. And if you think writing isn’t hard work, try spending months and months – if not years - crafting your own story. It’s a labor of love, but not easy.
The industry itself can be overwhelming, with reports of overall sales declining. On social media, I’ve noticed more posts by discouraged writers who are on the verge of giving up, or have already done so.
I’m one of those writers who can’t help myself. Ideas strike me, and my mind spins with details, working out all the threads. If I’m not able to write for an extended period, I’m miserable. I NEED to write. It’s simply part of my life, and has been since I hit double digits.
In any case, bits of encouragement, scattered though they may be, are like stepping stones that keep us afloat. So if you read a book and it left you satisfied, or (better yet) wanting more, reach out to the author and say so. Believe me, you’ll make their day.
I even appreciate a nicely worded rejection. Last week, an agent responded to my query by saying that my novel wasn’t right for her, but that I was a talented writer and should keep querying other agents. Rejections can be difficult, but that’s the best kind to receive.
How else can you ensure the writers you love keep writing? Tell your friends about their books. Write an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, or other book seller sites where other readers will view it.
The author will be more grateful than you know.
By the way, this is only one of the many reasons not to use illegal sites. Many times, the ebooks offered contain malware and viruses. Not to mention that the author is obviously not getting compensated for their hard work. And if you think writing isn’t hard work, try spending months and months – if not years - crafting your own story. It’s a labor of love, but not easy.
The industry itself can be overwhelming, with reports of overall sales declining. On social media, I’ve noticed more posts by discouraged writers who are on the verge of giving up, or have already done so.
I’m one of those writers who can’t help myself. Ideas strike me, and my mind spins with details, working out all the threads. If I’m not able to write for an extended period, I’m miserable. I NEED to write. It’s simply part of my life, and has been since I hit double digits.
In any case, bits of encouragement, scattered though they may be, are like stepping stones that keep us afloat. So if you read a book and it left you satisfied, or (better yet) wanting more, reach out to the author and say so. Believe me, you’ll make their day.
I even appreciate a nicely worded rejection. Last week, an agent responded to my query by saying that my novel wasn’t right for her, but that I was a talented writer and should keep querying other agents. Rejections can be difficult, but that’s the best kind to receive.
How else can you ensure the writers you love keep writing? Tell your friends about their books. Write an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, or other book seller sites where other readers will view it.
The author will be more grateful than you know.
April 12, 2017
Finette's Folly - Steampunk fairy tale
Finette’s Folly A Steampunk fairy tale romance About 32,860 words
Happy endings require patience, hope, and a little ingenuity. Finette Proulx puts her skills at repairing clockwork gadgetry to greater use when she bets all she has on an airship race. Her loss only steams up her desire to win the prize at the British Diamond Cup—and her freedom. After such a lonely life, love seems too much to ask... until she meets Sacha. A mysterious Romanian, “Sacha” Aleksander Dragomir Dalca, aids her in ways she doesn’t suspect. At the moment she thinks her life is falling into ruin, she finds him waiting to catch her with open arms. The handsome gypsy affirms her belief that dreaming's not for fools, and she deserves to write her happy ending her own way.
Finette's Folly is a re-imagined fairy tale based on the French version of Cinderella, Finette Cendron.
Available from
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y6CMC3H/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491949576&sr=1-1&keywords=Finette%27s+Folly%2C+Cate+Masters
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/717494
April 11, 2017
Once upon a time...
... is more fun mashed! My upcoming novella, Finette's Folly, is a reimagined fairy tale based on the French version of Cinderella, Finette Cendron. In steampunk!
It's been literally years in the making, but it's almost ready to release.
Here's a peek at the cover.
Happy endings require patience, hope, and a little ingenuity. Finette Proulx puts her skills at repairing clockwork gadgetry to greater use when she bets all she has on an airship race. Her loss only steams up her desire to win the prize at the British Diamond Cup—and her freedom. After such a lonely life, love seems too much to ask... until she meets Sacha. A mysterious Romanian, “Sacha” Aleksander Dragomir Dalca, aids her in ways she doesn’t suspect. At the moment she thinks her life is falling into ruin, she finds him waiting to catch her with open arms. The handsome gypsy affirms her belief that dreaming's not for fools, and she deserves to write her happy ending her own way.
I can't wait to share this story with you!
It's been literally years in the making, but it's almost ready to release.
Here's a peek at the cover.
Happy endings require patience, hope, and a little ingenuity. Finette Proulx puts her skills at repairing clockwork gadgetry to greater use when she bets all she has on an airship race. Her loss only steams up her desire to win the prize at the British Diamond Cup—and her freedom. After such a lonely life, love seems too much to ask... until she meets Sacha. A mysterious Romanian, “Sacha” Aleksander Dragomir Dalca, aids her in ways she doesn’t suspect. At the moment she thinks her life is falling into ruin, she finds him waiting to catch her with open arms. The handsome gypsy affirms her belief that dreaming's not for fools, and she deserves to write her happy ending her own way.
I can't wait to share this story with you!
March 19, 2017
What's in a name?
Apparently not much. Shakespeare was right when he said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
Character names are the one thing that can stop me from writing a story. To me, a name reveals a lot about a person: their heritage, their strengths, their personality. So I always take extra time in choosing each one. If it doesn't feel right to me, I can't continue until I find a name that does. If the right name eludes me for too long, I'll insert brackets where the name should be, and keep writing.
So imagine my surprise when I learned that some readers don't care one bit about names. In fact, three of my former high school classmates commented that they ignore the names in stories, and substitute their own.
I was floored. Of course, I didn't expect any reader to be impressed with the names of my characters, but I did hope they would remember them, at least.
As a reader, the only time I object to character names is when the author goes overboard. This tends to happen in science fiction and fantasy sometimes. The characters are called something unreadable, and unpronounceable. That puts a damper on the story for me.
Since learning the names I select aren't nearly as memorable as I hoped, I've tried not to obsess about finding the perfect one. I'll admit, it's been a challenge. I still want the name to feel right.
So now I'm curious about other readers. What about you - do you substitute your own character names while reading? Please share!
Character names are the one thing that can stop me from writing a story. To me, a name reveals a lot about a person: their heritage, their strengths, their personality. So I always take extra time in choosing each one. If it doesn't feel right to me, I can't continue until I find a name that does. If the right name eludes me for too long, I'll insert brackets where the name should be, and keep writing.
So imagine my surprise when I learned that some readers don't care one bit about names. In fact, three of my former high school classmates commented that they ignore the names in stories, and substitute their own.
I was floored. Of course, I didn't expect any reader to be impressed with the names of my characters, but I did hope they would remember them, at least.
As a reader, the only time I object to character names is when the author goes overboard. This tends to happen in science fiction and fantasy sometimes. The characters are called something unreadable, and unpronounceable. That puts a damper on the story for me.
Since learning the names I select aren't nearly as memorable as I hoped, I've tried not to obsess about finding the perfect one. I'll admit, it's been a challenge. I still want the name to feel right.
So now I'm curious about other readers. What about you - do you substitute your own character names while reading? Please share!
