Cate Masters's Blog, page 41

Reveal and review!

The wonderful Sara Daniel's showing off my beautiful Charmed cover on her blog. Come over and ooh and ahhh with me!

Plus, today a review for Cinderella Dreams will appear on Sarah Says Read Romance. Can't wait to read it! And I'm very grateful for the review.

Guest post and more cover reveals!

It's been kind of a whirlwind month! It seems longer than last week that Decadent released my historical romance, Betting It All. Today, I'm a guest at Shelf Pleasure sharing a little background about this fascinating time in American history. I hope you'll pop over!

Also today, the incredible Taryn Kincaid is helping me show off the cover for Charmed. You'll want to check out Taryn's blog in more depth - her latest release, Heat Wave, is burning up the charts! Soon you'll be able to get a packaged version of her Sleepy Hollow stories, well worth a read.

I'm likewise indebted to Dominique Eastwick for sharing the cover on her blogs at

http://dominiqueeastwick.blogspot.com/ and http://thewiccanhaus.blogspot.com/
You women are goddesses! :)

More Charmed cover reveals!

The cover reveal continues!

Today, you can see the gorgeous cover Decadent Publishing's amazing cover artists created for my upcoming paranormal, Cursed, at these blogs:

Tawania Etheridge

Lia Davis

Special thanks to you wonderful ladies! I so appreciate your generosity, and hope I can return the favor soon.

More coming this week - and on Friday, I'll reveal the book video here. :)

Charmed cover reveal!

Am I a lucky girl or what? Not only do I get a fantastic cover for my paranormal, but I have fantastic friends as well. This week, they're helping me share the new cover for the second in The Vitruvian Man series - Charmed. Due out from Decadent at the end of this month! Which is next week, wow. :)

I hope you'll check out this new cover - it's another stunner!

Today, you can see the cover here:

At the amazing JoAnne Kenrick's blog

At the wonderful Cassandra Dean's blog

Stay tuned for a few more throughout this week (it's so good, I'm making it last!)

Casting Call: Betting It All

I love doing Casting Calls. It's a chance for me to show you who starred in the video version of my stories as they ran through my head while writing. Some characters come through more vividly than others.



Rachel McAdams was very clearly Norah Hawkins. Rachel's range of characters make her adaptable to most any genre. She brings characters to life in a unique way, and makes a strong heroine even stronger. Norah's determination make her a bit pigheaded at times, but it's a survival tactic. Rachel could easily convey those nuances of character.



Gerard Butler's teasing smile, clear blue eyes and especially his lilting speech were always the personification of Gerard MacKenzie. It's why they share the same first name, in fact. It's my tip of the cap to the actor. Both are lovable wiseguys who sometimes have difficulty keeping their tempers in check. :)



Some of the secondary characters came through vividly too. Norah's mom, Estelle, could only be Susan Sarandon, who has stayed sexy for decades.




I can picture the actor who I envisioned as Dan Jamison very clearly in my head, but unfortunately he'll have to stay there, as I can't remember his name. If it comes to me, I'll update this Casting Call. :)

Betting It All is available from:


Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=823&osCsid=hdmana51khc0lq5rr15a5sl3i5 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Betting-it-All-ebook/dp/B00EJQDMHY/ref=sr_1_34?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376520296&sr=1-3
All Romance https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bettingitall-1268390-340.html
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116477095?ean=2940148442585
Coffee Time Romance:

Betting It All, historical romance

Just released! Betting It AllHistorical romance novellaAbout 30kDecadent Publishing
Blurb
Norah Hawkins wants a new life as far from her old one as possible, but where can she ever find that chance? When a letter arrives promising her the deed to property in San Francisco, Norah packs her bags and flees the broken shards of her troubled past.With its anything-goes atmosphere, 1906 San Francisco suits Irishman Gerard MacKenzie just fine. He loves tending bar in Norah’s saloon, and verbally sparring with the shrewd businesswoman for more privileges and work. Her beauty, wit and sass make his blood boil with need.But disaster looms over their promising new lives when a terrible earthquake buries their dreams and threatens to shatter their future. Norah and Mac must rebuild their lives from the ruins and they’ll need each other more than ever, but can their ties to each other save them or tear them apart?



Available from


Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=823&osCsid=hdmana51khc0lq5rr15a5sl3i5 


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Betting-it-All-ebook/dp/B00EJQDMHY/ref=sr_1_34?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376520296&sr=1-3


All Romance https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bettingitall-1268390-340.html


Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116477095?ean=2940148442585


Coffee Time Romance: 

Reviews (coming soon)


Casting Call 
Who starred in the movie version in my head? View the Casting Call here.

Excerpt
Guilt filled her as she sealed the envelope. Her first letter should have been to her mother. Estelle probably forgot I left. More likely, she bought a bottle and forgot everything, period.Downstairs in the hotel lobby, Mac stepped around the corner into her path. “A letter to your beau?”She bristled. “No.”Leering, he nodded. “Ah. You left him behind.”“Certainly not.” My, but he cleaned up nicely. The electric wall sconce gave his black hair a sheen like raven’s feathers in the sun. His smooth-shaved skin accentuated the whites of his eyes, rimmed with thick dark lashes. Curled in a teasing smile, his lips appeared soft, not weather-worn like some men.He cocked a brow. “He’s joining you later?”“I don’t see how it’s any of your concern.” Unless he still hoped for employment. His long, smooth fingers might be handy for more than cards. Still, if she wanted music, she could buy a player piano and not have to pay it a weekly salary. Though it wouldn’t be nearly as nice to look at as Mac.He shrugged. “It isn’t. Unless you run into debt playing poker. I want to be assured someone will back you up.”“You needn’t worry. I never get in over my head.” In anything.He tipped his cap. “Smart woman.”Not enough to fool him. Last night, Norah had imitated her drunken mother to perfection, another skill that came in handy. Believing her vulnerable, the men made themselves moreso. Not Mac. He’d grown more careful, as if he guessed at her intent.“What are you doing here?” She wondered what sort of a racket he ran. Everyone had one. Uppity ladies in their lace-edged gowns and mansions excelled at scamming men into marriage, but only succeeded in trapping themselves in the bargain. She preferred a prison with bars.“Renting a room,” he said, “the same as you.”Coincidence? Or had he followed her? “I’m curious. Do you possess other skills?”Smiling, he tugged at his jacket lapels. “I’m a man of many talents. Why do you ask?”Lo, his ego reared again. “Have you no real trade to ply?”“Playing the piano is a ‘real’ trade, Miss Hawkins. However, I can work at almost anything, from carpenter to barkeep.”Like Dan. All her stinging retorts vanished. “Oh.”He grimaced. “You disapprove?”“Not at all. Those are honorable trades.” Why should she feel relieved?“As honorable as your own?”What was he hinting at? Did he know about Estelle? Her face flushed hot. Pointedly, she said, “Yes, as honorable as owning a saloon.”“Saloon,” he repeated, as if unsure. “I thought it was a gentleman’s club.”Did he mean to imply she’d employ herself in some other occupation, such as her mother’s? In defiance, she curbed her tongue, unwilling to satisfy him with an answer.

Excerpt 2Lord, she must have left her common sense in New Jersey. A man like Mac would prove to be nothing but trouble. Mischief twinkled in his eyes. Back in her hotel room to repack her scant belongings, Norah felt it in her bones. Deeper than your bones, a small voice told her. She felt it in a way unfamiliar to her. It rattled her nerves. It turned her thoughts to him at the most inconvenient times, wondering what sort of man Gerard McKenzie truly was beneath his sharp tongue and wily ways. It robbed her of common sense and self-control, inventing ways to stay near him. When he’d practically insisted she hire him, the thrill running through her both startled and intrigued her. No man had so much as laid a finger on her, not with her permission anyway. Yet she found herself imagining what Mac’s touch might feel like.In the hallway, he whistled Melody of Love. She imagined him singing the lyrics:Hold me in your arms, dearDream with meCradled by your kisses, tenderlyWhile a choir of angels from aboveSings our melody of love.What must it be like, to know such a deep love? To trust a man with her heart?A small laugh burst forth. If she’d learned anything in her twenty-five years, it was that men couldn’t be trusted. Especially not with a woman’s heart. The only time she’d given in to curiosity and let her heart rule over her head left her burning with shame. The thrill of Floyd Enders’s attentions turned to surprise when his fluttering kiss grew forceful, his groping desperate as he pinned her to the ground. Another attempt to prove her cut from the same cloth as Estelle, another whore to be used at his whim and tossed aside.A bitter chuckle escaped. She’d done the tossing instead, and her kick to his hard groin left him writhing in agony. Too bad it wasn’t the lasting kind of pain, like he’d inflicted on her, claiming she’d begged for it. His lie followed her for years on the whispering lips of other boys who wanted what Floyd supposedly had.Would Mac treat her so poorly? Of course not. She’d provide him with wages. If she wasn’t careful, he’d woo more from her, and soon she’d have less than nothing. No money, no saloon and worst, a ruined reputation. No man would rob her of that.She lifted her bag, then thought better of it. Let Mac learn right away to take orders from her. After setting it on the bed, she put on her hat and opened the door.Mac leaned his shoulder against the wall, one leg crossed over the other, aimlessly twirling his tweed cap in his hands. Glancing up, he straightened and scrunched the cap.At least he pretended seriousness. “Please get my bags.”He flashed a smile and winked. “Yes ma’am.”A more fragile female might be devastated by his charms. Oh, she hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be a terrible mistake.Hoisting one bag under his arm, he grabbed the handle of the remaining one. “All set.”“Excellent.” She led the way downstairs, stopping at the front desk to check out and settle her account. Outside, she found Mac wearing his cap and a smile.The bustle of the busy street made her hurry in excitement. “I wish I had time to explore the city.”“It’s something, isn’t it? Makes me feel more alive.”Slowing her pace, she glanced over. “Yes. Exactly.” She couldn’t hide her surprise at sharing that feeling. “Once I make my success, I’ll indulge my curiosity. Until then, I have too much work ahead.” She hurried on.He fell into easy step with her. “There’s always time for work. My mama always said it’s more important to take time to celebrate.”“Celebrate what?”“Life.” He said it as if she should have known the answer.Funny, she’d never shared that inclination. Life presented too many challenges, too many obstacles she had to scrabble over. “

Partying at TRS this week

The Romance Studio's throwing an End of Summer Bash, and you're invited! Comment on any post for a chance to win their grand prize - a $175 Amazon gift card.

You can enter here for the chance to win any of my backlist titles! Of course, I'd love it if you'd pop over and said hi to me too. :)

There are tons of authors participating, some with their own giveaways. I'll probably hold a few too! So grab your sunglasses, sunscreen and bathing suit, and come on over to celebrate the waning days of summer.

Hard to believe summer's almost over, isn't it? (I'm secretly happy dancing, because that means back to school! Yay!) :)

Cursed is having a great weekend!

Yesterday the Jeep Diva posted a 5-star review for Cursed that absolutely made my week - no, month!

In part, the reviewer said: "This book was awesome. It was short but packed a lot in the story.
My favorite part was the costumes and atmosphere described for Carnevale. It really helped bring it alive and made you feel like you were there."

Thanks so much, Jeep Diva! It's always wonderful when a reader loves your story.

Here's just another reason I love Decadent Publishing. When they contract a story, they're in it for the long haul as much as the author. The publisher and editors loved Cursed and wanted to see it do a little better, so they reworked the blurb:

....a cold and lonely existence....

Bruno diCesare lives in the shadows. Alone and hidden from the world, his only joy comes but once a year---at Carnevale. For ten days, he can blend in with the colorful, masked masses without revealing his true nature. But this time, he is faced with fiery temptation.

Carnevale allows Melina Weaver to be someone else--someone sexy, daring, enticing, someone who lives on the edge. It's a far cry from her real life, with long and boring hours spent in a sterile lab. When her fire dancing arouses the curiosity of a dark and compelling stranger, she might have more excitement--and danger--than she ever imagined.

Can Bruno escape his cursed existence? Can he protect her, and can she trust him to save them both?

Ten days. The difference between bliss or desolation, redemption or remaining forever Cursed.
And Cursed is on sale too!

For the next two weeks, you can grab your copy of Cursed from Amazon for only 99 cents! The perfect time to catch up on this series, because Charmed will release the last week in August! Woot! :)

New release spotlight: Heat Wave by Taryn Kincaid

Yay, I've been waiting for this one. Taryn Kincaid never disappoints! 

Heat Wave
by Taryn Kincaid
Available from Decadent Publishing
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EESYAXW/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb


Sent into the human realm to retrieve prodigal princess, Zena Night, Bhyrne Raines is shocked and unprepared for his carnal reaction to the sexy succubus. In service to the succubus queen, the rugged enforcer must stifle the instant passion exploding within him. Fulfilling his royal duty doesn’t allow for quickie dalliances. His biological clock is ticking, and he begins to enter breedspawn, an intense and unstoppable frenzy of mating all fire-demon males must endure. But the more he wants to avoid Zena, the more he’s drawn to her. Reluctant to give up her carefree life of partying among the mortals when the hot-as-sin Bhyrne comes to fetch her for the queen, Zena uses her succubus wiles to entice him, or at least delay the inevitable trip to the royal court. Once in the demon stronghold, hidden deep within the Catskill mountains, she learns the reason for the summons: she must choose a consort within two days.Zena needs a mate. Bhyrne needs to mate. With time running out for both of them, they each turn to 1Night Stand. With time running out, can Madame Eve come to the rescue?
EXCERPTHoly freeze gun, Batman. The words died before she managed to expose them to air. Her mouth snapped shut.One of the Queen’s guards stood before her, huge and tall, nearly twice the size of most of the other males in the joint, a hella hunka supernatural male. Clearly not human, although Hugo Boss’d to his Adam’s apple in an apparent bid to fit in among the humans trolling for hot sex, illicit drugs, watered-down booze and loud music. Beneath the fabric of the unstructured designer suit, the toned muscles of a demonic warrior rolled like tidal waves. Even without the small lapel pin the uninformed might mistake for the The Rolling Stones’ logo, she’d recognize him for a captain of the guard. Maybe the Queen’s own Captain.Hellfire and cotton candy. Trouble. T-R-O-U-B-L-E.But, by the goddess, whattahottie!Despite her certainty that his presence in the club corridor boded ill for her, the force of her sudden hunger shook her.Like lightning.Thunder.A desperate bolt out of the blue.Instant connection to him on the paranormal plane, as if he’d wrapped her aura in gold chains and tugged her to him. But did that fast lane to heaven run one way or two?A grim expression straightened the lines of what otherwise might have been a generous, sensuous mouth. A military buzz cut had weed-whacked hair the color of iron. And it didn’t stop there. Without doubt, metal fortified every single cell in the massive male’s body, pure titanium flowing in his veins. The stern planes and angles of a hard-edged, swoon-worthy face set grimly as cement. Though he lounged in the hallway like any Archie or Jughead waiting in line to discharge his rented beer in a urinal, he exuded authority, his carriage and bearing such that he made the others look like a pack of Twizzlers. Oh. Yeah. More than a mere guardsman, she guessed. An enforcer.Ruh-roh.

About Taryn Kincaid

Taryn is an Olympic caliber athlete egg roller and spends a great deal of her time petitioning the U.S.O.C. to introduce a fantail shrimp competition. When she's not bungee jumping off the Palisades or parasailing up and down the Hudson River, she devotes her time to caring for her aging pet walrus, arranging her voodoo doll-pin collection and practicing rhythmic chants. At this moment, she is busy sweeping up the loose masala chai tea leaves she spilled all over the kitchen floor. (Probably because she needs COFFEE.) Wait. Is that something…sparkly?

Taryn hangs around a lot on Facebook and Twitter with her trillions of fans and pops in at Goodreads from time to time. You can catch her on her website, http://tarynkincaid.com, and her blog, http://dreamvoyagers.blogspot.com where she lives for comments!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

What time is it? It's time for...

...edits! Actually more like edits, edits and more edits. I'm currently on round one edits for my upcoming 1NS release, Sweet Revenge. How can a short story be so difficult to revise? Believe me, many ways. Decadent editors are demanding but encouraging. The best kind to work with.

And my wonderful editor for my paranormal Vitruvian Man stories, Cursed and Charmed, let me know she's starting on edits for the final book, Claimed. Likewise, the wise and talented editor for Blue Moon Over Bliss Lake will shortly be sending those my way.

Think August will be a busy month? Oh yeah. I also have two releases this month!

In one week...

August 16 is release day for Betting It All! Whenever the editors and publishers get extra excited about a story, it's a great sign. I'm trying to keep my own excitement contained, but it's been difficult. I love all my stories, of course, but this hero and heroine hold a special place in my heart.

And that cover's such a knockout! I'm definitely entering it into a few cover contests. :)

Then on August 30, Charmed will release - yay! This is a very cool followup to Cursed. More magic and mayhem, which I love. Decadent's working some behind-the-scenes magic with Cursed, so watch for some special sales on that first one very soon.

My cover reveal's been held up a bit but if anyone is willing to help me spread the news by posting the cover and blurb, I'd be very grateful! Just email me at cate.masters AT gmail.com. And I'm always happy to reciprocate of course.

This month's very special for personal reasons as well. My niece is getting married next Saturday! I'm so looking forward to it. I will be away the 17th-18th with likely no internet, so if you contact me, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy weekend!