Cate Masters's Blog, page 43

A peek at Charmed!

I'm cheating a bit. I was tagged by the wonderful Cassandra Dean for the 7-7-7 meme, but instead, I'm giving you a peek at my paranormal coming soon from Decadent Publishing, book 2 in The Vitruvian Man series - Charmed:



Beneath her cold smile lurked something with a sinister flair. When the sorceress had visited last week, she’d exuded it like a palpable odor. She’d brought a new vial of medicine, stressing an immediate dose to ensure Bruno’s healing was complete, that no traces of the beast lingered.The hard glitter in the sorceress’s eyes radiated hatred at Melina. She could live with that. And back at you, witch bitch.Something else emerged behind Elda’s gaze, as well, some unspoken wish, and it had nothing to do with his recovery. Maybe the opposite, a resistance to his complete healing? Melina sensed that if she stared into her eyes long enough, the meaning would come clear.It had haunted her since Elda’s last grand exit, her long parting look at Bruno. The sorceress’s face had softened in a moment of vulnerability before she’d vanished.Absently, Melina traced the book spines with her fingers. This library held an incredible array of unusual literature from the 1400s to present day. The texts she most treasured were those written by him. Some sections read like historical essays, accounts of events that touched his life. Some were the journal of a soul tortured by his choices, and by the traitorous acts of others. Pages and pages of demented rantings, beast and man struggling for control.Because he’d written in Italian and Latin, it took her some time to translate. It helped fill the endless stretches of time and acquaint her with his native language. While she slept beside him, he murmured soothing endearments. No sooner did she leave the bed than his murmurs took on a disturbed tone, and he’d thrash as if under attack.Strolling, she reached the end of the shelves and realized she still had no idea what they held. Her touch disturbed the last book enough for it to fall. She caught it, then stared. Behind its resting place, a door had been cut into the panel.Moving a few other books revealed a double panel. A safe?She glanced toward Bruno again. Still resting. Why would he hide something here in his quarters, where he had so few visitors?A tug on the doors accomplished nothing. Probably hadn’t been opened in too long. Come on, open up. She concentrated on it. She pulled again, and the bookcase drifted out of the wall. Curiosity drew her around it.What the…? Another entire wall of shelves, like a mirror image. She took out a leather-bound volume and opened it. Handwritten but not in Bruno’s script. Headings marked each passage, some less than a page, others much longer. Illustrations accompanied each, like ingredients for a recipe. Or instructions.If only I understood the language. It would take her forever to translate. She carried the book to the table and set it beside her laptop, then launched the Italian-English translation site she’d bookmarked. Hoping the loopy script of the title wasn’t some outdated verbiage, she entered each word, hit Enter, and frowned.“That can’t be right.”A repeat of the procedure yielded the same result. Weird. Why would Bruno hide such a text? Another round of books proved to be similar. Nearly every type of magic, dark arts, or alchemy. From what she could tell, some were logs of experiments.Her breath caught. Maybe someone had transcribed Bruno’s transformation into a chimera? She scrambled behind the shelves again but heaved a sigh. No way could she sift through all the volumes.Magic. It always fascinated her. As Arthur C. Clarke had said, magic was just science we don’t understand yet. An abstract concept, until her first few glimpses of it. The strange couples at the Moon Masquerade ball. Elda appearing and vanishing like a Venetian hat trick. Bruno’s chimera appearance, and the spell transforming him back again. It all amounted to conclusive proof. A magical world existed beyond the awareness of most people.But any alterations to a person’s anatomy had to have a scientific basis. Didn’t it?

One week from today!

Decadent Publishing moved up the release date for Cinderella Dreams from August 2 to July 26! One week! Woot woot!

This short story was actually one of my first to get published with The Wild Rose Press, back in 2009. The rights returned to me, and I revised it with a time travel twist for Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series. A very popular series, perhaps because Madame Evangeline, the matchmaker, is so mysterious. She's arranged dates as early as the 1800s, and in this story, helps my heroine, Gen Fuller, return to her past. One date with "the one who got away" - but it's up to Gen to make sure she gets her happy ending.

I hope you'll take a trip back in time with her!

Cover reveal: Freya's Spell by Kathleen Ann Gallagher

FREYA’S SPELL BY KATHLEEN ANN GALLAGHER     COMING TO SECRET CRAVINGS PUBLISHING AUGUST 2013
BLURB The passionate, sex-starved witch, Freya Meyer is tired of wasting time with unsatisfying lovers. She’s in search of a man who can keep up with her.  Prospects are slim in Bartlett, the sleepy little town in the White Mountain Region of New Hampshire. 
A sultry stranger with a French accent behind the counter at the Country Store is new to town. Family commitment and an unsettled past leads Paul Marton back to his childhood roots. On the rebound from a scandalous romance, Paul tries to ignore Freya’s advances, and he doesn’t let on how he falls prey to her seductive ways.
When Paul ignores her advances, Freya knows what she must do. A love spell is bound to cast the shy stranger straight into her arms. With the help of the full moon, Freya’s wishes may come to fruition. Can a lonely witch capture one night with her dream lover… walk away, and never look back? Is there a way to tame a wild witch’s heart?
About Kathleen Ann Gallagher
Kathleen writes contemporary, paranormal, and erotic romance. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Joseph, and their two puppies, Chaz, and Luc. Her children are all grown, but her three grandsons keep her spirit energized. She is a registered nurse who works in an emergency room. Her passion for story telling began when she was a young girl. Since her father was a professional magician, she learned how to use her imagination while assisting him with his act. When Kathleen is not writing, her favorite place to relax is down the Jersey Shore. You might find her under an umbrella, wearing a straw hat, dreaming of a new story.    

Here’s where you can find Kathleen.                                                                                Kathleen’s blog. http://kathleensplacetoreflect.blogspot.com/?zx=e33c25154ce308d9
Website.http://www.kathleenanngallagher.net/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Kathleenwrites
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.a.gallagher?ref=tn_tnmn




Congrats on your upcoming release, Kathleen! Wishing you many sales.

Mythology - just an alternate reality...

... and other postulations and explanations, mainly pertaining to Death Is A Bitch. Thanks to Donna Hole for inviting me to her blog! Come over and join us for a little sit down, will you?

Donna also posted a wonderful review for Death, for which I'm so grateful! It's always gratifying when others love your characters as much as you do. :)

I'm planning a little book birthday bash for Death Is A Bitch too - hard to believe it's almost been a year since its release! A blip in time for Death, but hopefully a fun one.

Watch here for details!


Great review for Cursed!

I love when I get an email bearing a wonderful review. Night Owl Reviews gave my paranormal novella, Cursed, 5 stars and made it a Top Pick!

The reviewer said, in part: "I absolutely loved this story line. This is the first book and I can't wait for the second."


The full review is here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Angibabi4-reviews-Cursed-by-Cate-Masters 

Cate Peace: Putting A New Spin On An Old Trope

Whenever you start writing anything, the thing you hear most is, “You have to put a new spin on it,” because everything’s been sooooo done. And it seems like nothing in the paranormal world has been done as much as vampires. They’re dark, they’re dangerous, they’re sexy, and they’re fun as hell to write.
Everybody knows the typical vampire tropes: aversiSo what can you do to beef it up? When I was working on This Time Next Year, I had to think about that a lot to avoid any comparisons to a very popular YA novel about sparkly bloodsuckers. What I ended up doing was thinking a lot about the characters and what was most important to them. Kiernan realizes his usual tricks aren’t going to work, and he decides to go a more personal route:
If this didn’t deter her, nothing would. “Once the process starts, your body will shut down. Your organs will begin to fail, and in order to handle the pain, you’ll enter into a comatose state.” He paused. She hung on every word. “There is a possibility you won’t wake up.”
For a brief moment, she shut her eyes. Then she nodded.
Torturous as it was, he had to continue. “Once you wake, I’ll need you to show me your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Fledglings go one of two ways. Either they’ll be golden-eyed and normal….”
“Like you.”
“Yes. Or they’ll wake with eyes red as blood and the lust to go with it.”
She paled and covered her mouth with her hand.
“Now do you understand why I hesitate?”
The sheer horror on her face suggested she did, and surely the realization that he could turn her into a new Willem would discourage her.



Not necessarily a brand new take on it. After all there’s a lot of mythology that covers these aspects, but they’re personal to Kiernan and Moira’s situation, and that’s what makes it unique and fresh.

Enter Cate's Giveaway!

Entry-Form



This Time Next Yearby Catherine PeaceVampire Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.
Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.
Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?
Available from Decadent Publishing http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=809&osCsid=9a0p1drddlv7maol028p08fmq5
All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thistimenextyear-1228900-149.html#.Ud2sUH5sRvE.twitter
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/This-1Night-Stand-Series-ebook/dp/B00DV0X0R6/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1373483216&sr=1-2&keywords=this+time+next+yea


About Cate Peace
Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. She often blames two things for her forays into speculative fiction—Syfy (when it was SciFi) channel Sundays with her dad and The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells. She graduated in 2008 from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in English and is still chasing the dream of being super rich and famous, mostly so she can sit around in her PJs all day and write stories. When not being a slave to the people in her head, she’s a slave to two adorable dogs

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Blog: Going from Nobody to Somebody
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What to do?

I'm very excited that this year the rights to three stories will return to me. I love them all, but the question is: what now? Do I revise on my own and self-pub? Or sub to another publisher?

The first, Surfacing, had such promise. It was a 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel semi-finalist, and had some excellent reviews, like this one:
: “I found myself drawn to her characters and their world almost immediately, and within a few pages I became completely lost in the story. Surfacing is a delightful, entertaining, and touching read that will have readers rooting for the young hero and hoping that somehow fairytales can come true. This is more than a romance: it is a coming-of-age story that will linger in my memory. I truly enjoyed every page.”.

But despite a catchy cover, readers passed it over. Maybe because it's more a love story than a romance? I've never received any complaints, so I have no idea. And at about 65k, it's too long for my current publisher.

Ground Rules is another story I'm uncertain about. Again, reviewers had wonderful things to say about it, like: "Ms. Masters took a simple love story and made it magical, drawing the reader into the world where angels can make your dreams come true. And the fact that Luke could make a mean margarita certainly didn't hurt, either. I'm a sucker for a Christmas story - throw in a hot angel on a Harley and we've got a party!” and “This fun fantasy tale will keep you reading and waiting to see just what happens next. I didn’t see this ending coming, and I consider that an accomplishment for the author.”

But the story never really took off. The cover didn't quite convey the story line, and I've toyed with new covers. This is one short story I'll probably self-pub.

Last is Romancing the Hero, a fun little fantasy story. Much as I love it, readers found it confusing so I'll likely spend more time revising this time based on previous comments. I liked that the ending left things open, but some didn't. Others, however, loved teh story as much as me:
“A steamy cast of characters pulls the reader right into Romancing the Hero, and doesn’t let go until the final page. Cate Masters’ romantic novella, an homage to the classic romance movie Romancing the Stone, will make you believe that your fantasies can come true.
The well-written characters--feisty Jody Feather, best-selling romance writer who’s dissatisfied with her love life and perfect hero Jake Emerson--are captivating from their initial meeting." 
and
"The novella leads you excellently right down the garden path--is Jake really an actor, or is he stud-come-to-life Jake? I really liked how Ms. Masters’ tight plotting keeps you guessing, up to the very end.Ms. Masters is a very good author and Romancing the Hero is a fun, well-written story.”

With every story, I have to block out my inner critic, and not think about what any reader might say. I have to let the characters dictate the direction of the story, and I follow - mostly.

Published stories are a slightly different animal. They've been out in the world for awhile. When the rights come back to me, I have an opportunity to improve them. So if anyone has read these stories and been confused by anything, please let me know. I am all about making the story the best it can be, and appreciate all feedback.

Thanks!

Thank you!

Reader enthusiasm is pure soul food for a writer. It can be a lonely job sometimes. As much as I love writing and can't ever imagine not doing it, there is that moment... that glorious, sometimes nail-biting moment after we finish the story (critiques, revisions and all), that it seems so perfect. It's pure because no one's seen it, and we can't imagine anyone not loving it as much as we do.

Then after its release, it seems forever until someone finally gives you their thoughts. Writers need your honest feedback. If you didn't connect with a character, or were confused by a scene, please email the author! How else can we improve if we don't know what needs to be fixed? Most importantly, what did you love about the story? Every little detail you provide helps us improve for next time. Because for me, it's all about writing the best story I possibly can.

So thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who's left a heartfelt review for any of my books. And if any reader has finished a book and thought about leaving a review, please do. 

Rare night out

I'm heading for the mountains today with hubby and the grandboys, but wanted to share with you our wonderful night out. On Saturday, the Carlisle Theater hosted Tony and Jonna Mendez, the real-life hero of the movie Argo.

We hadn't yet seen the movie. It's one that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Honestly, even though I knew the outcome, it wracked my nerves. I can't imagine having to live through such an event. And the fact that it was an actual event made it so much more dramatic - at every turn, they missed capture by mere moments.

Afterward, the real Tony Mendez and his wife Jonna took the stage for a Q&A session. (Sorry for the terrible photo - phone cameras just don't work well in extreme lighting.) For Tony, this was just another mission, and not his most dangerous. His wife revealed he'd been in Iran nine months prior on a more dangerous mission.

I wanted to hug Tony for his bravery. Someone asked what gave him the courage to go against orders and continue with the fake movie cover. He calmly explained that it was a matter of trusting his gut. He knew it was their only chance to rescue the six Americans, so he went with it.

His wife revealed that Tony was instrumental in developing many more creative covers and disguises, and often worked closely with Hollywood connections. For one mission, they created full masks of Rex Harrison and Victor Mature for foreign ambassadors.

The theater was packed, and the audience gave Tony several well-deserved standing ovations.

I did wonder why the CIA "outed" them this way and exposed them to danger. They've received many death threats since the movie came out. But still, they travel and have written several books about their experiences. I wish them the best as they continue their work.

Okay, we are off to the Poconos! Have a wonderful 4th of July. I'll check in when I can!

I'm at Decadent's 1NS blog today

I hope you'll pop over and visit! I'm revealing some favorite writing haunts. This pic shows a detail from one of mine. Come over and tell me yours!

http://decadent1nightstand.blogspot.com/2013/07/writing-haunts.html

If you have a spare minute or two, I'm also at Authors to Watch for a fun interview: http://www.authorstowatch.com/2013/07/interview-with-cate-masters.html

Summer Chillin' Winner and new cover reveal!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for the Summer Chillin' blog hop. I really appreciate your visits and your comments! Hope you've tried the lavender margarita recipe too. :)

Now, for the winner... drum roll please...
Congrats to Stephanie of the DMS Files! You've won the ebook of The Magic of Lavender, the first in The Goddess Connection series. I'll be contacting you today, Stephanie - hope you enjoy it!

And now, another cover reveal from the wonderful artists at Decadent Publishing.

Here is the cover for my upcoming 1Night Stand story, Cinderella Dreams! Isn't it pretty?


Here's the blurb:


No one should live a life filled with regret. Once a successful wedding photographer, Genevieve Fuller’s life changed the day her ex-boyfriend wed someone else. Heartbroken for decades, she realizes too late who she truly loved and makes one desperate call to Madame Evangeline. She risks everything to right the wrongs of her past, which she hopes will heal her broken heart. Can Gen alter the course of her own future to include the Cinderella happy ending she should have had the first time?
Summer break!

I can't believe tomorrow will be July already. My hubby's on vacation for the first two weeks of July, and we'll be taking some day trips with the grands. I won't be around much, but I'll catch up to you when I can! Have a good one. :)