Cate Masters's Blog, page 68

The anthology is here!

This snuck up on me! I didn't realize it had been released, but the "Community of Writers" anthology is now available from Sunbury Press.

All proceeds from sales of this collection will benefit the Cleve J. Fredericksen Library in Camp Hill, Pa., which sponsored the Natalie J. Craumer Writers Workshops I attended with this really great group of authors. The library offered the workshops at no charge, thanks to the support of husband of the late Natalie J. Craumer, who instituted the workshops to honor his wife's memory.

You can read more in this press release.

A release party will be held at the library in the near future. It should be a lot of fun! [image error]

Insecure Writers: Writing outside the comfort zone

Hey, I actually remembered it's Insecure Writers Day. Just in time for my latest insecurity - writing outside my comfort zone.

Yep, that could be me, scaling that gigantic phallic rock. (Sorry, that pic cracked me up and I couldn't resist posting it.)

I'm a big believer in writing from the gut - going where the characters lead, following my writerly instincts, taking a flying leap off the edge of the cliff, as Ray Bradbury so aptly put it, and building my wings on the way down.

I've written a few stories that are outside my comfort zone. Mostly the discomfort came from the erotic scenes. Sometimes the characters seem to demand the sex be hot and nasty. In some cases, I follow along, though I may close my eyes while typing. :)  Sometimes, I insist on toning it down a bit. Sometimes, when it feels necessary to the story, I just go with it.

For one novel, I actually stopped writing it a few times because the sex was very intense. It's set in the Underworld, and most of the erotic scenes involved a demon and his concubine. Once I realized that those scenes were actually less about sex than the underlying power struggle, I gave in to the demons' demands.

But I'm worried that some readers won't perceive the story as I'd hoped. A great deal of research goes into my stories (yes, even those set in The Undeworld - mythology plays a big part). And I am a serious writer.

Do you view such stories in a negative light? Do you view such writers as less than serious?

Thanks to all who share their views on this subject, and especially to Alex Cavanaugh, who launched the Insecure Writers Support Group!

Unrelated news, but visits are appreciated!

I'm at Romance Book Junkies today, talking about writing across genres and my dark paranormal, Dead to Rights (not a romance! Shh, don't tell.). I'd love for you to come over and keep me company! This kicks off my month-long blog tour. Just a word of warning. :)

Version 294587.0

I've been revising - can you tell? Okay, maybe not that much. But it sometimes feels like it.

I'm excited about the changes I've made to my Key West historical, Angels, Sinners and Madmen. This is the book that flashed before my eyes during a visit to the island, on a trip to the Wreckers Museum. It was a very powerful vision, and for the next two days I copied everything I could in the library and then visited the home of a former wrecker captain which also a museum. There, I bought books about the island history and about the wreckers.

The wreckers blew me away. These guys salvaged ships that sunk off the dangerous reefs beyond Key West. They'd race out to the ships during the most terrible storms and dive into turbulent waters. They could stay underwater for crazy long periods - I think the museum said five to six minutes. They were rascals and heroes, and I knew I had to write about them.

This is the book that my editor (bless you, Chuck) swore would nab me an agent. But a few reviews pointed out flaws with the heroine that neither of us had thought of.

The rights to this story will revert to me in July, so I've been working on a better, stronger version. A stronger story overall, and a stronger heroine. It's been a bit arduous, but I've added some plot points that add more tension and interest too. So I'm excited about its re-release this summer!

The cover was a bit of a challenge. I'm not a Photoshop expert, but none of the images I found depicted a hero who fit the time period - 1856.

Yes, there were hunky guys like this one:


But I decided against him. I really wanted a tall ship in the background, but couldn't get it to work.

Next I found a closeup of the same guy in the water, but it just didn't have a historical feel even with the Blackadder font (which is overused, honestly). And frankly, I've been seeing this guy on lots of other book covers. There's no way to avoid it, these days, but it's disconcerting to see an image on someone else's book.

I knew I had to find two images that meshed together in a unique way. So I came up with this:


I love that it makes them appear to be drowning in a whirlpool of their own making. And I get my tall ship in the background. This very well might be version 294587.2! Okay, not really, it's version 11. It took a long long time and many clicks to reach this point. I hope you like it. :)


I know I'll go back over the story a few times again to polish here and there before August, but I'm getting very excited for its re-release!

SSS: Bodie tries to convince Lily she’s a goddess

Thanks so much for visiting! And especially for your comments. You guys rock!
Here's another six from my dark paranormal, Dancing with the Devil (a Kindle romance bestseller! Woot!):

“You don’t need to explain, Lily, ever.” He knew she’d let men touch her, a few with whom she’d been infatuated, maybe even loved. None had taken her virginity, and yet she’d offered it to him. 
Tenderness washed over him as she searched his face, wary and confused. How terrible for her, not to believe herself worthy of complete love and devotion, the same worship any goddess deserved. Someday he’d prove to her she was a true goddess.
Check out Six Sentence Sunday for all the amazing authors! Have a great week.

Western blurb fest at TBR this weekend

All you Western writers, round up your blurbs! It's Western Blurb Fest weekend at TBR.

Lovers of Westerns, lasso a few great stories for your TBR list!

I'm trying to decide what type of blurb fest to have next month. I've been holding two each month, and so far have had:
Steampunk
Paranormal
Romance
Fantasy
SciFi (to date, the most popular!)
Mystery
and now Western.

Is there any genre you'd like to see for a blurb fest? Toss me some ideas!

Story Elements: A Midwest Summer Night's Dream

The heroes of the Old West always intrigued me, probably because I'd grown up with TV shows like Bonanza, The Rifleman, The Virginian and The Lone Ranger, all rugged men who survived hardships with stoic grace, but who never hesitated to help others whenever needed.

While I never base characters on anyone I know, I do sometimes borrow names for some of my heroes and heroines. My sister Annette's a genealogist, and traced our family history back to a French Canadian fur trapper named Peter LeVert. The Anglicized version of LeVert is Green, and my paternal grandmother's name was Nettie Green. So my hero became Jebediah Greene.

The imprints of the Native Americans who lived on the Eastern coast also influenced me while growing up. Their names were everywhere. The road I grew up on was an Indian name, I believe from the Lenne Lenape tribe though I'm not certain. This story begins in Tipton, Missouri, a major stop for stage coaches.

Several Native American tribes made their homes in Missouri, but for this story, I chose the Osage. The women of the tribe took care of the farming, the men hunted and sometimes fought to protect their people. Men and women alike were storytellers, artists, musicians and healers. Osage artists were famous for their wood carving and beadwork. They seemed like the type of tribe I would fall in love with, so I let my heroine, Winona, fall in love with their ways too. She'd never been particularly fond of domestic chores in Philadelphia, but the camaraderie of the Osage changed all that.

I'd read about the mountain man Jim Bridger who made his living as a hunter, trapper, trader and guide. He was also an illiterate who loved books and hired others to read to him. In this way, he memorized passages from Shakespeare and recited them along the trail.


Shakespeare's provided inspiration to countless writers, too. One of my favorite movie versions of Shakespeare (besides the Franco Zefferelli production of Romeo and Juliet) is A Midsummer Night's Dream with Kevin Kline, Rupert Everett, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christian Bale, and others.





While my story's not a fantasy, both the hero and heroine love this Shakespeare play and make reference to it.

On a side note, I found this Beatles rarity while looking for the movie above. Enjoy!

Visiting Natalie Owens today

I hope you'll pop over and visit with us, too! I have a bit of spring fever, and am sharing a little background about this month's release from BookStrand, my historical Western, A Midwest Summer Night's Dream.

And I have a fun giveaway to celebrate spring, too, so come on over!

SSS: Zev's busted

Yay, it's Six Sentence Sunday again. Thanks so much for visiting, and for your comments, which I always appreciate.

Here's another six from Dancing with the Devil, my dark paranormal, in which Lily realizes Zev is actually a demon:

The longer she held the pendant, the more her hand shook. From her glazed, wild-eyed look, she either joined the ranks of the zombies or some deep truth had just hit home.

Her lip quivered. “You’re… a….”

He sighed, then slammed back his martini. Oh yeah, definitely the latter.
Check out the rest of the Six Sentence Sunday authors. Have a great week!

Casting Call: A Midwest Summer Night's Dream

As usual, A Midwest Summer Night's Dream came to me with vivid, fully formed characters.

Jebediah Greene is a loner, at first by necessity and later by choice. He takes solace in books borrowed from Doc and Mrs. Wilson, and especially loves Shakespeare.

He's taken solace in the arms of a few ladies, but none have ever struck him like Winona Young.

When I first saw this picture of Gabriel Aubrey, I recognized him right away. Jeb.


Winona Young's intelligent, sometimes too much for her own good. Books are her constant companions, but she's awkward with people. Men especially, who always seem to want their own needs taken care of first. She's feisty and knows how to take care of herself. But when she begins to know Jeb during their trip West, she also begins to learn not every man is like her terrible stepfather or the men he sought to marry her off with.

Rachel McAdams embodies the spirit of Winona perfectly.

Maggie's a prostitute in Tipton who has her sights set on the Western horizon. Often, she sets them on Jeb as well, but Jeb always refuses her. He's polite enough about it, something that appeals to Maggie. He has a sense of honor she prizes more highly than gold.

Helena Bonham Carter is perfect as Maggie. I just love her.

Doc and Mrs. Wilson are one of those couples who've been together forever, and know exactly what the other one thinks, sometimes before s/he thinks it.

I loved the way Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were like that. They'd be perfect as Doc and Mrs. Wilson.

Release day for A Midwest Summer Night's Dream

Yay, release day is here! A Midwest Summer Night's Dream is now available from Book Strand. As the title implies, it's a Western historical with a Shakespearean twist.
I grew up on shows like Bonanza, The Virginian, The Rifleman, and one of my favorites, The Lone Ranger (looking forward to Johnny Depp as Tonto in the new movie version!).  Heroes who withstood harsh conditions with stoic grace.
A few years ago, I read about a mountain man named Jim Bridger who, though illiterate, recited passages of Shakespeare in mining camps and Indian camps alike. It captured my imagination, and so I began this story. It took a few years, but I finally finished!
So if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do the release day happy dance. :) You're welcome to join in!