Cate Masters's Blog, page 76
January 21, 2012
SSS: Old enemies meet again
Thanks so much for visiting to read my Six Sentence Sunday snippet. :) And thanks especially for your comments.
Here's another peek at A Hard Day's Knight, due out soon as part of Decadent's 1NS series. Lance meets his ancient enemy, and isn't about to back down but chooses to dance with Gwyn instead:
The wench's harsh laughter raked his skin, and seeped into his veins like poison. "Enjoy tonight. Time's so fleeting, isn't it?"
Except when it stretched to infinity. "I have no intention of wasting it." He led Gwyn down the length of the table and toward the swirling couples.
Check out all the fantastic Six Sentence Sunday authors here. Have a great week!
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Here's another peek at A Hard Day's Knight, due out soon as part of Decadent's 1NS series. Lance meets his ancient enemy, and isn't about to back down but chooses to dance with Gwyn instead:
The wench's harsh laughter raked his skin, and seeped into his veins like poison. "Enjoy tonight. Time's so fleeting, isn't it?"Except when it stretched to infinity. "I have no intention of wasting it." He led Gwyn down the length of the table and toward the swirling couples.
Check out all the fantastic Six Sentence Sunday authors here. Have a great week!
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January 19, 2012
Prices are going up soon
I'm raising the prices of many of my ebooks on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle by one dollar, so now's your chance to get them while they cost less.
I priced them low when I first released them. For some reason, 99 cent ebooks have a bad rep, and are often referred to as "99 cent cookies." I don't want mine to be viewed that way.
Many of my self-pubbed stories are reissues of previously released works. The few I've released on my own went through many rounds of critiques and revisions, and are on a par with the other published stories, and I'm happy to say they've received wonderful reviews.
Initially,my pricing scale related to word count - stories of 10k or thereabouts cost 99 cents; 20k or so cost $1.99. I topped it out at $2.99 for longer stories, even for my 90k dark paranormal, The Magic of Lavender. Most epublishers release longer novels at $6.99 or $7.99, so at $3.99, it will still be a bargain, like all the others.
But if you've been eyeing up any, now's your chance to grab 'em. Look for them on my Smashwords page and my Amazon author page.
What's the highest price you'd pay for an ebook? Just curious. :)
I priced them low when I first released them. For some reason, 99 cent ebooks have a bad rep, and are often referred to as "99 cent cookies." I don't want mine to be viewed that way.
Many of my self-pubbed stories are reissues of previously released works. The few I've released on my own went through many rounds of critiques and revisions, and are on a par with the other published stories, and I'm happy to say they've received wonderful reviews.
Initially,my pricing scale related to word count - stories of 10k or thereabouts cost 99 cents; 20k or so cost $1.99. I topped it out at $2.99 for longer stories, even for my 90k dark paranormal, The Magic of Lavender. Most epublishers release longer novels at $6.99 or $7.99, so at $3.99, it will still be a bargain, like all the others.
But if you've been eyeing up any, now's your chance to grab 'em. Look for them on my Smashwords page and my Amazon author page.
What's the highest price you'd pay for an ebook? Just curious. :)
January 18, 2012
Nice review for Romancing the Hero
The Long and Short Reviews had this to say about my fantasy romance, Romancing the Hero: A steamy cast of characters pulls the reader right into Romancing the Hero, and doesn't let go until the final page.
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. 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.The full review is here. Thanks so much, Freesia! [image error]
January 17, 2012
Does your story have fire?
I'm working on keeping the pages lit! With a little help from Donald Maass and The Fire in Fiction. Though I haven't attended of his workshops, I've heard Mr. Maass speak at writers conferences. He has a long history in the writing biz, and his inside perspective is invaluable.
More than that, his focus on craft is essential for writers who want their stories to pop off the page. Every sentence, every scene. Here's an excerpt from the book, which is actually a workbook with exercises following chapters.
I know I do. So this book will be one of the many I'm applying toward craft. It's been on the shelf a few years, along with many others. I've been so busy writing, I always thought, I'll get to it later.
Later doesn't help me now. I love the stories I've written, but want to write even better. Make my characters more three-dimensional, more interesting, more exciting, more relatable.
I have to admit, I had an agent's session years ago with Donald Maass, one of those five-minute pitch sessions that make your nerves want to pop out of your skin. I'm terrible at pitch sessions, but I was so confident he'd fall in love with my first few pages. After skimming, he simply asked, "Why should I care?" Of course, he crushed me. I'd spent years researching - the mythology of the constellations, the decades of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, astronomy. The premise itself is universal and I loved those characters. I still do. But the craft wasn't there on the page. Oh, I think my writing was lyrical and beautiful, but there was no hook.
I haven't given up yet on that story. It was one of my first, and sometimes those "books of the heart" aren't the ones that should be published. But someday, I'm going to prove Donald Maass wrong, maybe using his own techniques. :) I bet he'd like that, too.
More than that, his focus on craft is essential for writers who want their stories to pop off the page. Every sentence, every scene. Here's an excerpt from the book, which is actually a workbook with exercises following chapters.I know I do. So this book will be one of the many I'm applying toward craft. It's been on the shelf a few years, along with many others. I've been so busy writing, I always thought, I'll get to it later.
Later doesn't help me now. I love the stories I've written, but want to write even better. Make my characters more three-dimensional, more interesting, more exciting, more relatable.
I have to admit, I had an agent's session years ago with Donald Maass, one of those five-minute pitch sessions that make your nerves want to pop out of your skin. I'm terrible at pitch sessions, but I was so confident he'd fall in love with my first few pages. After skimming, he simply asked, "Why should I care?" Of course, he crushed me. I'd spent years researching - the mythology of the constellations, the decades of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, astronomy. The premise itself is universal and I loved those characters. I still do. But the craft wasn't there on the page. Oh, I think my writing was lyrical and beautiful, but there was no hook.
I haven't given up yet on that story. It was one of my first, and sometimes those "books of the heart" aren't the ones that should be published. But someday, I'm going to prove Donald Maass wrong, maybe using his own techniques. :) I bet he'd like that, too.
January 16, 2012
Design for Life now re-released
Most of last week centered on revising Design for Life, my contemporary previously published with The Wild Rose Press.I'm happy to say it's now available on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.
The story resembles the original more closely, and I think it's much better this way. It garnered some wonderful reviews before, and was a Top Ten Finisher in the PredEd poll, but I hope readers will agree!
Now it's back to work on my WIP.
What are you working on?
January 15, 2012
How much do I love this review?
I'm over the moon! Aubrey from Romancing the Book gave The Magic of Lavender a top rating! Woot! Here is part of Aubrey's lovely review:
I've always loved books that center around Goddesses and The Magic of Lavender fits the bill perfectly.
The cast of characters of this book keeps the book even more interesting.
The underworld that was created by Masters is unique in that it is an entirely different way at seeing Goddesses. The Inn is on ley lines that help Joss use her magic. Using the ley lines she makes the Lord of the Underworld angry. You really need to read the book to find out what happens!
I cannot wait to read the second book in this series and other works by Cate Masters. This book really made me escape my boring life and enter into one that magic is possible.
Wow - thanks so much, Aubrey. I'm especially grateful this reviewer took the time to read The Magic of Lavender. I know how swamped reviewers are with requests, and some are leery of self-pubbed books, so I appreciate that Aubrey was willing to take a chance, and thrilled that you rated it as a Rose That Rules All.I'm glad she loved the cast of characters as much as I did. The Underworld has captured my imagination lately, and I'm excited about a few other upcoming stories, including Death Is A Bitch (out on submission), and Dancing With the Devil, the WIP that's Book Two in The Goddess Connection. It will be awhile before it's ready, but it's coming. :)
January 14, 2012
SSS: Time warp
Thanks so much for visiting for SSS. I love all your comments, and can't wait to read your six.
Time for another peek at my fantasy with elements of Arthurian legend, a witch or two thrown in for good measure, and a brief hint of time travel - A Hard Day's Knight. In this scene, Lance gets his first look at Gwyn. Hm, or has he seen her before?
He distantly registered Darien leaning against his arm, whispering something, and Kurt adding a comment and a guffaw.
But the light glinting against her golden locks gave her an angelic appearance. He imagined his fingers working the laces along the front of her bodice, unfastening them, letting the full green skirt pool around her ankles to reveal that creamy silken skin he'd so missed. Craved.
Hitching up her gown, she glided toward them like a swan across a lake. When she fixed her green eyes on him, he scrambled to his feet, dumbfounded as a peasant before a princess.
Check out all the fantastic sixes at Six Sentence Sunday. Have a wonderful week!
Time for another peek at my fantasy with elements of Arthurian legend, a witch or two thrown in for good measure, and a brief hint of time travel - A Hard Day's Knight. In this scene, Lance gets his first look at Gwyn. Hm, or has he seen her before?
He distantly registered Darien leaning against his arm, whispering something, and Kurt adding a comment and a guffaw.
But the light glinting against her golden locks gave her an angelic appearance. He imagined his fingers working the laces along the front of her bodice, unfastening them, letting the full green skirt pool around her ankles to reveal that creamy silken skin he'd so missed. Craved. Hitching up her gown, she glided toward them like a swan across a lake. When she fixed her green eyes on him, he scrambled to his feet, dumbfounded as a peasant before a princess.
Check out all the fantastic sixes at Six Sentence Sunday. Have a wonderful week!
January 12, 2012
2011 Top Ten Blogs for Writers
On Tuesday, I gave you a peek at the site voted as number one on the Write to Done site (also a great resource, btw).
Here's the full list, along with their tag lines:
1. Storyfix: "Get it written. Get it right. Get it published."
2. Men with Pens - "world class web design and copywriting that bring you results"
3. Make a living writing - "practical help for hungry writers"
4. Cats Eye Writer - "for bloggers who write and writers who blog"
5. The Renegade Writer - "living and loving the freelance life on your own terms"
6. Writer Unboxed - "about the craft and business of fiction"
7. Word Play - "helping writers become authors"
8. The Creative Penn - "helping you write, publish and sell your book"
9. Victoria Mixon, editor
10. Courage 2 Create
My blog roll's become too long (I really need to organize it - any suggestions?) so I added these top ten, plus the ten finalists, under the Links to Like page.
Here's the full list, along with their tag lines:
1. Storyfix: "Get it written. Get it right. Get it published."2. Men with Pens - "world class web design and copywriting that bring you results"
3. Make a living writing - "practical help for hungry writers"
4. Cats Eye Writer - "for bloggers who write and writers who blog"
5. The Renegade Writer - "living and loving the freelance life on your own terms"
6. Writer Unboxed - "about the craft and business of fiction"
7. Word Play - "helping writers become authors"
8. The Creative Penn - "helping you write, publish and sell your book"
9. Victoria Mixon, editor
10. Courage 2 Create
My blog roll's become too long (I really need to organize it - any suggestions?) so I added these top ten, plus the ten finalists, under the Links to Like page.
January 10, 2012
Back to school!
2012 is going to be a year of studying craft. I took advantage of the free writing books Kindle made available in late 2011 (I posted a link on my FB page, which I often do - to keep up, click Like on my FB badge at right). I'll be working my way through these four and posting a bit about them.
I'm also going to revisit the text of Robert McKee's Story, which I never quite made it through before. He's an amazing instructor, I hear, but since I can't afford to shell out thousands for his seminar, the book will have to do for now.
You've probably heard of Margie Lawson, whose deep editing classes are legendary. I recently purchased two class packets: Empowering Characters' Emotions and Deep Editing.
I completed the first file of Empowering Characters' Emotions this weekend. In it, Margie had slipped a little test. An evaluation of her student's brain - left brain (strong or moderate), whole brain, or right (moderate or strong). I tried to skim around it, but found the rest of the lesson depended on the answer. So I went through the exercise.
Yep, I'm a strong right brainer (explains the attempt to skim!).
If you're curious, I found a few tests online you can take to determine your left- or right-brainedness: try The Art Institute of Vancouver.
This image of a dancer has made the web rounds, and is supposed to determine left vs. right brain, but I still see her change directions mid-spin, for whatever that's worth.
At any rate, I digress (a trait of right brainers?). I'm looking forward to completing Margie's class. Thankfully, she provides an alternate system of highlighting edits for right brainers, or I'd have been hung up on that.
Ms. Lawson also visited Romance University with some helpful tips. I'm glad to hear she's developed some new courses too. But that means I have fewer excuses now not to keep cracking the books!
My belief is that education's a lifelong pursuit. Like Michelangelo, I want to be in my nineties and declare: I am still learning. There's no such thing as perfection, after all. I probably won't have it tattooed on my arm, though. :)
I'm also going to revisit the text of Robert McKee's Story, which I never quite made it through before. He's an amazing instructor, I hear, but since I can't afford to shell out thousands for his seminar, the book will have to do for now.
You've probably heard of Margie Lawson, whose deep editing classes are legendary. I recently purchased two class packets: Empowering Characters' Emotions and Deep Editing.
I completed the first file of Empowering Characters' Emotions this weekend. In it, Margie had slipped a little test. An evaluation of her student's brain - left brain (strong or moderate), whole brain, or right (moderate or strong). I tried to skim around it, but found the rest of the lesson depended on the answer. So I went through the exercise.
Yep, I'm a strong right brainer (explains the attempt to skim!).
If you're curious, I found a few tests online you can take to determine your left- or right-brainedness: try The Art Institute of Vancouver.
This image of a dancer has made the web rounds, and is supposed to determine left vs. right brain, but I still see her change directions mid-spin, for whatever that's worth.
At any rate, I digress (a trait of right brainers?). I'm looking forward to completing Margie's class. Thankfully, she provides an alternate system of highlighting edits for right brainers, or I'd have been hung up on that.
Ms. Lawson also visited Romance University with some helpful tips. I'm glad to hear she's developed some new courses too. But that means I have fewer excuses now not to keep cracking the books!
My belief is that education's a lifelong pursuit. Like Michelangelo, I want to be in my nineties and declare: I am still learning. There's no such thing as perfection, after all. I probably won't have it tattooed on my arm, though. :)
Story Engineering
Here's a video interview on story engineering with bestselling author Larry Brooks of Storyfix.com, an excellent resource for writers. Long, but worth a look. When you're finished watching, go to his post for an audio interview, also long but worthwhile.
Storyfix.com was voted #1 on the 2011 Top Ten Blogs for Writers. Eventually I'll post more about the other nine.
Storyfix.com was voted #1 on the 2011 Top Ten Blogs for Writers. Eventually I'll post more about the other nine.
