Cate Masters's Blog, page 89
August 9, 2011
In the cloud?
Have you tried it, the whole 'computing in the cloud' bit? I have such mixed feelings about it. In theory, it sounds pretty cool: you keep all your files on a virtual server, so you don't have to worry so much about a hard drive crash plus you can get away with a less robust (i.e., cheaper) computer. It doesn't have to be a desktop with a zillion-gig hard drive. It can be a laptop with Internet connectivity. Period.
It's the practical side that worries me. Having battled computer invaders first hand this year (I still bear the scars), I wonder how secure my files would be in the nebulous cloud?
(I can see some hacker taking aim at these floating laptops right now...)
I've been scanning the posts by exec Michael Hyatt about Evernote, and he makes it sound like a great thing. But I'm still on the fence. I guess I need to hear from some others.
So if you have any input or have tried the cloud and loved/hated it, I'd love to hear it!
It's the practical side that worries me. Having battled computer invaders first hand this year (I still bear the scars), I wonder how secure my files would be in the nebulous cloud? (I can see some hacker taking aim at these floating laptops right now...)
I've been scanning the posts by exec Michael Hyatt about Evernote, and he makes it sound like a great thing. But I'm still on the fence. I guess I need to hear from some others.
So if you have any input or have tried the cloud and loved/hated it, I'd love to hear it!
Join me for Talkin' Tuesday!
I'm at Rebecca Rose's lovely blog today for Talkin' Tuesday - always a fun time! And Rebecca's such a sparkling person, she's fun to hang out with. So come join us!
August 7, 2011
Pardon my blog construction again
I hate to keep rearranging the old blog, but it just wasn't working for me. I had hoped, since giving up my web site, to turn my blog into a site that would work as hard.
To me, it didn't represent my work the way it should. Oh, it's pretty, and I love it, but Blogger's pretty limiting as far as where I can put things. I don't necessarily like the two columns on the outside, but I don't want to make people search for things either. If I could expand the center column, I'd do it, but the template I have doesn't allow that.
I'm attempting to streamline, while also making things more obvious and organized. Feng shui, baby.
Do you like it better when authors put their covers on their main page, more readily accessible? Are you less likely to look at information if it's more than one click away?
And if any Blogger experts out there want to chime in, I'd love to hear some design tips!
To me, it didn't represent my work the way it should. Oh, it's pretty, and I love it, but Blogger's pretty limiting as far as where I can put things. I don't necessarily like the two columns on the outside, but I don't want to make people search for things either. If I could expand the center column, I'd do it, but the template I have doesn't allow that.I'm attempting to streamline, while also making things more obvious and organized. Feng shui, baby.
Do you like it better when authors put their covers on their main page, more readily accessible? Are you less likely to look at information if it's more than one click away?
And if any Blogger experts out there want to chime in, I'd love to hear some design tips!
August 6, 2011
Who's watching you?
Thanks to everyone who stops by each week! And especially thanks for your comments.Here's another six from my dark paranormal, Dead to Rights. Riding on the bus taking her to the New Day Order camp, our heroine gets a fright when she realizes someone's watching her:
He stared openly, a strange glow in the whites of his eyes. My heart pounded. Grateful for Ellen's insistence that we sit together, I feigned settling in to rest. Impossible with him still watching intently. And he was. I didn't know how I knew, but I'd swear it.Check out all the incredible Six Sentence Sunday participants! Have a great week!
August 5, 2011
Kicking back
Ah, I would love to. A vacation would be spectacular right about now. Somewhere exotic and relaxing, like here:
Or even a staycation. Or just a day off with nothing to do, which would probably look more like this:
But no, no rest for the weary. I'm waaaay behind in all my projects. Worse, I keep buying books that tempt me beyond reason. Why is this unreasonable? Because I probably now have more unread books than I will finish in the next five years. Oh, I love my Kindle, but it only makes my addiction too easy to succumb to. But if I have to have an addiction, then I'm glad it's books!
And writing. Yikes, if I don't get some of these stories out of my head and onto paper, my skull might explode.
So I'm off to sequester myself in my office and hopefully create some exotic worlds of my own.
Enjoy your weekend!
Or even a staycation. Or just a day off with nothing to do, which would probably look more like this:
But no, no rest for the weary. I'm waaaay behind in all my projects. Worse, I keep buying books that tempt me beyond reason. Why is this unreasonable? Because I probably now have more unread books than I will finish in the next five years. Oh, I love my Kindle, but it only makes my addiction too easy to succumb to. But if I have to have an addiction, then I'm glad it's books! And writing. Yikes, if I don't get some of these stories out of my head and onto paper, my skull might explode.
So I'm off to sequester myself in my office and hopefully create some exotic worlds of my own.
Enjoy your weekend!
More cool news
I'm so jazzed that Embrace the Shadows included my cover for Dead to Rights in their August Cover Clash! How cool is that? Even more cool because I created the cover myself. It went through several versions before I finally hit on one that worked best.So, while I hate to always be bothering you for votes, it would be so wonderful if you would vote for Dead to Rights!
August 3, 2011
New cover for Ground Rules!
It's been so crazy lately I haven't had a spare date to share my new cover for Ground Rules, my Christmas fantasy! Isn't it cute? I love that it's so whimsical, and the colors so cheerful. It might even cheer up my snarky Christmas angel, Luke. :)Here's the blurb for Ground Rules:
Can a bad boy angel and a dispirited mortal find a Christmas miracle together?
Alice Garner scores a great contract to illustrate a children's book by a famous author, but lack of inspiration forces her to cancel her holiday plans. Alone on Christmas to meet her looming deadline, Alice wishes on her Christmas tree angel for help.
Luke, newly promoted to Watcher Angel, is reluctant to take the assignment. Long ago, his fiancée broke his mortal heart on Christmas Eve, and even returning to Earth on his Harley won't dull the sting. Good thing the ground rules forbid getting involved with an assignment—Alice is tempting, but he'd rather not stay on Earth.
But Luke brings Alice more than inspiration. He reawakens her heart. Now Alice has to convince him he's her greatest wish. With a little Christmas magic, can she convince him to break the ground rules and stay?
Look for Ground Rules this Christmas from The Wild Rose Press!
August 2, 2011
Another wonderful review for Rock Bottom
The Long and Short Reviews gave Rock Bottom 4 books! The review said, in part: I'm always intrigued with a novel that features a singer as the hero and heroine, and Rock Bottom hit the spot for me.
If you like contemporary stories with a sensuous romance, then add Rock Bottom to your list of books to read. It's fun, entertaining, and a great romance.
Thanks so much, Sunflower! It's always wonderful when someone loves reading my work as much as I love creating it.
August 1, 2011
Taking stock
Wow. It's August already. At the beginning of the year, I made a public resolution on my blog to slow down this year. Take a breather.
Yeah, that hasn't happened! Life threw a huge curve ball at me in February, and my writing time dropped to about one tenth, or less, of what it had been. So I've been really frustrated that I haven't had enough time to devote to the dozen WIPs that are calling me, begging me, to finish them, already. I'm about 26k into another paranormal that I'm very excited about, but have so much more to do: at least three more novels in the Goddess Connection series, and possibly a followup to Dead to Rights, along with various other half-started projects.
With half the year gone, I finally took stock of what I have accomplished. Until a recent interview, I didn't realize how much I actually had finished:
W
- re-releasing seven previously published titles, which included revising and sometimes expanding the stories, creating covers, revising the book video, and formatting the files for Smashwords and Amazon (not terribly difficult, but terribly tedious!)
- finishing and self-publishing four stories - Dead to Rights, The Magic of Lavender, San Francisco Dreams and Just the Right Amount of Wrong. I'd been working on them all for a year or more, and after making the rounds with many critique partners, finally finished them all. Whew! This also involved making book covers, book videos and formatting the files for Smashwords and Amazon.
W
- promotion. Not my finest skill, and I'm still not sure what works and what doesn't. After two years, I still consider myself a novice, and defer to other authors, following in their footsteps to get the word out. I try to include interesting or fun stuff in posts and interviews, so hopefully it's not always the same old same old. I apologize if it seems I'm yammering at you here instead of opening a conversation - I don't intend it to be that way. I love to hear from you! I'm just overwhelmed and often post in a hurry. Not a great excuse, but I promise to try to do better. I really do love to hear what you think, but you're such a quiet bunch!
- two new releases through publishers - Rock Bottom through Lyrical Press in June, and The Bridge Between through Whiskey Creek Press in April. More promo. More book videos.
W
- completing publisher edits for two upcoming fantasies with The Wild Rose Press - Romancing the Hero and Ground Rules, a Christmas story. I am so looking forward to these releases!
So, having taken stock, now I don't feel like such a slacker. I still have very little time to write new stories, but I've always been the type to put more pressure on myself than anyone else could ever possibly do. Still, I'd like to do a better job of staying on track with my goals, nebulous though they are (I just want everything to happen now, lol).
What do you do to keep yourself on track? Any tips to share as far as achieving goals?
W
Yeah, that hasn't happened! Life threw a huge curve ball at me in February, and my writing time dropped to about one tenth, or less, of what it had been. So I've been really frustrated that I haven't had enough time to devote to the dozen WIPs that are calling me, begging me, to finish them, already. I'm about 26k into another paranormal that I'm very excited about, but have so much more to do: at least three more novels in the Goddess Connection series, and possibly a followup to Dead to Rights, along with various other half-started projects.
With half the year gone, I finally took stock of what I have accomplished. Until a recent interview, I didn't realize how much I actually had finished:
W
- re-releasing seven previously published titles, which included revising and sometimes expanding the stories, creating covers, revising the book video, and formatting the files for Smashwords and Amazon (not terribly difficult, but terribly tedious!)
- finishing and self-publishing four stories - Dead to Rights, The Magic of Lavender, San Francisco Dreams and Just the Right Amount of Wrong. I'd been working on them all for a year or more, and after making the rounds with many critique partners, finally finished them all. Whew! This also involved making book covers, book videos and formatting the files for Smashwords and Amazon.
W
- promotion. Not my finest skill, and I'm still not sure what works and what doesn't. After two years, I still consider myself a novice, and defer to other authors, following in their footsteps to get the word out. I try to include interesting or fun stuff in posts and interviews, so hopefully it's not always the same old same old. I apologize if it seems I'm yammering at you here instead of opening a conversation - I don't intend it to be that way. I love to hear from you! I'm just overwhelmed and often post in a hurry. Not a great excuse, but I promise to try to do better. I really do love to hear what you think, but you're such a quiet bunch!
- two new releases through publishers - Rock Bottom through Lyrical Press in June, and The Bridge Between through Whiskey Creek Press in April. More promo. More book videos.
W
- completing publisher edits for two upcoming fantasies with The Wild Rose Press - Romancing the Hero and Ground Rules, a Christmas story. I am so looking forward to these releases!
So, having taken stock, now I don't feel like such a slacker. I still have very little time to write new stories, but I've always been the type to put more pressure on myself than anyone else could ever possibly do. Still, I'd like to do a better job of staying on track with my goals, nebulous though they are (I just want everything to happen now, lol).
What do you do to keep yourself on track? Any tips to share as far as achieving goals?
W
At Ella Jade's today
The wonderful Ella Jade has allowed me to take part in Meet the Author Monday on her blog. I hope you'll pop over, hang out a bit and chat. :)
