Cate Masters's Blog, page 92

Review for The Magic of Lavender

Bitten by Paranormal Romance reviewed The Magic of Lavender, and rated it "One Good Howl." 
The review said in part:
This has a very good plot and the characters are believable. I think that fantasy romance fans as well as paranormal romance fans can enjoy this.
Though the best comment was in the actual comments section, where she said "It is a delightful book."I really appreciate that Wild About Bones took the time to review this, especially given that it's a self-pubbed book. Thanks Bitten by Paranormal Romance!

Loving your work too much for SSS

Thanks to everyone who visits, and thanks especially for your comments.  Here's another snippet from Rock Bottom, my contemporary from Lyrical Press. Reporter Billie Prescott's delighted when rocker Jet Trently decides to give an impromptu concert on the set of his reality dating show, Rock Bottom:
For the next hour, Billie wrote almost nonstop, adding whatever else transpired. When she wasn't staring at Jet. His long layered hair fell across his face at the end of a sad ballad, his features hardened while singing a rebellious anthem, and practically glowed during a love song. Once they aired this segment, every woman alive would want to sleep with him again.
Billie had already found out--the hard way--what it was like to rank below the fans, always second to some demand of stardom. Or some other girl.
Check out all the awesome Six Sentence Sunday authors!

Coming up...

July is a busy month! I'm trying to get word out about my new releases, so I'm visiting some blogs, participating in some parties, and generally out there whooping it up! I hope you'll come hang out with me.

Monday I'll be at the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion celebrating my July release, Dead to Rights. Put on your party dress and come out to play!

Tuesday I'll be visiting with wonderful Rachel Brimble on her lovely blog.

Starting next Friday, July 15, Blogfest runs through July 17th. You won't want to miss this blog hop, full of amazing goodies and giveaways!

On July 18 (this date's tentative), I'll visit Candace's Book Blog, another very cool site, with another giveaway. 

That's What I'm Talking About will host me on July 28, with yet another giveaway.

July 29, look for me at Embrace the Shadows blog.


And on July 30, I'm part of LASR's 4th Anniversary Blog Fest. I'm thinking there'll be a giveaway or two there also. :)


Can you say Christmas in July? Ho ho ho!

Release date for Romancing the Hero!

The Wild Rose Press will release Romancing the Hero on October 26! Woot! 
This was such a fun story, with a Moonlighting kind of snappy dialogue and situations. I can't wait till it's released!
This cover still makes me swoon. :)
Here's the blurb: For romance writer Jody Feather, love is wonderful—on the page.  Her books are instant bestsellers and readers love her delectable hero, Jake Emerson. He's the kind of man who knows exactly how to please a woman. The kind of man who doesn't really exist.  Or at least not for Jody—she's too busy writing about delicious heroes to find one of her own.
When a man shows up on her doorstep claiming to be Jake Emerson, Jody's hormones shoot sky high.  This would-be hero is everything she imagined him to be, and when Jody takes him to her book signing, readers swoon.  But Jake only has eyes—and compliments—for her.  Before long, Jody stops doubting his story and starts doubting her sanity.When Jake convinces her she is overdue for love, Jody begins to wonder—instead of just writing about adventures, has she conjured one?

It made me nostalgic for Moonlighting, so here's a clip - Bruce Willis sizzles! Yowsa. Love that Jersey boy. :)

Interviewed on Kindle Author

David Wisehart was good enough to interview me on Kindle Author - a great site for self-pubbed authors! I hope you'll pop over and check it out.

Casting Call: Dead to Rights

Because of its somewhat complex plot, this Casting Call is difficult to explain. I'll still show you who I had in mind for each character but I can't give too much away. :)
In the opener, you'll meet Mary Miller. She awakens in the mental facility with no clue how she got there, and doesn't recognize the person staring back at her from the mirror. Lost inside and out, she begins the journey to find her identity, but must follow the clues to The New Day Order, a cult where darker dangers lurk.This character demanded someone who could blend in without calling attention to herself. Christina Ricci would make a wonderful Mary.
Next you'll meet Tess Munro, a news anchor who does whatever she can to get the story. I can't tell you much about Tess, sorry - it would ruin the surprise. :) But I can tell you that Jaime  Ray Newman fit the role while I wrote.
Alana Martinez is another character about whom I can't reveal much. Suffice to say she's the most kickass of the three, a heroine who fought in the Iraq war and now must use those skills against The New Day Order.Roselyn Sanchez played Alana in my head (and bears a fairly good resemblance to the girl on the cover, yay!)
Now Michael is a pretty complex guy. At first, Mary thinks he's a creepy stalker, always watching her, always picking her up when she falls down, sometimes literally. But there's more to Michael than meets the eye. Sam Worthington was in my head as Michael all along.
Ellen's another lost soul, one who attaches herself first to Mary, and then to the cult leader. Her difficulty in defining herself allows others to imprint on her too deeply.
Heather Burns would be an amazing Ellen - innocent, yet complex, a powderkeg waiting for a match.

Gabrielle's another kickass heroine who arrives later to help. A blonde goddess type, Angelina Jolie fits the role perfectly.
Eve Thurman, the second-in-command at The New Day Order is a strong woman, one who tolerates little from the members. Pretty, she can turn ugly in a hurry when the situation calls for it.
Candace Bergen's played such characters before, and would make a wonderful Eve.


Finally, Alan Cunningham, the leader of The New Day Order. Others might see him as a buffoon, and Mary at first pegs him for a bad Vegas act wannabe, but Alan Cunningham has much deeper connections. There's a reason Mary's skin crawls every time she's near him, and it's not just because of his lascivious leers. William Shatner's perfect as Alan Cunningham.
So that's the cast of characters for Dead to Rights! I hope you'll pick up a copy from Amazon or Smashwords.
At some point I plan to make it available in print as well.

Rock on for SSS

Here's another snippet from my recently released contemporary romance, Rock Bottom. Jet keeps Billie at arm's length, never quite sure what's safe to reveal to a rock journalist, though he may be tempted to say much more to her on a personal level:
Strolling in his direction, she prompted, "All you have to do is say the three magic words."
"I love you?" he managed to croon. He hadn't said that to a woman in many years.
She enunciated clearly. "Off the record."
He concentrated on his guitar and said wistfully, "Not quite as magic as the other three."
Thanks so much for your comments! I really appreciate it.Don't forget to check out the full list of awesome Six Sentence Sunday authors! You can see my cover for Dead to Rights there - I'm so excited it won the July release contest! Woot! Isn't it beautiful? :)

Just released! Dead to Rights

I'm a little nervous - and a lot excited. My new paranormal, Dead to Rights, is now available on Smashwords and Amazon!

It's been more than a year in the making, but after many polishings, I'm confident it's as ready as possible.

I'm pretty psyched the cover came out so well. And the trailer! What do you think?



Here's an excerpt:

The bus drove all night. I dozed off a few times, but every bump in the road easily roused me. All the while, I couldn't shake the feeling someone watched me. Had the group's suspicion of me grown since I'd signed up? It didn't seem likely, but I had to stay on guard, yet appear innocent. Not an easy feat. On high alert, my brain screamed for me to escape.
To what? I had nowhere to go. My only viable connection so far was Cunningham. Time would reveal the reason, but I guessed it wasn't anything positive.
With a heavy breath, I scanned the faces of others. Every one slept, or tried to.
My senses pricked to extreme when I saw the man sitting three rows behind, on the opposite side. He stared openly, a strange glow in the whites of his eyes.
I jolted upright, then slumped in my seat. My heart pounded. How freaking weird. 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.
The landscape changed from rural to downright deserted. The bus stopped for gas after the sun glimmered just below the horizon, streaking the clouds above with orange and red. It reminded me of smeared blood.
Blinking, Ellen lifted her head. "Are we there?"
"Not yet." Sarcasm escaped me in the face of a stalker. Twice more, I'd glanced back, only to meet the same steady gaze. I stopped looking after that. Even if he presented no threat, maybe just looked for a little romance in all the wrong places, I wanted no part of him.
Who the hell was he anyway? He hadn't attended any of the gatherings. How did he get on the bus, if he hadn't gone through the process?

I'm a little nervous - and a lot excited. My new paranormal, Dead to Rights, is now available on Smashwords and Amazon!It's been more than a year in the making, but after many polishings, I'm confident it's as ready as possible.I'm pretty psyched the cover came out so well. And the trailer! What do you think?Here's an excerpt:The bus drove all night. I dozed off a few times, but every bump in the road easily roused me. All the while, I couldn't shake the feeling someone watched me. Had the group's suspicion of me grown since I'd signed up? It didn't seem likely, but I had to stay on guard, yet appear innocent. Not an easy feat. On high alert, my brain screamed for me to escape.To what? I had nowhere to go. My only viable connection so far was Cunningham. Time would reveal the reason, but I guessed it wasn't anything positive.With a heavy breath, I scanned the faces of others. Every one slept, or tried to.My senses pricked to extreme when I saw the man sitting three rows behind, on the opposite side. He stared openly, a strange glow in the whites of his eyes.I jolted upright, then slumped in my seat. My heart pounded. How freaking weird. 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.The landscape changed from rural to downright deserted. The bus stopped for gas after the sun glimmered just below the horizon, streaking the clouds above with orange and red. It reminded me of smeared blood.Blinking, Ellen lifted her head. "Are we there?""Not yet." Sarcasm escaped me in the face of a stalker. Twice more, I'd glanced back, only to meet the same steady gaze. I stopped looking after that. Even if he presented no threat, maybe just looked for a little romance in all the wrong places, I wanted no part of him.Who the hell was he anyway? He hadn't attended any of the gatherings. How did he get on the bus, if he hadn't gone through the process?And if you get a chance, I've been in the LASR Author Spotlight all week - pop over and say hi! Comments earn chances to win my contemporary, Rock Bottom.Have a great holiday weekend!

Last day at LASR

Today at LASR I'm talking about paranormal pursuits. Do you like the paranormal genre as much as I do? Pop over and let me know - comments earn chances to win a copy of Rock Bottom.

Do you like music in stories?

Today at LASR, I'm talking about musical inspirations - what are yours? Comments earn more chances to win my contemporary. Rock Bottom, a rocking romance!