Cate Masters's Blog, page 98

Sweet dreams for SSS

Thanks to everyone who's been visiting each week for Six Sentence Sunday. And especially for commenting! I try to visit as many of the SSS blogs as I can, and am always blown away by the amazing writing. 
Here's another snippet from my contemporary, Going with Gravity, which I re-released on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords:
"Mmm. This is nice." After two sips of sangria, her eyelids hung heavy, her body weighted with sleep. She felt the glass lifted from her hand, a kiss on top of her head. He whispered, "Sweet dreams."She wanted to tell him it already was sweet, sweeter than she'd ever known, but only a formless sound came from her mouth, and she gave in to sleep.
Check out all the SSS awesomeness here.

There's a party going on

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, The Wild Rose Press is throwing a birthday bash! If you're not already part of its Yahoo group, you should join. TWRP is giving away $500 worth of prizes through May 1st.


Once the party ends, there's always something going on in the TWRP Garden. Learn about new releases, giveaways and great blog posts by TWRP authors. Come on over and join in the fun!

Saying goodbye to my web site

Any minute now, my web site will disappear. (It actually should have already, but I suspect GoDaddy's simply behind on such things.)

I'm sorry to see it go. Wish I could send it off with some bit of fanfare or ceremony. Maybe a salute as it sinks slowly into the sunset.

At any rate, for now, I need to streamline things a bit. My blog will accommodate all the info as my web site, if not all the bling (unless someone knows how to add a PDF doc to a blog? Or a Flash file?)

As I get time, I'll rearrange the blog to be more intuitive and easier to navigate. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Personally, I'm not a fan of anything on a web site that screams "hey look over here!" (i.e., flashing/blinking doodads) but if there's a way to streamline info and make the site easier to use, please let me know what you'd like to see.

And, as always, thanks for visiting! I truly appreciate it.

Demons Fall for Teaser Tuesday

Here are two from the paranormal romance, Demons Fall by Karalynn Lee:

As they left the main street, they saw fewer demons and angels. It said something of the state of mortals in Hellsgate that even the gray, bedraggled creature trailing behind him elicited stares and whispers.

Check out the other Teaser Tuesday entries here.

Adware and malware and spyware, oh my!

Even after hours on the phone with Dell techs last week, the fake antivirus program Vista Internet Security 2011 struck again. So I spent yet more hours on the phone with Dell techs last night. Only this time, they interrogated me. Where did I buy this computer? Did I buy it in my name or someone else's (they seemed to think I bought it for someone else, for some reason). After arguing with no less than three different reps, they finally assigned someone to help me. And we spent hours again on the phone. He did fix it remotely, but I learned that my one-year service warranty only covered four major incidents. I've now used up half of those in about a week, so you do the math. The Dell tech said repeated attacks by this vicious program will eventually also kill my hardware. So I'm basically boxed in a corner, and have no idea what to do.

Now I'm afraid to venture far onto the Net without a net. It occurred to me to search for a cute pic of an ailing computer, but that would have involved visiting potentially unsafe sites, so I nixed that idea.

I'm afraid to use my computer for what I need to do, which is a real conundrum. I *think* I know which site infected me, as Vista Internet Security 2011 began popping up like crazy during both visits to it, but that also presents a conundrum. I'd found some really great artwork on that site, perfect for a re-release of The Duende and The Muse. But now I can't re-connect with the artist, who was open to allowing me to use it. *sigh* So - Wolfgang from Deviant Art, who created The Magic Book, if you have a Google alert and find this, please email me at my Google account: cate.masters AT gmail.com. I apologize for not being able to respond, but crashed in the middle of both attempts.

And if anyone has any advice about what to do about this conundrum, please share with a comment. I'm seriously at a loss. :(

Oh, and if I happen to disappear and don't respond to emails, it's probably because Vista killed my PC again. I fear it's only a matter of time.

Happy Easter! And Six Sentence Sunday

Happy Easter! And happy Six Sentence Sunday.

I'm happy to say that Whiskey Creek Press finally released The Bridge Between last week! Yay! *tosses confetti and blows noisemaker*

For the next few weeks, I'm going back to a novella I re-released on Amazon recently, my contemporary Going with Gravity. The setting always makes me say ahhh - Hawaii, where I hope to go someday.

The plane Allison and Wes are on has just lost its fuselage (this actually happened, which made me wonder: hmm, who could I put on that plane?) and Wes checks on Allison, who's in the rest room (and try Googling Mile High Club sometime - you'll never use a plane pillow or blanket again! lol):

His gaze steady on hers, he smoothed her hair from her face. She leaned above him, freefalling into the blue of his iris flecked with black and gold felt like diving in a deep cove and floating to the sun-kissed surface.
Going with gravity, she settled onto his chest. With his bottom lip fuller than his top, his mouth gave him a determined look.
"In case you're wrong…" Her lips met his, and she unleashed years of repressed desire on him.

Check out all the wonderfully talented Six Sentence Sunday participants here.

And because these Peeps dioramas are so inventive and hilarious, I had to add a few more. Click on any image to enlarge it a bit. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Seventh Heaven now available on Smashwords

My Sixties-era romance, Seventh Heaven, is now available on Smashwords for just 99 cents! Soon it will be available for Kindle too. Just waiting on the Amazon conversion.

While published with The Wild Rose Press, it topped the bestseller list. I'm grateful to this publisher for believing in my work. Seventh Heaven was my first published ebook.

Fallen Angel Reviews rated it a Recommended Read. Other reviewers have called it "a wonderful story"; "an uplifting romance set in a turbulent, unique time period. I did not want it to end"; "a read that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The deep and powerful setting of this story had me wiping away tears while cheering James on"; and "This book brought about emotions that I found refreshing. Cate Masters is a gifted writer who wrote this book with talent and marvelous imagery. I could almost see, taste, hear and touch what was occurring in "Seventh Heaven." If you are looking for a book with a wonderful plot that is very well written as well as being entertaining, "Seventh Heaven" is the book for you."

Here's the story blurb:
Lilah owns the New Hope Record and Crafts Shop with her friend, Val. Independent and free-spirited, they sell their handmade jewelry and pottery to tourists in their Delaware River town. Lilah's only hangup is James, who bartends down the street. She's crazy about him, but lately he's been cold and distant. Turns out he has reason to be down--he's had his ticket punched for Vietnam. Lilah makes him a lucky leather-string choker using a silver ankh--the Egyptian symbol of eternity.James is skeptical about its lucky charms, but warms to her again. For seven months, James is in Vietnam. He comes home changed, in more ways than one. Can Lilah show him that her love is all the luck he needs?

And an excerpt:
James stood in the open doorway. The choker gleamed from his neck. "I came by to say thanks."
The distance she'd felt between them last night was gone. His warm eyes searched hers, reaching again for a connection.
"I didn't know it was you." She stepped from behind the counter. No more barriers between them.
He closed the door. "So. Thanks."
"You're welcome. It looks good. It's an–"
"An ankh. I know." Something seemed to be holding him back, but somehow she knew she must be patient, and let him come to her.
"The Egyptian symbol of eternity." She didn't know what to do with her hands, and her breath was jagged. "Sorry. I mean, Ben told us. It really stinks you're leaving."
He ran a finger across a glazed jug. "Bad timing."
She clasped her hands in front of her. "I guess it's never a good time…"
He glanced up and flashed a switchblade smile. "I mean, I wish we had more time." His soft voice rushed at her like the wind and billowed the sails of her heart's rocky boat.
The air thinned, seemed rarified. "Me, too."
He stepped closer. Time felt maddeningly slow. She wanted to run to him, fill her arms with him.
Instead, she crossed her arms. "I hope you'll write me, if you get a chance."
"Yeah?"
He was within arm's reach. His gaze flowed over her inch by inch, over every curve and hollow.
The floor needed sweeping. And needed to be smaller. Or his steps needed to be more expansive. "Sure, I'll keep you up on the local gossip. Send you goodie packages." A lock of her hair. A photo of herself so he'd think of her every day. And night.
His eyes locked on hers. "That'd be nice."
"We're going to miss you around here."
"You will?" The timbre of his voice rumbled inside her like an earthquake.
With his last step, he was so close her skin tingled with his heat. "No one can make a margarita like you."
He fingered her hair, tucked a strand behind her shoulder. "Come back tonight. I'll make you all the margaritas you can drink."
In her head she was already there, sipping at a wide-rimmed glass, serenaded by Dylan in the background, James attending to her alone. "OK."
"See you about seven, then?"
She smiled. "Seven it is."
He backed toward the door, slowly, as if still taking her in. The silver ankh winked in the light as he turned to leave.

More links to reviews and the trailer (another old one I need to update!) are here. Thanks, as always, for checking it out! :)

Author Blog Hop for April 21 - writing in logical order

Today's question, posed by Amy Romine, is: Do you write in logical order?

Interesting question. Before last summer, I would have answered an unequivocal 'yes'. But then I started writing Rock Bottom, my contemporary romance due out with Lyrical Press on June 20.

I wrote the majority of this story longhand. On the treadmill. (Yes, it took some deciphering afterward, lol). But strangely enough, though I knew the basic story ahead of time, the scenes weren't necessarily in logical order. And when I climbed onto the treadmill and began writing, everything that was in my head came out in a jumbled order. Somehow I pieced it all together and it worked out great.

Other times, I will write the major scenes, and if I get stuck on one, skip it for now and go back to it later. So basically, it's a matter of which scenes grab me first.

Check out the other Blog Hop authors here!

And if you'd like a little taste of Rock Bottom, here's the unofficial blurb:
For rocker Jet Trently, success means playing the same platinum-selling hits over and over. Philly rock journalist Billie Prescott thrives on covering the latest releases. When her editor sends her to Malibu to cover Jet's reality dating show, Rock Bottom, her blog's success keeps her trapped there. Her life's at Rock Bottom too, until she hears Jet's new songs. They touch her heart as his music did when she was 15. When Jet touches her heart as well, will the reality show ruin the real thing?

And an excerpt:
The cottage appeared tiny from the outside, but actually had two stories if the bedroom loft counted. A boomerang-shaped overstuffed sofa dominated the main floor, and cabinets topped with bookshelves lined either wall. In a small nook sat a ceramic-topped iron bistro table and two chairs.
As cozy as a beach getaway.
She swung her carryon bag atop the tufted ottoman. Turning to retrieve her suitcases, she stopped short.
Jet leaned against the doorway. If his presence had been palpable in the house, he overwhelmed this small space.
His lopsided smile appeared almost shy. "Need any help settling in?"
The personal touch. If he hoped to make it literal, he could forget it. Despite her resolve, she found him overwhelmingly distracting. She had trouble recalling what she'd planned to do.
Glancing around, she thought she'd be pretty pathetic if she claimed to need help. "Nope, I think I can find everything."
Stepping inside, he closed the door and moved toward her slowly. Purposefully.
Her pulse quickening, she tensed, but couldn't find her voice to ask what he wanted.
He touched the cabinet. "There's a small fridge under here. I'll have Cindy stock it for you."
Nodding, she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Great. Thanks." She felt sure he must hear her heart pounding. And think her an idiot. "It's an adorable little place. You're saving the magazine a bundle by letting me stay here."
When he moved closer, his crystal blue eyes felt like a laser piercing her own.
To clear her head, she turned away. "It's situated perfectly too. Right next to the house." Could she possibly sound any more brainless?
She sensed him directly behind her. His soft tone made her muscles go fluid. Her eyes drifted shut, imagining his famous voice singing to her alone.
"If you look out your bedroom window, you can see into mine. Right over there." His arm lifted beside her and pointed.
His warmth penetrated her skin. He smelled like ocean and musk. An impulse struck her to guide his arm around her, fit herself against him. Fill her senses with him.
Snapping to reality, she fumed at his flirting, but made her voice sweet as honey. "Oh, over there? I appreciate you telling me." Smiling, she turned. "I'll be sure to keep my curtains closed."
Tensing, he straightened, and his nostrils flared.
Her muscles drew taut in response. You shouldn't have made him mad--not the first day.
But his eyes crinkled at the corners, and he cocked his jaw and nodded. "Billie Prescott." He said her name with a kind of wonder.
Not quite knowing what to make of it, she gave a giddy laugh. And wanted to die. "Jet Trently. We finally meet." As though she'd been waiting. Or it had been prearranged. By whom? The universe?
To recover her composure, she went to her bag and pulled out her laptop. "Any internet connection in here?"
He flopped onto the sofa and extended his arms across the back. "Wireless, pretty much from everywhere." With a kind of amused curiosity, he watched her. "We need to talk."
Her mind blanked. The way he spoke sounded so intimate, as if he wanted to discuss their relationship. His gaze seared into her, and she had trouble remembering they had no relationship. "About what?"
His mouth curled into a smile. "The show. Don't you want to interview me?"
She felt her face flush. He played a cat and mouse game. And he'd trapped her already.

Thanks for reading! :)

Check out my first Author Chat victim - er, guest!

I'm launching my new blog series, Author Chat, with Michael Lee West, author of Gone With A Handsomer Man.

Check out the chat here. She'd love to chat with you too - leave her a comment!

The schedule for upcoming chats is here, and links will stay active for the year as an archive. So be sure to check back!

My next guest will be Maria Zannini on May 5. You won't want to miss it. :)

A virus ate my computer!

Well, not quite - but almost. What a nightmare! Word of warning - if you find an icon on your desktop (mine appeared on the lower right hand corner of the screen and looked like a shield) for Vista Internet Security 2011, your computer's infected too! It mimics an antivirus software and pretends to want to help you clean up your computer, but really it's just adding more viruses and hacking into your sensitive private areas (oh my! *blush*).


Even though I clicked the popup box's  'close' button instead of accepting their offer, it still killed everything having to do with the Internet. I thought I was safe because I'd recently updated my McAfee antivirus, but Vista Internet Security 2011 hacks into your antivirus software, shuts down the firewall and disables other features so it can have its nasty way with your files. The fiends! I could almost hear them laughing: mwahahaha!


So then I had to decide: ditch this computer, which is about four years old (probably the current lifespan of a Dell anyway) or hire someone to clean up the horrendous mess. After speaking with a Dell technician, I realized the latter was the most practical. Even if I bought a new tower and put an antivirus software on it, the same thing could happen all over, and I'd only have to hire someone anyway.


So, after spending my entire evening on the phone with a Dell tech, now I have a one-year warranty and the assurance that if this occurs again, I'm covered.


Apparently, I'm in the wrong business. Hacking computers and fixing computers seems to be the real profit generators (and I wonder how closely they work together, hmmmm).


In any case, I have much to catch up on, even for two days.