Guest Cate Masters talks about Weaving Unrelated Topics Into A Story
Weaving Unrelated Topics Into A Story
Have you ever read a news article that stayed with you long after you stopped reading it? That happens to me a lot. Too often, in fact. I’ll read a story and file it away in my head, and later read another story and it will hit me that wow, that would be cool combined with that other story I filed away in my head! Maybe it’s one of the quirks of being a writer. In any case, I’m thankful for it, because it often leads to a unique story.
Dead to Rights was exactly like that. I read a Time magazine article about underground militias – how they train their members, what weapons they use, how they mix ingredients for dirty bombs. Then another story about a fanatic church leader led to the death of one of its congregation – by a child, overly influenced by the teachings. Well, the church became a cult named The New Day Order, and its leader became a pawn of Satan’s, training his members militia-style to attack politicians. In the center of it all, exactly where she doesn’t want to be, is the heroine. Luckily, she has a little help from a warrior angel. 
Do you like to read fiction based on real events? Do you prefer them to have a paranormal element, or stay true to life?
Dead to Rights is available from Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=500&osCsid=1rs5de21jcfh2ov3ikjhd26tk4
Dead to Rights
by
Cate Masters
Identity theft sucks. But it’s worse when someone steals your life—body included. All memory of her life before waking up in a mental facility has vanished. Or was erased. Now she has to figure out how to get it all back….
Her only hope of learning the truth lies with one man. Problem is, he’s the leader of a cult. Her only choice is to follow him into his sordid world, where a darker evil lurks.
With a little help from an archangel hellbent on revenge, she may have a chance to learn the truth. But will it force her to make the hardest decision of her life…or death?
I’d love for you to check out the Casting Call (who I imagined in these roles) and more at: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/06/dead-to-rights-contemporary-paranormal.html
Excerpt
“Get off me,” I hissed, but somehow felt safe when he instead lifted his elbows on either side, shielding me.
A dangerous illusion. He was one of them, a weird ninja warrior. This smacked of a setup.
He murmured, “I told you, play along. No one will bother us if they think we’re making out.”
Oh, that’s a new one. But it held a ring of truth, though I worried he’d relay everything I said in person. “What the hell’s going on?”
He scanned the compound. “You’re lucky they didn’t shoot you.”
Funny, at close range, he couldn’t seem to look me in the eye. “No one ever said we couldn’t go for a freaking walk.”
“Not at night,” he said, “and never into the woods.”
Sounded like a bad Halloween flick. “Oh, seriously.” I shifted between his raised arms.
His eyes flashed bright in the darkness. “Fine. You want to know why not? Because all along the outer perimeter, camouflaged guards hide. Armed with automatic machine guns. That is, if you make it past the traps.”
So it had been the click of a gun. What the hell kind of traps? Too many questions raced through my head, so I simply asked, “Why?”
Sounding bemused, he said, “The reverend doesn’t like unannounced visitors.”
Except for horny females. “Or followers who stray, I guess.”
He went on. “In this area, no one questions gunfire, whether single shots or rapid fire, day or dead of night. No other member would question someone’s disappearance.”
Cold crawled across my skin. “So we’re prisoners.”
This seemed to cheer him. “Only technically.”
A laugh burst out. “Oh, I love your positive spin on the situation. But I take issue with its accuracy.” I studied him in the dim light. “If we’re not allowed in the woods, what were you doing out there?”
His voice deadpan, he said, “Saving you.”
Oh, that couldn’t have been the only reason. “You risked your life to follow me? Why?”
He grinned. “No one should be shot for ignorance.”
Dead to Rights book trailer
Cate Masters loves romance with a dash of magic and mayhem! Multi-published in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”
When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com, and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers! If you’re too shy to post here, friend her on Facebook or Goodreads, or email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com
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