Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Wednesday Promo- Cate Masters


Cate Masters’ novels, novellas and short fiction appear at The Wild Rose Press, Eternal Press, Wild Child Publishing/ Freya’s Bower and Shadowfire Press. Her flash and short stories are published with The Battered Suitcase , A Long Story Short, Dark Sky Magazine, Cezanne’s Carrot, The Harrow, Flesh from Ashes, Quality Women’s Fiction, Phase, and The Writer’s online edition. In 2005, Pennwriters awarded her second place in its annual Short Story contest. Her freelance articles have appeared in The Sentinel, Carlisle. The proud mom of three adult children, she currently lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband, Benji the dog and their dictator-like cat, Chairman Maiow. Visit her online at www.catemasters.com and http://catemasters.blogspot.com, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter

What was your journey from the conscious decision to write and getting published like? I’ve written pretty much all my life, but you’re right, the decision to get published is a conscious step. It involved greater focus on the craft of writing, and for me, that meant taking my writing to critique groups, workshops (both online and local) as well as submitting. I’d submitted to literary journals and more recently, web zines, but had been in the dark about epresses until last year. Because I had a backlog of stories, I made a submission blitz! I found greater success, and actually greater satisfaction with epublishers. Literary magazines provide a writing credit for my bio, but beyond that, there’s no editing, and zero feedback. I love the interaction with other authors and readers, when I’m lucky enough to hear from them.

Tell us about the diverse types of stories you write. I’ve been experimenting with various genres this past year, everything from contemporary to historical, paranormal to dark fantasy, sweet to erotic (though the erotic romance is actually very sweet!). Maybe it’s because I started out writing poetry that I follow pretty much any tangent my mind wants to wander away with. The common thread among my stories is that I always love the characters as I’m writing them, and hopefully that comes across and connects the reader to the story as well.

How has being a writer shaped you into who you are? Since I’ve always written, I think it’s the opposite – how my life experiences have influenced my writing. I’ve noticed that life can throw situations at you that are useful in writing. You might not consciously think at the time “that would make a great story” but later might find the situation provided an authentic detail or helpful background information. I’d have to say, however, since being published with a few epresses, I’ve definitely had to learn time management skills. I’m still tweaking those!

It’s been an exciting year for me, with seven releases to date and another four coming up. All the excerpts and trailers are on my web site at www.catemasters.com, under Epress Stories.

Going with Gravity, my latest TWRP Champagne Miniature Rose available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/, recently received some great reviews, describing it as: “so compelling I did not want to put it down. The sexual encounters were sizzling and the ending was unexpected. There were moments of poignant emotional conflict.”

And “What happens is what storybook romances are made of and what everyone hopes for in their lives. But, you will have to read this romantic and heartwarming novel to learn just when and why Allison realizes she might have met the right man, and why Wes made sure to meet her on that fateful flight.” And a reviewer praised the hero: “Wes, the hero, is so darned sexy, I wanted to take him home. I’m not talking about his finesse with the spicy part of loving; it’s his class, style and solidness of character. Wes struck a chord with me that makes him a keeper… He’s written in such an approachable way, I fully believe that love at first sight can happen.”

I’d love for you to check out the trailer at YouTube

Here’s the story blurb:

Publicist Allison Morris plans her own life – what’s left of it – around the life of her boss Michelle McCarter, the ex-wife of a famous rock star. When Michelle needs emergency public relations patchwork in Hawaii pronto, Allison arranges a flight to the dream destination. At the airport, she meets Wes Hamilton, a six-foot-three sun-bleached blond whose blue eyes and dazzling smile rekindle her fizzled-out sizzle. A world-renowned surfer, Wes captivates her with his charm and wit, though his easy fame and on-the-edge lifestyle are the polar opposite of her own. When their jet loses its fuselage in mid-air, she takes advantage of what she thinks are her last minutes alive with Wes. The plane lands safely. Wes takes care of her when her carefully constructed life begins to unravel. When Michelle accuses Allison of using Wes to gain fame for herself, Allison’s world falls apart in an explosive confrontation. Wes is waiting with open arms when she has nowhere else to go, but can Allison learn to stop planning and go with gravity?


And here’s the excerpt:

Allison pulled her portfolio from her laptop case and set it on her lap, afraid to open it. As soon as the articles had arrived on her fax machine, she’d shoved them into her bag, then hopped in the shower. Delay tactics only worked for so long. The moment of truth had arrived. She opened it and thumbed through. Eleven pages. Eleven. And these were only the newspaper articles from the past two days. TV and online news sites surely covered more. And then there’d be the inevitable blogger. Uncontrollable, overly opinionated and accountable to no one, they were the worst.

Michelle had arrived on Oahu with a bang, and then had the audacity to blame Allison for not doing her job to quell the media. She held up one photo of a topless Michelle prancing in the surf, laughing. Rumors and innuendo could be stopped with logic and tact, but to downplay this photo, she’d need a good explanation. When Michelle’s logic and tact failed her so obviously, Allison had to wonder about her mental state.

A hulking figure filled the aisle, stowing his bag in the overhead compartment.

Those shorts. That shirt.

It was him.

He checked his ticket, looked at her and smiled. His blond hair fell across his forehead as he sat next to her, his shoulder bumping hers. “Hello again.”

For two years, she’d rubbed elbows with stars of all magnitudes without so much as a blink, and fended off paparazzi following the wife of megastar James McCarter.

With two words, she’d been reduced to the rank of dreamy-eyed teeny bopper.

He smiled, raised an eyebrow.

She realized, then, she hadn’t responded. And her mouth hung open.

Make that drooling dreamy-eyed teeny bopper.

She flashed a smile. Think. Damage control is your business. Put it to good use for once.

“Hi.” Oh, yes. Very witty. What a deft deflection of his charm.

She turned back to her articles, but sensed the weight of his stare.

He frowned at her reading material. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to read over your shoulder. I take it you’re a closet fan of the poor little rich girl?”

“In the same way I’m a closet fan of train wrecks, I suppose. I guess you’re not a fan.”

“Of hers?” He chuckled. “God, no. She’s awful. Her publicist should be shot.”

Shot. Of course. Working fifty-five to sixty-five hours a week wasn’t enough to keep the spin spinning fast enough for the rest of the world. The one guy who’d interested her in the past two and a half years thought she made a good candidate for execution. Her life was in such a rut, she’d need mountain climbing gear to get out.

“If you’re a fan, I didn’t mean to offend.” Sincerity had wiped the smile from his face.

“Actually, I’m..” She turned and smiled, “…her publicist.”



Thanks so much for having me here today, Paty! I’d love to give away a copy of Going with Gravity to a commenter. I’ll pick a winner at random tomorrow.

18 comments:

Helen Hardt said...

Cate, many congratulations on your successes! You're such a prolific writer. How do you do it?

Helen

Cate Masters said...

Thanks Helen! I've been writing for years, so my backlog of writing's finally coming unjammed!

Cate Masters said...

Thanks for having me today, Paty! I love the view in your banner, such a gorgeous landscape.

Sewicked said...

OMG, what a lovely foot in mouth moment. I love that excerpt. Oh dear, I seem to be building my own K2 out of TBR books.

Paty Jager said...

I'm happy to have you here today, Cate. That is a photo of Wallowa Lake, the area where I grew up in NE Oregon.

Asylumgirl said...

What wonderful reviews. They definitely peak one's interest in the book.

Deidre

Asylumgirl said...

Oh yeah, I meant to add SEPTEMBER. lol

Deidre

Cate Masters said...

Thanks Sewicked! Wes is such a cool guy, he gets back in her good graces soon. :)

Cate Masters said...

Ooh, Paty, you're so lucky! Can I come visit you? :)

Cate Masters said...

Thanks Deidre! The review goddesses smiled upon me for sure.

Cheryl Pierson said...

Hi Cate!
Your book looks wonderful! I love the excerpt you included. Your writing just draws me right in to the scene, like I'm there with the characters. I love that, and it's something not whole lot of authors are able to do so successfully. I really enjoyed getting to know more about you!
Cheryl

Cate Masters said...

Wow, that's such a great compliment. Thanks so much, Cheryl!

Kathleen said...

Great excerpt. Congratulations Cate on all your writing sucesses.

Cate Masters said...

Thanks for stopping by, Kathleen!

P.L. Parker said...

Congratulations! Many sales.

Patsy

Cate Masters said...

Thanks so much Patsy! The same to you with your new release! :)

Cate Masters said...

I've put everyone's names into a bowl, and my daughter drew out.... (drum roll please)... Cheryl!
Cheryl, I've emailed you the PDF. Hope you enjoy it! I'd love to hear back from you after you've read it.
Thanks again everyone! And to Paty for hosting me.

Paty Jager said...

Thanks for hanging out with us, Cate!