Friday Night Fever Starring Cate Masters

Hey all , let's boogie on down for a night of fun,books, blog posts and a hint of Friday night Fever with today's Virtual Book Tour Author Cate Masters.
On the menu today we have an appetizer of a book review "Fever Dreams" - A Chick lit/Story with a side of the classic tale "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde". Then for the main course a mixture of plates to choose from including A)A Short Bio , B) An Interview with Cate and C)A delicious array of Angels,Sinners and Madmen. To finish our evening off we have a dessert of a review of a short story by Cate titled Liberation Via Pen.

Appetizer : "Fever Dreams"-Cate Masters-2010

Meet Diana , fed up with the feeling that her life is at the same rut she was in two years ago and on the supposedly most romantic day of the year - Valentine's Day , decides to reminiscence about how she got to where she is today. Two years ago , she was in a good job, had an steady but not lovable relationship with her college sweetheart Adam. Ready for a significant change in life , Diana quits her job and her relationship with Adam. Starting a new job with Horizons , she starts to feel like part of the small working family which include Rich, Jamie, Robin and Cal. All would have been perfect if not for Cal, their is something about him that is causing Diana to have strange dreams from Cal as Huckleberry Finn and as a Bartender. As the story progresses we see the relationship between Diana and Cal form and unfold at the same time and does Cal hold a resemblance to our famous Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde , maybe his older brother Eddie can tell us more ?. Find out in this fun and fevering novella that will keep the reader entranced with the chemistry and love triangles of Diana ,Cal, Susan and Adam. Are Cal and Diana meant to be together or is fate just having fun playing her little game?.

The Main Course :

Bio:
Cate Masters writes fantasy/dark fantasy, historical, contemporary and speculative fiction, described by reviewers as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” “such romantic tales that really touch your soul,” “filled with action scenes which made it a riveting story,” and “the author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.” The proud mom of three adult children, she currently lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband, Lily the dog, their dictator-like cat, Chairman Maiow, and dozens of characters inhabiting her imagination. Visit Cate online at www.catemasters.com, http://catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Interview Questions

1)What inspired you to write your book?
A few years ago, my family vacationed at Key West, Florida. The island’s surrounded by a clear aqua-green sea and is so steeped in history, its streets almost seem like characters. While visiting a maritime museum, a story flashed in my head, and I spent the next two days in the Key West library copying old articles and letters while my family went parasailing and snorkeling. I knew I wouldn’t be getting back there any time soon, so finding that information felt like unearthing sunken treasure. I was fascinated by the history of the wreckers, men who salvaged wrecked ships long before any diving equipment had been invented.

2)What was it that made you choose the genre?
The historical story dictated the genre, but I wrote it as a romance to add more appeal, and added a bit of adventure to make it fun as well.

3)Is there anything of you in your characters?
It’s unavoidable for bits of an author to slip into stories, I suppose. Sometimes it will be music I like, or I’ll use a job experience to add authentic details to the story. In the case of Angels Sinners and Madmen, my visit to Key West provided setting details.

4)Has your characters or writing been inspired by friends/ family?
It’s a personal policy to never base characters on actual people, though I do use names. In Picture This, the editor’s named Claudia, the same as my sister. :) With the permission of his wife, I dedicated a recently completed contemporary to my friend who died of brain cancer, and named the main character after him. Similarities end with names.

5)How did your book deal come about?
I looked at several epresses before submitting to Freya’s Bower, a small epress. I wasn’t disappointed. The editors are fantastic, very thorough.

6)What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up a fantasy romance novel, and have about a dozen other stories started.

7)How have you enjoyed doing publicity?
Aspects of marketing are very enjoyable. I love having contact with readers, for example, and getting positive feedback. I try to limit the time I spend chatting, or on eloops, because it detracts from the time I’d otherwise spend writing. So it’s a delicate balance.

8)Had you previously written anything?
Angels Sinners and Madmen is my twelfth release, and I have four more releases coming up. Information is on my web site about all my titles, which range from short to novel-length, and span fantasy/dark fantasy, contemporary and historical genres.

9)How long does it take you to write each book?
It varies. I generally carry a story idea around in my head for a long while before actually sitting down to write it. One of the first novels I wrote took several years to finish because of the extensive research. First drafts generally take several months, then revisions always take several more, including feedback from critique partners.

10)Which comes first for you – characters or plot?
I’m not a plotter. My stories are character-driven, and sometimes lead me to surprising tangents. Angels Sinners and Madmen was an extremely rare instance in which the story came to me, but only partially. As I write, the story generally plays in my head like a movie, and I transcribe as fast as I can.

11)How did you get into writing? Did you always want to become a writer?
I have always written, but didn’t consciously begin to seek publication until I was in my late thirties. I had several short stories published by literary magazines and web zines. By the time epresses came into play, I had a backlog of stories and began submitting to several.

12)If you had to have dinner with any 3 famous people dead/alive, who would you choose?
Paul McCartney, who was my first love and whose music and lyrics changed my life. Mark Twain, who was a wonderful writer but also a tireless adventurer through life. Abe Lincoln, who was not only an amazing writer but supposedly had a very wry sense of humor as well.

13) What’s your favorite vacation spot in the world? Unfortunately I don’t have much opportunity to travel. Key West, Florida, was the farthest I’ve ever been and I absolutely loved it.

14)What are your goals for 2010?
To keep reaching for the next level, in my writing, and in my career.

15)What advice would you give aspiring authors?
The old joke about how to get to Carnegie Hall comes to mind: practice! I once asked bestselling author Ian McEwan the same thing at a booksigning, and he said: keep writing. At the time I thought it was his way of disposing of me to move the line along, but it’s true. The more you write, the better writer you will be. Workshops help, and critique partners are essential.

16)To finish off, do you have a favorite quote from any of your books and what is it?
Good question! I never considered it before, but there’s a line in my fantasy novella, One Soul for Sale: “Didn’t your mother warn you not to wish your life away?” My father, actually, used to warn me against that. Good advice: enjoy the present.

Thanks so much for having me here, Paula. It’s been a pleasure. I’d love to answer any questions or comments.

Here’s a short excerpt from Angels Sinners and Madmen, available July 27 from Freya’s Bower: http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=246:

Acutely aware of his presence beside her, she suspected he had the same effect on other females. “It sounds like your days are very full, Mr. Langhorne.”
He halted, his gaze intense. “Will you never call me Sam? I may be older than you, but not so old to warrant such formality.”
His sudden seriousness took her by surprise. Using his name implied an informality—a familiarity–she wasn’t quite ready to allow. Then again, he’d brought her up from the depths, his strong arms leaving an indelible impression on her skin, one she felt even now. How much more familiar could one get? “Sam.”
He continued walking. “Thank you, Livvie.”
He said it naturally, as though he’d called her that all her life.
She glanced behind them, then ahead. “This is not a quicker route. In fact, I believe it will lengthen our walk.” These streets were new to her. The houses appeared larger, maintained better than those on Duval Street, at least at the end where the Crowells’ boarding house stood.
His brows furrowed as he pressed his lips together. “Hmm. Is that a fact?”
The stern look she tried to affect gave way to a smile. “So. Tell me about Philadelphia.”
“It’s a bustling metropolis where small-minded people live.” His tone had a sharper edge, and he avoided her gaze.
“City life doesn’t suit you?” Livvie’s curiosity got the better of her, one of her father’s chief complaints.
“Not when I could be here instead. The choice between spending my days there, devising means to outwit others, or here, in the glorious sunshine, my life mine to live as I see fit–well, it was the easiest choice I’ve ever made.”
“What do you mean, outwitting others? Were you a thief?”
He laughed. “In a manner of speaking.”
So willing to share certain parts of himself, so reticent to share others. What secrets, she wondered, did Samuel Langhorne hide?
She scrutinized him. “You are a puzzle.” More likely a Pandora’s box, and the temptation to open it grew.

Review : Liberation Via Pen -Cate Masters - 2009

All Krista ever wanted to do was become a writer ,however things weren't going great for her life. Her boyfriend Ethan dumped her just like that and now things are at the "I'm depressed" stage, deciding to get her life back on track Krista joins a writing group who encourages her to write from the heart , to write what you know. At Writing group, Krista meets a wonderful guy Todd whom is everything she ever needs to be in her life. After Ethan confronts Krista about her writing , he reveals his true colours as the jerk he always was but Krista was to blind to see. Has Krista finally found herself and as the famous quote says "The pen is mightier than the sword" , does that quote ring true for Krista and Ethan and has Krista finally meet her soulmate with Todd ?