Welcome Cate Masters

Hi, Cate. Welcome to my blog. Could you tell the readers a little bit about you and your work?

Thanks so much for having me, Elaine! My writing reflects my reading tastes – eclectic! I love reading any compelling, well-written story, and I love writing them too –contemporary, historical, paranormal/fantasy/speculative, mainstream and erotic, from flash to novel length. I’m really excited this year to have four stories finaling in the 2011 EPIC competition. The Pearl S. Buck Foundation awarded my short story first place this year, too, so I’m also excited about that.

I'd be excited too! That's a fantastic record. Congratulations to you. What are you working on now?

About a dozen stories! I’ve been switching between three recently – a historical, a contemporary fantasy and an urban fantasy.

I like to switch back and forth too. Keeps you from getting bored. What’s the hardest part of writing for you? The easiest?

I have so many story ideas at once, finishing is the greatest challenge, lol. My muse is very impatient, and tosses a little too much inspiration at me sometimes. So ideas are easiest, if somewhat frustrating – I have many notebooks filled with them.

Me too. I bet all authors do. Would you dare to tell us five things that no one would know about you?

I wish I could come up with something interesting, like I used to be a spy! But I’m fairly boring, except for a dark sense of humor. It runs in my family, so I can’t help it, lol. Some might be surprised at the wide range of jobs I’ve worked: deputy press secretary, research assistant, secretary, cashier – it’s all story fodder!

You're right. Story fodder can easily be found in the workplace. Please share your links with us so we can find you on the web. Thanks, I’d love for you to visit my sites:

Web site: http://www.catemasters.com

Blog: http://catemasters.blogspot.com

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CateMasters

We’d love to read an excerpt from one of your books. Don’t forget to give us a buy link so we can get it.

Surfacing, about a down and out indie rocker and a mermaid, was a really fun book to write. It’s available in ebook and print from Whiskey Creek Press http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=824

Here’s the trailer:




Excerpt:
Her fingers on the strings, she strummed an awful sound. Frowning, she laughed. “Eww. Ow.” She looked at her fingertips.

“It takes awhile to get used to the strings. See?” He held out his calloused fingers.

She ran a light touch across them, sending a thrill down his spine and through his stomach.

A breeze rippled through her hair. She lifted her face to his, then scanned the stars. “I have to go soon.”

“No.” He pressed toward her, unable to hold back. Still as a rock, her eyes widened, but not with fear. With something like pleasure. Her smile teased. “I’ll come back.”

He reached toward her, let his fingers drift near her arm. “When? I’m off tomorrow, maybe…”

Her gaze followed the movement of his hand. Her full voice softened. “I’m not supposed to come up during daylight.” Her pinkie lifted toward his fingers.

An invitation. His heart thudded against his ribs, expanded his chest to bursting.
He let his fingers hover near hers. When their fingers connected, prickles shot past his callouses and up his arm. “But today—”

Mischief infused her smile. “I said I’m not supposed to. They say it’s dangerous.” She entwined her fingers through his.

Her palm against his ignited the prickles to liquid fire. “But you disagree.” He liked a girl who thought for herself.

She squeezed his hand. “Yes. I like to observe people. Try to learn about them.”

He would love to teach her everything he knew. And she could teach him, too. He inched closer.

“I could come back tomorrow night,” she offered.

His brain screamed for him to make her promise, pledge on her life she would return. She owed him nothing. He owed her everything. “Thanks for saving me today.”

She tilted her head, as if awaiting his kiss. “I couldn’t let an alligator devour such a talented singer.”

It took all he had not to cup her face in his hands, press his mouth against hers. He began to speak, to call her name, then realized he didn’t know it. “What’s your name?”

“Cassiopeia.” She said it as if it were a curse.

“Like the constellation.” Her eyes were a constellation in themselves. “I’m AJ.”

“AJ. What is that for?”

Oh, he wished she hadn’t asked. How he hated his full name. “Andrew James.”

With a half-frown, half-smile, she repeated, “Andrew. Like the saint?”

He grinned. “Lots of people would argue against that.” How did she know about saints?

She lifted the guitar toward him. “Tomorrow night, then. Another lesson.”

“Yes.” Whatever she wanted. He took the guitar from her. She laid her palm against his cheek, and his body went fluid at her warm touch. He let out a long breath.
As if gliding, she moved into the water, and looked back at him once before slipping into the sea.

His legs shot him toward her, stumbling over the rocks. “Hurry back.”

The waves lapped against the rocks, stars glimmered overhead.
Tomorrow night. The wait would be an eternity.

I can't wait to see how this turns out. Thanks for coming and sharing with us.