Monday, September 30, 2013

Catching up

I think I have promo fatigue. I'm sure you do too! My gratitude to those who have followed along the Cursed book tour and various interviews. It's been so intense, I honestly haven't written in more than a month. Am I ready to spontaneously combust? Possibly. I definitely need a date with my laptop.

October's going to be crazy-busy and I wish I could have another monthlong Halloween celebration with guests, but I think if I tried at this point, it might be too much. I'll try to make up for it over the December holidays!

I'll be taking my historical, Betting It All, on a blog tour in October. A shorter tour than Cursed. :) And I need to plan some blog swaps with Decadent 1NS authors to help celebrate their 200th 1Night Stand story - yet to be announced! - in October, the 14th through 20th.

Lots more good stuff coming up in October, including a local event where I'll be signing books, juggling fire wands and making balloon animals, so stay tuned.

But I wanted to share some non-writing stuff as well. Occasionally, I do leave the house and do other things, lol.

I shared some of this on Facebook, but bear with me - it gets better. :)

In July, hubby and I visited Gettysburg for the 150th anniversary of the battle. We stopped by the Farnsworth Inn to have a drink on their outside patio, and I couldn't help but notice the shots in the bricks near the roof:


I've taken a few photography classes and know it's best to bracket your shots (take a few in a row just in case you screw up one or two), so I zoomed in on the window:


And then I noticed the faces. I see two. When I shared these on Facebook, some people said they saw as many as five. The most prominent is the shadowy figure in the upper right hand corner of the window, a man wearing a floppy hat.

Here's a closer look:



A little freaky? Oh yeah. But it gets freakier. Weeks later, I came across this flyer for the Farnsworth House that I'd stashed away from a visit a few years ago:


Getting chills yet? Let me enlarge the top of that flyer for you:


I don't know if you can see the same image, but minus the rifle, that's who I see in the window.

Is it possible my subconscious remembered the flyer from years ago and imposed that image on the window? Maybe. It's one of those things we can never know for sure.

But I'm going back soon for a ghost tour. Maybe I'll run into him again!




Saturday, September 28, 2013

Casting Call: Sweet Revenge

Casting Calls are so much fun. I love showing you who played in the in-my-head movie versions of stories while I wrote.

This one's short but sweet. Only two characters - the heroine and the hero.

First, Zoe Golden. The 'Golden Girl' in high school, always in with the popular cliques, a little too much of a party girl. Back then, she began to have glimpses that her life was too shallow, glimpses afforded her by one guy. Not one of the popular kids, and a bit overweight, but he teased her like he saw right through her. To the real Zoe.

Zoe herself wouldn't find her true self until life dealt her some harsh lessons. But she could never forget the boy who first magnetized her moral compass.

Natalie Goldman's beautiful, talented, intelligent and certainly able to portray a multilayered character like Zoe.

Ty Hardin built a successful chain of fitness centers fed by one burning desire: revenge. Years ago, he'd fallen for a cheerleader, a girl who had much potential but squandered it. Despite being overweight, he took a chance - and she betrayed him.

After that night, he no longer made excuses for himself. He made fitness a priority, and now in his gyms, he tolerates no negativity among clients. So when Zoe applies for an opening as a yoga instructor, he sees his chance to finally get payback.

Madame Eve sets them up on a 1Night Stand date, and the games begin. :)

Chris Hemsworth is Ty. (They made a cute couple in Thor, and seemed a natural fit here.)

That's it, the Casting Call for Sweet Revenge.

Check out more about Sweet Revenge here.



Friday, September 27, 2013

Sweet Revenge releases today!

The only thing that makes Friday even sweeter is when it's a release day. Sweet Revenge releases today from Decadent Publishing as part of its 1Night Stand series! Let the happy dance begin...

Actually, it released on Amazon on Wednesday night. Woot!

The Casting Call will be coming soon. Possibly this weekend, if I can manage it. :)

Also today, it's back to business - an interview at Love Romance and More: http://loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/2013/09/meet-cate-masters-today.html

And a post at the Decadent 1NS blog too.

I hope to see you there!

Sweet Revenge, contemporary 1Night Stand


Sweet Revenge
Contemporary erotic romance short
Decadent Publishing's 1NS series
Humbled by life and hungry for love…


From cheerleader to news anchor to…yoga instructor? After Zoe Golden lost everything she thought was important, she found the inner strength to pursue real happiness. The simple life provides everything she needs—except love. Once, long ago, she met a real man, but her insecurities made her deny her heart’s desires. Can Madame Eve find her a guy like the one who got away?


Bruised by rejection and determined to exact revenge…


The sculpted, successful owner of a chain of fitness studios, Ty Hardin can have any woman he wants. Fifteen years and 150 pound weight loss, has changed him beyond recognition. Now the girl who crushed his heart teaches yoga in one of his facilities. Not for long. Before he fires her, he wants one night with her. Wants her to know what she missed out on. But will revenge still be as sweet the morning after, or will it leave a bitter aftertaste?


Zoe and Ty might just be the best thing that ever happened to each other—if they can avoid doing their worst…


Available from
Decadent Publishing:





Smashwords:



Reviews (coming soon)


Casting Call (coming soon)




Excerpt

“Anything look good to you?” He winked and signaled the server.

Seriously? Did his ego know no bounds? She fought a laugh. Oh yeah, you look good enough to eat, Ty. And waitress, could you ask the manager to widen the exit to accommodate Mr. Hardin’s extraordinarily large head?

He glanced over as if he’d rehearsed the move. “I meant on the menu.”

She froze. Of course, you idiot. She fingered her hair, and then folded her arms and rested her elbows on the table to force herself to stop fidgeting. “I, uh, haven’t seen one yet.”

“I thought maybe you’d eaten here before.”

“No.” At this rate, she might not eat here tonight, either. Her insides had twisted into a knot, killing her appetite.

As if on cue, the waitress carried two menus to their table. “Can I get you two something to drink?”

“White wine,” he said. “Bring your best bottle.”

Um, I’d looked forward to a margarita—or five, to get through this night.

When he turned his calculating smile on her, it sent ice down her spine. God, had she ever bashed him on the evening news? If so, her story hadn’t hurt his business. So what was the deal with the attitude? Why did she feel like a mouse in a hawk’s predatorial sights?

He closed the menu with a slap. “Might I recommend the crab special?”

Her stomach clenched tighter. Did it mean something? He made everything sound a tad sinister. Or was this just his normal sunny disposition? If so, she’d stick to being his employee. “It does sound good.”

The waitress returned as if he’d summoned her.

He said, “Two crab specials please.”

What the hell, she hadn’t even scanned the menu. “But—”

He held up a finger. “And some garlic sticks. They’re so tasty.”

Quickly gathering the menus, the waitress disappeared.

Zoe closed her gaping mouth. So rude. Was he testing her? Or just throwing his perfect weight around? Playing more games, perhaps?

Something told her the latter—like his smug smile. The way he poured wine into her glass like he wished it were poison.

Fine. If that’s the way tonight had to go, bring it on.

“Thank you.” Keeping him in her sights, she drained half the glass and set it down. Let the games begin.



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Fall is here!

I love the changing of the seasons, but I'm always especially excited when Fall arrives. I love everything about it - the vivid colors, the last hurrah of the lush flowers, the cheery decorations, pumpkin-flavored drinks and ice creams and breads, yum. Halloween is second only to Christmas and it's been hard to resist getting those decorations out yet.

Okay, so spiders, I'm not so crazy about. Maybe it's just my area, but they are everywhere this year. And they're speedy web builders - the back deck will be clear one night, and the next day, sunlight will glint off many silky threads. They are pretty when the light catches them, especially after a rain, like this one:



But the actual architect of the webs, I can live without. This guy must have a large family, because I'm seeing them more and more:


He has the kind of face that spawn nightmares, doesn't he? If you think he's bad, you should meet our wood spiders. They might be from the film Arachnaphobia, the way they follow your movements when loading logs into the wheelbarrow. Creepy!

Despite the creep factor, you have to admire their work. They create strong, beautiful webs strand by strand. A little like a story...

You knew there was a lead-in...

Today I'm at You Gotta Read Reviews, where I'm discussing (yep) a story or two in an interview. I hope you'll pop over.

And congrats to the winners!

To say it's been a crazy month would be an understatement. More contests are still underway, but congrats to these winners:

Mary Preston won the Cursed book tour giveaway - a $15 gift card

Eva Minaskanian won the TRS 10th Anniversary Celebration giveaway - an ebook of my historical, Betting It All

The Falling Into Romance blog hop had two winners!
Josie Hink won the ebook of Strawberry Kisses by Dominique Eastwick
Judith Cauthan won the ebook of Sweet Cravings by Eva LeFoy

Congrats everyone! Enjoy. :)

Happy Autumn to all!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

This Friday!

I had the best surprise last night! Not only a new cover for my contemporary 1Night Stand story, Sweet Revenge, but a release date too. This Friday!




Um, yeah - that cover's a grabber! If you're familiar with the 1NS series, you know they're always short, usually a lot of fun and generally range from hot to incendiary. Hotter than what I usually write, and often the editors have to prod me to add more.

My nephew actually inspired this story. I was so proud of him for working hard to lose 150 pounds and get in great shape, it seemed like a perfect complement to the topic of bullying. Long-ago bullying, yes, but that type of antagonism stays with a person. And I found it interesting to explore a mature person's view of it, if not an active part, then someone who failed to stand up for another. So Sweet Revenge came together.

Here's the blurb:

Humbled by life and hungry for love…
From cheerleader to news anchor to…yoga instructor? After Zoe Golden lost everything she thought was important, she found the inner strength to pursue real happiness. The simple life provides everything she needs—except love. Once, long ago, she met a real man, but her insecurities made her deny her heart’s desires. Can Madame Eve find her a guy like the one who got away?
Bruised by rejection and determined to exact revenge…
The sculpted, successful owner of a chain of fitness studios, Ty Hardin can have any woman he wants. Fifteen years and 150 pound weight loss, has changed him beyond recognition. Now the girl who crushed his heart teaches yoga in one of his facilities. Not for long. Before he fires her, he wants one night with her. Wants her to know what she missed out on. But will revenge still be as sweet the morning after, or will it leave a bitter aftertaste?
Zoe and Ty might just be the best thing that ever happened to each other—if they can avoid doing their worst…

Did I mention it releases this Friday? Woo hoo!