Friday, March 28, 2014

In service of the story

I was never so happy for a Friday. Today's the due date for my first round edits on my fantasy novel, Goddess, Awakened. And I. Am. Done!

Two reasons to happy dance!

This week has been intense. Nonstop edits. And now *breath of relief* it's over. I've emailed the document to my editor, hooray!

Once again, I've deleted almost two thousand words to the story, and added another 2k or so. Many little improvements which will ultimately make a better story.

My editor's seen the cover and said it's gorgeous. I can't wait to see it too.

Exciting news!

Kensington has contracted my contemporary novella, Twice in a Blue Moon, for its Lyrical imprint! I'm over the (blue) moon! If you'd like to read the blurb, it's on the Coming Soon page.

So there are three reason to happy dance today.

Again, sorry if I wasn't around much this week. I'll catch up later! Hope you're doing well, and that your characters aren't having difficulties. Or giving you any!

A winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway for Cursed at Night Owl Reviews!  The Rafflecopter closed early today, and randomly selected Angie Whitehead as the winner. Congrats Angie! Watch for an email from me. Happy reading!

And happy Friday!





Thursday, March 27, 2014

Grab this ebook!


Arlene Webb is a writer you'll want to add to your list of Must Reads. Her imagination is boundless, her writing is unique and her stories will transport you to places you'd never dreamed. How can you resist such a sale?
Harey

by Arlene Webb


Gwas can outrun a horse, knows how to hide and steal, but is ignorant of the ways of men. The last thing he expects when he is rescued from a miserable existence by a blue-eyed, blond haired angel is to be promised as a Druidic sacrifice to Eostre. Unfortunately, the only direction Gwas wishes to flee is straight into the arms and knife of his savior, Gareth.


Maura knows Gareth is no angel, but she adores him with a passion that time and loneliness cannot dent. When he rides in carrying an injured lad who fears her on sight, she is drawn to open her heart to the abused orphan as well.


Gareth is caught between his liege lord and brother’s fist, and an emotional dilemma that grows harder and harder to deny with every passing season. If he must defy man and gods in order to embrace his heart’s desires, so be it.

When the clash of old and new religions puts lives in peril, ultimate sacrifice bears witness to enduring love. Winter gives way to spring, and the evolution of a colorful myth spreads across the land.


Excerpt

I am no angel. Gareth’s shoulders slammed into the ground. A heavy body covered him, and the adrenalin jolting through him made him feel like a powerful animal. But I am in heaven. He tugged his arms free, wrapped them around Harey and grasped the back of Harey’s head. And I do not care if adulterous sodomites go to hell. He jerked him upward and took his lips.

No time for tender exploration. He had to show Harey who he belonged to, and it was not some bloodthirsty deity, or the daughter of a mass murderer. What if Aethelfrith, the devil who had ordered one thousand, one hundred and sixty-five men killed so they could not pray against him, had still lived? Harey would have walked into his knife with a smile, a pet hare, and promises of painted eggs.

I will not let this man leave me again. Never. Not ever. He’s mine. Gareth fought back his moan and deepened his kiss. Harey tasted so good, fresh and sweet like Maura, but firm and bony where she was all curvy softness. He intensified the pressure, relishing the feel of the lips he had desired for so long, and Harey yielded. Gareth rammed his tongue in, danced around, and then back out to repeat. He had never held a body to mirror his own like this, captive over him, and the sheer joy of not being gentle saturated him.

Available at:





Arlene



Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Celebrating strong women


I’ve been remiss. March is Women’s History Month, and there are so many amazing women. Inspiring. So many to remember and celebrate, worthy of teaching our daughters about their accomplishments.


Celebration - and recognition - begins at home. My mom had seven kids, me the youngest. These days, an unimaginable feat (the cost alone is staggering) but when I was growing up, not a huge deal. Other families in our town outnumbered ours by at least twice as many kids.

Mom was a pioneer in her own right, a frustrated artist too dedicated to her family to put herself first. In her youth, she drew some wonderful illustrations, but never did anything with them. Decades before composting was a popular “green” activity, she practiced it. I can still recall the vivid colors in her flower garden.


I didn’t learn until the day of her funeral that she was also a writer. My dad often wrote – sometimes town history, sometimes little essays, but most often for his duties as a deacon in our church. But I had no idea my Mom won an honorable mention for a story she’d submitted to a national contest.


Her love of the piano was unfailing. She took on sheet music like MalagueƱa, a complicated piece. When she played, it didn’t sound like this. But she played it because she loved it. And she inspired me to teach myself piano. I wish I’d kept at it.

I wish, too, that she’d taken more time for herself. Channeled her creativity into the things she loved. Instead, she sewed clothes for us. And for herself, when she wasn’t filling a bag at the second-hand store. She was a whiz at stretching a buck. And she put together fantastic outfits. Her shoe collection rivaled that of Imelda Marcos’.


She may have even made the PBS list of people who define cool. Some of her outfits were downright bohemian for the times.


But she was not one who sought fame. She was a wife and mother, first and foremost. Not a saint, but none of us are.


So many women are deserving of recognition and accolades for all they do, and most do it as a matter of course.


Kudos to you, Mom, for all of your achievements. You were one of the strongest females I knew. My earliest inspiration for my fictional heroines, determined, fierce and a force to reckon with.


“an originality of artistic vision as established through a signature style, which is to say their artistic vision cannot be separate from their personality. Second, that in a given historical moment, they were perceived as a cultural rebel. Third, that they have high profile recognition. Fourth, that they have a recognized cultural legacy.”
Something tells me you didn’t look hard enough to balance out that list. Thank goodness Georgia O’Keefe made the list. Patti Smith and Bonnie Raitt? Excellent. Joan Didion and Lauren Bacall. Wonderful.


But where’s Frida Kahlo?
Helen Mirren?
Katharine Hepburn?
Tina Fey?
Maya Angelou?
Diane Arbus?
Gloria Steinem?

You done our gender wrong. All you had to do was thumb through a copy of Ladies First. Easily enough women to make a separate top 100 list.


If you’re unfamiliar with the book, I highly recommend it. Full of amazing tales of female pioneers and groundbreakers from every walk of life.


Happy Women’s History Month. I hope you celebrate the women who’ve made an impact in your life.



Saturday, March 22, 2014

Your chances are excellent

So why not click here to visit Night Owl Reviews and enter to win an ebook of Cursed? It's the first novella in The Vitruvian Man series. A quick read, but it will take you into a world like no other. 

Here's what some reviewers have said about Cursed:


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPqLZRk3Zdyj9lGFf3QJ1j61OFrOS3ULRPKyFeaACTlmmxdpM9rUL3pQeZxAWqxgRdNKA1HdVTXF1BDc7-X5dYldE4f7XMfrsnZy_zFTe0qb4UjpBWlZ8jLEMlI_PpbM_JUVJxL2M3ZL3/s260/norbadge.jpgI really enjoyed reading this book for more than just its genre. Cate has done a really great job drawing the reader into her Carnevale world – which is very well described to the point of being real if you got sucked into the pages.

Reviewer Krissy Malott, BTSE Magazine (p. 80) http://issuu.com/btsemag/docs/november2013

Cate Masters series starter Cursed is a unique blend of historical facts and paranormal elements that nicely combine in an action-packed romantic story that lays the groundwork for what promises to be a memorable series.  Though this story wraps up nicely it still leaves plenty of questions unanswered that will have readers clamoring for more.

Ms. Masters has created a story that will entice fans of the paranormal and fantasy genre and I recommend readers give this short story a chance.

Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess - 4 stars


Cursed was a shockingly beautiful love story! Filled with curses, lies, love, and magic!
It was a fabulously written story! I'm looking forward to the next book. 

Indy Book Fairy -  FOUR CHIMERA FAIRIES



Wow.   Great read, but make sure to do it somewhere where you can think about the implications of what you are reading – so not a good soccer practice read – you need to stay alert for those wayward balls!
4 stars - Snarky Mom - http://www.snarkymomreads.com/?p=730

This was an exciting look into a new series, a new world really. This could end up being an amazing and very intriguing series. One that I recommend for everyone to get and watch for.

Reviewing Vixens: 4- Excellent read - highly recommended

And that's just a few. NOR's leaving the giveaway open till the end of the month, but why wait? 
Go on, enter! And if you'd like to help spread the word, that would be excellent too!