Seventh Heaven now available on Smashwords

My Sixties-era romance, Seventh Heaven, is now available on Smashwords for just 99 cents! Soon it will be available for Kindle too. Just waiting on the Amazon conversion.

While published with The Wild Rose Press, it topped the bestseller list. I'm grateful to this publisher for believing in my work. Seventh Heaven was my first published ebook.

Fallen Angel Reviews rated it a Recommended Read. Other reviewers have called it “a wonderful story”; “an uplifting romance set in a turbulent, unique time period. I did not want it to end”; “a read that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The deep and powerful setting of this story had me wiping away tears while cheering James on”; and “This book brought about emotions that I found refreshing. Cate Masters is a gifted writer who wrote this book with talent and marvelous imagery. I could almost see, taste, hear and touch what was occurring in "Seventh Heaven." If you are looking for a book with a wonderful plot that is very well written as well as being entertaining, "Seventh Heaven" is the book for you.”

Here’s the story blurb:

Lilah owns the New Hope Record and Crafts Shop with her friend, Val. Independent and free-spirited, they sell their handmade jewelry and pottery to tourists in their Delaware River town. Lilah’s only hangup is James, who bartends down the street. She’s crazy about him, but lately he’s been cold and distant. Turns out he has reason to be down--he’s had his ticket punched for Vietnam. Lilah makes him a lucky leather-string choker using a silver ankh--the Egyptian symbol of eternity.James is skeptical about its lucky charms, but warms to her again. For seven months, James is in Vietnam. He comes home changed, in more ways than one. Can Lilah show him that her love is all the luck he needs?

And an excerpt:
James stood in the open doorway. The choker gleamed from his neck. “I came by to say thanks.”
The distance she’d felt between them last night was gone. His warm eyes searched hers, reaching again for a connection.
“I didn’t know it was you.” She stepped from behind the counter. No more barriers between them.
He closed the door. “So. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. It looks good. It’s an–”
“An ankh. I know.” Something seemed to be holding him back, but somehow she knew she must be patient, and let him come to her.
“The Egyptian symbol of eternity.” She didn’t know what to do with her hands, and her breath was jagged. “Sorry. I mean, Ben told us. It really stinks you’re leaving.”
He ran a finger across a glazed jug. “Bad timing.”
She clasped her hands in front of her. “I guess it’s never a good time…”
He glanced up and flashed a switchblade smile. “I mean, I wish we had more time.” His soft voice rushed at her like the wind and billowed the sails of her heart’s rocky boat.
The air thinned, seemed rarified. “Me, too.”
He stepped closer. Time felt maddeningly slow. She wanted to run to him, fill her arms with him.
Instead, she crossed her arms. “I hope you’ll write me, if you get a chance.”
“Yeah?”
He was within arm’s reach. His gaze flowed over her inch by inch, over every curve and hollow.
The floor needed sweeping. And needed to be smaller. Or his steps needed to be more expansive. “Sure, I’ll keep you up on the local gossip. Send you goodie packages.” A lock of her hair. A photo of herself so he’d think of her every day. And night.
His eyes locked on hers. “That’d be nice.”
“We’re going to miss you around here.”
“You will?” The timbre of his voice rumbled inside her like an earthquake.
With his last step, he was so close her skin tingled with his heat. “No one can make a margarita like you.”
He fingered her hair, tucked a strand behind her shoulder. “Come back tonight. I’ll make you all the margaritas you can drink.”
In her head she was already there, sipping at a wide-rimmed glass, serenaded by Dylan in the background, James attending to her alone. “OK.”
“See you about seven, then?”
She smiled. “Seven it is.”
He backed toward the door, slowly, as if still taking her in. The silver ankh winked in the light as he turned to leave.

More links to reviews and the trailer (another old one I need to update!) are here. Thanks, as always, for checking it out! :)

Lambertville booksigning

I had such a great time last Saturday! Jeff Kline, proprietor of J.B. Kline's in Lambertville, graciously allowed me to hold a booksigning in his gallery space. Shown below is Jeff perusing my books.



Kellyann Zuzulo stopped by. If you haven't read any of Kellyann's work, I highly recommend it.



My dear old friend Randy Ellis, aka Randy Now, visited with his wonderful wife Mary. Randy runs The Record Collector in Bordentown, New Jersey, and always has an amazing lineup of performers, from Pete Best to the Amish Comedian. If you're near enough to visit, check out his store!



My family lined up for books, bless their supportive little hearts.



I wish I could post all the great photos, but this was just a sampling. You can find more on my Facebook page.

Watch for more photos after June 26, when I'll be part of the first annual Harrisburg Book Festival, sponsored by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. I'll be among the more than 50 authors participating, and will be there from 1-4 p.m. Saturday. More info tomorrow!

Booksigning today!

Today I'll be signing copies of Fever Dreams, One Soul for Sale and Picture This in Lambertville, NJ - my hometown! I'll be in the back room of J.B. Kline's from noon till 4:00 p.m.

Anyone who purchases a book will receive a free beaded book thong, handmade by me. An example is below, though no two are alike. Supplies are limited though, so hurry in for yours. :)



I hope to see some friendly faces this afternoon!

If you're closer to Harrisburg, PA, I will also be part of the first annual Harrisburg Book Fair at the Midtown on Saturday, June 26th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. More info on that soon...

Booksigning in Lambertville!

Next Saturday, I'll be signing copies of Fever Dreams, One Soul for Sale and Picture This in Lambertville, NJ - my hometown! It's a gorgeous town, if you've never been there. The darling of the New York Times travel section because of its antiques and art shops. Hm, maybe I could persuade you to visit on Saturday June 12? As long as you're in town, you could stop in J.B. Kline's anytime from noon till 4:00 p.m. I'll be sitting in the back room with my books, waiting for you.

Oh, and on the walls of the gallery will be photographs shot by my talented niece, Meg Eubank. Pretty cool that they'll be there at the same time I will. Above is my own shot of the Delaware River, which separates Lambertville from New Hope, PA.

I hope to see some friendly faces there! Kline's cafe has incredibly delicious goodies too, if my books aren't enough of a temptation. :)

The value of authenticating details

This morning, I received the final galleys for my “Rosette” story, Seventh Heaven. I’m still waiting to hear when The Wild Rose Press will release it.
As it is set in my hometown of Lambertville, New Jersey, and New Hope, Pennsylvania, proofing it brought back many memories.
Several story details originated with my family. My oldest brother Joe (aka Boo) is a Vietnam vet who told us the story about the young Vietnamese boy throwing a grenade into the back of a truck, so that, in fact, was the catalyst for this story. My sister Claudia used to wear a flag T-shirt. When I was a teenager, one of my favorite things to do was walk across the bridge linking the twin towns to New Hope with my good friends Nora, Winnie and Mary Louise, and browse through the many shops, especially the record store near the bridge. Like Lambertville, New Hope is famous for its cultural diversity, including the Bucks County Playhouse, where my sisters Claudia and Annette to this day usher at plays. Fran’s Pub was a favorite hangout of my husband Gary’s in the seventies and hence earns a special place in the story.
While growing up, I vividly recall hearing musicians perform at The Music Circus. My mother once brought me to see Robert Goulet, but I was a young teen at the time and sadly, unappreciative of her gesture, as I would much rather have seen The Young Rascals, or even Chicago – I remember hearing their brass section clearly through the woods. The Music Circus drew many famous musicians and performers. As in my story, Judy Collins was there in 1967. And no story about the Sixties would be complete without musical references – Dylan, Hendrix, Donovan and especially the Beatles were such a deep-rooted part of my youth, they provide the soundtrack to my adolescence.
I had done loads of research on the Sixties era for one of my novels, so this story was one of those that came together in my head fully formed. Among other things, a Time-Life book titled The Turbulent Years: The 60s provided specific details I could not have accurately remembered, having been born just before that decade began. I remembered the buttons, but would have probably spelled the Hippy Power button as hippie, the more popular spelling.
So, as you have gathered, authenticating details can bring a story alive, as Dave Koch writes in his article, Authenticating Details. Write with as much specificity as possible. Avoid generic terms – instead of “hat,” write “bowler” or “Stetson.” Add background music. Describe the scents in the scene. Bring your readers into the experience of the story, and hopefully, leave them wanting more.

Here again is the story blurb:
Lilah owns the New Hope Record and Crafts Shop with her friend, Val. Independent and free-spirited, they sell their handmade jewelry and pottery to tourists in their Delaware River town. Lilah’s only hangup is James, who bartends down the street. She’s crazy about him, but lately he’s been cold and distant. Turns out he has reason to be down--he’s had his ticket punched for Vietnam. Lilah makes him a lucky leather-string choker using a silver ankh--the Egyptian symbol of eternity. James is skeptical about its lucky charms, but warms to her again. For seven months, James is in Vietnam. He comes home changed, in more ways than one. Can Lilah show him that her love is all the luck he needs?