Crazy productive weekend

It's amazing what I can accomplish when I can actually sit in front of a computer all day!

I set up my novella Soul for Sale at CreateSpace to make it available in print.Hopefully the setup has no kinks and the proof copy will soon be in my mailbox. It's for an event that The Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookstore is planning in June, and I may be on the panel. Deb, the owner, is wonderfully supportive of local authors, and always has great events on the shop's schedule.

My crit partners gave me excellent feedback on my Gettysburg ghost story, so that was number one writing priority. Despite my muse's insistence that I start yet another new story, I concentrated on the ghost story. It's been haunting my hard drive for more than a year now. Time to exorcise it! :) The working title is A Guided Tour of The Midnight Hour. What do you think?

My muse tends to act more like a duende anyway. I need to control her better. What? Never heard of a duende? Then you should read my short fantasy, The Duende and the Muse.  :0  Full of Greek mythological figures in a fun present-day setting.

I also requested the rights back to Design for Life, my short contemporary published by The Wild Rose Press. You might yet find it on some secondary sites, but it's gone gone gone from TWRP's site. As with any re-release, I have some reworking ahead on that one, especially because it was part of the Flower Basket Series.

But I did finish the cover - what do you think? The heroine's a fashion designer, so, after hours of sifting through images on Dreamstime, I went for a cute fashion sketch graphic.

It will probably be a slow blogging week. Lots of life stuff happening, so I won't be able to get online much, although there will be three new authors at TBR this week. Hope you'll pop over and make them feel welcome. Please follow TBR too! :)

Casting Call: The Duende and the Muse

My short fantasy, The Duende and the Muse, was released last March by The Wild Rose Press.

One of those stories that almost wrote itself, it was also one where my imagination took off on a wild ride.

Though very short, it packs a lot into a little story, and the characters and setting were extremely vivid as I wrote.

It's had some incredible reviews. Bitten by Books gave The Duende and the Muse 5 tombstones! Long and Short Reviews gave it four books, Review Your Book called it "awe-inspiring" and WDRF Reviews rated it Memorable Good.

Eric Balfour is Devon, the Duende, from his dark, mysterious presence to those incredible abs (Devon wears a jacket with no shirt beneath, exposing his washboard abs - read the excerpt below and I bet you'll agree!).



Since seeing George of the Jungle years earlier, no one else could play Melinda the Muse, in my head, but Leslie Mann. Sweet, petite, but full of fire and gumption when need be, she's the perfect match for Devon/Eric.

You can view the entire Casting Call series (so far) by entering the key words Casting Call in the search box to the right. Watch for Story Elements about The Duende and the Muse in the future. For now, here's the excerpt:

Melinda is startled when she notices a dark figure leaning against a booth across the aisle. He stands out like a charcoal etching against the background of clouds—harsh outlines, jagged features. Menacing yet compelling. He smiles, and lightning flashes from his dazzling white teeth, zinging through her.
She’s never seen a muse like him, but he must be one—otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be stepping toward her with the intensity of a jaguar, a laserlight in his eye, teeth bared in a hungry smile.
This guy looks like a Vanity Fair ad—layered hair mussed just so, sandals with a jacket and jeans that fit really well. She runs her hand across her belly to quell the tiny pinpricks. She’s been so busy with work lately, she hasn’t met anyone new.
“Who’s that?” Her wings can’t beat fast enough to cool the heat rising from deep inside her.
Calliope turns to Euterpe. “Oh my. How did he get in here?”
Euterpe squints in his direction, then furrows her brow. “A duende. They’ll let anyone in these days.”
That explains it. She’s heard of them—said to be a combination of charm, magic, inspiration, fire, magnetism—and demon. Muses were warned at an early age not to take up with duendes. Tales of muse-duende liaisons were fraught with disaster and downfall—for the muse. Duendes managed to carry on unscathed, though their methods of inspiration could be deadly for their students. The thought vanishes quicker than a flicker of sunlight on water as he moves toward her and says hello in a voice whose timbre resounds within her.
“Hi.” She stares, entranced by his dark beauty.
His smile envelops her. “I’m Devon.”
She extends her hand. “I’m Melinda. So nice to meet you.” Fire sparks in her fingers as he takes her hand in his, then leans to kiss it. A tingling crawls up her arms and neck and into her head, where it scrambles her thoughts. His gaze lingers on her lips, and they quiver open like a rosebud blooming in sunlight.
His voice is like a hot wind in the desert. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
Oh, she doubts it.



Tomorrow, I hope you'll visit me at Ginger Simpson's blog: http://mizging.blogspot.com. And visit Ginger here! Her posts are always interesting and fun.

5 tombstones for The Duende and the Muse!

Woot! Bitten by Books gave The Duende and the Muse 5 tombstones! Their highest rating!

The reviewer said: "I thoroughly enjoyed this short story! Melinda’s hopeful ideals were consistent, if a bit misguided, and Devon’s contrasting style added excitement. The characters were believable, and the settings were described clearly and were easy to visualize. I applauded Melinda’s defense of her student and was pleased that she was secure enough to listen to Devon’s very different ideas. This was a very nice story, easy to read, and enjoyable all the way through."

Thanks, BBB! The site has wonderful giveaways and author interviews. I highly recommend you check them out.

Here's the Duende and the Muse story trailer again:

Demons and muses and contests, oh my!

Duendes are the dark side of muses. Akin to demons, duendes mercilessly drive people to creativity rather than using inspiration, sometimes resulting in the person's insanity or death.

In my Wild Rose Press short fantasy, The Duende and the Muse, a duende and a muse team up to inspire a lackluster poet. It's all about balance, the yin and yang.

Since ancient times, people believed they could work against evil forces with certain practices. If you're superstitious, maybe you'll want to try one of these:

To ward off evil on Halloween, walk around your home three times clockwise and three times counterclockwise.

Hide all knives on Halloween night so that returning spirits won't come to any harm.

Place a turnip on your gatepost on Halloween so no evil spirits can harm you or your home.

Lock up your cat on Halloween to prevent an elf from entering your home on your cat's back and creating havoc.

Ring a bell (not a doorbell) on Halloween to ward off evil spirits for the entire year to come.

Keep your windows closed so no bats can fly into your house and bring death.

Dress up in masks and costumes to deceive spirits who may be seeking you out.

Appease the spirits of the dead and feed the souls of any visiting ancestors by leaving food outside.

Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of The Duende and the Muse! I'll announce a winner tomorrow night.

The Soul of Halloween

Halloween's my second favorite holiday. Its traditions and mystery intrigued me when I was a girl, and even moreso now. Halloween legends, superstitions, myths and beliefs provide an endless wealth of story material!

To celebrate this ancient holiday, I'm be giving away PDFs of my two Halloween-themed stories this week: One Soul for Sale and Reflections. I'll also give away a PDF of my fantasy, The Duende and the Muse, and finally next Monday, a PDF of Seventh Heaven.

Here are some of the spookier superstitions and beliefs about death:

According to an old saying, if a candle's flame goes out on Halloween, then a ghost is visiting you.

If you see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one looking out for you.

Ancients believed ghosts could be weighed down, so used tombstones to keep them in place.

Because some believed spirits could only travel in a straight line, mazes found at the entrance to many ancient tombs may have been intended to keep the spirit of the dead from returning to the world.

Some people believed that a person's soul remained for 24 hours after death. Members of the family, or friends of the deceased, often sat with the body of their loved one to prevent the devil from stealing the soul.

If a dead person’s eyes are left open, he’ll find someone to take with him.

If you touch a loved one who has died, you won’t dream about them.

If you look at your shadow in the moonlight on All Hallows Eve, death will find you.

Thunder following a funeral means that the dead person's soul has reached heaven.

If you see an owl diving on Halloween night, it's coming to take your soul away.

Comment today or tomorrow for a chance to win a PDF of my novella, One Soul for Sale, one of Eternal Press' Top 10 Bestsellers! I'll announce a winner tomorrow night in the comments section.

WDRF's Review of The Duende and the Muse

WDRF rated The Duende and the Muse, my short Faery (fantasy) story from The Wild Rose Press, as Memorable Good.
Here's the best part of the review:
"The author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read. It sparkles and fizzes with energy and the dialogue is sparky and natural. Both characters are independent and strong and although I didn't really identify very closely with them, they were engaging, interesting and likeable. What more can you ask for from a story of this length? I don't think you can go wrong with this- so have a read. If you are looking for something light and distracting then this is ideal."

Review Your Book gave Duende four stars!

I love finding little treasures in Google searches. Today I happened across Review Your Book's 4-star review of The Duende and the Muse:

"Have you ever wondered how you get your inspiration to work hard in life to accomplish great things? Maybe you get your inspiration from a Muse, those who use magic and charms to inspire others, or a Duende, who uses magic, charm, fire and is part demon. A Muse and a Duende had never been able to work together to ignite the fire of inspiration in a person, until now.
The Duende and the Muse by Cate Masters was awe-inspiring. A muse wasn’t able to accomplish a task in four months, but when working together with a Duende, the task was complete in a short amount of days. I love how Cate Masters could make two opposites work together. I disliked how at some points she could have made things more clear by explaining a little more in some areas, but other than that, I love this short story."

I wish she'd explained a little more about what needed explaining, but, other than that, I love this review! Especially the "awe-inspiring" part - awesome! Thanks, Debra!

Less than a week left in the Sony ereader contest!

Time's running out!
On Tuesday, June 9, some lucky person will win a Sony eReader. But first, s/he must buy an ebook from The Wild Rose Press by one of the participating authors (hopefully me!) Details are here.
Choose from either Seventh Heaven or The Duende and the Muse - each only $2.00. Such a small cost for a great reward.
Both stories have received excellent reviews:
Seventh Heaven
WDRF's "Memorable Good" review concluded: This is 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. Cate has a great story on her hands with this.
LASR's 4-book review concluded: 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. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Masters' work.
The Duende and the Muse
Author Hywela Lyn's 5-star review: This little gem is an absolute delight. It's quite unusual in that it's a first person, present tense narrative, and this gives it an wonderful immediacy. I felt I was right there with Melinda, sharing her frustration that her student doesn't seem to hear her, her anxiety that if she doesn't succeed with him she might lose her muse status – and the heat she feels when a certain duende is near her. Cate Masters puts words together in a way that is almost poetic, and brings the magic of her world to life. It's a delightful, quick and fun read and I can thoroughly recommend it.

Wonderful review for The Duende and the Muse!

Wow - I'm thrilled that fellow Wild Rose Press author Hywela Lyn left me this five-star review for The Duende and the Muse!

This little gem is an absolute delight. It's quite unusual in that it's a first person, present tense narrative, and this gives it an wonderful immediacy. I felt I was right there with Melinda, sharing her frustration that her student doesn't seem to hear her, her anxiety that if she doesn't succeed with him she might lose her muse status – and the heat she feels when a certain duende is near her. Cate Masters puts words together in a way that is almost poetic, and brings the magic of her world to life. It's a delightful, quick and fun read and I can thoroughly recommend it.

Thanks so much, Lyn!
Anyone who purchases The Duende and the Muse can enter the Sony eReader contest, too! Details are here.

Release Day for The Duende and the Muse!

To celebrate the release of The Duende and the Muse, my short Faery (fantasy) story from The Wild Rose Press, I’m giving away a PDF copy to a random commenter. I'll announce the winner tomorrow night at 9 p.m. (Eastern). Just share something about your muse – or duende, as the case may be. Does inspiration light upon you like a butterfly? Or strike like a bolt of lightning, sizzling along your nerve endings, burning your fingertips until they’re forced to pound it out on paper or a keyboard? Sometimes the best stories come out like that, jumping from our head to the page almost fully formed.
The Duende and The Muse was a little of both. It started as a lightning strike, and I tweaked it a bit later, after it had cooled off a bit.
And if you don’t win today, if you purchase it (or Seventh Heaven, my Vintage Rosette), you can enter The Wild Rose Press’ contest to win a Sony eReader. Details are here.
Here’s the excerpt:
Melinda is startled when she notices a dark figure leaning against a booth across the aisle. He stands out like a charcoal etching against the background of clouds—harsh outlines, jagged features. Menacing yet compelling. He smiles, and lightning flashes from his dazzling white teeth, zinging through her.
She’s never seen a muse like him, but he must be one—otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be stepping toward her with the intensity of a jaguar, a laserlight in his eye, teeth bared in a hungry smile.
This guy looks like a Vanity Fair ad—layered hair mussed just so, sandals with a jacket and jeans that fit really well. She runs her hand across her belly to quell the tiny pinpricks. She’s been so busy with work lately, she hasn’t met anyone new.
“Who’s that?” Her wings can’t beat fast enough to cool the heat rising from deep inside her.
Calliope turns to Euterpe. “Oh my. How did he get in here?”
Euterpe squints in his direction, then furrows her brow. “A duende. They’ll let anyone in these days.”
That explains it. She’s heard of them—said to be a combination of charm, magic, inspiration, fire, magnetism—and demon. Muses were warned at an early age not to take up with duendes. Tales of muse-duende liaisons were fraught with disaster and downfall—for the muse. Duendes managed to carry on unscathed, though their methods of inspiration could be deadly for their students. The thought vanishes quicker than a flicker of sunlight on water as he moves toward her and says hello in a voice whose timbre resounds within her.
“Hi.” She stares, entranced by his dark beauty.
His smile envelops her. “I’m Devon.”
She extends her hand. “I’m Melinda. So nice to meet you.” Fire sparks in her fingers as he takes her hand in his, then leans to kiss it. A tingling crawls up her arms and neck and into her head, where it scrambles her thoughts. His gaze lingers on her lips, and they quiver open like a rosebud blooming in sunlight.
His voice is like a hot wind in the desert. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
Oh, she doubts it.

Visit me at Alisha Paige's blog today

Visit me today at Alisha Paige's blog for a chance to win an advance copy of The Duende and the Muse!

Here is the story blurb:
Melinda the Muse is frustrated with her student. He isn't writing much these days.
At the annual MuseFest, held in a fantastically colorful cloud, she hopes to get new ideas to inspire him. When Devon the duende shows up, is he there to steal her student, or her heart?

If you miss your chance today, come back here on May 6 - I'll be holding another contest here to celebrate release day (my favorite kind of days!).

The Duende and the Muse - Contemporary short fantasy

The Duende and the Muse
Available in ebook on Amazon Kindle and at Smashwords

Melinda the Muse is frustrated with her student. He isn't writing much these days. At the annual MuseFest, held in a fantastically colorful cloud, she hopes to get new ideas to inspire him. When Devon the duende shows up, is he there to steal her student, or her heart?

Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this short story! Melinda's hopeful ideals were consistent, if a bit misguided, and Devon's contrasting style added excitement. The characters were believable, and the settings were described clearly and were easy to visualize.

Bitten by Books: 5 Tombstones

The Duende and the Muse may be short, but it is well written and the story holds the attention from beginning to end.

Long and Short Reviews: 4 stars

The author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.

WDRF Reviews: Memorable Good

...awe-inspiring...I love how Cate Masters could make two opposites work together. I love this short story.

Review Your Book

Excerpt

Melinda is startled when she notices a dark figure leaning against a booth across the aisle. He stands out like a charcoal etching against the background of soft orange and pink clouds – all harsh outlines and jagged features. Menacing yet compelling. He smiles, and lightning flashes from his dazzling white teeth, zinging through her.

She’s never seen a muse like him, but he must be one – otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. He wouldn’t be stepping toward her with the intensity of a jaguar, a laserlight in his eye, teeth bared in a hungry smile.

This guy looks like a Vanity Fair ad: layered hair mussed just so, sandals with a jacket and worn jeans that hug his contours as if tailored for him. She runs her hand across her belly to quell the tiny pinpricks. She’s been so busy with work lately, she hasn’t had time to meet anyone new.

“Who’s that?” Her wings can’t beat fast enough to cool the heat rising from deep within.

Calliope turns to Euterpe, her whisper harsh. “What’s he doing here so soon?”

Euterpe narrows her eyes at Calliope as if in warning, but coolly deadpans, “A duende. They’ll let anyone in these days.”

Something’s amiss. Melinda’s stomach tightens at the silent exchange between the two Elders, but curiosity wins out. A duende? That explains it. She’s heard of them – said to be a combination of charm, magic, inspiration, fire, magnetism – and demon. Muses were warned at an early age not to take up with duendes. Tales of muse-duende liaisons were fraught with disaster, downfall and disgrace – for the muse. Duendes managed to carry on unscathed, though their methods of inspiration could be deadly for their students.

The thought vanishes faster than a flicker of sunlight on water as he moves toward her.

“Hello,” he says, in a voice whose timbre resounds within her.

“”Hi.” She stares, entranced by his dark beauty.

His smile envelops her. “I’m Devon.”

She extends her hand. “I’m Melinda. So nice to meet you.” Fire sparks in her fingers as he takes her hand in his, and then leans to kiss it. A tingling crawls up her arms and neck into her head, where it scrambles her thoughts.

His gaze lingers on her lips, and they quiver open like a rosebud blooming in sunlight.

His voice is like a hot wind in the desert. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

Oh, she doubts it. Trailing a ribbon through her fingers, she asks, “Are you here for the entire weekend?”

His glittering black eyes wander across her body, sending a shiver of molten heat to her core.

Oh, she’s in trouble. Deep trouble.

A smile flickers on his lips. “Now I wish I were. I have other business, unfortunately.”

Her voice wilts like a thirsty flower. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She clears her throat. “You know, because the sessions look so enticing this year.”

“Yes, enticing.” He leans closer, close enough to kiss her. The center of his eyes swirl like a gathering storm.

“Melinda,” Euterpe croaks from a distance. “The first session is beginning. You should get a good seat.”

When had the Elder Muses moved away? Melinda calls, “I’ll be right there.”

Devon steps backward, one sandaled foot at a time. “Enjoy MuseFest. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Yes, yes, please Zeus! “Maybe.” She scampers to catch up to Calliope and Euterpe, already at the tented area, where signs blink the schedule and announcements.

He’s still watching her. She can tell by the heat traveling up her thighs.

When it fades, she glances back. He’s gone.

The cloud feels so much emptier, though muses teem through the air.

Thanks to The Wild Rose Press for first publishing this ebook! I'm very grateful.