Happy endings
require patience, hope, and a little ingenuity. Finette Proulx puts her skills
at repairing clockwork gadgetry to greater use when she bets all she has on an
airship race. Her loss only steams up her desire to win the prize at the
British Diamond Cup—and her freedom. After such a lonely life, love seems too
much to ask... until she meets Sacha. A mysterious Romanian, “Sacha” Aleksander
Dragomir Dalca, aids her in ways she doesn’t suspect. At the moment she thinks
her life is falling into ruin, she finds him waiting to catch her with open
arms. The handsome gypsy affirms her belief that dreaming's not for fools, and
she deserves to write her happy ending her own way.
Finette's Folly is a re-imagined fairy tale based on the
French version of Cinderella, Finette Cendron.
... is more fun mashed! My upcoming novella, Finette's Folly, is a reimagined fairy tale based on the French version of Cinderella, Finette Cendron. In steampunk! It's been literally years in the making, but it's almost ready to release. Here's a peek at the cover.
Happy endings
require patience, hope, and a little ingenuity. Finette Proulx puts her skills
at repairing clockwork gadgetry to greater use when she bets all she has on an
airship race. Her loss only steams up her desire to win the prize at the
British Diamond Cup—and her freedom. After such a lonely life, love seems too
much to ask... until she meets Sacha. A mysterious Romanian, “Sacha” Aleksander
Dragomir Dalca, aids her in ways she doesn’t suspect. At the moment she thinks
her life is falling into ruin, she finds him waiting to catch her with open
arms. The handsome gypsy affirms her belief that dreaming's not for fools, and
she deserves to write her happy ending her own way.
The Sweetest Place on Earth is about to get sweeter! In two weeks, the Hershey Public Library will host its inaugural Local Author Festival, hopefully the first of many. According to the web site, thirty authors will be there with their books, and are scheduled to talk throughout the day.
I'll be there too! My talk is set for 11:30, if you're interested in How to Tame A Wild Muse. And I'll have copies of books under both pen names - romance novels as Cate Masters and some mainstream books under my pen name of C.A. Masterson.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 2nd, from 9:30 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. Plenty of time to browse the book offerings and talk with the writers (please do! We love talking to readers!). A Visa gift card is up for grabs, but the best treat is finding new books to love.
The library is located at 701 Cocoa Ave, Hershey, PA 17033. Hope to see you there!
More sweet news!
The Griffin's Secret is up for the TRR Readers' Choice Awards!
In this contemporary
re-telling of Grimm’s classic fairy tale The Griffin, two people must risk everything to free
themselves from the invisible prisons that keep them from love…
Jackson Grant
had it all—the girl he loved, his Harley, and his guitar. Until a tragic
accident stole it all away. Now, more than scars and a tattoo remain. Jackson
has a secret. Cursed by his dead girlfriend’s mother, he can never fall in love
again or his beloved will die. With his heart on lockdown, he keeps to
himself—until a roadie gig with Malcontent, the world’s most popular band,
entwines his fate with sweet, wounded Layla’s…
Music is what
Layla lives for. She has no choice. She’s bound by magic to serve Malcontent,
cursed to propel them to stardom with her musical powers. Then Jackson appears
and gives her hope that he’s the hero who will save her. A reluctant hero, yet
one she can’t resist. But freedom will come at price—and who will pay?
The Griffin’s Secret Reimagined fairy tale/fantasy
romance novella Released: 5/12/2015 About 33,000 words Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kensington
Reviews
I loved this one! I liked how the author, Cate
Masters, was able to present this well written story to the reader. The
Griffin’s Secret is a re-telling of Grimm's classic fairy tale. You will
be hooked into this story from the very start. The author did an excellent job of fitting this Grimm's Tale into a rock music world. Readers will be intrigued and pulled into the story quickly. Night Owl Reviews - 5-star Top Pick
Now this is a different kind of book! Cate sure came up with a wild and
crazy story line plus a crazy bunch of musicians. Jackson was driving a
motorcycle with his girl and they were hit by a semi. She died and her
mother cursed him to never love again. Fast forward and Jackson gets a
tattoo from a stranger and sends him off. He plays guitar and joins
Malcontent, a rock band. He meets Mal,gets a roadie job and then he sees
Layla. She is part of the band but wants to get away. Big Spoiler. Then
this story gets to turn dangerous. Jackson tries to help Layla get
away. Major Magical Spoilers. If you choose to read this you will hear
of Jimi Herxrix and other bands. If you enjoy music you should like this
story. If you aren't a music lover then maybe you will like the Magic.
Give this a chance. Enjoy this story! CelticMaggie - 4 stars
I loved the paranormal aspect of this book and it does get a bit dark,
but never got too dark. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me
reading. It was entertaining and very creative. The plot twists and
turns, and just like fairy tales, good conquers evil. The Jeep Diva - 4 stars
From the very beginning with the motorcycle wreck, voices and the
strange Gundy in the old truck I was hooked in reading The Griffin's
Secret by Cate Masters. I would never have thought of it myself but the
dark moody retelling of the Grimm tale fits perfectly within the rock
music world. Creatively, uniquely written. PW Reader - 4 stars
From the very beginning with the motorcycle wreck, voices and the
strange Gundy in the old truck I was hooked in reading The Griffin's
Secret by Cate Masters. I would never have thought of it myself but the
dark moody retelling of the Grimm tale fits perfectly within the rock
music world. Creatively, uniquely written. While I don’t remember
reading any other books by this author, I will certainly be on the
lookout for her work from now on out. PW Reader - 4 stars
I loved the
magical aspect of this book. It was entertaining. Two cursed souls, destined to
be with each other and just like in those fairy-tales. In the end good
overcomes evil and love truly does conquer all. Overall the
characters were good, the story flowed. It was an easy read.
The
faint scent of an exotic flower on an ocean breeze hit him the second the girl
walked in. Every part of his body stood at attention, taking in the way she
moved. The curve of her slender hips. Those long legs…they’d wrap around the
back seat of his Harley perfectly. Wrap around him perfectly, too.
A
flip of her onyx-silk hair sent it behind her shoulder as she sat opposite.
“Who are you?”
Good
question. He’d been seeking the same answer for too long. “Jackson Grant.”
Her
eyes darkened, deep brown to charcoal diamonds. “Why are you here?”
“For
the roadie job.” Was she the first gatekeeper? A gate she kept locked, he’d
bet. Or maybe she was another test. Kev
had warned him there’d be tricky questions and to answer straight. Something
told him she asked out of curiosity.
“You
think you’re up for such a demanding job?”
Again,
the impression hit him she was making these questions up as she went along,
ad-libbing off his replies.
He’d
play. “I’m strong. Dependable. I follow orders, keep my head down, and stay out
of trouble.” And he liked his privacy.
Her
features smoothed, hard as porcelain. “Do you.” Not a question.
He’d
answer anyway. “Yes.”
Did
disappointment curl her lip? Or boredom? Why did he care? If he could, he’d
blast out of there before his own curiosity got the better of him. Already,
she’d gotten under his skin. Crazy how the tat no longer singed him, but now
twisted like a trapped animal.
With
a plastic smile, she batted her eyes, and the false flirtation didn’t suit her.
“So. You’re a yes-man.”
The
way she said it, he’d be no different than any other roadie serving the great
rock star, Malcolm Fetterman. Fine by Jackson. The less he stood out, the
better. Except for her. He hated to think of her glossing over his presence,
but that would be better, too.
He
drummed his fingers on the table. “I need the job.” Where the hell was Malcolm
anyway? The longer he stayed with her, the more he wanted to. Definitely
couldn’t afford that kind of trouble. He glanced at the open door, hoping he
wouldn’t have to go through the same interrogation again.
She
tapped the table. “You’d have to travel constantly.”
“Perfect.”
No different than his usual way of life. Except this time, his paycheck would
remain steady.
“You
wouldn’t miss your family?” She dipped her head. “Your girlfriend?”
He
curled his lip this time. No one’s business but his. He shifted in his seat.
“They’re better off.”
Her
brows knit, and then her expression became unreadable as the Sphinx. “The hours
are long, and the equipment’s heavy. Everything has to be exactly as Mal
orders.”
Did
he imagine it, or had she winced at her own words?
He
shrugged. “It’s his show.” Someday, Jackson would have his own roadies. And
would treat them much better than Malcolm Fetterman did, if the stories proved
true.
Her
steely focus cut into him. “Mal doesn’t hire musicians except for those in the
band. And there aren’t any openings in Malcontent.”
He
didn’t allow himself to blink. “No problem.”
“But
you play, don’t you?” Her gaze dropped to his callused fingertips drumming the
tabletop.
He
drew his hand down. “No.” A necessary lie. She might suspect, but couldn’t
possibly know the truth. Almost like leaving one of his limbs behind, he’d
locked his Fender in storage in New Jersey with his paltry possessions for six
months. By then, he’d know whether this gig worked out.
