Cate Masters
Blurb: Bruno diCesare lives
alone by necessity, not choice. An experiment performed by Leonardo
da Vinci, who believed having a dual DNA would grant a person
immortality, used magic to render Bruno a chimera – the head of a
lion, body of a dragon. The only time he can mingle with people is
during Carnevale, ten glorious days of masked anonymity, frivolity
and intimacy.
Melina
Weaver learned fire dancing to enliven her dull existence. A
scientist, her long hours at the lab leave no time for a social life.
For ten days at Carnevale, she can pretend to be someone else.
Someone sexy and daring, who lives on the edge.
Once
she meets Bruno, her wish comes true, but everything goes terribly
wrong. Beneath Bruno’s costume lurks an alpha male, but is he
dangerous? Worse, can she return to an employer who sells her
research to the military to make an army of efficient killers? Her
only hope may lie with the man she’s just met and never seen.
BUY
LINKS:
Excerpt:
Light
danced in his dark eyes. “I must admit, your fire dancing
fascinated me. What made you choose such a dangerous skill to
master?”
“The
thrill of the challenge, I suppose.” It balanced the rest of her
mundane life, to a degree. Mastering each new level gave her a sense
of achievement, where work couldn’t.
Something
flashed through his dark eyes. “Mistakes must be very painful.”
“I
practiced a long time before I worked up the nerve to actually light
the wands. I found the fire great incentive to focus, however.”
God, her grin must be goofy, the way he stared. Such gorgeous eyes,
such a deep brown they almost appeared black. He probably had rugged
features, if his large hands provided any indication. Too bad he wore
gloves, another barrier between them.
“Yes,”
he said, “I imagine so.”
“What
about you? What other magic do you know?” Oh please, can you get
any more ridiculous? It sounded like a line from a bad chick flick.
The
crinkle around his eyes was the only evidence of his smile, but
enough to charm her.
“Lifetimes
of studying the dark arts have provided me with many tricks.”
“Lifetimes?”
she blurted.
He
stiffened in her arms. “Pardon?”
She
watched him carefully. “You said ‘lifetimes’. Plural.” And
what the hell did he mean by ‘dark arts’?
Rigidity
masked the grace of his movements. “I’m sure you’re mistaken.”
He stared over her head as they whirled to the song’s rhythm.
Mistaken
my ass. How very strange. More strange that the question
upset him. He’d clammed up, and his muscles were so tense, she
expected him to bolt. Better to drop it. For now. “Must have been a
slip of the tongue.”
“Yes.”
Relief sounded in his tone, though guarded.
This
man had something to hide. How intriguing.
Interview with the Author:
Tell me about yourself, and your writing.
Hi there! Thanks so much for having me at your blog today. :) I'm just your average writer - normal enough on the outside, but if you could peek inside my head, you'd find layer after layer of unusual worlds, crowded with crazy characters.
How long have you been writing? How many published books do you have, and what genres?
I fell in love with stories, and words, in grade school. My friends and I wrote poetry together (we were weird kids, lol). I even loved writing school essays. And I wrote for the school newspaper, which led to a love of journalism. My Dad used to bring home The New York Times every Sunday, and some of those articles were absolutely lyrical. Though I freelanced for my local paper, my career goal shifted to fiction in my twenties. Hm, how many published books? I'll have to count... 28. Some are short stories, some novellas, some full length novels.
A few more are on the way -- Decadent will release Charmed, the followup to Cursed, plus Betting It All, a historical set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and three more 1Night Stands -- two contemporaries, Sweet Revenge and The Ex Factor, and one with time travel elements called Cinderella Dreams.
You can find more info on my blog: http://catemasters.blogspot.com
Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?
I love stories of all genres, and it shows in my own work. I write mostly paranormal/fantasy, contemporary and historical, but have a few mainstream and speculative stories as well. And I love to mash genres, too. For instance, Cursed is a paranormal, but also has fantasy, historical and science elements. Whatever best serves the story.
Are you a plotter or do you write from the seat of your pants?
A little of both. I generally have a beginning and an ending, and an idea of how to get there, but my characters love to hijack the story line and take me on adventures, lol.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
The bulk of my writing's on weekends. Since our two grandboys came to live with us, life's taken a hectic turn! I take care of them during the day, so on weeknights I mostly catch up on blogging and social networking.
Who do you love to read? Favorite authors, favorite books?
Oh, this is a tough question, lol. I love so many! From T.C. Boyle, Dean Koontz, Neil Gaiman, to Aimee Bender, Jennifer Egan, Alice Hoffman and more recent discoveries of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series and J.R. Ward (I know, where have I been? lol) My bookshelves and Kindle are jam-packed.
What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?
The New York Times/USA Today bestseller lists would be perfect. :)
If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?
My one recurring dream as a kid was of flying. I would love to!
If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?
Oo, fun! Let's see... I don't have a cave to keep a dragon in, but Pegasus would be wonderful to ride through the skies (back to that flying thing, lol)
Tell us a little about your latest release.
Love to. :) Cursed opens during Carnevale, the 10-day festival that's similar to Mardi Gras, but takes place in Venice. Those masquerade costumes are so beautiful, and it intrigued me to imagine what they might hide. Someone scary! But for ten days, that someone could mingle without fear.
So my hero was born. I gave him a unique problem, tweaked history a bit to give him an unusual past, and then, of course, the only thing left was to give him a heroine who would challenge him in all the best ways. A feisty female who could be his mate and his partner on equal terms.
Here's the blurb:
Ten days of freedom. That’s all Fate had allotted me each year. In the streets of Venice, I could walk among them. Mingle. Belong.
During Carnevale, they had no idea who I was. What I was.
For ten days, it didn’t matter.
Until I met her.
Bruno diCesare lives alone by necessity, not choice. An experiment performed by Leonardo da Vinci, who believed having a dual DNA would grant a person immortality, used magic to render Bruno a chimera – the head of a lion, body of a dragon. The only time he can mingle with people is during Carnevale, ten glorious days of masked anonymity, frivolity and intimacy.
Melina Weaver learned fire dancing to enliven her dull existence. A scientist, her long hours at the lab leave no time for a social life. For ten days at Carnevale, she can pretend to be someone else. Someone sexy and daring, who lives on the edge.
Once she meets Bruno, her wish comes true, but everything goes terribly wrong. Beneath Bruno’s costume lurks an alpha male, but is he dangerous? Worse, can she return to an employer who sells her research to the military to make an army of efficient killers? Her only hope may lie with the man she’s just met and never seen.
Cursed launched Decadent Publishing’s new Tease line:
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=767&osCsid=55spbi1c1g6m9c5lo8rdo7jd17
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-The-Vitruvian-Man-ebook/dp/B00CGM8ARA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1366571454&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Cate+Masters%2C+cursed
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cursed-cate-masters/1046524638?ean=2940016637204
Coffee Time Romance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/decadent-publishing-c-93/cursed-p-9911
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cursed-1169369-140.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/308564
What is something that you absolutely can't live without? (Other than family members)
Honestly, I've been truly blessed. Besides my family, the only thing I need is time to write. I am miserable if I can't. I've had jobs ranging from university secretary to an environmental foundation's research assistant to a statewide association's member services director to Department of State deputy press secretary, and the more demanding the position, the more unhappy I was. I love to feel like I'm giving my all, doing the best job I can, but if I don't have time to write, no salary is enough compensation. Being a writer is all I've ever wanted.
Could you ever co author a book with someone? If so, who would you choose, and what would you write?
One of my critique partners suggested we collaborate awhile ago. With so many WIPs to finish, I haven't had the opportunity yet, but someday I hope we do. She's a very gifted writer.
If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?
One of my WIPs relates to ancient Egypt, so I'd love to shadow Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. I'm in awe of women who left indelible marks on history.
What are some of your other hobbies outside of writing?
I used to have so many hobbies! These days, writing takes precedence, but reading's a close second. Photography's always been a passion, too. My garden's less impressive than it used to be, but I still love gardening.
What is something you've always wanted to do, but haven't done yet. Why not?
Family and financial restrictions put a damper on travel, but I would love to. There's so much to explore and learn!
If you were on the staff to have a book adapted to movie, what would you pick?
I'd do my best to convince them to make mine! Cursed is a unique world, full of magic and danger. Oh, and the wardrobe would be amazing! Those Carnevale costumes are just gorgeous. I already have a cast selected too - take a peek: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2013/04/casting-call-cursed-vitruvian-man-book-1.html
What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?
I'd love to play a musical instrument. When I was young, I tried to teach myself piano and guitar. It didn't go so well, lol. But I am enthralled by musicians like Rodrigo Y Gabrielle, or Béla Fleck - truly amazing, original musical artists.
Favorite color?
Cerulean. I love how the word sounds too!
Weather: Hot or cold?
I'm a changing-seasons kind of girl. Though if someone gave me a hut on Belize, I'd live there. :)
Favorite place to read?
I'll read anywhere, but it's nice and quiet in my writing room.
Favorite meal
Something cooked by someone else, lol. I'm not a big foodie, and all the cooking genes in my family went to my sister Claudia.
Favorite non-alcoholic drink.
Hot black tea. Gotta have it every day.
If you could travel anywhere and do anything, no limits or money holding you back, where would you go?
Everywhere. Seriously. I want to visit each of the fifty states, then head to Europe. Ireland and England first, to trace mine and hubby's roots, then I'd just keep going!
Thanks again for having me here today! It's been a real pleasure.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Cate
Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll
always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her
dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew
of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her
cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at
http://catemasters.blogspot.com, and in strange nooks and far-flung
corners of the web.
Cate
loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com
Cate
Masters -
Magic, mayhem and a little romance
Thanks for having me today! And for featuring Cursed.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! I love that Cate writes so many genres!
ReplyDelete~Jess