Guest Interview -- Cate Masters

Midnight Seductions Guest Interview

Cate Masters

1. Tell us about your most recent release.

Eternal Press released my contemporary novel, Fever Dreams, on May 7. It crosses into the fantasy genre with dream sequences, which were such fun to write. Dreams can be bizarre, but also a means of your subconscious revealing your fantasies and fears, so I gave my imagination free rein for those sections. And the romance part was fun too. :) I was pleased with the way the music meshed so well with the images for the trailer – take a peek:

http://www.youtube.com/user/catemasters?feature=mhw4#p/a/u/0/9nA_fWQ_3vc

Here's the story blurb: When Diana Taylor changes jobs, she doesn’t expect it to change her life. Meeting Cal opens up a new world of passion. He encourages her to pursue her passion for photography. Her love overwhelms her, blurs the line between reality and dreams. But is it love or obsession?

2. What genre do you prefer to write? Is there a genre you’d like to write in that you haven’t tried yet? I don’t actually have a favorite. I write across fantasy/dark fantasy, contemporary, historical, women’s lit, sweet, erotic and speculative. I love to experiment. I’d love to write an urban fantasy series, and in fact have some ideas in mind that are very exciting to me, and I can’t wait to get to them. But first I need to finish up a paranormal romance novel.

3. What do you like to read? The same genres I write, but lately I’ve been delving more into fantasy and urban fantasy. There are so many incredible authors, it’s hard to choose! Right now I’m reading Natasha Mostert’s Season of the Witch, and below that on the TBR pile is her novel, Keeper of Light and Dusk. Many many others lurk beneath, from Linda Robertson, Jackie Kessler, Nail Gaiman, Alice Hoffman… it’s a huge pile!

4. What do you feel is your strength as an author? For instance: characterization, dialogue,
sexual tension, sex scenes???? I’ll defer to critics here, and quote a few reviewers, who described some of my stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” “such romantic tales that really touch your soul,” “filled with action scenes which made it a riveting story,” “A nice SPICY read that is titillating, sexy and an ending that makes the journey worth the trip” and “the author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.”

5. How did you choose your pen name? Does it hold some significance special to
you? When I first began shopping my work around, I used my first initials and maiden name, C.A. Masterson. Later, it occurred to me I needed something easier to remember, so I shortened it to Cate Masters. So yes, the fact that it’s a variation of my maiden name is very significant to me.

6. Where do you see your writing career taking you? Goals for two, four, six
years. My goal is to keep working hard at my craft, always reaching for the next level of excellence, and hopefully readers will enjoy what I write. The ultimate goal is to be on the New York Times bestseller list. Within two years would be great. :) I’ll keep going as long as the ideas excite me, and hopefully readers as well.

7. Do you ever use people you know as characters in your book, or composites? Never ever. It’s a personal rule. I do, however, use names. For instance, the editor Claudia in my novella Picture This is named for my sister Claudia. Last year, I finished a contemporary romance and dedicated to my friend Jerry Trently, who died of brain cancer, and with his widow’s permission, named the hero after him. But the name is the only similarity, besides the fact that in the end, he gets to go home and live on the farm in Berrysburg my friend loved so much. It felt good to give him the HEA he deserved. I’m hoping the pub I submitted it to will give me some good news on that one soon.

8. Do you find that your creativity is more active mornings, afternoon, or
evenings? I’m not a writer who waits for the muse to kick in. One of the quotes above my desk is from author Barbara Kingsolver: “Chain that muse to the desk and get the job done!” Barring obligations and interruptions, I’ve been known to write from the wee hours of the morning till late at night.

9. What well-known author would you compare your work to or hope that you've
achieved the same level of excitement? Comparisons make me cringe. I’d love to have the ability to write lyrical prose on the order of Alice Hoffman, or the incredible stories of T.C. Boyle or Neil Gaiman. Actually a combination of those would be amazing! If wishes were horses, I’d be riding Pegasus over the moon…

10. What’s your favorite leisure activity? Why? Tough question, as I don’t get much leisure time outside of writing. Gardening and photography are among my favorite hobbies – gardening because I love to grow fresh, healthy vegetables for my family to eat, and photography because it’s another creative outlet, and one that comes in handy for making book trailers, which I also enjoy. For sheer relaxation, just sitting with my husband on our deck under the stars is wonderful.

Thanks so much for having me here at Midnight Seductions! It’s been a pleasure.