Today I'm showcasing Cate Masters who's had NINE acceptances in less than a year and a total of FIFTEEN since her run of good luck began. In addition, Cate’s short stories and flash fiction have appeared in various web zines and press sites. I’ve asked her to share a bit about her recent successes. We can all use inspiration like that!
You write in a lot of genres. Do you have a favorite and why?
Some of your books are set in areas where you've lived/grown up. Can you share some of your memories of those places & why they're special to you?
I was very lucky to grow up in an artsy community. Lambertville/New Hope is nationally known for its art, antiques and theater. I also had incredibly talented friends who all loved music as much as I did. Since about third grade, we wrote poetry together, sang together, drew and painted. An amazingly nourishing environment for being creative. But I also like to explore places I’ve never been through writing. The Internet makes it easy to research locations, and I’ve also sent for visitors guides to help provide setting details. Fantasy’s fun for creating new worlds.
Growing up in an artsy community has carried over to your writing. Many of your stories contain references to art and music. What arts do you have a passion for?
Thank you! My husband and I recognized our son Chris’ gift for music at about age two and tried to nurture it by keeping his instrument supply updated. He has an uncanny ability to listen to a song once and play it. He also writes his own music, and I used his songs in my first three trailers. Below is the trailer for Seventh Heaven. I took the photos of the Lambertville/New Hope area on a trip home.
He's obviously very talented, as are you. Has following your passion encouraged your other children to follow theirs?
My daughter Abbey’s a stickler for language like me (luckily, she inherited my husband’ math skills and his mechanical aptitude). My youngest, Becca, has collaborated in designing furniture with my husband, who’s a woodworker, and sketched some pretty cool fashion, too. The Wild Rose Press recently contracted Design for Life, a story I wrote for Becca, as part of their Flower Basket series. I hope I’ve inspired my kids to follow their bliss, to explore within themselves and discover the gratification of nurturing their souls.
To have written so many books and stories, you must have a wonderful imagination. Where do you get your ideas? And what do you do if your muse decides to take a vacation?
Again, it depends on the story. My imagination’s triggered by any number of things. Sometimes I hear a character’s line in my head, and the story takes off from there. Sometimes a name will evoke an entire character. My imagination’s very vivid, and I generally see the story in my head like a movie. While on vacation in Key West five years ago, we visited a maritime museum and a story vision stopped me in my tracks (no liquor was involved, I swear!). That’s the only time that’s ever happened. It was a bit scary! But I spent a day in the Key West library copying old articles and bought a few books about the area’s history. Last year, I signed up for NaNoWriMo and focused on that story, finally. That historical romance novel is now circulating with publishers.
Any habits/rituals you follow to get yourself in the writing mode?
What stumbling blocks have you encountered and how have you overcome them?
What comes first in your writing process? A scene, characters, title? Are you a plotter?
Depends. The title’s usually last. I rarely like the titles I come up with. Initially, I was a total pantser and let the characters drive the story. Sometimes it was like herding cats. But plotting doesn’t work well for me. I find it too restricting. I settled on outlining, which helps me to know where the story’s going in general, but have the wiggle room to let my characters wander off on a tangent if they insist.
What characters in your books are most like you and why?
So what's the real Cate Masters like?
What do you find most challenging about being a writer?
A few years ago, Ian McEwan visited our area to promote Saturday, after his success with Atonement. At his booksigning, I asked him for advice for wannabe-published authors. He said: Keep writing. At the time, I thought he just wanted to keep the long line moving, but I’ve since realized the truth of it. It’s so important to just keep at it. I’d also advise you not to be hard on yourself. Rejection’s tough to endure, but use it to improve your writing. And don’t take it personally. If a story’s rejected, polish it up and send it right back out until some editor or publisher picks it up.
I don’t believe in regrets. Sometimes what feels like the wrong path in life can actually provide something useful you’ll need on your way to where you want to go. Hmm, sounds very mystical but I believe it’s true. I’m probably living proof!
Okay, I do have one regret: that I was never in a girl band. I’m pretty sure I could’ve given the GoGos a run for their money, if I’d ever learned to sing and play guitar at the same time!
Ahh...but I'm sure her readers won't regret the time and energy you've poured into learning your craft. And who knows? With so much success already heading your way, maybe that girl band is next.
For those of you who are dying to read Cate's latest release, she has a special treat for readers:
She's giving away a PDF copy of Seventh Heaven. To enter, email her at cate.masters@gmail.com with Seventh Heaven Contest in the subject line. If you win, she’ll respond to your email with the PDF attached. She’ll announce the winner here and on her blog tomorrow, April 23, at 9 p.m. Also, be sure to leave a comment for Cate.
That's not the only giveaway Cate's participating in. I mentioned The Wild Rose Press Sony e-reader contest in previous posts (see below). Buy a copy of Seventh Heaven by Cate Masters for a chance to win!
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