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Cate Masters

Interviewed by Teagan

Today, the BookWenches are pleased to have Cate Masters with them. We recently had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Cate's book Picture This .

Hi Cate, it's wonderful to be talking with you today.

Thanks so much! I’m very happy to be here with the BookWenches.

Picture This is a book that centers around an issue that any woman dreads; not being memorable to a man that made a mark on her. Is there a reason you chose this particular scenario?

Actually this story evolved during many many revisions. It started as a short story, and some kind editors told me I’d condensed too much into too small a space. So I fleshed the story out, and changed the plot line to focus more on Sydney and Ben. Ben has some personal issues to work through as well as Sydney, so the story isn’t what it appears to be at first, just as many people aren’t as they always appear on the surface.

In Picture This, you have made both Sydney and Ben to be quite "real" people instead of romantic ideals. Where do you draw your ideas for your characters?

Out of my head. There are quite a few unruly characters roaming there! Seriously, though, I like to read about characters I can relate to, so that’s how I tend to write as well. In stories as in life, I find flawed characters much more interesting. Perfect would be boring. And no one wants to read a boring story. :)

As you wrote this story, did Sydney and Ben behave themselves and do as you told them to, or did they seem to have minds and motivations of their own?

They definitely had minds of their own. Usually, while I’m writing, I have a very vivid movie version going in my head, and I just write while the characters go about their business. Robert Downey Jr. played Ben in the movie version, with a young Holly Hunter as Sydney.

We enjoyed the sense of humor that shone through Picture This. Is this a recurring theme in your work?

Yes, in most (but not all) of my stories, even in my darker fantasies, there’s usually a light touch, if not outright humor. I like to mix things up a bit. I was surprised to see my latest release, an erotic romance, listed as an “erotic comedy romance” on one site. Not that it doesn’t have humor and a very light story, but labels sometimes surprise me.

Wilderness Girl is your latest novel, and though I haven't had the time to read it yet, it is on my TBR list. I absolutely love the blurb. Can you tell us a little about the book, and what is your favorite part of it?

Thank you! I have to admit, Wilderness Girl was great fun to write. Hank and Dana complement each other so well, despite outwardly appearing to be complete opposites. Hank reminds me of my hubby when we first met. Definitely a case of love at first sight. I like that it’s not easily classified, too – it’s an erotic romance, but also a very sweet romance (the “erotic comedy romance” I referred to above) that I hope will make readers fall in love with Hank and Dana, make readers root for both characters but also make them laugh.

While following your blog, I got a glimpse of your new book, Reflections. Will you please tell us about a little about it?

Happy to! Reflections is a short Halloween-themed story with a romantic element. A novelty catalog displaying a crystal ball actually sparked the idea for the story. The item description went into intriguing detail that I had to research it more (I’m a bit of a research junkie, I admit). I’ve always been fascinated by the notion that the barrier between this world and the other dissolves on All Hallows’ Eve, too. And the antique mirror seemed to fit this notion nicely. It’s such a short story, I can’t give too much away, but suffice to say it’s packed with action.

You have written for numerous publishers, what draws you to a particular publisher?

The publishers’ guidelines dictate where I submit, either in length or genre. At the time I began submitting, I had many stories at once, so spread them between a few pubs. I’ve since learned to space out my submissions to prevent future releases too close to one another.

What is your favorite part of writing a book?

Every aspect except revisions. I’ve grown more resigned to edits, because my sensible side tells me that’s where the real story shines through. Still, sometimes getting to that shiny place is a little bit painful. :)

Do you find that you already know what you are going to write when you put pen to paper or does the story unfold as you go?

I usually start with a basic idea and rough out an outline as I follow the characters. Guess I’m sort of a post-plotter. I like to keep track along the way, but in the beginning really don’t know where we’re all headed. Guess that makes me a plantser.

Of all your stories and characters, which would you say are your favorites? Why?

I love all my characters as I write them, so whatever story I’m currently writing is my favorite. And I’m not just saying that! I think it helps me capture the emotion of my characters. (Maybe that’s another reason revisions are difficult – it’s hard to get back to that emotional state.)

Writing books, blogging, and writing articles probably keep you pretty busy. What do you like to do in your "off" time...if you have any?

Off time’s pretty few and far between these days, but spending time with my family takes priority, and sometimes I’ll wander around with a camera – I live in a very scenic area and have been lucky to catch some amazing shots, which I use in trailers.

How did you get started writing? Did you always want to be an author?

Not consciously. I just did it, beginning at about age 10, when I began writing poetry. That continued throughout high school, though I also wrote for the school newspaper and at first aimed to be a journalist. I eventually did freelance for a local paper, but fiction’s my biggest love.

We always assume that there is some kind of special inspiration behind what and how an author writes. Is this true for you and what might that inspiration be?

I love stories of all kinds, so maybe that explains why I write across such a wide range of genres. Great writing inspires me to write, and when I was young, I loved Ray Bradbury, HP Lovecraft, and JRR Tolkien. Later, authors such as Michael Chabon, Margaret Atwood and TC Boyle absolutely captivated me. I always aspire to write as well as them. Maybe someday.

Do you have any upcoming work you would like to share with us? In addition to Reflections, I have two others due out. My historical adventure romance novel, Angels Sinners and Madmen, will be released by Freya’s Bower (haven’t started edits yet, so I’m not sure of a release date). The Wild Rose Press will release Design for Life as part of their Flower Basket series in about February 2010. I have four novels circulating with pubs now, so I’m hoping to have some good news on them soon!

How can your fans find you on the internet?

I’d love for readers to check out my sites:

Web site: www.catemasters.com

Blog: http://catemasters.blogspot.com

I have a fan page at Facebook.

And more recently, have begun to tweet: www.twitter.com/CateMasters

Thanks again for having me at BookWenches! It’s been great fun.

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