Speaking up

I'm reposting this from last Saturday on my blog. It's too important not to spread the word.

I woke up today, psyched that it was a Saturday -- free time, which means writing. Loosing into words those ideas that have been building up inside my head all week.

But I can't. My head's reeling with outrage and indignation. I read Delilah Dawson'spost and it left me stupefied. I wanted to reach out and hug her for all she's had to endure. I wanted to tell her it will be all right. Things will get better.

Except I don't believe it. Especially after reading Ann Aguire's post (linked to Delilah's), and the ugly comments that followed. Horrendous replies that attacked her personally, and bordered on threatening. All because she's writing what she loves.

And then I began remembering all the times I hadn't spoken up.

The time when another author said she "didn't understand women's fiction and would never write it." (A YA author.)

The time I got so excited that Margaret Atwood came to speak at a local college, but she quashed my decades-old awe of her by literally laughing at the romance genre. When my turn in line came to have my book signed, I couldn't say anything to her. I couldn't understand why a writer of her superstar status felt the need to put down other writers. So I said nothing as she signed my book, and I didn't even say thanks or goodbye afterward.

Other instances have left me puzzled too.

Writers who started out the same time as me, before I began writing romance but who now look at me as less than a serious writer.

It astounds me even more when writers within the same genre bash each other. It's almost a given that non-romance authors consider romance stories to be fluff. But romance writers bashing other romance writers?

And the latest head-scratcher: complaints about authors helping other authors promote their work. Alex J. Cavanaughmentioned it in this post. Which -- unbelievable as it is -- was part of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Alex is an amazing guy who helps other writers regardless of genre, and I applaud him.

So now I'm responding.

Delilah Dawson and Ann Aguire, I truly wish I could say things will get better. They won't. There will always be people who feel the need to belittle others. Be sorry for them. And then keep writing awesome stories.

What I should have said to the YA author who "didn't get" women's fiction:  Fine. Don't read it. Plenty of readers "get it" and love it. Read whatever you like.

To Margaret Atwood: Bullshit. An author of your status should be encouraging other writers, not creating divisive cliques to exclude certain types. Leave that for your fiction.

Me, not a serious writer? Really? I spend every spare moment of my time either writing, promoting, or trying to better my craft through how-to books. And I read as often as possible--mainstream, scifi, urban fantasy, fantasy, contemporary, historical, steampunk. Whatever. Genre doesn't matter to me. I'm drawn to stories with compelling story lines, engaging characters and dialogue. Well written stories. (Because face it, crappy stories exist in every genre.)

To romance writers: Romance has a myriad of subgenres. Some stories don't fit the specific definition of romance, but end up there because it might contain a romantic element. It's a marketing gimmick, nothing more, but that's the way it is. It doesn't make your subgenre any better than another. Again, let the readers decide which they prefer.

To those who object to authors helping each other promote, I'll repeat my response that I left on Alex's blog: Why anyone would object to one another helping another with promotion is beyond me. Writers work hard enough to write a great book, but promotion is another full-time job. If blog visitors don't want to read about an author's work, they're fully capable of skipping over it. I love to help other authors spread the word about their work, and I've been blessed with plenty of generous writers who help me as well.

To anyone who feels the need to lash out at a writer--for whatever reason--get the hell over yourself. If you think you can write a better book, go for it. That's how lots of writers started out. Some succeeded, others discovered it isn't such a cakewalk to create great stories. It's damn hard work. Again--and I'm not sure why this is so difficult a concept to wrap your head around--support the writers you do love by buying their books. If you don't like an author's work, don't buy it. Period.

Author or reader, let's have some respect. If you can't manage that much, then I hope you learn someday how to embrace your humanity.

I encourage other authors to read both Delilah and Ann's posts. Then speak up as well. Bigotry's rooted in a lack of education, so let's educate everyone. Even ourselves.

And now, I've already lost half a day. I'm going to write.

Peace.

Wait! There's More!

After writing about this topic yesterday, I found a tweet from Chuck Sambuchino this morning, so I thought I'd share his thoughts on 5 Things Writers Need to Do Besides Write.

Happy reading...and writing!

On Writing and Social Media

Once upon a time, a writer wrote. She picked up an implement of some sort, set it to paper and poured words from her head onto the surface. Often, the words were jumbled and in need of some sort of revision, but occasionally, they were beautiful.

Some writers still do this, eschewing desktops and laptops for more traditional and rudimentary tools - paper and pencil, ink or crayon. Others hail the keyboard, thrilled by its ability to enable them to get the words onto the page quickly, before they float away like dandelion dust on a spring day.

But the computer and its compatriot, the Internet, will not be ignored. Not satisfied to simply leech into the minds of authors, tempting them with the fruits of speed and ubiquity, they have corrupted the minds of publishers as well.

Now writers must do more than write. They must blog and tweet, pin and post, comment and correspond in pithy phrases and keywords that show they are search engine-savvy. Electronic Sirens, these pursuits that surround the art of writing lure writers away from their true calling for hours, disguising themselves as forms of the same craft that these writers pursue. Before they know it, these writers have lost hours, even days, promoting themselves into oblivion as the tool becomes the task.

As in all things, moderation is key. Turning away from the temptress entirely can lead to oblivion of a different kind, and so we must blog and tweet with discretion, pin and post with care. Refusing to gorge ourselves on technology, astute authors will learn when to push ahead and when to retreat with our laptops and pens. Often, the allure of the Internet will be too great, but occasionally we will find balance, pulling ourselves from the murky waters of self-promotion and into the sunlight of creation, knowing all the while that the symbiosis is undeniable.

Once upon a time, a writer wrote. And though the web of writing tasks in which she immerses herself has grown more sticky with time and technology, a true writer still finds writing at its hub.

Cursed has released!

Cursed

The Vitruvian Man, book 1

Paranormal romance (sensual)

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.

Available at

Decadent Publishing:

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 Ebooks:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cursed-1169369-140.html

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.

Freebie for National Library Week

Happy National Library Week! To celebrate, I'm making my short fantasy, The Duende and the Muse, available for free from Smashwords. Just enter the coupon code LW85J at checkout. Hurry - it expires April 19!

Happy reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated. :)

It's cover reveal day!

Decadent Tease is unveiling all the fabulous covers for their new line! Come over and check them out! (As of this posting, the links from the main page weren't working, but my reveal page link is http://decadenttease.com/1-cursed-cover-reveal/

Besides the covers, you can enter to win all sorts of goodies! Each author is hosting a giveaway. Come over and join the party!

Countdown to launch begins!

I'm so excited that my paranormal, Cursed, will spearhead the launch of Decadent Publishing's new Tease line!

Here's the short 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.

Watch my blog for news: http://catemasters.blogspot.com Lots of fun events are in the works!

Do You Know Any Teen Writers?

Writers Jill Williamson, who has many published and forthcoming YA novels has joined author Stephanie Morrill to publish a book for teens on getting published. Teens can also hang out at the Go Teen Writers website to discuss writing, find out about writing opportunities, and learn from published authors.

Here's the blurb for Go Teen Writers:

Whether you’re just starting to write your first story or you’ve finished and are wondering how to edit, this book will help you learn how to perfect your craft and get your project ready for publication. Click to learn more.

Includes tips for:

-Getting published, finding the right agent, book surgery, thicker plots, deeper characters, richer settings, weaving in theme, dealing with people who don’t get your writing
Find this book at your local bookstore, or…
On ebook at: Amazon.com • BarnesandNoble.com • Kobo

If you know a teen writer, this makes a great gift. But you don't have to be a teen to appreciate the book. Even adult writers (including published authors) can learn from the many tips Jill and Stephanie have put together. It's not a refresher on the basics, but instead it gives many great hints on how to improve saggy middles, how to brainstorm plot ideas, and how to deal with people who don't understand your desire to write.

We're thrilled to be the first stop on an exciting blog tour for Tameka Fryer Brown, who is launching her book, MY COLD PLUM LEMON PIE BLUESY MOOD. With a title like that, you just know it’s going to be a great read. In fact, I was so struck by the title that it was the first thing I asked about when I interviewed Tameka:  



I adore your title, Tameka, and the way you play with words. I'd love it if you could talk about how you come up with your creative ideas and then pull them together in such a lyrical way.

Thanks, Laurie. It is a pretty cool title—but I can’t take sole credit for it. My agent, my editor, the art director, sales and marketing...all of us were involved. It was a major team effort. I suppose my ideas come to me much the same as most writers’ do: an interesting turn of phrase, human behavior, song lyrics, memories, even dreams—these are all things that have influenced stories I’ve crafted. The lyrical part, I suppose that’s just a characteristic of my personal voice as an author.

 Even when I’m not attempting to write in rhyme, my stories tend to emerge in some poetic fashion. For example, MY COLD PLUM LEMON PIE BLUESY MOOD (Viking Children’s) came out as free verse—and when I say “came out,” I mean that literally. One day I was being self-reflective, acknowledging that my behavior that day was due to my being “in a mood.” Immediately it struck me that this would make a great title or first line of a picture book (first lines and titles are what usually come to me initially). Once I sat down to write the story, the words just started flowing.  

Here’s a sneak peek at the book trailer:

 

Can you tell us a bit more about your other books--published and in process?  

AROUND OUR WAY ON NEIGHBORS’ DAY (Abrams, illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb) is my debut title. I describe it as a love story between a young girl and her close-knit, multicultural neighborhood. MY COLD PLUM LEMON PIE BLUESY MOOD (Viking Children’s) is my second book. It’s illustrated by Shane W. Evans, winner of last year’s Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, and I am extremely excited about it! I fell in love with the sketches when I first saw them, and the finished artwork does not disappoint. The pictures are so colorful and lively—I believe kids are going to adore them as much as I do! I am working on another picture book project, but I’m keeping the details a secret for now.

Can't wait to see that secret project go public. And how lucky you are to have two talented illustrators for your books. I loved the art in Shane W. Evans’s award winning title, Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, which is quite different from his work on your book. But both of these books have amazing illustrations. And Charlotte Riley-Webb has a wonderful vibrant style in your book as well as in her many other titles, including Sweet Potato Pie and Our Children Can Soar.

***  
Everyone always enjoys hearing authors’ success stories. Can you tell us yours?

I decided to pursue children’s book writing after being a stay-at-home mother for about eight years. I felt it was time for me to get back to some type of cerebral pursuit and, having read tons of wonderful and not so wonderful picture books during that time, I was sure I could write some pretty good ones myself. Of course, I had to learn what “pretty good” was and was not, but I do believe my hard work and persistence are finally paying off.  

And I don't know about you, but I always enjoy seeing pictures of an author as a child. Tameka was kind enough to supply a picture of her as a youngster and as a fifth grader. I'm betting she was a talented writer and storyteller even then.

 For more about Tameka Fryer Brown you can visit her website or visit her Facebook page. And be sure to follow her whirlwind blog tour this month.

Techies, Artists and Dreamers

One of my New Year's resolutions was to update my website, which has grown tired. Step one was some new photos. Step two was contacting my webmaster - the one who put the site together for me while he was still in college, before he secured a full-time job with a tech giant in California - to see if he had time to tackle some changes.

I chose my photographer and my webmaster for several reasons. Budget was definitely a contributing factor, as was loyalty (my web guy is my friend's son, and my photographer is the daughter of our youth minister), but the fact that they're both enthusiastic, talented and just starting out was important to me as well.

As writers, we're always putting ourselves and our work out there, hoping someone will give us a chance, waiting to see our byline and our work published for all the world to see. We count on someone giving us that opportunity to show what we can do.

Recently, my first novel was accepted by a small press, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. I was over the moon, and not just because I got a book contract, but also because of who offered it to me. Although I'm just at the beginning of this publication journey, I feel as though I've entered into a partnership. I didn't sign on the dotted line, drop off my work and go on with my life. I get to be a part of this process during the entire time my book is under construction. Maybe that's the norm - I don't know - I'm new to the fiction publishing game. All I know is that I like the rules I'm playing by.

If  you're not a hands-on person, you might choose a different path. And perhaps I'd love simply writing a check and handing off my website to someone who knows more about this stuff than I do (and that would be practically anyone!), but I doubt it. I like knowing that I'm supporting those brave enough to spread their wings and fly toward their dreams, and I certainly appreciate the support of those who do that for me.