One Soul for Sale releases today!

by Cate Masters
The long awaited day has arrived! Eternal Press releases One Soul for Sale today! Woo hoo!



Eternal Press is having an all-day launch party - stop over and help us celebrate! Mine is one of seven titles out today. You just might win a prize.

Cate Masters’ novellas, short stories and flash fiction have appeared in various web zines and epress sites. Visit her online at www.catemasters.com, www.catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook

Work or Work?

There have been a few posts here lately about time management and the challenges of dual careers. I thought I would take the opportunity to weigh in on my own frustrations.
Like so many writers, I have to keep that full time job to pay the bills. It's not only the money, it's the health benefits that must be considered. I have children so that means large expensives in health care, education and FOOD. So I fit my writing in around working and all the responsibilities that go with being a parent.
I'm luckier than some writers in that my 'day job' is in education. I'm assured of having every weekend off and holidays. After Monday, I'll have the summer months off except for a few days of inservice training. (Must schools switch their grading systems every few years?) Looking at all these days off, one would think I get a lot of writing done in the summer months, but I don't.
It's not having the children at home. They're all teenagers or older, but I wish I could blame it on them. Yes, I'll spend many evenings going to their baseball and softball games. I'll work out with my daughter on her summer conditioning for field hockey, but I do all that during the school year. It's the daytime hours that escape me.
I spent this morning mowing the grass after days of rain. The weeds look like some kind of alien flora invasion into my flowerbeds. I have three stacks of branches and trimmings I need to send through the chipper.... You get the idea. I have plans for stripping wall paper and painting inside for these weeks of 'leisure.'
Even with all that, why do I get less writing done in the summer than during the months I'm teaching? I'm not sure, but I think it's because I spend the days under the illusion that I have so much free time, I can write 'later' after I finish this one more flower bed, clean this one more room or try this one new recipe. At the end of the day, I'm tired, feel fulfilled by my accomplishments and just know I'll have more time to write tomorrow. After all, I do have over two months off.
What about you? Is there a time of year when your writing output is the best? Is there a time when it's the least? And does it make sense that it should be that way?

A New Printer vs. a Replacement Cartridge

My color laser printer needed a new cartridge. It had a hissy fit, refusing to print until I jammed in a new magenta cartridge. So I went to the store, ready to pay $92 for the replacement cartridge.

I decided to look at the new printers. I spotted a combo Lexmark – it’s a printer, copier, fax, scanner, photo printer. It is also wireless, connecting onto my wireless network through the router. And it was only $79. I can position the printer anywhere in my office. It does not need to be tethered to a computer. It stands alone anywhere. And I can print from my laptop, even if I am in the backyard writing and working, and need to print a page or two.

I am no fool. I bought the new printer. It even came with OCR software that really works! I can’t believe. I tested it with five pages of a manuscript. It automatically feeds the pages, and it looks like 100% recognition. The final document ended up in a new Word document, ready for me to work on it.

And it prints envelopes! I hate a printer that doesn’t print an envelope.

I am probably going to buy, sooner or later, a small black and white laser. For manuscripts and proofing, it seems to make sense to me to print quick and cheap copies of pages. I still prefer to edit on paper. I will probably never change. It’s a matter of me being an old dog not willing to change to do a new trick. But then again, I may not. I might just use this new printer exclusively. It really does have a lot of neat options! I need to get some photo paper and try printing out a couple pictures. If that works as well as I suspect, I may be spending too much time printing photos rather than writing.

I am amazed at the quality of this inkjet printer that was cheaper to buy than an ink cartridge. I just can’t believe what $79 buys these days.

-- George Sheldon, www.georgesheldon.com

Wild Rose Press to select Sony eReader winner soon!

by Cate Masters
Time's running out!
On Tuesday, June 9, some lucky person will win a Sony eReader. But first, s/he must buy an ebook from The Wild Rose Press by one of the participating authors (hopefully me!) Details are here.
Choose from either Seventh Heaven or The Duende and the Muse - each only $2.00. Such a small cost for a great reward.
Both stories have received excellent reviews:
Seventh Heaven
WDRF's "Memorable Good" review concluded: This is a read that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The deep and powerful setting of this story had me wiping away tears while cheering James on. Cate has a great story on her hands with this.
LASR's 4-book review concluded: Cate Masters is a gifted writer who wrote this book with talent and marvelous imagery. I could almost see, taste, hear and touch what was occurring in "Seventh Heaven." If you are looking for a book with a wonderful plot that is very well written as well as being entertaining, "Seventh Heaven" is the book for you. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Masters' work.
The Duende and the Muse
Author Hywela Lyn's 5-star review: This little gem is an absolute delight. It's quite unusual in that it's a first person, present tense narrative, and this gives it an wonderful immediacy. I felt I was right there with Melinda, sharing her frustration that her student doesn't seem to hear her, her anxiety that if she doesn't succeed with him she might lose her muse status – and the heat she feels when a certain duende is near her. Cate Masters puts words together in a way that is almost poetic, and brings the magic of her world to life. It's a delightful, quick and fun read and I can thoroughly recommend it.
Cate Masters’ novellas, short stories and flash fiction have appeared in various web zines and epress sites. Visit her online at www.catemasters.com, www.catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook

Balancing Act

Sometimes, being a writer is all about balance. Balancing work and life, balancing a full-time job and writing, balancing the things you want to write and the things you have to write. I work full time as a school counselor, and in my "free time," my writing projects include articles on spec and on assignment, along with the projects I want to work on, and assignments for a writing class I am taking.

For better or for worse, I am mood-driven in my approach to my writing; I tend to work on the projects that appeal to me in the moment. As long as I keep deadlines posted on paper and/or in the back of my mind, my approach works fine ~ in fact, it works quite well because I write better when I'm focused on something that appeals to me.

George's blog yesterday focused on a similar kind of balance ~ the balance between pleasure and responsibility. Simply by taking his laptop out into the warm sunshine, he managed to achieve a balance between two things that can be so contradictory.

And so it is with my mood-driven writing. By focusing on the project ~ or a part of it ~ that is my heart's desire, I bring my writing out into the sunshine. It doesn't happen every day, or with every bit of every project, but when it does, the writing just flows and everything is easier.

Here's to sunny writing days and unclouded evenings.

It's Perfect Weather to be a Writer

These words are being composed on my laptop. Me and my laptop are in the backyard, under a maple tree. It's a perfect weather day, and it's a perfect day to be a writer.

I am just fine tuning chapter two of my next book. It's just being tweaked.

My laptop is WIFI compatible, and it's talking to my wireless router, giving me complete freedom to be outside as I write, but keeping me connected to the world via the Internet. Technology is just too cool.

One of the questions I get asked often is 'why do you write?'

My reply has been, "Because I must."

If I were asked why I write today, I would likely say, "It's a perfect day to be a writer."

And of course, I'd add, "Because I must."

What's in a Name?

Have you ever read a book where the name of the characters stuck in your head long after you finished the novel? Like hearing a song on the radio in the morning and then carrying it in your head all day long even when you try to forget it. Naming a character can be very important for making a lasting impression with readers.
I don't know about other authors, but I brood over characters names each time I start a new book. Especially in fantasy fiction, the name of a character should inspire an image of who and what that person is. For instance, if the name of a character is Morag, the reader isn't going to be expecting this person to be the hero of the tale. Morag, sometimes spelled Mhorag, is a monster in Scottish folklore.
In my fantasy series coming from Medallion Press, I've used many names from folklore and mythology for characters and beasts. Bayard is the war horse ridden by the male protagonist in The Chronicle of Futhark. In folklore tales of medieval France and Italy, Bayard is the name often given to Charlemagne's immortal horse. Bayard was faster than a normal horse and perhaps possessed of other magical abilities. Though the horse in my book isn't enchanted in any way, he is quite special.
A Gorgon is a monster for a variety of monsters from Greek mythology and perhaps with some Roman influence. I changed the name a little and endowed one of my monsters with the moniker of 'gordragon.' It's a rather enemy.
As a reader, do you assume certain images from a character's name? As a writer, do you spend long hours considering names for all the persons and creatures appearing in your works? Has a particularly clever name used in a literary work made a lasting impression?

You Can Write With Just a Pen and Paper

I just finished reading a profile of Elmore Leonard in the July/August 2009 issue of AARP Magazine. It's a great article about this prolific writer.

One of the things that fascincates me is that Elmore doesn't use a laptop or desktop computer to compose his prose. He uses a ballpoint and a yellow legal pad. He said he can’t imagine typing words on a screen. When he finally has a handwritten page the way he likes it, us then puts it on an IBM Wheelwriter 1000.

Elmore is known for giving writers the advice, "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."

My favorite lines in the artile was at the end: “After 58 years you’d think writing would get easier. It doesn’t. If you’re lucky, you become hard to please. That’s all right, it’s still a pleasure.”

-- George Sheldon, www.georgesheldon.com

Would Some Booze Help You Write?

The other day I ran across an interesting tidbit about those folks that work in the media. Now this information is for our comrades across the great pond. It seems like those of us in the media field like to drink - about double that of regular, non-media folks.

Media workers are the heaviest drinking professionals in England,
consuming the equivalent of more than four bottles of wine or more than 19 pints
of beer a week, according to government research.

People in the profession drink an average of 44 units a week,
around double the recommended limit, a Department of Health survey
finds.

The source for this information is here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/may/24/media-workers-drinking-habits

There is no such study -- yet -- for Pennsylvania writers and in particular, those of us in the Susquehanna Valley. I suppose some of us might enjoy some wine while we write and prepare our prose. Others might choose a smooth brew or some other adult beverage.

It's good to know that I now have an excuse to partake. I can blame it on my profession. And lately, there have been plenty of reasons to want to forget what has been happening to freelance writers.

With newspapers closing, magazines going out of business, book publishers offering pathetic advances, the markets for working writers is as bad as ever. And that's a good reason to drink, if you really need a reason.

-- George Sheldon, www.georgesheldon.com

Release day for Liberation via Pen!

by Cate Masters

Finally, Liberation via Pen, my short women's fiction, is available from Wild Child Publishing!

Here's the story excerpt:
They talked about their aspirations as the steam evaporated from their cups. Krista confessed her literary insecurities while admiring the black flecks within his grey irises; eyes that invited close inspection. His lips likewise taunted her, whether involuntarily or not. She couldn’t tell if he intended to tease, or if he was just being nice. She hoped the former. Nice guys tended to bore her.
Todd set his gaze on her. “Follow the age-old creed–write what you know.”
Krista took the advice to heart, literally: what she’d known for the past two years was Ethan. She’d let him infiltrate her life, her apartment, her thoughts, herself. Thinking his invasion was laying the groundwork for a future, she’d dated him exclusively, rearranged her life to accommodate his likes and dislikes until she could no longer remember her own.
She wrote to rediscover herself, divine her innermost thoughts and feelings. From their seemingly serendipitous meeting to their breakup, Krista chronicled and dissected their relationship, building to the crescendo of their eventual fall.
She copied the first five pages for the critique group the following month. The chick lit writer said: “Your dialogue’s too stiff; make it sound more realistic.” “Make your prose more lyrical, but get rid of the adjectives and adverbs,” offered the poet. The mystery writer advised: “Foreshadow your events to build suspense.”
Krista nodded, noting each writer’s advice for her revision. She spent the next two weeks pouring over each sentence, mercilessly slashing words, constructing setting and scene, the cadence of her prose flowing lyrically. Like music, the words streamed luxurious legatos punctuated with sharp staccatos as demanded by the scene. They lifted her spirit, excited her neurons in a way that made her hunger for more. The high of writing a well-structured sentence was addictive.
As a bonus, certain aspects of her former relationship came clear. Ethan lived on the cutting edge of pop culture, always had to have the latest gadget, widget or gizmo. He was exceptionally good with technology. With people, not so much. Had she possessed the foresight to commit his faults to paper earlier, Krista might have been spared much heartache. The exercise allowed her to see, finally, that Ethan was an ass. By setting her emotions into words, she not only defined them, but her writing informed her self-definition.

And here's the trailer:



Cate Masters’ novellas, short stories and flash fiction appear at various web zines and press sites. Visit her online at www.catemasters.com or catemasters.blogspot.com