Dalene's Book Reviews: VBT - Cursed by Cate Masters

Friday, September 13, 2013

VBT - Cursed by Cate Masters

Interview:

1) First, tell us about yourself – where you live, your family, and those sorts of details.

Thanks so much for having me at your lovely blog, Dalene! I’m a typical writer, I spend too much time in front of the computer and inside my head. I’m originally a Jersey girl, but my hubby’s work transferred him to central Pennsylvania years ago, and we raised our three kids here. Now our family’s grown to include three grandboys with way too much energy, our sweet dog Lily and venerable cat Chairman Maiow.

2) How long have you been writing?

Too many years to answer truthfully, lol. As a kid, my friends and I used to write poetry, and I was always on the staff of the school newspaper. In my 20s, I began writing short stories, and by my 30s, found I could actually write a novel if I tackled it one chapter at a time.

3) Do you have a favorite place to write?

If I have my laptop, I can write pretty much anywhere. Recently I’ve been experimenting with different places, and find that coffee shops and libraries are great, but home is where all my important stuff is close at hand.

4) Why did you decide to write Cursed?

Story ideas pop into my head all the time. Not all are worth pursuing, but many times the characters or story line will come through so strong, it refuses to be ignored. Cursed was definitely like that. It was a unique world that kept calling to me, so strong that after I finished it, I knew there was more to explore. So I wrote Charmed, which just released last month, and Claimed will soon follow.

5) Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

I love to give my characters lots of dimensions, so they’re not predictable, but so readers can relate to them. The hero’s tortured and flawed, the heroine is brilliant but like many such people, lacks a bit of common sense. Even the bad guys have some redeeming qualities.
If I had to pick just one, then Bruno – he’s not your usual type of alpha male. He’s cultured, intelligent, talented, tortured by his past and what it’s done to him. Did I mention he’s also hot? ;)

6) How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?

Readers don’t actually meet him until the next book, Charmed. Nico, the Council leader, is narrow-minded and selfish, and his addiction to power blinds him to the truth.

7) Do you proofread/edit your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?

I have a wonderful group of critique partners who excel at pointing out my flaws, lol. But I’m also very grateful that the editors I’ve worked with have helped take my stories up a notch.

8) What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Catch up on movies, read, play with my Canon camera, take the Skycar for a spin, spend time with the family.

9) Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I buy way more books than I have time to read. Literally hundreds are on my Kindle, and stacked in various piles around the house. :) I love to read and wish I had a clone dedicated to that sole purpose. I can never pick favorites because they change so often. Right now, I’m reading Richelle Mead’s Carnival of Souls – it’s fantastic and I hate her for thinking of it first, lol.

10) Do you have a dream cast for Cursed?

Absolutely! For most stories, I have specific people in my head while I write. Sometimes an actor will lend traits to my characters. The cast for this series changes a bit, and you can see both on my blog.
For Cursed, check out http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2013/04/casting-call-cursed-vitruvian-man-book-1.html and for Charmed: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2013/08/casting-call-charmed.html

Thanks again for having me as a guest, Dalene! It’s been a real pleasure.

Cursed (The Vitruvian Man #1)
by Cate Masters
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Categories: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Decadent Publishing (new TEASE line)
Release Date: April 21, 2013
Heat Level: Steamy
Word Count: 30,000

Available at:

Amazon

ARe

B&N

Coffee Time Romance

Decadent Publishing

Smashwords

Description:

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.

Warning: This title is intended for readers over the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and may be considered offensive to some readers.

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.

About the Author:

Multi-published, award-winning author Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web. Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at cate.masters@gmail.com.

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