Writer Interview #18

-- Announcement --

In fulfillment of my agreement to take several days off from the office work every single month - I will be out of the office from Thursday afternoon (May 20) to Monday morning (May 31st) -- I will respond to all emails, etc when I return. I'm sure my gardens will appreciate the extra attention I intend to shower them with this weekend :)

-- Writer Interview #18 --

Cate Masters writes fantasy/dark fantasy, historical, contemporary and speculative fiction, described by reviewers as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” “such romantic tales that really touch your soul,” “filled with action scenes which made it a riveting story,” and “the author weaves a great tale with a creative way of using words that makes the story refreshing to read.” The proud mom of three adult children, she currently lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband, Lily the dog, their dictator-like cat, Chairman Maiow, and dozens of characters inhabiting her imagination. Visit Cate online at www.catemasters.com, http://catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Q: What is your idea of happiness? 

 

A: First, thanks so much for having me as a guest today! It’s a pleasure to be at Brummet’s Conscious Blog. Albert Schweitzer said: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”  

Right now, I feel the balance of the two—being able to do what most gratifies me every day, and hopefully bringing happiness to others with my writing as well. 

Q: Are you doing what you really want to do in life?

A: Absolutely. I had what most would have called a very successful career as a deputy press secretary in the state Department of State, but though I was surrounded by amazing people, I was miserable. Because I worked crazy long hours, I had zero time to write for several years. It took a family crisis for me to reassess my priorities and decide to put my writing first.

Q: In your career as a writer - what do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

A: I love flying through a first draft, getting down the story without really knowing where it will lead. I even love first revisions, crafting sentences that excite me. Second and third and fourth revisions, I get antsy and want to move on, but I know it’s important to see those revisions through. So I’m great at dancing with the muse at the party, but not so great at cleanup afterward.

Q: What are some of your favorite websites for writers?

A: As I come across great sites for writers, I link them to my own web site at www.catemasters.com. Blogs have become a very important resource, and I have many linked to my blog at http://catemasters.blogspot.com so I can refer to them often. Some are not necessarily writing-related, however. A few are merely interesting sites which I find inspiring.

Q: What are some of the tools you use for marketing?

A: I’m still on the upside of this learning curve, having only first been published in March 2009. But since that time, I’ve had 17 contracts for ebooks, from shorts to novels, so am trying to ramp up to speed as quickly as possible. I launched my web site last year, and list all the events and news there, as well as info about my books. I have a FaceBook page and use that as a tool not only for my own news, but to post links to articles or resources others might find helpful too. I do the same with my blog plus I feature other authors. 

I don’t even know the number of Yahoo loops I belong to, but they’ve been a great source of author to author networking and support, as well as a means of getting word out about releases, contests, etc. My FaceBook page is linked to Twitter, so I do tweet in that way but I admit I’m terrible at using it the way I should. Marketing could easily take over all my time, but at some point, you have to know when to step away and get back to writing.

Q: Are you satisfied with your experiences as a published author?

A: After so many years of rejections from the big publishing houses, it’s been amazing having so many acceptances at once, if a bit overwhelming. Last year, I had several releases that overlapped or came too soon on the heels of the previous one, which made marketing a bit of a whirlwind, to say the least. Though I have no control over release dates, it would be great to space them out a little more evenly. But I’m happy for any release dates, honestly! The community of authors pleasantly surprised me, and I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve been fortunate to make, and to be in the company of such talent.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows and free resources and more at: www.brummet.ca

* Support the Brummets by purchasing one of their three books!