Unlikely inspiration

It's strange how the most unlikely things can spark a story idea. My sisters traveled to Ireland a few years ago, and brought back a few goodies for me. One was a key chain describing the origin of the name Ennis (hubby's last name). 

The description read: "It is the Anglicized version of the Gaelic O'Aonghus meaning "Descendant of Angels." This personal name derives from "Aon" meaning "one" and "Ghus" for "choice."

Then I came across this Proverb: To every soul is given the key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens the gates of hell.

A little research into angels and the Underworld, and Lily MacInnis was born - to an angel and the daughter of the goddess Persephone and her husband Hades. Yep, the Prince of Darkness himself.

Dancing With the Devil is Book Two of The Goddess Connection series, which  says: Every woman should embrace her inner goddess. What’s your connection?  I have several more novels in this series in mind to follow. In each, the heroine will be somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is.

I’d love for you to read the first chapter, reviews, view the Casting Call and more at: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2011/03/dancing-with-devil-dark-paranormal-with.html

Here's an excerpt:

What had he done? By all that was sacred, Bodie knew better than to lie with her. Since the first night he’d spoken to her, he’d had trouble restraining himself. Her every movement, every word, seared into him at his greatest depth, filled him with yearning for something forbidden.

Her lips moving against his unleashed emotions that had stayed dormant for millennia. He was in it, deep. Already he spiraled out of control, and he hadn’t allowed himself to move, not even a finger. Not a slide of his lips, not a slip of his tongue into what must be a warm, tantalizing place. Once he did, that one tiny step would trigger an avalanche of desire, already building with volcano force.

To clear such thoughts from his mind, he turned his head to break away. Never should have closed his eyes; it only intensified the tactile senses. The fluttering of her breath as she followed, her kisses now moving up his neck, her fingers splayed lightly against his cheek as her mouth found the edge of his mouth.

“I can’t, Lily,” he rasped.

Her knee grazed his thigh as she straddled him. “Are you sure?”

A shudder wracked his body, and he clenched the cushions to keep from reaching for her. “I don’t mean it’s a physical impossibility. And I’d love to, believe me. But it’s not exactly condoned by my superiors.”

She sat up. “They’re not here. They can’t see us, can they?”

He risked a look at her. A mistake. Tawny hair framed her heart-shaped face in tumbling waves. He locked the muscles in his rising arm and forced it down before he could touch her.

A teasing smile lit her face. He hadn’t needed to answer her. She lifted the bottom of her shirt up and over her head, revealing a black lace bra, lush dark peach rosettes pebbled beneath.

Her warm hand closed around his, and drew it upward to press against her breast and hold it there.

Everything in him screamed No! and Yes! at the same time. With an animal sound, his torso rushed up to meet hers. Somehow he stayed his desire. Lips barely brushing hers, he drew back enough that her breath flowed into his mouth as he spoke. “They’ll reassign me, Lily. I’d love to make love to you. I’ve wanted to for longer than you know. But I don’t want one night to have to last an eternity as a memory. We’d have tonight. Then I’d never see you again. Is that what you want? Tell me now. Quickly.”

Sadness tightened her lips. “No.”

As she curled into him, her muffled words soothed the tension threatening to burst through his skin. “I want to be with you, Bodie. Hold me.”

His body quivered, whether from denial or relief, he couldn’t say. He relaxed into her embrace and closed his eyes. “Always.” If only he could keep her here, safe from their reach.

But how safe was she from him?

He couldn’t let his feelings for her compromise the mission.

With a sharp intake of breath, she pulled away. “I’m not like this. I don’t seduce men. I haven’t even…” Hair hid her face when she dipped her chin to her chest.

He tilted his head to catch her attention. “I know.” It won him a tentative glance. “You don’t need to explain, Lily. Ever.” He knew she’d let men touch her, a few with whom she’d been infatuated, maybe even loved. None had taken her virginity.

Yet she’d offered it to him. Tenderness washed over him as she searched his face, wary and confused. Distrustful. How terrible for her, not to believe herself worthy of complete love and devotion. The same worship any goddess deserved. Someday he’d prove to her she was a true goddess.

Cate Masters loves romance with a dash of magic and mayhem! Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”

When not spending time with her family, 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.

Warrior angels vs. demons!

When I first wrote Dead to Rights, one of my crit partners was actually surprised by the idea of a warrior angel. To him, it seemed the opposite of what angels represented – peace, love, and protection.

Warrior angels may be popular in current fiction, but the idea’s nothing new. Even the Bible contains references to angels who carry out their duties with sword in hand. How better to protect humans against danger?

The archangel Michael’s one of the most prominent warrior angels, and one of the most well-known angels in general. According to my research, the guardian angels are “all aspects and forms of Michael” and also the angel responsible for guarding the planet Earth. So it seemed natural for Michael to be the warrior angel assigned to intervene in a mixup of souls, possibly the biggest travesty of justice in all of Heaven.

 

Fallen angels are also nothing new, and Dead to Rights is based on the idea that choice is what defines us, whether human or angel. Research revealed the punishment for angels is eternal, while humans can be forgiven.

I was also fascinated by the idea that angels coordinate the messages some attribute to The Universe. According to some sites, if you see number sequences such as 111, 333, etc., those are signs that angels are guiding you.

Have you ever felt as if you’d received a message from The Universe? Maybe a song with special meaning to you played at a time when you most needed a boost? Or a label, maybe a road sign that conveyed a message you needed to hear?

My dark paranormal, Dead to Rights, is available from Decadent Publishing:  http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=500&osCsid=1rs5de21jcfh2ov3ikjhd26tk4

Blurb:

Identity theft sucks. But it’s worse when someone steals your life—body included. All memory of her life before waking up in a mental facility has vanished. Or was erased. Now she has to figure out how to get it all back….

Her only hope of learning the truth lies with one man. Problem is, he’s the leader of a cult. Her only choice is to follow him into his sordid world, where a darker evil lurks.

With a little help from an archangel hellbent on revenge, she may have a chance to learn the truth. But will it force her to make the hardest decision of her life…or death?

I’d love for you to check out the Casting Call (who I imagined in these roles) and more at: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/06/dead-to-rights-contemporary-paranormal.html

Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. When not spending time with her family, 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 , Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

 

Halloween legends and superstitions

Halloween legends and superstitions fascinate me. For instance, did you know these:

A person born on Halloween can see and talk to spirits.

If you hear footsteps trailing close behind you on Halloween night, do not to turn around to see who it is, for it may be Death himself. To look Death in the eye, according to ancient folklore, is a sure way to join the ranks of the dead.

To cast a headless shadow or no shadow at all is still believed by many folks in the United States and Europe to be an omen of death within the next year.

If you'd like to meet a witch, wear your clothes inside out and walk backward on Halloween night.

According to an old British Halloween superstition, Satan was a nut-gatherer, so on Halloween night, people used nuts as magic charms.

But Halloween’s not the only time evil spirits can strike. And some may not be otherwordly, as my heroine learns in Dead to Rights, a dark paranormal novel available on Amazon Kindle  and Smashwords. 

Here’s the blurb:

Identity theft sucks. But it’s worse when someone steals your life -- body included. All memory of her life before waking up in a mental facility has vanished. Or was erased. Now she has to figure out how to get it all back. 

Her only hope of learning the truth lies with one man, the sole person familiar to her now. Problem is, he’s the leader of a cult. Her only choice is to follow him into his sordid world, where a darker evil lurks.

With a little help from an archangel hellbent on revenge, she might have a chance to learn the truth. But it will force her to make the hardest decision of her life – or death.

Reader reviews have said: “Dead to Rights is a stay-in-your-seat story. Once you begin to read, you won't want to get up from said seat. The narrative is filled with action, surprise, hunky angels (yes! absolutely, divinely hunky), heroines with multiple personalities (there's a great reason why), and enough bad guys to make you look over your shoulder.” and “An imaginative story with a great premise, and yes, the powerful hero is without a doubt, to die for, and the heroine is, with every personality involved, spot on. I really enjoyed the plot twists.”

I’d love for you to read an excerpt,the first chapter, view the book video, Casting Call and more on my blog.

 

Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”

When not spending time with her family, 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[AT]gmail.com

Take one feisty heroine, add a dash of snark

Mix in one hunky guy who happens to be a warrior angel. No need to stir - they mix very well! :)

I'm so proud of this book video - I hope you'll check it out! It's short, but very cool!

Here's another excerpt from Dead to Rights, my paranormal now available on Amazon and Smashwords:

We kept walking until we reached the side of the cafeteria. He pressed me against the building, into the shadows.

“Get off me,” I hissed, but somehow felt safe when he instead lifted his elbows on either side, shielding me.

A dangerous illusion. He was one of them, a weird ninja warrior. This smacked of a setup.

He murmured, “I told you, play along. No one will bother us if they think we’re making out.”

Oh, that’s a new one. But it held a ring of truth, though I worried he’d relay everything I said in person. “What the hell’s going on.”

He scanned the compound. “You’re lucky they didn’t shoot you.”

Funny, at close range, he couldn’t seem to look me in the eye. “No one ever said we couldn’t go for a freaking walk.”

“Not at night,” he said, “and never into the woods.”

Sounded like a bad Halloween flick. “Oh, seriously.” I shifted between his raised arms.

His eyes flashed bright in the darkness. “Fine. You want to know why not? Because all along the outer perimeter, camouflaged guards hide. Armed with automatic machine guns. That is, if you make it past the traps.”

So it had been the click of a gun. What the hell kind of traps? Too many questions raced through my head, so I simply asked, “Why?”

Sounding bemused, he said, “The Reverend doesn’t like unannounced visitors.”

I have proof otherwise. “Or followers who stray, I guess.”

He went on. “In this area, no one questions gunfire, whether single shots or rapid fire, day or dead of night. No other member would question someone’s disappearance.”

Cold crawled across my skin. “So we’re prisoners.”

This seemed to cheer him. “Only technically.”

A laugh burst out. “Oh, I love your positive spin on the situation. But I take issue with its accuracy.” I studied him in the dim light. “If we’re not allowed in the woods, what were you doing out there?”

His voice deadpan, he said, “Saving you.”

Oh, that couldn’t have been the only reason. “You risked your life to follow me? Why?”

He grinned. “No one should be shot for ignorance.”

Wait. Had I said that? As Tess? Some vague memory itched to come to the forefront, but faded. I banged a fist against the building and cursed under my breath.

He tensed. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Sorry.” I’d be damned if I’d tell him. Maybe literally.

He studied me. “So what made you so upset?”

My belly turned, thinking of Ellen. “Nothing.” He’d probably ask why I hadn’t given myself to Cunningham.

He sucked air through his teeth. “Whole lot of nothing. Doesn’t make sense.”

Nothing did, here. Or anywhere. “Listen, no one else seems to have followed us. I’m going home.” The term made my stomach lurch again. Not exactly home sweet home. Tears burned my eyes. Would I ever find my real home?

Easing away, he asked, “Sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

Ducking my head, I steeled myself. No use crying about it. “I’m sure.” It wouldn’t help, even if he believed me.

He straightened. “I’ll walk you back.”

“Don’t bother. I’m not inviting you in.” I couldn’t take another proposal tonight.

Amused again, he said, “I don’t want to come in.”

Disappointment surprised me. I’d better play nice. “Sorry. It’s been a weird day.” And that was saying a lot, considering most of my days lately had been beyond strange.

We walked in silence. He set a foot on the doorstep.

True to my warning, I went in alone. Before closing the door, I leaned out. “Hey.”

He hadn’t yet moved. “What?”

“Thanks. I owe you one.” It irked me to admit it. I didn’t like unused favors hanging over my head.

“I’ll remember that.”

I groaned, “Great,” and shut the door.

After slipping to the window, I peered out, expecting to see him still there. He wasn’t. Nor was he up the corridor of grass, nor down. Had he slipped behind the cabin? Instinct pressed me to the opposite window. No sign of him. Really weird. But today, I’d expect nothing less.