Our first sacrifice, er, volunteer for our author interview is Cate Masters. A very talented author, Cate writes both erotic and mainstream romance. Her erotic urban fantasy The Lure of the Vine released July 2009 from Freya’s Bower. Freya’s sister site Wild Child Publishing published Cate’s lighthearted Liberation Via Pen.

Cate Masters: Hi Marci! Thanks for having me here on the Freya’s Bower blog. I’m excited to be part of Freya’s family!

The Lure of the Vine by Cate Masters

FB: What was the inspiration for The Lure of the Vine?

CM: I’m a bit of a research junkie. Once I start, it’s sometimes hard to break away. I’d done research on the Nine Muses for another short story, and once I came across Dionysus, I knew I had to write something about him. He stood out among the Greek gods as one who loved and was faithful to his wife, Ariadne. Unfortunately, as a mortal, she passed on and left him lonely. As an immortal, theoretically, he’d still be around today, plying his wine wares. And pining for Ariadne, or someone very like her…

FB: Personally, I love Greek myths, but what drew you to them? They’re so intriguing, aren’t they?

CM: Mostly they seem like juveniles, always lusting after someone and using their powers as they see fit. Dionysus was unique in his faithfulness to his wife, a concept missed by most gods and goddesses! Even more intriguing to me are the Maenads, Dionysus’ followers. Though subservient to him, they’re powerful in their own right. And fear-inspiring! You don’t want to come across them in a dark forest. They may be singing and dancing, but they’ll tear you apart after inviting you to join them!

FB: What kind of research did you do for the book?

CM: I had a copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology and Robert Graves’ two-volume The Greek Myths. Web searches unearthed great info too.

FB: Does Clio have any traits of someone you know? (Did you base her on anyone you know? We won’t divulge names. Grin)

CM: Not really. My personal policy is not to base any character on a real person. I might use a personality trait or interesting quirk of someone I know, but I’m too big a believer in karma. I don’t want anything coming back on me. I do, however, like to use names of real people.  In Picture This, the editor Claudia is named for my next-oldest sister. In Angels, Sinners and Madmen (coming soon from Freya’s Bower!) the hero is Sam Langhorne, named for my literary idol, Mark Twain (aka Samuel Langhorne Clemens), and his wife Olivia, or Livvie is the heroine. Oh, and two dolls are named for my sister Annette and her husband Julian. They really are dolls.

FB: Will we see any of the characters from this book in any others?

CM: Funny you should ask. I recently interviewed Dionysus for a guest post on You Gotta Read Reviews (should be up on Aug. 12), and he asked the same thing. He, of course, wanted a rewrite on The Lure of the Vine, but when I told him that’s not possible, he asked about a sequel.  I have a few other projects in the works right now, but the idea definitely appeals to me.

FB: Who is your favorite character?

CM: Always the one I’m writing at the time. I fall in love with my own characters and can’t wait to get back to them. In fact, they’re tugging at me now. [Whispers to them] Just hold on! I’ll spend the rest of the day with you, all right? Can’t a writer have a few minutes away? [sighs] They’re very demanding.

FB: Do you have anything else in the works?

CM: I have a backlog of ideas! I’m about 62k into a contemporary, and am revising a historical novella. After that, I have a few fantasy stories calling me to finish them. And I’d love to write more about gods and goddesses. Time is my greatest challenge—having enough to finish them all. Luckily, my hubby’s very understanding, and has his own hobbies!

FB: What about writing life/being an author took you by surprise?

CM: Hmm, good question. Maybe the support of other authors. I’m always touched by how others will cheer me on, wish me the best, help me celebrate when I get a good review. It’s great! I love it and do my best to reciprocate. Otherwise it can be a bit lonely, and if anyone understands a writer’s journey, it’s another writer!

Now for some fun questions:

FB: Where did your journey as a writer begin?

CM: A long long time ago, in a deep dark forest… I had a pretty solitary childhood, and tended to wander around the woods with my dog Tippy (a mini Maenad, if you will—without the flesh-eating bit). I felt like the world around me was a living poem, and tried to capture it in poetry beginning at about age ten. Yes, truly awful poetry, but it’s fun to read now.

FB: If you could be any man, living or dead, who would you want to be? Why?

CM: I honestly don’t envy anyone else their life. What might appear to be a carefree, wonderful lifestyle could in fact be a personal nightmare. So I’m content to be myself. At least I’m familiar with my own demons! If I could meet anyone, I’d choose Mark Twain, for many reasons—his humor and sarcastic wit, his dedication to his wife Livvie, and his sense of adventure. He explored the world and lucky for us, wrote about it. If you’ve never read Following the Equator or Innocents Abroad, I highly recommend both.

FB: Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton, Meg Ryan, or Greta Garbo? Which of these famous people do you share the most characteristics with? What characteristics do you share with them?

CM: Tough choices! Okay, not Paris Hilton, that’s easy.  Meg Ryan’s very sweet, and I like to write funny romantic stories sometimes, but I also have a dark and adventurous side like Angelina. Of all, though, I’d aspire to be like Greta, a groundbreaker in her time.

FB: Any last words? Um, for the interview, that is. (grin)

CM: I’m excited that my first erotic romance, Wilderness Girl, will also be available soon from Freya’s Bower, and later this year, my historical novel, Angels Sinners and Madmen, set in Key West in the mid-1800s.

Thanks again for allowing me to spotlight my stories, Marci!

Our pleasure, Cate!

To purchase The Lure of the Vine, you can find it here:

Freya’s Bower
All Romance eBooks

To find out more about Cate Masters, you can visit her website.

More books coming soon from Freya’s Bower by Cate Masters:

Tags: August 2009 interviews

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