Friday, November 28, 2014

Taking Time for Myself ... and Loving It

Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving signals the start of the winter holiday season, and with it all the hustle, bustle and fun foo-foo-rah to brighten the bleak mid-winter. Or summer, depending on where you live.

This year, I'm taking the holidays slow ... not by choice but by chance.

Two things happened -

1. November 1st, my computer crashed due to a virus sent by slime-sucking internet pirates (may they rot in their own noxious fumes, wherever they are). The computer went to spend a week in a local computer shop, being repaired and rebooted.

Fortunately, I use Carbonite Back-up services, so most all my files, photos, etc were safe.

Unfortunately, my writing program and I missed a secret handshake somewhere, and my 70K Work in Progress was not backed up properly. I'll never be so complacent or careless again, I promise you. I now back up manually as I write, and regularly export to Word as a fail-safe. We've also signed up with our internet providers for regular check-ups.

2. November 3rd, I had major surgery. Non-working parts were removed and a long recovery commenced. For the first few weeks, I felt like death warmed over. Napped a lot, watched TV and chatted with my wonderful family and friends who called, brought meals and came by to check in on me and the DH. (They now inform me I was a laugh-a-minute, slurring words and falling asleep in the middle of conversations) Hmm, could've been the pain-killers.

This last week I've finally felt well enough to begin writing again. But every time I faced the reality of the missing 70K words, I wanted to cry. Thus, I decided that before I can tackle that large and important project, I needed to bring back the sheer joy of writing.

I began writing a contemporary novella set here in my home town, Coeur d'Alene Idaho, the Big Little Resort Town on the lakes. It involves murder, mayhem, hot sex and a motorcycle club!

And you know what? I'm having a ball, and the story is writing itself.

A writer friend suggested recently that maybe I needed this time to re-evaluate what was really important to me about writing. And as much as I wanted to smack her at the time, I have slowly realized she's right.

I needed to re-discover the sheer joy of putting colorful, vulnerable characters on the page and then throwing them into situations fraught with trouble, where they must grow in character or lose everything they hold precious. And did I mention the hot smexy-times along the way? 'Cause that's just how my characters roll.

Blogging today on Writer Unboxed: Dan Blank of WeGrowMedia urges us to add MORE down time to our lives, not less.  He calls it 'white space'.

I've had 'white space' thrust on me.

But, you know what? I've used it to re-evaluate my rush to write, publish, promote at the expense of time with friends, my husband, my golden and ... myself.

Recuperating both emotionally and physically, I've spent a little time each day in my craft room creating a beautiful, vibrant quilt. I've spoken on the phone/email/Facebook every day with people I care about. I've watched several movies and TV shows for which I don't normally take time. I've read through some fabulous romances.

And, best of all, I've been writing purely for the joy of it. Yes, I'll get back to that WIP and end-of-series that I lost in the crash, but I'll get there at a pace I can handle, and still not lose myself.

In  December, look for 2 novellas, HEART OF STEEL , a sequel to HEART OF STONE in the sexy SFR Frontiera series,
and SHOW ME THE HONEY; a sexy contemporary.

In early 2015, look for STARK SURRENDER, Bk 4 in The LodeStar Series.

And to know exactly when these and other books debut, stay in touch!

And here's hoping your own re-evaluations don't come at quite as high a cost, my friend.

best,
Cathryn Cade
Best-selling author of sci fi romance
RT 4.5 Stars and Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK
http://www.cathryncade.com
Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,

And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies! 

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

A Spooktacular Halloween Scavenger Hunt!



We're celebrating the debut of our new author dessert cookbook by hosting a Halloween Scavenger Hunt!

For those of you who like dealing with the spooky, join us to do something kooky!

From October 6th through the 23rd, over 30 authors featured in Bake, Love, Write: 105 Authors Share Dessert Recipes and Advice on Love and Writing are hosting a Halloween Scavenger Hunt. 

Here’s how it works:Participants visit the website or blog listed for each featured author to find a Halloween graphic hidden on one of the website or blog pages. 

Hint: My answer can be found on my Books>Club 3 Series Page. Careful, there are RED HOT HEROES loose on this page!

The more sites you visit, the more chances you have to win. There are over 60 prizes with multiple winners. The list of prizes and the dates they will be given away is here.

Here’s what you need to do: On October 6th, visit Sloan McBride’s blog where she’ll have all the information posted, including links to the authors' websites/blogs and a link to a page to type all the answers. 

If you want to have a handy reminder, you can also download the page of authors, websites/blogs, and for typing your answers here. The page will give you the authors’ names and links to their websites/blogs where you’ll search for the Halloween graphics. Rafflecopter will be used to determine prizewinners.

Here's the IMPORTANT part -- once you've filled in your answers, you must email the document to Sloan at sloanmcbride@gmail.com.  She’ll review the answers and will enter your name the number of times that corresponds to the number of sites you visited and provided the correct answers.  



Good luck!
best,
Cathryn Cade
Best-selling author of sci fi romance
RT 4.5 Stars and Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK
http://www.cathryncade.com
Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,

And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies! 



Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Pets for Vets Charity Bundle coming soon!

If you're like me, you love a chance to support our troops & have fun too! So just let me hand you this chance tied up in Red, Hot and Blue.

Every cent of the profits from this sexy, sentimental romance bundle goes to match rescued pound animals with veterans suffering from PTSD, plus the depression and distress that goes with it. 

Won't you join us?

They're all Hometown Heroes, 
guys from small towns who've made a name 
for themselves, big or small, 
who've withstood the odds and risen to the challenge, who are heroes in their own right.

Presenting a contemporary romance 

bundle of 16 novels with happily-ever-after endings, 
including previously published readers' favorites 
and brand-new material!

Coming September 30th at all online outlets
for only $1.99


A LITTLE HARMLESS SEX
by Melissa Schroeder
CHANGE THE GAME by Lucy Monroe 
WILD RIDE by Nancy Warren
HEARTBREAK ON A STICK by Sabrina York
MADRONA SUNSET by Jami Davenport
BRACE FOR IMPACT by Allie K. Adams
HONORABLE SACRIFICE by Destiny Blaine
SHE'S WORTH IT ALL by Cathryn Cade
DECEIVING DANTE by Kate Davies
ROCK, RATTLE AND ROLL
by Cari Quinn and Taryn Elliott
GRAVE DANGER by Rachel Grant
TURNING THIRTY-TWELVE by Sandy James
HIS ONLY DESIRE by Adrianne Lee  
EVEN HEROES CRY by Hildie McQueen 
THE VIXEN & THE VET by Katy Regnery
TROUBLE WITH A COWBOY
by Sandy Sullivan

Monday, August 18, 2014

SCI FI NIGHTS official release party!

Happy News from the Cade-iverse!

SCI FI NIGHTS, a collection of science fiction romance novellas, is out so we're celebrating!


Par-tay!


Come join us -- me and Jessa SladeCalinda BBianca D'Arc, and Mina Carter -- for our
Facebook Launch Party with the Book Nymph Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 5-7 pm Eastern (2-4 pm Pacific). Click here for an easy time convert if you are from some place further away.


We'll have books to giveaway from our other series, book store gift cards, and a pair of Jessa Slade's gorgeous "Starry Sci Fi Nights" earrings! 
We'll be chatting about our favorite thing -- Romance Books -- and getting a little crazy. 
Please join us. Because, really, who wants to get crazy all alone??
Click here to join us:
SCI FI NIGHTS FACEBOOK PARTY
Get your copy of SCI FI NIGHTS for 99¢ for a limited time!
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble |  Kobo  |  AllRomance
Can't wait to see you tomorrow! Meanwhile, happy reading!
best,
Cathryn CadeBest-selling author of sci fi romance
RT 4.5 Stars and Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK
http://www.cathryncade.com
Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies! 

Friday, June 20, 2014

Starry Nights ... in Space!


Cathryn Cade


Greetings from 
        the Cade-iverse!

Teaming up with my fellow SFR Brigade authors to bring you Starry Nights, a blog hop with many new authors and sci fi romance offerings.

Welcome aboard, space cadets! 

My new SFR series, The LodeStar Series, features strong men and the women it takes to handle them. I write alpha males, no apologies. But that doesn't mean they can't be tender.

Here's a little starry night magic from my NEXT release, Dark Runner, debuting later this summer in an anthology with authors Jessa Slade, Calinda Be and Bianca D'arc.


The story is set in the world of my best-selling LodeStar Series.


Tal Darkrunner is not just a tattooed bad boy, he’s the leader of a dangerous gang. Serpentian warrior Scala Raj knows this—so why can’t she stay away from him? She’s supposed to be spying on him to gain back her freedom, not falling for him.

Tal fought his way to the top in the vicious streets of New Seattle, Earth II. Now he rules his gritty kingdom, his skin marked with a piece of inked body art for every victory won through his courage, cunning and absolute refusal to back down—ever.
Only one thing could send him hurtling into deep space—a mission to find and destroy the slavers who tried to take the one woman he wanted. He trusts no one, including Scala, the defiant beauty with a lethal body who joins his small space cruiser crew. He knows she's hiding secrets, and that she's on the run.
That won’t stop him from enjoying the pleasures of her body. But no matter how fiery the passion that arcs between them, he’ll never risk his heart.

Unless she slips under his guard and steals it …

Here the crew has stopped in a nightclub on Solaria to look for information. Tal is ready to go, but where is his new warrior?

“We’re just passing through.” 
Tal rose and turned, looking for Scala. He was prepared to drag three or four males away to get to her. But although two human males were vying for her attention, she stood like a lovely statue among the other dancers, her face like stone.
Tal followed her gaze to a large group of people making their way through the crowded bar. They wore fancy-ass flight suits, some pearl gray and others bright golden yellow.
Tal forged his way onto the floor, tossing one of her admirers out of his way.
“Who are you watching?” Tal demanded, stepping between her and the group. She knew them, that was obvious. If she didn’t snap out of it, they were going to spot her too.
 As if freed from a spell, she blinked, and then focused on him. Her sexy eyes were haunted. Then she ducked into the shelter of his body, her face turned into his shoulder. “They’re LodeStar—ships guard and crew. The Orion or one of the other space cruise ships. I can’t let them see me.”
Suddenly his warrior seemed in need of protecting. His arm going around her, Tal looked over his shoulder at the jovial group. Yeah, he could picture her as one of them, strong and confident and laughing.
Now, she looked shattered. He moved, herding her with him in the opposite direction.     
“Hey, I was gonna dance with her,” protested a man in a stained flight suit.
“Try it and I’ll cut your throat,” Tal informed him.
The skinny male’s eyes widened. He scrambled back out of the way, jostling other dancers who scarcely seemed to notice. Just business as usual at the Black Hole.
Darry fell in step with them as they emerged from the writhing mass of dancers.
 “We’ll go out the back,” Tal said.

What?? Not romantic enough for you? *grins* Yeah, that's about as mooshy as Tal gets, and these two are more likely to be arguing, fighting or burning up the sheets than having a tender moment. Doesn't mean Tal won't come thru in the end ... but you have to get there first.

Keep reading! The list of other authors' blogs and Rafflecopter link to WIN PRIZES is below!!

best,
Cathryn Cade
Best-selling author of sci fi romance
RT 4.5 Stars and Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK
Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Samhain Author Page,
And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies! 










a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Brenda Novak Auction SFR Brigade Offerings

Support a great cause, ending juvenile diabetes!

How? By bidding on great offerings from the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, including my complete Orion Series in PRINT!

Bidding opens at only $3.00 on the complete set, although of course we hope you'll bid higher to support this great cause. I've autographed the set, as well as the bookmarks.

Join the bidding HERE ...

Bidding opens May 1st!

best,
Cathryn


Monday, March 24, 2014

The SFR Brigade Presents ...

http://sfrcontests.blogspot.com/


Greeting from the Cade-iverse!

Things continue to heat up out here as Joran Stark is unable to resist the chance for some unexpected publicity. Of course the trouble it gets him in later will be his own fault ... but we won't hold that against him, right?

Enjoy this story snippet from Captive of Pleasure; the Space Pirate's Woman, and then stop by some of the other Sci Fi Romance authors' blogs to check out their new stories, too. 


“We’re all on the big holovids now, boss,” a huge, craggy-faced man noted, his deep voice like soft thunder. “The Travel Channel beams all over the galaxy. Not sure that’s a good thing.”
Var was a Space Forces veteran with a stoic demeanor and a dislike of uniforms and crowds in that order.
Joran nodded, humor still etched on his face. “You speak truth, Var. And in the filthiest dens in the galaxy, they’re mocking us as we speak. But let ‘em.”
“We mocked them,” Qala said instantly, on her feet as well. “You watch--most of the galaxy will believe what that fool says about us. And meanwhile, we go on doing what we want, when we want--flying under the satcom.”
Joran nodded. “My thoughts exactly. Most beings believe all they see, and most of what they hear.”
“Loved the part where you said ‘Why am I known as El Zhazid, The Storm?’” mimicked a tall young man with ragged light brown hair. “’Because we just drift across the plains, moving here and there like the wind.’”
The crowd laughed again.
“Thank you, Haro. That was good, wasn't it?” Joran agreed. “Always give them something that’s near enough to the truth that they can dock and think they've found the real entrance.”

The story debuts later this month! Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know when it's available.

Cathryn Cade
Best-selling author of sci fi romance
RT 4.5 Stars and Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK
And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies! 




Sunday, March 16, 2014

Cathryn Cade's Blog: LodeStar Book 3 - Coming Soon!

Cathryn Cade's Blog: LodeStar Book 3 - Coming Soon!: Happy Spring! Hope it's green where you are, or at least showing that promise. And if you're down under, Happy Fall--hope it&#39...

LodeStar Book 3 - Coming Soon!

Happy Spring!

Hope it's green where you are, or at least showing that promise. And if you're down under, Happy Fall--hope it's cooling off for you.

Things are heating up in the Cade-iverse, with a new release on the way. 

LodeStar Book 3: 
Captive of Pleasure; the Space Pirate's Woman debuts later this month on all the sales platforms. 

Want to know the exact day? Sign up for 
My Newsletter below and you'll be the first! And you'll get an additional exclusive excerpt only for subscribers, as well as a peek into Book 4.

Meanwhile, here's a peek into the story ...


As El Zhazid, ‘The Storm’, he rules the wilderness shipping lanes of Frontiera, demanding toll from other pirates and striking ruthlessly at those who dare to enter his territory. Just a few know him as Joran Stark, a man who desires only to live wild and free with his loyal band. Women love him, other pirates fear him and the InterGalactic Space Forces can’t control him.
      Zaë is young, lovely and terrified--a slave paraded before the scum of the galaxy, to be sold to the highest bidder. Storm aborts a planned raid to save her, only to discover he can’t send her back to her home, because she has no memory of who she is or where she came from. Now he must battle ever-bolder pirates who want his territory and the IGSF officials who want to use him to stop them, all with her close by his side.

     The last thing he ever wanted to be was a hero, but can this damaged woman inspire him to be the man she believes him to be? And within the shelter of his powerful arms, can she finally believe in herself?

Excerpt: 

Planet of Frontiera

The Pinnacles auction ring had clearly been thrown together in a hurry—it consisted of a roof system of satellite-resistant fabric, mottled gray like Frontieran stone, stretched from the mouth of a huge cave out to several tall rock columns. Under this shelter squatted the ugly, bulbous shape of a Quark O’gren transport, surplus of the Solar Wars, and a host of smaller craft.
Food and beverage stalls lined the mouth of the cave. Smoke and steam rose to pool under the awning. The savory odors of food could not, however, cover the stench of the crowd. The hot air was rank with unwashed bodies, fear and lust.
Rough beings from several planets milled about, talking and laughing raucously, some gambling in impromptu games of chance, some trying to peer into the big transport for a glimpse of the day’s wares.
A fight had broken out between a huge Mau and a pair of humans. The Mau ended it by tossing one of the men bodily through a slit in the tont walls hung around the area. The other turned and ran, shoving his way through the crowd. The onlookers laughed uproariously or slunk away, depending on who they’d been cheering for.
Inside the cave, the auction ring took up the rear of the cave, before the smaller entrance. A stage hovered several feet off the ground, and the buying had begun. A pair of Tygean females, petite and buxom, posed enticingly for the beings watching from the cave floor, but their golden gazes were feral, wary. They were both in full mating shift, tails waving behind them.
Above their heads, a holovid magnified them in detail for the crowd. The holocams captured the catlike intensity of their gazes, and the fine dusting of fur covering their skin.
A Vulpean skated above the crowd on a hovie, his beady gaze on the crowd, his oily voice amplified as he extolled the virtues of the two slaves. “Not one, but two sweet, fiery Tygeans to warm your sleeping pod. Both in full mating shift, thanks to their recent arrival from Tygea, where the female moons are in ascendance. Ver-rrry lusty, they are.”
Bidding was brisk. Bidders held devices in their hands that beamed their bids, signaling the amount of credit they were willing to spend.
To the rear, a small group of prisoners huddled under heavy guard. A Barillian female’s keen of despair, fluted from the tall pipes atop her lavender head, cut through the rumble of the crowd and the auctioneer’s strident voice. One of the towering Mau guards struck the Barillian, and her mourning ended with a squawk of pain as she cringed away. The stench of fear emanating from the cowering group heightened.
A female Mau was readying the next offering, a pale Pangaean, green hair wrapped tightly around his throat, slim body shivering despite the heat.
Joran Stark glided through the crowd, his stride relaxed, like a man who had all the time in the world and no particular intent. Over his leathers and vest he wore the long cape favored by travelers here, of dull shaded gray-green. The hood was pulled forward to shade his face from the glare of the hoverlamps.
He was not the only one so garbed. On an illicit occasion like this, many preferred to remain anonymous. And there were those who wanted to pry their identity from them. Spy bots zinged through the crowd, holovid cameras revolving like disembodied eyeballs. Occasionally the tiny orbs ventured too close to their prey and were struck down. These fell from sight in a shower of sparks.
The crowd was edgy, eyeing each other suspiciously. Many hands or paws hovered near weapons. An Occulan’s eight eye stalks waved, each in a different direction. An Indigon stood, pale face grim under his ebony hair, a space cleared around him. Using his mental powers to push other away.
Qala walked just behind Joran, her head and face similarly hooded. As his second in command, she would be as easily recognized.
“The Pinnacles,” she murmured, her voice too soft to be heard by others, but coming through his comlink as clear as if her lips were at his ear. “More like the space dregs.”
She was not wrong. The place was full of bottom feeders of all kinds.
Off to their right, Var moved on a parallel path, one arm around Ilya. The small blonde had her hood thrown back. She surveyed the prisoners as if searching for just the right new servant. To Joran’s left, two Occulans were moving into position as well.
If necessary, Wega and Riley would cause a disruption, a decoy for the attentions of the guards. They were a mean, ugly lot—Maus, even a few Gorglons and Ingoes, the scum of the galaxy.
“Quark, they have a lot of captives,” Qala said. “Should have alerted the IGSF to just raid this event in mid-auction.”
“Qala,” he reproved in the voice of a patient teacher. “We did that, we wouldn’t leave here with anything but a memory and probably some laser burns. All hells would break loose if the the IGSF showed up now. This crowd has more credit than smarts.”
“Not gonna be here in time to save many of the slaves. This lot will scatter like rats soon as their ships are sighted coming in.”
“True,” he said, clocking the next batch of prisoners being herded from the maw of a  transport behind the auction ring. “But they’ll rescue some--they can track ships a long way out. And if we make it unprofitable enough, the gang will have to move fast to make up their losses, which gives the epaulets a better chance of catching them.”
All InterGalactic Space Forces officers had epaulets of service on their crisp flight suits, admired or derided depending on the observer. Since Joran and his crew cruised on both sides of the law, he appreciated the IGSF, but steered clear of them when he could. They took the fun out of so many activities.
“We could call them sooner.”
Joran sighed. Tough as she was, Qala had a soft heart for unfortunates.
“No,” he repeated. “We can’t. Too many for us to save. And we’ve got to make a living--we can’t live on sunlight and water. Thirdly, I’m not risking a stint on Deep Six for someone I don’t even know. IGSF finds us here, they’ll figure we’re part of it. We hit the slavers where it hurts, in their credit accounts, maybe convince them to go into a new line of work. That’s our contribution.”
“That won’t help these poor captures.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to stop looking at them, if it was going to make her heart bleed. He kept his own gaze on the crowd, the guards, anywhere from which trouble seemed likely to spring. And if something uncomfortably like guilt rapped at the locked portal of his conscience, he held it at bay by remembering that he’d escaped a life in the gutter and so could others, if they fought hard enough.



....

Joran leaned against his pillar, stance relaxed as if he were immune to the surge of dangerous lust that had seized the crowd, the hot air thick with a new tension.
The rough crowd watched avidly as the next sale was wrestled off of the flat, and shoved to the middle of the stage, her Mau captor close behind her.
Ilya had been right--the slavers were definitely peddling flesh, and they’d saved the best for last. Against the Mau’s bulk, the girl was all soft curves and pale skin, her head reaching only to his middle.
The slavers had dressed her in someone’s idea of a dancing girl’s costume--a tiny, shimmering top that barely contained her full breasts, and a loin cloth with beads and feathers that framed her full hips and left her little waist and the curve of her belly bare, but they hadn’t bothered to clean her up. In her giant holovid image, her long hair hung in dirty coils, and although her face had been washed and made up, her limbs were smudged with grime, or bruises. Probably both.
Her eyes, a soft blue like the evening sky over Frontiera, were dilated with pure terror, her face pale as bone under the glitter of makeup, her soft, full lips trembling. She looked down at the crowd as if facing a pit of ravenous serpents.
Which in a way, she was, because in this crowd, her obvious innocence and fear would only attract the kind of purchaser who enjoyed inciting that fear, and pain as well. And every male in the place, and probably many a female as well, was staring at her raptly, wanting her lush mouth, and what her little thong covered.
“Skrog shit,” Joran muttered. Didn’t matter if they put a tracker on this one, with the lust pervading the very air, she wouldn’t even be in the air before her triumphant captor raped her.'

Definitely time for our reluctant hero to step up, wouldn't you say? 

Stay tuned!

Cathryn Cade
Best-selling author of sci fi romance
RT 4.5 Stars and Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK
Goodreads, My Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Samhain Author Page,
And sign up for My Newsletter for a chance to win goodies!