Cassandra Dean Teaches us a Little about Herself
Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.
So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell deep.
The love affair exists to this very day.
Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia.
Do you ever wish you were someone else?
Actually, not really. Occasionally, I wish I was other places (on holidays in Europe leaps to mind there) and I wish I could fast-forward or rewind in time, but as for wishing I was someone not myself…not so much. :D
What did you do on your last birthday?
Last birthday…last birthday…man, it was less than a year ago! How can I not remember? Oh, that’s right, I went out with work people the night before and got a little bit ‘under the weather’, thus spending my actual birthday with a sore and tired head. Fun! I then went out for dinner with my family at a lovely restaurant, unfortunately unable to appreciate the loveliness. Needless to say, I will NOT be doing this again :D
What are you working on right now?
I have several projects on the go, including a follow up to ENSLAVED, a follow up to TEACH ME, a submission for Smut by the Sea and a super secret project. Phew, tis a busy lady am I.
What do you think you’re really good at?
I’m REALLY good at yelling at the TV when a story goes in a direction I don’t like. It certainly startles people!
I’m also quite good at savanting* technology. Give me an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, and I can usually figure out how to do specific things on it. The other day, my friend was looking to organise her contacts so she could send out group messages. I pressed a few buttons and bing bang boo, she can now do so! It’s my super power, what can I say?
* New word I made up just now! Savanting – the action of being an expert in something. Or something like that.
What do you think you’re really bad at?
Making up words.
Have you ever had an imaginary friend?
Yes! When I was little, I had an imaginary friend named Dongy! Why? I don’t know! But we had such adventures, me, Dongy and the blankie I carried everywhere.
What is the first curse word that comes to mind?
Hell and tarnation. Why, you ask? So do I…why on earth would that be the first curse word I think of? *ponders*
What is your favorite quote and why?
And this too shall pass.
It’s true in all situations, in all walks of life. It can be hopeful, it can be sorrowful. It can be poignant or it can be blasé. *sigh* So awesome.
What is Your favorite ice cream flavour?
Is it weird if I say I don’t really like ice cream? It is, isn’t it? It’s weird. Hell and tarnation. And I thought I was doing such a good job of winning you guys over with my factor of cool, which is set at 11 (because all things should go up to 11. As This is Spinal Tap demonstrates, things are way better if you set it to 11).
What are four things you can’t live without?
Hmm.
- Oxygen.
- Food.
- Water.
- A gentle summer breeze wrapping your clothing around your skin as it gently whispers the name Rodriguez…Rodriguez…
- …
- …
Gee, I’m so amusing, aren’t I?
To truly answer this question, the following:
Coffee (I am not a happy camper when I don’t have my coffee), Berocca (It really does give you back your b-b-bounce), My pillows (I love them so), Music (Music helps me do everything, from cleaning the bathroom to creating my stories)
What is your favorite television show?
My very favourite at the moment would be Sherlock. I HEART the second season big time. Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss have done a brilliant job of updating to modern times, and the look and feel of the show, spearheaded (I believe) by Paul McGuigan, is beautiful to look at.
Of course, I can’t neglect the actors. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman do a heartbreakingly wonderful job of bringing the characters of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson to life.
How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
I’d travel. A lot.
I’d also save some, just because I’m cautious like that.
What are 5 things within touching distance?
- My keyboard (duh, Cassandra).
- My mobile phone (cell phone for the American peeps).
- A bottle filled with gold shavings from Sovereign Hill.
- Doctor Who Lego-esque figurines.
- A tube of Lucas’ Papaw Ointment (1590 Beaudesert Road, Acacia Ridge, Brisbane Qld. Australia)
What is your least favorite word?
Fondle. Ugh. That word SO makes me shudder.
Ever curious, Elizabeth, Viscountess Rocksley, has turned her curiosity to erotic pleasure. Three years a widow, she boldly employs the madame of a brothel for guidance but never had she expected her education to be conducted by a coldly handsome peer of the realm.
To the Earl of Malvern, the erotic tutelage of a skittish widow is little more than sport, however the woman he teaches is far from the mouse he expects. With her sly humor and insistent joy, Elizabeth obliterates all his expectations and he, unwillingly fascinated, can’t prevent his fall.
Each more intrigued than they are willing to admit, Elizabeth and Malvern embark upon a tutelage that will challenge them, change them, come to mean everything to them…until a heartbreaking betrayal threatens to tear them apart forever.
Tonight Cate Masters is Interviewed by Me
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! If you’re too shy to post here, Like her on Facebook, Follow her Tweets or Find her on Goodreads, or email her at: cate.masters[AT]gmail.com
1. Do you ever wish you were someone else?
When I was younger, I did. I wished I had been born a boy because my brothers got away with so much, and had more fun than my sisters and me. Now I’m happy to be me!
2. Do you have any tattoos?
I might, if I weren’t afraid of needles. And pain! I love to look at them on other people, though.
3. What are you working on right now?
I always have about a dozen stories in my WIP folder, but I’m mostly concentrating on a collection of inter-related short stories.
4. What do you think you’re really good at?
Writing is my most effective form of self-expression. I put a lot of work into the craft, and pour blood, sweat and sometimes tears into my stories.
5. What do you think you’re really bad at?
Conversation. I tend to remain quiet and take in what’s around me, which sometimes gives people the impression I’m a snob. I’m actually quite shy.
6. What is your favorite quote and why?
Favorite quotes are pinned up all around my computer, but this one from Elizabeth Berg inspires me to trust my instincts and follow my bliss:
“You feel the call. That’s the important thing. Now answer it as fully as you can. Take the risk to let all that is in you, out. Escape into the open.”
7. What is Your favorite ice cream flavour?
Coffee mocha chip – yum!
8. Which mythological creature are you most like?
The phoenix. If I go down in flames, I rise up and reinvent myself.
9. What are four things you can’t live without?
Hot black tea, music, an Internet connection and my laptop. Unless people count as things, then hubby would have to squeeze in there!
10. What is your favorite television show?
I normally don’t have favorites, but right now Grimm is the one show I try not to miss! I love how they give the fairy tales a modern twist, and I absolutely love the cultured, sensitive werewolf who goes against stereotype.
11. Who is the last person you hugged?
My grandkids, probably. I can’t get enough of their sweet hugs.
12. Do you like kissing in public?
I’d rather kiss in private, where we can make it last. :)
13. What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
Hubby is always doing sweet things for me. It’s too difficult to pick just one. On weekends, he’ll make me lunch because he knows I won’t take the time to step away from the computer to make my own.
14. What kind of music you like?
My musical tastes are as eclectic as my reading tastes. Mostly I like rock, but like any good story, a great song with the right combination of elements will transcend genre to grab me.
15. Do you like to dance?
Yes, though I’m not very good at it.
16. Can you Describe your dream home?
Easy – an open layout A-frame by a lake surrounded by tall trees. Ahhhh.
17. How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
Probably buying my daughter a new-to-her car. She desperately needs one.
18. Do you have a crush on anyone?
Other than my hubby? :)
19. What is your least favorite word?
Any word that insults, demeans or insults makes me cringe.
Thanks so much for having me at SexyReads! It’s been fun.
Danny O’Malley’s screwed. After he and the love of his life, Jillian, moved to Las Vegas hoping to find their big break in show business, she’d tossed him out, thinking he’d cheated. Now he’s in deep with a loan shark to pay for a 1Night Stand—a date he believes is his last chance to win her heart again.
Jillian Jones wants to see Sin City—in her rearview mirror. Agreeing to a blind 1Night Stand date on her last night in Las Vegas as a favor to a friend, she discovers her match is Danny. When he plays their song, Tonight You Belong to Me, she melts. But when two thugs break in demanding money, she finds she might go out with a bang in an unexpected way. Can she save him, and their relationship?
Genre: Contemporary, erotic romance
Heat level: 4
Word count – 9k
Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs
Interviewing Myself
The Brains behind SexyReads (and a few other sites) and lucky father of Bethanny Ann Willow and hubby of Victoria Blisse.
I’m a Manic Depressive Steak Loving Romantic Leo Lion with a Hairy Back who among other things is a Coder, Techie, Geek, Evertonian, Whovian, WordPress Guru, Tetris King, Hello Kitty & Stitch addict. Who has been hooked on computers since I was 8.
I have the unique pleasure of being the Lucy Felthouse UbaahhhhFanboi and will Nuke anyone who claims to be a bigger fan.
You might be able to find out more on my blog type thing mitnik22.co.uk if I ever get round to finishing it.
1. Do you ever wish you were someone else?
I often do, when reading a book or watching a movie if it really captivates me I imagine myself as the Hero or Baddie (whichever is the most tormented)
2. What did you do on your last birthday?
We went to Llandudno for the day and spent a windy day exploring the shops before having a lovely pub lunch.
3. Do you have any tattoos?
I have a star on my left hand. Which was done by a friend with Indian Ink and a hot needle almost 17 years ago. I’ve contemplated getting it covered with something else but as yet haven’t gone through with that. I’d like to have an “Everton Football Club” Crest Tattoo done on my arm one day and I’d like to get a dolphin over my ankle too.
4. What are you working on right now?
I’ve submitted stories under two different Pen Names to two different publishers so I’m waiting to hear back on them and I’d like to get my blog mitnik22 finished as well as supporting my wife in Smut by the Sea, Smut in the City, Blisse UK and other projects.
5. What do you think you’re really good at?
Computers!! I just have a natural ability when it comes to them, give me new software and I can figure it out in moments, give me a technical problem and I’ll have it fixed it a blink most of the time, I just love the predictability and functionality of them.
6. What do you think you’re really bad at?
People! I have a real problem judging and understanding people and still find it all very alien, give me a computer any day!
7. Is your life anything like it was two years ago?
Not really, I’ve met an awful lot of new people in the last 2 years and taking on new challenges, and even though I have had a mini meltdown and tried to retreat back into my hole at points I am striving to be a better person and change the habbits of a lifetime, it’s not been easy and it’s only going to get harder but I want to do it and know I have the support I need to do it and that’s the main thing!
8. Have you ever had an imaginary friend?
I had a whole imaginary family at one point.
9. Do you have any phobias?
SPIDERS!! I freaking hate the brain sucking evil aliens!
10. Ever broken any bones?
I’ve broken my ankle, tibia and fibia more times than I can count and I’ve also broken every finger in both hands (I was going for a world speed typing record and caught the key ever so slightly wrong and my hands mashed into the keyboard and… YEOWCH!!)
11. Any weird things you do when you’re alone?
Does Masturbating count? How about watching those strange reality shows on C4&5 like Come Dine with Me & Three in a Bed?
12. What is your favorite quote and why?
“I’d love to change the universe but they won’t give me the source code” – because it’s true!
13. What is Your favorite ice cream flavour?
Ice Cream is still very new to me, for a long time I couldn’t eat it because of my sensitive teeth now that’s no longer a problem I’m just starting to experiment, right now I’d still say Vanilla with candy sprinkles!
14. Which mythological creature are you most like?
The Griffin. Fiercely protective of my friends and with a wild and dangerous side.
15. What are four things you can’t live without?
Love, Laughter, Music and Pepsi
16. What is your favorite television show?
I have so many, Right now I’m glad Breaking In has gotten a second season and is coming back as that showed some real promise and it’s great to have Breakout Kings back as well, but I still love my old favourites like CSI, Criminal Minds, Lost Girl, Eureka, Castle, Warehouse 13, Big Bang Theory and I’m enjoying New Girl.
17. What is something you’ve lied about?
I’ve lied about my feelings more times than I care to remember, as a chubby kid I hid a lot of my crushes and real feelings about people and had to contend myself with being in the friend zone when I wanted so much more.
18. Who is the last person you hugged?
I’m not huge on hugging, I’m kind of body conscious and never feel that comfortable doing it, but I did hug my wife earlier as she hasn’t been feeling too good. I think it’s the lack of sleep from the past weeks madness catching up with her.
19. What is the story of your first kiss?
Her name was Trish and It was a dare at the Summer Playgroup. She wasn’t happy about having to kiss me in the slightest. Annoying thing is I wasn’t even playing their stupid game of dare I was on a computer over the other side of the room when she was dared to kiss me. She came over and kissed me cheek then ran away!
..but the rest of the group told her it had to be a lip to lip kiss, she kicked up a fuss and ended up going home. A few days later in school at lunch she came and found me to say sorry as she thought I’d be avoiding her since (I hadn’t) I told her I didn’t care and that none of it had been my idea and I thought the idea of daring kisses was stupid as kisses were special.. She then kissed me for my first kiss.
I was shocked and ended up bashing my head against the wall, I came round in the staff room, she then said I’d dreamed it and had hit my head when a ball was kicked at me. I didn’t know what to believe and in the end accepted I’d dreamed it. nearly 13 years later she told me the truth that she had indeed kissed me and we shared a proper kiss. True Lusts First Last Kiss? Maybe..
20. Do you like kissing in public?
When I’m doing the kissing or being kissed then I’m all for it, but it can Icky watching others kiss, especially those kisses were they seem to be in a race to consume each other and have somehow managed to unhinge their jaws!
21. What is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
Victoria Blisse has done many sweet and wonderful things for me over the years, she has made photobooks, tardis bags, snoopy tshirts, totoro cuddlies, cakes galore and we many sweet love notes were exchanged in our early years so it’s hard to pick one sweet thing she has done, but she said “YES!” when I asked her to Marry me so I’d probably haveto pick that :)
Katie K signed an Autograph when she really wasn’t meant too and shared naughty pics which I certainly appreciated so I’d haveto mention that too.
..And the lovely Lucy Felthouse has given me mugs, tales of lesbian lust and choccy goodness so that was real sweet too (although certainly not bribes!)
22. What kind of music you like?
I’m eclectic in music taste and shuffle on my player is always going to bring confusion to anyone but myself, If I had to pick just one genre it’d probably be Indie, although I sway to the Alternative spectrum of that so maybe not. In truth as long as it’s not Rap or the really thump thump techno I can digg most things.
23. Do you like to dance?
No I have two very left feet.. but I will swing my pants if the beat takes me!
24. Can you Describe your dream home?
It would have a Grand Sweeping Staircase and an Old Butler called Willikins. It’d have a Grand Library, Overstuffed chairs in comfy nooks for dreams and voyages galore. A Gleeming galley Kitchen with every mod-con under the sun and it’s own Movie Theatre with Popcorn machine.. And maybe a French Maid or two for dusting the high shelves..
25. If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be?
I feel I’m a lot like John Carpenter from The Portable Door by Tom Holt so I’m tempted to say that as it wouldn’t take much acting for me to assume the role but I’d like to be Darius from the Mode Series by Piers Anthony – The idea of setting across the virtual plane in search of love not knowing what you could find reminds me a lot of my own love story.
26. What is the first curse word that comes to mind?
Tatty Bojangles – I was watching a Russell Howard DVD before so I blame him!
27. How would you spend ten thousand bucks?
A New laptop (My current is dying and no longer has a working keyboard, trackpad, hdmi and bluray drive. I’m afraid to switch it off now incase it won’t start up again!)
28. What are 5 things within touching distance?
Bottle of Pepsi, Enough Cuddlies & Geek Bits to Sink a Battleship, My Phone, The Remote Control (Only because Vicky is already in Bed if she was awake I wouldn’t have a hope in hell of having it!) Headphones
29. Do you have a crush on anyone?
Drew Barrymore. Ever since I first saw her in ET I’ve had a crush on her!
30. What is your least favorite word?
In’it. I used to hear it all the time when I lived in Birmingham and it drove me crackers.
