Spring is in the Air

SheridanOkay, to be honest, we haven’t really had a winter here in South Central Alaska. Seriously. A bit of snow, some cold days, a decent amount of rain, but winter? No.

The local skiers are bummed. The local ski hill operator, also bummed. The heliskiing company that comes to town each season is doing well enough, but they take clients up up up to where the snow happens to be.

On the plus side, I have barely shoveled all winter.

On the minus side, I have barely shoveled all winter, one of my prime activities that gets me off my arse. While shoveling is not great joy, it is a necessary evil that does get me outside and moving. Ah, well. There’s always next year. And I’m pretty sure next year will not be the same.

It’s nearly April and spring is in the air. That doesn’t mean we won’t get snow. It could totally happen. And lots of it. But I’d be very surprised if it was more than a few inches, really. Not the way the weather has been of late. In the meantime, I’m loving the pussy willows, the spots of green shoots, the occasional warm (well, relatively warm) day.

Bears should be waking up soon. Always a fun time to find poo along the back of the house. But it’s also fun to see the mama black bear and her cubs that live around here. Other than the occasional freezer raid, they’re pretty quiet neighbors.

Most of Alaska has had a mild winter, some areas with record-breaking lack of snow. It’s difficult to look at what we experienced this season and what the middle and eastern parts of the continent have experienced and deny there’s something wonky with the climate. But that’s a post for another time.

So, here’s to Spring, friends! May your flowers bloom and your bears stay out of your freezer : )

 

Posted in Alaska, on my mind | 1 Comment

Love Spanks 2015 — “Gold Rush”

Love Spanks 2015 is here!

AND GONE!

It went fast, but what a ride! The stories have been read! The comments have been made and are being tabulated by a very sophisticated and advanced system of algorithms and….something. I have no idea. All I know is that Love Spanks 2015 is officially over as far as commenting. Now we wait a bit to see who won what!

All the stories are down because we are having an anthology put together. More on that at a later date. So if you missed any of the fab offerings, they’ll be available in one volume at a ridiculously low price 🙂Spanks-Lovespanks-2015-wnames-200x300

If you have any questions about Love Spanks 2015, head over to Ana’s and she’ll gladly help you out 🙂

Thanks again for reading and commenting and being your awesome selves! I was touched by all your kind words and encouragement about the setting and characters in Gold Rush. I’m seriously considering more with Pen and Rowena. I have a few things on my plate right now, but their story may be too compelling to ignore for long 🙂

 

Posted in Alaska, Cathy Pegau, contest, F/F, fun, romance, win stuff | 42 Comments

A New Year Wish

To be honest, I don’t have a lot of complaints about the last year. There were losses suffered, professional disappointments, moments of sadness that made me cry. But all in all, 2014 was good to me and mine, and for that I’m grateful. My family and I are healthy and doing well. My writing career was nudged in a new direction. And there’s been no snow to shovel since last winter 😉 Okay, that last one might not seem like much to you, but for me it’s a big deal.

I think 2015 will be amazing. I have books to write and deadlines to make. A child graduating high school. A milestone birthday to celebrate (or cry over, not sure which yet). New babies–not mine!–will be part of my life and I’m anxious to meet them.

I know there will be the not so good times as well. I can only hope those are limited and eased by the wonderful people I have around me. And I hope I can help them in their time of need as well.

That’s what we should do, my friends. Promise to be there for each other. Not just for people you know, but for anyone in need of a helping hand, an ear to bend, or a shoulder to cry on. And if you need one or the other, don’t be afraid to ask. Most people will step up.

Be good to each other, my friends, because when we put others first, even for just a moment, we are the most beautiful things on this planet.

Happy New Year!

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Three Aspects

I bought myself this ring recently to celebrate a not-quite milestone birthday.

I was looking for something significant, something more than a pretty bauble, those they are nice too. This ring caught my eye, with its stylized female forms. When I read the description, I knew it was meant to be mine. The seller described the three figures as daughter, mother and grandmother. The three stages of womanhood.

But I look at it slightly differently. I see it as the three aspects of womanhood. (Or any “hood” really, but we’ll stick with womanhood since the figures are obviously more feminine.) I also prefer the older terms of maiden, mother and crone, with mother meaning more than producing or caring for children. Let me explain.

Maiden isn’t just sexual innocence. It’s that stage of life where we start to see the world as bigger than ourselves and we want to experience it all. It’s exciting and scary. Nothing beats the “first time,” whether it’s a kiss or traveling alone. That sense of wonder, the racing of your heart. New experiences can happen at any age, and should! This figure reminds me to see the world through less jaded eyes whenever I can.

I happen to be a mother, having given birth. But there are, of course, mothers who adopt or foster. There are mothers who haven’t raised children at all, but do something all mothers do: nurture. Mothers take care of things, see to the every day chores as well as prepare us for big events. Experienced in a bit of life, mothers use what they’ve learned to not only make their own path, but to help others find theirs.

The crone, like the mother, uses life experience to help others. Crones aren’t done with living, but the wisdom they’ve gained is critical for upcoming generations. They should be heeded, revered. The advice from a crone, from someone who’s “been there, done that” should carry weight.

We don’t necessarily move into each one, leaving the others behind. A person can embody all three aspects at any chronological age. There are wise young people. There are older folks who take on life with the excitement of a child. We are all of these aspects, in some way or another, no matter what our birth date may be.

Posted in Cathy Pegau, on my mind | Comments Off on Three Aspects

CAUGHT IN AMBER Print Giveaway!

ETA: The giveaway period is now over. Thanks SO much to all who entered!!! There were over 1,100 people who put in for a copy of Caught in Amber and I appreciate each and every one of you. Congrats to Wanda and Erin who will be receiving their signed copies soon. I will definitely do this sort of thing again 🙂

In belated celebration of the two awards Caught in Amber won at the 2014 FF&P Chapter Prism Awards in July, I’m giving away two signed copies. I had entered the RITA Awards but didn’t final, so Carina Press/Harlequin sent the unused copies to me.

Check out the details on Goodreads here:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Caught in Amber by Cathy Pegau

Caught in Amber

by Cathy Pegau

Giveaway ends September 16, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Thanks to all!!!

Posted in Carina, Cathy Pegau, Caught in Amber, SFR, win stuff | Comments Off on CAUGHT IN AMBER Print Giveaway!

Watch This Space!

Caught_In _Amber_LibraryI recently received hard copies of my SFR Caught in Amber from the head office at Harlequin/Carina. I had entered CiA in this year’s RWA Rita contest, but it didn’t final, so the hard copies are sent to the authors to do with as they wish. But since CiA DID win TWO Prism awards (Best Futuristic and Best of the Best) I wan to celebrate.

I’ll sign the copies and give them away. Well, most of them. I want to keep one for myself : ) Being published in ebook format has great advantages, but I will admit a certain joy in holding a hard copy of my book. And I want to share that joy!

At some point in the near future, I’ll be giving away three or four signed copies.There are only so many in existence, so that should mean something, right? Maybe I’ll throw in a little something to celebrate Deep Deception taking third in the Futuristic category of the Prisms as well.

But how to do it? Comment on a post? A Twitter contest? Make suggestions in the comments here and we’ll figure something out together ; )

Deep Deception final

Posted in Cathy Pegau, Caught in Amber, contest, Deep Deception, SFR, win stuff, Woo hoo | Comments Off on Watch This Space!

Sci Spanks Anthology Is Here!

You may have noticed that my Sci Spanks 2014 post Jen & Maddy is no longer up. That’s because

SCI SPANKS ANTHOLOGY!!!!!!! SciSpanks Antho (213x320)

is here! The ebook anthology containing 15 of the 17 stories/authors featured in last month’s Sci Spanks event are in one volume. My story, Jen & Maddy is among them. And for only $0.99 you REALLY can’t go wrong here : )

There’s something for everyone, if you like a little naughty or a little more ; ) I had a lot of fun creating my story and loved reading the others. Here’s the Goodreads description.

Buy it at Amazon, for Kobo, and All Romance, among others!

Thanks to Kate Richards for getting the anthology together, the Cover Artisan for a FABULOUS cover, and Anastasia Vistsky for coming up with a fun idea!

 

Posted in fun, reading, SFR, Woo hoo | 1 Comment

“What’s Your Process?” Blog Chain

So my writer friend Jodie Griffin asked if I’d participate in a quick little blog chain thingie. You know how it goes, post something then beg ask your other author friends to do the same.

Here is Jodie’s blog with answers to questions about what she’s up to and her process.

And here are my answers : )

1) What am I working on?
Currently, I have one manuscript out on submission, an Alaska historical mystery, and two speculative fiction works in progress. One is a lesbian historical paranormal romance and the other is a post-apocalyptic set in Alaska.

The Alaska historical is a bit out of my norm, as I usually write some sort of speculative fiction. This is pretty much a cozy mystery. No woo-woo. And no romance at the forefront, though the start of one is there.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I like to think we all bring something unique to our writing. In my case, maybe it’s the setting for the Alaska stories. The historical paranormal features demon hunters and a taboo relationship. I kind of have a thing for heroines, especially, who thumb their noses at convention and authority : )

3) Why do I write what I do?
I write stories that make me go “Hmmm….I wonder how that might work?” I also like to write about characters who grab my attention. They aren’t always the over-the-top, kick-ass heroes and heroines, but they have interesting stories. And there always seems to be some degree of attraction between the main character and someone they interact with. I especially like it when there’s a bit of an adversarial relationship between them that the couple can overcome.

4) How does my writing process work?
Once I mull an idea and get a mental start to the story, or a few scenes brewing, I jot down a rough synopsis of what I have. It’s by no means a real synopsis, and there is nothing locked in as far as events. I just like to have a general path to follow as I write.

Unless I come up with a fun opening scene right off the bat (as was the case for Rulebreaker, IMHO : ), I tend to take some time getting a story started. I want that first introduction of the characters and the world to grab the reader and not let go. Often, I’ll write the first scenes, sometimes the first chapters, in a notebook. Pen and paper aren’t nearly as intimidating as a blank Word document with its cursor blinking “Well? Well? Well?”

I also tend to cross out lines, make other notes, put arrows in to remind myself to move dialogue or description. Even though it can be tweaked later, I need to have a good handle on things before I can move on.

That said, now and again I do write mid-story scenes out of order if an idea hits me. I save them in a file and pop them in later.

I’m not the speediest of writers and tend to get distracted, a bad combination. I’ve been working on discipline, writing on a schedule I can deal with and still get other things done. It’s not easy, but I have friends and critique partners who are pretty good at keeping me honest.

So there you have it! In a week (5/26), head over to Alyssa Linn Palmer’s and Jody Wallace’s blogs to see what they have to say about their work and process. I know I will.

Thanks for dropping by! : )

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April? Already?

Wow! It’s been WAY too long since I posted. Busy. Yeah, that’s it! I’ve been busy….

What’s been happening? Well, lots of working at the money-making job and not as much writing as I need to happen. Typical. I’m hoping that once the school year ends I can get back on the writing track. So what track is that, you ask…

I have an Alaska-set historical mystery that I would really love to see (a) picked up, and (b) turned into a series. The research on this book has been loads of fun. I’ve learned a lot about my town, and it’s even prompted me to join the local historical society! I love weaving the information I’ve gleaned into the fictional lives of my characters.

Another story, set here as well but 200 years in the future, is coming along. It’s been interesting to write two manuscripts about the same place but nearly 300 years apart in time. What’s funny is that because this is a post apocalyptic tale, and technology is rather limited, much of the activities of the two sets of characters are rather similar.

I was thinking of finding ways to link the two stories, sort of Easter eggs, if you will. Other than their locations, I mean. Perhaps names or something? We’ll see.

As for the return to lesbian fiction, have no fear! While I don’t have anything coming out, I am working on a lesbian historical paranormal book. I just need to get my arse in gear on it ; P

Otherwise, it’s mostly working and juggling life around writing. Nothing new : )

I hope all is going swimmingly for you. Come say hi sometime!

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Love Spanks Prize winners!

Thanks to everyone for participating in the fantastic Love Spanks 2014 event! It was great fun to visit sites, read the offerings and see what readers think of some good girl loving : )

Ana has posted the winners of the grand prizes (and there are LOTS of them) at her site.

As for the winner here, I didn’t say I was having a contest here, but guess what?!?!? Yep! I’ve picked one person to receive a copy of one of my books. When all is settled and okay’d, I’ll edit and post the name.

Thanks again for a fantastic time!

ETA: Tara Finnegan won the giveaway here. I sent her a copy of Rulebreaker. Hope you enjoy it, Tara! And thanks!

 

Posted in Cathy Pegau | 3 Comments