Cathy Perkins's Blog, page 122

Setting - Your Own Backyard

They say 'write what you know.' As for setting, that usually means placing a story in my home state of Florida. For two of my favorite romantic suspense novels, that's exactly what I did. Not that I haven't taken steps out of my comfort zone and set stories in The Unites Arab Emirates, London, different US locales, but my setting of choice is always the Sunshine State.

Not only am I the most comfortable writing about Florida, but because I live in one of the vacation capitals of the world, I t...

The Killer You Don't Think About.

Villains come in all shapes and sizes. But when you think about it, one of the scariest villains never dies. Any idea what I’m talking about?
Natural disasters.
Earthquakes aren’t the only killers. Tornadoes, tsunamis, typhoons, cyclones, volcanoes… The list goes on. When I was thinking about the kind of villain I wanted to tackle for my Adrenaline Highs novella, A Little Danger , I wanted to make sure I gave the bad guy his due. The recent earthquake in Nepal is a frightening example of the d...

CHOICES

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True Crime

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Characters. Research. Moral Ambiguity.

May is my favorite month of the year. It's a completely selfish and self-centered preference based on the fact it's my birthday month. Happy May :)
For the last two weeks, I've been doing research. One of my favorite forms of research is reading/listening to biographies and interviews of people who do similar things to what my characters do. My current hero is a secondary character in my previous Cold Justice books, but for once this isn't an FBI book.
The problem I have is my hero is part of w...

Spring Motivation

Back when I became interested in writing, few authors other than Stephen King or Danielle Steel actually earned a living writing. I worked a 9-5 job, so my aim was to accumulate jewelry. Seems my first writer's checks garnered me topaz and amethyst rings and earrings. Tires for the Radillac convertible, a good used washer and dryer, and the occasional writer's conference.

I've learned to gamble on what I can accomplish without the what-ifs connected to the business. In other words, I trust mys...

Inspiration Needs A New Form

All writers need inspiration. Where do you find yours?
For me, inspiration comes from the “what if” scenario: What if your neighbor turns out to be a serial killer? What if the supermarket at the end of your street is a cover for an international drugs cartel? What if the pale-skinned old man who owns the second-hand bookshop is actually a ghost?
Most writers relish these observations and use them as a launching pad for stories. When my husband and I were battling through a dense thicket of bus...

Rebelliousness and Redemption

Okay, so I have a confession that probably won’t shock anyone who knows me: I’m a rule-follower. And a people-pleaser, to boot. I color within the lines, obey traffic laws (mostly), and pay my bills on time. 
Don't hate me. Life just runs much smoother when I'm organized, and I'm all about avoiding conflict whenever and wherever I can.
But in my writing, I tend to be the opposite, at least when it comes to plotting and character-building. Of course, writers have to have conflict in their s...

Amateur Sleuths are Fun

I just got home from a long weekend at the SOKY (Southern Kentucky) Book Fest where I had (so So SO much fun!!) the opportunity to meet, chat with and even be on a panel with amazing mystery writers like Duffy Brown, Anna Lee Huber, Tonya Kapes and more. Throughout the event, one question I heard again and again was, "Why cozy?" And the answer I kept coming back to is, "Because cozy is FUN!"
Dead serious. Pun intended. Mystery writing is a load of fun, especially where an amateur female sleuth...

SETTTINGS: A CLOSE BUT EXOTIC GEM

Looking for a gorgeous, exotic locale brimming with colorful history for your story? Consider Puerto Rico.

Recently I attended a professional retreat in San Juan and fell in love with the island.  Incredibly blue waters stirred by constant breezes; friendly locals who, if they don't speak English, are willing to communicate with enthusiastic gestures; rows of colorful buildings with ironwork befitting Charleston or New Orleans.

And the food. Oh my. Pappittos t...