Cathy Perkins's Blog, page 126

THE WILD WORLD OF TV CRIME SHOWS

I'M HOOKEDI can almost feel the pink blush tinting my cheeks when I reveal I'm obsessed.  Hooked.  A junkie.  An addict.  To what?  Television crime shows.    
We've just started getting a channel called Investigation Discovery (ID) and it is nothing but crime/police/investigation shows.  Being a romantic suspense writer, getting a chance to peek into the mind of a serial killer, or a stalker, is fascinating.
Sometimes, it's listening to the family t...

My Weird London Trip

Many, MANY years ago my best friend and I had the opportunity to travel to London. We were both nineteen and I don’t know how we convinced our ultra-conservative parents to let us travel that far away by ourselves.  I think it was because the opportunity struck so fast, and we were literally getting on a plane before the notion even sunk in with them.


We boarded a Virgin Atlantic plane to find stewardesses in non-traditional flight attendant garb dancing down the aisle to, “I Wear My Sung...

READY TO RESEARCH?

I write about geeks and brainiacs, so it's not surprising that I'm often asked how much technical research is required for my books.  Do I research it or do I make it up?
Well, the answer is (drum roll)…I research. A lot. Since my heroine is a hacker and her closest friends are brilliant computer nerds, I know I have to get it right. Lucky for me, my immediate family is full of geeks. I bounce ideas off of them once I have an overall plot in place. I ask dozens of questions about computer...

Falling in love again

After I finished writing the final Dylan Scott mystery, Dead Simple , I ground to a creative halt. Really. I'd vowed to get on with another book, the one I wanted to write but was too busy with Dead Simple , and meh. I slogged my way through 20,000 words, but found there were too many other things I'd rather be doing - walking the dogs, sorting through thousands of old photos, washing dishes or cleaning windows (I kid you not).

A friend told me she thought I was suffering from burn-out. I dismis...

Doubt Demons

DOUBT DEMONS. Those pesky thoughts that paralyze us with fear and keep us from believing in ourselves. They won’t leave me alone. I have a new book out, my first Indie novel, and it seems to be doing well. I’m getting lots of support from friends like Sally Berneathy and Sharon Sala, both of whom have known me for years and say this is my best book to date. Have another submitted to Carina Press,  first in a series of modern Native American mysteries. I hope if it sells that they let me...

It's a Writer's Life

I'm sitting in the waiting room at an outpatient surgery center while my husband is somewhere beyond a set of double doors marked 'Do Not Enter,' having a routine medical procedure. Most of the other people waiting have their heads tipped toward the oversize television screen, watching Fox News. A few appear to be reading magazines.

But not me. Because I can't turn off my inner observer. She's always on, taking note of the elderly woman who keeps flexing her right fist. There's a band-aid on t...

Writing workshops for the fragile ego

Like most writers I know, I’m a little insecure about my writing. A part of me worries that I’ve been writing drivel all these years and that one of these days, people are going to find me out.
So, I study the craft in hopes that I will improve, and grow. Problem is, I’m an intuitive writer, a seat-of-the-pants writer. I’m no good at analyzing my own work or methods. And I’m a terrible judge of what I’ve written.
So I read books on writing, read blogs on writing and take writing workshops in ho...

Are You a Homebody?

I have to admit I'm not the world's best traveler. I wish I was. I wish I could pack a bag, hop a flight and roam the world like a nomad, but the older I get the more I realize I'm a homebody. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't love visiting new places and meeting new people and experiencing new things. I'm just not a fan of the actual travel to get to those great locals or the amount of work to get everything back into place when I get home.

Then of course there's worrying about home a...

INSPIRATION?

Jackie
    Inspiration—“affected, guided or roused by divine influence.” That would be si...<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>

Audiobook Virgin

I confess I never used to listen to audiobooks. The kids were always around and the books I like tend to be unsuitable for young ears so I didn't get into them. Then a few things happened. First we started listening to 39 Clues books on long road trips across country, then my hubs bought me Boise noise-canceling headphones for my last birthday.

My world exploded.  :)

Nowadays I try to find all my research books on audio and (when it isn't too frickin' cold) I listen to the books on dog wal...