Cathy Perkins's Blog, page 15
October 18, 2021
What I’ve Learned about Death Services by Saralyn Richar...
What I’ve Learned about Death Services
by Saralyn Richard
When I was a senior in high school, I had an English teacher who moonlighted as a mortician. I don’t remember much about the course curriculum, but I have vivid memories of his stories about dead bodies, sitting up while he worked on them. Mr. M., as I’ll call him, thrived on telling grotesque tales and watching our reactions.
Aside from those stories, I can’t remember the topic of funerals coming up much. No one likes to talk ...
October 17, 2021
Plotting or Plodding, or Both?
by Paula Gail Benson
About a month ago, I began noodling with an idea for a novel. I started writing in a notebook, with a cover that had the phrase: “Wherever life takes you--trust your journey.” Following that advice, I started generally with entries about what I would like to write. I had a strong idea for a protagonist and gradually figured out the people who surrounded her.
On the fourth entry, I heard my protagonist’s first words: “I am a relic.” And then, her best friend’s response.
I con...
October 13, 2021
The Hardest Hit Release!
by Bethany Maines
The Hardest Hit, book 3 of the Deveraux Legacy Series will be released next Monday! I'm over the moon excited about this. I've been working on this series for three years, and with one book left, I'm ecstatic with the reception the series has received (award-winning audio book, 5 star reviews).
SIDE NOTE: Preorder and get the preorder sales price of .99 cents - price goes up 24 hours after the release! https://books2read.com/hardest-hit/
However, I'm often hesitant to talk abo...
October 11, 2021
Gay Yellen: A Leaf Blower Lament
October! The thrill of crisp, cool air, gently weaving its way through the sun-baked furnace of summer. We can feel it coming... sweater weather! Pumpkins and spices and all things Halloween will soon be here. Baked apples! Hot chocolate! And glorious leaves in bright colors, red, gold, yellow, purple!
Welcome to my favorite month, and everything it brings. Everything but but one: leaf blowers.
In these days of semi-isolation, the favored method of stress reduction at our house comes in the form o...
Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, I'm seriously relating to a Disney cartoon
Sing along with me. . .
Book edits and kitchen remodels don't mix!I've been working on editing changes, proofreading galore on book two of my cold case series, all
while engrossed in a kitchen remodel and choking on dust and chaos. To tell you how much I miss my sink, stove, and dishwasher is an understatement. It was supposed to be completed last Thursday. But, in the time of COVID, we all know supply chain is hit and miss--the sink didn't come in and my contractor can't do the granite without...
October 8, 2021
Watch Out – the Frying Pan is Armed! by Debra H. Goldstei...
We all know that I’m not Suzy Homemaker, but this time even I don’t know what I did. I hope some of you out there can tell me how I blew up my favorite frying pan.
As you recall, during the pandemic, I’ve cooked more in the past year than in the previous thirty-seven years of my marriage. So far, I’ve learned that if I see an F3 or an F8 in the digital portion of my stove, the oven is either on fire or I’ve blown the contraption’s brai...
October 7, 2021
Living Our Best Lives
by Sparkle Abbey
Sometimes it’s a struggle to balance daily life with pursuing our dreams. We’ll be honest, there are days it’s a struggle to just live our best lives.
After morning coffee, we find ourselves jumping into the day, tackling never-ending projects, putting out fires, and skipping lunch. By the end of the day, we lack the focus and energy to do anything more.
There are actions we can take to turn the focus back on living our best lives. These aren’t difficult, we just need to make th...
October 6, 2021
Clicking Our Heels - Where Do Our Ideas Come From?
Clicking Our Heels – Where Do Our Ideas Come From?
Readers often ask where the ideas for our books and stories come from. Today, the members of the Stiletto Gang are letting you in on their secrets.
Donnell Bell - My books originate from events that have happened and affect me in life. The first book that compelled me to write (which I never tried to publish) came after listening to a breaking news story about a man gunned down on the New Mexico capital steps. I was on my lunch hour and had to...
October 5, 2021
“Solitude in the Outback…”
By Kathryn Lane
Years ago, when I lived in the Outback of Australia, I often found myself alone for weeks at a time at the homestead while the men were in the field catching feral cattle. That solitude gave me time to read the Russian novels by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pushkin, and Pasternak to name a few. Dr. Zhivago and The Brothers Karamazov remain favorites to this day.
In my Australian days, I’d visualize the great books I read as a lighthouse that would light up the path of my life. A silly im...
October 4, 2021
Feeling the Halloween Vibes
Happy October!
This has to be my favorite month of the years for so many reasons. I love sweater weather and seeing big, fat orange pumpkins always makes me smile. I enjoy layering my home in warmth with cozy throws and fragrant candles.
Last year was the first time we set out a lawn decoration for Halloween. Typically our road gets very little trick-or-treat traffic, so we haven’t gone all-out for the holiday. That changed last year. I know, one four-foot inflatable is ...
