Cathy Perkins's Blog, page 159

Valerie Bowman on the Time a St. Louis Rams Football Player told her what to do with her life (Giveaway)

Please welcome Valerie Bowman, whose incredible debut, “Secrets of a Wedding Night” released on Tuesday! This is a story you have to hear!

Ok, to hear this tale, I must first explain what I was like as a little kid.

Young Valerie Bowman was always angling for two things.

1) a trip to Florida

2) a dog

So, picture me tripping around East Central Illinois (shout out to the Fighting Illini) asking my mom for a dog, day after day. (I finally got the dog, btw. Though that story is not nearly as good...

The Longest Night

As my fellow musers know, I would be completely lost without music. I would never be able to write a novel, much less capture an emotion, if I didn’t spend a lot of time developing a playlist for every novel I write. When I’m at a loss for ideas, when I need to capture a deep emotion, when I just want to get my head into the story — out comes the iPod.

This week, I’m celebrating the release of my fourth book in the Last Chance series, Last Chance Christmas. And I thought, this being though...

Coaching and Football

The sports world has gone crazy again. In case you missed Monday night’s football game, the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers on a last second blown call by the replacement refs.

Blown call?

The call? A Seahawks “touchdown” that was clearly intercepted in the end zone by Packer safety M.D. Jennings. The MNF analysts went nuts about “losing the integrity of the game.” I thought Steve Young was going to break down in tears!

Immaculate Reception

The ESPN studio analysts and other talki...

Quotes and How They Inspire

Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content. ~ Louis L’Amour

I have always enjoyed quotes. Sometimes, I find them just as I need that right boost of inspiration. Like the one above by the western writer, Louis L’Amour. Think about it—if we were content why would we keep writing, or pursuing our dreams? This is one I look at that reminds me that’s it is OK to be restless.

I have quotes everywhere, on my computer, in books, on the mantle. I tape them to the mirror. Here are a few...

Livia interviews Guest Author, CJ Redwine

C.J. Redwine loves stilettos, lemon bars, and any movie starring Johnny Depp. She lives in Nashville with her husband, four kids, two cats, and one long-suffering dog.

I’m delighted to have C.J. Redwine, a fellow GIAMer here to visit with us today. Some of you may know C.J. through her popular workshops on query letters and the dreaded synopsis. Her first YA release, Defiance, was released August 28. I was drawn to the cover the first time I saw it.

The trailer is awesome. Take a peak.

Welco...

Martie Guest CJ Redwine

C.J. Redwine loves stilettos, lemon bars, and any movie starring Johnny Depp. She lives in Nashville with her husband, four kids, two cats, and one long-suffering dog.

I’m delighted to have C.J. Redwine, a fellow GIAMer here to visit with us today. Some of you may know C.J. through her popular workshops on query letters and the dreaded synopsis. Her first YA release, Defiance, was released August 28. I was drawn to the cover the first time I saw it.

The trailer is awesome. Take a peak.

Welco...

Viva Italia!

Viva Italia!

I fell in love this past week. Not with a person, but with a place and a people. For eight days, my family and I had the pleasure of touring Sicily.

City of Catania Gate

We arrived in Catania, a hustling bustling city with narrow streets, high-rise buildings and crazy drivers of Vespas or Fiats that clearly have a death wish. Really. I’ve never seen driving like this in my life. Driving in Italy makes driving in New York look like a leisurely Sunday drive. I truly believe our fr...

Ahoy, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Today is International TalkLike a Pirate Day. This is not news to those of us who write it on our calendars year to year, but if it’s new to you, then shiver me timbers—ahoy to ye. Welcome to the looting and pirating of the English language—aaaargh! And check out the official Talk Like A Pirate website—it’s truly awesome.

Pirates are cool. I don’t really know why, since in real life they were not (usually) the sorts of dudes you wanted your daughter to date.But, as characters they’ve held...

How Did You Spend Your Summer?

It’s official. School is back in session and summer 2012 is finally, irrevocably, over.

When I was in school (a geologic epoch ago), I knew my very first homework assignment would be to compose the predictable essay entitled, “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”. Now that the baseball diamonds are empty, backyard pools deflated and packed away, and barbeque grills cold and covered I’ve been wondering where my summer went. I mean, wasn’t May just last week?

*sigh*

At the Denton household, each su...

R.T. Wolfe Debut Author

Debut author R.T. Wolfe is our guest blogger today. Born and raised in the Midwest, R.T. is the youngest of six children. She married at a young age and decided early on she wanted a family. With three small boys in tow, she and her husband flipped two houses with R.T. in charge of the landscape design and install. Now, she is rooted in the final home they designed inside and out.

Now that her boys are nearly grown, R.T. spends much of her time on the road traveling from one sporting event...