Cathy Perkins's Blog, page 4

First Signing at Malice Domestic

by Paula Gail Benson

For many of us, a return to an in-person Malice Domestic this year was truly a reason for celebration. Having the opportunity to greet and spend time with folks who have become like family was completely joyous (even though an outbreak of Covid marred the occasion at the end).

Elizabeth Crowens, Kaye George, Marilyn Levinson, Leslie Karst, me, and Kathryn O’Sullivan

Alan Orloff, Art Taylor, and Janet LaubgrossI’ll remember this Malice for many terrific experiences: (1) a blurr...

Why 'Google' Isn't a Synonym for 'Research'

WHY ‘GOOGLE’ ISN’T A SYNONYM FOR ‘RESEARCH’ by Connie Berry

The quote about Google and research belongs to author Dan Brown, who himself undoubtedly spent days, weeks, months researching his complicated thrillers and was accused (but notconvicted) of lifting information from books, journals, and blogs written by others which were available online. So, what was he talking about? There’s so much information on the web. Isn’t Googling information a good way to research a book in this day and age?

...

Rejection

 by Bethany Maines

One of my manuscript was recently rejected.  And you can guess how I feel about that. Not good. 

I think the harshest part was that the editor took the time to reject it personally.  When you get a form letter, you can pretend that no one really read it and that your genius will go undiscovered another day. When they take the time to tell you why they hate your book-child and why it's deformed and hideous then it feels a little personal.  I admit that the individual may not ha...

Why Books are Better for Your Brain By Saralyn Richard ...

Why Books are Better for Your Brain

By Saralyn Richard

 

Since the beginning of television, debates have been held over the benefits of reading over TV watching or vice versa. Some of the tried-and-true arguments include:

·         Reading allows you to form pictures in your brain, which involves more creativity and imagination than having them spoon-fed.

·         Reading time is all quality time, with no time wasted on commercials.

·         Books are portable and less expensive to use.

·     ...

A DAY OF MAY RELEASES

 

Happy Monday, everyone!  Along with Stiletto Gang, which I'm pleased to belong to, I'm on a Facebook group with several romantic suspense, paranormal romantic suspense, and mainstream suspense authors. After pouring our hearts and souls into a novel, promotion is one of those pesky details we authors do, lest no one learns anything about our latest creations. Addressing this problem, Author Sharon Wray (one of my Golden Heart sisters) and I brainstormed a possible solution. What if we came up w...

So You Want to Write a Book

By Sparkle Abbey

Part 1: Where to Start

All of the wonderful authors in this group have written books. Some have written many books, but we all started somewhere. 

Is there a book in you? If you believe there is, you’re not alone. 

There’s a statistic floating around the internet from a USA Today survey that took place almost twenty years ago that says 81% of Americans feel they have a book in them. We can only assume that percentage is closer to 90% now with many people taking stock of their life g...

Clicking Our Heels - Favorite Form of Exercise

Clicking Our Heels – Favorite Form of Exercise

In the past, we’ve discussed what the Stiletto Gang members would be doing if we weren’t reading or writing, but the question came up as to what our favorite form of exercise is.

 

Debra H. Goldstein:  I’m a couch potato. During the pandemic, I thought I should do something so I ordered a Cubii exerciser. After a week, I shrouded it. Periodically, I look at it from the couch.

 

Lynn C. Willis: Hiking with Finn.

 

Barbara J. Eikmeier: Favorite doesn’...

Editing, Updating, and Completing a Manuscript

 

By Kathryn Lane

Technology innovations are accelerating at warp speed. At least that’s what it seems like in my writing world.

A year-and-a-half ago, I started research about a child math prodigy interested in rockets and space travel. The story takes place in the present day. The plot revolves around a family-secret type mystery and a subplot involving the girl’s dream of space exploration.

Then my commitment to write another novel in my Nikki Garcia mystery series shelved the girl-genius proj...

Five Tips for Meal PlanningIt's no secret, I'm a hardcor...

 Five Tips for Meal Planning

It's no secret, I'm a hardcore plotter when it comes to my writing. I'm also a serious planner girl who reaches for her Erin Condren planner constantly throughout the day. So it's no surprise that I've embraced meal planning. And today I'm going to share with you why I have and give you a few of my tips. 

This month I’m sharing a tool that I’ve been using since the beginning of 2021 to help keep me on schedule with my writing and feed my family. It’s meal planning. I’...

Just Joys — T.K. Thorne

 

 Writer, humanist,
          dog-mom, horse servant and cat-slave,
       Lover of solitude
          and the company of good friends,
        new places, new ideas
           and old wisdom.

 

 

 

The whirling weeks have left me vaguely unsettled, looking for what I have "accomplished." I am used to measuring that in terms of word count, and I don't have many of those. Rather than wallow in guilt, perhaps word count is the wrong measurement. I decided to look back and ask, "What happened?" And specific...