The first five sentences of... THE PROFESSOR
The body lay in dappled shade. Patches of light caught pale flesh—an ankle here, a hip there. Resurrection ferns spread lacy fronds, partially concealing the limbs. Mick wondered if the irony was deliberate.
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Romantic suspense/mystery
Available Now
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FUN FIRST FACTS ABOUT CATHY
1. Who was your first love?
My first love was Philip C. As long as I can remember, I’ve been a sucker for dark hair and blue eyes—and he had both. I don’t think we ever kissed, but it was True Love. We in first grade and were going to get married. I think it lasted a month. Which is an eternity when you’re six.
2. What’s the first thing you do when you start writing a new story?
My stories seem to grow out of day dreams, the snippet of an idea, a what-if. For example, my husband and I were hiking in a game refuge near our house. While pushing through dense undergrowth beside the Snake River, I glanced over my shoulder and said, “Wouldn’t this be a great place to find a body?” My current WIP grew from that What-if.
Once an idea takes hold, the plot and character evolve together. But – don’t throw things, Becky – I’m a plotter, so the first thing I do when I think the idea has possibilities is sketch an outline of the plot. That outline grows and evolves as my characters’ personalities and motivations flesh out. Things that of course they’d do add layers or subplots as the story unfolds.
3. What was the first meal you made for your significant other?
I went to college on the combination of a scholarship and a part-time job, so I had no money. Seriously. None. My last year, I moved off campus into a tiny apartment and lived off things like peanut butter sandwiches and Ramen Noodles. My husband (who has dark hair and blue eyes, by the way) and I had just started dating when he brought over a bag of mushrooms. I had no idea what to do with them, but I had one, count ‘em, one cookbook. I thumbed through the index – the recipe had to be easy and couldn’t use a bunch of ingredients. And voila, stuffed mushrooms. Clearly, I’d never made this dish before, but apparently I did a bang up job because he still talks about those mushrooms. J
More about Cathy: Cathy Perkins’ suspense writing lurks behind a financial geek day-job, where she learned firsthand the camouflage, hide in plain sight, skills employed by her villains. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her work-a-holic husband and a 75-pound Lab who thinks she’s still a lap-puppy.
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Thanks so much for having me here today to talk about some of the “firsts” in my life. You can find me here online:
Cathy, I'm so excited to have you on today! I can't WAIT to read this.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun interview, Becky and Cathy! Those first five lines gave me chills! Looking forward to reading the rest.
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