Tag Archive for: Cathy Perkins

Celebrating the Longest Night

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Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah if you
prefer), Happy Kwanzaa (Habari Gani?), and Yay for the Solstice! What are you celebrating this month?  


If you live in the Pacific Northwest like
I do, the passing of the Solstice is a reason to be especially thankful. I know I’m looking forward to more than a few hours of daylight. While the recognition of the shortest day probably goes back a lot further, many of the Christmas traditions come from the pagan rituals – yule logs, evergreen wreaths, candles, and evergreen yule trees.    

Western cultures draw many of these winter holiday traditions from Saturnalia, an ancient Roman solstice celebration dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture and time. Initially a one-day celebration earlier in December, like many Roman holidays, it later expanded into a weeklong party stretching from December 17 to 24. Scandinavia honors St. Lucia, one of the earliest Christian martyrs. This holiday was folded into earlier Norse solstice traditions after many Norsemen converted to Christianity around 1000 A.D. As a symbol of light, Lucia and her feast day blended naturally with solstice fire traditions. Of course, we owe the red and green Christmas colors to ancient Celtic traditions.

Moving into other international traditions, the Chinese celebrate Dong Zhi (which means “Winter Arrives”) to welcome the return of longer days and the corresponding increase in positive energy in the year to come. The holiday also has roots in the Chinese concept of yin and yang: after the solstice, the abundance of darkness in winter begins to be balanced with the sun’s light. While it is no longer an official holiday, it remains a family occasion to join together and celebrate the year that has passed and share good wishes for the year to come.

An ancient Persian festival, Shab-e Yalda (which translates to “Night of Birth”) celebrates the triumph of Mithra, the Sun God, over darkness. According to its tradition, people gather on the longest night of year to protect each other from evil, burning fires to light their way through the darkness, and performing charitable acts. 

In Peru, like the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, the winter solstice is celebrated in June. The Inti Raymi (Quechua for “sun festival”) is dedicated to honoring Inti, the sun god. Before the Spanish conquest, the Incas fasted for three days prior to the solstice. Before dawn on the fourth day, they waited for the sunrise on a ceremonial plaza and offered sacrifices, using a mirror to focus the sun’s rays and kindle a fire. After the conquest, the Spaniards banned the Inti Raymi holiday. (Shocker, right?) 

For the Zuni, one of the Native American Pueblo peoples in western New Mexico, the winter solstice signifies the beginning of the year, and is marked with a ceremonial dance called Shalako. Once the Pekwin, or “Sun Priest,” announces the rebirth of the sun, four days of dance begin, starting with 12 kachina clowns in elaborate masks dance along with the Shalako themselves—12-foot-high effigies with bird heads, seen as messengers from the gods. 

The Anasazi left no written records, so we can only speculate about their winter solstice rites. Placement of stones and structures in their ruins, such as New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, indicate they certainly took a keen interest in the sun’s movement. The Hopi, descendants of the Anasazi, have an all night ceremony that begins with the setting of the sun (beginning the longest night).

In Japan, the winter solstice is less a festival than a traditional practice centered around starting the new year with health and good luck. Like many of the traditions mentioned above, the practice has its roots in agriculture. While bonfires are also a tradition here, I’m interested in a different practice – taking warm baths scented with yuzu, a citrus fruit, which is said to ward off colds and foster good health. 

I’m wishing all of you good health in the upcoming winter (of our discontent. Sorry, couldn’t resist). Covid anxiety, and then flat-out covid fatigue, have taken a toll on
many of us. I know my productivity plummeted, but I do have a book releasing in January (Malbec Mayhem). 

As this crazy year winds down, take time (maybe on the longest night) to reflect on what the new season and new year will bring you. 2020 is almost behind us, but don’t give 2021 a chance to say, “hold my beer.”

Cathy 

PS Y’all were so helpful this summer with reviews from the Advance Reader Copies of Calling for the Money. I hope some of you will be interested in ARCs of Malbec Mayhem. Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/MalbecReviewCopy 


An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook  

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on the sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award. 

Judge a Cover

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Don’t judge a book by the cover. 


How many times have you heard that bit of advice? 

Of course, it’s usually a reference to a person, but sometimes it actually refers to a book. I know I’ve scrolled through online retailers, glancing at covers to see if it might be a story I’d enjoy. 

I’m having new covers created for the novellas in my Holly Price series, partly to set them apart from the “main” story line, but also because it’s fun. And with the way 2020 is going, we need all the fun we can find. 

Step one in the process was reading all about current ideas and trends in cover design until my head spun. Then it was a matter of researching cover artists and wearing out my fingers and eyeballs perusing their websites and galleries. (Note to self, this is supposed to be fun.)

But I found several I liked! Score! 

The difficult part is deciding which cover to use. I asked my newsletter peeps – and of course, it was a tie. 

Head. Desk. 

So all you lovely website followers and Facebook gurus, weigh in! 

Double Down cover

Green cover for Double Down Fancy cover for Double Down



Cover 1 – Keep it the same as the rest of the series 

Cover 2 – Is Maddie the gold-digger the Kaufman clan claims? 

Cover 3 – Is Maddie an ice queen like Malbec Mayhem’s Sofia appears to be? (This one is going to need a frame…)

Leave me a comment about your favorite! 

Thanks! 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on the sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award. 

Smoke of a Distant Fire

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 Smoke of a Distant Fire

By Cathy Perkins

Wildfires continue to devastate large swaths of California,
Oregon and Washington, leaving death and destruction of lives, towns, and forests
behind them.

I started to open this post with bullet points, such as:

  • Climate change is real
  • Science is real

But I generally leave the politics to my blog mate, Kay.

Here at The Stiletto Gang, we try to entertain and educate.
Sometimes the posts are about books and sometimes about whatever subject inspired
our latest story. But sometimes, the post is simply to inform.

Today, I want to tell you about smoke and the dangers of
smoke inhalation. In a burning building, smoke inhalation overwhelms most
victims, but with wildfires, smoke can be a widespread, more subtle danger. While
the type and amount of particles and chemicals in smoke varies depending on
what’s burning, how much oxygen is available, and the burn temperature, all
smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter.

In very broad terms, these are the effects of those three
components. Inhaling carbon monoxide decreases the body’s oxygen supply. (It
attaches more tightly to the red blood cell, preventing oxygen from reaching
tissue in your body.) This can cause headaches, reduce alertness, and aggravate
a heart condition known as angina. Fine particles can travel deeply into the
respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Inhaling fine particles can cause a
variety of health effects, including respiratory irritation and shortness of
breath, and can worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. During
increased physical exertion, cardiovascular effects can be worsened by exposure
to carbon monoxide and particulate matter. Once exposure stops, symptoms from
inhaling carbon monoxide or fine particles generally diminish, but may last for
a couple of days.

The CDC has a one-page information sheet that you may find
interesting or helpful.

https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/wildfires/smoke.html

On a personal level, I’m surrounded by three major wildfires. Cold Creek to the northeast, Evans Canyon to the southeast and smoke from the Oregon fires pushing in from the south and west. So, the air quality here has been in the “very unhealthy” zone for a week. It occasionally topples over into “hazardous” territory, which basically means don’t go outside if you can help it. We’ve kept the house closed up, but inevitably smoke comes in every time we do go outside, so it’s less of a sanctuary now.

The view looking out my door: 

Yeah, there’s normally a forest and a mountain visible out there. 

Staying home, limiting the social bubble, was tough enough
when we could get outside and hike or golf or just sit by the river. After a
week inside the house, I have even more sympathy for my friends in Brooklyn and
other large cities, where “getting outside” might mean sitting on the front
steps of your building. I’m also battling burning eyes, swollen sinuses, a
headache and a general feeling of, can I just curl up on the couch?

Pray for rain and offer thanks to the dedicated firefighters
who are slowly containing the fires.

And now I have that song as an earworm…

You left me here…

Girl your eyes…


An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on the sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award. 

Perseverance

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 Perseverance

By Cathy Perkins

We’re living in crazy times right now. The world feels turned
upside down and inside out by the pandemic and I refuse to mention the horrible
political climate in the US. When I talk with friends about writing, the publishing
industry, and life in general, I hear a constant refrain of how difficult it
has become.

Last week, my husband and I finally ventured out of our
bubble and visited my daughter’s in-laws. (Yes, we like our kids’ in-laws!) One
of our many hikes ventured into ancient lava flows – stark, alien terrain. Obsidian
faces as bright and shiny as a new penny belied the 7000-year-old explosion
that created them.

But amid all that desolation, there was a tree.

A small tree, it put down roots and built a home. And
slowly, slowly, it thrived.

The lesson is obvious but still so hard to hear. Patience. Determination.
Willingness to take a risk.

As an author, I’ve slowly built a library of books. I’m so
grateful to the people who read them. They’re the reason I write. If you’ve
read one or more of them, thank you for rewarding me with your faith in my
ability to tell a story and offer a few hours of escape and entertainment.

This picture, however, reminds me that even in these uncertain
times, it’s up to me to find a way to thrive.


(And for a tiny bit of shameless self promotion, So About the Money, book 1 in the Holly Price mystery series is on sale today. http://bit.ly/AllAmazon_SATM ) 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.

Top Ten Writing Tips

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I can’t believe it’s already the middle of July! This year seems never ending–and conversely to be evaporating in an endless blur.


Remember an eternity ago (ie pre-pandemic) when you made New Year’s Resolutions? How are you coming with yours? 


One of my resolutions (the only one I actually remember and am still attempting) was to transfer the organization I always implemented in my day job to my writing life. Since my writing space and habits were a bit (cough, a lot) disorganized, I got together with some author friends. What quickly evolved was a set of writing tips. Many of these I’ve done without conscious thought. I’m attempting to be more mindful, however, and plan to use this structure as additional motivation to, as one friend puts it, finish the damn book.


Yes, as the launch activity for Calling for the Money wraps up (see below) I’m back at work on another story.


So, without further fanfare – the writing tips:


Ten – Make lists. Every day I make a list of the things I want to accomplish that day. (I’m not sure what it says about me that I love drawing a line through an item when it’s done.) The first line (every day but Sunday) is always, Write. Long-term-goals are listed on my white board: things I want to be sure I don’t forget, but I don’t have to do today.


Nine – Sprint.  A group of us grabs our first, or next, cup of coffee and checks in, then we all ignore each other, turn off the internet and the phone, and work steadily for an hour. It’s a writing club, a mutual support group, and a fabulous technique for working without interruption. I write until I meet my word count goal for the day. (Thank Steven King for this one.)


Eight – Work on one series at a time. I try my best to immerse myself in one setting, one set of characters, one story, whether I’m working on a first draft or revising a draft. Avoiding the “new shiny” keeps me focused.


Seven – Finish what’s due first. Except #8 blows up sometimes. I’ll be in first draft mode on Pony Ring and edits will come in from Beaver Pond. Then there was all the activity around the launch of Calling for the Money. Whew! I operate on the First Due principle. I knock out the edits, because they’re due in a week or two, then get back to the longer work. The problem with doing that, of course, is getting back up to speed with the work-in-process, so I can re-immerse myself in that world.


Six – Take time away from the desk. By the end of a writing session, my creative brain is mush. I usually go for what I call my plotting walk, especially if I’m writing a first draft. There’s something about the rhythm of walking that brings the next scene or a plot problem into focus. It makes the dogs happy to get out of the house, too.


Five – Separate creative time from admin time. I’m most creative in the early morning, so I do my writing then. A corollary is, Keep creative time sacred. I don’t schedule anything else for mornings. I try to keep writing blog posts, scheduling author events, record-keeping, and all the other business stuff for the evenings.


Four – Work ahead. Know what you want to accomplish. I’ve written my goals for the year and set up a time table to implement them. That means I work now on upcoming items instead of waiting and scrambling at the last minute.


Three – Outsource what I can’t do. While I tinker with art and photo-editing, I know my limits with graphic design. I hire a wonderful cover artist. I like formatting my books, but it’s something I can do in the evening while my husband watches TV. The key point is identifying what I’m good at and enjoy, versus what I can outsource. Why waste time on things it would take me forever to do and rob me of the hours I need to do what I’m good at – writing stories?


Two – Stay healthy. I always have a full flask of water on my desk. Fluids in, fluids out. It makes me get up and move around every hour or so. And if I forget, my Fitbit buzzes at me with a reminder. I try to eat lean fresh foods, and I get regular exercise even if it isn’t always a sweaty gym workout. And the exercise doubles as creative time – see #6!


One – Butt in the chair, fingers on the keyboard. This is really the most important one. If I get distracted, schedule other things, or simply don’t do the writing, then…I’m not doing the writing. And that’s my job. Of all the varied jobs I’ve held, I’m lucky and blessed to have this one I love.


What tips can you add?



The launch tour for Calling for the Money is wrapping up, but there are still several ongoing giveaway signups. The entire tour is listed on my website (https://cperkinswrites.com) with assorted post, giveaways, reviews, and interviews.


Here are the remaining tour stops:





July 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY
July 17 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT  
July 19 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW  

Stop by, and leave a comment!
You can download your own copy here (all vendors):

https://books2read.com/CallingForTheMoney

Enjoy! 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.

Calling Our Readers

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Calling Our Readers

By Cathy Perkins

The days leading up to a new release are always hectic for an author. Add in a nerve-wracking pandemic, wrenching racial and political crises, and life can feel downright overwhelming. Other members of our group have posted thoughtful discussions about this turmoil and I hope you will read through those posts and think about their words. Whatever your personal beliefs are, may you be a force for change, a positive note in the chaos. 


Ready for an escape? Without further ado, I bring you Calling for the Money! 

Cover of Calling for the MoneyHolly Price has it all—or
does she?

Holly
finally has the dream job at the top of her field, the money and prestige she’s
worked so hard to attain. But when a friend disappears while Holly is working a
make-or-break career assignment, she’s drawn into another criminal
investigation. A ruthless con ring will stop at nothing to extort its victims
and her friends are directly in their cross-hairs.

While
she’s searching for her missing friend, behind the scenes she’s wrestling with
a backstabbing boss, a hurtful family situation, and the devastating worry
she’s made a massive life choices mistake. When the gangsters target Holly,
however, facing certain death has a way of making her reevaluate her life.

Now
Holly must confront her painful past in order to redefine her future…and hope
she lives long enough to see it.
Available at all major online retailers: https://books2read.com/CallingForTheMoney

Note, each book in the Holly Price Mystery Series is a standalone
novel or novella. Although these books can be read individually, they are best enjoyed
chronologically.

Holly Price Mysteries:

So About the Money

Double Down

In It for the Money

Calling for the Money

Malbec Mayhem

Demanding Perfection

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Demanding Perfection
By Cathy Perkins

Our old house was on a dead-end street, a nice long quiet
road with trees and kids and people who mostly observed the speed limit. For
the longest time, when I drove in and out of our neighborhood, I’d see a
teenaged boy practicing skateboard tricks—or rather the same trick—over and
over.
He’d do the set-up, launch—and fail miserably.
Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Tumisu-148124/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3385370">Tumisu</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3385370">Pixabay</a>

But he didn’t give up and eventually I saw him nail the
move. It didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual process. Instead of succeeding
once in a hundred times, it would be one in ten, and then finally, most of the time, he’d jump and spin and pick up his board. Smile. 
And practice it again.
After a while, he’d start on a new skill, a new trick. And
fail miserably.
I can’t count the number of times I thought, a girl would
never do that.
Not the practicing and the striving, but the public failure.
Repeated failure. Where everyone could see them mess up and sprawl all over the
pavement or the lawn and look like a dork.
I hadn’t thought about that kid in years, but a recent post
brought it crashing back.
Basically, Hugo talked about the tragic suicide of a teen,
Amanda Todd, following severe harassment after Todd’s decision to ‘sext’ a man
who, it turns out, may have been a predator. Allegedly, this man tried to
blackmail her and released the pictures to her classmates and life took a
horrible turn for Ms. Todd. More horribly, she didn’t see a way out.
Unfortunately, Todd’s story has been hijacked and trotted
out as a warning to girls about the danger of stepping ‘out of line’ with
anything sexual, another ridiculous blame the victim measure. While the article initially
focused on sexuality, what is most concerning to me is the way the ‘messing up
your life’ message demands perfection from young—and not so young—women, while
at the same time forbidding them to experiment or risk failure. As I told
Nicole in our Facebook exchange, this is the broader message for me:
[Resilience and the ability to thrive] means
focusing on giving them what we’ve given their brothers for decades: the chance
to see failure –- and even humiliation -– as an opportunity rather than as a
life-destroying disaster.  
I kept thinking about the implications of this message, this
demand for instant perfection, on creativity. Whatever the media—visual through
paint, photography, glass, fiber; performance in dance or theater; or the
written word—taking a chance, risking failure if you will, is inherent in
creative works. As much as we try to say, “writing is a business” or “once we
finish, it’s a product,” the end result of our creative endeavor is still a
piece of our soul.
And we offer it up to the world to critique.
If we aren’t “allowed” to take risks, to risk failure, if we
have to be “perfect” before we attempt…anything, what does that say about us as
a society? If we all have to fall in line and not push creative boundaries,
there won’t be urban fantasies or paranormal entities or mysteries that make us
think, not just about who did the crime, but what led those characters to make
those decisions or any of the other layers we authors craft into our stories to
make us think outside the expected. Outside the safe.
And failure to take the creative risk is a loss for all of
us.
I don’t want to live in a white bread world, where
everything is the same. Where people are afraid to take risks. Are afraid to
challenge their deepest fears and embrace their highest dreams.
Instead I applaud everyone who steps outside their comfort
zone and offers a piece of their vision. A piece of their heart.

Cathy 

PS – I have a Book releasing in June, Calling for the Money. The original inspiration for it was a different news article about the suicide of a lonely veteran caught in a sexting scheme. The internet is a useful tool, but the anonymous predators deserve a special place in hell. 
An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.

Practical Finance

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Practical Finance 

By Cathy Perkins


We’re all in this pandemic together. That
means we all need to look out for each other and give back where we can. When I
looked for ways to help others, the obvious kinda stared me in the face. I work
in the financial sector and could talk about financial moves to make right
now if you’re out of work and worried.

Hopefully, you received your economic stimulus
payment today. If not, you can check the IRS website (go here)
to see where you are in the process. There’s also a link for the alternative
registration if you didn’t file a tax return last year.

In the meanwhile, there are other
steps you can take if you are caught in the shutdown without a paycheck.

Important note:




I’ve posted a longer version of this post on my website (https://cperkinswrites.com) with lots of links for exactly where to go for these and other subtopics. 


Hopefully this quick overview will help. 




Image courtesy of Librarypoint.org which details Virginia state help



Your job and benefits

Check with your employer and get a
timeline. If this a furlough? A complete separation from service? Will you be recalled as soon as your company reopens or is this a permanent layoff? Are there any
employer provided benefits? Ask about the status of your benefits, especially
your health insurance.

Unemployment

If
you haven’t already filed for unemployment benefits, do this first. Yes, the state
websites were overwhelmed and crashing and the lines were long, but go do this.
Try to apply online with your state’s labor department rather than over the
phone or in person.


Mortgage payment

If your mortgage
is federally backed, the CARES Act gives you a right to forbearance for
up to 12 months. Federally backed mortgages include loans owned by Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac and various federal agencies. Forbearance means you don’t have to
make payments, although interest will typically still accrue. There’s also a 60-day
moratorium on foreclosures and foreclosure-related evictions for these
mortgages.

If you’re not
sure whether your mortgage is federally backed, call the company that takes
your mortgage payments, aka your loan servicer, and ask. Even if your loan is
not federally backed, you may be eligible for some kind of relief. Explain your
circumstances and ask what help is available.

If you don’t ask,
the answer if “no.” 

Rent and utilities

A number of
states have implemented policies to prevent eviction during the crisis, or at
least through May—but understand even if your rent or utilities are suspended,
you still have to pay them later. 

Try to pay at least part if you can, but reach
out to your landlord and explain your situation. Odds are, the person who owns
your building is in the same bind. He or she owes a lender for the building’s
mortgage and common area utilities and insurance and is scrambling to figure
out where the money to pay those bills is coming from.

Spending

Look at everything.
Say the B word (budget) out loud. Can you live without a subscription, be it
television or another entertainment charge? Cancel the gym, the monthly basket
of whatever. There are a ton of services available for free. Question
everything. Use this time to explore some of those options. 

Final Word

If you still have
a job, focus on an emergency fund. If you already have 3-6 months expenses in a
cash-equivalent fund, good planning! If not, build that fund first and then
consider the current stock market swan-dive an opportunity to build a regular
investment fund.

If you’ve lost
your job, you may be tempted to put off asking for help, hoping that you’ll
land another job before your household is on financial fumes. Don’t go there. Assume
you could be out of work for many months. Not only is unemployment
skyrocketing, but a vaccine could be a year or more away, indicating the
economic disruptions likely will continue.

Good luck, and
don’t lose hope.



An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.

Things Change

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Things Change

By Cathy Perkins
Hi there from New Mexico, where Covid-19 caught up to us and changed, well, everything. 

I hope you’re hanging in there as life changes moment by moment. I don’t know about you, but I feel thrown for a loop by a global pandemic that involves a virus which seems to have even the most learned scientists unsure what to expect next.

Things certainly have changed as a result, though! 

(That’s Dripping Springs in the picture.)

We’re lucky to be healthy, so our changes seem minor compared to what other people are facing. Our kids are working from home, but one son-in-law is a small business owner. He’s struggling to balance the needs of customers and employees, while maintaining financial stability in the chaos. 

Our bucket list trip to Ecuador with National Geographic has been cancelled and we have all our fingers and toes crossed that the rumored domestic travel lock-down doesn’t happen until after we get home tonight. Okay, that’s a bit selfish but after a week in a rented condo where everything in the region is closed, including even the state parks for taking a walk, I’m not sure how people are managing this for fourteen days!  

I don’t have any words of wisdom (other than wash your hands!). The only thing I can say is we’re all in this together. I may be an optimist, but I believe we’ll all hang in there and do the best we can. Keep everyone healthy and the medical community will have a chance to catch up and deal with the most serious cases. Grit and determination go a long way—and here’s hoping the grocery stores restock soon! 

How are you doing? Shoot me any suggestions I can use or that I can share with others. (Add it to the comments below!) 

If you’re sick of television, a group of authors got together and set up a heavily discounted sale (my Kindle has saved my sanity the past few days!). Go HERE


I included CYPHER, an award-winning  suspense that I’ve never put on sale before. Go here for CYPHER.




Blessings to all. Hang tough! 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.

New Way of Thinking

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New Year, New Way of Thinking

By Cathy Perkins

I’ve been thinking about New Year’s Resolutions this week. Making
them is ingrained in us, isn’t it? New year, new leaf, fresh start and all
that. This year will be different! Everything is new and shiny!
Okay, confession: I only made a couple of vague resolutions.
You know, “I’ll finish that online course I started, cough, cough, last year”
ones.
So many people swear they’re going to change, to start doing
the good for you stuff. Go to the gym. Eat healthier. And writers? This is the
year you’re finally going to finish that, fill in the blank. Novel screenplay,
memoire. You hear echoes of “work hard” and “sacrifice” and, if you really want
it…
Why do our expressions for going after what we want to
pursue—our goals, for heaven’s sake—come across as something negative? Why
do we make them about things we clearly don’t want to do?
And what happens? Here we are, barely three weeks into January
and mine are already headed for that big dump station in the sky.  
Then I stumbled across a post by Jennifer Crusie.
Jenny is a fantastic teacher. I met her several years ago
when she taught a masterclass at the beach. I think my head exploded, I learned
so much that week. So, when she says something, I tend to listen and think
about it.
Her proposal is instead of choosing tasks that you know you
aren’t going to carry through, focus on what makes you happy. Won’t that be a
better way to appreciate the good things in life? 
I’ve been thinking about happiness this week (instead of
that class I’m not listening to). What makes me happy?
I love to travel, so I took advantage of Alaska Air’s sale
and booked a few flights. And art. I’ve been playing with my kiln and fused
glass for a while, but those pencils and watercolors are calling. There’s a
shiny new book I want to write and this may be the year to screw up my courage
and tackle the book that nearly made me quit writing.
So, what about you? How are your resolutions going? Did you
make any?

Or would you rather jump on board my Happiness Train?


Image courtesy of Gross National Happiness USA organization. Find them here.




An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.