Month: August 2018

Favorite Villain #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized




Who is your favorite antagonist/bad guy/villain in your books and why? What makes him/her tick?

 Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t read my books, this is your chance to turn back before I tell you who dunit. 

If you’ve followed this blog for very long, you know I’m a pantser. That means I don’t fully plot out my books before I write them. I may have a general idea of the story line, but details often change as I write. That includes my villains. Someone once said that if they didn’t know who the bad guy was by the end of the first chapter, I was doing it wrong. I strongly disagree.

Take my first book, Wolves’ Pawn. I knew from the moment I first met him that Elder Choate was the bad guy of the story. I didn’t understand his motivation at first, but that developed as the story did. He was a man driven by the belief that the old pack structure was the best and he failed to realize that modern ways would influence changes even to his tightly controlled world. His idea of what was right didn’t match up with the beliefs of Dot, my protagonist.

I tried to build  him with more than depth than a single motivation. He’d been spurned by the woman who he’d chosen to be his wife. I never did figure out what caused the rivalry between the Choate pack and the Fairwood pack, one that had gone on for years. I suspect it was more than just a territory issue. One of these days I’ll figure it out.

SPOILER ALERT!

What I didn’t expect was for Elder Henry Fairwood, the hero’s father, to end up as an antagonist. I’d written him as a good guy for most of the book. When he revealed his true colors near the end of the book, I was crushed. But when I thought about it, it made sense.It was true to his time and upbringing. The fact that he surprised me meant it would surprise the readers as well, and I see that as a good thing.

But he ranks second in my list of favorites. I’d say my favorite is Annabelle LeRoix from the Baron’s Cufflinks, the third book in the Oak Grove Mysteries. I wrote her as an uneasy ally in Harmony’s quest to solve her current mystery. She was one of the good guys who, on the surface, sometimes acted like a bad guy. In fact, she was hired to help track down the bad  guy.

Then I got to the end of the book and she revealed her true colors. And none of them were good. The whole acting as a bad guy wasn’t acting at all. Luckily, Harmony was up to handling the news. So was I, and this time it didn’t make me sad. I didn’t even have to go back and change anything in the story to make it work.

Annabelle was fun to write because she was so deeply flawed and she was good at hiding it. She was motivated by the classics-greed, power and love. A deeply flawed definition of love, in my opinion, but it fit her personality.
I’d love to hear about your favorite villain in the comments. In the meantime, let’s check out what the other authors are willing to reveal about their bad guys.

August 6, 2018

Who is your favorite antagonist/bad guy/villain in your books and why? What makes him/her tick?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

Blogger

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<!– end InLinkz script →

Favorite Villain #OpenBook Blog Hop

  By Uncategorized




Who is your favorite antagonist/bad guy/villain in your books and why? What makes him/her tick?

 Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t read my books, this is your chance to turn back before I tell you who dunit. 

If you’ve followed this blog for very long, you know I’m a pantser. That means I don’t fully plot out my books before I write them. I may have a general idea of the story line, but details often change as I write. That includes my villains. Someone once said that if they didn’t know who the bad guy was by the end of the first chapter, I was doing it wrong. I strongly disagree.

Take my first book, Wolves’ Pawn. I knew from the moment I first met him that Elder Choate was the bad guy of the story. I didn’t understand his motivation at first, but that developed as the story did. He was a man driven by the belief that the old pack structure was the best and he failed to realize that modern ways would influence changes even to his tightly controlled world. His idea of what was right didn’t match up with the beliefs of Dot, my protagonist.

I tried to build  him with more than depth than a single motivation. He’d been spurned by the woman who he’d chosen to be his wife. I never did figure out what caused the rivalry between the Choate pack and the Fairwood pack, one that had gone on for years. I suspect it was more than just a territory issue. One of these days I’ll figure it out.

SPOILER ALERT!

What I didn’t expect was for Elder Henry Fairwood, the hero’s father, to end up as an antagonist. I’d written him as a good guy for most of the book. When he revealed his true colors near the end of the book, I was crushed. But when I thought about it, it made sense.It was true to his time and upbringing. The fact that he surprised me meant it would surprise the readers as well, and I see that as a good thing.

But he ranks second in my list of favorites. I’d say my favorite is Annabelle LeRoix from the Baron’s Cufflinks, the third book in the Oak Grove Mysteries. I wrote her as an uneasy ally in Harmony’s quest to solve her current mystery. She was one of the good guys who, on the surface, sometimes acted like a bad guy. In fact, she was hired to help track down the bad  guy.

Then I got to the end of the book and she revealed her true colors. And none of them were good. The whole acting as a bad guy wasn’t acting at all. Luckily, Harmony was up to handling the news. So was I, and this time it didn’t make me sad. I didn’t even have to go back and change anything in the story to make it work.

Annabelle was fun to write because she was so deeply flawed and she was good at hiding it. She was motivated by the classics-greed, power and love. A deeply flawed definition of love, in my opinion, but it fit her personality.
I’d love to hear about your favorite villain in the comments. In the meantime, let’s check out what the other authors are willing to reveal about their bad guys.

August 6, 2018

Who is your favorite antagonist/bad guy/villain in your books and why? What makes him/her tick?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

Blogger

<!– end InLinkz script →

#MysteryExchange Cathy Perkins

  By Uncategorized

I know it’s August, but the #MysteryExchange isn’t over. This week I’m pleased to present Cathy Perkins and her Holly Price books.

A
Different Point of View

By
Cathy Perkins

When
I was young, if you’d asked me for the last place I’d expect—or
want—to live, my answer would’ve been, “In a small town.”
Small towns seemed to be cultural wastelands, populated by gossiping
neighbors who were all related to each other. And out west? That
option never entered my Southern soul.

Fast
forward a few years and dangle the right job opportunity at the right
time and—you got it in one—we moved to a small town in eastern
Washington state. We quickly discovered most of those myths about
small towns were simply…myths.

As
we settled into our new hometown, I debated whether my novels should
make a similar cross-country leap. My South Carolina based mysteries
featured a law enforcement protagonist. To get appropriate
operational procedures, along with cop attitudes and humor, I drew
from a circle of friends at various levels of local, state and
federal law enforcement. Curious about procedures in our new town, I
participated in the Citizen’s Police Academy and discovered most of
the same policies and philosophies I’d encountered back east. (I
also learned more than I ever wanted to know about making meth. Nasty
nasty
stuff.)

Volunteering
for the Sexual Assault Center as a hospital victim’s advocate
provided an intimate view of law enforcement. Other than one cocky,
testosterone-laden patrol officer and another older guy I wanted to
strangle (except that would be assault and I really had no interest
in going to jail), I found the officers professional, well educated
and well trained. Nobody’s perfect, but I appreciated what these
men and women did on a daily basis.

And
those inevitable slow days in a small town? Well, let’s just say
the day my in-law’s moving van got stuck at the entrance to the
retirement village (blocking traffic on the main road—another
relative term), all four patrol cars PLUS the sergeant showed up.
Once they finished laughing, they helped a retired mechanic (who was
in heaven being the expert, by the way) do something to a suspension
part and un-stuck it. For some strange reason, the chief of police
was not amused when I relayed this story at a party… So far, I’ve
refrained from using this tidbit in a book.

With
only five patrol officers on duty during a shift (and fewer than this
in the even smaller nearby towns) reciprocal agreements were a must.
Neighboring cities, counties, even Washington State Patrol was a
welcome addition when suspects took to the highways to escape. I made
use of this mutual support during Holly Price’s carjacking in So
About the Money (Book
1 in the series). In addition to the local officers, county deputies
and state patrol officers joined the chase to catch the villains in
that scene. On a broader scale, I’ve used the involvement of
outside agencies—the DEA, for example, in In
It For The Money—to
work with—and against—the local law enforcement agencies.

I’d
better back up a second. For this series, along with changing
locations from South Carolina’s cities to a small town in eastern
Washington, I switched from a multiple (hero, heroine, villain) point
of view approach and a law enforcement main character, to a single,
civilian character. Whew! Talk about stretching and growing as an
author. Everything that happened in the story had to come through
that one character’s experiences and reactions. (And no cheating
with, “Well, Laurie, as you know, this thing you should already
know about happened, but let me give you the complete backstory.”)
Action and body language became as important as dialogue for
revealing character—but that’s a different discussion.

Rather
than having my new protagonist act as a private investigator or a
journalist working the crime beat, I made my heroine an accountant.
Curious, bright and loyal to friends and family (hmm, she’s much
better at crime solving than my dog) she made a terrific character to
“follow the money.” Of course, when you poke at villains, they
have a tendency to poke back, harder. It was fun to write the scenes
where Holly bumped up against law enforcement and filter the scene
through her impressions—her point of view—rather than another
cop’s.

My
new law enforcement friends did insist I get the details right. Even
if they produced giant eye-rolls from my heroine.

So
About the Money romps
through eastern Washington with its rivers, wineries, Native American
casinos, and assorted farm animals. Add in some wicked fun chemistry
between the CPA amateur sleuth and a local detective and Holly Price
better solve the case before the next dead body found beside the
river is hers.


In
It For The Money
continues Holly’s adventures:

Holly Price traded
professional goals for personal plans when she agreed to leave her
high-flying position with the Seattle Mergers and Acquisition team
and take over the family accounting practice. Reunited with JC
Dimitrak, her former fiancé, she’s already questioning whether
she’s ready to flip her condo for marriage and a house in the
‘burbs.

When her cousin Tate
needs investors for his innovative car suspension, Holly works her
business matchmaking skills and connects him with a client. The
Rockcrawler showcasing the new part crashes at its debut event,
however, and the driver dies. Framed for the sabotage, Tate turns to
Holly when the local cops—including JC—are ready to haul him to
jail. Holly soon finds her cousin and client embroiled in multiple
criminal schemes. She’s drawn into the investigation, a position
that threatens her life, her family and her increasingly shaky
relationship with JC.

Links

Thanks
for letting me visit today, PJ! I invite your readers to head over to
my blog and read your #mysteryexchange post about the story behind
The Marquesa’s
Necklace, The Oak
Grove Mysteries, Book 1.
https://cperkinswrites.com/2018/07/paranormal-transformation/

Author
Bio

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. Learn
more at her website, http://cperkinswrites.com.

#MysteryExchange Cathy Perkins

  By Uncategorized

I know it’s August, but the #MysteryExchange isn’t over. This week I’m pleased to present Cathy Perkins and her Holly Price books.

A Different Point of View
By Cathy Perkins
When I was young, if you’d asked me for the last place I’d expect—or want—to live, my answer would’ve been, “In a small town.” Small towns seemed to be cultural wastelands, populated by gossiping neighbors who were all related to each other. And out west? That option never entered my Southern soul.
Fast forward a few years and dangle the right job opportunity at the right time and—you got it in one—we moved to a small town in eastern Washington state. We quickly discovered most of those myths about small towns were simply…myths.
As we settled into our new hometown, I debated whether my novels should make a similar cross-country leap. My South Carolina based mysteries featured a law enforcement protagonist. To get appropriate operational procedures, along with cop attitudes and humor, I drew from a circle of friends at various levels of local, state and federal law enforcement. Curious about procedures in our new town, I participated in the Citizen’s Police Academy and discovered most of the same policies and philosophies I’d encountered back east. (I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about making meth. Nasty nastystuff.)
Volunteering for the Sexual Assault Center as a hospital victim’s advocate provided an intimate view of law enforcement. Other than one cocky, testosterone-laden patrol officer and another older guy I wanted to strangle (except that would be assault and I really had no interest in going to jail), I found the officers professional, well educated and well trained. Nobody’s perfect, but I appreciated what these men and women did on a daily basis.
And those inevitable slow days in a small town? Well, let’s just say the day my in-law’s moving van got stuck at the entrance to the retirement village (blocking traffic on the main road—another relative term), all four patrol cars PLUS the sergeant showed up. Once they finished laughing, they helped a retired mechanic (who was in heaven being the expert, by the way) do something to a suspension part and un-stuck it. For some strange reason, the chief of police was not amused when I relayed this story at a party… So far, I’ve refrained from using this tidbit in a book.
With only five patrol officers on duty during a shift (and fewer than this in the even smaller nearby towns) reciprocal agreements were a must. Neighboring cities, counties, even Washington State Patrol was a welcome addition when suspects took to the highways to escape. I made use of this mutual support during Holly Price’s carjacking in So About the Money (Book 1 in the series). In addition to the local officers, county deputies and state patrol officers joined the chase to catch the villains in that scene. On a broader scale, I’ve used the involvement of outside agencies—the DEA, for example, in In It For The Money—to work with—and against—the local law enforcement agencies.
I’d better back up a second. For this series, along with changing locations from South Carolina’s cities to a small town in eastern Washington, I switched from a multiple (hero, heroine, villain) point of view approach and a law enforcement main character, to a single, civilian character. Whew! Talk about stretching and growing as an author. Everything that happened in the story had to come through that one character’s experiences and reactions. (And no cheating with, “Well, Laurie, as you know, this thing you should already know about happened, but let me give you the complete backstory.”) Action and body language became as important as dialogue for revealing character—but that’s a different discussion.
Rather than having my new protagonist act as a private investigator or a journalist working the crime beat, I made my heroine an accountant. Curious, bright and loyal to friends and family (hmm, she’s much better at crime solving than my dog) she made a terrific character to “follow the money.” Of course, when you poke at villains, they have a tendency to poke back, harder. It was fun to write the scenes where Holly bumped up against law enforcement and filter the scene through her impressions—her point of view—rather than another cop’s.
My new law enforcement friends did insist I get the details right. Even if they produced giant eye-rolls from my heroine.
So About the Money romps through eastern Washington with its rivers, wineries, Native American casinos, and assorted farm animals. Add in some wicked fun chemistry between the CPA amateur sleuth and a local detective and Holly Price better solve the case before the next dead body found beside the river is hers.


In It For The Moneycontinues Holly’s adventures:
Holly Price traded professional goals for personal plans when she agreed to leave her high-flying position with the Seattle Mergers and Acquisition team and take over the family accounting practice. Reunited with JC Dimitrak, her former fiancé, she’s already questioning whether she’s ready to flip her condo for marriage and a house in the ‘burbs.
When her cousin Tate needs investors for his innovative car suspension, Holly works her business matchmaking skills and connects him with a client. The Rockcrawler showcasing the new part crashes at its debut event, however, and the driver dies. Framed for the sabotage, Tate turns to Holly when the local cops—including JC—are ready to haul him to jail. Holly soon finds her cousin and client embroiled in multiple criminal schemes. She’s drawn into the investigation, a position that threatens her life, her family and her increasingly shaky relationship with JC.
Links
Thanks for letting me visit today, PJ! I invite your readers to head over to my blog and read your #mysteryexchange post about the story behind The Marquesa’s Necklace, The Oak Grove Mysteries, Book 1. https://cperkinswrites.com/2018/07/paranormal-transformation/
Author Bio
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. Learn more at her website, http://cperkinswrites.com.