Guest Post with Author Cathy Perkins and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome author Cathy Perkins to RFTC. Cathy is celebrating the recent release of her book, For Love or Money and has stopped by to chat. Please give Cathy a warm welcome.

Cathy Perkins is a member of the Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She writes predominantly financial-based mysteries but enjoys exploring the relationship aspect of her characters' lives. Her suspense writing lurks behind a financial day-job, where she learned firsthand the camouflaged, hide in plain sight, skills employed by her villains.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the setting of FOR LOVE OR MONEY, with her work-a-holic husband, a 75-pound Lab who thinks she's still a lap-puppy and a Wirehair puppy's who's intent on digging her way to China. You can learn more about Cathy on her website http://cperkinswrites.com.

Places to find Cathy:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

Characters

Thanks for letting me visit with you today at Ramblings From This Chick. Along with celebrating the release of For Love or Money, my amateur sleuth/romantic mystery from Entangled Publishing, I've been thinking a lot about character this week.

In fiction, characters who resonate with readers have staying power. I'm a huge mystery reader and series abound in this genre. These long running series feature some of my favorites - Jack Reacher, Jane Rizzoli, Eve Dallas, Harry Bosch, Stephanie Bond, Joe Pike, Lou Boldt, Tess Monaghan, Bobbie Faye Sumrall. I could go on forever, but I also love the stand-alone characters from authors such as Kristan Higgins and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. And who can forget the ensemble cast from Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters? As each team member took turns stepping into the spotlight, the rest of the crew were on hand to lend support. We got to see what happened next to each couple, while following a new developing relationship. (And were carried along as they saved the world or some portion of it.)

I think my favorite characters resonate because we see ourselves in them. There are heroes (Harry Potter), villains (Lord Voldemort) and anti-heroes (Snape), for example. And maybe there's a tiny bit of each one of them in us.

So a great hero has flaws. A great villain has strengths. Just like real people.

The power of character was made clear to me last December in the outpouring of public criticism over the actor playing Jack Reacher in the first Lee Child adaptation. To me, the uproar wasn't about the strengths or weaknesses of Tom Cruise, it was about a hero—a character—who people connected with so strongly that they are emphatic about who should - and who should not -- portray him on the big screen. (Although to be fair, while not my first or second choice for the role, Cruise's performance was good; the screenplay adaptation drew more rotten tomatoes.) The same character bond drew moans of disbelief at the casting choices for Stephanie, Joe and Ranger in One for The Money.

Stories can be action adventures, capers, romances or dystopian trilogies, but for me, a story is ultimately about character. When we read characters who resonate with us, who make us want to be brave, who make us fearful, who bring out the best--or the worst--of our personalities, we have engaged with the story on an intimate level. We're part of the story, not observers.

It feels odd to mention my books in the same post as my favorite authors. I look back to my first book (which thankfully only a handful of people read before it went to live under the bed with the dust bunnies) and see how much I've learned. In the next heartbeat, I turn to my favorite authors and strive to learn even more! But one of the things that's made me happy with For Love or Money has been reader notes and comments about how much they love the characters—Holly's the woman next door; JC, the guy down the street. Real people they can relate to, the kind they'd meet for Happy Hour at the local winery, to play Bunco, or any of the other ways we hang out with friends. They relate to how passionate each is about their job, their goals—and each other.

The mystery has twists and the chemistry between Holly and JC was a riot to write, but relating to the characters already has readers asking when the next book in the series will be released.

As an author, I'm humbled.

And working on craft so the next book will be even better. :)


Leave a comment to enter through the giveaway via rafflecoptor. A quick “hi” is good enough, but you'll score bonus points (in my heart at the very least!) if you answer this question in the comments below:

Who's your favorite character and why?

When Holly Price trips over a friend’s dead body while hiking, her life suddenly takes a nosedive into a world of intrigue and danger. The verdict is murder—and Holly is the prime suspect.

Of course, the fact that the infinitely sexy—and very pissed off—cop threatening to arrest her is JC Dimitrak, who just happens to be Holly’s jilted ex-fiancé, doesn’t help matters.

To protect her future, her business...and her heart...the intrepid forensic accountant must use all her considerable investigative skills to follow the money through an intricate web of shadow companies, while staying one step ahead of her ex-fiancé. She better solve the case before the real killer decides CPA stands for Certified Pain in the Ass...and the next dead body found beside the river is Holly’s.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes |

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs: 

• 1 lucky person will win a Kindle Paperwhite

To Enter: 

• Please answer the question: Who's your favorite character and why?
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway