The Get Lost in a Story crew is pleased to welcome back Suspense Author Cathy Perkins with a new release called Cypher. About Cypher:
Cara Wainwright thinks life can’t get tougher when her mother's cancer becomes terminal—until she returns home from the hospital and finds a courtyard full of police officers and her houseguests dead. Greenville, SC Detective David Morris, is unsure if Cara is the suspect or the intended murder victim. Searching for insight into her family, their mounting secrets, and the conflicting evidence from multiple crimes, his attraction to Cara complicates his investigation. Is the lure need, manipulation—or real? While David pursues forensic evidence, Cara pushes for answers about her father's possible involvement, for at the center of the mystery stands Cypher—the company her father built and will take any measures to defend. When the assassin strikes at the heart of the family, Cara and David have to trust each other and work together to stop the killer before he eliminates the entire Wainwright dynasty.
DONNELL: Cathy,
I'm so excited to have you here. Welcome back!
Now I have to share, Cathy was my roomie
at Left Coast Crime, so I know she knows something about Greenville, SC. But
she also lives in the Pacific Northwest. So, I’m going to put her on the
spot—which place is your favorite?
CATHY: Oh that’s not fair Donnell – I love both places!
I grew up in the Greenville area and still have family
there, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Greenville sits in
the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and has thousands of trees and lush
gardens that are very different from my current home. Although Seattle, aka
Emerald City, is also known for its fantastic greenery, we’re in the process of
building up in the Cascade Mountains, which has its own enormous evergreens and
cottonwoods.
The biggest difference between the two areas is, of course,
cultural. The South has managed to hang onto its outgoing charm, while
Seattle-ites are more likely to wear earbuds and a hooded rain jacket and avoid
eye-contact.
DONNELL: Cypher, it’s
the name of a company. Tell us about it, and how it ties into the story, and
why it should be the title.
CATHY: Cypher is the name of the Wainwright family business, a
company her father built and devoted his life to nurturing. Cara, the heroine,
at times refers to it as “the la-la land of Secret Military Stuff.”
Here’s a short description from her point of view:
Frontage Road paralleled the Interstate, providing
access to the businesses lining the highway. Moments later, [Cara] turned at
the discreet sign marking Cypher’s entrance. Densely planted arborvitaes hid
the tall fence and razor wire surrounding the grounds, but she knew what the
trees concealed.
A landscaped drive curved toward the main building.
Up-lighting hidden amid the birches enhanced the white bark, converting the
trees to sculptural elements. This was the part of Cypher people were supposed
to notice. From this perspective, the company appeared tranquil and prosperous.
Very few people knew the company made guidance components for missiles and
military aircraft.
Cypher is at the center of the mystery, but its connections and secrets are as hidden as the buildings in the excerpt. The company provides a tangible symbol of the family relationships and dynamics, which are a key component in the story. Convinced her father knows more than he’s telling, Cara pushes from the inside—both within the family and the business—for answers. Stonewalled by both Cara’s father and other Cypher executives, Detective David Morris pulls on the external forensic evidence. Unsure whether they can trust each other, Cara and David have to join forces to get to the truth and stop the murders.
DONNELL: How is Cathy Perkins like Cara Wainwright, and in
what way is she different?
DONNELL: What’s the most attractive thing about David?
What’s his major character flaw?
CATHY: The most
attractive thing about David is his intelligence and refusal to take the easy way
out, but he’s generally “gone along to get along.”
I think this short excerpt captures his character:
Morris understood pressure. His
parents wanted him to live their dream and run the family business. As a
detective, pressure came in all shapes and forms. But the force he felt working
on him now surpassed anything he’d experienced before—massive demands grinding
as inexorably as continental plates. That kind of pressure changed rocks,
turned carbon into diamond.
In his mind, he saw Cara crossing
the lobby of the sheriff’s department, with no idea she had the undivided
attention of every male in the room, earnestly holding her list of names,
trying to help. He saw the stubborn set of her jaw before she admitted talking
to the investment guy. He felt her passionate response to his body during sex;
heard her voice, warm and intimate, talking about her mother, confiding her
fears. He remembered the expression on her face when she opened the lake house
door—all lit up, excited to see him. Then the slow fade when she saw his anger.
The final vision ground into him: Cara’s limp body in a pool of blood and
glass.
Those images kept building up. He
had to decide where to go with them—whether the pressure would crush him or
turn him into a diamond.
He’d do his job for the other three
victims.
For Cara, he’d push all the limits.
On the research side, I learned a tremendous amount about
Triads and Tongs, and even read the FBI white paper that Detective Morris reads
in the story. The Asian organized crime is scary because they’re very smart and
decentralized, making it even harder for law enforcement to infiltrate.
DONNELL: When you’re not writing, where will we find you?
CATHY: I’m still working at a financial day job but we’re
also in the process of moving to our place in the mountains. I shared our
latest challenge--moving a 100-year old barn—last week on our group blog, Not
Your Usual Suspects.
DONNELL: What comes
next for Cathy Perkins?
CATHY: I’m working on
a lighter story right now, set in the Cascades instead of South Carolina. The starting
point for it occurred while cutting up with a friend. We riffed off the opening
line—there’s a body in the beaver pond. Oh, dam(n).
Thanks for letting me visit today, Donnell. This has been a
lot of fun.
Our pleasure. Good luck with Cypher!
Bio:
An award-winning author, Cathy Perkins works in the
financial industry, where she's observed the hide-in-plain-sight skills
employed by her villains. She writes predominantly financial-based mysteries
but enjoys exploring the relationship aspect of her characters' lives. A member
of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America (Kiss of Death chapter)
and International Thriller Writers, she is a contributing editor for The Big
Thrill, handles the blog and social media for the ITW Debut Authors, and
coordinated for the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in
Mystery/Suspense.
When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the
beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born
and raised in South Carolina, the setting for CYPHER, HONOR CODE and THE
PROFESSOR, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs
and the resident deer herd.
Social Media
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCathyPerkins
Twitter @cperkinswrites
Book links
ISBN 1942003005
ISBN13 978-1942003007
