S.C. Perkins asked Kate Carlisle:

Hi, Kate! As mentioned during one of my fan-girling moments at Malice Domestic, I adore Brooklyn's mother, especially when she tries to tweak Brooklyn's chakras. Is there someone in your life who inspired the character of Becky?

Kate Carlisle OMG, wasn’t Malice fun??? (For those who don’t know, Malice Domestic is an annual conference for fans of traditional mystery. Authors and readers mingle. I had so many fan-girl moments, as well! I posted pictures on my Facebook page, if you want to see some of the terrific mystery authors I met.) It was so great to meet you, too, Stephanie! Congratulations again on winning the Malice Domestic award. I hope we'll keep in touch.

To your question… Becky Wainwright is wholly her own person, but aspects of her were inspired by many people in my life. Her nurturing and fun-loving sides were inspired by my own mother, whom I adored. My mother was more traditional than Becky, though. That said, I’m a child of the seventies, lived for a time on a commune, and spent pretty much my entire life in southern California. I know and respect lots of people who share Becky’s belief system. It’s been a fun challenge to create characters like Becky and Jim, to make them colorful but not cartoonish. I hear from readers all the time about how much they love Becky and Jim, which is truly gratifying.

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