Meet Kate Parish—Creekwood’s Femme Fatale

Kate Parish is my favorite character to write in the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series. Why? Because she is difficult, entitled, stunningly beautiful, and pure evil! It’s fun to take a walk on the dark side and craft a character so cunning and cruel. At great risk to safety, we sprang Kate from the correctional facility for a few hours to do this interview. Don’t worry. Detective Danny Gregg and Doctor Carl Parkins were close by the entire time.

If you are wondering how horrible Ms. Parish is—given the choice between being locked in a room with Kate or Percy the black bear after three months in hibernation, I’d pick Ursus americanus, thanks. The interview went as expected and the femme fatale didn’t disappoint. Psychic psychologist Marnie Reilly even showed up to heckle her nemesis from the doorway. Take a look!

QUESTION: What’s your full name?
KATE: Catherine Belmont Parish, but everyone calls me Kate.

QUESTION: How old are you?
KATE: My age is no one’s business.

QUESTION: When’s your birthday?
KATE: June 12th,

QUESTION: Where were you born?
KATE: Creekwood, unfortunately. I should have been born in New York City or Los Angeles or Paris. Hicksville doesn’t suit me.

QUESTION: Are you a main character?
KATE: You know damn well that I am not. Why does Marnie Reilly always have the spotlight? She’s boring. Her fashion sense is abysmal, and she is, well, boring!

QUESTION: Do you have any nicknames?
KATE: Katie.

QUESTION: Doesn’t Marnie call you Psycho?
KATE: She has never called me that!

IINTERVIEWER RESPONSE: Ah … I think she has.
KATE: I will deal with Ghost Girl when she least expects it.

*Marnie pokes her head into the room and pulls a “yeah, right” face.*

QUESTION: Do you have a catchphrase?
KATE: I do not, but I should. The others don’t understand. I make the stories. Without me, they would be nothing.

*Light laughter followed by a gruff shush are heard from the hallway as Teddy Jones joins Marnie to mock their old classmate.*

QUESTION: What do you do for work/career?
KATE: *glances away with an eye roll before turning back,indigo eyes defiant* I’m a lawyer. Well, I was until I was disbarred. But a friend is working to remedy that. Fingers crossed!

QUESTION: Without giving anything away, do you have scars? Physical or emotional?
KATE: *holds up left hand and growls* You damn well know that I do because you did this to me. *scowls at her author*

QUESTION: What do you know about your backstory so far?
KATE: My entire life is … sighs … Marnie Reilly has been a thorn in my side since we met in kindergarten. She has taken away everything I have ever loved and gloats about it. Can you believe she stole my inheritance? She has made my life miserable. That’s my backstory. She has ruined my life!
*tosses her hair dramatically over her shoulders*

QUESTION: Describe where you live?
KATE: Is that a joke? You know where I live. But I am leaving Pine Ridge Sanitarium soon. I have a friend working on that too.

It must be noted that Pine Ridge is also a prison for the criminally insane.

QUESTION: How many stories have you been in?
KATE: Four. Shari hasn’t included me in her short stories. They would have been better with me and not Marnie.

*A hand appears in the doorway, mimicking a quacking duck.*

QUESTION: Will you be in future stories?
KATE: I snuck a peek at the outlines a few minutes ago. Books five and six for sure, but after that, I don’t know. Shari should do a stand-alone that’s just me. I even sent her a pitch, but she hasn’t responded. I wrote most of the story for her. *crosses arms and glares at author*

*Author rolls eyes and shakes head.*

QUESTION: As a character, who is your favorite character in your stories?
KATE: Umm … can I say me? Honestly, there isn’t anything about the others that I like. They’re all so mediocre. And I believe they are stupid, mean, and boring. Shari too. She doesn’t give me enough credit. I could be a star, but she’s holding me back.

*Author abruptly leaves the room to shush the giggles and guffaws in the hallway. Returns, takes seat, and continues interview.*

QUESTION: Do you have superpowers or defining traits you’d like to share?
KATE: Does beauty count? Look at me! I’m quite stunning.

*Derisive snort echoes in the hall.*

QUESTION: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
KATE: Laser vision so that I could burn my way out of here and torch a hole through Marnie’s heart. *Throws a box of crayons across the room and tightens her fists before smiling and running a hand through her long, sleek, mahogany hair*

*The detective and doctor step into the room, cautioning the villain with stern looks and a syringe filled with a cocktail of haloperidol and lorazepam o soothe the beast.*

QUESTION: Are you a good guy/gal or a bad guy/gal?
KATE: Well, to be fair, it depends on who you ask. Marnie will tell you I’m a bad person, and so will her friends. I am terribly misunderstood. You know, my father brainwashed me. My lawyer and I have discussed it at length. It won’t be long before he gets me released.

QUESTION: Any archenemies you can tell us about?
KATE: Marnie Reilly, but I don’t want to talk about her. This interview is about me and her moronic existence gets enough attention.
*Glowers at author and lurches forward, claws extended.*
*Doctor Parkins and the detective step in, eeasing her back into her chair.*

QUESTION: How about a love interest? Do you have a significant other?
KATE: I’m quite certain that Danny Gregg is smitten with me. (a loud, “Ha! booms through the hall) I mean, most men are. There’s Ezra Toth, too. My lawyer. We’ll have to wait and see. While I’m locked in here … Well, it’s complicating matters.

QUESTION: Do you have any phobias?
KATE: No. Why would I?

QUESTION: Do you ever lie? Or are you always truthful?
KATE: Of course not. I don’t have a reason to fib, but Marnie does it all the time. She’s dreadful. No one believes that she speaks with spiritis, let alone sees them.And they call me crazy. *pulls a face of disbelief*

QUESTION: Do you have a best friend? If so, could you tell us about them? Their traits?
KATE: I don’t anymore. Marnie has turned everyone against me.
*Picks up a fat black crayon, writes Marnie’s name on a scrap of paper, and scribbles over it with so much force the crayon snaps.*

QUESTION: Do you have a pet?
KATE: I used to have a hamster, but it died. *Picks up a stuffed Border Collie, rings its neck and and squeezes.*

*Author snatches it away, unruffles fur, and sets it lovingly on her desk.*

QUESTION: Name three things you love.
KATE: Myself. Freedom. And Jimmy Choo.

QUESTION: Name three things you loathe.
KATE: Marnie Reilly. Tater, that dreadful dog of hers, and Teddy Jones. Oh, Carl Parkins. He’s a beast.

QUESTION: What’s your favorite food?
KATE: I can assure you that it is nothing they serve here. Ezra told me that when he gets me released, he will take me out to dinner. My favorite restaurant in Creekwood is Hopp’s Gate Inn. They have the most succulent duck.

QUESTION: What music do you like?
KATE: Pop. Classical. I abhor country music.

QUESTION: If you had a theme song, what would it be?
KATE: Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder? My father sang that to me often.

*Marnie, standing out of Kate’s view, puts a finger down her throat and pretends to vomit.*

QUESTION: Do you like to read? What sort of books?
KATE: Oh, yes! I have several books in storage I cannot wait to read. Do you know Grace Wilmot? Yes? Well, she gave me some wonderful books on spells and hexes. I love that sort of thing.

QUESTION: Do you drive? If so, what type of vehicle do you have? Or do you walk? Take public transportation?
KATE: Obviously, I don’t drive at the moment, but when I get out of here … I wonder if my Porsche is still at my parent’s house.

*Marnie snickers and passes a note, telling Kate that everything her parents owned has been sold and that the Porsche is gone. Then backs out the door as a white Ked flies across the room, narrowly missing the psychic psychologist.*

*Kate crumples the paper into a tight ball and throws it at the author.*

*Author glowers at Marnie, who holds up her hands in defense of her action.*

QUESTION: What’s the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?
KATE: My baby pictures. I was simply breathtaking.

*Author, Teddy, and psychologist roll their eyes.*

QUESTION: What’s the most horrendous thing you have ever seen?
KATE: My husband’s murder. I have never seen so much blood.It devastated me—and then that disgusting Marnie! She stole all of his money. That inheritance was legally mine!

RESPONSE: We’ll move along to the next question.

QUESTION: Does your author make you do stupid things? If so, would you like to share an example?
KATE: She has me locked up, doesn’t she? *Turns away with defiance and a pout.*

QUESTION: If you could visit a fictional place other than your own, where would you go?
KATE: *Turns back. Indigo eyes wide.* What do you mean, fictional? Creekwood isn’t real? Don’t be ridiculous! *Waves off reality.* If could go anywhere in any book, if that’s what you mean, I would be Snow White or Cinderella. I know you didn’t ask that, but that is what I want.

QUESTION: Are there other fictional characters you would like to meet?
KATE: Other fictional characters? I’m confused. You’re making it sound like I’m not real. Why are you trying to upset me? Did Marnie Reilly send you here to torment me? Stop playing with me!

QUESTION: Do you ever worry that I will kill you off?
KATE: She wouldn’t dare!
*Author chuckles as the detective steps in with the psychiatrist and they remove Kate Parish from the room—yringe at the ready.*

QUESTION: Would the author like to comment on any of the character’s answers?
AUTHOR: Nah. There’s no point in correcting Kate’s answers (lies). She knows the truth, but she thinks she’s clever and I need her to believe that. Having her off guard is good, considering what I have planned for her in books five and six. Mwahaha!

Things That Might Interest You

The Marnie Reilly Mysteries series is available at Amazon https://amzn.to/4hkBTrh or scan the QR Code below:

Check out interviews with Indie Authors

Brook Peterson 

Lanie Mores 

Rose J. Fairchild

Writer TL Brown 

Jennifer Brasington-Crowely 

Rylo Kinn

Interviews with Indie Author’s Characters

Shari T. Mitchell’s Marnie Reilly

Shari T Mitchell’s Detective Lieutenant Danny Gregg 

Brooker Peterson’s Lillian Martin

TL Brown’s Lucie Bellerose 

Jennifer Brasington-Crowely’s Raven Xerces 

TL Brown’s Sebastian St. Michel 

Rose J. Fairchild’s Aura Prisma Cordyline

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Thanks so much for hanging out with Kate and me. I’ll be back soon to share a new Indie Author Chat, drop a recipe, or bring you updates about the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series.

Take care and see you next time!👋