Guest Author: Caridad Pineiro on Writing Paranormals and Suspense

I'm so pleased to have Caridad Pineiro here because she's talking about one of my favorite subjects: the pyramids in Mexico and how they gave her the inspiration for her book, Aztec Gold.

Welcome Caridad!

People wonder why I write paranormals and romantic suspense stories and I guess the answer is that I like action, adventure, traveling and history. Writing paranormals and romantic suspense lets me combine all those different elements.

How do I do that? Let’s start with the history part. Whether it’s vampires like in THE CALLING series or the demon in AZTEC GOLD, these creatures have been around for a long time. When thinking about the stories that I’m going to write for them, they bring that history with them to the future and it has shaped what they are. For example, in FURY CALLS the vampire, Blake Richards, was born to a poor Welsh coal mining family. His experiences in watching his father go down into the mines as well as his father’s death led Blake to sacrifice himself in order to save his family. I loved showing that history in the novel because it shaped the man (vampire) that Blake has become.

The history in AZTEC GOLD is a little different because in that novella the past affects everything in the present from the moment that the heroine, Cynthia, is given ancient journals and maps to authenticate. The papers are a connection not only to the past, but to her ex-lover who went missing while in search of a previously undiscovered temple in the Mexican jungle. The temple is centuries old as is the demon within its walls. The temple and demon were based on Aztec history and the setting was based on another of the things I like – travel.

I was lucky to be able to visit some Mexican pyramids many years ago and as I walked along the streets of the city surrounding the temple and climbed one of the pyramids, the ideas came to me for stories set in a similar locale. It was absolutely fascinating to be able to explore areas inhabited by a different people who had mysteriously disappeared.


The disappearance of so many people sparked the idea that maybe they had vanished due to the existence of a violent and nasty demon. A demon that may still be in existence, terrorizing the people living close to the pyramids.


That’s where the action and adventure arise in AZTEC GOLD as the heroine travels to Mexico to find out what happened to her ex-lover and discovers that Rafael is not only alive, but claims that the members of his expedition were either killed or taken by a demon that lives in the nearby Aztec temple. I just loved showing how Cynthia and Rafe make their way into the temple and battle the demon. I also love writing the fight scenes and having readers sit on the edge of their seats as Cynthia and Rafe try to find a way to stop the demon and find their missing friends. But it’s sometimes hard picturing in my head the movements of everyone in the fight scene. Sometimes I even act them out or even ask a friend to help me walk through the steps in the fight to make sure they’re accurate.

I also take the time to make sure that the weapons and other items used in the stories are portrayed properly and fit the characters, especially the kick-butt women. I have several books at home on weapons and also do research on the Internet to make sure the details bring to life the items for readers. I also reach out to law enforcement friends to make sure I’ve got it right.


It’s a lot of work sometimes, but I love it! I couldn’t imagine not writing or creating stories for you guys to read. I hope you like the blend of all the different elements that I bring into the stories. If you want to see some behind the scenes photos, etc. for my various novels, you can visit my website at www.caridad.com.

Thanks, Amy for having me here and thanks to all of you for dropping by.