Susan Lyons | I Hate Research – Except When I Don’t

Personally, I’m not a big fan of research, and after 10 years of university I’d hoped my research days were behind me. Not so! But at least when I’m writing fiction, I can choose topics that interest me.

Firefighters, for example. I decided that the hero of HOT IN HERE (the 2nd book in my Awesome Foursome series, which is a kind of "Sex And The City" series set in Vancouver, BC), would be a firefighter. Now there, let me tell you, was one tough research assignment! Drinking tea in a Vancouver fire hall kitchen with a group of hot firefighters; visiting a firefighter training centre in Reno; having a couple of Queensland firefighters dress me up in full turnout regalia, then catch me when I promptly toppled over!

Not all research is that much fun, unfortunately. Sometimes it’s a matter of a quick or lengthy internet search or reading a stack of library books. That’s great for getting the factual info. I’ll usually start there. Then, if possible, I’ll set up an interview or two. Hearing people’s experiences and insights adds so much flesh to those factual bones. Personal experience is the best thing, of course – it gives us sensory details, ambience, emotion. (For those who’ve read HOT IN HERE, yes, I actually did take a pole-dancing lesson!)

This week, I was at the library reading a brief excerpt from my latest release, SHE'S ON TOP (the 4th book in the Awesome Foursome series). I realized my background research included the following: the Banff summer music school (where the heroine and hero first met), Armed Forces families (because the heroine’s dad was with the Air Force and they travelled all the time), Jewish customs (because her mother was Jewish and her faith was very important to her), and the life of a professional classical musician (which the heroine lives). Of course the scene isn’t an info dump, it’s all about Rina and Giancarlo catching up after nine years, and the reader getting to see some of their similarities and differences – and getting an idea of the conflicts that are going to make for trouble between them.

The point of doing research isn’t to dump it all into the middle of a story, but to give the authentic details and “feel” that make the characters and story come alive and ring true. I know some readers (and writers) are obsessed about total accuracy, but in my opinion it’s fine to fudge a little with the facts; what really matters is emotional truth and resonance. If you’re a writer, how do you feel about the research aspects of your work? If you’re a reader, are you one of the people who notices if a tiny detail is wrong, or are you happy to opt into a “it’s all made up anyhow” approach and just go where the author (and characters) take you?

Thanks so much for inviting me to blog at Fresh Fiction.

Susan Lyons

For sexy romance that’s intense, passionate, heartwarming and fun

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Elaine Viets | The Touring Author: How not to look like Mommy dressed you.

I was in a black mood.

I was planning to pack for the June tour for my seventh Dead-End Job mystery, "Clubbed to Death." I had a wardrobe like a new widow: Black jackets. Black blouses. Black pants.

Black is the traditional color for author appearances.

It’s supposed to make you look serious. Sophisticated. Maybe even slimmer. Plus, black doesn’t show the minor smudges travel adds to the pale colors.

Black should be perfect for a touring author. But not when you’ve been shaken like a martini at 30,000 feet, for three days in a row. Put yourself in my (black) shoes:

You are flying to your fourth tour city in four days. Now it’s 4:30 a.m., and your media escort will be outside your hotel at five o’clock to drive you to “Good Morning, Festus,” a major TV talk show.

You flip on the bathroom light, pry open your eyes, and the bags under your eyes are a perfect match for your black outfit. Someone has stolen your face and replaced it with your Aunt Marie’s – the one who talked about her operations at dinner. There isn’t enough concealer in Texas to help you.

It’s time to abandon the literary funeral and consider a color.

But where do you buy clothes that look successful without bankrupting yourself?

I’m six feet tall. My arms measure 48 inches from finger tip to tip. That means I have a wingspan of four feet – equal to an NBA pro.

A stylish outfit from Target won’t work. Those adorable, affordable knockoffs have sleeves that are too short for me. The skirts look like belts. Add a pair of fishnet stockings, and I could moonlight as a cocktail waitress.

Designer consignment shops are supposed to be crammed with bargains, but too many are overstocked with cocktail dresses.

Fortunately, I live near Sawgrass Mills mall, which has an Escada outlet. Even discounted Escada is expensive, but if I buy it during the holiday sales (Christmas, Memorial Day, etc.) I can get jackets that fit for $250 to $400 – about seventy-five percent off the original price.

Notice I said jackets. I don’t buy the matching skirts. When I wear a designer suit, I look like I’m planning the annual charity ball. Instead, I pair a designer jacket with a black top and black pants or jeans. The look (I hope) is stylish, younger and less formal than a traditional suit with a skirt.

The trick to designer outlets is to buy the classic styles and avoid the season’s weird signature color. Remember that sickly yellow green a few seasons back? About six people could wear that color. The rest looked like unburied corpses.

For the "Clubbed to Death" tour, I’m packing a deeply discounted orange tweed jacket, (pictured with this blog), a lavender jacket and a pink Escada top.

I’m not afraid of a few colors. I read that pink is the new black.

Elaine Viets
www.elaineviets.com/

Denise Swanson | School Psychologist, Writer, and People Watcher

One of the first questions I’m often asked when I speak about my writing is why I chose to write mysteries instead of romances (I assume this is because I have such an innocent, baby face). My answer is simple: after twenty-two years in public education there are a lot of people I want to kill, there are very few I want to have sex with.

Seriously, although I enjoy writing mysteries because I like knowing that the bad guy is going to get caught and pay for his crime at the end, I would like to write in other genres such as romance and fantasy.

On the other hand, I love the sense of justice a well-written mystery brings to its readers. One thing I’ve learned from being a school psychologist for so long is that justice rarely happens in real life, so it gives me a sense of fulfillment to have it happen in my fiction.

Having worked in almost every type of school setting, from the poorest areas surrounding Washington DC to upscale suburban Chicago, and from rural to urban, I’ve heard so many stories and seen so many bizarre situations I’ll never run out of plots.

My Scumble River Mystery series is set in a fictional small town in Illinois, and features a school psychologist-sleuth named Skye Denison. It's got a lot of humor, a bit of romance, and I’ve based many of the stories on my personal experiences—although I've never found a dead body—at least not yet.

When I decided to write a series, one of my goals was to highlight the profession of school psychologist. Most people have no idea what a school psychologist does, or even that they exist. I still get reviews where they call Skye a school counselor or a psychiatrist, both of which are very different jobs.

One of the reasons I enjoyed being a school psychologist is my abiding interest in people. I love studying them and figuring out what makes them tick. This is also, why I enjoy writing. My books are character-driven, and one of the things I like most is examining the relationships. Throughout the series my sleuth is torn between two men, and my readers seem very interested in this relationship. When I do book signings there have even been some skirmishes between readers who have different opinions on which guy Skye should end up with.

Another aspect of writing that is similar to school psychology is that the characters surprise me every time I write about them. In Murder of a Sleeping Beauty, which deals with body image among teenagers, I was surprised by my research when I found a large number of parents living their lives through their kids, as well as by the rising number of teenage girls who think they are only a pretty face and thin body. (Girls should be judged for something besides their looks. For that reason I made Skye a plus-size woman who is comfortable in her own skin. I’m hoping that the teens that read my books will come to understand that people come in all sizes, and weight is just another attribute, like hair or eye color. Skye shows that whether a woman looks like a Barbie doll or a Rubens painting, she can do anything and experience life to the fullest.)

In Murder of a Barbie and Ken, Skye’s then boyfriend, Simon’s mother appeared out of nowhere. I had thought she was dead up until that point. In Murder of a Smart Cookie, nearly all my characters surprised me, especially Simon.

In my newest book, Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry, Skye’s current boyfriend, Wally’s father comes to town and reveals their family secrets.

--Denise Swanson writes the Scumble River mystery series published by Penguin/NAL/Obsidian. Her books have been nominated for the Agatha, Mary Higgins Clark, Daphne du Maurier, and RT Reviewers Choice awards. She is married to classical music composer, David Stybr. To hear some of David’s music go to Denise’s website http://www.deniseswanson.com/

Farrah Rochon | Anticipation

I’m not sure how I feel about that word. Just saying it conjures feelings of expectancy and excitement, but it can also lead to anxiety and good ol’ fashion worry.

My life is filled with anticipation. Whether it’s wondering what will happen next on my favorite TV shows (Seriously, aren’t we all wondering if McSteamy will end up with Nurse Rose or go back to Meredith Grey?), or waiting with bated breath for my niece to be born (FYI: She was born on April 30th after a twelve day delay, and she is the most precious child to ever grace this planet), anticipation has become a constant life companion.

My writing journey has been filled with anticipation. Finishing the book, finding an agent, landing my first contract, finally seeing my debut novel, Deliver Me, on the shelves, et cetera. I though the edgy, bumble bees fluttering around in my stomach feeling would ease up after the first book, but no such luck.

As I anticipate the release of my next novel, Release Me, those bumble bees are having a field day and that excited, ready-to-jump-up-and-cheer-one-minute-and-lose-my-lunch-the-next feeling is keeping me up at night. The anticipation of receiving reviews, wondering if fans will think the book lives up to the first one, and whether the book will even get out on bookstore shelves on time is enough to make me overindulge in highly fattening, but delicious and expensive chocolate to help ease the worry (hey, I need an excuse, okay!).

Of course, the best thing to do would be to accept that what will be will be, and just put it all out of my mind. I’m anticipating the day when I’m smart enough to do just that. As for now, I’ll stick with chocolate covered anxiety.

Cheers,

Farrah Rochon
http://www.farrahrochon.com/

Isabel Sharpe | My Two Hats

During a recent newspaper interview, the reporter made an observation that completely surprised me: “Your romance books are about finding men while your women’s fiction novels are about getting away from them.” Huh? I started to write women’s fiction because I had stories to tell that didn’t fit the romance mold, but I’d never thought about it in that light.

Romance novels portray a beautiful fantasy—the forever joining of two souls meant to be together. Since I’m a divorcée it’s pretty obvious that fantasy didn’t work out for me. (And given my bad date stories it might never. Tip for men—during that first-impression conversation, leave out mentioning throwing up your dinner, ripping your underwear with too-long toenails or seeing your 85-year-old father’s naked buttocks.)

That said, I don’t consider my women’s fiction to be a celebration of ditching men, but a celebration of women taking charge of their lives, of stepping off the martyr train and striking out for a destination of their choosing. I could have written about women quitting bad jobs or leaving dull towns but relationships are more important to women and involve more of their identities, thereby giving me the chance to tell a deeper story.

My Harlequin Blaze, INDULGE ME (out this month), is a romantic romp in which my heroine Darcy Wolf pursues wild times and total freedom but finds Tyler Houston instead. July brings my next women’s fiction book, AS GOOD AS IT GOT (Avon/HarperCollins), a dark comedy about three very different characters who meet at a coastal Maine retreat for “suddenly single” women. You can check out excerpts of INDULGE ME and my February 2007 women’s fiction book, WOMEN ON THE EDGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH at my website, http://www.isabelsharpe.com/. Happy reading!


Isabel