Love of Research

As a reader, I love to learn new things when I read fiction. I enjoy experiencing danger vicariously and seeing the world from a different perspective. As an author, I strive to craft that same thrill for my readers. Research is how to nail the details that create that you-are-there insider's experience.

We've all read stories that fail at this. I am an instrument-rated private pilot with a little training in aerobatics. When I encounter blunders in a story about aviation, the magic of being in the story falls apart. I don't want to be that author who breaks the magic.

Why write what you know when you can write about exciting things you are learning?

HEROS OF RESEARCH

Authors James A. Michener, Ridley Pearson, and David Morrell exemplify the serious kind of research that elevates their stories to the bestseller category. Michener's tome Hawaii presents the geologic formation of the islands to establish the setting for readers. Pearson's research in his crime stories is revered by detectives for thoroughness. Morrell spent 35 days carrying a 60-lb. backpack through the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming with the National Outdoor Wilderness School to research is book Testament.

Here's my process.

SETTING

Where does the story happen? For North of the Killing Hand, I drew on travel experience in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Columbia for the scenes in the Amazon. The photos taken in these remote places reminded me of the density and types of foliage. Journals reminded me of the smells, sounds, oppressive dampness, and dangers. Beyond personal experience there comes online research and trips to the library for demographics. How many people live there and who are they? What languages do they speak? How do they travel? How do they communicate? What cultural differences stand out? Crime? Education? How do people make a living in the Amazon? What are their religious and ethical beliefs?

For the upcoming West of Famous, I spent a week on a trawler because a huge portion of the story takes place on such a boat. All the library research in the world cannot capture the smell of diesel, the constant motion of the boat, the sounds of the engines, or how to find compartments large enough to stuff a body. The boat owners, Paul and Caryn Frink, went above and beyond in helping me. They took me to the oh-so-remote site in the Everglades where part of the story takes place and dropped anchor. They let me ride in the engine compartment while the boat was underway. I had to test if screaming could be heard over the sound of the engine.

I took copious notes and photographed everything at various times of day and night to nail the details. Online research cannot compare. Paul, retired navy with a strong engineering background, taught me more about boats and boat engines in a week than I learned from months of other research. Hands-on research beats online research any day! Fun, too! The rocking sensation stopped two days after I returned home.

CHARACTER

For each character, major and minor, I want to know who they are. What makes them behave the way they do? What does the character fear? What does the character want? For minor characters, the basic information reads like a police profile: height, weight, age, gender, race, education, and basic history. For major characters, deeper analysis works.

In South of Justice, the main character Dr. Terri Pinehurst-Clayton is a veterinarian. What does it take to become a veterinarian? The info uncovered during research appeared in the book, especially the items that grabbed my attention. Did you know it is tougher to enter veterinarian school than medical school? That tidbit of info led me to find out why. The answer found its way into the book because inquiring minds want to know. At one point in the story, Terri bolsters her courage by reminding herself that she graduated at the top of her class because of her intellectual tenacity. She then decides to begin her own investigation into her husband's past.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the main characters empowers the author to leverage these traits in the story. I have interviewed experts to gain insight into the how and why of their work.

I suppose such research is similar to method acting. I want to learn so much that I can step inside a character to experience life from a new perspective in a new place under circumstances I pray I never have to experience in real life.

Which author do you admire for creating stories that make you feel you are there?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joni M. Fisher is a journalist, an instrument-rated private pilot, and an active member of the Florida Writers Association, the Kiss of Death Chapter and the Tampa Area Romance Authors Chapter of RWA, and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Books in her Compass Crimes Series have garnered attention in Publisher's Weekly and earned recognition in the 2017 National Indie Excellence Awards, the 2016 Royal Palm Literary Awards, the Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, the Sheila Contest, and earned a Reader's Favorite 5-Star Review. 

For more information, see www.jonimfisher.com | facebook

When Different was Illegal

Occasionally I pick up a book with a different lifestyle featured. A book about gay men (mm) for instance, or a ménage (three people in a relationship together). I enjoy them if they’re done well, and the way the characters cope with their dilemma. In fact, I enjoy them enough to write one of my own. Sinless, set in the mid-eighteenth century, about the love affair between an aristocrat and a lawyer, was utterly fascinating to write. It's part of the Shaws trilogy and it's out next year. Now I want to write more. Okay, commercial over! But I did find a world waiting for me when I wrote it, and I do want to share some of what I learned.

I’ve seen these books called anachronistic when they have a historical setting.

They might be, but the premise is not.

There have always been people who need something different. However, right up until the Georgian era, homosexuality, or to be more precise, sodomy, was illegal, punishable by death.

There were prosecutions, but most of them weren’t for the “crime” itself, but for something else, like creating trouble, and in a fascinating series of prosecutions and executions in the 1720’s, they were associated with a Jacobite spy ring. At the time the Jacobites were closely allied with the French, who were happy to use the exiled royals as pawns in a bigger game. And there was a faction in British, or more precisely, the English, who distrusted and disliked the French.

Back to the gays. They always existed, but when the punishment was to be hanged, there was little to be gained in “coming out.” So they married, had children, but also had boyfriends, or they went to houses where they could meet with others of the same inclination. Unfortunately, driving them underground put them in the same bracket as true criminals in many people’s eyes, and thus the confusion with spying and even murder.

Here’s the most famous case from this time, Mother Clapp. A window into the past.

“Margaret Clap was indicted for keeping a House in which she procur'd and encourag'd Persons to commit Sodomy , on the 10th of December last and before and after.

Samuel Stevens thus depos'd. On Sunday Night the 14th of November. I went to the Prisoners House in Field-Lane, Holbourn . I found near Men Fifty there, making Love to one another as they call'd it. Sometimes they'd sit in one anothers Laps, use their Hands indecently Dance and make Curtsies and mimick the Language of Women - O Sir! - Pray Sir! - Dear Sir! Lord how can ye serve me so! - Ah ye little dear Toad! Then they'd go by Couples, into a Room on the same Floor to be marry'd as they call'd it. The Door at that Room was kept by - Ecclestone to prevent any body from balking their Diversions. - When they came out, they used to brag in plain Terms, of what they had been doing, and the Prisoner was present all the Time, except when she went out to fetch Liquors. There was - Griffin among them, who was since hang'd for Sodomy. - And Derwin who had been carried before Sir George Martins for Sodomitical Practices with a Link Boy, he brag'd how he had baffled the Link Boy's Evidence and the Prisoner boasted that what she had said before Sir George, in Derwin's Favour, was a great Means of bringing him off. - I went thither 2 or 3 Sundays following, and found much the same Practices as before. They talk'd all manner of the and most vile Obscenity in her Presence, and she appear'd wonderfully pleas'd with it.

Joseph Sellers depos'd to the same Purpose and added he believ'd there were above 40 Sodomies commited that Night.

The Prisoner in her Defence, said that Darwin was taken up only for a Quarrel and that it ought to be considered, that she was a Woman, and therefore it could not be thought that she would ever be concern'd in such abonsinable Practices. But the Evidence being full and positive, the Jury found her Guilty .”

Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose.

Returning to the scene of the crime

Way back in 2006, I turned to crime (writing, that is, as opposed to romance) and my first crime novel, Into the Shadows, was published by Constable & Robinson. As far as I was concerned, it was a standalone but my publisher thought otherwise so I wrote four more books in the series, the last one appearing early in 2011. I then forgot all about the characters in those books and wrote eight Dylan Scott mysteries. 

However, my lovely, lovely readers (oh, how I’ve cursed them :o), kept asking about another in the series and I, foolishly, thought “Why not?”

Why not? I can give you a million reasons. 

Getting back to the characters I’d left behind in 2011 was difficult enough. I really struggled to live with them again. But in my wisdom, I also decided to bring back a character who featured in the very first book and I hadn’t thought about that particular character since 2006. A lot of stories have come to life since then. 

If it hadn’t been for the fact that I’d promised my readers another book in the series, I would have given up. Getting each word onto the page was like having fingernails removed without anaesthetic. I know some books write themselves while others are, um, difficult, but this was ridiculous. It was my worst nightmare and it took forever.

However - drum roll here - I finally finished it. Yes, The Final Echoes is written. Oh, the relief. Do I like it now? No, but I never like my books. Will my readers like it? I’ll soon find out. It’s available to pre-order from Amazon (at a bargain price :o)) and will be flying out into the big wide world on March 4th.

Forensic psychologist Jill Kennedy had planned to spend the evening before her wedding day with her family enjoying a big drink. Or preferably three big drinks. However, all is not well in the sleepy Lancashire village of Kelton Bridge. A young schoolgirl is missing and the girl’s stepfather, a man from Jill’s past, is under suspicion.

     Jill’s future husband, Detective Chief Inspector Max Trentham, is on leave, all set to spend the next fortnight enjoying a honeymoon in Venice, and Jill isn’t happy leaving the investigation to Detective Inspector Clinton. 

     Besides, who can relax when a child is missing?

     Jill certainly can’t, especially when it becomes clear that her own life is in danger…

---

The first chapter of The Final Echoes is available to read here.

Me? I’m off to lie in a darkened room while I wait to hear what people think of it…

CITY SUSPENSE Vs. ISLAND SUSPENSE

                                 

Hi all,

As this is my first blog on Not Your Usual Suspects, let me introduce myself. I’m Laura Carter (*waves*) and I write sexy romantic suspense novels. My debut series, Vengeful Love, follows Scarlett Heath, a high-flying London lawyer, as she pitches to work for devastatingly attractive billionaire, Gregory Ryans. She wins the work, only to find out that the takeover Gregory is about to embark on is hostile. Cue a dark and twisted thriller, underpinning a passionate romance that sees Scarlett and Gregory mingling with high society in the glossy skyscrapers of London and Dubai.

I started writing Vengeful Love as a business lawyer living and working in the heart of London. It seemed like the perfect setting for an erotic, white-collar thriller. I had the backdrop of glitz and glamour—champagne, cocktails, sky views, limousines and black tie dinners—mixed with the ominous streets of the city. My hangouts looked something like this…

(View from the Shard, London)

Here’s the thing, six weeks ago, I changed my life by moving to a small island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. And as I sat down to my laptop in my new surroundings for the first time, I thought, Oh Crap! What have I done?

I went from dry martinis and the hustle and bustle of the city, to bottled beer and a sleepy, small-town beach life. My new style…

(Sunset British Virgin Islands)

Don’t get me wrong, the serenity of the island is wonderful. Being able to read and write in a hammock is pretty great. But I write CITY suspense novels. How am I supposed to make a beautiful sandy beach grave and threatening? I thought.

I worried about this for a couple of weeks, no kidding! Then I had that ‘lightbulb’ moment we all know so well. It came one day as I was driving past the island’s prison. It’s kind of idyllic for a prisoner—a low security compound with a garden and, from what I hear, pretty relaxed rules, with an outstanding view out to sea. I mean, this place would make the Count of Monte Cristo giddy!

So, I started wondering, what could a person possibly do to wind up in prison on this peaceful rock? And a few things dawned on me…we’re in the middle of the sea, accessible from all angles by boats and private planes…in other words, perfect for trafficking people and drugs—erm, hello gang crime and cartels! Then I thought, if you’re on the run, this is actually the PERFECT place to hide. It’s so small it barely gets a spot on the world map! And, given the fine waters for sailing, the low taxes and little regulation compared to, say, London or Manhattan, this is a billionaire’s paradise! Put all of that together and you get dark and (potentially) glamorous with no rules (*excited dance*).

It took some time and it was unexpected, but I started to see the small-town, island setting as having endless possibilities for crime and suspense novels. As an author, I think it is incredibly important to be able to draw inspiration from just about anything, to conjure a story from nothing. It’s what makes us a quirky (?) breed of species and, in my opinion, what makes our job one of the best in the world.

So, I ask you, authors, what is the most unexpected source of inspiration you have had? And to you, readers, do you prefer the backdrop of the dark and dangerous city, or the unsuspecting, kind of eerie, sleepy town?

If you’re interested in the Amazon bestselling Vengeful Love series you can check it out here:

Amazon US: amzn.to/1Tle3O3

Amazon UK: amzn.to/1M2lfqT

Barnes & Noble: bit.ly/1pd17Nm

Kobo: bit.ly/21mwLnN

iBooks: apple.co/1WeIGD2

GooglePlay: bit.ly/1RceZxQ

Come hang out with me:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lauracarterauthor 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lcarterauthor 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauracarterauthor 

Website: www.lauracarterauthor.com 

My holiday reading

When I’m reminded that Christmas is approaching, I go straight into Bah Humbug mode. First, I can’t understand why Christmas cards and general festive items appear in the shops alongside the Halloween costumes. I mean, that’s October, people. October!

As the days/weeks pass, I begin to stress about everything I need to do - all those presents to buy, wrap and, more often than not, mail to far-flung places. The cards needs writing and, naturally, the friend’s new address that I scribbled on a piece of paper months ago has vanished. Slade’s Merry Christmas, Everybody blasting out from every shop in the land does nothing to improve my bad mood. 

Or perhaps it does because in an instant I change from “Bah Humbug - Christmas should be banned” to “OMG, Christmas is coming. Let’s party!”. The decorations come out, yet more twinkling lights are bought and I can’t wait for the festivities to begin. I get to eat lots, yes? And drink even more, right? I can sit in front of a blazing log fire with a glass in one hand and my Kindle in the other without feeling guilty. Bliss!

In readiness, I’ve loaded up the Kindle. I’ll be making a start on Silent Nights.

Christmas is a mysterious, as well as magical, time of year. Strange things can happen, and this helps to explain the hallowed tradition of telling ghost stories around the fireside as the year draws to a close. Christmas tales of crime and detection have a similar appeal. When television becomes tiresome, and party games pall, the prospect of curling up in the warm with a good mystery is enticing - and much better for the digestion than yet another helping of plum pudding. Crime writers are just as susceptible as readers to the countless attractions of Christmas. Over the years, many distinguished practitioners of the genre have given one or more of their stories a Yuletide setting. The most memorable Christmas mysteries blend a lively storyline with an atmospheric evocation of the season. Getting the mixture right is much harder than it looks.This book introduces readers to some of the finest Christmas detective stories of the past. Martin Edwards' selection blends festive pieces from much-loved authors with one or two stories which are likely to be unfamiliar even to diehard mystery fans. The result is a collection of crime fiction to savour, whatever the season.

Then I’ll move on to The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries.

Here, for your yuletide reading pleasure, are the collected crimes of Christmases Past and Present: sixty classic Christmas crime stories gathered together in the largest anthology of its kind ever assembled. And its an all-star line-up: Sherlock Holmes, Brother Cadfael, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Rumpole of the Bailey, Inspector Morse, Inspector Ghote, A.J. Raffles, Nero Wolfe and many, many more of the world's favourite detectives and crime fighters face unscrupulous Santas, festive felonies, deadly puddings, and misdemeanors under the mistletoe. Almost any kind of mystery you're in the mood for - suspense, pure detection, humour, cozy, private eye, or police procedural - can be found within these pages.

Includes stories from (many of which are difficult or nearly impossible to find anywhere else): Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy, Isaac Asimov, Sara Paretsky, Ed McBain, Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, Mary Higgins Clark, H.F Keating, Donald E. Westlake and John Mortimer and more.

I can’t wait.

What will you be reading over the festivities? Do you have any recommendations for great holiday stories?

Happy holidays, everyone!

RIMES AND CRIMES

   

     We write mysteries—mysteries filled with romance, terror, intrigue and fantasy. But April is National Poetry Month and I wonder how many of us will take a break and write lyric poetry, narrative poetry, blank verse—Will Shakespeare did it. Perhaps free verse, an elegy on a sad occasion or an epigram? Is there someone amongst us who has written a ballad—a repeated refrain that tells a tale? How about an ode, a sonnet to someone you love? Perhaps you’ve tinkered with a limerick that would make friends laugh or a simple rime?

     I wrote my first rime while doing a “bread and butter,” job at a conference where speakers were trying to get investors for health insurance plans. On the last day of the conference, one speaker had no attendees and the staff—including me—were handed pads and pens and told to sit in the room and pay rapt attention.

     The speaker was nervous and could have used a few lessons in how to prepare his presentation and in spite of an overly air-conditioned room, I could feel my eyes closing.  Something had to be done. I picked up the pen and began to write. No on would be the wiser—if anyone noticed, they would think I was taking notes. This tribute to mysteries is what emerged.

NIGHT SWEATS

My sheets are damp, in disarray

A devil incarnate joined the fray

Should he poison, slash or shoot?

That single print must match his boot

The P.I. who will solve this case;

How many puzzles does the lady face?

Has she a partner? A dog? A cat?

Is the cat the one to smell a rat?

The cop is loaded with testosterone

Of course—it accounts for his deep baritone

Will their dialogue move the plot?

Does Chapter Two stall? Or not?

Need a couple of clues for the reader to glean

Perhaps a red herring in-between?

I’ve wrestled my pillow to the floor

While adding a touch of blood and gore

At last! It’s here! The morning light

It’s time to rise, time to write.

Poetry anyone?

Elise