from March's issue of "Novel Ideas"...

STAR SEARCH: How Our Members Find The Answers

I enjoy sprinkling touches of realism throughout my contemporary novels. In SOMETHING SENTIMENTAL (my 1986 Silhouette Romance by Mia Maxam), set in Malabar, Florida where I now live and where my husband Phil is in his second term as Mayor, I opened on a launch of the shuttle Atlantis. The heroine is a radio DJ at fictional Radio Malabar, bought out by the hero whose vision for the programming is completely opposite from hers. I have the heroine driving south on US 1 through Melbourne into Palm Bay. Other scenes have the Indialantic police picking up the hero's niece and nephew, and the hero and heroine taking a turtle walk on Melbourne Beach where they observe a mother loggerhead turtle lay her eggs. I modeled the hero after my husband Phil, complete with receding hairline and impending 40th birthday!

My advice to writers is: be sure to give appropriate credit to anyone who helped you with your research. Here's how I did it in the front of the book: “This book is for Phil, with love, on our twentieth anniversary--you're something special! An extra thank you to Mark Knapke of the Florida State Park Rangers at the Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area for the turtle walk, and thanks to the staff at WVUD, FM 100, University of Dayton for their help in my research."

Mia Crews

In addition to writing contemporary romance, I also enjoy writing "Regency-period Historicals." A Regency-period historical is a novel set during the Regency period of 1810-1821, primarily in England, but can also be based in France or other countries. This type of novel differs from the traditional Regency novel in that it can include such "taboo" topics such as domestic violence, slavery, alcoholism, incest, homosexuality, drugs and of course, more explicit romance and intimacy between the hero/heroine.

The resources I use for research are as follows: Newsletters: The Quizzing Glass newsletter published by the Beau Monde chapter of RWA. The Regency Plume newsletter published by Marilyn Clay. Books: What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool. The Writers Guide to Everyday Life in Regency and Victorian England by Kristine Hughes. Internet: RWA - the Beau Monde chapter website and email loop with Regency authors. America Online: Arts>Literature>Genres>Romance>Research>Regency Resources on Romantic Fiction and the Law: www.lib.uchicago.edu/~llou/romance.html Jane Austen Society of North America; Derbyshire Writers' Guild; Republic of Pemberly. www.pemberly.com.

Joy Ann Coll

Extensive reading on the paranormal over a period of twenty years was a good basis, and life experiences, Chambers of Commerce, books, video and audio tapes from the public library, and of course, the internet, all contributed to the setting, dialogue, characterization, and plot for my paranormal, romantic suspense, The Last Taboo.

The first part of the book takes place in Daytona Beach, an easy drive to see first-hand, as well as a fictional town in the Brunswick, Georgia, area, which is where the scenic video tapes, books, and Chamber of Commerce came in handy to give me a feel for the weather, flora and fauna there. I also grilled everyone I came in contact with who ever mentioned they either came from or visited Georgia! And, of course, the internet was a boon for more valuable information. The major towns usually have their own web sites, and some even offer live web cams for a closer look. Amelia Island, another town briefly visited in the story, offered a tour of their historic district on their web site. I chose a beautiful, old church from this selection for a wedding.

An audio tape from the library on how to speak southern was also a big help for the accent and dialect I needed for some of my characters. Having lived in New York City helped with that region when the story moved there briefly, and having sung with a band, written and recorded country songs, and had a look at the behind-the-scenes workings of a major recording group on tour (Air Supply), helped with realistic details of life on the road with the band my heroine joins for refuge.

Karlene Conroy

At best, research can be fun. I write historical novels set in America during the late 1800's. Last year one mode of research I used was incorporating exploration into my vacation. During our road trip north to Wisconsin, where my current book is set and our family friends reside, I planned stops along the way that might give me details to use in my book. I targeted locales that had a historical value. We stopped at horse farms, toured Churchill Downs and museum, picked up a lot of literature and tid-bits that you can only get by visiting. I even videotaped the inside of old period homes and towns. Our trip took us through Canada, and ended at RWA nationals in DC. One benefit of gathering information in this way is that some of the expenses may be tax deductible. But more importantly, I'm a very visual person and it's enriching to see things first hand. Besides I really love to travel!

Laurie Cooper

Most (research for my trilogy) was done in high school for term papers and book reports because I loved Indians way back then. Then I had missionary friends on the Apache and Navajo Reservations and would spend vacations out there. I soaked up a lot of the culture and scenery and by word-of-mouth with personal interviews. Of course, the libraries have come in handy, as have books I purchased over the years at book stores. But, I am not a web surfer so I don’t know anything about web sites yet.

Carol Didier

I've used lots of different methods of research. I hate when I read a book or see a film that didn't get things right so I'm extra careful to double-check everything I can. I've set all 8 of my books in Florida because that's the only place I've ever lived and I would hate to get the setting wrong and upset someone. Hope to travel someday so I can claim trips as research when I run out of ideas for Florida stories. As if that will ever happen. I've got enough to keep me going for a looooong time. I also talk to people who have my protagonists’ jobs or work in the field. For Ticket to Romance, I made the heroine a real estate agent because my in-laws are in that business. Since the hero is a cop, I talked to a real police sergeant and had him read early drafts of a couple of my romantic suspense stories to make sure I got the facts straight. I was glad I did because he caught a couple minor things I would never have thought to look up. He also made some suggestions that really added character and plot dimension.

When my editor at SWP asked me to verify a question about Arabian horse breeding, I called my vet's office, who referred me to the head of the local Arabian horse association, who also breeds horses. We had a wonderful chat. I also exchanged lots of emails with a Florida horse breeder I "met" through her web page when I ran a web search for local breeders. I've discovered once I mention I'm a writer, everyone has stories to share.

Even though I'm a former nurse, things have changed a lot in the twenty-five years since I've worked in the field, so I talk to current nurses for my medical stories. I also have LOTS of books and use the internet for ideas and to double-check stuff. Sometimes I use fictional things (like a poison in my new romantic suspense) not only because it is easier to make it do what I want, but because I don't want to give any true-life bad guys any ideas.

Writers Digest books are top of my list of research books. Also Lynda Sue Cooper's True Blue for cop stuff and my Taber's medical dictionary for medical stuff. The Mystery Suspense chapter of RWA is a terrific source of all sorts of info and offers online classes in a variety of subjects. I've taken a bunch of those.

Sandi Haddad

I collect freebies about the setting by contacting the local Chamber of Commerce or Realty Association. Get on a mailing list and you'll receive maps, info about lodgings, housing, schools, stores, parks, and local government. I also collect brochures, pamphlets, photos and newspapers of any interesting location in case I want to use it at some time.

Catalogues are a wonderful resource for clothing, house wares, decorative items. I especially like the gift catalogues from Williamsburg and Monticello, as well as the Coldwater Creek ones. Another valuable resource is the Renaissance catalogue which is free (1-800-730-5464).

Joyce Henderson

Thus far in my career, I've followed my heart and written strongly character-based stories that haven't involved detailed or convoluted plotlines. So the need for research in my writing hasn't been a huge stumbling block for me yet.

Yes, the heroine of my first book, NIGHT WHISPERS, was a radio deejay. Fortunately, I'd had a little experience on the radio through my theater days, and I've always been a big fan of WKRP In Cincinnati and Frasier! (haha!) But the real excitement I felt when writing that story wasn't sparked by research into an actual radio production, it was the kinship and excitement I felt about the heroine. Incidentally, the idea for that character was sparked by a voice I heard on the radio late one night while driving alone.

If there was any real research required in that first book, it was more into the aspect of the Chinese orphan girls, which did take a great deal of time and Internet research. That was a detail that, to me, really illustrated the character and personality of my hero. I wanted to be sure the reader was as drawn into the reality of the lives of little Chinese girls as I had been. To do that, I had to make the issue real to my hero, Mitch, and that did require research.

I think the key to researching for a book is to remember that realistic details enhance the story but should never overwhelm it. A book that's bogged down in realism or history is going to lose me as a reader every time. There's always room on my keeper shelf, however, for a simple character study without tons of research, but with fabulously developed, realistic people.

Leslie Kelly

For years I read mostly historical novels, James Michener, Irving Stone, and, yes, many historical romances. When I decided to try my hand at writing, of course I tried historical romances first because I thought I would like doing research. But then on a lark, I wrote a contemporary. It didn’t take me long to realize that although I lived near Washington DC all my life, I didn’t know what the inside of police headquarters looked like. I had to visit that building, go through the security checks and take a peek inside the room where my hearing took place so I could drop in some convincing tidbits for a reader who just might be a DC police officer who knows that location.

Which is my point - tidbits. Romance novels are not meant to compete with Michener or a history textbook. A romance reader doesn’t want to know there were nine thousand two hundred and fifty-three bodies on the field after the battle. The reader wants to pick up a few tidbits that impart a feeling for the period or place only someone who lived there would know. Tidbits surprise and intrigue the reader, like spice added to a dish, to tempt and tease the taste buds not overpower. Research is for tidbits - flavor and spice. The way in which you use them will make your book uniquely yours. If you find your book filled with paragraphs and pages of research, you haven’t written a romance. You had best believe your romance reader will flip past those pages to get to the good stuff. Been there, done that. And I bet you have too.

Marilyn Ivison

Being a contemporary writer I like to have personal knowledge or a source to check for authenticity on my fictional world and its inhabitants. While you can get almost anything from the net, having a real person in the same field as the h/h is to me invaluable. I have them lined up, not only for my WIP but also for all the other stories, which are in idea stage. Kevin the college-trained horticulturist checks my hero for proper dress, work habits, etc. Brenda, the computer science prof, authenticates the scenes taking place on campus. And it helps me immensely that I have visited both their place of work. Matter of fact I came up with the idea for Love‘s Little Acre, when “what if”-ing on how nice it would be to get Brenda and Kevin together. But he lives on the east coast, she on the West, she has ten years on him, not really a problem in life but might be in a short contemporary. So the story had to be written. Despite knowing my subjects I have a pile of garden books, check facts with Florida gardeners, and turn repeatedly to the web. Problem with the latter is too much info. E.g. needed a big cactus for a scene. Looked up cacti, succulents, etc. and got only for sale stuff and the scientific names. Then asked for prickly pear cactus and got exactly what I needed. Common names and pictures! Hooray!!!

Next story, The Radio Air-Ess and the Singing Sheriff, I am going back to the radio station but using one I’ve visited in back country Florida for the prototype. Will have to research the Florida Sheriff system as they differ from state to state. After that my good friend who is a telephone line-person, and an attractive but rough speaking female, will be immortalized. I plan to spend the day with her, and the other attractive female line persons to get the feel. Think if I was doing historical would go to letters, biographies, etc. to get feel for era.

Petrina Aubol