On Fire! Kristina Stanley on Researching Arson

Thank you, Catherine, for hosting me.

Are you kidding? Thank you for being here! I am always happy to host a hot writer.

Pardon?

I mean, a writer who's hot. You know, popular.

Oh. Okay.

Also, it was a little play on words...you know, your research on fire...hot...right?

Oh, I see. You're funny.

Is that funny ha ha or funny strange...?

Kristina actually only said that first sentence. The rest I made up. Surprise! Seriously, I am THRILLED to have Kristina Stanley do a return post on research for her second novel. The scenarios are so different, from snow and cold to fire and heat. Her first novel was terrific! I'm looking forward to reading the second.

She also gives a little teaser for her third novel and by the sounds of it, we'll all want to hear about THAT research too!

 Now, here's the real Kristina Stanley.

 

Every novel has a unique subject, giving an author an opportunity to research and learn about something new. I write the Stone Mountain Mystery series that takes place in the remote mountains of British Columbia.

For DESCENT (1^st in the series), the majority of my research focused on ski racing and ski tuning. For BLAZE (2^nd in the series), arson is the crime, so fire fighting was the research topic.

The idea for BLAZE came to me while I was the director of security at a ski resort. Late one night, my phone rang. A set of condos was on fire. My role for the night was to manage the scene surrounding the fire. This included calling for ambulance and RCMP backup, finding rooms for guests who had been displaced, arranging crowd control, and ensuring the firefighters had food and water during the night. The firefighters did all the hard work and saved many condos from burning to the ground.

By morning, I had an idea for a story and had just been given first hand research.

By being on the site of a major fire, my senses and thoughts were filled with:

-       Smell and sounds. Alarms, floors crashing, commands being shouted, burning debris…

-       Water, water everywhere. This is where I learned how much water damage occurs while trying to put out a fire.

-       Fear of people being hurt. I knew many of the firefighters personally, and watching them inside a burning building is stressful.

-       Worry about pets. Luckily no pets were hurt.

-       Desperation of a person whose home is burning.  Standing beside some who is losing their home fills one with a variety of emotions.

These senses and emotions were incorporated into BLAZE. The trick was to turn the experience into a story. With my imagination triggered, I decided arson was the crime, Kalin Thompson was the suspected victim, and I needed to add a forest fire to heighten the danger.

The next step in the research process was to interview firefighters.

-       This was more valuable than reading about events. A firefighter can tell you what they would wear for different fires. I learned about gear for a forest fire versus a structural fire, what a man-down alarm sounds like, and what a firefighter would think and feel while working in a burning building.

After the interviews, I expanded my knowledge with online research.

-       I read news about fires.

-       I watched videos – there is always a video. A little aside about researching for my novel AVALANCHE, if you want to scare yourself google “what does it feel like to be caught in an avalanche," watch one of the go pro videos of a person being buried. I did this and had to go for a walk just to calm down. Now that’s exciting research.

The final step in my research process was to have a firefighter read the fire scenes for accuracy and believability. My thought was if a firefighter believed the scene, then others would too.

Research can be an exciting part of the novel-writing adventure. Just be sure you don’t get so involved in the research that you forget to write.

My Facebook launch party for BLAZE (https://www.facebook.com/events/1630121803934943/) is this coming Sunday, October 25th from 4 to 6 PM EST. I would love to see you there.

For added Facebook excitement, Catherine will be giving away a copy of LEGACY at the BLAZE Facebook launch party. If you’re not familiar with a launch party, drop on by and chat with authors, maybe win a book, and socialize online. I’ve met some fun online friends this way.

Kristina’s Bio

Kristina Stanley is the author of the Stone Mountain Mystery Series. Her books have garnered the attention of prestigious crime writing organizations in Canada and England. Crime Writers of Canada nominated DESCENT for the Unhanged Arthur award. The Crime Writers’ Association nominated BLAZE for the Debut Dagger. She is published in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Before writing her series, Kristina was the director of security, human resources and guest services at a resort in the depths of the British Columbian mountains. The job and lifestyle captured her heart, and she decided to write mysteries about life in an isolated resort. While writing the first four novels, she spent five years living aboard a sailboat in the US and the Bahamas.

Instead of exchanging vows, Kalin Thompson spends her wedding day running from a forest fire near Stone Mountain Resort, and the pregnant friend trapped with her has just gone into labor. Meanwhile, Kalin’s fiancé, Ben Timlin, hangs from the rafters of a burning building, fighting for his life. Can the situation get any hotter?

When the fire is declared as arson, finding the firebug responsible becomes Kalin’s personal mission. In the course of her investigation as Director of Security, she discovers that some people will go to extreme measures to keep her from exposing their secrets.

I love to connect with people online. I can be found at: www.KristinaStanley.com

Follow me on twitter, let me know you read this blog and I’ll follow you back. @StanleyKMS

Or comment on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KristinaStanley.Author

If you're looking for something to read and you haven’t read DESCENT yet, now is your chance before BLAZE comes out. Find it at:  http://mybook.to/Descent

And if you have read DESCENT, I’d be very excited if you pre-ordered BLAZE http://myBook.to/BLAZEbyKristinaStanley

Guest Post from Debra Purdy Kong: RESEARCH, WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH

I met Debra Purdy Kong through Crime Writers of Canada.
Staying in touch through Facebook and other crime-related
events (no jail time involved) has allowed me to get to know her 
and appreciate not only her talent but her determination. She's
one of those people who supports her colleagues and gives
thoughtful, intelligent feedback and inspiration. Here's her
insightful look at research.

For crime fiction writers, finding ideas is easy. All we have to do is turn to news sources. Research, however, is another matter, but these five strategies really help:

leg work
firsthand experience
networking
expert interviews and consultants
internet research

For me, leg work is important. When I incorporate foreign settings, I choose places I’ve been to and find something specific about them to weave into a story. In my first Casey Holland mystery, The Opposite of Dark, one of the chapters is set in Amsterdam. I mention the pricey McDonald's hamburgers and the ubiquitous dirt particles that swirled over Casey’s hair and face whenever the wind blew. These memories have stayed with me over the years.

Firsthand experience is the most time-consuming type of research, yet it's become invaluable. Employment in security added authenticity for the Holland series and my recently released Evan Dunstan novella, Dead Man Floating. I didn't set out to incorporate day jobs into short stories and novels. It just worked out that way. The security field had interested me, so I answered an ad in the paper and wound up training as a campus guard, dispatcher, and later a supervisor.

Networking in person and online is another great resource. Discussions about my work have put me in touch with IT and forensics experts, for instance. Twitter helped me connect with a bus driver who is now my consultant on a current Casey Holland mystery.

Many times, you don’t even need a referral to find an expert. Universities, organizations, and libraries have links to databases listing all sorts of people willing to answer questions. One question often leads to another and soon you're gathering knowledge to about things you hadn't known to ask. Once you’ve identified an expert, a short, polite email query often gets the ball rolling.

It might seem strange, but Google research is the resource I've used least so far. It’s probably because I've had the benefit of working in the same field as my protagonists and set most of my stories locally. But I hope to expand my horizons. I’m mulling over new work in a different genre and research needs will definitely expand. I can't wait to see where the search will take me.

Link to Dead Man Floating: http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Floating-Evan-Dunstan-Mystery-ebook/dp/B014K0UY1A

EXCERPT FROM DEAD MAN FLOATING:

Propping the kickstand, Evan removed the small flashlight attached to his belt then stepped nearer the water. Oh shit! It was a hand! A freakin’ hand! And legs! He moved the flashlight up the body until he spotted the grey fringe circling a bald head that glowed like a moon. Evan shivered. Was the guy alive? He wouldn’t have to perform CPR, would he? That first-aid course last year didn’t go so well after he broke that manikin.





 DEBRA’S BIO:

Author of six full-length mysteries and over fifty short stories, Debra has won numerous awards for her work. She conducts workshops, is an administrative assistant at Simon Fraser University, and also works as a substitute facilitator for the creative writing program with Port Moody Parks & Recreation.

More information about Debra’s books and her blog can be found at www.debrapurdykong.com
Also visit her FB Author Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mystery-Author-Debra-Purdy-Kong/139005706175139
Or find her on Twitter @DebraPurdyKong

Guest Post: Andy Peloquin - Why Research Matters for Fiction

My guest today is Andy Peloquin's novel, The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer, debuted on August 21. Before you read his article on research, he suggests you should know 10 things about him.

10 Things You Need to Know About Andy Peloquin:

1. Hot wings, ALWAYS!
2. I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
3. I'm a head taller than the average person (I'm 6' 6")
4. Marvel > DC
5. I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of 14.
6. Selena Gomez and Five Finger Death Punch are both in my playlist.
7. Aliens are real, but it's self-centered of us to believe that they would come to visit Earth.
8. Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
9. I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
10. I dislike most Christmas music, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Why Research Matters for Fiction by Andy Peloquin

When you read a blog post, a news article, or a piece of content on a website, you expect that it has been thoroughly researched, its facts checked, and the sources verified. For fiction, however, that is not always the case.

How many works of fiction have you read? Did you know that 36.7% of them have not been thoroughly researched? Did you know that I made that last statistic up? No you didn’t, because you didn't check your facts!

A lot of fiction writers believe that doing research isn't important for their work. This is not usually the case with works of fiction set in historical times (history buffs can be pretty harsh critics!). I have noticed that a lot of mystery and thriller writers will do one of two things:

• Get VERY specific with certain details (street names, landmarks, etc.)
• Leave details specifically vague

Both of these things are an overcompensation for their lack of research into the cities or towns where their novels are set.

The main weakness, however, is often in fantasy and science fiction novels!

For science fiction, it's a bit beyond reason to expect that every writer has a degree in physics or chemistry. Sometimes, a simple explanation of "futuristic" technology (such as light sabers) is the simplest way to go. However, with the increasing tech-savviness of the modern reader, the "oversimplified" science may no longer fly.

I have found that fantasy writers tend to have the hardest time keeping their works accurate or realistic. For example, I just read a novel where a prolonged battle (for a month or two) took no serious toll on the castle defending itself. The attacking force didn't use any sort of siege equipment, either. At a number of times, there were "heroes" and "villains" having their fights in the middle of the battles, when everyone around them simply stopped and watched? And what's worse, the heroes became experts with their swords and got "perfect" bodies in just a few months. Doesn't seem realistic, right?

This shows a lack of understanding of proper battle tactics, how high the casualties can be, and how battle actually happens. Don't get me started on a familiarization with the fatigue of constant battle, the amount of time it takes to master a weapon or reach peak physical fitness.

How many stories have you read where a city has no proper sewage disposal/drainage system? How many had a realistic structure of governance? You'll find that fantasy writers are sometimes (not always, but a lot more often than you might think) the laziest when it comes to research.

Yes, it's hard to research a world that you have created. After all, there are no history books for your fictitious world, so there's nowhere to check how your civilization has evolved over time. That's no excuse for not doing at least some research into how life really was in the Roman Era/Dark Ages/Middle Ages/Renaissance/whatever period your novel is set. That research helps to make the novel as realistic as possible.

There will be a lot of readers who enjoy the book for its own sake, but you will always encounter readers who put down your book because it just isn't realistic. Why would you be okay with losing a reader? All it takes is a few minutes/hours of research, and you could keep those readers hooked on your book!

For all authors, research is HIGHLY important, but more so for fantasy authors. You're already giving readers an "unrealistic" enough world in which to spend their time--you have to make it as realistic and accurate as possible!

The Last Bucelarii (Book 1): Blade of the Destroyer

The Hunter of Voramis is the perfect assassin: ruthless, unrelenting, immortal. Yet he is haunted by lost memories, bonded to a cursed dagger that feeds him power yet denies him peace of mind. Within him rages an unquenchable need for blood and death.

When he accepts a contract to avenge the stolen innocence of a girl, the Hunter becomes the prey. The death of a seemingly random target sends him hurtling toward destruction, yet could his path also lead to the truth of his buried past?

Go here to get Andy's book:

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book-ebook/dp/B012EI9M4A/

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book/dp/1515038955/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25269614-blade-of-the-destroyer

Where to Find Andy Peloquin: Lover of All Things Dark and Mysterious

Andy Peloquin--a third culture kid to the core--has loved to read since before he could remember. Sherlock Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera, and Father Brown are just a few of the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.

When he discovered science fiction and fantasy through the pages of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card, he was immediately hooked and hasn't looked back since.  

Andy's first attempt at writing produced In the Days: A Tale of the Forgotten Continent. He has learned from the mistakes he made and used the experience to produce  Blade of the Destroyer, a book of which he is very proud. 

Reading—and now writing—is his favorite escape, and it provides him an outlet for his innate creativity. He is an artist; words are his palette.

His website (http://www.andypeloquin.com) is a second home for him, a place where he can post his thoughts and feelings--along with reviews of books he finds laying around the internet.  

He can also be found on his social media pages, such as: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin

www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/

https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about 

https://www.amazon.com/author/andypeloquin  

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloquin.1

Research: Guest Author Jill Downie on The Joys of Research

I am absolutely delighted to host author Jill Downie as she talks about the joys of research. Her Moretti and Falla detective series are enormously popular and have received a great deal of critical acclaim. You should check her out at http://www.jilldownie.com (I know you'll do that anyway once you read this post). On top of everything, Jill is a wonderful person.

The Joys of Research

Is there a writer anywhere who doesn’t like research?  Maybe, but I have yet to meet one.  Writers are like the elephant’s child in Kipling’s Just-So stories, curious by nature, and that can get them into some interesting, scary, unforgettable places in the real world and in that other real world: their imagination.

                  I have written both fiction and non-fiction in my life as a published writer, and there are more similarities than differences between researching the two.  Both are about when, what, where, why and how – and, being there.   

Except, if you are writing historical fiction, as I once did, being there only happens in the imagination.  But you still have to get it right, or you’ll get a letter or an email to point out the error of your ways.

                  Apart from my mysteries, the only contemporary fiction I have written is the short story, the first form of writing I ever had published.  The setting was the first community I lived in when I came to Canada, and I discovered afterwards there had been a mad rush to identify actual people in my characters.  Hey, everyone, it wasn’t a short-story-à-clef, I protested.  But no one believed me.

So, when I choose a name for the murderer, I tread carefully.  Which brings me back to research.

Get this book in one click.

I made a really smart move when I chose the Channel Island of Guernsey, where I once lived, as the setting for my Moretti and Falla mysteries, because it took me back to a beautiful and unique part of the world.  The first visit was after a number of years, much had changed, and I spent the time reacquainting myself with the place.  In spite of those changes, which incIuded the island’s transformation into a wealthy offshore tax haven, the scenery was still dazzling, the old island families with their unique names – Falla, Bisson, Le Cocq, de Sausmarez and so on – were still very much part of the landscape.  So, no wicked islanders – well, not identifiable ones, anyway. 

Order here!

 John Nettles, former star of Midsomer Murders, who lived on Jersey while making the detective series, Bergerac, has found himself persona non grata after writing a well—researched account of the wartime occupation of the Channel IsIands.  Some secrets are best left secret, some bodies best left buried.  Or, at least, unrecognizable.

I always go on research trips with a game plan, so it doesn’t just turn into a vacation, but I remind myself to keep an open mind, and to be prepared for the unexpected to turn up.  It so often does.  Plots and plot twists, characters walking around corners into your life, unplanned encounters that take you into a whole new perspective are among the joys of research.  I got the basic idea for the fourth Moretti and Falla while researching Blood Will Out, the third in the series.

Order right here.

I used to love spending time in libraries and archives when on the hunt for a book.  With the internet, my research life has been simplified, and maybe I regret that.  But only a little. 

I have been to the Yukon in search of a nineteenth-century journalist, served coffee and port by a white-gloved valet while interviewing a duke, and these were unexpected bonuses in my writing life.  Best to be open to the unexpected, I have found. 

So when my daughter asked, “Mom, have you ever thought of a story set in Las Vegas?  I’m going on a business trip, why don’t you come?” 

“Yes,” I said.

Being there.  Nothing like it.     

Everything Jill Downie can be found right here: https://www.dundurn.com/authors/jill-downie

 

                 

Research Part 2: Guest Author Kristina Stanley

 

Kristina Stanley's debut novel, Descent, was an instant bestseller and continues to garner rave reviews.  She's a fellow Imajin Books author and a great addition to our Imajination team with her enthusiasm, inspiration and support. I'm thrilled to have her here as a guest to talk about research, my pet topic this summer.


Catherine has asked me to talk about researching my novel DESCENT, so let’s talk research.

We’ve all heard the saying write what you know. Well, I think it should be write what you love. If you’re not interested in something, and I mean deeply interested, how can you spend endless hours researching and writing your novel?

In order of fun and importance, my methods of research are:

• Life experience
• Interviewing experts
• Online research

Being the director of security in an isolated ski resort inspired me to write the Stone Mountain Mystery series. I lived the life for almost six years and paid attention to what happened around me. I wrote the first in the series, DESCENT, after I moved from the ski resort to a sailboat in the Bahamas.

In DESCENT, there is skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, night hikes, employee terminations, medical emergencies and interactions with RCMP. Due to my job and my lifestyle, I’ve participated in all these things. This provided the basis of facts. Then comes the imagination. One dead ski racer, many suspects: all the more believable because the underlying story is believable.

When using real life experience, I was careful not to write about actual events or people. The trick is to use an event to spark the imagination, turn it into something evil or dangerous, exaggerate it, expand it, and go from there.

Now here’s an important research tip. Keep in touch with all you work or play with. This group of people will become your experts. After I left the resort I interviewed ski technicians, RCMP constables, snowmakers, lift operators and security officers.  When I needed details, these people were there for me. I found most were happy to contribute to the process of writing a novel. In return, they get mentioned in the acknowledgement section of DESCENT.

Online research is my last resort. For DESCENT, I used the Internet to ensure I used the right language for a skier aiming to be part of the Alpine Canada ski adventure.

So why not descend into fiction and order a copy of DESCENT at amazon.com, amazon.ca or the amazon hosted in your country? To entice you, here is what DESCENT is about:

http://www.amazon.ca/Descent-Stone-Mountain-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B01053N6CA

When Kalin Thompson is promoted to Director of Security at Stone Mountain Resort, she soon becomes entangled in the high-profile murder investigation of an up-and-coming Olympic-caliber skier. There are more suspects with motives than there are gates on the super-G course, and danger mounts with every turn.

Kalin’s boss orders her to investigate. Her boyfriend wants her to stay safe and let the cops do their job. Torn between loyalty to friends and professional duty, Kalin must look within her isolated community to unearth the killer’s identity.

BLAZE (to be release this fall by www.ImajinBooks.com) is the second in the Stone Mountain Mystery series and is a tale about arson, betrayal and revenge. Heading up security was again a great asset. The security team was tightly linked to the fire department, and you guessed it, the firefighters were an awesome group to interview. A first person account of what it’s like to walk through a burning building is terrifying but makes for a good story.

The third in the series, AVALANCHE, has Kalin Thompson searching for a thief, struggling to prove her brother is innocent of a major theft. Unfortunately for Kalin, her brother disappears in an avalanche hours after the theft and is the prime suspect.

REQUEST FOR READER ASSISTANCE: I’m writing the fourth in the Stone Mountain Mystery series. A business partner of Kalin’s is murdered while driving his ATV on a mountain trail. He’s forced into a frothing river… My problem with the fourth novel is I have to stop calling it “the fourth.” I need a title. If you have any suggestions for a title that fits with DESCENT, BLAZE and AVALANCHE, please leave a comment below.

You can find out more about me at www.KristinaStanley.com. I’d love to hear from you so drop by and leave a comment or connect with me @StanleyKMS. Follow me and I follow back.

Thank you, Catherine, for hosting me. It’s a pleasure to share your blog with you.

Research: Guest Blogger: Author Gloria Ferris

 

Gloria Ferris is one of those naturally witty people who make you feel comfortable and happy in her presence at hello. She adds that intelligent humor to her books, along with well-researched, exciting plots and hilarious characters who  ought to be real so we could follow them around and have fun with them.

Here's Gloria's treatise on research for your enlightenment and entertainment!

 

For my first four books, I’ve researched spirit guides, guns, antiques, architecture, Honduran laws and policing, gangs, jungle plants, motorcycles, body putrefaction, WWII weapons, greenhouse construction, poisons, witchcraft, abandoned cemeteries...

The list goes on. And I loved the time I spent on every subject.

 I think the most challenging research came about because my publisher added the sub-title “A Cornwall & Redfern Mystery” to the cover of my second novel, CORPSE FLOWER. 

Bliss Cornwall was my protagonist and Neil Redfern was the Chief of Police. I hadn’t intended that Neil become a co-protagonist, but now I had to ramp up his role in the second book, SHROUD OF ROSES. I knew nada about small town policing so reached out to the police chief of the small town on Lake Huron where I lived for over 20 years and which is the inspiration for my fictional town of Lockport.

We corresponded for over a year, and he answered my most inane questions with patience and good humour. Each summer I rent a cottage for a week in my former hometown and last year I asked if we could meet. He offered to give me a personal tour of the station. Heck ya! Here was my chance to see how a real, small town police service operated. Keep in mind I was a law abiding citizen while I lived there so I had no personal experience with the police. (Okay, once I had to bail my dog out, but that wasn’t my fault. Oh, yeah, and the time I backed out of my driveway into the car parked in the suicide spot. Again, not my fault.)

I presented myself at the station on time and was asked by the teenage receptionist to have a seat in the conference room. I was a bit nervous. With my notebook and pen ready, I waited a couple of minutes. And then the door opened.

Holy mama! May I be struck dead by a Taser jolt if the guy in uniform standing in the doorway wasn’t the living embodiment of my hot fictional Chief Neil Redfern. Right down to the spiky blond hair. How could this be? Could I have channelled him into my fiction?

He showed me the cells (really clean), interrogation room, state-of-the-art fingerprinting machine, weapons room, evidence storage (eau de pot!) but I neglected to jot down a single note. I tried not to stare, but subtlety isn’t one of my several virtues. It’s all a bit of a blur.

Next month when I have my lakeside holiday, I’ll drop off a copy of SHROUD OF ROSES at the station, to thank Neil … I mean, the chief, for all his help. I believe I should also give him a copy of CORPSE FLOWER, the first Cornwall & Redfern mystery written before I met the real deal. Just to prove I didn’t use him as the model for Neil Redfern. However, I must not simper. I must not giggle…

SHROUD OF ROSES comes out TODAY, July 18, 2015! 

http://www.amazon.com/Shroud-Roses-Cornwall-Redfern-Mystery/dp/1459730607

Gloria Ferris is the award-winning author of humorous mysteries Cheat the Hangman, Corpse Flower and Shroud of Roses. Her first co-written suspense venture with author Donna Warner, Targeted, will be released in the fall of 2015. When not writing, Gloria works on character profiles, researches plot lines, reads continuously, and is often heard to mutter, “I wish I’d written that!”. She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada, the Crime Writers’ Association (UK), and the International Thriller Writers. She lives in southwestern Ontario.

Guest Author Luke Murphy: Is research necessary in fiction…YOU BET IT IS!

LUKE MURPHY

Luke is one of my fellow Imajineer authors. Here he tells us about research and its importance for authentic plot and setting.

Many people think that because a story is fiction, that very little research goes into writing the book. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Research is an integral part of novel writing.

Plot: I get my ideas from stories I hear about, whether through reading (newspapers, magazines, etc.), what I hear (radio) or what I see (TV, movies, internet, etc.). The plot is completely fictional. I wouldn`t say that one thing or person influences my writing, but a variety of my life experiences all have led to my passion in the written word. There is not a single moment in time when this idea came to be, but circumstances over the years that led to this story: my hockey injuries, frequent visits to Las Vegas, my love of football, crime books and movies. Dead Man’s Hand became real from mixing these events, taking advantage of experts in their field, and adding my wild imagination. The internet also provides a wealth of information, available at our fingertips with a click of the mouse.

Setting: I usually set my stories in cities I've visited and fell in love with. Las Vegas was the perfect backdrop for this story, glitz and glamour as well as an untapped underground. Everyone is interested in this fast-paced, party-all-night lifestyle and city that is party-central. 

I also have to admit that that my wife was pretty happy that I had chosen Las Vegas as my setting, since she joined me in my research trip (wink, wink). Nothing like being able to write-off a trip to Las Vegas (lol).

What I learned most from my trip to LV is what is found outside of the “Strip”. Not all of Las Vegas glitters, and there are parts of the city just like everywhere else in North America. This is the part of the city that I wrote about—things you haven’t heard about in other books.

So I was fortunate enough to visit Las Vegas and do some real, on-site research for street names, hotels, casinos, venues, etc. All of my personal contact with people such as members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was done via the Internet/email/phone.

Characters: I have never been involved in a homicide investigation, LOL. Although I am not a 6’5”, 220 pound African-American, I’ve used much of my athletic background when creating my protagonist Calvin Watters. Watters past as an athlete, and his emotional rollercoaster brought on by injuries were drawn from my experiences. His mother died of cancer when he was young, as mine was. There are certainly elements of myself in Calvin, but overall, this is a work of fiction. I did not base the characters or plot on any real people or events. Any familiarities are strictly coincidence.

Is research necessary in fiction…YOU BET IT IS!

Luke played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006. Afterward, he held a number of jobs, from sports columnist to radio journalist.

All of which also constitute some mighty amazing research!

He constantly read, from novels in his favorite genres to books written by experts in the writing field. He made friends (published and unpublished authors), learning what it took to become successful.

Luke's debut novel, Dead Man's Hand, was released by Imajin Books on October 20, 2012. Dead Man's Hand is on sale during Imajin's Summer Sizzle event and is doing exceptionally well!

http://www.imajinbooks.com/sale
 

What happens when the deck is stacked against you…

From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.

…and the cards don't fall your way?

When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.

What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?
 Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them.

For more information on Luke and his books, visit: www.authorlukemurphy.com, ‘like’ his Facebook page www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorLukeMurphy and follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/#!/AuthorLMurphy

Review Blurbs:

"You may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out."
—William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Lincoln Letter

"Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one,
but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice."
—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of Poison Flower

"Part police procedural, part crime fiction, Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride."
—Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Hush

Murphy's new thriller, KISS & TELL, is due out on Monday, July 20th.
   NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!! (click on the cover)

"Luke Murphy scores big with this deep psychological thriller. Just when you think you've got things pegged, Murphy serves up another twist. Fast paced and fun, you won't want to put this book down." - Tim Green, New York Times bestselling author of Unstoppable

Research Part 2, Subsection B: Guest Authors Mel Bradshaw and Eileen Schuh

 From Mel Bradshaw, Canadian Author: On research

Check out Mel's historical crime books right here:

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http://booksofmelbradshaw.ca/

Looking for stuff on the Internet is so fast and easy and while, yes, there can be unreliable, irresponsible claims out there, sometimes you're sure you're getting the real goods. Example, I was able to download (for free) a facsimile of A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR THE USE OF CORONERS HOLDING INQUESTS IN ONTARIO, published in 1911.

But, having the good fortune to live in the location where my 1920s novels are set, I can also go out and supplement Google Images with my own photographs of old buildings. Example, the chapel of Toronto's old Central Prison still stands in the middle of Liberty Village. My snapshots are helping me put this relic into my new book.

And of course good libraries still have a place. The current criminal code is available in a flash on the Internet. But how about the criminal code for 1927, when sentences still included so many lashes as well as prison time? Found what I was looking for in the stacks of Robarts Library at the University of Toronto.

From Eileen Schuh, Canadian Author: On Research

Check out Eileen's adult and YA novels here:
http://www.eileenschuh.com/

I wrote my BackTracker novels before researching anything, believing I was channeling my characters' true experiences in the biker gang world of drugs and violence and the dangerous counter-world of law enforcement. When it came time to publish the stories, beta readers and editors alike rather adamantly suggested I first ought to confirm the truth of what my likeable but not-all-that-credible characters were telling me. So...I became a volunteer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. How's that for dedication to my writing career (ha ha)?

The most enjoyable aspect of my volunteer work is the training provided. I've attended sessions on the illicit drug trade, gangs, juveniles, forensics, counterfeiting, firearms, accident investigation, preserving a crime scene, drones, the canine unit...and the list goes on.

Aside from hard-core learning, my volunteering has also 
helped me put faces and emotions to those in uniform, taught me the lingo and police protocol, and got my heart racing at times!

P.S. Even though it turns out my BackTracker characters dictated a pretty accurate description of their exciting lifestyles, I'd not give up my volunteering experiences for anything!

From Me:

Imajin Books is holding its summer sizzle sales & contests right now! Dive in - win - read great books for great prices (including all my books).  

www.imajinbooks.com

Look for the next research blog soon - plus more guest authors.