Extreme Research—Just how far will YOU go?

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Author: admin
Published: Jan 29th, 2008

By Donna MacMeans and KJ Howe

Good morning, everyone! Donna MacMeans (historical author extraordinaire) and KJ Howe stopping in to say hello. Donna’s first novel has been nominated for the 2007 Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award for Best First Historical (if you haven’t read The Education of Mrs. Brimley yet, be sure to put it on your must-be-read list—you won’t be disappointed!). KJ Howe writes romantic suspense and loves strong female characters (snipers, divers, pilots) and has had the privilege of being an American Title and Golden Heart finalist and a Daphne du Maurier winner.

Donna and KJ are giving away a $50 dollar Barnes and Noble gift certificate and an autographed copy of The Education of Mrs. Brimley to the contributor who shares the best extreme research story: If you’re a writer, perhaps you have an anecdote to share? If you’re a reader, maybe you’ve experienced something that should be in a book. Tell us about your heart-stopping moments!

Using Jo and Cindy’s fabulous blog about research as a springboard, we’d love to talk about “extreme research” today. I was inspired by this fascinating topic when romantic suspense author Gail Barrett contacted me about an article she is writing for an upcoming issue of RWR. It started me thinking about what constitutes extreme research and how important it is to walk in your character’s footsteps so you can create an accurate portrayal of their trials and tribulations. Definitely a topic worth exploring!

Question for Donna: Given your indepth historical research, if you could travel back in time, where would you go and how far would you go to make sure your details were factual?

DMac: Hmm…interesting…my historicals are placed in the late Victorian period and in many ways, similar to modern times (without cell phones and cars, but with really cool clothes). Consequently, numerous museums and reference texts provide the details I need for research. If I had the opportunity to travel back in time for purely research purposes, I think I’d go back to medieval times – if only to see how everyday things were accomplished. I suspect the everyday life was much more colorful than the drab sort of castles that I’ve visited. I wouldn’t want to stay there, though. Definitely want a round trip ticket on that research excursion. (Hmmm…can we say time-travel?)

Question for KJ: What’s the most nail-biting moment you’ve had researching a novel?

KJ: Tough question—there’s been several dicey moments. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie (hence the suspense elements in my novels) and I love experiencing new things. One recent memory stands out. Over the holidays, I was in Botswana on safari—the dark continent holds many fascinating secrets that I’d love to share in a novel.

When the guide edged our Land Cruiser a little too close to a young elephant, mommy (a VERY big mommy) decided that we needed to be dissuaded. With a loud trumpet, she charged our vehicle. The ground shook like we were in the midst of a sizable earthquake. Those ivory tusks, the battle scars on battered skin, the defiant fire in her eyes all became a little too clear. I kept my camera clicking away, figuring that if these were my final moments, maybe I’d be lucky enough to capture a National Geographic moment. LOL The guide (a former Botswanian commando and bush boy) revved the engine to full throttle to show the elephant that we were standing our ground. With a few feet to spare, the elephant halted her charge. My heart felt like a machine gun on full auto and my breath was MIA. However, after experiencing a mock-charge, I feel better equipped to write an accurate scene depicting that now. No need for a repeat performance…that moment is forever etched in my memory bank!

Question for DMac: How about you? Has your research led you to places you may not have ventured otherwise?

DMac: I’m afraid historical research is relatively tame when compared to facing down elephants – although I think I may have encountered a rogue librarian or two in my search for period texts and papers.

Previous to writing historicals though, I wrote romantic suspense. In the quest for authenticity, I did several ride-alongs with police officers, shot in the dark on a shooting range, searched an empty office using the “slice the pie” method for a hiding criminal. In a similar vein, I’ve driven a fire engine (it’s the weirdest thing making a turn when the cab wheels are behind, not in front, of you), driven an ambulance, worn full fire gear complete with air mask and attempted to drag a 150 lb. dummy to safety. I’m afraid my historicals just don’t offer those kinds of research opportunities, though I have consumed my body weight in scones and tea J.

Question for KJ: What are your hidden/best sources?

KJ:Because suspense is a key element of my novels, I’ve been fortunate to meet individuals who have lived on the edge. For example, having access to real-life snipers helped make ONE SHOT, TWO KILLS, a story about a female sniper, more accurate. I try to read and research everything I can about a topic before I interview an expert. It helps me form better questions and hopefully garner more respect from the source. I’ve found everyone quite helpful and willing to share his/her expertise.

Question for DMac: Have you ever engaged in a historical re-enactment or acted in a play from the Victorian era?

DMac: Nope, but I have taken belly-dancing lessons J. Now I realize those events may not seem related, but they are – in a twisted way. I’ve been to renaissance fairs (we’re back to medieval times – guess I should consider writing one of those. Oh, and please note – I’ve eaten at a Medieval Times restaurant – purely for the research, of course) and there tend to be belly dancers afoot. I used belly dancing in my latest Victorian, THE TROUBLE WITH MOONLIGHT (to be released this June). That’s the story with the invisible heroine. She turns invisible in moonlight – she can’t help it – it just happens. Now picture her in a belly-dancing outfit in the moonlight (did I mention it’s just her skin that turns invisible, not her clothes?) Believe me, if you saw me belly dancing, you’d wish I had similar attributes of invisibility.

I have read plays and novels written during my time period to get a feel for the times. Acting, however, requires one to maintain something of a serious visage. I’d have trouble there. Fortunately, the BBC has put out some marvelous DVDs of stories from the Victorian era. I leave the acting to them.

Question for KJ and DMac: Is there a specific author you admire for their research?

KJ: One of the writers I admire for extreme research is Barry Eisler. His novels about half-Japanese, half-American assassin John Rain are phenomenally well-executed. When Barry writes about a setting, you know he’s been there. The evidence is in the smells, the sounds, and the small details that create a powerful visual image for the reader. As for his action scenes, Barry has studied a wide variety of martial arts and has spent time working for the CIA. And, boy, if his character’s romantic moments are any indication, he definitely goes extreme for that as well!

DMac: While researching the late Victorian era (Queen Victoria came to the throne at a young age and lived a long, long time so the Victorian period spans a sizeable number of years), I found R. F. Delderfield fascinating. GOD IS AN ENGLISHMAN and THEIRS WAS THE KINGDOM are marvelous lushly detailed stories on a grand scale.

Remember, nothing beats the real thing. Living what your character does means that you can create a powerful image for the reader to enjoy. Now, let’s hear from you about your extreme research ideas and experiences …

124 Responses to “Extreme Research—Just how far will YOU go?”

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helen
on Jan 29th, 2008
@ 11:50 pm:

Unfortunatley I don’t have anything extreme to add but I love the fact that you authors go to so much effort to make your books such wonderful stories to read I loved Donna’s book one of the best I have read and I am looking forward to reading your first KJ
Have Fun
Helen
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 29th, 2008
@ 11:57 pm:

Hi Helen – come on, now. You strike me as a woman who will go to extreme measures to get those romances Any stories to share in that vein???? Thanks for the support for Mrs. Brimley. I can’t wait to read KJ’s as well. Did you see her entry in the American Title contest last year in Romantic Times? It was hotter than the tropical setting in which it was set.

Speaking of which, KJ will be joining us from Puerto Rico where she is probably lounging in a tropical paradise, sipping at an umbrella drink, while balancing a laptop on her toned abdomen. Talk about extreme research
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:07 am:

Yeah, extreme luxury, hey, KJ? Man, you can write. I was on the edge of my seat with the elephant story! You just SOOO have to get published, girlfriend. I loved your AT story – complex characters, great suspense, fantastic conflict. Donna, I’m sure you got out a paintbrush or two to research Mrs. Brimley. Come on, spill the beans! Or the watercolours as the case may be! It’s not extreme research – and I’ve blogged about this on Banditas – but I love going to old houses and just soaking up the atmosphere and trying to imagine people living there day to day. You know, the smell of the air (moated houses have a rather mouldy smell which always disappoints my romantic soul), the feel of the worn steps under my feet, the cold flagstones in the kitchen, the cold dank air of the servants’ quarters. The view out across the fields that probably hasn’t changed since at least the Regency. These images really stay in my mind and help me to ground my characters in their world. In a lot of those houses, you can feel the weight of the generations that have lived there. They’re not scary ghosts, but they’re definitely a presence.

Hmm, perhaps I could arrange for Richard Armitage to dress up as the Duke of Kylemore and kidnap me. That would be good research. Well, for me anyway! Oh, that’s right. I’ve written that story, haven’t I?
Fedora
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:11 am:

What a topic, Donna and KJ! I can definitely get behind those scones, but I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience like KJ’s facing down that fierce elephant! (And being kind of a chicken, I’m not sure I want to! Glad authors like you are willing to go to the lengths you do so I can do the armchair version! )

In that vein, I’m not sure many experiences I’ve had would count towards extreme research! I do have a horrible fear of heights, so I can always appreciate those books featuring similarly challenged characters and their sweaty terror in the face of helicopter rides (took a scenic one once with my DH, and the poor pilot kept eyeing me to make sure I wasn’t about to lose my lunch), rickety bridges across canyons, bungee jumps, and so on. (I’m so not a candidate for The Amazing Race!)

What I love reading about and know a bit about so I love when the details are right are ballet dancers, San Francisco, Chinese, and babies–an odd assortment of topics! What I love reading about and don’t know much about but love details because they make me feel like I’m learning something are the military (especially aviators and Marines–blame it on Top Gun!), international intrigue, weaponry (that blog by Cassondra and Jeanne was fascinating!), cowboys, and all sorts of far off places and times I can dream of visiting
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:23 am:

Anna – We don’t have a lot of those centuries old homes here stateside. I wish we did, and I turned green with envy when you blogged about all the places you’ve been. No, I’m afraid the best I can boast of are the Newport mansions in Rhode Island which was the summer playground of the rich folks in the late nineteenth century, and the Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC. Actually, I’ll be using that research in the sequel to Mrs. Brimley.

As for the paintbrushes, at one time I thought I’d earn my fiveteen minutes of fame as a painter. I have no real training, but I’ve won a few local awards for my endeavors. They’re hanging around my house so they’re public-worthy. One of these days, you’ll have to come and check them out.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:35 am:

Hi Fedora!

I’ve been in a helicopter once! My husband and I went to Hawaii to celebrate our 25th anniversary and flew from the Maui airport to Hana on the opposite side of the island. It was one of those tours where they have cameras inside and outside the helicopter and give you a tape of what you saw and heard on the flight over. (Hmm…I always thought that tape would be useful if I placed a story in Maui, but it’s a VHS tape. Those are quickly becoming obsolete, aren’t they?) Anyway, I’m fine with heights, but my husband not so much. The tape shows me with my nose pressed to the window with a big grin on my face (I was next to the pilot in the front) and the white knuckles of my husband as he gripped the upholstery in the middle of the back seat.

I’ve been to San Francisco once as well. My very first novel was placed in Chinatown in SF. I don’t think that story will ever see the inside of a bookstore, but should a publisher ever be tempted I’ll have to have you read it for accuracy.

Of course, I plan to become more familiar with San Francisco this July. Can’t wait.
helen
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:21 am:

Oh Donna I would love to see you belly dancing. KJ that would have been really scary with the elephant I have this thing for elephants I like to collect them this comes I think from when I was about 6 years old and an elephant followed me home from school true story although lots of people don’t believe me there was a circus in the park next to the school I went to. I had been put across the road with all the students by the teachers and I had to walk down one street turn the corner and my mum would be waiting for me to cross another road this day I was about halfway down the street when I heard a lot of people yelling and I turned around and there was an elphant on the middle of the road I ran turned the corner crossed the road on my own and ran around the back of my house in the back door telling my mum that and elephant was comming down the street she didn’t believe me of course I then ran to the front and looked out the window and it was stepping over our front gate mum said lock the back door (as if that would help) it walked straight down the yard through the chook yard through the back fence and just stopped in the paddock that was at the back of our house with all the circus workers with it. It happened a very long time ago but I remember it so well that is probably the closest I have come to extreme anything but it has given me a love of elephants to this day even though I was so scared at the time.
I do like the idea of one of your hero’s kidnapping me Anna that sounds like fun.
Have Fun
Helen
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:01 am:

Helen, what an amazing story about the elephant! Sounds like a kid’s book, doesn’t it? I think it’s lovely that he took such a shine to you. I’ve got a soft spot for elephants too! Hey, if one of my heroes kidnaps you, will you take notes for me? Oh, hang it! Take the video camera

Fedora, what an interesting range of skills you have. Did you study ballet? I was a ballet mad little girl and begged my parents for lessons but it wasn’t to be. I don’t like heights either

Donna, one day I’d love to see the cottages (Isn’t that what they call them? How ironic is that name?) And I’d love to come and see your paintings – I’m hoping that over time, I’ll get to visit all the Banditas. Be afraid, girls, be very afraid! How lucky you are to have that talent. I used to work in an art gallery and I loved talking to the artists. It’s strange – I think artists and writers often look at the world in a similar way.
Gail Barrett
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:45 am:

This is a great topic (LOL)! I had a HUGE response to my query for extreme research anecdotes when I was writing the article for RWR. I couldn’t begin to include them all. I was totally amazed by what writers will do to get details for their books. It made me feel like a total slacker!!! And KJ — I could have written an entire book just about your escapades. You definitely are in the running for the “most extreme” prize:))))
Christie Kelley
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:58 am:

For my first book, a western romance, my heroine was a doctor. In order to determine my timeline I had to find out exactly how long medical school was at the college in Philadelphia. It took me weeks combing over the internet, checking out library books and then a research librarian another two weeks to find this information out. And it was only for the timeline. I never even used it in the book. I didn’t tell the librarian that though.
Beth Andrews
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 6:41 am:

KJ and Donna, after reading your awesome post I feel the need to go out and do some extreme research! But as it’s cold outside with the wind gusting up to 60mph, I guess I’ll just stay home instead *g*

My research is very tame (especially compared to KJ’s – wonderful story about the elephant!) Although, seeing as how I’m going to start working on a YA next week, I guess you could say I’ve been researching my own teenagers. Trying to figure out what makes them tick and all – now that’s scary
Marisa
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 7:23 am:

This is a great post! It gives me yet another reason to love all the authors – what lengths you will go to – to get it right.

I’m not a writer, but as a person who works in television and video I’ve had to do some research, pre-interviews and location scouting that has taken me to some pretty crazy places. I’ve been to the tops of all the water towers in NYC for a PBS special and let me tell you I have such a fear of heights is was no easy thing for me to climb those towers to see if the camera man would have a good shot. For that same series I went to the main headquarters of the NYC subway system. Let me tell you, I had no idea how far down those tunnels go, yikes! I’ve also been ‘behind the scenes’ with some shoots – and let me tell you there is a reason they call it ‘behind’ – sometimes you just don’t need to know what’s in back of the curtain. My research has taken me from St. Louis to Rome, and Montreal to Miami – and I do love the research portion of any project, interviewing people and finding out what they do and how they do it, going to places I’ve never been and doing things I’ve never done is always the best part for me.
KJ Howe
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 7:27 am:

Good morning everyone, and thanks for stopping by! A big thank you to Gail who inspired this blog! The wind is roaring in Puerto Rico–the surf is definitely up along with the red warning flag…anyone for research on kidnapping young Puerto Rican lifeguards? LOL I hope to stop by a few times today, but the internet is a little dicey here.

Elephants are my favorite animal. Helen, did you know that they are reputed to bring good luck? When I was in South Africa, I purchased a pair of elephant hair earrings–a mix of gold and elephant hair (think about the poor buggar whose job it is to snip it off–now that’s extreme!)–and I hope they will bring me good luck in my travels.

While in Botswana, I spent a day with three semi-habituated elephants and had the pleasure of walking with them (the trainer was close by) and doing a few tricks. I stood in front of one elephant while he took off my Tilley hat and put it on himself, then put it back on me. Then, the elephant kissed me on the face with his trunk. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I have photos of the charging elephant and the semi-habitutated ones, but I apologize they are at home. I’ll definitely post some on my website soon.

Fedora, you bring up an excellent point. Extreme research makes me think about facing my fears and the fear of heights is a powerful one. Thanks for sharing your story–I’m also a huge fan of international intrigue.

If you haven’t had a chance to do extreme research yet, what would you consider the most terrifying thing you would have to face (Beth, teenagers are definitely scary!)? We’re really looking forward to giving those prizes away, so please stir your imagination.

Speaking of extremes, I’m reading a book called DEEP SURVIVAL about who survives and who doesn’t in dire circumstances (shipwrecks, mountaineering accidents, etc.) and the psychology behind survival is fascinating. Yes, if this is what I read for fun, I believe RS is definitely the right genre for me.

As for Donna, I can’t wait to read about her invisible heroine in a belly dancing outfit–that’s extreme in my books!

Thinking of you all in PR!

KJ
Margaret
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 7:39 am:

Hi all: Wow you guys really go all out for your readers! (And people think research is boring, ha!) Donna – you’d really go back to Medieval times? I’d go back to the renaissance and visit Leanardo and Michelangelo. Talk about passion! I’ve never done any extreme research but I have visited several restored theaters for my WIP. I got to see all their quirks and beauty without feeling guilty for wasting time, After all, it was research! LOL I’ve ridden elephants in Thailand but I never want to see one mad. KJ – you are one brave women. You’re readers should have to pay money then hand over a first aid kit at every store!

Can’t wait to read about an invisible heroine.
Joanie T
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:00 am:

How about a belly dancing elephant?

Yes, I am making the extreme sacrifice and going to Ireland (again) to get the sense of place, time, visuals for the ancient celt and a potential paranormal guy who keeps flitting in and out of my counsciousness….

It’s a burden but someone has to do it.

And Donna, you don’t fool me. I KNOW you researched mink paint brushes
Sheri Adkins
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:06 am:

Hey all. I popped by to get some insider info on great places to get research. Like Donna, I write historical romance. I find pouring over the historical texts fascinating, but not what I’d call thrilling. I envy the excitement of suspense research.

There is something to be said for research as a catalyst. Often why I’m searching, searching, searching for one piece of info I need for my WIP, I happen across a tid-bit of info that plants a seed in my mind for another story. Sometimes that can be distracting from the original research, but it’s all part of the process, right? This was an interesting blog…

I’d definitely go back to the Regency period, but like Donna I’d want that return ticket home when it came time for my daily shower!

Sheri
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:29 am:

Helen ! I loved your elephant story. Anna’s right, it sounds like a children’s book. Wait – isn’t there a children’s book about a hippopotamus that followed a child home? I could swear I read that one to my kids when they were little.

I think the most exciting thing that’s ever followed me home is the moon. Perhaps that’s where the inspiration for Mrs. Brimley came from.

Of course…there was that pimp that followed me to work one morning. Offered me a job, he did. In it’s own perverse way it was flattering. He had a nice smile. But I declined…so much for research
cj lyons
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:36 am:

Hey guys! Nice to see all you banditas doing so well! Kim, I can not wait to see those pix from Africa–what about the swimming with the sharks??? Hope those photos came out as well!

Great topic–my own adventures in research are a bit tame, but since most of my stuff comes from my real life as a pediatric ER doc, I guess maybe that’s a good thing I have walked away from two “hard landings” in helicopters (part of work, not research, but the patients were also fine, so all is well!) And I visited Quantico and spent a day with a group of NATs (New Agent Trainees), that was quite fun.

But my favorite kind of research is simply talking with people–so many have experienced things that seem amazing to me and yet they don’t recognize, because it’s “just life”. I love finding those little kernels of truth and bringing them to life!

Great post!
CJ
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:38 am:

Anna – You remembered! Yes, the summer homes, which were humongous and symbols of excessive wealth and extravagant convenience, were called “cottages”. Probably because the residents only lived in the cottage for maybe six to eight weeks out of the year – then they’d go back to New York. Man, I could get used to that life.

It’s an interesting connection between writers and artists. I know quite a few writers who have art in their background. Like me, they switched to writing because it’s so much cleaner – especially when you have little ones that want to participate whenever you break out the paints. They never wanted to do that when I’d sit down to write. I think I learned the meaning of “voice” in writing through art. If you’ve ever watched a room full of artists all painting the same still-life, you’d be amazed by all of the different interpretations. Sometimes you’d wonder if they were all looking at the same thing! I think voice works like that – a unique interpretation of a story told.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:42 am:

Hi Gail – yes, KJ definitely has the exploits. In your research for the article, did you find that the suspense writers tend to go “over the top” while we historical types risked serious paper cuts with our research? I know Joanie T and I have risked the censure of several museum docents when we wanted to get a little close to the displays. (And no, Anna, I did not fondle the Rodin statue that I used in The Education of Mrs. Brimley – but I was tempted )
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:47 am:

Beth – You got that big wind last night. I suspect Christie did. Christie – have you checked to see if your new construction is still standing? Wow, gusts like those are unusal in January.

We do put our librarians through their paces, don’t we? But I think they seriously love it. Nothing like a good challenge to gets the fingers tapping on the keyboard. It’s amazing the stuff they find.

Speaking of challenges – researching teenagers is no easy task. Good Luck Beth! Hey – have you seen the movie Juno yet. We saw it this weekend. Loved the quick dialogue. It’s definitely a research must if you’re writing young adult.
Kirsten Scott
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:48 am:

I don’t think this really counts, but I was at Borders yesterday (looking for Christie’s Every Night I’m Yours, which Borders refuses to release until it’s actual release date, darn it!) and I saw they had a book of photographs of 101 New Positions on the remainder shelf. Only $5.99! Now this Borders is downtown, and I often run into folks from work there…but I steeled myself, thought of KJ and all the crazy things she’s done for her art, and added it to my stack.

Okay, I buried it in between my other purchases. And then I ran for the counter, already blushing.

But I bought it!
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:51 am:

Marisa – Wow! You’ve definitely had some interesting experiences. Hey – you could write a book! I don’t think I’d mind the water towers. Heights don’t bother me (guess who gets to clear the leaves off the roof), but those tunnels would have freaked me out. I get claustrophobic in bathroom stalls. Okay, TMI – but I think it started when I was hugely pregnant and in constant need of those confined spaces. Talk about conflict!
Monica Spence
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:55 am:

Hi Kim and Donna –

I have been making and wearing 15th, 16th and 17th Century clothing for about 20 years. I am a re-enactor. Right now I have a one-woman costume show going on at The Art Institute of New York City.

Extreme research? CORSETS and farthingales. Wearing them, making them. I have learned so much about the clothing, how you move and what kind or adaptations — and sacrifices–a woman must make in order to wear the garments. Going up and down stairs is a major challenge if one is carrying something. Getting dressed alone is an impossibility. No wonder the elite who wore such clothing needed maidservants! And eating? Oh boy! If the lace cuffs don’t get dunked in the sauce, you are fortunate.

I have written three books on the 16th Century (unpublished as yet, but hope springs eternal). Without that kind of hands-on research, many of the scenes would not ring true.

Thanks for the great posts, Ladies. I am looking forward to reading your novels!
Monica

PS- Kim: any time you want to kidnap a couple of well-oiled lifeguards, give me a call.
Pamela Bolton-Holifield
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:57 am:

Hey, Banditas!!

Great post, ladies. The elephant story was fantastic and really well written. Scary stuff. My current and first WIP is a Regency set historical so research for it is not necessarily dangerous. I have, however, been fortunate enough to travel and have some adventures in life that will definitely appear in some form in future books.

I’ve been mountain climbing in the Alps in Germany. Nothing scary happened accept for the fact that I was tied to two German climbers (one above / one below) and they assured me if I fell we would all be going together. Comforting, right? They also neglected to tell me that the air gets thinner the higher you go. By the time we got to the top of Kehlstein I sounded like an asthmatic old lady. But the view was amazing.

I went hang gliding off the coast of Spain. My best soprano friend and I went there for a brief holiday. I went first. Our instructor was GORGEOUS, by the way. So my friend says, as I soar out over the ocean, “What happens if she lands in the water?” He says “Oh, she just unsnaps the harness and swims to shore.” She says “But she can’t swim.” The guy went nuts. Needless to say I landed on the beach just fine. (IF you count landing like a blue footed booby – crash, fall over – as fine.)

I did drive on the autobahn a couple of times. Scared the hell out of me AND everyone in the car. I mean you exit onto the autobahn doing 60 or better or you are toast.

I volunteered at the local zoo for years and I have been lucky enough to sit with and pet lions, jaguars, giraffes and elephants. The best experience was helping in the veterinary hospital when the white Siberian tiger had his teeth done. Magnificent animal and scary in the power that is in that body.

Does riding up a narrow mountain pass in an ancient van with a certifiably insane driver to tour a Romanian castle supposedly occupied by Vlad the Impaler at one time count? Seriously, if you have ever seen the Gary Oldman / Winona Ryder Dracula and that narrow little road they race up a the end – picture that in a van full of singers going what had to be sixty or seventy miles an hour. One of the guys said “I hope there is a vampire in this castle. I’m going to let him bite me because that is the only way I will survive the trip back down!”

Come to think of it I DID do research for my role as Lulu in Alban Berg’s opera of the same name. Lulu is a hooker, bisexual, sociopathic murderess. I was visiting a fellow singer in her hometown, Amsterdam, a few months before we started rehearsals. I asked her if there was any way we could tour the red light district and maybe talk to some of the ladies in the windows. Yes, they really do sit in those windows in their lingerie or less advertising their “wares.” We spent two nights down there and it was definitely an education. Most of the ladies were really nice and very helpful in answering whatever questions I asked. My friend’s father was HORRIFIED that she took me down there.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:57 am:

KJ – I’ve petted a dolphin…does that count? He kissed me as well. I guess that experience isn’t as rare as it once was. The location was a bit unique – Honduras. So I guess I do manage to drag my butt away from the library every once in a while.

On that same trip, we went to Belize and saw Mayan ruins. Those are really cool (and yes, I climbed to the top of the highest stone structure to view the rainforest.) That’s a fascinating culture but probably better suited to a contemporary suspense than a Regency historical.
Donnell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:59 am:

Donna, can’t wait to read your book, what a great topic, love the idea of a belly dancing elephant! I had to smile, I can just picture Kim taking those photos of that stampeding mommy elephant. “Just one more shot,” says Kim. “Just need one more”:) Adrenaline junky, indeed! ))
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:01 am:

Good Morning, Banditas! And hey, Gail! (Waving at my fellow WRWer) :> What a fun topic. I loved yesterday’s too. I think some of the research we do (bombs, explosives, guns, tanks, planes), as we were joking yesterday, may get us on a watch list of some kind. Grins. I’ve not done anything extreme yet, but one of the things I like to do is go drive cars. The ones my characters drive. Hummers. Escalades. Jeeps. A camaro, a Jag and a Bentley (yes, they let me, but with a raised eyebrow or two) I’ve also operated bulldozers and log skidders, but that wasn’t research, just work. Snork. While I’m not a huge fan of heights I love helicopters, but I wouldn’t sky dive. (No jumping out of perfectly good airplanes.) One of the cars I most want to drive is a hummer limo. I’ve got this scene in mind…. Grins.

Donna, we too got the wiiiiiiinnnnnddddd here near DC, and it’s still blowin’!
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:05 am:

Wow, Pamela! Those are great stories! :>
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:07 am:

Hi Margaret – I swear after you read The Trouble with Moonlight, you’ll never look at the moon in the same way again.

But researching old theaters, that’s really neat. I’m so glad so many are being restored. There was such elegance and beauty in those structures. Unlike Marisa, I haven’t been backstage at very many theaters, but I know the Ohio Theatre can be a labyrith of practice rooms and props rooms. Have you gone on their tour? (Do they have a tour?).

Now I did get to go behind the scenes with a bunch of my cub scouts for an outdoor production of Tecumseh. THe actors put on a demonstration of the choreography of a fight scene. The boys were grooving on the fighting moves, but we den mothers had our eyes glued to the loincloths. My, oh my – talk about some nice buttocks. I’d forgotten about that. I may have to make a return research trip…or two…or three.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:16 am:

Joanie – Have I told you today how jealous I am of your Ireland trip? You know my maternal great grandparents came over from County Cork. I’d love to go back and research the family roots. One of these days…

An elephant belly-dancing – You peeked at my performance, didn’t you? I’m afraid there are just too many similarities.

Hi Sheri! I love that about research. Many, many times I’ve found an interesting tidbit that found it’s way into the manuscript while researching something else entirely. I suppose that’s one of the gifts of being a writer. You’re more aware, perhaps, of everything that goes on around you in the here & now that can be used in a book, as well as the possibilities discovered by researching the then & gone.

As for extreme research for the Regency period – I think that will require a trip to Great Britain and thereabouts. I’m game. We could go together.
Tiffany
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:24 am:

I don’t have any excitement in my life. It is so tame researching historical.

The most I’ve done and still do, is get right into the nasty gruesome tales of the French Revolution. The best read (And I’m still reading it, ’cause it’s not light weight) Is Thomas Carlyle’s The French Revolution. I’ve had to read some passages a few times to get it… yeah sad but true, and all very UNexciting. Other than that I’ve searched and been lucky enough to find actual accountings from English Lords that were in Versailles and Paris during the Reign of Terror. The stuff written about the Princess de Lamballe…[shivers] It’s all very central to the events that happen in my book. So the more I knew, the deeper I could dig into my characters psyche.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:31 am:

CJ – Thanks for stopping by. Your vocation seems is much more “extreme-worthy” than mine. As a tax accountant, I can do some fancy finger-dancing over a calculator but that’s about as dicey as it gets

In my auditing days, however, I did get to see the inside of a number of different businesses and learn in incredible detail how they work. I addressed the board of directors of Marshall Fields, climbed over piles of wood counting inventory, and sked a cigar on a bet and ended up a newsworthy item in the local paper of the tiny berg in which we were situated.

My last employer had headquarters in an old turn-of-the-century brewery. They have some deep tunnels with high arched ceilings once used to house huge beer kegs. Now, they house restaurant supply inventory. There was history there. It’s fun to find the tidbits when you least expect it.
Heidi Ruby Miller
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:32 am:

Kim:

You’re dead on about accuracy in research for novels. It’s usually very apparent when an author writes about a place they’ve never been to in person.

Love your vignettes, love your stories, love your adventurous life!

Thanks for sharing,
Heidi
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:37 am:

Kirsten – Now wait a minute. You write young adult! You’re not supposed to be researching 101 new positions! (So how many did you research last night ) That’s okay – you go, girl! And let us know about the ones we can weave into a book.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:44 am:

Monica – That is so neat! I need you to stretch up to the nineteenth century so I can use your brain to test out the veracity of my writing. I recently handled a whale bone for a corset. It wasn’t at all what I thought it would be. I envisioned some carved ivory torture device, but instead discovered it’s the krill of the whale that’s used. It’s marvelously similar to modern day plastic in touch and flexiblity.

So have you had any interesting experiences as a re-enactor? Spill — I think that would be so much fun.
Suzanne Welsh
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:45 am:

Good morning, Ladies! Wow, you both go to extreme efforts to research your books! KJ out in Africa taking an elephant charge, Donna forcing down scones and tea…

I’ve wanted to do a Civil War reinactment, or at least see one, both for the fun of it, but also to get a feel for the battles. I’ve been to Medieval Times for dinner and just loved it, Donna! I reall want to go to the Scarborrough Fair this summer here in TX. And if I ever get to quit working nights, I’d love to do a Police or Firefighters Citizen Academy. (They don’t have those at 3 am or in the early morning hours, dang it!)
Maria V. Snyder
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:48 am:

Hello Kim and Donna. Great post. Kim, loved the elephant story, but I’m sure your shark diving adventures would have been interesting, too I didn’t know about this site until Kim told me about it. I doubt my research could be called extreme, but it’s been fun. For my three Study novels (Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study), I’ve done various hands-on research, which I listed below. The scariest was getting on a horse – I’m not a fan of not being in the control – and despite holding the reins – Kiki was in charge

General research – fencing lessons – doing martial arts and kick boxing.

Learned to taste chocolate for Poison – yes there is a technical way to taste foods Why chocolate?? Why not! Besides husband actually has to taste chocolate for his job for a major candy manufacturer.

Learned how to pick locks – in theory – no, I had nothing to do with that rash of break ins in my neighborhood. I swear!

Learned how to ride a horse – and how to not fall off a horse.

Learned how to work with molten glass for Fire Study and didn’t burn myself. I now have a collection of lumpy paperweights and warped tumblers.

I need to start writing about real settings instead of my fantasy world – I love to travel and would love taking the trips off my taxes
Suzanne Welsh
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:48 am:

LOL, Kirsten!! You know, if nothing else you can use the experience of buying that book in a scene! LOL
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:59 am:

Pamela – You’ve had some fantastic experiences! I love the tour of the red-lifght district. I recently discovered my step-mother-in-law’s ancestors came from Transylvania. Unfortunately, we were shopping for coffins when she told me. I thought she looked a little too comfortable in those surroundings .

I sure hope you use your experiences in your book. This is one I’d love to read. Sometimes we forget the riches at our fingertips in pursuit of what seems more glamorous, only because we haven’t experienced it.
Fedora
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:07 am:

LOL, Kirsten! So true–the experience would likely come in handy in a future book!

Donna, I’d jump at the chance to read anything you’ve written, so ask anytime (for any of your books, although I’d be a lot less use as a reader on some topics )

Anna, you and me, both–I desperately wanted ballet lessons as a kid (instead I got ten years of piano lessons). I actually started ballet as a seventeen-year-old… which sadly is now EONS ago!

And wow!! There are some amazing experiences you’ve all researched!
jo robertson
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:21 am:

Wow, Donna and KJ, great post! I’m amazed at the activities you two have engaged in. Mommy elephants (or mammals of any kind) should NOT be triffled with.

My husband and I have a running joke about dangerous events that occur when we leave the country (US). In Guatemala, our jeep was hijacked by a group of young men armed with gunbelts and machine guns. We thought they were guerrilla, but turned out they just wanted to rob us. They shot in front of my husband, the driver, to get us to stop. They held my husband, me, and my son hostage about six hours and then released us after they’d stopped several others, including a bus. Yikes, talk about learning how you deal with extreme danger.

In Jerusalem, a bomb detonated in the vacant lot next to our hotel.

Honestly, folks, you do NOT want to travel with us. We’re a liability LOL.

These stories MUST find their way into my books! Hmm, they’re true, but would anyone believe them?
KL Grady
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:33 am:

Everyone has such fascinating experiences. Very cool, and even better that those things will make it into your novels. I love the Vlad story from Pamela, and visiting the red-light district in Amsterdam is just crazy hot.

My only experience along this vein is visiting the archeological dig of Dilmun in Bahrain, seeing the Tree of Life, and smoking shisha. But the most interesting part of Bahrain was the burial mounds – huge fields of sand with thousands of mounds, and each one contains entire families from ancestors to more recently deceased. They’re like sandy tombs, and to see stretches of these sites that go on forever… it’s just incredible. Way back in the day, Bahrain was the burial ground for the dead in all the surrounding countries, and now that little island is the most densely-populated site of the dead.
Nathalie
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:40 am:

It is my first visit here
What an interesting blog… it is always nice to see how much time and effort you pour into your books… makes me enjoy them even more!
kristan higgins
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:43 am:

Good Lord! Bombs, elephants, fire trucks…I thought I was brave when I registered on e.Harmony (which didn’t really thrill my husband…). You guys are an inspiration!
Gail Barrett
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:51 am:

Donna – From the information people submitted for the article, the suspense writers generally had the most adventurous anecdotes. I guess that’s logical since their characters also do the most risky things. But there were also some very funny and entertaining anecdotes from non-suspense writers. Unfortunately, I had to delete many of them because the article was just WAY too long.

And Jeanne – some writers definitely get in trouble with the law while doing their research! I’ve mentioned a few of those in the article. (I’m trying to get permission to post it on my website next month for those who don’t get the RWR, by the way.)
Sena
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 11:24 am:

Good Morning Ladies~
Well, I ride motorcycles…..the ones that lean over and go as fast as 189mph….and Yes I have been that fast several times. hehehehehe Its a blast. Anyways, that is as close to flying as I will probably ever get, unless I ever meet a vampire. Now that would be some Great Research.
Smiles*
Kathy Crouch
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 11:36 am:

Wow all I have doneis research stuff online and was tickeld to be able to do that type of research. I can sit here after work (11pm) and hunt for thigns releated to what I am writing about. I started a western romance and found all types of itnerestign informaiton on timelines and culture and clothing. I grew up watching westerns on tv. I wasn’t too sure how accurate they had been. I’m sure things were tough back then in any prior time. I love dhte movies Lord of the Rings and would loved to visit then, but I prefer my hot and cold running water, my computer andhtign sof modern society. I remember livingin Germany and seeing the places of history. I lived in Hawaii for four years as well, I still want to live there. the idea of time travel would be interesting, just scary what if we messed up the timeline?(I know I owuld goof something up-lol).
Phyllis Lamken
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 11:39 am:

No extreme research…I love to do research. I was a history major in college. I wrote my first novel in November for NaNoMo. It may not be great, but I am thrilled. It was set in the 1980s. I was there in the 80s but I still had to do research. I researched the weather, addresses. and most of all, the music. The music was a huge distraction.I had so much fun. The internet is a wonderful tool. I guess if I was into extreme research, I would have changed my hair style to big hair and worn neon colors. But I been there and done that.
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:10 pm:

Wow, some of you have done some cool things! Donna I was LOL about your MIL’s comments. However, I have to waggle a finger at you because you weren’t looking at COFFINS. Those, m’dear, are Dracula boxes. (Eight sides, usually wood, frequently painted black) No, no, you were looking at CASKETS. Grins. Now being a Historical writer, you can use coffins in your work. But you modern gals writing contemporary…nope. Not unless it’s a Halloween prop. Otherwise: Casket. How’s that for a bit of trivia?
terrio
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:14 pm:

I am quickly learning I am dull as a door knob. Haven’t a thing to contribute. I am hoping to do some cooking research as my idiot self made my hero a chef and I can barely boil water. What the heck was I thinking? Thank goodness for Top Chef and the Food Network!

Can I just say, that elephant story freaked me out. I’m afraid I never would have remembered to keep the camera going and I most likely would have needed to…ahem….change my clothes when that was over. *g*
Saralee Etter
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:16 pm:

Great topic, ladies! I wish I could say I’ve done some extreme things for research purposes, but the only “extreme” that comes to mind is the amount of money spent on research books! Although I’ve looked up a lot of things I’ve never thought I’d want to know: Weather patterns in Bombay; Victorian food (Lobscouse, anyone? Yum!); and maps, maps, maps.
OH! I just remembered that once, in the interests of learning how candlelight changes the appearance of color, I put on a blue dress and stood in a dark bathroom with only a candle for light.
I had read that blues and greens would look grey or washed-out by candlelight, which is why those two colors were rarely used in theatrical costumes before electric lights became widespread. Something about how candlelight doesn’t reflect blue and green, it absorbs those colors and reflects red and yellow.
All I recall from my experiment was that everything looked–dark!
cassondra
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:27 pm:

Hmmm.

I’m trying to think of what I’ve done for RESEARCH alone…and you know, it’s not much.

I’ve done a ton of stuff–shot every kind of weapon I could get my hands on–on our first date my husband took me out to an old quarry and let me throw a grenade simulator, but that wasn’t research. I’ve toured the castles and walked all over the U.K. But that was in grad school, so I dunno if I could call that research.

I’ve been in helicopters, I’ve flown a small plane (with the pilot in the next seat of course)I’ve done all sorts of Search & Rescue–high angle, pit rescue, I train SAR dogs, I’ve been on equestrian teams, rappelled off buildings, I’ve searched the bottoms of lakes and rivers (diving) for bodies in black water. I guess that would be called extreme by some, but it was just my life, so I don’t think that qualifies…maybe I just live a bit extreme? I’ve learned to set booby traps and learned how to avoid them (more Search & Rescue stuff cuz in our area you stumble into a lot of booby trapped pot fields) Hmm. This is kind of embarrassing actually. I’m starting to feel a bit weird.

Ive made several trips to New York City, where I’ve done ride-alongs with the 72nd precinct (where there were 103 homicides in one year inside ONE SQUARE MILE). Wore the bullet proof vest, got the garbage thrown off the rooftops at me, participated (sort of) in a drug bust where they confiscated some weapons and a bunch of drugs and paraphernalia. They didn’t know how to clear the weapons and the armorer wasn’t there, so we did it for them. THAT was actual research I guess–just for the “feel” of the place for one novel. I got a tour of the NYPD aviation facility and seen how they work.

I’ve driven with an undercover through the Holland Tunnel and we were the only car (this was the aftermath of 9-11) but that wasn’t research technically, so I can’t count that, but I did USE it in books.

I’ve been quartered on a Navy cargo ship–3′ shorter than an aircraft carrier–that was the biggest thing I’ve ever seen that could move. That was interesting. I nearly caught the ship on fire (shhhh. They never knew). I’ve been part of an Army Airborne unit…

This spring I’m learning to sail for the work in progress, and also because I’m afraid of the ocean I’m going to volunteer to be a deck hand on a small yacht for a cruise around the Carribean if they’ll let me. I don’t want to be afraid of anything and I figure by the time I get back, I’ll be over it.

I have a lot of stage time–performance–in big venues and small. I’ve been a travelling musician/performer. Lived on a bus and in a van.

You know, I don’t think any of this counts. I could keep listing stuff, but this is all stuff I would have done anyhow just because I’m so curious and I refuse to let any fear win and keep me down. I’ve spent hours and hours and HOURS on research, but most of it has been meeting really interesting experts–everyone loves to talk about their field and I love doing those interviews. But that’s not extreme. Gosh. I’m starting to feel a bit lame in the extreme research department.

I would LOVE to swim with dolphins, and dive on a reef or a wreck. I’ve been jonesing to do that FOREVAH.
cassondra
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:39 pm:

Jeanne said,

Wow, some of you have done some cool things! Donna I was LOL about your MIL’s comments. However, I have to waggle a finger at you because you weren’t looking at COFFINS. Those, m’dear, are Dracula boxes. (Eight sides, usually wood, frequently painted black) No, no, you were looking at CASKETS

Aha! See, Keira, no worries. THIS is what they all mean when they say Cassondra sleeps in a coffin. Thank you, Jeanne, for clearning that up for me. I couldn’t figure out why everybody was getting so weirded out about my sleeping arrangements. Duh! on me. They thought I was sleeping in a CASKET. I should have figured that out. I’d NEVER sleep in a casket.
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:42 pm:

Bwah-ha-ha! Well, Cassondra, if you’ve done it and used it in a book, I think it could be called Research, whether it was curiousity which drove you or not. BTW, I’m totally impressed (as always) with all you’ve packed in to your life so far. Grins.
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:42 pm:

Great blog, y’all! Donna, I loved The Education of Mrs. Brimley and am looking forward to The Trouble with Moonlight. KJ, I don’t think I’ll be messing with mama elephants anytime soon. Yikes! I’m looking forward to reading your books.

I’m not a writer so I don’t research but I have had experiences that I suppose could be considered research for someone. I spent my 16th summer (yes, I really can remember that far back) studying in Europe. During that time I was almost kidnapped from a train in the middle of the night, somewhere in Italy. Everyone was sleeping and three of us were sitting in the compartment between cars talking when the train pulled into this little station in the middle of nowhere. The doors opened and three men grabbed me and started pulling me out of the train. To make a long story short, we all started screaming and I was rescued before they could get me completely off the train. Harrowing, to say the least. During that same summer I had an up close and personal look at the seamier side of Paris when we visited Montmartre about 2am. Want to know how young prostitutes are recruited off the street? Yep, I can fill you in. I declined the offer, by the way.

I can tell you exactly how it feels to be terrified of heights while riding in a dangling cable car with huge windows on all four sides 12,405 feet up Mont Blanc in the French Alps. I don’t recommend eating before making the trip.

I’ve been through two armed robberies. The first time the robbers entered the bank during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck, knocking out the power at the exact moment they came through the front doors. The second robbery would probably be good research for a comedic novel. This robber was definitely a few bills shy of a full strap. He had a gun but no bag and not enough intelligence to ask for one. He also neglected to tell the driver of his getaway car what was going on. The driver caught on and left before the robber exited the bank. The robber, still with no bag but with armfuls of money took off running down the street with bills of varying denominations flying behind him. By the time he made it to the 7-Eleven a couple miles down the road he had about $50 dollars left. The police found him sitting in front of the store drinking a soda and smoking a cigarette.

Want to know what it feels like to be shot in the chest with a 38 revolver? I can help with that research too. I survived both robberies unscathed physically but was shot by the bank’s guard (not during a robbery) when he dropped his gun. That was exciting, in a terrifying kind of way, but not research I’d ever want to repeat!

~PJ
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:44 pm:

There you go, Cassondra. Casket – ick factor. Coffin – totally cool. *Snork.*
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 12:48 pm:

Keoweegirl – oh, man. OUCH! I’ve been in a couple of bank heists (clerk not robber, you goofs!) but thankfully no shots fired by anyone, thank goodness. Ever read Weird News? There are usually a couple of idiot-robber stories in there, but yours is pretty much right up there for a Darwin Award.
Maureen
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:06 pm:

Hi!
I don’t really do any extreme kinds of activities but do enjoy reading about them in the books I read. I appreciate the efforts all the authors put into their research.
cassondra
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:20 pm:

Keoweegirl said:

I survived both robberies unscathed physically but was shot by the bank’s guard (not during a robbery) when he dropped his gun.

Oh dear. You need a new guard dearie. That’s AWFUL. And should not happen. Holy cow! I’m glad you survived it! Thank God you’re here with us still.
cassondra
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:21 pm:

Maureen, are you the Maureen who commented on my “Last Chicken Roosting” blog this month at Romance Bandits? We have two Maureens floating about the internet, and I’m trying to sort them out. ;0)
cassondra
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:22 pm:

Jeanne said:

BTW, I’m totally impressed (as always) with all you’ve packed in to your life so far. Grins.

You know, you can get a lot done while you’re avoiding writing. (heavy sigh) And no, I’m not kidding. Much.
helen
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:40 pm:

I love what everyone has done for research so as we readers can have some wonderful books to read. Thanks Guys
Have Fun
Helen
Fedora
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:47 pm:

Cassondra, is there anything you haven’t done?! More seriously, what else is on your “would love to do” list?

And wow, keoweegirl! Glad you’re OK now! Yikes!!
Kate Bridges
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 1:58 pm:

Wow, I’m enjoying these stories!

Donna, love the belly dancing. And KJ, very vivid description of the charging elephant.

Like Donna, I write historical romances. My most recent extreme research concerned my current series set in the Klondike. Last summer I took a research trip to the Yukon and Alaska and followed the trails that the stampeders took. Albeit, I had the comfort of a rented car (ha!) but it made it all the more amazing how they climbed the mountains on foot and built wooden rafts on the spot to travel the rivers. I don’t know if it was greed or courage driving them, or maybe both!

It’s a gorgeous part of the world (have photos on my website).

Thanks for the interesting posts! Always funny and inspiring to see what writers are willing to do for the craft!

Kate
http://www.katebridges.com
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:17 pm:

Jeanne -

I don’t think I’m on a terorist suspect list, but I’m proud to say that after taking a police civilian course – I think I might be on their free pass list I admit, I have a heavy foot on the gas pedal. I can’t tell you the number of times a local cruiser has pulled out behind me. I can almost see his fingers clicking on the keypad of his laptop, then a little later he pulls off into a side street and I let out a held breath. It helps that I have the civilian academy bracket around my license plates – but I think they mark the database as well.

So the lesson is – no matter what your genre – take that police citizen class when offered
Jeanne AKA The Duchesse
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:20 pm:

Haha! That’s great, Donna! I’ve wanted to do it anyway, there’s just one more reason…
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:21 pm:

Hi Donnell! She’s a brave one, isn’t she? I’d be diving under the jeep.

Tiffany – Sounds like you’re writing in a gruesome period. I’ve been in the dungeon of the Tower of London where they keep all the torture devices – but when we went to London I was still in my painting period. I hadn’t considered taking copious notes and photos at that time. Guess I have to go back
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:26 pm:

Hey Maria -

I took fencing lessons! Actually, both my daughter and I took the class. Just shows what a good mom I am allowing my daughter to come at me with a sword. It was fun, but oh my God, my legs would be like rubber at the end of the class. By the end of summer, I had thighs of steel . Not so much now though.

I’ve done the molten glass thing as well. Been there, done that and have the paperweight collection to prove it. It really enjoyed it.
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:31 pm:

Hey Donna, do you think they’d let non-writers take the police citizen class?

~PJ a/k/a ‘Ole Leadfoot
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:34 pm:

Good Heaven Jo – I had no idea you’d been through all that! Talk about panic. Did you consider that you weren’t going to make it out of that kidnap situation alive? THen a bomb detonates next door? I’d be hesitate to step outside of my house once I got home. You don’t need the “How To Survive” book. You’ve already done it – and your husband still has that wonderful sense of humor?
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:37 pm:

I’ll never read another novel without thinking of what the author went through to research for it. Y’all have some amazing tales to tell.
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:40 pm:

Jo, I’m not sure I’d ever have the courage to leave the country again after experiencing all that! You must have nerves of steel!
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:43 pm:

KL – what’s shisha? Hallucinogenic? It’s amazing the things people smoke – I wonder how they discover it has a side effect…Hey let’s throw some of that brown stuff on the fire and see what happens?

Hi Nathalie! RNTV is a great site to visit. I love the video clips and the forums. The banditas are not always here, but it sure has been to have this lair away from the lair.

Kristan – LOL!! Definitely snort-worthy!

Gail – I’ll be watching the RWR for your article.
Amy S.
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:54 pm:

Wow! Great interview! I had no idea all the research it took to write a book. Pretty cool research for the books.
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:57 pm:

Donna, what is RWR?
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 2:57 pm:

Sena – We’ll have to introduce you to P226, our regular on the Romance Bandits blog. He’s into serious motorcycles as well. My husband used to ride a motorcycle back in the day, but I’ve never been on one. I wanted to go for a ride for research purposes for my first novel, but he had a fit. He said he didn’t want to find pieces of me all along the highway – he’s so cute when he gets huffy. Anyway, I never did get to go for that ride, not that I wouldn’t have done it anyway – just never found the time. The first novel, like most first novels, didn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon, so I figured I could wait. I’ll pass on the vampire experimentation, though.

Kathy – You know, I had some clients who used to live in Hawaii. They moved back to the mainland for financial reasons but they can’t wait to move back. Be careful with the internet research. Be sure to verify it with more than one source. Just about anyone can put anything up on the internet. Good Luck with the Western. I’m seeing more and more of them coming out.

Phyllis – the 80s! I know the 80s! I didn’t have big hair then (having little ones seriously cuts into teasing time) but I had those big shoulder pads. They worked wonders when the littlest wanted to rest his head for a nap – like built in pillows.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:02 pm:

Jeanne – I fell right into that, didn’t I? You know – I heard you mention the distinction between coffins and caskets in your RWA workshop. Guess I have to hear it a few more times before it sinks in. Did I ever tell you that I once had an office in a building that used to be Batesville Casket Co.? My office was in the showroom and the neon bright striped wallpaper was bright enough to wake the dead. I always wondered about the mysterious scratches about eight inches about the top of my desk. Hopefully, I’m though with caskets, coffins, vaults, and headstones for a while.
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:05 pm:

Sheri, that’s the beauty of research. You don’t know what you’re going to turn up often. That’s certainly happened to me – I’m looking something up for one book and get an idea for another one. That’s also why I do a lot of nonfiction reading outside my immediate Regency area of interest. You never know where those out of the box ideas will pop up. It’s a minor point but the heroine of my third book is another courtesan. I read about courtesans throughout the ages and I picked up some really cool stuff, including the fact that Skittles, the greatest courtesan of the Victorian era, used to have herself sewn into her riding habit to show off her fabulous figure. Guess what? My heroine has herself sewn into her riding habit to show off her fabulous figure Thanks for popping by!
Anna Sugden
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:05 pm:

Hey gals – another great topic, Banditas!

Popping into our ‘lair awy from the lair’ LOL – nice one, Donna. I’m so impressed with what you all have done for research!

I have travelled a lot and I’m sure some of that will appear in books at some point. Swimming with dolphins is awesome, Cassondra! Such fun! So was mushing with huskies one top of a glacier in Alaska *grin*. No, I’m not an adrenaline junkie like KJ, just checking things off my list of things to do before I die!

I’m often asked research questions – being a Brit. Which is great, because nothing irritates me more than people who assume they know it all about the Brits and get it wrong! I won’t tell you how many contest entries have been sent back with comments from judges who told me I’d got it wrong! They read a few books or watch a few films and think that’s it … big mistake. *sigh*

Anyway, the most extreme research I’ve done was for my hockey books. I can’t tell you how tough it was researching the players, watching them practice, meeting them, chatting to them (some without shirts on!) … going for a tour of the arena, riding the Zamboni. The things we writers put ourselves through for our readers.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:10 pm:

Terrio – LOL – I was thinking the same thing! As to the chef bit, Is there a culinary arts school nearby? Maybe you can take a course. Would give you excellent contacts to grill the chef (oops – wrong choice of words ) Seriously, sometimes it’s the best way to get the vocabulary of the profession and discover things that you might have otherwise taken for granted. For example, did you know that the black and white print of the cook’s pants tells you where they went to school? There’s other little clues as well, but that’s the only one I know. (Says she whose daughter went to culinary arts school.) I’ll have to tell you about the corset cookies she made in honor of Mrs. Brimley sometime.
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:11 pm:

Pam, you have the BEST stories. I want you and KJ in the same room with me one day. I’m going to be just enchanted.
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:13 pm:

Tiffany, have you read Citizens by Simon Schama? It’s a fantastic recounting of the French Revolution and reads like a novel. Just loved it! I’ve got the Carlyle (an 1867 leather-bound edition that I just love) but have never read it – his prose style is almost unreadable to me. Now that’s a period I definitely DON’T want to travel back to!
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:14 pm:

Kirsten, laughed at your naughty purchase. I can remember sitting in a workshop Stephanie Laurens gave a few years ago and she said totally matter-of-factly that of course we all needed to buy a sex manual. And one with photos rather than drawings so we can see the correct distribution of weight. I’m still working up the courage to get such! Perhaps now you’re a hardened naughty book purchaser, you can buy it for me and post it over to Australia. Oh, no, what if Customs opens the parcel??!!!
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:18 pm:

Fedora, gosh, we’re twins! Exactly. I desperately wanted ballet lessons but the ballet teacher 10 miles away and there was a piano teacher in the farming district I grew up in. Started piano at five! Mind you, that was wonderful in its way too. And I grew up to be a klutz so I suspect ballet and I wouldn’t have lasted with my coordination problems. My mother asked me once, when I was an adult, if I regretted anything and I said that I hadn’t done ballet. I don’t think they ever realized quite how burning my desire to learn was. She was utterly shocked and I think a bit upset that they didn’t take me seriously at the time.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:21 pm:

Hi Saralee – Glad you could join us!

You know, I read something similar as it referred to the gas-lighting typical of the late Victorian period. Those gas jets emitted a yellowish cast to the light. Consequently, the gowns had to be brighter with most intense color to retain that color in the light. We see those dresses now and think they’re a bit garish, but we live in an electric world.

You know, I have Mrs. Beeton’s cookbook. We should have an historical writer cookout one of these days and give these recipes a try. Better yet – we’ll have my daughter make them. I wouldn’t mind researching how it felt to be treated like the lady of the manor for once in my life.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:25 pm:

Cassondra – Your courtship rituals quite frankly scare me . I grew up in Maryland and love the ocean. No fears there, but all that other stuff you do would have me quaking. And yes, it all qualifies as research. When your book comes out, it will so rich in texture and authenticity it will put all others to shame. There. I said it first
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:32 pm:

Terri, you’re not dull. You’ve got great taste in internet friends
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:33 pm:

Phyllis, congratulations on finishing that book. That’s a HUGE achievement so pat yourself on the back. Actually, you definitely have to research the ’80s. In a way, that requires more research than the Regency because there are people alive (ahem, me…) who remember the ’80s and can actually tell you what it was like then. My last resort if people argue with my conclusions about the Regency is to say, “How can you be sure? You weren’t there!”
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:34 pm:

PJ – So we share pimp experience then? I can’t say I was all that young when the guy tried to talk me into turning in my audit bag for more horizonal work – that’s what made it so humorous. Your experience with a shooting sounds harrowing. In the chest? Wow! So glad you fully recovered. That bank robber sounds like a piece of work. We could put it in a novel but no one would belive it.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:41 pm:

Kate – Did you stumble across that bus that was featured on 60 minutes a while back? Apparently a number of people, searching for the truth, go on an ill-equipped pilgrimage to this bus while rock icon died. I don’t recall all the details but figured I’d pass. I figure I’ll do my Alaskan touring on the deck of a cruise ship or safely ensconsed on a train. Oh wait – Keweeoweegirl says that’s not safe at all.
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:41 pm:

Wow, PJ! You should write a book. That was fantastic. I love stories about criminal masterminds – NOT. There was one somewhere who robbed a bank and then went outside to wait for a bus. Yup, the police caught him at the bus stop not long afterwards. Sigh. Perhaps he was an ecologically aware bank robber who didn’t like what fossil fuels were doing to planet
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 3:53 pm:

PJ – I think the police would actually PREFER that non-writers take the civilians academy . Seriously, I think they were surprised when writers showed up. (I took the class along with JC Wilder). The purpose of the course was not only to show civilians what’s it’s like to be in law enforcement and how we can help them do a better job, but alsom (my theory) to show the police officers that everyone isn’t a crook and that regular people actually value the policemen. I think the media plays games with the minds of police officers sometimes.

RWR is Romance Writers Report. It’s the monthly industry newsletter/magazine put out by Romance Writers of America.
Fedora
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:00 pm:

Anna, love your final answer to those who argue with you! That’ll tell ‘em! Ha! “You weren’t there, so THERE!”

And yes, I started those piano lessons at five, too! My not-so-secret piano/ballet twin! And yes, very grateful for them now, but it’s very different than ballet. (Not too late to start… I haven’t taken a class in over five years, but I’m hoping still to get back into it…) Our poor parents! Just wanting the best for us, and slogging through hour after hour of lessons and listening to me stumble through practices… Oy…
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:00 pm:

Anna C. – We wore ballet slippers when I took the belly-dancing classes, would those help relive the fantasy? I’m sure I can round up a tutu for you somewhere to present in SF….
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:03 pm:

Anna S> I know how you suffer for your research. I’m jealous that you got to ride on those zamboni – they look so cool (oops – there I go again). When they make those turns they just slide around, looks like fun. Do you ice skate as well? I used to – a long, long time ago. Just thinking of strapping on skates makes my ankles tremble.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:08 pm:

Hey Anna C -
I remember going to a traveling exhibition of dresses worn by the president’s wives (Hilary Clinton’s pantsuit was the only one in the exhibition) and there were some that laced up the back with something like a whipstick. Is this what you mean? I was surprised as I was expecting to see buttons. You know, you go to museums and offer you can only see the front of a gown. This exhibition was unique in that the dress was on a mannequin and encased in plastic so you could walk all the way around the dress.
Anna Sugden
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:15 pm:

Yes, Donna – I can can skate. When I was little I wanted to play ice hockey, but little girls did figure skating *pout*. The local hockey team always had training after my lesson. Isn’t it funny that I enjoy hockey now?! Oh to be able to strap on the skates and take a turn on the ice with some of my boys *sigh* *drool* *swoon* For the sake of research, of course!
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:20 pm:

LOL @ Anna. Now that’s research I could get into! Do you follow pro or college hockey? My college boyfriend was a hockey player. Love the sport but we don’t get a whole lot of it down here in the south. At least, not like we did when I lived in Michigan.
diane
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:36 pm:

Your post today is simply wonderful, enlightening and unique. I have learned so much and have a great deal of interest in this topic. I know that research is meaningful and important and for me I would just about do most anything that is within limits. I always read novels and do wonder how the author has this background information and experience which is so authentic and amazing. It brings me into that world and that is what I look forward to and enjoy. This topic today reminds me of that movie, Catch me if you can. That man was amazing and could do almost anything and had no background or experience with those careers yet pursued them and was not even caught until much later. Thanks for this great blog today which is entertaining and special.
Keira Soleore
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 4:57 pm:

Donna, many hugs and many congratulations to you for the RT nomination. KJ, I’m still as envious as can be about your Botswana trip. And now, you’re in Puerto Rico?! Very cool!!

Extreme research? Well, now that’s a topic that I can talk your ears off about…. But wait. You said anecdotal, that means, it has to be real, not made-up nonfiction like James Frey, but honest-to-goodness reality. So, Foanna, having Richard Armitage turn into Duke Kylemore (though Matthew is more likely) and capture you off somewhere is pure unadulterated fantasy. Not a drop of truth there.
Keira Soleore
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:05 pm:

Kirsten, thank you for the best and loudest laugh of the day. You always manage to do naughty things and blush furiously while you do them. Courage, girl!!
KJ Howe
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:10 pm:

Okay, guys, the kidnapped lifeguards are handcuffed to the cabana and they have been fed their ration of grapes–peeled, of course. Now, I’m free to respond to all the fantastic comments from you all! First, thanks for stopping by and sharing your fabulous stories. I had to laugh at Kristen and “the book”–I’m very proud of you!!! Sounds like fascinating research and where can I get my copy?

Anna S., thanks so much for posting the picture of the coqui for me on the Bandits blog. Rumor has it you were quick on the switch. After “stick-handling” those hockey players, I’m not surprised. After all, this Canadian has been to many games! Go, Leafs, go!

Although, my favorite sport has to be tennis. Speaking of extreme research, I was responsible for “guarding” the men’s locker room at the Canadian tennis master’s tournament a few years back, the year Patrick Rafter (if you don’t know who he is, please google him as he is definitely romantic hero material) won and I had to make sure that he wasn’t bothered by errant fans. That’s like putting the fox in the henhouse, you know?

I blame my insanity on my dad as he raced cars, flew planes in aerobatics competitions, scuba dived, and lives for his motorcycle. I grew up with two brothers and my dad always included me in the adventures. I remember shortly after I learned to scuba dive, he suggested we do a “confidence building” session where I got to buddy breathe (share one regulator) inside a wreck at 125 feet below the surface. Talk about heavy breathing. He also took me up in his small plane to do aerobatics…one competiton in particular stands out: you drop toilet paper from the cockpit, then try to make as many cuts as you can before the roll completely unrolls. It was a wild ride, and he won the competition! I was a little green.

A huge thanks to Donna for all her fantastic posts today. It takes a while to get online here and I appreciate her help!

Keep those extreme adventure stories coming…Donna and I will pick a winner later tonight. From what I’ve read already, it’s going to be one tough competition!

Wishing you all safety in those strong winds.

KJ
ruth
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:11 pm:

I have been totally riveted to your amazing adventures, ideas and writing related in this blog. If I were a writer I would travel all over the world, soak up the culture, language and revel in the beauty and senses. My favorite locale would have to be Italy and I would immerse myself within the history and culture, as well as the culinary delicacies. It would be overload for me as iIwouid want to take in everything, opera, art, romance and all of it. thanks for letting us have this peek into your lives and writing travails. Excellent fodder for more stories.
Nancy N.
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:15 pm:

Wow! Belly dancing and charging elephants–I had no idea you two went to such extremes!

This was a fun post. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything comparable. I mostly visit historic sites and read books.

Keoweegirl, your bank job sounds anything but run-of-the-mill! Glad you’re okay.

Maria, you’ve really run the gamut on research. Your topics sound fascinating.
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:16 pm:

Yeah, but Keira, I’ve written Matthew’s story too. I don’t think RA turning into one of my extant heroes counts as research. Just pure unadulterated self-indulgence! And yeah, you can cast RA as Matthew. I don’t mind at all. The hero of book three Tempt the Devil looks like Bryan Ferry in his hey day. Sigh. Thought I’d better get away from the RA references or people might think I’m slightly insane.

Kim, Pat Rafter was a sportsman I had enormous admiration for. He was an absolute credit to his country (yeah, he’s an Aussie). And gorgeous as well. But he was self-effacing and had this lovely self-deprecating sense of humour and he was a fabulous sport in the old meaning of the word. If he lost, he just said he didn’t play as well as the other guy. And he seemed genuinely to play the game on its own terms not as an ego display. Bonds underwear had a series of posters of him wearing their products at bus stops – hmm, yum!
Dina
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:17 pm:

Hi Donna and KJ,

I know most writers research some things for their books, but it is interesting to think about how far a person would actually go do find out info they need for anything really.
Kim
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 5:57 pm:

Oh boy! This is the non-RNTV-Kim. *g*

I love researching about the Titanic, French Revolution, Holucaust and the Russian Revolution. The Holucaust and French Revolution being my favorites. I once spent $30 on a huge book all about Versailles that just about made my husband choke on his own tongue. LOL

Happy Wednesday Banditas!
Anna Campbell
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 6:42 pm:

Are you really the not-RNTV-Kim or are you the Kim who says she’s not RNTV but in fact is RNTV Kim? Like I’m not really Anna Campbell who’s not eligible for prizes. I’m in fact Anna Campbell who really deserves the book voucher? Does the Chalice from the Palace hold the brew that is true?
Aunty Cindy
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 6:55 pm:

WTG with those cute lifeguards, KJ. I’d much rather deal with them than the charging mama elephant!

I’m afraid my extreme research doesn’t extend much past visiting the locales I write about. Of course, sometimes just a visit can get a bit hair-raising. Like running into guards with sub machine guns around their necks (Istanbul and Northern Ireland), or being in an earthquake (Hawaii)! But I didn’t PLAN for any of those exciting events, and I’ll gladly pass on any repeats.

Ruth, Italy is GREAT for soaking up the culture, beauty and history. Happily I haven’t had any extreme adventures in any of my visits there, unless you count getting “felt up” on the subway in Rome! ACK!
KL Grady
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 7:13 pm:

Donna – I actually have some shisha sitting in my fridge right now. It’s not illegal. It’s actually just tobacco leaves that have been sorta marinated in fruit juice and molasses or some such. It looks HORRIBLE, like what you might dig out of a clogged pipe, but it smells divine. There are shisha bars all over Bahrain (and I’m sure other Gulf Arab countries, too) where you can get a tray of tidbits, a hookah pipe of shisha, and fruit juice that is literally a piece of fruit frapped with some sugar and just enough ice to get it chilly. Shisha comes in tons of flavors. Bahrain’s specialty is a combination of green and red apples, but I saw everything from tropical fruit blends to coffee flavors and just plain tobacco (ew!).

It’s a real trip the first time you smoke it, especially when you see the glop going in the ceramic piece of the hookah. *urp* Uh, and when I say “trip,” I don’t mean the wheeeeeeeeee kind. :g:
Kate Carlisle
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 7:36 pm:

I’m so late posting but I finally caught up with all the stories. Wow! So many amazing and fascinating people here – good luck choosing a winner, Donna and KJ!

I’ve traveled a lot for research and otherwise, but nothing too extreme–that I can remember, anyway. There are patches of the 70’s and 80’s I simply can’t recall, LOL. I’m just happy I survived.

The only truly extreme research trip I ever planned was a tour of San Quentin Prison. The mother of a friend of mine grew up on the prison grounds (her father was a guard and the families used to live right there) and once a year, the warden–a woman–would have a family & friends day that included lunch in the mess hall and an extensive tour of all of the prison buildings–except Death Row. I’ll admit I was scared to death but couldn’t turn down the opportunity. It was scheduled for September 13, 2001 – yes, two days after 9/11. They put the prison on lockdown and cancelled everything so I never got the opportunity to go.
KJ Howe
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 7:51 pm:

Thanks to everyone who stopped by today. It was an absolute pleasure to be on RNTV!

It was very difficult to decide on prizes as everyone did a fantastic job. However, Pamela B-H wins the gift certificate from B and N for her fabulous contribution–I have to admire a woman who goes hangliding over water when she doesn’t swim–and I will also provide swimming lessons from the Puerto Rican lifeguards in my captivity. Please e-mail me at kimhowe@lincsat.com and I’ll send the prize out first thing next week when I’m back home. As for the winner of Donna’s fabulous novel, the very lucky winner is keeowegirl. I mean, TWO bank robberies…what are the odds? Please contact Donna so she can send you her novel. I’m glad you survived the impromptu extreme research.

Well, sleep well everyone and keep up the great work on extreme research. Be sure to check out Gail Barrett’s article in March’s RWR about the topic. I can’t wait to read it!

KJ
Gillian
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 8:46 pm:

Yipppeee for Pam! And Keeowegirl–whoa. Makes me kinda want to avoid the banks–but congrats as well!
Anna Sugden
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:02 pm:

Keeowegirl – I’m a NJ Devils fan *grin*. So Pro hockey – though, will watch a college game if one is on.

LOL KJ – now how did I know you’d be a Leafs fan?! Had such fun when we were in Toronto to see your boys take on mine. Next trip is out to Denver to see my boys take on the Avalanche (and not just because Joe Sakic is the inspiration for my current wip’s hero!).
Joanie T
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:19 pm:

A quick last note for the night:

Now Donna….you KNOW I did not mean that you resembled a pacyderm in seven veils!!!!

I wish I had the flexibility to even try it! Heck, I wish I had the dexterity to do ballroom dancing. Oh, wait! Dancing with the Stars will be starting soon!!!!

We have a great old restored theatre here in Louisville called The Louisville Palace. Wonderful acoustics. And we have the Frazier Historical Museum. Main focus is on weaponry but they found that having “arms” in the name kept a lot of people away. Unfortunately for ME they don’t go back to ancient times.

And a friend one time got me “The Idiot’s Guide to the Kama Sutra”. Chapter 14 was only understandable if you tilted to the left

Oh, and meet me in Shannon in April! Just look for Anna C……she’ll be by the baggage claim.
Donna MacMeans
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:28 pm:

KL – Well that sounds…different . I thought it might be something like KHATT (I think that’s how it’s spelled) that’s been causing some trouble over here. You have exotic tastes, my dear.

Kate – I took a tour of Alcatraz. We were visiting San Francisco and someone stole my bag right there on fisherman’s wharf while we were waiting to board the boat to the rock. THe whole time we were there I kept thinking I know someone who should be behind these bars. Apparently though, this tends to happen there frequently. The crooks steal the cash and anything they can quickly sell and throw the rest in the trash cans (you know the ones with all those crab shells). We drove down to Monterey the next day so I missed the call from the Golden Gate refuse company that they’d found my purse. They mailed it back to me. Inside my wallet were all my credit cards (which I had already cancelled), my driver’s license and my romance novel. They took the cash and my camera.
Caren Crane
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 9:41 pm:

Oh, my. I lead such a dull life! The only way to make anything I have ever done even moderately interesting is to put it in a book. The only “extreme” things I have done include high adventure sports. But I haven’t included any of those in a book! I am using our trip to Switzerland last summer in my current book, though. Might as well use the little bit of adventure I have!

Kirsten, I’m so proud of you for picking up The Book!

Joan, you need to stop teasing us with your trip to Eire. We are, as Anna C says, Emerald Isle green with envy!
Lily
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:29 pm:

I am not a writer… but a med student and witness from time to time some very disturbing situations.
I will always remember that day. I was working in the summer in the ICU doing nosocomial infections’ prevention when I needed to take a sample from a patient. So I go to his little cubicle, talk with the patient in question who tells me he is going to be discharged from the ICU and already has his room upstairs. We share some mundane chit-chat… I help him with his water, leave the cubicle and head to do some paperwork. After five minutes, I hear the distinc panic sound on the central cardiac monitor and see it is the patient I had visited just a moment ago! The code is announced and the team of intensivists work on him… I am holding my breath, I can’t move… I am in front of all the action, mesmerized by the beauty of it and by the intensity of it all. After five minutes of cardiac massage, they have a pulse. I smile knowing that this man has been lucky… for only a few minutes… he has another cardiac arrest and that will prove to be fatal. I just could not move for a few moments… I had been laughing with him,and I realized I had been the last one to talk to him, and I had helped him with his water! I had tears in my eyes, and needed to leave the ICU to get some fresh air… however I had not been able to leave without seeing one last time the man now still, his eyes now closed.

I would love to see these intense situations in books… where death is portrayed as it really happens, in a hospital bed around a medical team where the action is mesmerizing, frightening and also heart-stopping… and the ending is not always a happy one. I would love to see this kind of situation especially in suspense novels – not in historical romance of course!! – because such situations would bring depth to a story and emphasize the thin line between life and death.

That was long… thanks for this post… it is my first time here!!
Fedora
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 10:45 pm:

Congrats, Pam and Keoweegirl! Woohoo! And thanks again, Donna and KJ for providing such an exciting topic!!
keoweegirl
on Jan 30th, 2008
@ 11:45 pm:

Many thanks to KJ and Donna for the fascinating blog and wonderful prizes!

Pam, congrats on winning the B&N giftcard. Your extreme research was very prize worthy. I cannot imagine hang gliding in the first place but then to do it over water when you can’t swim? Yikes!
Pamela Bolton-Holifield
on Jan 31st, 2008
@ 8:46 am:

I concur, keoweegirl, many thanks to KJ and Donna for a really terrific blog. I am jumping up and down over winning!!

Keoweegirl, you are going to LOVE Donna’s book! It is beyond hot!

The really hilarious thing? It never even occurred to me that I could possibly land in the ocean. It was not courage that got me up there over the water but sheer stupidity! And I am definitely going to take Kim up on her lifeguard service. I didn’t know you could keep lifeguards in captivity. Good to know!!
Pamela Bolton-Holifield
on Jan 31st, 2008
@ 8:48 am:

Oh and one more thing. After hearing about keoweegirl’s experience I no longer think it odd I don’t have a bank account. I think I may be on to something! Sheesh!
Steven
on Feb 11th, 2008
@ 8:15 pm:

Steven…

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