Bluebird, Texas Romance Book Tour, Guest Post, and Giveaway

Research, Research, Research!

By: Ann Everett

Research is my second least favorite thing to do when it comes to writing. Right after marketing. Ooh,
that word makes me cringe. Oh well, that’s another story. Back to research. The question is: What kind of
research do you do before you begin writing a book?
None. What? That’s crazy. The key word in that question is before. I don’t do any at that point. It’s only
after I start the story the hours of research kick in. Oops, let me back up a bit.
If my story hinges on a medical question, then I do research that the easy way by asking Dr. D.P. Lyle.
He’s a cardiologist in California and dedicated to helping authors with medical questions.
He’s also an author and has worked as a story and technical consultant on shows such as Law & Order,
CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Mond, Judging Amy, Cold Case, Peacemakers, House, Medium, and 1-
800-Missing.
I can email him my query, and he’ll answer quickly. Usually within the next few hours.
If I have a question concerning police procedure, I met a detective at a writer’s conference who agreed to
help me with those. That’s two great sources, and I appreciate them.
For everything else, I have to depend on the internet. It’s a long and tedious job. Sometimes I’ll spend
hours trying to find out how a certain country looks, what food they eat, how they dress, what type of
houses they live in, etc., etc., etc. Oh, and guess what? Much of what I discover, doesn’t get used.
Sometimes, I’ll write a whole chapter about something only to cut it in the end! That drives me nuts.
For Chirp, since she is on the spectrum, I had to find everything I could concerning Aspergers. That was
just one feature of the story I researched.
Although I learn quite a bit when I explore new subjects, it still wears me out and takes time away from
my writing. However, even in fiction, facts have to be correct. If they aren’t, readers call you out on them.
So, it’s worth the time I put in.

“My word of the day. I didn’t use it.” Her heart sped up. “Never mind. How was your day?
How is the building going? Can I help with anything? Are you interested in going to a banquet?”
The last question squeaked out because her mouth had gone dry. She reached for her glass of
water and gulped.

He laid down his fork and half-smiled. “What’s the word?”
She looked away. “Uxorial.”
“Hmm. What’s it mean?”
“Befitting of a wife.”
“Can’t help you there, but even if I could, it wouldn’t count, would it? I mean you have to
come up with the sentence on your own, right?”
“Yeah.”
“They got the john working in the new bathroom, so I won’t have to use yours anymore.
As for you helping, maybe when the rooms are ready to paint, I’ll let you pitch in. And this
spaghetti is delicious.”
He took another bite, and she thought he was finished talking. Better he ignored the
banquet question. She shouldn’t have listened to Hanna.
He leaned back and rested his hands on the chair arms. “Hey, look at me.”
She raised her eyes to his and braced.
“Is talking to me making you uncomfortable?”
She wanted to answer but couldn’t get the words out, so she nodded.
“You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
That was a good question. She had been when he had the nightmare. But not since then.
She lowered her head. “No, but talking is hard.”
He reached over and placed his finger under her chin and tilted it up. “I want to
understand— so explain it.”
His gentle touch and the tenderness in his tone surprised her. A little jolt of electricity
caused her cheeks to warm. “I don’t always say the right thing.”
“Well, you can say anything around me. If I don’t get it, I’ll tell you. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, about this banquet.”
“It’s a work thing. Golden anniversary.”
“And the dress code? Date? Time?”
“Oh, it’s not a date. It’s a plus one.”
He laughed. “I meant the date of the event.”
Blaze’s face flamed, and she turned away again. “See what I mean?”

“I wasn’t laughing at you. Your answer was cute.”
“Oh,” she said. “Two weeks from Friday. Dressy casual. Seven in the evening.”
“I’ll have to check my social calendar.”
“All right.” She scooted her chair away, but before she stood, he caught her wrist.
“That was a joke. You know I don’t have a social calendar.”
She pulled her hand free. She appreciated his attempt to let her down easy, but she’d been
right. This was a bad idea. “I know you don’t like me, so you don’t have to go.”
“Whoa. I’ve never said that.”
He frowned, and an odd sensation churned in her stomach. Longing. Desire for his
approval. What was that about? She searched for something to say but came up short. An
awkward silence hung between them until finally, she found her voice. “I’m not dumb. I know
I’m odd, and people don’t like different.”