Research Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Welcome back guest blogger, Marcia Talley, author of The Last Refuge and ten previous novels in the Hannah Ives mystery series. Today Marcia talks about the perils of research. Take it away, Marcia!

Ever since I began writing mysteries, I’ve been amazed at how willing people are to help an author with her research.  Experts, friends, fellow writers often go out of their way to help make sure that the fiction I write has the ring of truth, sometimes at their peril. 

Some years ago, while writing This Enemy Town, I set a scene at St George Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia.  I knew that Donna Andrews lived nearby, so I asked her if she knew the church – she did – and could she check out a few details for me.  She agreed and took her camera along, snapping photos right and left until not one, not two, but THREE police cars came whoop-whoop-whooping up to the curb, lights flashing.  One of the officers climbed out of his squad car and demanded her camera, then watched as she deleted each of the photographs she had just taken.  

Donna’s crime?  In the background of each photo was an otherwise non-descript office building.  Little did Donna know that it housed DARPA – the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – whose mission is to develop military technology that “Creates and Prevents Strategic Surprise.” 9/11 was still fresh in everyone’s mind, so Donna came perilously close to being arrested on my behalf.  I would, of course, have bailed her out -- assuming they accepted VISA.

Not long before, I’d had my own little run-in with the law after I read a post from William Kent Krueger on DorothyL asking for information on the Kentucky State Penitentiary.

 

I knew it well, a maximum security prison known as “The Castle” with a million-dollar view of Lake Barkley in Eddyville, just a few miles from my husband’s family farm in western Kentucky. 

I was visiting my mother-in-law at the time, so I cruised by the prison, pulled over to the side of the road and began taking photos.  A guard appeared out of nowhere, armed to the teeth, and asked what I was up to.  Fortunately, I had a copy of one of my novels in the car, so he let me off with a warning, but he was still scowling, not entirely convinced that I wasn’t planning to spring my lover from the pen.  Kent tells me he’s using the prison in a novella called “The Levee,” so my mission was worth it.

To help my friend, Kate Charles with her compelling novel, Strange Children, I contacted my daughter’s former boyfriend—a licensed clinical psychologist, sex therapist and frequent television talk show personality—and had a surreal conversation that resulted in material being mailed to my house in plain brown wrappers.    

While doing my own research, I nearly sank our sailboat (Sing It To Her Bones), climbed to the top of Mahan Tower at the Naval Academy where the marks of my fingernails are still clawed into the granite (This Enemy Town), had an all-day treatment at a luxury spa (Through the Darkness), dragged my reluctant husband and his two left feet along to ballroom dancing lessons (Dead Man Dancing), ran the Komen Race for the Cure in a downpour (In Death’s Shadow), drove 200 miles to attend a television medium’s live performance (All Things Undying), and drew unwanted attention from the U.S. Coast Guard (Without a Grave) when I asked an officer to describe how I could rig a sailboat to get drugs past them. 

Stepping into Hannah’s shoes most recently for my novel, The Last Refuge, I had to become an expert on daily life in 18^thcentury Annapolis.  I’d always been a fan of those historical reality shows on PBS where they take a dozen or so modern-day people and see how they cope with everyday life in another time and place.  Shows like Colonial House, Manor House, Frontier House and even Texas Ranch House ("110 degrees!  200 cows! 47,000 acres and 15 people!!!") Who could resist that?  I watched them all.  I also paid several visits to Colonial Williamsburg, and I talked to living history specialists and recreationists like Dr Joe Gagliardi who practices medicine both in the past as Dr A. Dobbs and in the present as head of a Maryland detox center.  I borrowed books from my friend, Lucia St. Clair Robson, who writes historical novels—Lucia even keeps a file of amusing colonial ways to die!—and the folks at the William Paca House (where The Last Refuge is set) continue to be amazingly supportive. I got the deluxe tour of the house, including the secret passages! – and they let me wander around and take photographs which are normally strictly forbidden.

Living a couple of months out of the year on an island in the Bahamas where power outages are almost a daily thing, I know first-hand what it’s like to be without electricity or running water, but I didn’t go without deodorant, toilet paper, toothpaste or (gasp!) my iPhone in the name of research.  I did eat the food—Apple Tansy is delicious, but I drew the line at Pig’s Head pudding—and was continually amazed at how l-o-n-g it took to prepare certain colonial staples, like beaten biscuits where you combine flour, water and lard and actually beat it with a stick for an hour or two!  I can tell you from experience that this culinary cardiovascular-aerobic exercise is made bearable only by imagining that the dough is the head of the bitch who married my father after my mother died.  And I tried on the costumes, of course.  In spite of being trussed up in stays like a Thanksgiving turkey, they were amazingly comfortable. I had to practice arranging my skirts, underskirts and hoops so I could actually sit down in a chair, and until I got the hang of it—my hips had the wingspan of a 747 -- I could sweep a coffee table clean with one pass. 

Right now, I’m writing Hannah’s twelfth adventure, Dark Passage.  Hannah’s on a luxury cruise. Sometimes research can be hell, ya know?

Nobody knows that better, it seems to me, than Femme Elaine who has worked as a telephone solicitor, bookstore clerk, hotel maid – to name but a few – and most recently, as a stewardess on a yacht.  How about the rest of the Femmes?  To what lengths have you gone in the name of research?

 

 

Comments

[Donna Andrews]

Okay, you had me feeling sorry for you until you mentioned the day at the spa. I need to work something like that into MY next book.

Next to my encounter with Homeland Security, possibly my worse research experience was a trip to a paintball course. I arranged to follow the referee around, but since no one on either team recognized me, they all assumed I was on the other team, and a fair target. I can't remember how many times I dived into the shrubbery while the ref yelled "Neutral observer! Cease fire!" and paintballs pelted my rear end.

Some of that shrubbery turned out to be poison ivy.

The urushiol (the sticky resin poison ivy exudes, the stuff that actually causes the damage) totally permeated my jeans legs from the knee down.

A couple of days later, my shins looked like hamburger. I pleaded with my dermatologist's office to work me in and when I yanked up the pants legs to show my shins, the doctor, a veteran of who knows how many horribly rashes, involuntarily exclaimed, "You poor thing!"

All for one chapter in a book. Sigh.

[Marcia Talley]

Donna, that's the trick -- work it into the next book. Meg needs a day at the Golden Door, a cruise on the Queen Mary, an invitation to the Oscars. Paintball? What were you thinking? ;-)

[Deborah Crombie]

I think I'd put rowing on the Thames with Olympic Gold medalist Steve Williams for No Mark Upon Her at the top of my research experience list. But I'm with Donna--I think Gemma needs an all day spa excursion... And a cruise... But all she gets is coffee from the Cafe Nero in Brixton. Some people (you) have all the fun. But at least we get to enjoy it vicariously in your books!

[peach]

Hi Marcia
I enjoyed seeing you back on April 30 at the Festival of Mystery in Oakmont. I quickly realized when I started to read your new book that I'd actually toured the William Paca house in 2010. I was able to vividly imagine many of the scenes due to that visit. The day we visited was a very rainy day in early November so we had to forgo the garden tour. Can't wait for next year's book.

[Barb Goffman]

Marcia, you're awesome!

[Marcia Talley]

Debs, I think the time you spent at the London Scotch Malt Whiskey Society (do I have that right?) all in the name of research would classify as "fun!"

[Marcia Talley]

Peach! Glad to see you here. Come back to Annapolis some day when it's not raining and we can tour the Paca Garden together.

[Marcy Jean Brenner]

I just finished 'In Death's Shadow!' Wonderful! I can just imagine the risky research that went into that one!

On to number five...

Marcy

[Marcia Talley]

Marcy, when you get to the end of #5, you'll see why I'm not good with heights!!

[Mar]

I often wonder how much of author's research is "physical" or verbal/written research - I think having cops converge on me would rank up there as Interesting experience, I'd probably would have had to go home and change my clothes after that type of encounter

Debs, I dont recall you mentioning spending time at London Scotch Malt Whiskey Society, I think that would be classified as fun research

Keep writing ladies - your books are great and all your research greatly appreciated by your readers

hugs
Mar

[Ray Flynt]

Marcia, Your blog posts always stimulate the imagination. And I loved Donna's post about the paintball course!

In my recently published Brad Frame Mystery, BLOOD PORN, I have scenes of my detective racing to and then riding the Strasburg Railroad (a vintage steam train) near Lancaster, PA. I had made the trip there many times, but hadn't visited for at least 15 years and figured I better check out the latest. Actually, I had already written the chapter before my visit, and I had my protagonist slowed down en route when his car got behind a horse drawn Amish buggy. When my wife and I finally made the visit to Strasburg, I can report that we got slowed up three times behind Amish buggys.

With best wishes on your latest Hannah... it is a great read!!!

[Marcia Talley]

Ray, about the buggies. That's life imitating fiction. [grin]

[Deb Romano]

"Researching this book nearly cost the author her life!" - that blurb on a book jacket ought to sell a few books!

In my opinion, Donna Andrews deserves a "True Friend" award, Marcia!

[Mary Ellen Hughes]

My book research has been much less dangerous than yours, Marcia. I made wreaths and took beading classes and such for my Craft Corner Mysteries. Now I'm experimenting in the kitchen (which can be dangerous) for my upcoming Pickled and Preserved series. My husband seems happy with me writing a culinary mystery. Beads and origami did nothing for him, but pickles he can eat!

[Marcia Talley]

LOL, Mary Ellen. To make my husband happy, I probably should have a protagonist who sleuths out of a "Five Guys" burger joint.

[Cindy Sample]

Hi Marcia. Loved this post. So far I've only researched ballroom dancing and on-line dating which has provided me with enough potential victims for a slew of books! Next up is DYING FOR A DAIQUIRI which is taking longer than expected because I'd rather research than write.

[Gigi Pandian]

Marcia, that's always surprised me, too. Even as an unpublished author, I found experts to be so generous with their time. Though I haven't gone to the extremes that you have!

[Marcia Talley]

Cindy, for DAIQUIRI are you bartending?

[Lucia St. Clair Robson]

Hi, Marcia. Thanks for the mention! And I got a kick out of the strange things that happen while you research.
While reading an historical marker on the grounds of an old army barracks in Alabama I was almost taken into custody as an escaped mental patient. The barracks had housed the captive Apaches, including Lozen, the heroine of GHOST WARRIOR. But the facility is now a mental institution.
The friend who was waiting in the car saw the cops checking me out and intervened by telling them I was "a writer person."

[Marcia Talley]

Oh, Lucia! I read your comment over breakfast and laughed so hard I got coffee up my nose! A 'writer person' indeed. :-)

[Charlaine Harris]

My functional daughter in law is a bartender, if anyone needs advice on that. Marcia, now I'm challenged to get Donna actually ARRESTED.

[Gerrie Ferris Finger]

My husband is always happy to go with me to states that have horse race tracks. One of these years I'm going to write a novel titled Bridgejumper, about a man who bets the farm and loses it all.
Thanks for the laughs in your post.

[Toni LP Kelner]

It wasn't technically dangerous, but I was accused of being a serial-killer-in-training while visiting an ask-the-vet bulletin board for information about dogs and antifreeze poisoning.

[Marcia Talley]

At least when you interview someone in person you can give them a copy of one of your books and point to the author headshot to prove you aren't a murderer-in-training. On the internet, you could be anybody! Before I met Lucy Zahrey (our brilliant, author-friendly poison lady), talking to pharmacists about poisons could be a bit risky.

[Dana]

Great post, Marcia! And...wearing colonial garb goes above and beyond the call of duty!

[Marcia Talley]

After I got laced into the stays, I looked down and ... holy cow! Where did all that cleavage come from? Made a believer out of me. ;-)