Author Spotlight - Janis Lane talk about research.

The problem with research is that it's so very easy to become lost in the different types of American birds, the state of our pure water systems, the plight of the American cougar —you fill in the blank of your story line. We are writers, but we are readers first. Sit me down with a non-fiction book (ebook) of any kind and I'm lost for awhile. The most difficult stage is sorting which information is useful and which is to simply enjoy.

I write Contemporary Romantic Suspense with a nature theme (Desert Breeze—SANDPIPER AFFAIR). My heroine, Abby is a wildlife photographer. After a lot of reading and researching, augmented by field trips (okay, I do use all this in my writing, I swear.), my knowledge of my subject had grown pretty extensive by the time I sat down to write. I not only knew what birds looked like, but I was acquainted with the personalities and behaviors of particular species. It was a short trip from that to using this knowledge for a bit of spoofing for the introduction of each chapter of my story. I had fun. Current bird pictures donated by my good friend from Maryland. Thank you. They are gorgeous.