Author Spotlight - Janis Lane talks about research - Part 3

I'm a Gemini with one foot in the present and another deep into the past. One of me loves Contemporary nature themes and the other dips into history with Traditional Regency Romances (Musa Publishing) with blushing heroines and dashing heroes. When writing BELOVED SOLDIER RETURNS, a Regency Romance novella, I read and researched as much as I could find regarding Roma or Gypsy cultures which was an important part of my story. Available are fascinating histories of a people almost universally disliked. Most countries receive them reluctantly. More welcome now than in the past, there are still towns and cities where the tribes are asked to leave. No wonder they were always roaming. Perhaps their closed society makes them target of curiosity and a romantic feature. It could be the dark, brooding character is popular as well.

More recently I have been reading a 'History of Regency England', OUR TEMPESTUOUS DAY by Carolly Erickson. The author has juxtaposed facts and brought history sharply into focus. It's as if she handed the reader a pair of 3-D glasses as she presents her text. Her social awareness of the era is a valuable resource. What a new land have you virtually visited lately? Do you enjoy researching for your novel ? Did you manage to pull yourself out of the research to continue your novel?

Auhor Spotlight - Janis Lane talks about research - Part 2

GONE TO THE DOGS is a contemporary sequel to SANDPIPER AFFAIR which allows the reader to peek into the second stage of the romance between Abby and Adam. The setting was in middle Florida and it pleased me to write about some of my favorite southern food. Hope you enjoy the cat fish fry, but don't forget to eat your hush puppies with sweet pickles. The story was full of the nature that I love even as I ratcheted up the tension in places and created conflict between my favorite characters, Adam, the perfect man, and Abby, the wildlife photographer. Poor Abby mostly created her own interpersonal conflict.

I admit I had a bit of trouble with the camera angles. Even as I read and talked to people in the know, I was still uncertain whether my camera bits were sufficient. More research followed. This also involved a dip into the world of show dogs as Abby expanded her work to include pets and their masters. I learned a lot about pure bred dogs from writing and researching this story. Following behind Abby as she worked was interesting, but things got pretty exciting there at the end. You can guess why.

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.