The things I have googled!

"Big Brother is watching." Well, if they are, they certainly have their hands full with me.

Either they aren’t watching at all, or they’re watching so closely that when they see I’ve Googled "How many kilos of cocaine will fit into a lobster bait tray?" they know I’m just an innocent fiction writer. While I’m happy to take some creative liberties with a tidal cove in Boothbay Harbor, I need my drug-dealing characters to actually know what they’re talking about.

While writing the Red At Night series, I’ve had to research topics I don’t even want to mention. As many of you know, Red in the Morning involved human trafficking; doing the research for that was as heartbreaking as it was infuriating.

On the lighter side of research, that same book required a "field trip" from the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens to the Boothbay Lobster Wharf just so I could accurately map out a chase scene. Throughout this series, Google Maps has been a lifesaver when my memory fails me or when the local landscape has changed since my last visit.

As for my upcoming book, Last Light? I was practically waiting for a knock on my door from the authorities while writing it. In a few months, you’ll see exactly why.

To me, half the fun of writing comes from the research. It’s a trip down memory lane, a chance to daydream about a specific truck or boat I want for a character, and a constant opportunity to learn something new.