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Stepping Out of my Comfort Zone for Research Guest Post! $10 Amazon International Giveaway with Swag Pack!!! Leave a Comment To Be Entered

Monday, April 30, 2012

Thank you so much, Krystal, for hosting me on Live To Read today.

While The Zurian Child is completely fictitious, there are some aspects which did require research, some of it simply on-line, but other parts required contacting professionals for additional information in order to give the story some accuracy.
Two of the heroes are RCMP officers in the drug section of “O” Division based out of London, Ontario. Because I do not know any RCMP officers personally, I had to throw myself out there, and contact a total stranger. At the time, I had nothing published, didn’t even belong to a critique group, so I didn’t know if anyone would believe me, that I was a writer needing information for my book. And I’m simply a very shy person. Luckily, Sergeant Marc LaPorte at “O” Division Headquarters was more than willing to answer question after question.

Near the beginning of the story, when Lindsay is shot, I needed information about how her injury would be treated, and how long it would take, so I contacted local Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Pototschnik. He answered all of my questions as well.
At the end of the story, several characters must go into hiding, and they do that in an underground complex. Now, I knew a bit about the complex I wanted to use, from the stories my dad had told me my entire life. But having never actually been down there, he and I only knew so much. So, I put on my brave face, and contacted Leah Pierce, Public Affairs Officer at 22 Wing/CFB North Bay. I actually found her contact information through a Facebook group, and also connected to other who were willing to help me. While Leah could not answer all of my questions due to security reasons, she helped me to find as much information as possible.

Overall, I was completely shocked and very grateful that people were willing to help me with research. Without them, the story wouldn’t be what it is. And as I write the second book in the series, I continue to utilize the information I have obtained.


Here is the list of tour hosts!
Jessica will be awarding signed cover flats and a magnet at every stop, as well as a $10 Amazon GC plus swag package to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. She will also give away a $15 Amazon GC to host with the most comments.

35 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting Jessica today.

  1. Thank you for hosting me today! For visitors, I'd like to know what is the most uncomfortable thing you have done in the name of research?

  1. Dyniy said...:

    Wow is all I can say. You worked so hard on this project. I hope that it turns out to be successful for you and I'm sooo interested in reading the book. You definately have my interest. Congrats & good luck with the tour. ;-)

  1. Karen H said...:

    Hi Jessica,

    Since you are a new-to-me author, it will be fun getting to know you and your book during your blog tour. You really went to the mat to research your book. What would you say is the best part about being an author, the research or the writing?

  1. Kw mccabe said...:

    Research is so important! Thanks for posting about ways to get others to help with research!

  1. Dynie - Thank you so much for your interest! It did take a lot of work, but I'm thankful for everything I've learned along the way. :)

    Karen H - Thanks! As much as I love doing the research, the writing is the best part. It's always fun to see where the characters take you. :)

    K.W. McCabe - Yes, when I started, I had no idea where to find the information I needed. All my Google searches didn't provide what I was looking for. Thank you! :)

  1. Sounds like a really good book! I'm glad that people were willing to help you with the research and I'm glad that YOU did it. So many books I have read sound lame because the author didnt know what they are talking about. I really appreciate the work you put into it to make it a great story!

    megnate at telus dot net

  1. Thanks so much, Maegan! I've read books like that, too, and that's why I made sure to do my research before submitting this story anywhere. And I am so thankful for all of the people who helped me. Their support has been great! :)

  1. MomJane said...:

    It sounds as though you put your heart and soul into this story. If it is as good as it sounds, I am really glad it is the first of a series.

  1. Thank you, MomJane. This is my heart story, and I'm working on the next in the series now. :)

  1. As a librarian, I love when authors discuss their research process. In helping students, I have occasionally searched online for some awkward topics. Just recently, I was talking to an education class about the difference between searching academic databases and doing an open GOOGLE search. Then I asked them to think about doing a search on the topic of "spanking." After a few giggles, they had a good idea of one of the benefits of searching a reliable education database instead of just googling it!

  1. Catherine - Yes, while Google is useful for some things, it doesn't always provide the information one needs. Thank you! :)

  1. Wow What An Interview I Cant Wait To Read This Book. butterfli262002@yahoo.com

  1. Julie S said...:

    I think it is amazing how much research goes into fictional writing. I am so wowed by authors who take the time and get the details so accurate.

  1. Nicki said...:

    What a great giveaway! I am so glad to hear about new authors and the book looks and sounds completely awesome! I think it is great that authors put so much research into there books, so it is accurate! Great Post!

    korra_950(at)hotmail(dot)com

  1. Sayomay said...:

    It must have been hard to research that way! :D

  1. It is always incredibly ASTOUNDING to me when I, as a reader, realize how MUCH research and effort has gone into a certain book/story. It makes me respect the author, and the process that much more.

    But, at the end of the day, that attention to detail is what will set your novel apart from the others. And it will add depth and dimension to your narrative, by creative truly multi-dimensional situations and characters. I wish you ALL the luck in your endeavors. :D

    And thank you for this incredibly generous giveaway!

    Name: Hira Hasnain
    Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com

  1. Lmbrunken said...:

    How great is this!!!! Ty for hosting, cant wait to rread more

  1. I'm certainly intrigued by the title. It's going to be an interesting tour.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

  1. Anonymous said...:

    What a facinating interview and a brilliant giveaway, and i would be extremely greatful if you could put my name forward for this great giveaway. In response to the question by the author, in regards to research; i am an amateur writer planning on taking a Degree in Journalism, and would love to go into a journalism/ editing career. I once sent an article to various top magazine & journal companies, where the editors read it and gave me advice! For someone with little experiance then this was the bravest step to take and one that many would not attempt until business level. All advice was constructive and i did learn a lot, so pushing myself and having self confidence in my own ability was not a bad thing!

    From: Miss. Lucinda Fountain
    Email: lfountain1@hotmail.co.uk

  1. Jennifer said...:

    Very interesting. Yes research is important! Thanks for this interview.

    jlkalman26 at gmail dot com

  1. LorettaLynn said...:

    I very much enjoyed the interview:) thank you for sharing with us today:)
    elliott2668(at)yahoo(dot)com

  1. Looks like a really interesting read! Thanks for the great interview!

    Emisbookblog(at)AOL(dot)com

  1. Unknown said...:

    I'd love to read this book, it sounds truly interesting! Thanks you for bringing this one to my attention, i surely hadn't heard about it before.

  1. Thank you everyone! So long as you left your email address, or I can find one through your blogger link, you are entered in the giveaway. :)

    Miss Lucinda Fountain - That was a HUGE step, and I think the important thing is to learn from experiences such as that. Congrats!

    Thank you all! :)

  1. Thanks for the awesome giveaway.
    autumnflower6ATaolDOTcom

  1. Anonymous said...:

    Wow that is good to know that people are willing to help and give info for your book. This was an interesting post. Thanks!

    pefrw at yahoo dot com

  1. Wall said...:

    Your generosity is amazing.

    I have found that people are generally kind and helpful when we ask. How nice that people were willing to help you with your research.

  1. mandy said...:

    it looks like a good book!

  1. JHS said...:

    Not the kind of thing I usually read, but it sounds interesting. Count me in!

    JHS
    Colloquium

    jhsmail at comcast dot net

  1. Wow, I'm overwhelmed by all of the support here. Thank you all!

    And yes, I'm so happy there were people out there willing to help me with research. The story wouldn't have been the same without them. :)

  1. Wow, that's a lot of work! I don't know if I'd be able to do it, as I'm very shy as well...
    this piqued my curiosity, and I'll be looking further into this book!

    missy1549@gmail.com

  1. thanks for the giveaway this book sounds great. Gale pgan427@yahoo.com

  1. Thank you again, Krystal for hosting me during The Zurian Child blog tour! I am tallying all of the comments now, and will post the winners here:
    http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=9840

  1. Brionna said...:

    This book seems a very interesing read. Thank you!