Researching a Book in a Far-Flung Setting by Amy M. Reade - Guest Post

Today, I'm featuring cozy mystery author Amy M. Reade in a guest post on how to research for a book in a "far-flung setting" with bits and pieces from her new mystery novel Highland Peril.

Who is Amy M. Reade?

Amy M. Reade is a cook, chauffeur, household CEO, doctor, laundress, maid, psychiatrist, warden, seer, teacher, and pet whisperer. 

In other words, a wife, mother, and recovering attorney. But she also writes (how could she not write with that last name?) and is the author of The Malice Series (The House on Candlewick Lane, Highland Peril, and Murder in Thistlecross) and three standalone books, Secrets of Hallstead House, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, and House of the Hanging Jade. 

She lives in southern New Jersey, but loves to travel. Her favorite places to visit are Scotland and Hawaii and when she can’t travel she loves to read books set in far-flung locations.

Researching a Book in a Far-Flung Setting

by Amy M. Reade

          My newest release, Highland Peril, is a mystery set mainly in the Scottish Highlands, though there are parts of the story that take place in London. 

I was lucky enough to visit Scotland and England while I was researching the book, but that doesn’t mean that an author has to visit a setting in order to write about that place evocatively—it just requires the author’s willingness to immerse himself or herself in research to learn more about the far-flung setting than just its topography and its major cities. And though I’ve geared this post toward authors of mysteries, the same advice holds true for authors of all stripes.

          There are some tried-and-true things an author can do to research a setting without visiting. The first place most people look is Google.

But not me—I go to the library. And specifically, the travel guide section. Whether a novel is set in Alaska or Timbuktu or Portugal, you’ll almost always be able to find a travel guide geared toward the place you want to write about.

Borrow the books, take them home with you, and really pore over what they have to say.

Are there out-of-the-way places that might be perfect to stage a murder?

Would it be easy for a criminal to escape from, say, a crime scene somewhere along the Amalfi Coast in Italy? In other words, is there a lot of traffic congestion? Are there easy ways out of town? Would the bad guy need a boat to get away?

What is the nightlife like? Is it sleepy, so witnesses to a crime are limited in number, or are there people all over the place at all hours of the day or night?

Does the place you’re researching have a ghost tour business? Even if you’re not writing paranormal, it can be good to know if there are a lot of people around who believe in ghosts. A savvy criminal could really use that to his or her advantage.

Once I’ve gleaned all the information I can from the travel guide(s) I’ve chosen, it’s time to look for other books on the subject of traveling through a particular country or region. For example, I’m working on a book right now set in London. 

Not only did I use a London travel guide, but I also found books such as Weird England (by Matt Lake) and London Under (by Peter Ackroyd) that were both interesting and useful.

I’ve also found it very helpful to listen to news podcasts from a particular area I’m writing about (so far, I’ve set all my books in places where English is the primary language). It helps me get a good idea not only of the accents that are common in the region, but also the idiosyncrasies of the dialect. But the podcasts are useful for more than just language—they’re also good for learning what’s important to the people who live in the place I’m writing about. 

Here’s a good example of that: as I write this, there are cities all over Europe that are experiencing danger and damage to their infrastructure because of the stress put on them by tourists. A good motive for a concerned citizen to kill a particularly obnoxious tourist? Maybe so.

So, to summarize thus far, travel guides, then books written about your setting, then podcasts. After I’ve exhausted these, then I turn to Google. I like to use Google to search for information about a place’s history, its food, its music, and its vital statistics, such as population and racial diversity. 

If you’re writing an historical novel, you might not want to leave the history to Google—you might want to read a book or two about it. But for my general purposes, a history search on Google will suffice.

After you’ve synthesized everything you’ve learned about a certain setting, it’s up to you to decide how much of that learning you want to be evident in the book. Without succumbing to the dreaded information dump, you can infuse your novel with your knowledge in subtle ways, making it obvious to the reader that you’ve done your research.

          I urge you to try these approaches to research. Using the method I describe takes time, yes, but it also helps you to put a certain indefinable authority behind your words. And don’t be surprised when readers think you’ve visited the setting of your book.

Highland Peril Synopsis:

Trading the urban pace of Edinburgh for a tiny village overlooking a breathtaking blue loch was a great move for budding photographer Sylvie Carmichael and her artist husband, Seamus—until a dangerous crime obscures the view…

Sylvie’s bucolic life along the heather-covered moors of the Highlands is a world away from the hectic energy of the city. But then a London buyer is killed after purchasing a long-lost Scottish masterpiece from Seamus’s gallery—and the painting vanishes. As suspicion clouds their new life, and their relationship, Sylvie’s search for answers plunges her into an unsolved mystery dating back to Cromwellian Scotland through World War I and beyond. And as she moves closer to the truth, Sylvie is targeted by a murderer who’s after a treasure within a treasure that could rewrite history . . . and her own future.

Genre: Mystery

(2nd in Series)

Publisher: Lyrical Underground (5 September 2017)

Paperback: 218 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1516100187

E-Book ASIN: B01N9GF9WF

Connect with author Amy M. Reade via her Website, Blog, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram

The Pursuit of Lady Harriett by Rachael Anderson - Excerpt & Giveaway

Book: The Pursuit of Lady Harriett 
Author: Rachael Anderson
Genres: Romance, historical fiction

When wills clash and hearts collide, who will reign victorious?

Termed an Incomparable during her first London season, Lady Harriett Cavendish is beautiful, spirited, and confident, capturing the attention of a great many suitors. Unfortunately, they all failed to capture her attention, and she concluded the season as unattached as she’d begun it.

Only weeks prior to her second season, Harriett encounters Lieutenant Christopher Jamison while visiting Tanglewood Manor. Recently returned from war, the lieutenant is everything that Harriett's previous suitors were not. He’s arrogant, ungentlemanly, irritating, and challenges her at every opportunity. When he goes too far, Harriett decides that it’s time to turn the tables on him. But as she sets out to put the lieutenant in his place once and for all, she discovers there is more to him than meets the eye, and when it comes to matters of the heart, she has no control whatsoever.

Excerpt from The Pursuit of Lady Harriett by Rachael Anderson

The corners of the man’s eyes crinkled in a mild show of amusement. “Lady Harriett, I presume?” Rather than look at her with appreciation as most men did, he appeared amused.

At her nod, he tucked his hands behind his back, remaining a few steps above her. “I am Lieutenant Christopher Jamison, an old friend of Jonathan’s.”

“I was expecting you days ago,” she answered. “Lord Jonathan charged me with the unhappy task of informing you he and his new bride are currently away on their wedding trip. He is sorry he cannot be here to meet with you and has asked that I relay his apologies.”

“May I inquire as to how long they will be away?” he asked.

No, you may not, she wanted to say. Her neck was beginning to ache from looking up at him, but she forced her gaze to remain steady. “They expected to be gone a fortnight, sir.”

“And they have been gone how long, exactly?”

She felt an unaccountable hesitancy to tell him. “A week.”

“Ah.” He sounded disappointed but seemed to take the news in stride, glancing at Charlie as though wondering whether he ought to retrieve his horse or not. Harriett prayed that he would.

When his gaze strayed back to her, he took the unwelcome, and ungentlemanly, liberty of perusing her figure. When his eyes met hers again, his lips twitched into a slight smile. “Forgive me, my lady, but you appear to have had a run-in with a mud puddle and lost.”

How kind of him to point that out. Harriett kept her hands at her side rather than attempt to brush the dirt from her face and pelisse yet again. The damage was done, and no amount of brushing or shaking would remove the muck. What she needed was a hot bath and a change of clothes.

“Actually, sir, I was merely an innocent bystander.”

“Indeed?”

She picked up her skirts and ascended the steps, stopping on the stair above him so that she was eye level with him. “Are you always such a reckless rider, sir? Do you not pay heed to your surroundings?”

“Of course I do.”

“If you had, you would have seen me standing at the side of the road and, I would hope, thought to slow your animal down so as to not splash mud all over my pelisse.”

Her chilly set down did not have the desired effect. He did not appear the least bit repentant. Rather, he looked ready to burst into laughter. “And your face, apparently.” He leaned forward and squinted. “If I’m not mistaken, there is a splash or two of mud on your bonnet as well.”

Harriett glared at him. “How observant you are, Lieutenant Jamison. One can only wonder why you didn’t put that skill to good use earlier. If you had, perhaps my pelisse, face, and bonnet would still be clean.”

“I am always observant, my lady,” he said. “But might I suggest that if you would like to be noticed at the side of the road, you should wear a color that does not blend so perfectly with your surroundings. That particular shade of green looks quite lovely on you, but only someone with the eyes of an eagle would have spotted you in front of a landscape of evergreens.”

Harriett opened her mouth to respond, but no words were forthcoming. The man did not even attempt to behave like a gentleman. How could he be so . . . so . . .

“Have you no apology to offer, sir?” she finally spluttered.

“Oh, did I not apologize? Forgive me.”

“For what? Forgetting to apologize or for not doing so in the first place?”

Author Rachael Anderson

A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website

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Monsters Exist, a horror anthology – Book Review

Monsters Exist is a collection of 14 short stories from the worlds of horror and often the dark paranormal, written by a great assortment of horror-writing authors, most of whose names already strike fear in the reader! "Kleaver, Buller, Demmer, Deadman…"

"Master Vermin" by Wallace Boothill 

The anthology opens with an interesting piece that is different from what you'd define as horror. There is a significant bit of well-fitted gross descriptions in this story. I liked the suspense and how the ending was unexpected. It gives you a different kind of scary; a creepy thought rather than simply a scary story.

Rating: 3.75 stars.

"Legend Trippers" by Theresa Braun

"Like a clogged water pipe finally bursting, the images materialised."

My second read for Braun, the story is about a mythological horned-creature called the "Goatman", who supposedly "lure[s] victims to their death, straight into an oncoming train." A reporter trails a man called Jaxon because, the reporter believes, has seen the Goatman, but Jaxon doesn't know what he's seen. Jaxon teams up with a waitress to find out what happened to her sister near the area where an accident had happened at an earlier time.

The pace is slow at first and towards the middle, then picks up and makes for a good ending.

There are many quote-worthy bits and I love Braun's use of imagery.  

Rating: 4 stars.

"The Murder of Crows" by S.J. Budd

"He felt death's close proximity that night, and this time it was coming for him."

Barry, a taxi driver, has taken to killing a woman each night, for three nights in a row, until one woman gets into his car and his whole life changes.

I loved the start, middle, and flow of this story but felt the ending was abrupt. I like the paranormal aspect, but felt that the main character or the author, or both, wanted to get the story over with.

After a second reading, I'd give this story a 4-star rating.

"Wicked Congregation" by Gary Buller

"Wicked Congregation" is simply a wicked – pun intended - story! I loved it!

One of the best stories in the anthology, Buller's piece takes an abandoned chapel for a setting. Narrated from the first person perspective of a High Peak Ranger, "Wicked Congregation" is about a remote town where Rangers have to make a sacrifice every two decades or all hell will break loose.

"Every twenty years they take a piece of our future so we may keep the rest."

The flow, writing style and the suspense was well done.

Rating: 5 stars

"Playing Dead" by S.E. Casey

I like Casey's choice of setting in this short story. I felt the story was a bit long, but I liked it

Set in a carnival, Casey had me guessing throughout the story what the horror would be and what would happen. The story has this strong opening: "Under the golden eye of Saturn, the only celestial light visible in the pre-night sky, the field vomited up a monstrosity."

Rating: 4 stars.

"Lake Monster" by Mr. Deadman

"The air was chilly and quiet, like a morgue, the sort of quiet that puts a keen emphasis on every sound, no matter how insignificant."

Paranormal or not paranormal? This story keeps you guessing till the end. It's a bit different from the rest and there's a bit of comedy embedded in and some beautiful images. I truly enjoyed this one and didn't know what to think or expect throughout.

Rating: 5 stars.

"Never Sleep Again" by Calvin Demmer

Sleep? Who wants to sleep? Definitely not me. Especially after reading this story!

Another paranormal piece, I like that "Never Sleep Again" mixes mystery with creepy. I don’t want to give anything else away. You just have to read it (yes I changed the font colour for emphasis).

Rating: 5 stars.

"The Voice from the Bottom of the Well" by Philip W. Kleaver

Smart, wicked, and creepy are the first words that come to mind when I read this piece by Kleaver. And "Damn brilliant". Short stories with children tend to be creepier than anything and Kleaver nailed it with "The Voice from the Bottom of the Well". His word choice and flow kept me on edge. I was terrified.

When reading this short story, I covered my ears in the hopes that I won't be horrified, like I do when watching scary movies.

Taking this story to a full length novel may also be plausible and it would make for a freaky scary movie.

Rating: 5 stars.

"Eclipse at Wolfcreek" by Sylvia Mann

The story opens with a statement and reiteration of the anthology title "Monsters exist." It then moves to naming the three types of monsters. My only problem with this story was that I felt there was some strong scientific jargon.

Narrated from the perspective Buddy, the story is a tackles creepy differently as we get the description of Buddy's grandmother (you'll love her but she'll freak you out) and the setting. A house in the middle of nowhere. Buddy and his friend Prez go out hunting out of season in the woods near Buddy's home. Suffice to say, they should have listened to Buddy's grandma.

Rating: 4.5 stars

"No. 7" by William Marchese

"No. 7" is an interesting piece mixing science fiction with the paranormal. There were some confusing parts during the confrontation but overall I enjoyed the story and the narration. It's not as scary as the rest but definitely worth reading.

Rating: 3.5 stars

"Criatura" by John Palisano

With lots of dark humour, "Criatura" is a must-read scary and fairly gory story. Stranded in the middle of the desert at night, the narrator, Chuck, stumbles upon a creature that was only a myth told to children. I liked the way Palisano gave the reader background information about the "Criatura".

Rating: 4.5 stars

"Bitten" by Christopher Powers

I couldn't pinpoint the era/timeline in which "Bitten" was set; it could be anything, though it felt like the 60's or 70's. I like how Powers weaved a story within a story, merging them at the end.

Rating: 4.5 stars

"Kelpies" by Leo X. Robertson

Like "Master Vermin", this story isn't scary in terms of the content but the idea, it just leaves you thinking "DAMN!" "No!"

It's one of the best pieces in Monsters Exist. It makes you wonder who the 'monster' is here. I thought the description of the kelpies was a little – too – weird though. Still, I kept thinking about the story several days after I finished it.

Rating: 5 stars

"Bloodstream Revolution" by M.R. Tapia

The conclusion to the anthology, Tapia's "Bloodstream Revolution" has a historical fiction feel to it along with a little gory-paranormal. Reminiscent of the "survival of the fittest" idea, the story has a heartbreaking beginning. I could picture every single event quite well in this story.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Normally, it's hard to judge a full anthology or short story collection as there tend to be pieces that you dislike or like less than others. But the authors in the Monsters Exist anthology produced quality scary stories. Some I felt were a bit gory, there was significant profanity (fine with me but just mentioning that). What they all did was border on the dark side of the paranormal.

I must say I enjoyed the different settings, ideas, and overall assortment of scary tales in this book.

(Note to readers: There is adult content and cursing in the book)

Overall rating for Monsters Exist: 5 stars!

It is the perfect read for Halloween.

Note: I received a free copy of Monsters Exist from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Monsters Exist via Amazon US, Amazon UK.

The Lost Knight by Candy Atkins - Excerpt & Giveaway

The Lost Knight by Candy Atkins

How am I supposed to save the world when I'm not strong, not brave, not smart, and not particularly good at most things? I ran away from home the day after my thirteenth birthday when Auntie and her weird friend attacked me. Now I'm on the run with the Grim Reaper and a scary soldier. And I'm no longer on Earth. They were expecting me to be a Knight. The savior that's supposed to stop a war and prevent the invasion of Earth. But I'm not. They grabbed the wrong girl. I just don’t know how to tell them.

Praise for the Book:

#2 on GoodReads Middle Grade Novels of 2016

5/5 Stars
“Like Harry Potter meets The Labyrinth.” -Author Adan Ramie

5/5 Stars
“Candy Atkins takes us on an epic adventure reminiscent of the novels of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.” –GoodReads/Amazon Reviewer

5/5 Stars
“For all you Potterheads or Harry Potter geeks, how can you not fall in love with this story and appreciate the fact that it is a female lead.” –Rising Indies United

Excerpts

Three full chapters are free online: Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

This is a partial excerpt from Chapter One

I grab the box of midnight-purple hair dye from my book bag and squeeze my way down the narrow, overstuffed hall into the only bathroom in our apartment. The shower hasn’t worked since it was turned into a storage closet, so I clear the sink of the old cat food cans Auntie has stockpiled, turn on the cold water, and dream about the day when I’ll have my own apartment with a shower, hot water, and food.

“Agatha, are you still pouting?” Auntie yells from her recliner. ”I told you, Uncle will pick something up when he’s done with work.”

My foster parents, I call them Auntie and Uncle, are not what I would describe as parents, or even aunt and uncle, they’re more like babysitters. Uncle hasn’t been home for three days, and I doubt she believes he’ll be here tonight. She just wants me to tell her that I’m okay with her not picking up dinner. I’m not. Today is my thirteenth birthday. It’s not like I was expecting a cake, but something to eat would’ve been nice.

After I dye my hair, I take a shirt from the pile of laundry I’m standing on, wrap it around my head, and carry the remaining hair dye back to my bedroom. I love my tiny room, mostly because I’ve been sketching and painting jumbled and disjointed art on these walls since I was old enough to grip a pencil. Part of the reason I chose what the box calls boysenberry for my hair is because the extra dye is the perfect hue for the raven I’m painting on my ceiling.

Dipping the number-three flat brush into my dye calms me and all is forgiven. Auntie’s not a mean person, she’s just a bit off. Being angry with her is like being mad at one of the cats—pointless.

I wrap a blanket around my shoulders and open the window. Queens is especially chatty tonight with the noise of cars, people fighting, dogs barking, and the laughter that only I can hear. I stand on the bed and fill in the gentle face of my birdie while humming along with the chorus of voices outside.

Tonight, the singing is boldly wafting through my window. I can’t understand the words and don’t know the tune, but the music is sweet and peaceful. It’s sad that I can only hear my songs some of the time, when I’m tired and relaxed, and sadder still that no one else can listen with me.

My dye runs out long before I’m satisfied with my raven so I give up and climb into bed. The song I’m listening to now is particularly soothing, a hymn or possibly an opera. Maybe one day I’ll be a great songwriter or something.

A muffled thud near my window startles me from a sound sleep. There’s an eerie red glow casting moving shadows across my room. I blink a few times to make sure I’m not still dreaming and follow the source of the light. Just to the side of the foot of my bed kneels a tall, hooded figure with luminescent red eyes. It’s stroking the long ears of a much smaller creature that looks withered and dying.

I’m not scared, which is weird, but it might be because I’m not sure I’m awake. I turn on the lamp to make the dream disappear and end up blinding myself. When my eyes adjust, I see the sickly green skin of a long-eared frog-boy lying on the floor and the tall cloaked being that’s cradling it. The tall black monster who closely resembles the Grim Reaper appears to be even more stunned than I am. We stare at each other while my brain struggles to figure out what I’m looking at. These things don’t exist, so how can I be seeing them so clearly? The black-hooded creature never takes its red eyes off me while it stands and lifts the small sickly frog-boy off the floor.

“Agatha?” it whispers.

This monster is actually in my room! My insides seize, trapping my scream. What is this thing and how does it know my name? I want to run, but I can’t move or look away. My fluttering heart stops when my door flies open with a crash. A scream unseals my lips, amplifying my terror.

Auntie charges in, wielding a large kitchen knife. She’s yelling in her nutty made-up language, but it works. The creature jumps out my fifth-floor window, taking the frog-boy with him.

She whips around toward me, still holding the knife, and looking like she means to use it. “What did you see! What was that? What were you doing!”

Auntie has her kind moments, but she’s crazy. I mean, truly mental. Whatever just happened, she mustn’t know that I saw it too. She probably suspects I did, but if I confirm it, she’ll nail my window shut and my songs will disappear forever. “I had a nightmare. Was I yelling in my sleep? Did I wake you?” I’m trying to sound calm, but I’m failing.

She takes a few deep breaths while she sizes me up. She pauses and tilts her head to the side. “There was something here. I saw it. Did you see it?”

“What was here? What did you see? And what’s with the knife?” I want her to tell me if she saw the Grim Reaper and a dead rabbit-frog-boy at the foot of my bed. If she saw them too, then I’m not crazy. But then again, if I see the same thing as a crazy person, we’re probably both insane.

Author Candy Atkins

Candy Atkins is a full-time writer who lives with her husband and two kids in Orlando, Florida. She’s an avid reader and lover of all things fantasy and sci-fi. Her debut novel, The Lost Knight, is volume one of the six-part Lost Knight Series.

Her life’s journey has taken her from dining with the President to being on food stamps to running her own company. And since all author bios end by naming and quantifying pets... she also enjoys spending time with her boxer, Butler, and Wynona the cat.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 9/24/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Open Your Eyes by Nada Adel Sobhi– Poem

Shackled in the confines of my mind,

The pain lingers, warming itself,

In its new vessel: Me.

Shrouded in blackness, eyes stare blind,

I know there is a mirror before me,

But the reflection – likely grim – is not for me to see.

I try to move, but something holds me back,

Bound, incarcerated in my own mind,

I scream

But my screams are lost in the whirlpool of my head.

I struggle to open my eyes

What has glued them shut?

I howl as the skin tears apart

They open

But to what end…

Darkness reigns free

Stretching endlessly

Ahead, around, below, beyond,

My mind mocks me, torments me.

The morbid bastard!

I curse it

But my words are hollow

Ricocheting on the walls

I am nothing

Staring in the abyss of time.

Life wasted, useless.

I cry.

Tears stream down my face,

Warm against the frigidness,

They embrace me in a cocoon

I close my eyes,

Red and green circles cloud my vision,

I count them, arrange them; damned OCD

I wonder

Who or what has caused this…

This trauma?

Was I traumatised?

How? When?

Questions. Questions.

I cover my head with my hands

"Stop asking and rise up

Open your eyes and welcome the light"

The words ring in my ear

Who said them?

I ignore my own question

I shut my eyes. Hard.

I'm scared.

A coward.

Have I become my own victim?

I shake my head,

I hear, feel

My shackles on the floor.

I may not be strong

But I can get up

I will not be any embodiment

Of all that is good,

That crap they say.

But I will rise.

And face my demons.

I open my eyes.

By: Nada Adel Sobhi
Written Thursday, 24 August 2017, at 18:17

I asked friends for a word bank and this is one of the word banks that came through.

Sarah AbdelBadee's word bank: Trauma, OCD, shackled, cocoon, morbid, pain, shroud, whirlpool, endless, Embodiment