Recently I received an email from Andy, asking if the background information in my books is factual. She was referring specifically to THE SWITCH in which I’d made references to Indian tribes in that particular part of New Mexico.

It was an interesting question, one I hadn’t be asked before — at least not in those words. I thought it merited some discussion.

The answer is: Yes. Anything that’s not directly related to the story is as factual as I can make it. I feel that the setting of a story should serve as another character. The location plays a role just as the characters do. Dramatic examples of this are CHILL FACTOR and UNSPEAKABLE where the story’s setting and forces of nature contributed greatly to the plot. The bridge over the Savannah River in RICOCHET is pivotal to the storyline. I had to do extensive research to determine how Elise, and later Duncan, would get onto that undercarriage. I drove across it, back and forth, until I was car sick.

Having acrophobia, driving across a bridge 200 feet above a flowing river does not a fun afternoon make! And let me tell you, the Georgia Port Authority gets nervous when people get under their bridge and start takng pictures with telephoto lenses! In fact, they get really, really mad!

To give you an idea of how tedious this research can become, last week Michael and I went to Atlanta in order for me to find streets and houses where my characters in the upcoming NEW NOVEL would live. He’s the driver on these excursions; I’m the navigator. You can see where this is going, right? Imagine Atlanta’s traffic snarls, and he — who never asks for directions — asking, “Which way? I’m in the right turn only lane.” And my saying (you guessed it) “Left.” Only to determine after driving a few blocks that right might have been the better choice. His standard question is “What are you looking for?” to which my standard reply is, “I’ll know it when I see it.” It requires long days in the car scouting neighborhoods, and lots of patience. In fairness, mine usually runs out before his.

One anecdote: In advance of my trip to Atlanta, I emailed a friend who’s familiar with the city, asking him for for help. I told him I needed a “seedy neighborhood, where there would be a lot of low-rent rendezvous, strip joints, and disreputable bars.”

His reply: “What makes you think I would know?”

If you can provide me with any information on this subject, I promise you’ll remain anonymous!