Research makes me happy. I love research. To me it’s one of the best things about being a writer. With every book there’s always something to research even if I’ve looked into it before. Montana Medic’s Match gave me the chance to research paramedics, which I’ve done in the past. I have a friend who is a firefighter and paramedic. But this time I researched flight paramedics. Then I had to figure out who would be in charge, the flight nurse or the flight paramedic. To my surprise it’s the flight nurse because she has the most training.
I watched a lot of videos to see the inner workings of the helicopter and the crews. Helicopter accidents and common injuries that can happen were another thing I read about. I looked into the schooling and certifications necessary for flight nurses and paramedics. And then I had to look into battlefield medics and surgeons and what was involved in becoming an army medic. (I knew what was involved in becoming a surgeon since my husband was one). The hero was a battlefield medic and his best friend was a field surgeon. All of which is very interesting to a research geek like me.
My poor husband wonders why I research things like divorce laws in Texas. No, honey, I’m not looking for me but for my character. I wrote a book about a bomb unit detective and got to talk to an FBI agent about that. I was a little worried but she said I wasn’t asking the right questions to make them worry. Thank goodness!
Since I write about a lot of cowboys, cowgirls, rodeos, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, and more, I read a lot about that. And horses! I love looking at horses and all the stuff that goes with them. What type of horses do they raise? What are the characteristics of those horses? What do they look like? I can get lost looking at horse pictures for hours.
I write about doctors a lot. I’m married to one who was a general surgeon and a radiologist. My daughter is a physician’s assistant, who has worked in OB/GYN and general practice, pediatrics, and is certified in lifestyle medicine.
One of my earlier books was about wildlife smuggling, specifically birds. Interesting but also horrible to an animal lover like me. I still want to write a book about search and rescue teams and their K9s. I love dogs so reading anything about dogs is always good for me. Cats are fun too. Of course I need to watch cat videos on Instagram! It’s research, after all.
I’ve researched a lot of other things as well, far too many to list. No matter how carefully I research something, or who I talk to, or even places I’ve lived, I can make mistakes. And even if I’m writing about something that is a personal experience there’s often someone who doesn’t think I know what I’m talking about!
I do my best to be as accurate as I can be. But the main thing I want to do is entertain and the more I can know about my subject the more believable I can make it.
Do you like research? Do you like to read about new experiences or something you know nothing or very little about?
Make a response and I’ll choose a winner for an e-book of The Wrong Brother. And if you’ve already read that one, you can choose another one of my e-books and I’ll be happy to send it to you.
Cheers!
About the Author.
Eve Gaddy is the award winning, national bestselling author of forty novels. Her books have sold over a million copies and been published in many countries and several languages. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, romantic mystery, and a bit of paranormal romance as well.
Eve’s books have won and been nominated for awards from Romantic Times, Golden Quill, Bookseller’s Best, Holt Medallion, Daphne Du Maurier and many more. Eve was awarded the 2008 Romantic Times Career Achievement award for Series Storyteller of the year, and was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Innovative Series romance. She loves her family, books, electronics, the mountains, and East Texas in the spring and fall. She also loves a happy ending. That’s why she writes romance.
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Accuracy is not as important to me as is the story as a whole.
I like research; I used to have a job that helped the public with government resources. I also like the subjects in the books I read to be as accurate as possible, because I learn something that way. I have read a lot of the early books published from the beginning of the Tule Group, and have several of your series books.