No matter what the subgenre, research is necessary when writing a book. For some of us, research is just as much a passion as getting our words onto the page. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of research for my books. However, some research isn’t found in books. Sometimes a writer visits a place to experience its sights, sounds, and sensations. It helps them translate that experience onto the page for a reader. Experiencing research first-hand is amazing. One such moment for me occurred in April 2007 when I fulfilled one of many life-long dreams. I toured the King Tut exhibit. When a writer experiences “word fail” when trying to describe something, it’s a sure sign it’s a phenomenal moment. Writers rarely have “word fail.” We might occasionally get writers block, put words down in the wrong order, or despise our words, but “word fail” is something monumental. It’s our way of saying we’ve come up against something magical. Even now, almost five years later, I still find it difficult to come up with the right words to describe what I saw. For a large number of people, research is a dark library with tall stacks of dry, musty…

So I’ll be the first to admit, I watch a fair amount of reality TV, and I’ve been doing so for years. Initially I filed my slight obsession under the character-study category. I’m a writer, so by watching real people live their lives on TV, I was doing research. That was way before I realized how scripted reality TV was, also before all of the fighting started breaking out. Why some reality shows insist on showing that behavior among adults just baffles me. I’m sure the women on these shows who get sucked into behaving that way regret their actions later…more sooner than later. Now I’ve cut back on the number of reality shows I watch, but I haven’t given up on all of them: Welcome to Sweetie Pies, Braxton Family Values, and Real Housewives of Atlanta are three shows I still tune into. My latest novel THE ONE features a reality show in the backdrop—a show more on the lines of The Bachelorette, only different. It’s a new show, and the premise is to take one woman around the world to explore ten romantic destinations and meet ten eligible bachelors. By the end of the season, she’s supposed to…