3:
How do you research the locations you use in your stories? 

 

Locations are most often places I have been. For example, the Irish location, while in a different county, has a layout based on the farm I grew up on. Italian places are based on either our own family’s properties (cousins, uncles, etc) or friends’ properties. FOB Panther is based on my husband’s family ranch in Texas, as is Nemesis in Montana... the layouts and the houses, more than the locations.

Obviously, I haven’t been to warzones and rely on my beta readers who have served in those places to correct my screw ups. Some of the cities I’ve used are where families I have sold puppies to over the years are located, or where I have friends in the dog show world, and those people also kindly read for authenticity. (I still screw up, or I fudge something a little to ensure the people who matter to me’s homes aren’t exposed, etc.)

Zurich is a place I lived for many years (it’s where I met my husband, got married, had our first kid, etc.)

Italy is where I live now, so I can jump in the truck and drive the roads to see what my guys are looking at, etc. So it’s a mix of things depending on what the story/location calls for.