Novel Research

Authors of non-fiction have to do a lot of research, but authors of novels have to make sure they get their facts straight too. My books (so far) have all been contemporary, so I haven't had to do the kind of research authors of historical novels do. But that doesn't mean I don't do any research. I once read an entire book about minor league baseball, even though the subject was a very minor point in The Perfect Guy--but I wanted to get everything right! I researched Scandinavian food for Hey, Nobody's Perfect, because the characters attend a Scandinavian Fair. I guess I did a good job, because someone wanted "my" recipe for Blueberry Kakar! (I don't have one. :) ) So the next time you read a book, realize that you may be reading the results from research about topics in that story, no matter how minor they might be to the plot.