Last week I shared news about my car accident. Many of you wrote back (thank you!) and we began a conversation about what we do as research for our stories. I’d like to continue with that theme. No more automobile accidents, please, but what other techniques do we use?

My books take place in Italy. I happen to go frequently (such a burden—cough, cough) and have had the opportunity to plot out my former work-in-progress on the site where I wanted it to happen. For the manuscript that is now ready for the next revision (please make this the final one), I literally ran the streets in Rome to be sure I could tell the sequence correctly. No woman runs in Rome. I had men trying to stop me and offer help. How could I tell them to back off? They were messing with my stop watch.

In the outskirts of Rome I drove in the pouring rain to find a small town that I knew would be perfect as a second setting for the last scenes of the book. It was, but the drive was also a story unto itself. I’m keeping those notes for a future opportunity.

As I write in the mystery/suspense genres, I worry a great deal about how to kill people and create a certain level of mayhem. My kids are very concerned about the research I tend to do to attain the right level of both accuracy and graphic detail. I certainly have never murdered anyone, nor plan to do so, but it is important to get our facts correct, right?

Now, I do need to give you a little background so you’ll understand why my daughters become anxious with this topic and with the process. My husband travels internationally a huge amount of time. Often that is to the Middle East, Dubai, and parts of Asia. The kind people in customs and immigration have told him there is no way they can add extra pages to his passport. It’s too thick. You get the picture.

Well, for one of my scenes I needed to have a poison that would kill someone (this is about my writing, please know that) and could be hidden in a meal. My fingers flew over the keys. The Internet search engines were talking with me. Oleander!! It’s a beautiful flowering bush, very common. Did you know about Oleander Soup? Deadly. This might really work, I thought. A few months later I was walking with one of my daughters in Rome and the Oleander was in full bloom. “Oh, boy,” I said, “think of the damage you could do with that.” My daughter stumbled on the step and gave me a look I’ll never forget.

Then there was the time I needed to understand how a Molotov cocktail was made. Yup, it’s all out there. Then there was the time I needed to blow up a house. I posted a question to one of my writing groups—any ideas? The responses flooded back in.

My two daughters have now begged me to stop. Dad, they say, travels to parts of the world that have risky safety issues. YOU, MOM, are Goggling bombs, poisons, guns, and methods of creating havoc. Is this really the best plan for the family? What if men in dark suits arrive at the door? What if they wonder what our family is really about? Stop!

I nod with a sincere look on my face, hoping my girls are buying it. I haven’t told them yet that I’m thinking about joining our local gun club. For those of you who know me, this is a truly shocking admission. But, how else will I really experience what the recoil feels like or how long it takes to reload with trembling fingers? Then, there is the evasive driving course offered at the Lime Rock race track. This is the one for security personnel and others who offer protection. The list is endless.

I have no defense other than all this just lives on my hard drive. Go look at it. It all is research. I promise I have no ill will towards anyone, but---- Yes, that’s the catch. BUT, I really do want to know how it all can happen.

Tell me. Your wildest research story. Bring it on.