I feel exactly the same way.  I just finished another manuscript, Castaway Dreams. I’m thrilled I finished writing my sixth novel, and it motivates me to begin the next one.  However, I’m taking time to refresh my research first.  My books have been set in Florida and the Caribbean, but this next one (Working Title: “The Hot Pirate’s Secret Baby”) will have most of its action in England in the early 19th C.  I’ve got some great research books on hand, but some of them I read five to ten years ago and they deserve a second look.

I also have a couple of new purchases for research that I’m enjoying.  One is Amanda Vickery’s Behind Closed Doors–At Home in Georgian England and Georgette Heyer’s Regency World by Jennifer Kloester.

This latter book has me worried.  It’s so enjoyable that I’m fighting the urge to re-read my Heyer collection.  I know that if I start spending hours with the Divine Georgette and Hero and Arabella and Sophy and Mary and all her other wonderful heroines (not to mention the heroes!) that I’ll never get to spend time with my Hot Pirate.

So it’s back to work for now, and if I find myself weakening I’ll remember how much I “enjoy having written” and that a new novel is lurking in my brain awaiting its day in the sun.

I’m currently working on LAUNCH, Super Agent Series, Book 4. This story takes place in Russia and features CIA Chief of Operations Ryan “Smitty” Smith from OPERATION SHEBA, SAS Book 1. Ryan must help Anya Radzoya, the missing princess from the last of the Russian Imperial houses, who steals the launch key to a nuclear missile In order to stop the Russian president from starting a second Cold War. 

Every Super Agent book requires massive amounts of research. I’m only a hundred pages into the story and already I’ve had to learn about the following: 

Russian history, beginning with Nordic founder in 862 AD

Russian foods

Common Russian phrases

Nuclear launch keys

The architecture, layout and history of the Great Kremlin Palace complex

Russian Imperial houses

Imperial jewelry 

Since Anya is a genetic scientist, I’ve also had to research and study genes, DNA and genetic counseling. While I managed a B+ in Biology 101 and never blew up the chem lab in school, I still failed to grasp much of the science surrounding genes. Thank goodness for the Internet and good old fashion text books. I’ve crammed a lot of hefty scientific facts and theories into my overloaded brain in the past few months and constantly double check them on occasion to be sure I’m correct. 

In the third Super Agent book, Proof of Life, Brigit, the heroine, made this observation: “The intelligence community considered information only as reliable as its source. If the source was bogus, so was the intel.” 

I believe the same thing holds true for authors and readers. Readers consider stories only as reliable as their authors. While I make up some elements in my stories, I put as many facts in them as I can. I want to be accurate and trustworthy as an author while still spinning a fun, over-the-top adventure for my readers. Doing my research is a critical part of that process and one I hope readers enjoy. 

Misty Evans does her research in her pajamas with a giant mug of coffee within arm’s reach and her favorite playlist blasting in the background. For more information about her Super Agent Series, visit www.readmistyevans.com and come chat with her at www.twitter.com/readmistyevans. Her latest print book, PROOF OF LIFE, Super Agent Series, Book 3, is now available for preorder http://www.amazon.com/Proof-Super-Agent-Misty-Evans/dp/1605047937/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277494700&sr=8-2 .

I believe many readers think romance authors channel themselves into their heroines. Me, I like to channel myself into my villains. When I’m reading my finished books, I truly believe there’s little of me in my heroines (though my heroes are always somewhat like my husband).

Right now I’m writing about Daphne Farnham in the early 19th C. To get the right feel for Daphne I’m trying to channel Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde, Alicia Silverstone in Clueless and every ditsy, screwball heiress from the classic comedies of the 30s and 40s.

I’ll know more if this is working for me when I run the manuscript past my beta readers, but I have to say that writing about women pirates (Pirate’s Price) and tough con-artists (The Bride and the Buccaneer) was a snap compared to Daffy Daphne, and I’ve never been a con artist or a pirate!

Writing about an airhead whose life revolves around fashion and parties is difficult because I occasionally find her saying something cutting and sarcastic, and I have to stop and say, “No, that’s not Daphne, that’s Darlene.” Daphne is sweet and likes to draw rainbows in the borders of her correspondence. Darlene, not so much. Daphne thinks the key to happiness in life is having the proper accessories. OK, Darlene likes the proper accessories too, but she doesn’t obsess over it!

When I’m writing scenes in Daphne’s POV it’s a challenge, but I have to admit, it can also be fun trying to think to myself, “What Would Daphne Do?” I want to push myself to do things differently, to make each of my novels stand out. If I can pull it off with Daffy Daphne and Dr. Murray in Castaway Dreams, then I’ll feel like I’ve succeeded.

And to celebrate, I’ll make a big bowl of popcorn and watch Bringing up Baby.

It was my birthday this week, and I celebrated by doing something different. I signed up for a zipline safari at a Florida site that specializes in eco-tourism. I’d never done anything like this before, but my thought was, what’s the point of surviving another year if you don’t live it to its fullest? In addition, now that I’m middle aged, I’m in a better position than ever to try something new. My kids are grown (the oldest asked if he was still listed on my life insurance, the younger said, “You rock, Mom!”), and while my husband was nervous about me flying through the air on a cable he didn’t try to talk me out of it. After 34 years of marriage, he knows better.

It was a little scary, though not as frightening as when I went spelunking in Florida caves while researching The Bride and the Buccaneer. Never knew I was prone to claustrophobia until that day. But I did it anyway, because I wasn’t about to wimp out after having come that far.

It’s like that with writing a novel as well. When I first started writing Pirate’s Price, I didn’t tell anyone I was writing a novel. I wasn’t sure at that time if I could finish it, or sell it, or if anybody would want to read it. But I managed to accomplish all three of those things and win an Eppie Award for it as well.

Even now, in the midst of writing my next novel, I reach a point where I wonder, “Can I finish this? Can I sell it? Will anyone want to read it?” But I grit my teeth and tell myself, “You’ve been small craft sailing and spelunking for research, you’ve gone ziplining through the backwoods of Florida, you’ve hiked around old Cracker homesteads full of insects, snakes and possums–you did all of that and got four books published and won awards…you can finish another damn novel!”

And I do. It’s as exhilarating as ziplining, and as scary, but just like ziplining there’s a strong sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at the end. Now I’m ready to do the nighttime zipline safari!

I can say, with no false modesty, that my fears are generally unwarranted. I don’t always get an A+, but so far the reviewers seem to agree that they find my stories entertaining, my characters engaging, my dialogue snappy. Some even say they enjoy getting a little does of Florida history fed to them, which thrills my history wonk soul. You can read for yourself what the reviewers are saying at my website.

Are all reviewers created equal? No. I find a comment from a reader saying “I couldn’t go to sleep last night because I had to stay up to finish your wonderful book!” every bit as grand as the most detailed analysis of my craft. I will say though that for me as a writer some reviewers are worth paying particular attention to because they understand writing. Their comments will be on point, and can be helpful.

On the other hand, there are some popular reviewing sites where you wonder if the author of the review was having a bad day, or ever read historicals, or was actually reading the book you wrote. When I get one of those reviews, I let it bother me for about five minutes. Then I remember the reader who said, “I read your books when I was undergoing chemo, and it took me away from everything for a few hours. Thank you.”

And then it’s all right again, and I’m reassured my baby is every bit as pretty as I think it is.