LUCY BURDETTE: It's a delight to welcome our friend Daryl to the blog--I'm astonished at how much work she does to understand her characters. See if you aren't surprised too!
DARYL WOOD GERBER: I love doing research for my books. What I learn helps me build character and give depth to the story. Don’t worry, though I might gather reams of details, they don’t all make it on the page. I sprinkle them in so readers can reap the benefit of my deep dive.
Here are 5 reasons why I love research:
1 Choosing character’s names: It’s important to me to find a name that suits each character. In Murder on the Page, coming up with Allie Catt’s name was fun. Throughout her life, she was teased because her name lent itself to jokes. However, the teasing helped her develop a strong spine and a witty sense of humor. For your information, the earliest reference to the surname Catt is Catford, a name of medieval English origins, which initially meant a ford frequented by wildcats. Allie considers herself pretty wild, so the name fits.
2 Crafting the characters’ backgrounds: I enjoy getting to know my characters as they evolve. Using research, I determine their style, their appearance, and which books they like. I pin down where they went to school and who they associated with. Every time I start writing a character’s history, it’s like meeting a new friend. Yes, even the antagonist becomes a friend because I get to know him or her so well. Do the characters like the Internet? Eschew it? Do they like animals? What kind of food do they enjoy? Which genre books do they read? All these details might not make it onto the page, as I mentioned at the top, but they help me imagine the character as a real person. For example, I can see the actress Isla Fisher playing Allie . . . if this ever makes it to the silver screen. She’s the girl-next-door type with red hair bordering on sassy.
3 Searching for recipes can be a blast: In Murder on the Page, the book Pride and Prejudice is a favorite of the owner of the book shop, Feast for the Eyes. When the owner is killed, Allie and her best friend, the victim’s niece, decide to hold a memorial for her—a themed memorial based on Pride and Prejudice. I immersed myself in the story, pulled quotes, divined which foods might be consumed during the Regency Era, and more. I discovered a recipe for white soup, which took a long time to prepare but was worth it. I also learned how to make a delicious trifle, Maids of Honor—sweet little desserts—and more. Taste-testing is my happy place.
4 Listening to music to put myself in the mood: I like to listen to music when writing, but it cannot have lyrics or I will start singing at the top of my lungs and chair dancing. FYI, it’s not easy to type while chair dancing. For this story, I listened to music from the Regency Era. It is gentle and soothing and lyrical. Beethoven’s “Sunset, The Return to Ulster,” an Irish folk song, really stirred me when writing. Also, while researching the different types of music, I picked up this tidbit. Haydn was one of Jane Austen’s favorite composers.
5 Dressing my characters: Because Allie is of Celtic descent, I have given her a Celtic knot necklace as her favorite piece of jewelry. Easter egg: This items actually helps when solving the mystery. Also, she is not fussy when it comes to clothes. She prefers comfort. Tegan, her best friend, loves anime and sci-fi books, which colors her style. For the memorial, Allie asks attendees to dress in period costumes. As luck would have it, the local theater in Bramblewood recently put on a production of Sense and Sensibility, so the costume department has plenty of dresses and menswear on hand and is more than happy to lend costumes for the event. Regency Era dresses and accoutrements are gorgeous. I had to tear myself away from browsing pictures. After all, I have to write first, browse later. But if you’re interested, for Allie, whose signature color is sage green, I found the perfect gown and bonnet on Pinterest.
I hope all my research will help bring immerse you in the story of Murder on the Page, published by Kensington Books...
So gentle reader, do you enjoy details in a book? Do you skim them? Do they help bring the story to life?
GIVEAWAY: A copy of Murder on the Page to one commenter.
About Daryl: Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling mysteries, including the Literary Dining Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams suspense novels. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. You can learn more on her website: darylwoodgerber.com
Social Links:
WEBSITE: https://darylwoodgerber.com
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber
BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber
YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber
GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber
TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@daryl_wood_gerber
AMAZON: amazon: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page
https://bit.ly/3SenzVy
NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/
About the book: It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.
Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?
Once again, Allie’s love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues. With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .
Congratulations, Daryl, on your newest book . . . after reading all this about the amazing amount of research you do for your book, I am quite captivated and even more anxious to read the story of Allie's latest adventure.
ReplyDeleteDo I enjoy details in a book? Absolutely! [And, no, I never skim over them.] I think they give depth and life to the story being told . . . .
Joan, thanks for the congrats and I'm glad I've found a fellow details lover. ~ Daryl
DeleteThose details absolutely make the story come alive for me. I'm always in awe at how writers come up with them. Thanks for the peak behind the curtain, and congrats on the new series!
ReplyDeleteMark, so nice to see you here. Glad you could have a peek. ~ Daryl
DeleteDARYL: Congratulations on the new series! I enjoyed reading MURDER ON THE PAGE.
ReplyDeleteOf course reading all those details help enrich the story and make each character unique. Being a foodie, I certainly was intrigued about the white soup!
Grace, thanks. I'm so glad you did. And the white soup was a definitely difficult dish to make, but worth it. ~ Daryl
DeleteCongratulations on your new series, Daryl. I love the details and depend on character descriptions to give me a feel for them, especially if it's a series and know I'll see them again. I rarely skim any part of a book. Sometimes I'll make a note to return to the page where a particular character first appears just to check those details again.
ReplyDeleteJudy, you make notes? Now that is a studious reader. LOL ~ Daryl
DeleteCongratulations, Daryl! Isn't it fun to drop just the right detail into a story? I think the kind of details readers skip over are the too-many kind!
ReplyDeleteEdith, I love details that perhaps...perhaps a reader must remember as a clue later on. Devious, but fun. ~ Daryl
DeleteDARYL: Congratulations on your new series! Loved your Fairy Gardens series set in Carmel by the Sea. Loved the introduction to your question "dear gentle reader".
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of food, did people grown their own vegetables in the garden? Did community kitchens still exist where women from the village would bake their bread?
Yes, we love details in a novel. Reading this post about your research gives me ideas for my novel in progress. I am researching the 1920s in England and Scotland.
Diana, glad you noted the dear gentle reader reference. LOL Good for you re: writing something set in the 1920s. I have NEVER been a history buff and that would be daunting to me. But I enjoy reading stories set in the past. ~ Daryl
DeleteO-o-oh, regency, food, costumes, and Asheville, NC! (I have family there) Sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteSuzette, I'm so sorry for your family and how they might be struggling. Such a shocking storm and outcome. ~ Daryl
DeleteCongratulations on the new series! I have it checked it out from the library but haven’t started it yet. I love details in books. They help me relate to the characters and locations more. I’ve learned a lot over the years from details authors include in books.
ReplyDeleteChristi, please let your librarian know if you enjoy it so she can refer to others. Thanks! I'm with you. I think details help me relate to the story itself. ~ Daryl
DeleteThe new series sounds fascinating! I'm with Edith, too many details drive me crazy. The carefully chosen and introduced details fill out the character and the time/place for me. They let me set the "book movie" in my head so that the story unfolds with depth and richness. -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteVictoria, I agree that too many is too many. I like just enough sprinkled in throughout the story. ~ Daryl PS Love "book movie" term.
DeleteSounds fabulous and I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteDetails in a book? Yep, bring them on. Well chosen details help bring me into the story.
Kait, thanks. I love the cover, too. So different from my other covers. ~ Daryl
DeleteCongratulations on your new series! Details are always fascinating and make the story extremely worthwhile and enjoyable. They give me the background which I crave.
ReplyDeleteTraveler, lovely to see you here. Background can anchor a reader, can't it? Make you feel you know the person. ~ Daryl
DeleteFrom Celia: I’m so impressed by your detailed research and wish you great sales. Your descriptions drew me in to believing that your Regency party was real and I wanted to see you dressed in the best Bridgeton style.
ReplyDeleteDid you read any Georgette Heyer Regency novels? They were my favorite stories growing and I still have quite a paperback library of them. Very sad not to have hard covers but back then I was an impoverished office worker. I was happy to find Kindle editions.
Thanks, Celia. I hope the book sells well, too. What fun to return to stories that you enjoyed early on. I have not read any of the G Heyer novels. I'll check them out. ~ Daryl
DeleteFrom Celia: Thanks Daryl. I never checked out what her research was based on but her reading of social niceties and rank in England not to mention dialogue etc. has always run so true. I imagine Heyer read a lot of and about Jane Austin.
DeleteDaryl, the Heyer novels are must reads! So witty, such fun! I'm going to look for the Kindle editions as, like Celia's, I'm sure my pb editions have long disintegrated...
DeleteI love this insight into the types of research you do! The book sounds wonderful- adding to my TBR!
ReplyDeleteCierra, I love your name. What an interesting spelling. Enjoy the book when you get to it. My TBR pile is quite tall. ~ Daryl
DeleteI like the details, they give a good sense of the character. And it's especially fun when those details come in to play in the mystery, the character having an obscure bit of knowledge or particular interest that leads them to identify the killer. Of course there needs to be a balance- I've read books with so much detail all at once it can be distracting. I prefer it spread out over the book/series to where it comes up naturally, and some things the reader can imagine for themselves. With a series, an unanswered question or two about a certain aspect will have me coming back to the next book to see if it's addressed and if my theory is correct.
ReplyDeleteAlicia, I'm with you. I do not like "description dumps." Just a little here and there. Enough that you can picture the character in your own mind, which, by the way, might differ completely from what someone else has gleaned from the details, right? ~ Daryl
DeleteThis is wonderful backstory on your character creation, and it is clearly while your characters come to life so gorgeously! Love hearing about this. And it sounds like you have some moments while writing that are truly fun – – which is also wonderful to hear.
ReplyDeleteYou are the queen of reinvention, Daryl, and such an inspiration! Xxxx
Hank, so sweet of you to say, but yes, reinvention is the key to survival. ~ Daryl
DeleteDetails are like spice: enough can make the dish pop, too much is overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book!
Liz, great analogy and so true! ~ Daryl
DeleteI enjoy relevant details in a story, as opposed to written lectures. I've always wondered what white soup is, and now you've answered that in a relevant way! Great start to a new series, Daryl!
ReplyDeletePat, thanks so much. And yes, I'd wondered what it was, too. I had to "research" that as well. Fun challenge. ~ Daryl
DeleteYour new book sounds intriguing! It’s going on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteI tend to skim descriptions of clothing, unless it’s apparent that clothing is playing an important part in the story. I want to get to the action!
DebRo
Thanks, Deb. Interesting re: clothing. Sometimes clothing makes the "man." LOL
DeleteCongratulations on your new release, Daryl, and may I just say...that cover is SPECTACULAR!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenn. It sure is different from all my other books! Daryl
DeleteLike a properly seasoned dish, well researched writing adds layers of flavors with none of them overwhelming the rest.
ReplyDeleteLibby, what a lovely way to put it. ~ Daryl
DeleteCongrats on the new cover, Daryl, and adore the cover! So Gorey!!! And count me as a detail lover/non skimmer! So looking forward to seeing how you used your Regency research. And that gown and bonnet!! Just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteDeborah, I love the gown and bonnet, too! ~ Daryl
DeleteCongratulations on your new series, I'm looking forward to reading the book. I like a book that has details related to the storyline and I don't just skip over them. I like learning about different time periods.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dianne. I must say doing research about different time periods is a challenge. I've never been a history buff. LOL ~ Daryl
DeleteBig congrats, Daryl, on the new series! And I so agree... research is so much fun. Early research that shapes the story and then getting the details right as you get into it. Of course my favorite kind of research is travel. Sounds. Smells. Street lights and cloud cover. So much better to describe it than to make it up. And it always leads me to unexpected ( YAY!) plot twists.
ReplyDeleteHallie, I keep a pretty detailed outline so I get the season right, the temps, the days. It's almost like creating a movie, scene to scene. ~ Daryl
DeleteI love most details. Although if you give a lot of detail about the workings of cars, computers, etc., you've lost me. Details about people, clothes, food, pets, etc. are much more my style. Looking forward to the new book.
ReplyDeleteSally, I promise I won't give a lot about the working of a car. My sister could give you every minute detail about that. Not I. Ha! ~ Daryl
DeleteCongrats on the new book
ReplyDelete