FIVE REASONS WHY I LOVE RESEARCH By Daryl Wood Gerber

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 . . .