Hello and welcome to Help From My Friends Friday. Today’s guest is the talented and award-winning Sarah Andre. Sarah’s here today to tell us about her newest release Incendiary Attractions and a lesson she learned from a publishing icon along the way. Please welcome Sarah Andre! ~ Donnell
Author Sarah Andre
The Time I got Schooled by Brenda Novak
by Sarah Andre
Eight years ago, back when the incomparable Brenda Novak held her annual Juvenile Diabetes Auction, I won her highly acclaimed book endorsement bid. At the time I had a polished romantic suspense that had been shopped by my agent, rejected by the traditional pubs, but kept sweeping local and national contests. What would Brenda think of it?
While she had many good things to say and did write a lovely endorsement that is still on the cover of Locked, Loaded and Lying, Brenda cautioned me to research even the smallest of details. One example she gave was the prison I had the heroine’s father in, who reads about his daughter’s accomplishments in a Sports Illustrated magazine. “What have you researched about this prison?” she asked. “Do they even allow their inmates to get SI?”
What? I wasn’t going to put time into something so trivial–one sentence in a tertiary subplot scene. Besides, I hated research. Despised it! Dreaded anything that took me away from writing the story. It was fiction anyway- who cared about this little detail?
So I ignored her advice and, long story short–ended up fully rewriting that novel (different killer, different plot) five times for my agent. But I still kept in the same penitentiary I’d randomly picked from a Google search of “AL Prisons” way back when, and the father reading Sports Illustrated.
A few years later, when the novel was contracted and in final edits, I thought about Brenda’s warning. Reluctantly I brought up the actual penitentiary on Google…and almost fell off my chair. It was a women’s prison.
You’d think it’d be ‘lesson learned’ from that moment on, right? Nope.
Research still was the albatross around my neck for two more books…did the bare minimum on hostile corporate takeovers for Tall, Dark and Damaged, and a bit more on intricate art restoration for Capturing the Queen. The reader responses though: “wow, all that research made it such a better book,” is what thawed my antagonism.
When I sat down to write my latest romantic suspense, Incendiary Attraction, I quickly realized I’d need a LOT of background information on how a joint task force conducts a terrorist investigation. My mornings were spent plowing through a vague first draft and my afternoons were devoted entirely to research.
I combed websites about intricate bomb investigation details, like the 1995 Alfred P. Murrah building in OK. I tiptoed onto sites by or about white supremacists to understand their views. I watched YouTube videos of SWAT takedowns. I downloaded way too many easy instructions on how to make bombs or where inside a building’s structure to plant C-4. My keyword searches were all so extreme that I’m certain my name is on some kind of watch list!
This gave me vivid snapshots, but I needed the overall ambiance. A sense of the task force’s daily work environment and camaraderie. I ended up buying seven memoirs: six from FBI agents and one ATF. Two of the seven were written by female agents, crucial for me because my heroine was ATF. What was it like to choose a career in such a testosterone-laden world?
The vignettes the seven agents gave were filled with heart-stopping danger, larger than life drama, sometimes shocking betrayals of trust, or counterintelligence double-cross. The common thread throughout was striving with fierce determination to close the case, right the wrong. I came away with a humbling sense of awe and admiration, and highly recommend each memoir, even if you don’t need it for research.
Afternoons became my favorite time of the day, research my favorite part of the writing process, as I consumed one memoir after another. If the author thanked a colleague and mentioned that person’s book I one-clicked. Sure, I added a bit of fiction and invented an FBI position called Special Agent Associate for plot purposes, but I used the lingo and the atmosphere I’d picked up from these books.
I published Incendiary Attraction last month and consistently hear admiration for the realistic detail. Of all five novels I’ve written—this one ended up the most enjoyable. Why? Research. Somewhere, Brenda Novak is laughing at me.
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If you’re interested in the FBI/ATF memoirs, (some of the authors have been guests on this blog) here is the list:
Boots in the Ashes, by Cynthia Beebe (ATF memoir.)
What Every Body is Saying, by Joe Navarro (how to read body language.)
Special Agent, by Candace DeLong (memoir by one of the first females in the FBI.)
FBI DIARY: Home Grown Terror, by Peter M. Klismet, Jr
Extreme Ownership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin (about SEALs.)
Ghost: My Thirty Years as an FBI Undercover Agent by Michael R. McGowan and Ralph Pezzullo
The Pretender: My Life Undercover for the FBI by Marc Ruskin
About the Book: Everything about this mission stinks. Including falling for his sexy new boss.
FBI Agent Jace Quinn has a massive chip on his shoulder. Held back to an inferior rank because he hasn’t finished his degree, the decorated former SEAL has a problem with authority, especially the female kind. So when his new boss turns out to be the woman he flirted with at a cousin’s wedding, he’s horrified. Worse, so is she. Assigned to infiltrate a dangerous white supremacist group, Jace seizes the opportunity to prove to her this lone-wolf lawman doesn’t need handling.
ATF supervisor Heidi Hall is still reeling from the suicide of an agent under her command, and her quest for redemption means that in this joint task force op she’s going to work extra closely with the arrogant hottie who nearly talked her into bed. But in getting past Jace’s defenses, every intimate debrief only deepens her desire. And her rookie undercover agent seems headed for disaster—personally and professionally, which will bring down both their careers.
When Jace’s intel reveals a staggering terror plot is about to go down and Heidi discovers a traitor on her team, the pair race against time to thwart the deadly conspiracy before the city is blown sky high.
About the Author: Sarah Andre writes romantic suspense and is a 2017 RITA® Award finalist, which is Romance Writers of America highest award of distinction.
She lives in serene Southwest FL with her husband and two naughty Pomeranians. When she’s not writing, Sarah is either reading novels or coloring. Yes, you read that right. She’s all over those coloring books for adults.
For more information please visit www.SarahAndre.com
Facebook: facebook.com/SarahAndreNovels
She is a member of Goodreads
Twitter: @SarahRSWriter
Amazon buy link: https://amzn.to/3iFnw5w
plus a FREE LINK to book #1 for your blog readers: Tall, Dark and Damaged
Sarah Andre- Romantic Suspense that keeps you up all night!
The research shows, Sarah. Great job on Incendiary Attraction.
I love research and your book sounds wonderful — best wishes for huge success. – thanks for the listing of your research books- they sound right up my alley.
Sarah, thank you for being my guest today. I’m loving Incendiary Attraction, and when I’m through, I’ll leave a review. I laughed out loud at at your discovery that your unresearched prison was a women’s prison! Brenda Novak gave you some fantastic advice, and it shows.
Those are wonderful research books. I own a majority of them. Just reading them gives me plot ideas! Best wishes!
Thanks for commenting, C.F. and Jillian!
Really appreciate the invitation to come here today, Donnell. Your help in this latest plot was beneficial too- I’m in awe at the extensive friends you have that are willing to help authors out.
Nice blog. Yeah, research matters. And there’s always somebody out there who knows the details better than you do, and who isn’t shy about letting you know where you screwed up if you do.
Cynthia Beebe is one of the contributors on the CrimeSceneWriters loop, isn’t she?
oh my! The things writers learn for their books. You did good!
Jenna, yes, Cynthia Beebe contributes to Crimescenewriter on occasion. At last writing she was running for City Council. She’s a busy lady. Here’s an interview I did with her when her ATF memoir Boots in the Ashes came out. https://donnellannbell.com/boots-in-the-ashes-interview-with-cynthia-beebe/
I highly recommend Cynthia Beebe’s memoir, Jenna. I had the honor of readng her ARC because I’d been pestering her with questions months before. 🙂
Sarah, you and I have a win/win relationship, which is the beauty of writing friends. You told me about Cynthia Beebe. She has been a goldmine and generous to a fault.