I know many Blaze Babes have talked about research, but when a person is neck deep in it, as I am, it’s hard to think of much else. So- another blog about research!

Next year is the 10th anniversary of Blaze, if you can believe that. I’m writing a Uniformly Hot Blaze to celebrate, and in this book both the hero and the heroine are in the U.S. Air Force.

I know as much about Air Force life as I do about quantum mechanics. Not a good place to begin, but I love the story and the characters, and I’m determined to do them justice.

The problem is, there is a humongous, gigantic, epic amount of information about the Air Force. A lot of the data is available online. Too much data. Trying to get the specifics, the telling details, is turning out to be a huge task. For example, when to Captains greet each other in every day work situations, do they just act like regular folks on the job (only in uniforms) or is there a protocol that’s understood and observed?

Then there’s the issue of jargon specific to not only AF personnel in general, but how that differs from the jargon of fighter pilots.

I probably could skim some things, but I don’t want to. One of the things I’m loving about working on this book is that I’m a total sentimental sap when it comes to folks serving their country. Seriously, I tear up at the National Anthem, I’m a sucker for men and women risking their lives for a greater cause. Honor and courage move me deeply.

So I’ve got close to 80 bookmarks on my computer, everything from details on uniforms to job descriptions to the course syllabus of Fighter Pilot Training School. I also have a 3 DVD set that was produced by Tony Scott shortly after 9/11, that follows three hopefuls in their quest to fly F-15s.

It’s still not enough, and I’ve got a ton of xx’s where I can’t find the specific word or phrase or even the correct training progression. It would have helped a great deal to have been in the Air Force myself, but it’s a bit too late for that.

What I have found is that there are live online chats with recruiters that I can go to, although I feel guilty taking up much of their time. I’m going to try to drive to Vegas and go visit the PR person at Nellis AF Base, if at all possible.

If I’m lucky, I’ll hook up with someone who knows the universe of this particular branch of the military, and maybe, maybe, they’ll take a look at the manuscript and help point out corrections that need to be made.

I know the books aren’t on the shelves for long, and that so many people regard them as little books (and that’s on the kind end of the spectrum), but I cannot, will not, give this subject a light brushstroke. Of course, the central theme is the love story, and it does take center stage, but the world my characters inhabit deserves to feel real, be as close to the truth as I can make it.

I wish I had months and months to research, but I’ve got to work fast, so that means working smart. And being disciplined, because all I want do is dive into the research and not come up for air.

I have always loved reading books that took me new places, that gave me the experience of entering a fully formed world I’ve not been exposed to. I’ve also read too many books where the research has been painfully neglected. The may be small books, but I know Blaze readers are smart and deserve the kind of reading experience that lets them escape into a world they can inhabit, that feels utterly real.

So, um, if anyone knows an Air Force kinda person who wouldn’t mind talking to a writer – let me know.

Also, just because I love it beyond belief when I can lose myself in another world, any contemporary examples out there? Favorite books that swept you away to a new, unique view of life? I’d love to hear about them.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Jo Leigh. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.