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Well, here it is – the heart-grabbing opening lines from my newest manuscript:
“Mexico by any measure is a giant. It’s population, now nearing 110 million, ranks 11th in the world. It is about three times the size of Texas ― 2.0 million square kilometers, or 761,600 square miles. Its large urban population and growing middle class make it an enticing market for beverage makers, both homegrown and international.”
Yes, this is from the report I’m writing for a beverage-marketing firm in New York. The VP/Editorial there is a good friend. Once a year I write a report for him. It helps pay the rent, as they say.
This year the report I’m writing is on the beverage market in Mexico.
It’s very different from my novels, of course. Almost none of it is made up!
Seriously, it involves an incredible amount of research. And I love research. I love finding those nuggets of truth that tell a story, whether it’s about an old librarian solving a murder or what the señors and señoritas in Mexico are imbibing these days.
I’ve finally turned the corner on this report and if I can work straight through the next two weekends I can deliver it on time. Then I will get then back to work on my non-mystery novel, Another Fine Night at the Zauberwald. It’s the most ambitious project I’ve ever undertaken. The amount of research I need to do is staggering. Which means I’ll be in seventh heaven.
One of the great things about writing mysteries, by the way, is the incredible breadth of the research you have to do. Here, for example, are some of the topics I had to research for the next Morgue Mama book:
The history of the Romanian monarchy
Ferry travel on the St. Lawrence Seaway
What kind of surfaces DNA sticks to
How glass marbles are made
Art Deco fireplaces
Cremation urn liners
Sleep disorders
Pet allergies
Shelf life of pepperoni
Packaged soup
Women’s shoes
Acidity of turkey vulture stomach enzymes
Transgender surgery
Striptease dancers in the 1950s
Toy soldiers
Street names in Lafargeville, New York (thanks Google Earth)
And speaking of Morgue Mama, boy, do I have some good ideas for the next one. Ideas that will require an incredible amount of research, about . . . well, about a number of things.
Yes, indeedee amigos, research is big fun.
PS
Anybody who thinks the real purpose of this posting was to cleverly advertise the new Morgue Mama book — The Unveiling of Violeta Bell, March ’08, Poisoned Pen Press, hardcover, $24.96 ISBN: 978-1-59058-501-6; large print $22.95, ISBN: 978-1-59058-502-3; audio book, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-4332-1162-1 — ought to be ashamed of themselves.
PS no. 2
At least three of the above research topics for the new Morgue Mama are fake, in order to protect the plot for future readers. Likewise, at least three are not fake.
C.R. Corwin relaxes at the beach after completing his exhaustive research on the new Morgue Mama novel, The Unveiling of Violeta Bell, March ’08, Poisoned Pen Press, hardcover, $24.96 ISBN: 978-1-59058-501-6; large print $22.95, ISBN: 978-1-59058-502-3; audio book, $29.95, ISBN 978-1-4332-1162-1.
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So glad you have the gorgeous seafront so you can relax after that exhausting fake research. Oh, and the real stuff, too.
by Judy
on November 12th, 2007 at 7:29 am
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Boy….I hate reading all that ISBN stuff in books. It makes my eyes cross. And, because I can’t stay focused on all those digits and dashes I have to keep rereading each entry, sometimes 10-12 times. Just when I finish one ISBN, along comes another one. I’m suspect that its the same number, but I can’t confirm that fact yet.
Why do you write types do this to your reading fans?
z
by David
on November 12th, 2007 at 8:10 am
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I feel for you, bro.
Given Casey’s productivity, you’ve probably got more ISBN’s around there than a library.
Or, perhaps you’re just suffering from ISBN envy?
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 8:33 am
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I am about to finish a book. When I do, can I come sit on your ocean-front park bench?
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 8:40 am
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PS–I actually enjoyed reading the first paragraph of the great beverage study. It’s concise, well written and interesting. Just shows that even dull info can be transformed by the right person.
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 9:06 am
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Quit buttering me up, Casey, I’m not going to show you where my bench is.
Actually, that photo was taken right before last year’s Malice at Rehobeth Beach in Delaware. I sunburned my nose so bad that I looked like a certain raindeer all through the conference.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 9:12 am
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Oh, so THAT was the problem. I was going to say something about how much you were drinking, but I guess that explains the nose…
by Judy
on November 12th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
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CR….drinking again?
Oh no…..we were such a team at rehab.
CR….I secretly started again too…I use good ole OldSpice talc to powder my nose…takes care of that color problem. But, wow, snorting that stuff makes me start singing Anchors Away!
by zorro
on November 12th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
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Enough of the red nose/drinking stuff.
I had thought you’d all be trying to guess which three of the research topics for the new Morgue Mama book were fake.
Winner gets half a bottle of peach schnapps.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
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My guesses:
Shelf life of pepperoni (no research needed, just check the fridge)
Toy soldiers
Cremation urn liners
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
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You got one out of three. The pepperoni.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
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Ok, now I only need two!
Here are my guesses:
1) Pepperoni–thanks casey
2) Cremation urn liners
3) Striptease dancers in the 1950s
Did I win?
by zorro
on November 12th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
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You went zip, Zorro.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
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So pepperoni’s right…I’ll add…
ferry travel
DNA stick-to surfaces
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
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So far, all you’ve got right is the pepperoni.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
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Since I’m the only one playing, I can practically taste that peach schnapps!
Pepperoni
sleep disorders
transgender surgery
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
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Not yet, you can’t.
So far all you’ve got is the pepperoni.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
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Yikes…still just the pepperoni! Looks like my finely honed intution isn’t so finely honed at all. Here goes again:
Pepperoni
Pet allergies
Packaged soup
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
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Unbelievable.
You’ve still got just the pepperoni.
by C.R.
on November 12th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
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OK, process of elimination. I have to get it right eventually.
Pepperoni
Romanian monarchy
womens’ shoes
by Casey
on November 12th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
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How do they make a Cat’s Eye Boulder?
DB
by don
on November 13th, 2007 at 4:27 am
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Casey,
What’s the matter with you?
You’ve still only got the pepperoni.
by C.R.
on November 13th, 2007 at 7:31 am
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That’s it! I give up!!! Yes, it’s only 8 in the morning, but I’m going out to buy my own bottle of peach schnapps.
by Casey
on November 13th, 2007 at 8:12 am
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Casey, please don’t give up. I’m having too much fun . . .
And Don, in tyhe old days Cat’s Eye Boulders used to be made by hand by unemployed writers. Now they are made on one of two machines: The Cat’s Eye 2000, or the Z79-12DD Marble Master.
by C.R.
on November 13th, 2007 at 8:38 am
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All right, you got me:
Pepperoni
glass marbles
art deco fireplaces
by Casey
on November 13th, 2007 at 9:06 am
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Congrats!
You’ve now got two: pepperoni and marbles.
By the way, that half bottle of schnapps is now down to a quarter bottle. Er, eighth of a bottle.
by C.R.
on November 13th, 2007 at 9:25 am
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Have another slurp while I give it another try…
Pepperoni
marbless
Lafargeville, NY
by Casey
on November 13th, 2007 at 9:32 am
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No schnapps yet, Casey.
My Maddy Sprowls is from LaFargeville and in the new book makes a pilgramage there.
by C.R.
on November 13th, 2007 at 9:37 am
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Which means it has to be
Pepperoni
glass marbles
acidity of turkey vulture stomach enzymes
and yes, I do have a list that I’ve been marking off!
by Casey
on November 13th, 2007 at 9:58 am
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That turkey vulture stomach enzymes thing sounded almost too weird to be false, didn’t it?
But you did it, Casey!
Unfortunately, not before every drop of that peach schnapps was attacked by my stomach enzymes.
But, I’ll send you the empty bottle. You can put plastic flowers in it or something.
by C.R.
on November 13th, 2007 at 10:13 am
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I’m honored to be the recipient of this grand award. And yeah, the turkey stomach enzymes made perfect sense to me.
by Casey
on November 13th, 2007 at 10:28 am
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Wait a minute…..that Cat’s Eye 2000 is a piece of exercise equipment. CatEye is a Japanese mfgr of cycle ergometers and other machines.
You’re not researching things here. You’re driving Casey to drink….she’s been down for the count now since 11:00AM. I think she resorted to polish vodka….started yesterday at 15:30.
She was up al night trying to set up a grid to enter her guesses in so she could switch from vodka to schnapps in the AM. Never made it….What a scam.
Hey, I know this other scammer with a rake….wanna meet him and compare notes?
z
by David
on November 13th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
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Believe me, Zman, I know zilch about exercise equipment, Japanese or otherwise.
I am now, by the way, writing about Mexican wines, which, apparently, are not very good.
by C.R.
on November 13th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
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C.R. and company;
I went to the web and found a wonderful site called Landofmarbles.com
After reviewing all the information, it seems to me that all of you have LOST YOURS! ( sometimes these things get just too wierd!)
by don bruns
on November 14th, 2007 at 9:30 am
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Don,
One cannot lose what one does not have in the first place. And I have been marble-free all of my life. It is why I am a writer.
by C.R.
on November 14th, 2007 at 9:42 am
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free porn video byeyumii
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