 | 25 Aug 06 |
Life, my friends is good, very good. (addendum after the fact: this is a long shameless path to the guts of this post: research)
I woke up the other a.m. grumbling about having to get up so early. Hubby is on strike with the remaining kid, so I have to take the little bugger to school (which also means he [hubby] gets to stay in bed). Grrr. I’m not sure if I’m dreading or excited about number two son getting his license in October. So anyhow, I woke cantankerous, as I am want to be when I have to be out of the house before 8 a.m..
After playing bumper cars with other grumpy mothers, I came home spoiling for a fight. If hubby was on strike from driving the kid, then damn it I was on strike from making the coffee (rule is: first one up makes it, which is usually him). So, I walked haughtily by the coffee pot and fed my fish, the girls, the cat, and Max the parrot. I made my point! Or so I thought. I caved. I needed caffeine, the hot liquid kind in a cup in my hand when I check my email in the morning. I made the damn coffee.
Then I checked my email, and as is sometimes the case, I have an email from a writer who has a cop related question. I generally type my response with some degree of certainty, but always ask currently on-strike-hubby to confirm my answer. Admittedly, he usually tweaks it.
Now, Allison and Natalie both know my husband personally, and I can honestly say they lurve him. I’ll let them expound on why. (and don’t be stingy with your words ladies). Most of my CP’s and fellow writers around here have met him and get a kick out of him as well. My Kensington editor Hilary Sares likes him more than she likes me, and several of you know him from his comments here at MSW. Most of which I’ve had to either ask him to delete or seriously augment, because well, the man has an opinion and had he been left to his own devices, he would have most definitely begun one of several flame wars. And we don’t flame here at MSW.
So, he is the smartest man I know. He has an above average IQ, he has more common sense then half of the earth’s population combined. He has the gift of eloquence and he’s a damn good writer in his own right. Not to mention the guy is hilarious. He makes me laugh. It’s what attracted me to him over two decades ago and it still does. He can also be arrogant, he is protective, his faith is unshakable and he will always stand for what he believes and never fall for what is in fashion.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The man has his faults (sorry, honey, but it’s true). He will fight the good fight and know he is going to lose and suffer the consequences to go with it. And sometimes those consequences are hefty. He was always a spirit of the law kind of cop. Before he retired he held the record for most IA’s in a year. And for the record, none of them stuck. His style of police work was aggressive, hands-on and righteous. He never arrested a bad guy who didn’t deserve it. He was the officer who could diffuse a family disturbance about to go to shit, and have the bad guy walk out with his dignity intact. Hubby was never one of those half-cocked young guns who wanted to go down in a blaze of glory. No, he was the smart one, the patient one, the one you didn’t want to piss off because if you did, you paid for it. If you were fair he was fair. If you were a dick he was a dick. If you wanted to fight, he was always up for it, and always won.
There were scores of men my husband worked with over the years. In his heyday there was one elite group of them who owned the city, and the bad guys in it from the hours of 10 pm to 8 am. They all sported the same Foo Man Chu mustaches, flat tops, and kick ass attitudes. For the year and a half this squad ruled the streets, the crime rate dropped dramatically. No one fucked with them. They had a name; a name I would love to share but can’t, not yet, because it is the name of the series I’m writing in their honor. Each one of these men, and a few women (although the original real life squad had no women) will tell their story. This series, while sexy, will be straight romantic suspense. It will have its own website. I’m planning on launching this series in the antho Allison, Rocki and I are doing.
Now that I have shamelessly promoted myself and hubby, the main reason for my post today was to ask about your research habits and to offer a free resource to those of you looking for cop related answers to law enforcement questions. Beginning next Wednesday over at my The Write Life blog (www.Karintabke.com then click o the blog link) Cop Talk will go live. A certain hot cop I know, who I’m calling Officer Friendly,
Okay! So now this brings me around in a very long way to my original topic of this post. How far do you go for research? Do you surf the net, read books on the subject, or find a hands-on place to actually experience it? How far have you gone in the name of research? How far would you go?
© 2006 – 2009, Karin Tabke. All rights reserved.
A Cop’s Wife Writes the Cop’s Life:
Award winning author, Karin Tabke isn’t just another author with steamy stories to tell, but a cop’s wife who has “seen it all and heard it all.†Some of the hottest stories come from behind the blue wall of law enforcement rather than from in front. Married to a street cop, now retired, Karin is intimate with both and proves it with her sizzling tales and hot cops. Not only are her cops hot, but so are her sexy knights. Karin’s Blood Sword Legacy series is a must read for anyone who loves tales of yore when men were men and women were women, and love did conqueror all!
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Karin, a lot of my research depends on 1) how nice the place I’m going to is and 2) if it’s tax deductible. I wrote a book years ago where I did extensive research on quarter horse racing. So we went to beautiful Ruidoso, up in the mountains of New Mexico, and I worked with a wonderful track publicist who has since become a buddy of mine. She got me into the big pre-race dinner and also onto the backside for a week. When I got back to Tucson, I went to the track and found a trainer, and followed him around for approximately a month, off and on. In additon to being a hell of a lot of fun, I needed to know what racehorse training was really like – and there was a lot to learn. The friends you meet along the way are the best thing.
I’ve also used trips I went on earlier, before there was even a gleam of a book in my eye (which I had the foresight to write off). The Florida panhandle and the Alaskan Inside Passage made it into DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN.
A lot of times, though, with the internet, if you need to know something, it’s very easy. You’re typing along and suddenly you look up something, get a photo of something, or you pull up Map Quest. So many questions aren’t that important, but you can usually find it on the net. I wanted to know what a hanky pank at a carnival was–easy to hit a button and find a glossary of carnival terms.
Research, to me, is fun. Lunches with cops (Mexican food!). Surfing the net at a cop’s house, seeing how predators troll for kids.
Setting books in places I’d like to go is good, too. There’s something wonderful about going some place and really learning it, because you’re going to write about it. It almost feels like you own a piece of the place.
by Jake August 25th, 2006 at 4:54 amYou do love your hot cop, just like I love my old grumpy one..
by Lee August 25th, 2006 at 7:43 amI haven’t done a lot of research yet for my stories. I was working on one scifi one and was trying to do horse birthing research. That was beyond hard, so I kinda set it aside for awhile. I was working on one story, I wanted to see if the fire department had ride-alongs like the police. Long story short, hubby had a cow. For those not in the know; police hate firefighters and vice-versa. I tried to ask for an explanation, but none of it made sense to this non-law enforcement person I am. LOL
by Amanda August 25th, 2006 at 7:46 amAmanda, outside of the large metro cities, 95% of fire department responses are resuscitator calls that are then turned over to an ambulance crew. It is widely held that fire fighters get paid big bucks to sleep long hours. They do their grocery shopping, workout with their weights, give fire house tours to drooling mom’s with drooling kids, get Kitty out of a tree, and watch “Rescue Me”. Okay, they also occassionally go into a burning building and sometimes attend to bloody vehicle accidents.
But, as public servants go, they never have to ruin someone’s day with a ticket, never have to take daddy to jail for beating mommy, never have to face someone with a gun or a knife, never have to give a death notification, never have to travel at speed’s in excess of 100 mph while pursuing bad guys, never have to break up a biker bar fight or console rape and molest victims. And yet, firefighters seem to get all the praise and attention.
This having been said, some of the greatest guys I’ve ever worked with who without hesitation have jumped in to help me at a scene when things went to cacaa, have been firefighters. They are fellow brothers in blue, it’s just that mom always liked them best.
And now we rejoin our regularly scheduled blog already in progress…
by Hubby August 25th, 2006 at 8:09 amHub- one of these days you’re going to have to write a book of your own. I loved reading your view of firefighter’s from a police officer’s standpoint.
In all agencies, it’s always “us against them” to some degree. My character, Laura, is called a “tail light chaser” by the TPD people she knows, because she’s with DPS, although she’s a detective.
The police chief here in Tucson has a drawing that looks like a target– concentric circles he calls “The Circle of Assholes.” It starts with the outside – civilians. Then families are inside of that. Then it’s all cops. Inside that, it’s your own agency – TPD, DPS, sheriff’s, whatever. Then it’s your squad. Then it’s your partner, if you have one. The only one who isn’t really, truly, an asshole is you!
by Jake August 25th, 2006 at 8:15 amJake – I think I could work for your CoP.
It’s always been “us against them” and always will be whether it’s police/firefighters or police/police. Everyone seems to see themselves as the better half. In California, we don’t have a Department of Public Safety, we have the CHP or Can’t Handle Police work. No offense intended Amanda/Patrick, just making my point. I’ve always considered it friendly competition and never taken serious from any angle.
As to a book of my own… Karin, Josie and Natalie are all helping me (more like pushing me) with a current project that has four completed chapters. So, we’ll see…
by Hubby August 25th, 2006 at 8:50 amKarin, I go as far as the research takes me
The Cop Talk resource is so cool! I’m quite sure I’ll be asking questions there.
Karin’s hubby, good luck with your project!
by Jen August 25th, 2006 at 9:06 amDamn computer ate my first response.
Jake- I knew you had to have researched up to your armpits with DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN. It was exceptionally written. Everyone, if you haven’t read it, you’re missing out.
Lee- I love your grumpy one too.
Amanda-I was going to reply to your firefighter comment, but hubby beat me to it. But on a personal note, I always volunteered to drive for the firehouse field trips. I remember one of the moms asking me if they would give her mouth to mouth if she faked a heart attack. I told her, “Not only that, they’ll cut your clothes off too. It’s the first thing they do.†I had to hold her back.
As far as researching a foaling, they have that stuff on videos. Jake? Any come to mind?
Jake-don’t let him fool you, one of his closest friends is a Battalion Chief. And me thinks it’s going to take a village to see him complete his book. He does not write daily
by Karin August 25th, 2006 at 9:25 amEven my own wife. Oh, the shame…
by Hubby August 25th, 2006 at 9:25 amThe Cop Talk going live is extremely cool… I am certain I’ll have questions, too.
And good luck with that book, Karin’s Hubby.
Karin, that series sounds terrific. I’d definitely pick that one up.
Karin, as far as research, I’ll do as much as it takes to find out the facts, even if I’m going to end up blurring data later. I’ll go on location, interview, follow people around, check out books, the net, etc. I mostly research as-I-go, or I’ll make a note to myself as to how I “think” something works (with a general amount of net search), but then go back and confirm it with someone in that field before polishing. Sometimes I’ll hit a blank — I don’t know quite how something would be done and I must know in order to write that section, so off I’ll go on a short research binge. I don’t do tons and tons of research ahead of time unless it’s so far outside of my knowledge base, I’d be completely lost just starting. For my standalone, I’ve had to talk to people with top clearance at a particular industry, and finding them was hard (finding ones willing to talk, even though they were assured they weren’t going to be directly quoted). But I had to have that insight in order to structure the business which is both the background, the victim and in a way, the villain in that book. I try to avoid doing too much research ahead of time for two reaons: 1) it’s too easy to call myself “working” when I’m really just procrastinating because the subject interests me and (2) it’s too easy to become super focused on the research and start piling in factoids instead of letting the characters choices / personality tell the story.
Great subject!
by toni mcgee causey August 25th, 2006 at 9:28 amI love hands on research. I joined the local “citizen’s police academy” and did a 12 week stint learning what the fine officers in our community suffer through to keep it safe. Oh, the best part, okay, one of the best parts, was getting to drive the patrol cars through obstacle courses, as fast as we liked. (My very cool instructor kept saying: PUNCH IT, what are you afraid of?)In my next life, I’m coming back as a cop
I recently visited a huge ranch, drove in a herd of buffalo, went horseback riding with a real cowgirl, shot a variety of handguns with the Second Amendment Sisters. I’ve hiked all over the Black Hills, been to rock concerts at the Buffalo Chip campground in Sturgis during bike week, talked to several members of a local bikers “club”, attended powwows on the reservation and will go to damn near any rodeo I can get to, including 3 days in Cheyenne WY to see “the Daddy of ‘em All.” But, I like to do all of those things anyway, so it doesn’t feel like “real” research.
I HATE looking stuff up in books. Part of me is surly about it, wondering why if I’m writing fiction why I should have to have any information based on fact. Sigh. I do the research, but I don’t have to like it.
I’m trying to convince my husband if I had a horse, I’d really know what it was like to take care of it, but he ain’t buying that argument.
by Lori G. Armstrong August 25th, 2006 at 9:34 amHubby’s book is great, and his voice extremely strong. The characters just jump off the page. You can see his life’s experiences in every word. I think he’s got a winner. He just has to FINISH it! LOL.
Hubby is opinionated, strong-willed, extremely charismatic and warm and friendly. He takes everything he does seriously, and doesn’t jack people around. I know it is what made him such a good cop, what makes him such a GREAT football coach, and also is why Karin keeps him around. (That, and a few other reasons….)
by Natalie August 25th, 2006 at 9:35 amI’ve gone pretty far. I’d tell you, but then I have to kill you.
Would probably draw the line at committing a felony in the name of research.
by Diana Peterfreund August 25th, 2006 at 9:53 amJen-I’m kind of like you with research-go as far as I need to. But I can be lazy.
Toni- I completely agree with you on both points 1 and 2! Especially 1. J
Lori- I want to be you in my next life. How exciting. FYI when I get into the SUT w/hubby I hold on for dear effing life. You can take the man out of the patrol car but you can’t take the patrol car, or the training out of the man. Of course the kids loved it. Grrr, sometimes I hand him an imaginary ticket. He gives me that curious look and I say, “It’s my ticket for the roller coaster ride.â€
Nat- I’m sicking you and Josie on his butt. I want that book finished!
by Karin August 25th, 2006 at 9:59 amDiana, please don’t hurt me! Well, unless there is research merit in it for both of us.
by Karin August 25th, 2006 at 10:01 amI’ve done some pretty extensive research. For all my westerns, I walked (or rode) the same ground the characters did at the same time of year, and that helped so much–even though I nearly froze my butt off in Wyoming and came uncomfortably close to running headlong into a grizzly in Montana. In contemporaries, I always ask the pros advice so the work rings true, and I did take our local police citizen’s academy course, but much of that I learned only deals with the midwest. Already learned that PDs on both coasts do things differently. For me, it’d be easy to research too much.
Looking forward to Officer Friendly’s gig.
by Jan August 25th, 2006 at 10:25 amWow! Karin’s hubby is writing a book. I’ll be first in line to get a copy. I feel like the lady on the Mervyn’s commercial. “Hurry, hurry.”
by Amanda August 25th, 2006 at 12:49 pmJan, all of your work comes across to me as well researched. Especially the wild wild west factoids and speech.
by Karin August 25th, 2006 at 12:57 pmAmanda, I thought you knew. He has a choir practice scene that is so, er, um, explicitly raunchy in its authenticness I just shook my head when I read it. I hate it when critics read my work and scoff then say, “Cops don’t act that way.” The hell they don’t! And that ain’t even the half of it.
Now you guys get it from the fantasy writer’s POV: I don’t do research.
Part of it’s that I’m still a student. And well, I don’t really want to come home and read more non-fiction. I’ve been reading the odd economics text here and there though. Maybe the muse has plans I don’t know about?
I can’t wait for Cop Talk to start either, Karin!
by May August 25th, 2006 at 12:58 pmI love being an armchair detective, lol.
But I have gone so far as to do personal interviews with certain professionals.
by raine August 25th, 2006 at 2:43 pmFascinating.
I look up the information on the internet, take books out from the library, but I prefer talking to someone involved in that field–even if it’s through email. They tell me the details the the books won’t–like how the person involved “feels” during this time.
How cool that we can add your hubby as our “cop” expert now.
by Edie Ramer August 25th, 2006 at 2:56 pmI’ve done both arm chair research, as well as out-the-door research.
Before I started writing my first book I read every book I could find on sociopathic behavior. Read tons of books on police procedure and police slang. But at some point that simply wasn’t enough. So I talked to a couple of my local Sheriff Deputies, and started doing ride alongs with them. They introduced me to a couple of State Patrol guys who took me on ride alongs with them. From there I got introduced to a couple of local police officers in the town nearest to me, and started doing ride alongs there as well.
I’ve been given a personal tour of the local jail. Even allowed to sit in on an autopsy. (which wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be once I managed to forget it was a human body on the table)
So far I’ve been amazed at how kind and supportive the local law enforcement guys have been. Anytime I have a question, they make sure I get answers for it. They even helped me work out a couple of plot problems in my book, when what I had didn’t match the actual police produce.
And the stories they tell.. . they all have incredible stories. Some funny, some beyond sad, some really strange–but all interesting.
by Theresa August 25th, 2006 at 3:18 pmI am so in for the cop expert! And I already think your hubby is a riot
by Cece August 25th, 2006 at 4:30 pmI go as far as I need to. Matter of fact I’m planning a trip to SW Texas for Thanksgiving-what better way to get out of another dreadful family holiday than pleading research!!!!!!!
Okay, Amanda’s hubby said to tell Karin’s hubby; he became CHP under protest. The State Police merged and he had no choice.
He was a CST for awhile with State Police and really liked that job. Except for the cat graves, but that is a story for another time.
by Amanda August 25th, 2006 at 6:56 pmI’m late joining this party (I was up at FOUR, Karin, so you can just stuff your indignation you know where
I research anyway I can–books, on-line, true-crime shows–but my most valuable resource is people. Karin’s hubby is one of them. Not only is he knowledgeable, but because he has a creative soul, he understands how we work. I can pose a situation that I need to work, and he can find a way to make it work. In SEE NO EVIL he MADE the conflict work. I had it, but it wasn’t perfect. Gary made it pop
The generosity of writers, particularly romance writers and their spouses, is huge. We support each other when we can. We promote each others books. We don’t criticize another author in public. We share information and research and what little wisdom we have.
People make my research work. I can email a writer friend who’s a nurse and tell her what symptoms my hero has, and she can tell me his ailment. I can email my brother-in-law the wildlife biologist and find out how he does his job. I can pick up the phone and call Karin’s husband and she doesn’t want to shoot me.
But hubby, you should still get up and make the coffee.
by Allison Brennan August 25th, 2006 at 7:00 pmMay-That’s not fair! Your research is your imagination.
by Karin August 26th, 2006 at 10:39 amRaine-Do tell, what kind of ‘certain professionals’?
Edie- I like speaking with a real life person as well—it gives more depth to the final scene, especially if the person interviewed digs what they’re talking about.
Theresa- Dr. Cyn, part of the Crime in Mind trio I’m part of is a forensic psychologist—she’s fascinating to listen too. I can listen to her talk about sociopaths and psychopaths for hours. You’re very fortunate that your local PD is so forthcoming. Usually they aren’t. I’ve been on my fair share of ride-alongs and mostly it wasn’t a problem for the cop I was riding with coz he was a friend, but when civilians showed up, for the most part they ran the other way. Unless it was a hotty. Then there was a battle, from all officers, male and even some female. Lol, oops did I say that? Ah, but that is another story…
Cele- hubby *is* a riot! As to your Thanksgiving plans, may we join you? There is this one faction of the family…
Amanda-I want to hear the cat grave stories! And tell your hubby he looks awesome in that uniform.
Allison-up at four? as in the am? Surely you jest! Hey, chica, I envy you *that* 4 am wake up call. I like your spin on Gary’s ability to make something work. During our morning walks I will throw out a scene and say ok, now tell me what will work. By the time we’re on our last leg we’ll have hammered out a realistic solution. He is truly a priceless resource. Sheesh, I guess I need to tell him that more often. That and coffee duty is always his.
Ahh, you want cream with that?
by Hubby August 26th, 2006 at 1:19 pmyou know how I like it
by Karin August 26th, 2006 at 1:50 pmlol Karin.
Yeah, I can imagine hotties make all the difference. Alas– I am no hottie. sigh
I think the reason the guys have been so good with me is because I knew them for close to two years before starting the ride alongs. I worked behind the counter at a local mini-mart, and they’d come in every night and chat a bit. Our town is small, only 2500 people on week days– that population swells into the 100,000′s when the tourists arrive during the weekends. But during the week, which was my shift, the local law enforcement guys would be pretty slow most the time. They’d let me ask all sorts of questions, and that naturally led to the ride-alongs.
A got to know almost all the Deputies and several of the State Patrolers, this way.
I have a local writer buddy who used to be a psychologist with the Juvenile system. Her stories on sociopathic children are facinating too.
by Theresa August 26th, 2006 at 2:00 pmTheresa, years ago a couple of my gf’s from back east came to visit. When the three of us showed up at hubby’s PD for a prearranged ride along, and my gf’s looked like they were going out as undercover hookers the place erupted into action. Hubby rolled his eyes and I just shrugged innocently. He took one, I went with one of his buddies (they don’t allow wives and hubbies to ride together) and my uber naughty gf went with a very mild mannered cop. So, fast-forward hours later and it’s like 3 am. We all go into the local all night diner to eat. My naughty gf made a scene like she was a hooker in the back of the squad car, her ride along cop was stunned. roflmao, then she insisted he cuff her. roflmao some more, then she made a big scene as he tugged her along into the restaurant. She told the waitress he was a naughty cop, among other things, and well, it was hysterical. After that, ride alongs were put on hiatus for awhile.
by Karin August 26th, 2006 at 2:11 pmOMG Karin,
LMAO.
That’s a scene that begs to be included in one of your books, if you haven’t already done so. Nothing ever happened on any of the ride-alongs I was on. Basically just traffic patrol. The guys keep telling me “Really, things are usually much more exciting than this.” lol
Either they’ve got the radio in the car I’m on tuned to a different channel, and other officers were responding to the serious calls, or I was a major jinx on them.
I sure get alot of stories out of them though, and lots of questions answered.
by Theresa August 26th, 2006 at 3:39 pmKarin, thank you very much, I have always thought he looked great in uniform. Went on a ride-along once with him. Drove about 110 through a neighborhood to chase a car and got to see hookers who weren’t “ladies” of the night, if you know what I mean.
by Amanda August 26th, 2006 at 6:55 pmHey, Theresa,
I think you need to go over to The Write Life and check out the latest post.
Amanda, they wouldn’t let me go with hubby. I would have passed out going 110 miles per hour.
by Karin August 26th, 2006 at 7:46 pmOMG,
Thank you Karin!!
by Theresa August 26th, 2006 at 8:43 pmHey, you earned it. Great lines. Congrats!
by Karin August 26th, 2006 at 10:15 pm>>may we join you?
See you in Odessa!
by Cece August 28th, 2006 at 10:44 amKarin, Hubby et al.
I know I’m REALLY late on this but I just got pointed in your direction from another friendly blogger and am I ever happy I did!
I can totally relate with you about your Hubby. Mine is also a cop, but in Canada (and it is so different up here – he can’t do have the sh…stuff American’s can and it is so frustrating). It makes it hard for my research because of our stupid Charter of Rights and Freedoms – did you know that everyone has more rights than a cop???
Oh-and my hubby is usually on coffee duty too – except he’s not yet retired (he has a few good years left) AND he also has a very close friend who is a firefighter… funny how they have this anamosity that doesn’t quite touch their hearts isn’t it? Hy hubby calls Larry (the fireman) a gloryhound but doesn’t mean it, I just call him Hot Larry (one because he’s a fireman, and two because, well – he’s hot!)
And I don’t really like my hubby’s driving either. I really do think it’s a cop thing.
good luck Hubby – with your writing. I love the gritty true crime feel to a novel that has been well researched. Since I’m just starting out as a writer (wannabe) I haven’t had to go anywhere for my research but my husband so far, and my own daytime profession…I do like the idea of submerging yourself into your research though…really getting in there and being one with your topic. I think I’ll use that as an excuse to take a vacation!
by Jacqui D. September 6th, 2006 at 4:49 amParis – here I come!