Guest Post from Jennifer Kohout

Guest Post from Jennifer Kohout

First, I’d like to thank Free Book Dude for the opportunity to do a guest post. Second, I’d like to point out that this is my first time, so be gentle.

The other day my husband and I were comparing health insurance. As self-employed parents of two (four if you count the two that show up to eat and do laundry) it’s the responsible, if not fun, thing to do. This led to a discussion on preventative verses catastrophic insurance.

Now, being the multitasker that I am, I was also doing research for my next novel at the same time. Said novel is expected to revolve around the erotic happenings of a fallen angel and a demon.

So, amid conversations about well-baby checks, annual pap smears, and the cost of an appendectomy (considered a mid-level event by the medical community) I was researching Lucifer’s fall from Heaven and the meaning behind demon names (there’s a website for that).

It occurred to me that that would be the perfect time to talk to my husband about what to do in the event of my untimely demise. It went something like this:

ME: “Honey, if anything happens to me, please remember to brush our daughter’s hair. I don’t want her to be the only five year old in kindergarten with dreadlocks.”

HUBBY: “Isn't she old enough to do that by herself?”

ME: “No. Oh, and remember to delete my browser history. Anyone looking through it would think I was a demon-worshiping-witch with a thing for werewolves and chocolate covered jellybeans.”

HUBBY: “I've got you covered.”

While amusing, it did make me think about all of the research I've done over the past year. I've written three books and am currently working on a fourth. Legend and Untamed are the first two books in my Wolf Lake trilogy, which focuses on a pack of werewolves living in the PNW, while The Bride of Devil’s Acre is a historical romance. At the same time, I’m gathering information on a Viking/dragon trilogy and putting the pieces together for a erotic novel that takes place in my version of the Underworld.

Needless to say, the research for one does not translate well to the others.

I love doing research. It was a part of writing I never thought about even when making the decision to stop practicing law and start writing full time. I've discovered that I can spend entirely too much time reading books, surfing the Internet and getting lost down the rabbit hole that is Wikipedia. I now possess some truly fascinating, if somewhat useless knowledge and am totally the person you want to sit next to at cocktail parties.

There is a downside.

Do you have any idea what researching witches does to your recommendations on Amazon? Add in books on Norse mythology, a copy of Dante’s Inferno, and pre-order a DVD copy of Oblivion and next thing you know Amazon is recommending If I Ran the Circus by Dr. Seuss.

Hm…perhaps more appropriate than I originally thought, now that I think about it.

But it doesn’t end there…Storm, book three in the Wolf Lake trilogy introduces some new characters including a witch. Not being a witch myself (despite what my teenager might think), I wanted to read up on the subject so I could write intelligently on the matter.

I prefer to order hard copies of my research material so that I can make notes as well as have the physical books on hand while I’m writing. I had just opened a delivery from Amazon when our contractor stopped by to give us a quote on the new deck we’re adding to our house.

A nice guy, the contractor and my husband were standing outside pointing to various spots in the backyard talking Trex verses Azek and generally grunting the way men do when considering the use of power tools. After an appropriate amount of time, they came back inside to discuss quotes, HOA approval and schedules. All was going well when our contractor glanced over and saw the stack of books I was happily flipping through. Trying to decide which one to read first, I had spread them all out, their titles clearly visible and their subject matter obvious.

Our contractor’s eyes went wide and darted back and forth between me and my husband. I just smiled and muttered something about spells for wayward familiars working just as well on husbands and went back to reading.

After he left, my husband pointed to my stack of research and wondered if we’d ever hear from the contractor again. Not to worry, we did and work has started on the deck. Our contractor has been surprisingly prompt and the project is on schedule. Not at all like the stereotype but I doubt one thing has anything to do with the other.

I've also learned to be careful discussing story lines and research material in public. Most of my material isn’t appropriate for the under 18 crowd and I've caught more than a few puzzled glances while in line at Starbucks, especially when I have my two year old with me.

So, while research has the potential to torpedo your Amazon and Netflix recommendation it is still one of my favorite parts about being an author.

Meet Jennifer Kohout

Jennifer lives in Washington with her husband and 4 children. A lawyer in another life, she stopped practicing law to do what she loves - write. She enjoys running in her spare time and just finished her first half marathon.

Connect with Jennifer Kohout

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