Weird Research

Every once in a while, I like to take stock of all the weird stuff I research for upcoming books. It’s amazing. Since the Jamie Brodie mysteries are reality-based, I want to be accurate for as many of the incidentals as possible (without getting sued). Here’s a list of stuff I’ve looked up recently, all for upcoming books:

The chemical structures of heroin, cocaine, and Ritalin

Cocaine in 3D. By User:Benjah-bmm27 (Self-made with Accelrys DS Visualizer 1.5.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

If you were going to hide a body in Pacific Palisades, CA, where would you hide it?
What percentage of Cahuilla blood you have to have to become a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (1/8, in case you’re interested)
How composting toilets work
UCLA’s academic calendar for 2017-18
Available conference space at UCLA
What other attractions are near the La Brea Tar Pits
How many copies the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy sold
What sorts of summer camps Cal Tech offers
How eminent domain works
What sports teams Santa Monica College has for men
The bylaws for the Board of Trustees of Santa Monica College

Interesting, right? I don’t end up using everything I research – but I think I’m going to use everything on this list. How? Stay tuned.