"THE LONG CON": RESEARCHING THE NIGHT SIDE:
Pre-writing: The Research Stage When a new story idea is formulating in my head, the first thing I do is pick out a beautiful notebook, usually a large-sized lined one that becomes the dedicated notebook for that novel. I now have two bookshelves filled with notebooks. They're a reminder of all the work that went into each book. Once I've jotted down some of my ideas and have a loose story structure, I begin researching for details and background info that might help me flesh out the story. In the case of THE NIGHT SIDE, I did a great deal of reading about psychics, the Tarot, and the investigators that make it their business to search out the con artists and grifters who use their psychic business as a cover for extortion and fraud. The Facts and Figures A recent US study on psychic businesses (Tarot card/palm readings/astrological advice etc) outlines the following statistics: 4 in 10 US adults believe in psychics there are at least 94,000 psychic businesses in the US ...