V is for verify.
I hate when I read a book and something jumps out that is blatantly false. I'm not talking about fantasy worlds (but even the laws of physics has to apply), but I read and something I know is not true. Kind of like saying the main highway through my town is Route 66. Wrong. In central New Jersey, there are several main routes depending on where you live: routes 287, 22, 78, 80. Even in fiction, you have to verify certain aspects in order for the story to be believed.
One of the criticisms about Blonde OPS was that one person found parts unbelievable. Natalie and I researched--and all of the hacks are possible. Like TV shows and responsible writers, we're not going to give you the exact information to hack into someone's life and steal their identity or disable their car. (If you want to do that, do your own research, we're not aiding and abetting you.)
It's the same with the security around the First Lady. In Blonde OPS, there's a threat against her. I did extensive research on what types of guns the Secret Service carries, special precautions they take, even about the cars they drive. Not all of it shows up, but I've done enough so that the scenario is possible, but most likely not probable. (Because vampires, werewolves, and magic are sooooo real...) As a matter of fact, I've gotten little messages saying my browser was closed for security reasons (courtesy of the FBI. Not only was I researching the Secret Service, protection of the First Lady, firearms, and how to pick digital locks, I was also doing some research for a middle grade book on bomb detection dogs. See how this looks?).
We know (and I think history will side with me on this even though I don't have concrete evidence) that Abraham Lincoln was not a vampire hunter. But--his mother died, he was president, there was a Civil War, etc. So, even if you make it a fictional town, scenario, or alternate history, some basic things have to be true.
Or I'm just not believing it.
Char
