This week and next I’ll be putting the final touches on Bitten in Two. I’ve finished the second draft and am now in the cleaning phase, during which I jump to different parts of the manuscript and sharpen the rough edges before giving it two more read-overs. One for fact-checking. One for readability. Then it goes to Phase Two–a foggy island shrouded in mystery during which editorial magic transforms it into the book you’ll eventually have in your hands.

But that’s then.

Now I’ve begun the research (mostly involving minute details like clothing, food, and music) that I always save until the end because, though they add great color, they’re just not important enough to the plot for me to worry about until now. Which means, in the past week, I have looked at pictures of severed goat’s heads. Read about an exotic meal starring sheep’s brains. Studied the intricate workings of what is widely accepted to be the most accurate sniper rifle in the world. Learned the Arabic word for “facial veil.” And spent a great deal of time communicating with my Moroccan contact, Anouk, who is turning out to be a font of knowledge. (Look for the official THANK YOU to her in the Acknowledgements section of the book!)

Here are just a few of the amazing pictures I’ve come across during the course of my research. What do you suppose Jaz, Vayl, and the crew could be up to in these surroundings?