Waiting for the FBI to Arrive

Kathleen Donnelly is the author of the National Forest K-9 and K-9 series. You can find out more about her on the Blackbird Writers site, and buy her books there, too!

“I can’t decide if I should stab, drown, or hang my victim.”

Yes, this was the start of a date night with my husband at a local restaurant. I took a sip of my water and continued, “I’d like to come up with a more unique way to kill this person. I’m thinking of burning her in a slash pile of mountain debris, but I’ll probably have to shoot my victim first. Yes, forget stabbing or drowning. I’ll shoot her and burn her body.”

At this point, a couple seated near us began to stare. My husband was shaking his head, and then he told them, “It’s okay. She’s a writer and her books are great.”

We ended up chatting, and I even gave them a bookmark. I know. I’m lucky they didn’t report me to the local police department. On the way home, we discussed my most recent Google searches.

One was determining how big an area a briefcase bomb could destroy. For another book, I was debating the best way to crash a plane. I’d been obsessed with watching Air Disasters on television. Don’t sit next to me on a plane. I’ll probably tell you about the episodes I’ve watched.

But this is what I enjoy about writing romantic suspense. I get to mix love with killing people on paper. How fun is that?

In 2018, I decided to go beyond Google and enroll in our local Sheriff’s Citizens Academy. I wanted to learn more about law enforcement and how to portray the job accurately. To get into the academy, I had to pass a background check.

I remember my mom asking, “Do you think you’ll pass?”

“Um, yeah. Why wouldn’t I? I don’t have any felonies, misdemeanors, or even a speeding ticket.”

“Well, it’s the stuff you research,” my mom answered. “I’m sure you are on a watchlist somewhere.”

I passed the background check and made it into the academy. During one of the presentations, I remember asking, “So, if I’m googling a bunch of things like making bombs as book research, are you or the FBI going to show up at my door?”

The answer was simple. “Only if you go out and start buying bomb making materials like fertilizer.”

I leaned back in my chair. Okay. I was good. Going back a couple of months ago, when I was researching the briefcase bomb, my husband was heading to the store to buy some fertilizer for the yard. He also debated fertilizing our horse pasture. We decided against it for many reasons, but thinking about what I’d learned at the academy, I had to add, “We don’t want the FBI showing up at the door.”

The thought crossed my mind that if they did come, maybe I’d ask them some research questions for my book. That could have been interesting.

Being a writer is fun on many levels. I love what I’ve learned over the years about first responders, law enforcement, and investigations. I appreciate those who in real life do the difficult jobs when tragedy strikes. Their dedication and commitment are inspiring. I want to get those details as correct as possible.

So far, no FBI agents have shown up. No SWAT teams. No take downs at the airport. But my book research continues. My latest subject? Poaching. Just out of curiosity, have you ever researched something that you thought might bring the FBI to your door? And if you are an FBI agent reading this, how many writers are on your watch list?

Award-winning author Kathleen Donnelly is a retired K-9 handler. She writes the National Forest K-9 and K-9 Justice series. Kathleen continues using stories from her dog-handling days to craft realistic, exciting fiction. Her love of the mountains came from growing up in Colorado and exploring the wilderness. Kathleen hosts the podcast: Sit. Stay. Read., a part of the Authors on the Air Global Network. She lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and four-legged friends. Learn more at Kathleendonnelly.com, where you can find out more about her latest release, Deadly Revenge, sign up for her newsletter and find links to connect with her on social media.