Researching your book, the joys, the pitfalls

I'm in major research mode for my next Silhouette Desire Continuity series, The Dakota Fortunes set in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Usually, I have free reign when I'm writing a story because I use a fictional setting and create my own town or use a place I know inside out and backwards. For my historicals, I always have to know certain things about the time period, regardless, but for a contemporary set in a real city, the research has to be accurate. I spent the better part of yesterday researching South Dakota, the climate during certain months, the geography, charitable organizations in the region, (for my heroine's story) and the history. Needless to say, I really enjoyed learning about the history of South Dakota. I'm always fascinated to see how a township got its start, how the people earned their livings, how the region has changed and why. So that part of my research is fun. I've got pages of notes already.

But sometimes, researching an area isn't as easy as you want it to be. For instance, I spent hours trying to find out the average temperature for Sioux Falls during the month of March. Well, they posted every month at the weather service, BUT March. Maybe it was an oversight or a mistake, but it wasn't there. What I do know is that February is decidedly freezing cold and April is quite a bit warmer. You see the dilemma? March is one of those iffy months in between, so I'll keep trying to find out, but I won't let it hamper my story. I figure any place I write about can have fluke weather, warmer than usual or an unusual snow storm might happen anywhere in that region. And if all else fails, I can always pick up the phone and call the Chamber of Commerce to get my answers.

But all in all, I find researching a new area I've never visited quite exciting. With the use of Webcams and other internet tools, one can really get the feel of a city without being there.