How Neuroscience Helps Create Characters

As a big neuroscience fan myself, I'm so excited to have Maree Kimberley posting today about how (being a medical nerd like myself) she used her research into neuroscience to help create her characters.Welcome, Maree!My fascination with neuroscience began in 2009 when I read Norman Doidge’s The Brain that Changes Itself. Doidge’s explanation of brain plasticity, and of how the scientific community had discarded the centuries old idea that the brain...

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Up and Coming

Hey Redwood's Fans!How has your week been? Things are getting very exciting around the Redwood household, anxiously anticipating author copies of my debut medical thriller, Proof! When. Is. That. Box. Coming!!For you this week there are great posts and one contest!Monday: Maree Kimberly guest blogs on how neuroscience helps create characters. Very interesting stuff.Wednesday: Historical author Lacy Williams blogs about historical treatment of epilepsy. She's also giving away an e-book and hard copy (two books!) for those that leave comments.Also,...

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Decompression Illness: Dianna T. Benson, EMT

If you ever write a scuba diver character, a deep sea diver, a search/rescue/recovery diver, a Navy submariner, etc., you’ll need to understand Decompression Illness (DCI), a serious illness caused by trapped nitrogen. There are two mechanisms of DCI: 1)      Decompression Sickness 2)      Arterial Gas EmbolismSCUBA (Self-Contained-Underwater-Breathing-Apparatus) divers breathe a purified air mixture...

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Matt Patterson: Writing Personal Heartbreak 2/2

In trying to relay what type of leukemia Emily had, again, I attempted to mix emotion and information that doesn’t overwhelm the reader and hopefully keeps them emotionally attached.We were briefed by Emily’s oncologist regarding details of her diagnosis and what the game plan was going to be. It was then he informed us our little one had acute lymphoblastic leukemia – or “ALL” to those familiar in leukemia circles.Acute lympho-what? I thought to...

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Matt Patterson: Writing Personal Heartbreak 1/2

Trying to capture the emotional heartbreak of a diagnosis and simultaneously making sure specific medical information is correct was a big hurdle for me while writing My Emily.I wanted this book to be a quick read, but one that could leave a lasting message or lesson. Someone could sit down for an hour – give or take a few minutes – and perhaps walk away being touched in some small way.  My intention was to have the reader feel I was sitting...

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Winner and Preview

Congratulations Loree H. who won the e-book version of Sherri Wilson Johnson's To Dance Once More! Loree-- just need you to e-mail me @jredwood1@gmail.com so we can get your prize to you.This week at Redwood's Medical Edge:Monday and Wednesday: Author Matt Patterson blogs about writing through personal heartbreak.Friday: Dianna Benson stops by to talk about decompression illness. Oh so important for those scuba scenes. Hope everyone has a fantastic week!!Jor...

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Yellow Fever: Not a Thing of the Past

Ever remember hearing the terms plague, cholera, and perhaps yellow fever?I'm pleased to host Sherri Johnson Wilson today as she discusses her research into yellow fever for her latest release To Dance Once More. Sherri is giving away an e-book! So, please leave a comment and we'll draw the lucky winner Saturday, April 21st at midnight. Winner announced Sunday, April 22nd!Welcome, Sherri!In my Victorian-era novel, To Dance Once More, Lydia Barrington...

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Research Driving You Berserk?

What's the line between real life and fictional life and how do you realistically incorporate the two? This is a great post by Heather Gilbert who discusses her research into some well known Viking behavior and whether or not mushrooms were responsible for it.Welcome, Heather!When I started writing my Viking historical novel, I knew there would be battle scenes. After all, they’re Vikings, right? And I knew I had a salty old sailor who was left behind...

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The Art of Poultice Making

Author Jillian Kent stops by today for a little medical assistant with a question for all of you. What do you know about poultices?I write historical romantic suspense. I love the history of all things medical and try to incorporate them into my novels. However, I’m no expert when it comes to knowing all that much about the poultice. I’ve been looking around the internet and I’ve found a few interesting sites. Here’s one that will give you a description....

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Up and Coming

Hey Redwood's Fans!!So glad to see you here, particularly after all the internet changes I've made over the last several weeks.My new website has launched under www.jordynredwood.com. The blog is now incorporated under this umbrella and you can find it on the tab bar under Medical Edge Blog.If you want to go directly to the blog, you can find it at www.redwoodsmedicaledge.com. So, update your bookmark.However, there is lots of fun stuff on the website. Free resources and an additional blog called Redwood's Ramblings which is more about the writing...

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Asthma: Part 2/2-- Emergency Treatment

Last post, we discussed generally the disease of asthma. Today, I'm going to focus on emergency treatment.The three major problems with asthma are the airway constriction, the inflammation and the mucous production. Therapy is targeted at reversing these issues. Treatment starts as follows:1. Connect the patient to the monitor, determine baseline oxygen level. Normal oxygen saturation is 90-100%. Anything less than 90% is considered hypoxic. If the...

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Asthma: Part 1/2

Recently, I did an overview of diabetes. Here are the links to Part I and Part II. As authors, I think it's good to have a general understanding of the major illnesses so you have a background of whether or not you'd like to afflict your character with it.Asthma AKA reactive airway disease. Generally, when we think about respiratory disorders, we divide them between the upper and lower part of the respiratory system. The division between the two...

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What's A Guy To Do?

I was happily researching my latest book when it caused a funny thing to happen in the Redwood household. I'm watching TV when my husband sits down and asks, "Honey, is there something we need to discuss?""Like what?""I found something on your computer."Okay, let me say if my husband ever turns up suspiciously dead, all eyes will be on me. Not because I would ever desire to harm my husband but I am a nurse, have access to drugs, and let's say my...

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Winners!

Congratulations to the following winners of my debut novel Proof!From the WaterCooler Blog: Jillian KentFrom Redwood's Medical Edge: DougAll right you two crazy kids! E-mail me at jredwood1@gmail.com with your address and you'll receive those sometime in June.This week, I hope to be accomplishing the launch of my new website. Redwood's Medical Edge will be incorporated into that and as always, there have been a few hiccups along the way. Hopefully, these will be ironed out this week.I may suspend posting until these issues are resolved. I want...

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Peter Golden: Comeback Love 2/2

Today, Peter Golden concludes his discussion on some of the medical aspects of his new fiction novel, Comeback Love.Part II In Comeback Love, Gordon meets Glenna when a newspaper editor asks him to write a piece about an organization of medical students at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons who are involved in the lobbying effort to persuade the New York State Legislature to pass a bill legalizing abortion. The medical...

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Peter Golden: Comback Love 1/2

I'm so honored to be hosting award winning author and journalist Peter Golden as he blogs about the research aspects of his new novel Comback Love. I find the subject matter of this book fascinating-- the tumultuous 60s and a young woman in medical school. As Peter discusses, it's far different than what female medical students face these days.Welcome, Peter.Part IMark Twain observed that there are “liars, damn liars, and...

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