I was getting ready to take out the recycling, and I thought it might be fun to share some of the research that went into writing My Mimosa Pudica.
1. Mariana is a proud Mexican-American and bilingual, so I had to teach myself some Spanish. I’ve never been very good at picking up second languages. I took French in high school and barely passed the class. I’m better at reading and writing than speaking – I think it’s 85% confidence and 15% my military-brat accident gets in the way. But I wanted Mariana to be as authentic as possible, so I consulted translator apps, then went to a few really helpful Spanish language blogs to make sure the translations were correct – they weren’t always correct, which I used to create a couple of cute moments with the MCs.
2. The love interests have tequila on a few occasions, so I had to try some tequila. Before writing My Mimosa Pudica, I’d only had tequila once in a traditional margarita about 10+ years ago. I loved it, but I didn’t really know what straight tequila tasted like. I wanted to know what my characters were experiencing, so I bought ALL of the tequila. I think the owner of the local liquor store thought I had developed a drinking problem. I went from going in once a month or every two for a single bottle of Cabernet to buying one or two bottles of tequila every other week. (My liver probably agrees with the guy…lol) I tried 8 different kinds of tequila! My favorites are the Mi Campo Blanco because it has been rested in wine barrels and has this amazingly balanced taste of agave and wine, and I guess I’m a bit of traditionalist – I really enjoyed Jose Cuervo Especial Gold – a Reposado tastes remarkably like whiskey – good stuff. I took shots, had them with salt and lime, mixed with juices, made Palomas, mixed with Topo-Chico (lime and grapefruit), and even just with some water. I’ve decided I really enjoy a good Paloma and just sipping on a couple of ounces mixed with good old-fashioned H2O.
3. Mariana is a landscaper and a bit of nerd when it comes to plants, so I spent hours reading about all types of plants – trees, grasses, bushes/shrubs, flowers, herbs, moss, water lilies, and so forth. One very interesting plant becomes a pet name for Nina and inspired the title of the book (don’t cheat and Google it – read the book first 😊).
4. A conversation between the MCs inspired a need for a reference to something a bit extra… so I did some research and found Frogs – an eco-horror film from 1972. I couldn’t just reference the movie – I had to watch it (free to watch on YouTube if you feel so inclined). I’ve always had a soft spot for movies about nature striking back, so it was a fun watch, even with the bad acting and nearly non-existent plot.
5. Nina is worried about her yard becoming a smorgasbord for bees, so I had to research which flowers attract bees the most and if there were any that don’t. Fun fact – bees can’t see red, so it appears as black to them. So, if you’re allergic to bees, maybe do what I did with the tequila and plant ALL of the red flowers.
Writing My Mimosa Pudica became a fully immersive experience. I had a ton of fun with the research, learned loads of fun facts, and fell in love with these characters and their story through the process. I hope you’ll enjoy the story just as much as I enjoyed creating it.
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