Deception Wears Many Faces
Today I am pleased to be able to
participate in the blog tour for Deception
Wears Many Faces by Maggie James. My
thanks go to Sarah Hardy and BloodhoundBooks.
About the Book
When Lyddie takes
her sister to Devon to recover after a recent suicide attempt, it starts a
train of events that will put their lives in grave danger.
Ellie has been the
victim of a professional con artist, one who stole her savings, then
disappeared from her life. Driven by her own history of failed relationships,
Lyddie vows revenge on the man who broke her sister’s heart.
Soon she assumes a
false identity and begins her hunt for a man she knows to be cold, calculating
and ruthless. But who is fooling whom? And can Lyddie find the justice she
seeks and heal her damaged sister?
Guest Post
Today on my blog, Maggie James
joins me to share the story behind the book, make sure you are curled up
comfortably in your favourite chair / seat and have your favourite drink with
you. It’s a beautiful guest post and such
a riveting read.
The
story behind Deception Wears Many Faces
Deception Wears Many
Faces was such a fun book to write! The novel is linked
with many happy memories, thanks to the fact I wrote it while backpacking
through the Americas on a ten-month trip. My travels started in Canada and stretched
as far south as the Antarctic Peninsula, taking in the USA, Mexico, El
Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and
Argentina along the way. I’ve been happily globe-trotting for decades, but almost
all of my trips have been as a tourist. This one was my first as a nomadic
novelist, and to combine writing with travelling was an utter joy. I wrote mostly
in the mornings, reserving afternoons for exploring the local area, wherever
that happened to be. Ah, the national parks of Utah - so beautiful!
Despite
my penchant for wandering the world, Deception
Wears Many Faces is based in my home city of Bristol, as are my other novels.
Here’s a taster:
When Lyddie takes her sister to Devon to
recover after a recent suicide attempt, it starts a train of events that will
put their lives in grave danger.
Ellie has been the victim of a professional
con artist, one who stole her savings, then disappeared from her life. Driven
by her own history of failed relationships, Lyddie vows revenge on the man who
broke her sister’s heart.
Soon she assumes a false identity and begins
her hunt for a man she knows to be cold, calculating and ruthless. But who is
fooling whom? And can Lyddie find the justice she seeks and heal her damaged
sister?
So
where did I get the idea for this story? The original concept for Deception Wears Many Faces came from a
television documentary about con artists. The programme centred on people who
had been the victims of fraud, but not the Bernie Madoff type of scam. Instead
they’d suffered a betrayal much closer to home – all had been fleeced by a
close friend or a family member. Many lost a considerable amount of money –
some their entire savings. Every participant in the programme had suffered
immense anguish, and it’s hard to imagine how they’ll ever trust anyone again.
Sounds incredible,
doesn’t it? To those with a conscience, such behaviour is incomprehensible,
especially when the guilty party displays no remorse. Sociopaths make great
material for authors for that reason, and it’s one reason crime fiction is so
popular. Who doesn’t love to see a villain get their comeuppance?
As I watched the
programme, the idea for Deception Wears
Many Faces pinged into my head. I wondered how the families of the victims of
those who lost their savings must feel on their behalf. Angry, protective,
hurt, no doubt. Worse if the perpetrator was never caught, or if the victim
refused to involve the police. That got me thinking. What if a relative took
matters into their own hands and sought revenge? Excitement pounded through me,
and I knew I’d found the idea for my next book.
To write it, I’d need
three main characters – the victim, her vengeful relative, and the con artist.
Let’s start with Ellie Hunter, who attempts suicide after losing her life
savings, along with her heart, to the man she’s been dating. What kind of woman
might fall prey to a fraudster? I decided someone shy, lacking in self-esteem
and easy to manipulate would suit my purposes. Ellie suffers from mental health
issues and mild brain damage, but also harbours deep emotional scars from a
traumatic past.
Like some of the people in the programme I watched, she is too
ashamed to tell the police once she discovers she’s been defrauded, and little
evidence exists anyway. Hence why her sister, Lyddie, decides to deliver
retribution on Ellie’s behalf.
Next I considered what
sort of man would make a successful career con artist. He’d need to be handsome,
full of charm, and an expert at masking his true nature. Sociopathic and
chameleon-like when it comes to reinventing himself for each woman he draws
into his web of lies. I got excited about the prospect of creating a truly evil
antagonist, a man devoid of conscience who enjoys sponging off gullible women –
and who may possess a much darker side. Perhaps he’s even capable of murder -
and so Steven Simmons was born.
That’s two characters
created. Next came the protagonist, Lyddie Hunter. She’s a feisty, confident
woman – a counterpoint to naive Ellie and her ruthless ex-boyfriend - yet driven
by her own demons. One is her messy relationship history. Years ago, Lyddie
fell prey to a skilled liar of a different kind, and the wounds are still raw.
Her conviction she has failed as a sister to protect Ellie also plays a role. Once
Lyddie embarks on her quest for justice, however, she finds that those who play
with fire can get burned …
A fun task for me was
determining how Lyddie plans to get revenge on Steven Simmons, and the obstacles
she’ll face along the way. I can’t reveal too much without giving plot
spoilers, but the last few chapters were a joy to write! Gutsy, go-getting
Lyddie is now one of my favourite characters.
I like to give myself a different challenge
with every novel. Deception Wears Many
Faces is my first book told entirely from one character’s point of view,
that of Lyddie Hunter. All my other novels employ two or three viewpoints, but with
this one I wanted to try something different. To begin with, I found working
with just one viewpoint restricting, and wasn’t sure whether to carry on with
the book in that format. I’m glad I did, because writing this way proved a
fascinating experience. Why? Because the reader sees the world through Lyddie’s
eyes, but isn’t prone to self-deceit like our feisty protagonist. We can spot
she’s heading for disaster, but we’re helpless to do more than watch. Her
ability to deceive herself renders her vulnerable to the ruthless sociopath she’s
pursuing. Maybe even to murder …
Deception
Wears Many Faces is my sixth novel, published by Bloodhound
Books on June 15, 2018. You can find out more about my books and check any
special offers via my website: www.maggiejamesfiction.com.
About the Author
Before turning her
hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into
practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list
of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did.
The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background!
When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can
be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJamesFiction/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjamesfiction:
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/maggiejamesfict/
Authorgraph: https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/mjamesfiction
To buy from:
Check out the rest of the blog
tour with these fabulous blogs:
My thanks to Maggie James for joining me on my blog today and sharing the inspiration
behind her book Deception Wears Many Faces, the publishers Bloodhound Books and also Sarah Hardy for
my spot on the blog tour.
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