Maggie Thom, author of Captured Lies

Captured Lies by Maggie Thom is available for Kindle from Amazon:
US: Captured Lies by Maggie Thom
UK: Captured Lies by Maggie Thom

Captured Lies by Maggie Thom

She was kidnapped not once but twice and now someone wants her dead because of it....

Her life was a lie!

Bailey knew her upbringing wasn’t normal but she’s worked hard to stabilize her life. At 29, she finally has a good business, a stable home; her life is miles from that of her childhood. Then suddenly her mother dies, leaving a gaping hole and a discovery that they may not even be related. If Guy, the private investigator is to be believed, her life is a lie. Using the skills she learned on the streets, Bailey travels back through a sketchy and dangerous past, to find answers. Dodging bullets, staying ahead of those who want her dead and convincing Guy she can do it alone, are making it difficult to discover not only the secrets of her mother’s past but that of a family claiming she is theirs.

Everyone seems to have a story... but who’s telling the truth? And who wants her dead? Is Guy part of the solution? Or part of the problem? To discover the facts, she’ll have to untangle a web of deceit, lies, and secrets, dating back over thirty years.

But can she do it in time.....

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Author Quiz interviews Maggie Thom…

Do you ever feel yourself becoming quite emotional when writing a particularly intense scene and is there a specific passage in particular where this was the case?

Yes. I often get emotional when writing certain scenes. In Captured Lies, the scene where Bailey is standing at the gravesite of her mom while the minister is doing the service, was very emotional for me. Bailey is berating herself for the poor relationship she had with her mother and questions why she didn't do something to fix their relationship before it was too late. Too often we live with regrets. This was more emotional for me as my father passed away while I was writing Captured Lies.

Where did the inspiration for your novel, Captured Lies, come from?

It was as simple as driving down the road and having a plane fly overhead at a really low height (or so it seemed to me) and I began to wonder, what if it crashed? Would anyone survive? What if it was a baby that survived? What would happen to the baby? What if this happened years ago, when babies weren't included on the manifest? What if the baby had been kidnapped? The story built from there.

If your book, Captured Lies, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?

If Captured Lies was made into a movie, I'd want Hilary Swank to play Bailey. Hilary is an incredible actress who often plays roles of people who have or are going through something traumatic. I think she'd perfect because in the story Bailey is not only going through an identity crisis but someone is trying to kill her to prevent her from discovering who she really is.

If you could invite one character from your novel to a dinner party who would it be and why?

I guess I'd have to say, Dorothea Lindell. Not only does she run a successful Winery business but she's still doing it at the age of 78 and she did it in an era where women were barely getting jobs never mind running their own business. Also, because she turned her back on the family secrets, they took on a life of their own and created a whole lot of heartache for her, the worst being the kidnapping of her granddaughter and now, someone is trying to kill her grandchild. If she could go back in time what would she do differently.

When deciding on your book title what influences you most; potential sales or artistic integrity?

I'd have to say artistic integrity. Captured Lies wasn't the first title of my book, I had another one but it just didn't feel right. I wanted something catchy and unique but something that reflected what the story was about. It was a long process but finally I came up with the title, Captured Lies, which I really like.

How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?

Over the next few years there will be less and less in print and more digital books. Self publishing will continue to grow and will get the respect that it deserves.

Do you have a favourite review or has anyone expressed a particularly nice compliment about your writing which stands out as your most memorable piece of praise?

"...I thought I was reading some high-faluten New York Author...."

The woman was surprised that I was from rural Alberta.

Would you rather sell 1000 books at $10/£10 each or 2000 books at $1/£1, i.e. what gives you the greater sense of satisfaction; overall earnings or overall sales?

I'd have to say overall sales. I want a lot of people to read what I've written. I want to hear from people what did they enjoy, what didn't sit right for them, what would they have done differently. I love the interaction with readers.

What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?

As a new author, once you've completed your novel, walk away from it. Let it sit for a while. Then come back to it with a fresh perspective and re-read it. See what you like, what you don't like. Edit. Edit. Edit. Send it out to friends, family, join a critique group and or a writer's group. Get others to give you feedback. Get others to edit it. Then polish it some more. Then find a professional editor and someone who will do a plot analysis - this really helps to catch any holes you may have in your plot. Once you have your novel revised and edited, and you're getting good reviews about it, then do something with it. Try the traditional route if that's what appeals to you or try the self published route if that appeals to you. But do something with your novel. Ask for help from people who've been where they are but who have done something with their work. Search the internet for information and others to connect with.

What sort of audience will your book, Captured Lies, most appeal to?

Captured Lies will appeal to anyone who likes suspense, murder, mystery and romance and women's fiction. Women will probably find it more appealing, as the personal journey that Bailey goes on, gets quite emotional at times. Bailey regrets the poor mother-daughter relationship that she had with her mother, she discovers that her life is a lie - she's not who she thought she was, the woman that claimed to be her mother actually was not and now someone wants her dead. In untangling the web of deceit she has to travel back through a heartbreaking childhood of living life on the run and trying to decide what her future will be... if she lives that long.

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Thanks for your comments, Maggie, and good luck with your writing.

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A short excerpt from Captured Lies:

He growled, fury radiated off him. He stormed over to the window, grabbed the black covering, about to pull it back. It was then she realized that the loud hum she’d heard, was a vehicle. Praying that it was someone looking for her and not someone to help him, she panicked, kicking out with her foot. The metal stool, sitting in front of his electronic equipment, clanged loudly as it crashed into the table. He whipped around. Rage contorted his face. He stormed over to the detonator and punched in a code. The flashing stopped. The countdown began.

19:59

19:58

19:57

19:56

She stared at the numbers that were steadily dropping. One at a time. Slowly. Methodically.

“You’re finished. And all because of me.” He laughed. “Oh the people, that will cry over your death. It’s like music to my ears.”

“You really think you’re big enough to get away with this?”

He strode over to her and clipped her jaw. Her lip immediately bloomed into a fat puff ball. A buzzing sound filled her ears. Just at that moment...

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Maggie Thom, author of Captured Lies.

You can find out more about Maggie Thom and Captured Lies at her website:

www.maggiethom.com

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Connect with Maggie Thom on facebook, twitter and Goodreads:

Facebook: Author Maggie Thom

Twitter: @maggiethom2

Goodreads: Maggie Thom

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The first three chapters of Captured Lies are available from the following link:
Get your free copy of the first three chapters of Captured Lies

Or the full book is available for Kindle from Amazon:

US: Captured Lies by Maggie Thom
UK: Captured Lies by Maggie Thom

And also from Kobo Books:

Captured Lies by Maggie Thom on Kobo Books