After the Lie: A gripping novel about love, loss and family secrets (28 page)

H
ello there
,

Thank you so much for reading
After the Lie
– I really hope you enjoyed it – it’s always nerve-racking, sending a book out into the world where people who are not related to me are going to be reading it. On the other hand, escaping family verdicts can sometimes be a huge plus. My mother: ‘I always tell my friends the language is a bit spicy, but explain that, at your age, I can’t stop you swearing.’

One of the things that sparked off the idea for this novel was talking to my friends about how glad we are to have grown up in a pre-internet age, without our adolescent mistakes being plastered all over Facebook. I have two teenagers and am acutely aware that they know so much more than I do about social media – at least, how to use it, if not the pitfalls. It’s one of the areas of parenting that frightens me most because I feel so ill-equipped to protect them. Though my son learning to drive this year comes a close second. Like Lydia, I’m going to start stockpiling sleep now…

Family relationships fascinate me and I enjoyed putting a mother-daughter relationship under the microscope in
After the Lie
. Unlike Lydia’s mother, Dorothy, my own mother always made me feel that whatever I did, she would still be proud of me – despite my spicy language. Weirdly, I find it easier to imagine the complete opposite of my own experiences rather than attempting to fictionalise real life. I’d be interested to know if you had any sympathy for Lydia’s mother in the end. In my mind, she tried to do her best in very difficult circumstances.

Finally, I wanted to explore the idea that small secrets grow more toxic as they pass down the generations, until the original secret is nowhere near as dramatic as the betrayal of being lied to for so long. I cannot imagine living in a family where nothing is discussed – even the dog has far too many opinions in our house. Which brings me to my Lab/Giant Schnauzer cross, Poppy. She was the inspiration for Mabel and has done all the naughty things in this novel and more. I decided that it was time she earned her keep.

Anyway, if you have enjoyed
After the Lie
, I’d be really grateful if you could leave me a short review on Amazon – I always feel ridiculously embarrassed mentioning this, but reviews are so important to authors in getting the word out about our books. I cannot tell you how much it brightens my day when readers get in touch, so I’d be delighted to hear from you on Facebook or Twitter .

Messages from readers are motivational gold when you’re staring down the barrel of 300 blank pages and wondering, ‘How exactly did I do this before?’

If you’d like to be kept up-to-date with news of my next book, please sign up to the link below. We won’t bombard you with anything else.

All the very best,

Kerry xx

• @KerryFSwayne
  
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F
rom a half
-baked idea scribbled on the top of a newspaper over breakfast, there are so many people involved in the process of delivering a finished novel. I’m always terrified that I’ll miss someone out, but here goes. I have to start with my agent, Clare Wallace. I’d be all over the place without her support and good judgment. I am so grateful to have her on my side, as well as the rest of the team at Darley Anderson. I’m also indebted to my editor, Lydia Vassar-Smith at Bookouture, for her enthusiasm and her ability to coax the book into the best shape possible.

Without a doubt, my big band of writing friends push and pull me to the finish line with their listening and support. In particular, the cheerleading and suggestions of my writing buddy, author Jenny Ashcroft, have made the writing/publishing process so much easier.

My husband, Steve, deserves a huge cheer for always believing in me. As do my children, Cameron and Michaela, for helping me understand how teenagers communicate and for making technology work before I completely lose the plot.

For this book in particular, I’m sending a trolley-load of thank you biscuits to my dog, Poppy, who brings her own special brand of joy to my life and a level of picnic destruction previously unseen on the Surrey Hills to everyone else’s.

I’m thankful once again to the long-suffering Gary McDade – as well as Mandy Bewicke, Ellie Ludlam and Julie Fisher – who answered my questions about court cases and police procedure. Any inaccuracies are entirely down to me.

Thanks to the lovely book bloggers whose level of commitment to promoting books fills me with awe. And also to all the wonderful people who make the effort to leave a review on Amazon, champion my novels in book club forums (Alexina Golding is a phenomenon) or send me messages on Facebook and Twitter.

But most of all, a loud and long hurrah for all my readers – it’s such a privilege to have you spend your precious free time reading my books.

Thank you.