Lady Reader’s Blog Tours presents another exciting week long tour! Just in time to read in front of the fire with a cup of cocoa or your favorite hot beverage, J. J. Lyon’s fun private investigator mystery, with a twist, TRUTH is RELATIVE; the first in the A Truth Inducer Mystery series is here. A giveaway, great posts, reviews and best of all? Fun!
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Rebecca: Where did you get the idea for this book?
J.J. Lyon: It was actually a slow boiling process. A children’s show on PBS advertised a contest to create a new kind of diverse character. One of the calls for entries asked if participants could think of a person with an ability that might also be a disability. That’s easy, I thought. You could be the kind of person that other people confide in too much. I was way too old for that contest, but it did trigger some thinking. In my own experience as a small-town reporter, I’d had several people open up and reveal some really interesting things, only to call the next morning and ask me to scratch the best parts of the interview. (I mentioned this to a New York Times bestselling author during a novel-editing workshop. “I’ve done that,” he said.) I wondered what it would be like if every interaction was like that. What if a person with the confession-inducing “gift” couldn’t turn it off? What if the people who confessed remembered everything they said? The more I thought about it, the harder it was to get out of my head. So I wrote a book and ran it past that NYT bestselling author during the workshop. He liked the concept, but pointed out that I’d skipped a substantial part of the character’s development. How did the main character deal with his “gift” after it surfaced? How did he come to be a lonely detective? Well, I thought, If I wrote that, it’d be a whole other book. Later, walking through falling snow on a beautiful morning, I thought, why not? The first chapter just kind of flowed out and went on to win the grand prize at the 2012 LDS Storymakers First Chapter Contest. And Truth is Relative: A Truth Inducer Mystery was born. Rebecca: That is so cool. “What if?” questions are the best writing prompts. I love that you used your past experiences to build a story, too. And congrats on the Grand Prize!
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Which character did you enjoy writing the most?
J.J. Lyon: That’s a hard one. Danelle was probably the most fun. There’s something irresistible about watching a good, level-headed person start defying people for the first time in her life. Rebecca: Yes, she was fun to read. Especially knowing she was a little at war with herself. I could see a little of myself in her. :)
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Who do you tell your secrets to?
J.J. Lyon: My hubby. Rebecca: Me, too. Well, not your hubby, but my own. :)
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How many books will be in the series?
J.J. Lyon: That depends… I think Anthony and I could go on a long, long time. I kind of want to see him married with kids. It would be fun to explore how a family copes with a parent that nobody can lie to. Rebecca: Oh man, his poor kids! Although as a parent, that sounds wonderful!
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What is your favorite candy bar?
J.J. Lyon: Lindt Excellence 70 Percent Cocoa. My husband buys them for me! Rebecca: Never tried that particular one, but it makes my mouth water thinking about it. Chocolate. Hmmm.
Thanks so much J.J. for sharing your experiences. Make sure to check out more about her book (and read the excerpt below). There are plenty of links to find what you’re looking for. It’s a fun read!
TRUTH IS RELATIVE By: J.J. Lyon Pages: 275 Publisher: Gem Cache Publishing Genre: Who Dunit-Mystery PI – (Fiction/Mystery)
Anthony Blackwell’s “gift” compels people to confess their deepest secrets.It corrupts his relationships, derails his career and drives him toward eviction—until he becomes Anthony Bishop, private investigator.His first case drops him into a deadly family drama that will save him financially, if it doesn’t kill him first.
Who can resist a great first line: “The Monday before Thanksgiving, my car disappeared…
J.J. Lyon is a wife, mom, public relations professional and recovering journalist.Her passion for prose and love of the American West are so intertwined; she doesn’t think she can separate them. When J.J. runs out of words, she reaches for her camera, takes off on a back road and returns home with a bucketful of inspiration.She lives in a mountain valley with her husband, three children, some cats, two goats, a bird and a basset hound..
September 29th – October 3rd
This sounds awesome! Just bought my copy to read. Yippeee!
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Great! I think you’ll really like it.
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Rebecca, I’m late thanking you for posting such a fun interview! Best of luck with Life!
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Thanks! I loved reading it. :)
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