Love or Deception by Morgan K. Wyatt
Amy awakes to find her husband Mark missing, along with her memories. Her recollections of Mark include a whirlwind courtship and a beach wedding. Amy is determined to uncover what happened to her husband. How could a man who loved her so intensely just walk away?
The police have no interest in finding Mark. They reason he wasn’t ready for marriage and he walked. She wonders if his disappearance could be associated with her work.
Ryan, a close friend and co-worker, assists her in piecing together her missing memories. As the pair work together, they find that Amy’s actual past reveals a scenario that is so horrifying that it forces them on the run, not knowing whom they can trust. Will Amy’s newly recalled memories prove fatal to both her and Ryan?
What’s Makes a Suspense Suspenseful?
By Morgan K Wyatt
Friend and fellow author Kate Watterson writes some incredibly tight thrillers. Most mysteries have me scratching my head trying to unravel the leads before the killer strikes again. Most writers do not identify the killer until the final pages. Ms. Watterson has almost every other chapter in the killer’s voice, which allows the reader to know his motivation, but not his identity.
Agatha Christie was the magic behind the well-developed mystery. In her notable tale, Then They Were None, the killer fakes his own death. Some mystery fans cried foul at such an unusual action, but she demonstrated the unexpected makes for a better tale.
Obvious suspects do not make good or long stories. Defined boundaries about who is the good or bad guy doesn’t work that well either. Not knowing whom you can trust or believe ratchets up the tension in the novel. A good example of blurred boundaries in the BBC show, Broadchurch.
The above elements make for a good suspense tale. Another vital ingredient is a flawed or vulnerable hero. Most of us love Sherlock Holmes, especially since Benedict Cumberbatch has taken on the role, but his flaws make him interesting. He’s abrupt, arrogant, and has a cocaine addiction. His certainty about his rightness could cause a stumble.
Taking all this in mind, I created Love or Deception. Amy is vulnerable as a socially inept scientist who has lost not only her husband, but also two days out of her life due to memory loss. Her job’s privacy clause and extreme security along with her move from her hometown keeps her isolated. Her short-term memory proves dicey making her question who’s even her friend. She’s not sure if she knows the truth or is on a steady diet of lies.
Joseph Goebbels, Nazi party propaganda minister, believed if you told a big enough lie, enough times, then people would believe it. It worked for Hitler and is still in use today in advertising and politics. There is deceit masquerading as truth throughout my tale. The reader as to discover what is real along with Amy.
I also took in consideration the effect of mind-altering drugs and spent way too much time on the CDC and toxin websites. This led me to confess online I was writing a thriller, just in case, my web searches attracted interest. Writing a thriller may have made me a tad paranoid. There you go, the elements of thriller research is a bit different from those for a regency romance, unless it involves an unexplained crime.
Excerpt Two:
He waited until he was out of the neighborhood before calling headquarters. “Simpson here. The mission failed.” He tolerated the stream of profanity aimed at him but felt obligated to defend his actions.
“No, sir, you’re wrong. The women must not have been as close as you thought. It is hard to tell with women. I did place the bug. It is activated, so you should be able to hear what is going on in the house.”
Really? It was hard for him to believe he was babysitting some scientist who apparently lost her husband and memory at the same time. Convenient, his cynical side added. Headquarters refused to elaborate on the significance of the case. Instead, they sent him to be Theron’s errand boy. Obviously, they left out some vital info. Why? He handled matters that could topple nations. What merited such cloak and dagger tactics? Maybe the bleary-eyed blonde-haired woman did murder her husband. She wouldn’t be the first. Theron might want her to get away with it, so she could keep developing biological warfare delivery systems. Amy Newkirk wouldn’t be the first person to get away with homicide. Of course, he kept coming back to the reason why. The voice in his ear pulled him away from the one in his head.
“Yes, sir, I will post a surveillance team on Newkirk’s house.” He mentally reviewed whom he would call on to watch the house when he couldn’t. Probably would be an extremely boring job, but that’s the way things rolled sometimes. It sure beat being in a weapons crossfire and out of ammunition.
About the Author
Morgan K Wyatt believes in happy endings. When things don’t end well, she holds to the familiar Indian saying: If things don’t work out, then it’s not the end because everything works out in the end. She considers herself living proof after escaping an abusive marriage; she found and married her soul mate. While not every day is sunshine and roses, she writes about the possibility of flowers and chance meetings between strangers.
Her reputation as a plant rescuer has people dropping sick and dying plants at her house, and then speeding off in the night. The magic ingredient that brings the plants back to life is love and Miracl-gro. Morgan would love to hear from you. If you have a name for a character, cute dog pics, or gardening info, even better.
Website: http://www.morgankwyatt.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/
Blogs:
http://www.datingafterfortyeight.blogspot.com
http://www.thefrugaldivatellsall.blogspot.com
http://www.lowcarbbeliever.weebly.com
http://www.writerwonderland.weebly.com
Enjoyed reading your guest post today
Thanks Karen. I enjoyed writing the posts, although I do question myself while penning it since I don’t have three editor passes followed by a proofreader. LOL
Thanks Brooke for hosting me. You have two of the best jobs in the world, mother & librarian. You rock.
The excerpt was phenomenal! I also enjoyed reading the author’s bio and I truly admire her for being such a strong person! Thank you for the great post and contest!
Betty,
Love your comments. Could you move to Indiana and be my BF?
I enjoyed the guest post.
Thanks Rita. You have a slightly happy icon. Share your secret with me since I have the grumpy one.
I really enjoyed the excerpt and author’s post.
Morning Sherry,
I appreciate you stopping by. The post made me think what really is suspense. Thinking is always good for a writer. 🙂
everytime I think there can’t be an original suspense plot line left, so genius will suck me in and BAM I’m left in awe
I love your Easter dog pic. Appreciate the comment. Read the book & you’ll be surprised how it ends. you could win it too.
Great post!
Thanks Angela.
Thanks for the post.
Hi Robbie,
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I enjoyed the guest post, and the excerpt too.
Thanks Juana. Brooke has a lovely website & an engaging manner. I’m so glad she hosted me. 🙂
I enjoyed the excerpt today and the explanation of what makes for a suspenseful read! Thank you.
Hello Ree Dee,
Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy hearing from avid readers. Your ideas and opinions have more influence on future stories than you might think.
I definitely enjoyed the excerpt!
Love the suspense that her past life is somehow taking over her future in a unique way
This book sounds interesting. I imagine it would be incredibly difficult to write a thriller. I wouldn’t even know where to start! I enjoyed reading about the online research for this book. That would throw up some red flags! I really love the Indian quote, “If things don’t work out, then it’s not the end because everything works out in the end.” I never heard that before and I jotted it down in my collection of favorites.