Monday, April 20, 2009

FACE OF BETRAYAL

By Lis Wiehl and April Henry

It's been a while since I've blogged for the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, and I'm happy to get back into the swing with this one. Our own April Henry, a popular and critically-acclaimed mystery writer, teamed up with Fox New commentator and legal analyst Lis Wiehl to deliver what Publishers Weekly calls "a sizzling political thriller."


Here's the summary from the press release:

When 17-year-old Senate page Katie Converse goes missing on her Christmas break near her parents' white Victorian home in Portland, Ore., law enforcement and the media go into overdrive in a search for clues. Three friends at the pinnacle of their respective careers--Allison Pierce, a federal prosecutor; Cassidy Shaw, a crime reporter; and Nicole Hedges, an FBI special agent--soon discover that Katie wasn't the picture of innocence painted by her parents. Did Katie run away to escape their stifling demands? Was she having an affair with the senator who sponsored her as a page? Has she been kidnapped? Is she the victim of a serial killer?

April agreed to answer my interview questions, so here goes ...


Do you have a favorite character in FACE OF BETRAYAL? If so, why?
I like Cassidy because she is kind of venial and vain, but honest. She speaks before she thinks. She’s a bit outrageous and is always getting into trouble, so it’s fun to think of what she might be up to.

Is there a story behind the title?
We could not come up with a title we liked. It was bought as The DC Page, but we knew it might not stick. The publisher came up with a bunch of possibilities, but nothing that really grabbed us. Along the way, we were working on our second book, and it was clear it would be called Hand of Fate. The publisher decided to go for a similar type of title, and came up with Face of Betrayal.

What has it been like working with Lis Wiehl?
Lis and I go together like peanut butter and jelly. I've got experience writing mysteries and she's got experience prosecuting and reporting on the bad guys. We email each other nearly every day. Watching this book take off has been a wonderful experience for both of us!

FACE OF BETRAYAL has such a great, chilling cover. Did you have any input on on that, and are you happy with the finished product?
We had cover consultation, but luckily I liked the face of the girl on the cover right away. Let me just say, that has not been true with all my books.

Do you pay attention to book reviews? If so, has there been any particular review that made your heart do a little dance?
The Publishers Weekly review can make or break a book, so I waited with trepidation. The review was nothing but praise! They called it a “sizzling political thriller” with a “seamless plot offers a plethora of twists and turns.”

Fantastic! No wonder it's flying off the shelves!


I know you're a big reader. What are you reading now?
Michael Marshall ‘s Bad Things which will come out in May. He’s an English author who reminds me a bit of Steven King in how he mixes mystery and horror.

Thanks so much for answering my questions, April.

You can buy FACE OF BETRAYAL at your favorite chain or independent bookstore. To purchase online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For information, visit April's website at aprilhenrymysteries.com.

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