‘Cruel thing to do, to leave her in the lurch like that just because she wanted to find her son,’ Helen added.
‘He should have known better than to come between a mother and her child,’ I said cryptically. And I looked over to Rosie, who grinned at me, as though she, too, suspected what lay beneath the chicken coop.
And maybe she did. I have learnt that children pick up on so much more than we ever give them credit for.
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A Letter from Clare
Dear Reader,
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I hope that you enjoyed Little Liar. Maybe it diverted you from real life for a few hours. I am an avid reader myself, and I find that the escape of reading is essential for my sanity! If you want to stay updated on what I’m writing next, please sign up to my mailing list here and we’ll keep you in the loop:
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The writing of Little Liar was a different kind of escape. The process was harrowing at times, and quite unsettling. I had to go to places in my head that were more than a little uncomfortable.
The idea for the book took hold after a conversation with a fellow mother at a coffee morning. Sheepishly, she confessed to shouting so loudly at her children that she was worried the neighbours would be straight on the phone to Social Services. I admitted to having had that same fear. Thankfully, my neighbours have given me the benefit of the doubt, so far!
But in Gemma’s case, the worst happens. Through Gemma, my aim was to unravel the volatile, stormy side of motherhood, and explore the extremes of emotion that children can trigger in a parent. I wanted to push that idea, and push Gemma, until she blows.
In our modern world, so many of us are struggling through parenting in our isolated bubbles, feeling inadequate, stressed-out and over-tired. Often, we are hundreds of miles from grandparents, and too ashamed to ask for help from our friends. If you are one of those parents – as I am – I hope that this book might provide some reassurance that you are not alone!
If you liked Little Liar please do write a review to encourage others to read it. If nothing else, it would make my day brighter. In addition, there is nothing like a bit of old-fashioned word-of-mouth to get a book into a reader’s hands, so spread the word at your book clubs or at the office or on the bus.
Please email me if you like, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. See below for details. Little Liar is my first published book, and I would be thrilled to hear from readers outside of my immediate circle of friends and family.
Thank you for taking the time to read my book.
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With very best wishes, Clare
Acknowledgements
My thanks go to the many people who have helped me – in many different ways – to write this book:
Firstly, I want to thank my agent, Broo Doherty, whose faith in me continues to amaze me; without whom, I would have given up writing years ago. Thank you, Broo, for making me laugh when I wanted to cry. And to everyone at Bookouture, particularly Jessie Botterill, whose incisive editing skills pushed me to write a better book. And to Peta Nightingale for seeing the book’s potential. I am so grateful to them for their enthusiasm and encouragement.
I am indebted to my friend Maria, who supplied invaluable information about police procedure in cases of suspected child abuse, and who inspired some key story twists. I would not have been able to write this book without her help.
Special thanks to Simon, my soulmate, who built me a writing shed all those years ago. His unerring belief in my work underpins every word that I write.
And to my two beautiful girls, whose supportive hugs keep me going. Neither of them are anything like Rosie (most of the time)!
The next thank you goes to a group of women who did not have a direct link to the editorial processes of this book, but they have been integral to its completion. I don’t have to list their names, they know who they are. Thank you to those life-enhancing friends who have respected my shed routines, listened for hours to my whinging and celebrated with real joy when I found a publisher.
Lastly, I want to thank my mother. She is my inspiration. I want to thank her for reading every draft of every book that I have ever written. Her intelligence and sensitivity and talent continues to influence me on a daily basis. I will never tire of our lengthy ‘book chats’. Thanks forever, Mum.