Yvonne
Aria Fiction are certainly attracting some of the best authors to their site, whether they are from amongst the already well-established writing community, or as in the case of today’s featured author, Naomi Joy, new to the scene and just beginning their journey.
Either way, these Blog Tours are an important tool in helping to spread the word about some of the great upcoming books which will be hitting the shelves.
I definitely don’t know where I would be if it were not for the folks at NetGalley – although it is probably fair to say that my TBR pile would be in a much more manageable condition!
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THE LIARS
Two women. One deadly secret. A rivalry that could destroy them.
Ava Wells is perfect. She has the boyfriend, the career, the looks. One night changes everything and her life isn’t so seamless anymore.
Jade Fernleigh is ambitious. She’s worked hard to get where she is. And she’s not about to let Ava take the job she rightly deserves.
Both women share a secret that could destroy them, but who will crumble first?
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Born in Jersey, Channel Islands, Naomi Joy is the pen name of a young PR professional, who moved to London after studying English and Music at Durham University and who was formerly an account director at the prestigious Storm Communications.
Writing from experience, she draws the reader into the darker side of the uptown and glamorous, presenting realism that is life or death, unreliable and thrilling.
The Liars is Naomi’s debut novel.
Follow Naomi on Twitter
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GUEST POST
“Inspiration for The Liars”
I’m on the phone to a client one afternoon, hand to forehead.
In horrifyingly graphic detail, she’s describing the trouble she’s having with a peculiar, as-yet undiagnosed, skin complaint.
I’m not sure why I’m being regaled with the details, but here we are…
“It’s weeping, regularly, in a very awkward location. I’ve had to wear a skirt to the office,” she crows.
I have my receiver on mute, just in case I can’t control my reactions.
“I’ve had to take in a hand-held fan to cool it down.”
I watch as a few colleagues, also on the call, poke their eyes above monitors like meerkats at the zoo.
Questions ping on my instant messenger:
Is she always like this?
Does she ever talk about work?
“And, the thing is, with hand-held fans, they move so quickly! I accidentally ripped off the edge of a nearby mole getting too close to the skin earlier.”
Hand to mouth, I imagine her, fan God-knows-where, making matters a hundred times worse. She rings off the call a few minutes later, leaving a few juniors confused as to exactly what kind of career they’ve let themselves in for.
This story is a paraphrased version of a real conversation I had with a client and, before I started writing The Liars, I’d scribbled a few notes describing instances similar to the above with the vague thought that I might like to turn them into a book one day. The idea took root and, when I started noticing nefarious inter-office politics and more-and-more instances of furious office rivalries around me, I became inspired to write a completely different kind of story.
My reading tastes have always veered towards crime and thrillers, so perhaps it was inevitable. The Liars, a psychological thriller, was inspired by the phenomenon known as the Sisterhood Ceiling: the idea that women in competitive environments hold one another back from progressing.
In PR, I believe it has to do with the following facts: the industry is dominated by women – 66% to 34% – but, at the top end, this figure flips. Of the women in PR, just 20% hold senior roles. Add to this a brutal gender pay-gap of 23.5% (the U.K. average is 18%) meaning that a woman in the industry earns, on average, £12,000+ a year less than her male counterpart, and you can start to see why a ruthless and competitive environment exists amongst the women in PR.
In the case of The Liars, Ava and Jade are competing for the same job: Jade has more experience, but Ava is favourite to land the role thanks (Jade thinks) to Ava’s aptitude for office politics.
To make matters worse, the pair share an unspeakable secret, one they know will ruin them both if told.
But with so much at stake, can either trust the other not to talk?
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Once again, your excellent guest post has upped the ante when it comes to my interest in this book. I’ve known many women who would rather work in an office environment dominated by men, since women can be such… well, you know what I mean. I can image the storyline here will get quite vicious. I look forward to your full review!
Hi Kelly,
This premise wouldn’t usually appeal to me if I was looking to buy a book, however Naomi’s post did make me chuckle, as I could visualize both the staff in the office pinging through comments making her want to crack up over the phone, and the customer who wanted to unburden her problems on just about anyone who would listen!
I think that these days, both men and women can be quite bitchy and personal when it comes to office banter, the politics of promotion and job security – although women have still possibly mastered the art of ‘cattiness’ a little more effectively!
I haven’t given much thought as to whether I would rather work with a male or female dominant workforce, although hubbie always insists that he works better with women than men, as he hates all the macho preening and posturing!
Reviews for ‘The Liars’ are definitely a love or hate affair, which is a bit of a shame, so I am looking forward to reading it for myself.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that all is well with you 🙂
Oh my goodness, what sounds like not one but two strong female characters. I imagine this story line could get rather, err, bitchy unless there is something that draws these characters together and even then ….
Hi Tracy,
From that last line of the premise, it sounds as though this is a fight to the death for Ava and Jade…
“Both women share a secret that could destroy them, but who will crumble first?”
I wonder though, if once a winner is declared, or if the worst happens and neither of them win promotion, will they bury the hatchet and become, if not friends, at least civil towards each other?
Mind you, in my personal experience, women will bear a grudge for much longer than men (I hate to admit it, but I know I do!!) – I also like the last word in any argument 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope that things are better with you now 🙂