living on the North Norfolk Coast

Janet explains, why she wrote Truths and Lies and why her short stories are different to others.

After publishing my novel, On the Verge, I had several ideas for more stories set in Greece.  None of these ideas would stretch to full sized novels, but I knew they would make an enjoyable collection of short stories.  Moving my ideas on, the writing of each story was made all the more pleasurable by including some of the people (names changed) Peter and I met on our visits to Greece.  I have expanded on their characters, and included some of their comments and opinions.  In general, I have used my imagination as well as incorporating a variety of our experiences, whilst staying and walking in Greece.  

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Before I started writing, I decided the theme for each story would be based on truths, or lies, or a mix of the two. I also wanted to link the stories together, so the book would read continuously and not as stories entirely independent of each other.  I achieved this by introducing minor characters, who may only get a short mention, and carrying them over into the next story where they take a key role.

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Once I had completed writing, and Truths and Lies had undergone several independent checks and edits, a quick word count showed that most of my stories were not less than seven thousand five hundred words - the generally accepted criteria for a short story.  With this in mind, I have chosen to describe Truths and Lies as a collection of short and not so short stories.

 

Yes, the stories are set in Greece but what are they about and who are the characters?  The simple answer to the characters is, a diverse mix of the sort of people you may meet on a small Greek island, ranging from locals to tour reps, a returning visitor, a wildlife enthusiast and a walks guide etc.  And what are the stories about, let’s just say there is a mix of deception, love, confession, murder, the paranormal and plenty more to discover within the pages of Truths and Lies.