*The images in this specific piece are granted copyright privilege by: Public Domain, CCSAL, GNU Free Documentation Licenses, Fair Use Under The United States Copyright Law, or given copyright privilege by the copyright holder which is identified beneath the individual photo.
**Some of the links will have to be copied and then posted in your search engine in order to pull up properly
***The CRC Blog welcomes submissions from published and unpublished fiction genre writers for INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION. Contact CRC Blog via email at caccoop@aol.com or personal Facebook messaging at https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7
****Ruth Dugdall’s MY SISTER AND OTHER LIARS is #163 in the never-ending series called INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific excerpt from a fiction genre and how that fiction writer wrote that specific excerpt. All INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links are at the end of this piece
Name of fiction work? And were there other names you considered that you would like to share with us? MY SISTER AND OTHER LIARS is the title Thomas Mercer (my publisher) eventually went with, although for a long time it was called FAMILY SNAP, as it’s about a dysfunctional family, and the central character - Sam - is a photography student. She’s trying to find out who attacked her sister, Jena, and is using her camera to take photos as ‘evidence.’
What are the dates you began writing this piece of fiction and when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I first had the idea back in 2008, when I saw a TV documentary about a teenage girl, whose sister had been attacked on the local estate and left brain-damaged. This girl, she was so angry and sad. The police had lost interest. The attacker, she believed, could be next to her when she was in the queue for milk at the local Spar. She was certain it was someone on the estate.
What are the dates you began writing this piece of fiction and when you completely finished the piece of fiction? I first had the idea back in 2008, when I saw a TV documentary about a teenage girl, whose sister had been attacked on the local estate and left brain-damaged. This girl, she was so angry and sad. The police had lost interest. The attacker, she believed, could be next to her when she was in the queue for milk at the local Spar. She was certain it was someone on the estate.
So, that got me thinking…what if that girl had decided to take matters into her own hands? It’s true, that in small communities, someone always knows.
The novel wasn’t published until 2017, so it’s been through a lot of changes, but the central theme has been constant.
Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work? Because I’ve been working on the idea for a long time, I’ve written in a variety of locations - including three countries! The UK, Luxembourg and America. I’m not precious about where I work; just today, I worked at the kitchen table, then outside in the garden, and now I’m in the dining room. I move around, as I like to be warm and I also like light. I follow the sun! I do have a small study, but I don’t often work there as the floor is wooden and slopped, and my chair is constantly wheeling away from the table!
(Bottom Middle: Ruth Dugdall's writing study)
(Bottom Middle: Ruth Dugdall's writing study)
What were your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? Because I’m now a professional writer, I work in the daytime, just like it’s a regular job. I can’t listen to music when I work, or the radio - for some reason, it pulls on the same part of my brain, and is too distracting. But I can have the TV playing, and I’ll often put a box set on and just let it run. I’m not fully concentrating, but it’s quite nice to have background chatter. I drink constantly - coffee, tea, water and squash - but not alcohol. I’ve been sober for over a year.
What is the summary of this specific fiction work? Sam is seventeen, starving herself and longing for oblivion. Her sister, Jena, is mentally scarred and desperate to remember. Between them, they share secrets too terrible to recall.
Eighteen months earlier, Sam was still full of hope: hope that she could piece together Jena’s fragmented memory after the vicious attack that changed their family forever. But digging into the past unearthed long-hidden lies and betrayals, and left Sam feeling helpless and alone in a world designed to deceive her.
Now, in a last bid to save her from self-imposed shutdown, Sam’s therapist is helping her confront her memories. But the road to recovery is a dangerous one. Because Sam has not only been lying to her doctors: she’s been hiding dark secrets from herself.
Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as reference. This one excerpt can be as short or as long as you prefer. I don’t want food now; I’ve risen above it. My body is so empty, so clean, as though my insides have been scrubbed with salt. I ache with hollowness; the air that travels in my intestines is pure, and my mind is clean of memory. I haven’t needed to shit or piss in days. I am simple and clean and perfect, and very, very tired. Sleep is no good for me, though; sleep is not oblivion from the news that came today.
I want to disappear. I close my eyes and wait.
Why is this excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? This section is emotional to me, because it’s the point in the novel when the reader discovers that Sam is anorexic. For a long time this wasn’t the case, but somehow it evolved and felt completely right. Writing about anorexia, I felt a responsibility to get it right. I didn’t want to glorify the disease, I also didn’t want to write anything that was `triggering`, so these sections are carefully written.
Another thing, I was told to tone down the graphic nature of anorexia, and I made a decision not to. It cost me an earlier chance at being published, but I didn’t want to sanitize this terrible condition, which has such a high fatality rate. Eating disorders and mental health issues generally, need to be discussed. The best feedback I’ve received is from survivors of the disease, who say my portrayal is accurate.
Another thing, I was told to tone down the graphic nature of anorexia, and I made a decision not to. It cost me an earlier chance at being published, but I didn’t want to sanitize this terrible condition, which has such a high fatality rate. Eating disorders and mental health issues generally, need to be discussed. The best feedback I’ve received is from survivors of the disease, who say my portrayal is accurate.
Other works you have published? Ruth's first novel, The James Version, (aka The Red Barn) is a historical fiction based on the actual murder of Maria Marten at the Red Barn in Suffolk. The story is re-told with a fresh light on who really killed Maria.
Her second novel, The Woman Before Me, won the Debut Dagger in 2005. It is the story of Rose Wilks, a female stalker imprisoned for killing a child, who claims to be innocent.
Her third novel, The Sacrificial Man, published in 2011. It is the story on an Internet suicide pact that goes wrong.
Humber Boy B, set in Ruth's birthplace Hull, was published in 2015 as was Nowhere Girl, which is set in Luxembourg, and Things You Didn’t See
Apart from The James Version, all of Ruth's books feature probation officer Cate Austin. "Probation officers have more face-to-face contact with criminals than any other profession," she says, "they are the unsung heroes of the Criminal Justice System."
Anything you would like to add? Please can you mention that MY SISTER AND OTHER LIARS is currently just £1 on amazon kindle?
Ruth Dugdall was born in Hull and studied English literature at Warwick University before training as a probation officer. She then took an MA in Social Work. Following this, she worked in the Criminal Justice System as a social worker then as a probation officer. Part of this time was spent seconded to a prison housing, serious offenders. She continues to work within the Criminal Justice System, most recently in Luxembourg.
She decided to concentrate on her writing career when her novel The Woman Before Me won the 2005 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. Her novels are informed by her direct experiences working within the criminal justice system and are published internationally. My Sister and Other Liars is her sixth novel. Ruth lives in Suffolk with her husband and two children.
http://www.ruthdugdall.com/
INSIDE THE EMOTION OF FICTION links
001 11 15 2018 Nathaniel Kaine’s
Thriller Novel
John Hunter – The Veteran
002 11 18 2018 Ed Protzzel’s
Futuristic/Mystery/Thriller
The Antiquities Dealer
003 11 23 2018 Janice Seagraves’s
Science Fiction Romance
Exodus Arcon
004 11 29 2018 Christian Fennell’s
Literary Fiction Novel
The Fiddler in the Night
005 12 02 2018 Jessica Mathews’s
Adult Paranormal Romance
Death Adjacent
006 12 04 2018 Robin Jansen’s
Literary Fiction Novel
Ruby the Indomitable
007 12 12 2018 Adair Valerez’s
Literary Fiction Novel
Scrim
008 12 17 218 Kit Frazier’s
Mystery Novel
Dead Copy
009 12 21 2019 Robert Craven’s
Noir/Spy Novel
The Road of a Thousand Tigers
010 01 13 2019 Kristine Goodfellow’s
Contemporary Romantic Fiction
The Other Twin
011 01 17 2019 Nancy J Cohen’s
Cozy Mystery
Trimmed To Death
012 01 20 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
Crime Novel
Second Story Man
013 01 23 2019 Alexis Fancher’s
Flash Fiction
His Full Attention
014 01 27 2019 Brian L Tucker’s
Young Adult/Historical
POKEWEED: AN ILLUSTRATED NOVELLA
015 01 31 2019 Robin Tidwell’s
Dystopian
Reduced
016 02 07 2019 J.D. Trafford’s
Legal Fiction/Mystery
Little Boy Lost
017 02 08 2019 Paula Shene’s
Young Adult ScieFi/Fantasy/Romance/Adventure
My Quest Begins
018 02 13 2019 Talia Carner’s
Mainstream Fiction/ Suspense/ Historical
Hotel Moscow
019 02 15 2019 Rick Robinson’s
Multidimensional Fiction
Alligator Alley
020 02 21 2019 LaVerne Thompson’s
Urban Fantasy
The Soul Collectors
021 02 27 2019 Marlon L Fick’s
Post-Colonialist Novel
The Nowhere Man
022 03 02 2019 Carol Johnson’s
Mainstream Novel
Silk And Ashes
023 03 06 2019 Samuel Snoek-Brown’s
Short Story Collection
There Is No Other Way to Worship Them
024 03 08 2019 Marlin Barton’s
Short Story Collection
Pasture Art
025 03 18 2019 Laura Hunter’s
Historical Fiction
Beloved Mother
026 03 21 2019 Maggie Rivers’s
Romance
Magical Mistletoe
027 03 25 2019 Faith Gibson’s
Paranormal Romance
Rafael
028 03 27 2019 Valerie Nieman’s
Tall Tale
To The Bones
029 04 04 2019 Betty Bolte’s
Paranormal Romance
Veiled Visions of Love
030 04 05 2019 Marianne Maili’s
Tragicomedy
Lucy, go see
031 04 10 2019 Gregory Erich Phillips’s
Mainstream Fiction
The Exile
032 04 15 2019 Jason Ament’s
Speculative Fiction
Rabid Dogs
033 04 24 2019 Stephen P. Keirnan’s
Historical Novel
The Baker’s Secret
034 05 01 2019 George Kramer’s
Fantasy
Arcadis: Prophecy Book
035 05 05 2019 Erika Sams’s
Adventure/Fantasy/Romance
Rose of Dance
036 05 07 2019 Mark Wisniewski’s
Literary Fiction
Watch Me Go
037 05 08 2019 Marci Baun’s
Science Fiction/Horror
The Whispering House
038 05 10 2019 Suzanne M. Wolfe’s
Historical Fiction
Murder By Any Name
039 05 12 2019 Edward DeVito’s
Historical/Fantasy
The Woodstock Paradox
040 05 14 2019 Gytha Lodge’s
Literary/Crime
She Lies In Wait
041 05 16 2019 Kari Bovee’s
Historical Fiction/Mystery
Peccadillo At The Palace: An Annie Oakley Mystery
042 05 20 2019 Annie Seaton’s
Time Travel Romance
Follow Me
043 05 22 2019 Paula Rose Michelson’s
Inspirational Christian Romance
Rosa & Miguel – Love’s Legacy: Prequel to The Naomi
Chronicles
044 05 24 2019 Gracie C McKeever’s
BDMS/Interracial Romance
On The Edge
045 06 03 2019 Micheal Maxwell’s
Mystery
The Soul of Cole
046 06 04 2019 Jeanne Mackin’s
Historical
The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and
Coco Chanel
047 06 07 2019 Philip Shirley’s
Suspense/Thriller
The Graceland Conspiracy
048 06 08 2019 Bonnie Kistler’s
Domestic Suspense
The House on Fire
049 06 13 2019 Barbara Taylor Sissel’s
Domestic Suspense/Family Drama
Tell No One
050 06 18 2019 Charles Salzberg’s
Short Story/ Crime Fiction
“No Good Deed” from Down to the River
051 06 19 2019 Rita Dragonette’s
Historical Fiction
The Fourteenth of September
052 06 20 2019 Nona Caspers’s
Literary Novel/Collage
The Fifth Woman
053 06 26 2019 Jeri Westerson’s
Paranormal Romance
Shadows in the Mist
054 06 28 2019 Brian Moreland’s
Horror
The Devil’s Woods
055 06 29 2019 Rebecca Gomez Farrell’s
Epic Fantasy
Wings Unseen
056 07 02 2019 Randee Green’s
Mystery Novel
Criminal Misdeeds
057 07 03 2019 Saralyn Ricahrd’s
Mystery Novel
Murder In The One Percent
#058 07 04 2019 Hannah Mary McKinnon’s
Domestic Suspense
Her Secret Son
#059 07 05 2019 Sonia Saikaley’s
Contemporary Women’s Literature
The Allspice Bath
#060 07 09 2019 Olivia Gaines’s
Romance Suspense Serial
Blind Luck
#061 07 11 2019 Anne Raeff’s
Literary Fiction
Winter Kept Us Warm
#062 07 12 2918 Vic Sizemore’s
Literary Fiction-Short Stories
I Love You I’m Leaving
#063 07 13 2019 Deborah Riley Magnus’s
Dark Paranormal Urban Fantasy
THE ORPHANS BOOK ONE: THE LOST RACE
TRILOGY
#064 07 14 2019 Elizabeth Bell’s
Historical Fiction
NECESSARY SINS
#065 07 15 2019 Lori Baker Martin’s
Literary Novel
BITTER WATER
#066 08 01 2019 Sabine Chennault’s
Historical Novel
THE CORPSMAN’S WIFE
#067 08 02 2019 Margaret Porter’s
Historical Biographical Fiction
BEAUTIFUL INVENTION: A NOVEL OF HEDY LAMARR
#068 08 04 2019 Hank Phillippi Ryan’s
Suspense
THE MURDER LIST
069 08 08 2019 Diana Y. Paul’s
Literary Mainstream Fiction
THINGS UNSAID
070 08 10 2019 Phyllis H. Moore’s
Women’s Historical Fiction
BIRDIE & JUDE
071 08 11 2019 Sara Dahmen’s
Historical Fiction
TINSMITH 1865
072 08 19 2019 Carolyn Breckinridge’s
Short Story Collection
KALIEDESCOPE & OTHER STORIES
073 08 21 2019 Alison Ragsdale’s
Emotional Women’s Fiction
THE ART OF REMEMBERING
074 08 22 2019 Lee Matthew Goldberg’s
Suspense Thriller
THE DESIRE CARD
075 08 23 2019 Jonathan Brown’s
Mystery/Amateur P.I.
THE BIG CRESCENDO
076 09 02 2019 Chera Hammons Miller’s
Literary Fiction w/ suspense, concern with animals & land management
Monarchs of the Northeast Kingdom
077 09 09 019 Joe William Taylor’s
Literary Mystery
The Theoretics of Love
078 09 15 2019 Linda Hughes’s
Romantic Suspense
Secret of the Island
079 09 19 2019 Max Elliot Anderson’s
Middle Grade Adventure/Mystery
Snake Island
080 09 22 2019 Danny Adams’s
Science Fiction
Dayworld: A Hole In Wednesday
081 09 24 2019 Arianna Dagnino’s
Social/Historical/Adventure
The Afrikaner
082 09 29 2019 Lawrence Verigin’s
Thriller/Suspense
Seed of Control
083 10 05 2019 Emma Khoury’s
Fantasy
The Sword And Shield
#084 10 07 2019 Steve McManus’s
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
SEVEN DEVILS
#085 10 08 2019 Sheila Lowe’s
Mystery/Psychological/Suspense with Scientific Bent
PROOF OF LIVE
#086 10 10 2019 Jess Neal Woods’s
Historical Fiction
THE PROCESS OF FRAYING
#087 10 11 2019 Karen Odden’s
Historical Suspense
A TRACE OF DECEIT
#88 10 14 2019 Kate Maruyama’s
Love, Loss & Supernatural
“HARROWGATE”
#89 10 17 2019 Sherry Harris’s
Mystery
“LET’S FAKE A DEAL”
#90 10 18 2019 Linda Mooney’s
Science Fiction Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic
“THE TRUNK”
#91 10 19 2019 Jayne Martin’s
Flash Fiction Short Story Collection
“TENDER CUTS”
#92 10 22 2019 Janice Cole Hopkins’s
Inspirational Romance
“IT ALL STARTED AT THE MASQUERADE”
#93 10 29 2019 Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s
Short Story Collection
“THE SHADOWS BEHIND”
#94 11 01 2019 David Henry Sterry’s
Fiction: Sexual Violence
“THE TENDERLOIN WARS”
#95 11 03 2019 Jay Requard’s
Dark Fantasy/Horror
“DEATH & DUST: THE PALE SAND ADVENTURES”
#96 11 04 2019 Caroline Leavitt’s
Fiction
“WITH OR WITHOUT YOU”
#97 11 06 2019 Kelsey Clifton’s
Science Fiction
“A DAY OUT OF TIME”
#098 11 13 2019 John F Allen’s
Urban Fantasy Tale
#99 11 16 2019 Damian McNicholl’s
Historical Novel
“The Moment of Truth”
#100 11 19 2019 Stacia Levy’s
Mystery/Suspense Novel
“Girl Crush”
#101 11 24 2019 Charlotte Morgan’s
Fiction Novel
“Protecting Elvis”
#102 11 26 2019 T. L. Moore’s
Children’s Christian Fiction
“Ed On My Shoulder: Maria & The Candy Trail”
#103 11 27 2019 Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg’s
Coming of Age Literary Novel
The Nine
#104 11 29 2019 Charlotte Blackwell’s
Adult Paranormal
“MYSTIC EMBRACE”
#105 12 07 2019 Mike Burrell’s
Satire Novel
“THE LAND OF GRACE”
#106 12 09 2019 Phil McCarron’s
Screenplay
“Escapement”
#107 12 11 2019 Wendy H. Jones’s
Crime Fiction/Police Procedural Novel
“KILLER’S COUNTDOWN”
#108 12 13 2019 Sandra Arnold’s
Historical Literary Fiction
“The Ash, the Well and the Blue Bell”
#109 12 16 2019 Amalia Carosella’s
Historical/Contemporary/Duel Timeline/ Women’s
Fiction
“DAUGHTER OF A THOUSAND YEARS”
#110 12 19 2019 Laura Bickle’s
Weird Western/Contemporary Fantasy
“DARK ALCHEMY”
#111 12 27 2019 Brian Pinkerton’s
Science Fiction Thriller
“THE GEMINI EXPERIMENT”
#112 12 28 2019 Sandra de Helen’s
Lesbian Thriller
“TILL DARKNESS COMES”
#113 12 29 2019 Jo Wilde’s
Vampire Thriller
“THE CROSSING”
#114 12 30 2019 Sam Richard’s
Short Story Collection of Weird and Transgressive
Horror
“To Wallow In Ash and Sorrows”
#115 12 31 2019 Duncan B Barlow’s
Literary Fiction Novel
“A DOG BETWEEN US”
#116 01 02 2020 Allison Landa’s
Young Adult Novel
“BAD HAIR”
#117 01 03 2020 Pablo Medina’s
Literary Satire Novel
“THE CUBAN COMEDY”
#118 01 06 2020 William Trent Pancoast’s
Historical/Literary Novel
“THE ROAD TO MATEWAN”
#119 01 07 2020 Jane Bernstein’s
Contemporary Novel
“The Face Tells the Secret”
#120 01 09 2020 Terry Kroenung’s
Young Adult, Historical and Fantasy
“Brimstone And Lily”
#121 01 12 2020 Melissa Yi’s
Fiction Thriller
“GRAVEYARD SHIFT”
#122 01 15 2020 Marcie R. Rendon’s
Crime Thriller
“GIRL GONE MISSING”
#123 01 16 2020 Tori Eldridge’s
Multi Genre Novel
“THE NINJA DAUGHTER”
#124 01 17 2020 Kristen Joy Wilks’s
Christian Romantic Comedy
“YELLOWSTONE YONDERING”
#125 01 20 2020 Susan C. Shea’s
Cozy Mystery
“DRESSED FOR DEATH IN BURGUNDY”
#126 01 22 2020 Phong Nguyen’s
Improvisational Fiction
“ROUDABOUT”
#127 01 23 2020 Kate Thornton’s
Mystery Short Story In Its Entirety
“Ai Witness”
#128 01 24 2020 Phil McCarron’s
Semi Fictional Essays
“The Great Facepalm: The Farce of 21st Century
Normality”
#129 01 27 2020 Kenneth Weene’s
Historicized Literary Fiction
“Red And White”
#130 01 28 2020 Graham Storrs’s
Science Fiction Thriller
“TimeSplash”
#131 02 08 2020 Angela Slatter’s
Short Story “Terrible As An Army With Banners”
From her Short Story Collection THE BITTERWOOD BIBLE AND OTHER RECOUNTINGS
#132 02 11 2020 Joan Joachim’s
Romance
Just One Kiss
#133 02 16 2020 Kelsey Clifton’s
Science Fiction
A DAY OUT OF TIME
#134 02 17 2020 Soraya M Lane’s
Women Historical Fiction
THE GIRLS OF PEARL HARBOR
#135 03 07 2020
Linked Fiction
BLEACHERS Fifty-Four Linked Fictions
By Joseph Mills
#136 03 15 2020
Science Fiction Romance
BLUE VISION
By Marie Lavender
#137 03 17 2020
Crime Fiction
12 Bullets
by O’Neil De Noux
#138 03 18 2020
Flash Fiction Piece
Radical
by Kelle Grace Gaddis
#139 03 20 2020
Mystery
HERE BE MONSTERS
By Jamie Sheffield
#140 03 21 2020
Character Driven Novel
UNBROKEN
By Jamie Lisa Forbes
#141 03 23 2020
Literary Murder Mystery
COLD COUNTRY
By Russell Rowland
#142 04 01 2020
Sci-Fi/Paranormal
SWEET SLEEP
By Kim Cormack
#143 04 02 2020
Western Noir Short Story
“Night Rounds”
by James Reasoner
#144 04 03 2020
Southern Fiction
LITTLE TEA
By Claire Fullerton
#145 04 04 2020
Mainstream novel with elements of crime, mystery, and magic
THE FORGETTING FLOWER
by Karen Hugg
by Karen Hugg
#146 04 07 2020
Historical Fiction
MEDICIS DAUGHTER
by Sophie Perinot
#147 04 08 2020
Dark Urban Fantasy with elements of Paranormal Romance
COVEN BORN
by Stephanie Reisner aka AUDREY BRICE
#148 04 13 2020
Mystery With A Fantasy Twist
DEATH LIVES IN THE WATER
By Shoshana Edwards
#149 04 14 2020
Historical Fiction
ASHES
by Sharon Glogal Friedman
#150 04 19 2020
Vampire Horror Novelette
Blood Thrasher: The Devil’s in the Metal
by Adam Messer
#151 04 25 2020
Historical Fiction
Charis in the World of Wonders
by Marly Youmans
#152 04 29 2020
Historical Fiction
The Master of Verona
by David Blixt
#153 04 30 2020
General Fiction (Family)
Bread Bags & Bullies: Surviving the 80s
by Steven Manchester
#154 05 01 2020
Adventure-Thriller/Horror
Into The Ashes
by Lee Murray
#155 05 06 2020
Coming of Age/Crime Novel
All Things Left In The Wild
by James Wade
#156 05 10 2020
Paranormal Mystery
Southern Bound
by Stuart Jaffe
#157 05 13 2020
Mystery/Crime Novel
Yardbird
By Mark Slade
#158 05 15 2020
Horror/Crime Novel
Hotel Nowhere
By David E Adkins
#159 05 16 2020
Satire/Crime Novel
THE LYING BASTARD
by Clint Margrave
#160 05 19 2020
Southern Gothic Fiction
REVIVING THE HAWTHORN SISTERS
by Emily Carpenter
#161 05 21 2020
Women’s Domestic Life Fiction
MERCY HOUSE
by Alena Dillon
#162 05 26 2020
Screenplay/Film
BEAST MODE
by Drew Fortune and Spain Willingham
#163 05 31 2020
Coming of Age/ Psychological Thriller
MY SISTER & OTHER LIARS
by Ruth Dugdall
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/ruth-dugdalls-my-sister-and-other-liars.html