Liane Carmen Talks, Where the Truth Hides

What inspired you to write Where The Truth Hides?

Someone in our family was adopted, and we set out to see if we could use DNA to find their birth family. I became both fascinated and obsessed!

It’s estimated that over 26 million people have taken an in-home ancestry test. Some do the test just to learn their ethnicity. For the most part, that’s what all the commercials promote. But for those that are adopted like Jules, this science can help to finally answer the question of where they started.

What people are not always prepared for is that this tiny little tube could also be taking them down a path they didn’t even know existed. DNA can uncover family secrets and truths people thought would be taken to the grave. Sometimes DNA hits you with a whammy, and those are real, conflicted emotions to feel.

In our search, we uncovered a secret or two. More than one person asked: is DNA ever wrong? After much research, I have found the simple answer. Families keep secrets, and people don’t always tell the truth, but DNA doesn’t lie. It appears that maybe that little tube should come with a warning label. Spit at your own risk, because the truth is about to be revealed.

This realization led me to the idea for my book and the books that will follow. The stories and secrets surrounding what DNA can uncover are endless.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

I knew I wanted to write a story about the secrets that can be uncovered by doing a DNA test. We have been touched by adoption in our family, so I wanted one of the main characters to be searching for her birth parents. It was important to me to tell that story.

Jules had a great family and upbringing, and yet, she yearned to know why she was given up. It was affecting her ability to find a relationship. For some adoptees, not knowing presents a big void that impacts their lives in ways non-adoptees can’t imagine.

The other topic I felt strongly about was infertility. So many women are impacted, but they stay silent as if there’s a stigma associated with it. I wanted Becky to shine a light on the struggles and emotions that surround wanting so badly to be a mother.

All you warriors, I see you on Twitter and Instagram. I follow your stories. I smile for you when you realize your dream and shed a tear when you don’t.

About the Book

Where the Truth Hides by Liane Carmen
Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Synopsis

Buried secrets can be deadly.

Becky Morgan has a life most women would envy until a car accident lands her in the hospital. She insists she’s fine, but it quickly becomes clear she’s changed. She’s forgetful, paranoid, short-tempered. Her husband wants to write off her change in personality to the IVF hormones she’s taking in an attempt to get pregnant.

Becky’s best friend, Jules Dalton, is a gorgeous, single woman, with a habit of sabotaging relationships. When Jules loses the man who could have been “the one,” she confronts the realization that being adopted at birth is contributing to her trust issues. She’s obsessed with finding out why she was given up and turns to DNA testing in hopes her matches will lead to her birth parents.

As Jules dives into her DNA results, Becky’s life soon becomes one she doesn’t recognize. Those closest to her are accusing her of things she simply can’t explain or remember. She’s terrified of losing everything: her career, her marriage, and her dream of becoming a mother.

Desperate to put the pieces of her shattered life back together, Becky needs her best friend more than ever. What she doesn’t realize is that Jules knows something that could explain everything away.

Becky has a dark past she’s unaware of. A darkness that’s coming for her.

It could also get her killed.

Add to your Goodreads shelf.

Purchase on Amazon | B&N

About the Author

I’ve always been an avid reader and a fan of the suspense/thriller genre. Several years ago, we decided to solve a family mystery using DNA and my obsession was born. My love of writing and my new addiction led to my first novel, “Where the Truth Hides”, newly released in May of 2020. It will kick off a series of books delving into the mysteries that DNA can reveal.