Julie Clark Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Interview

Julie Clark explains what inspired her to write The Lies I Tell

What inspired you to write The Lies I Tell?

I'm obsessed with true crime podcasts, and a few years ago, I came across one about a con artist who went to elaborate lengths to lure in his victims, gain their trust, and then steal everything they owned. That particular con artist was a man, but I remember thinking, What about female con artists? Would people be more inclined to trust them? From there, my imagination took over.

Like with The Last Flight, I didn't want to write a female character who was a true sociopath, so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way to write a female con artist with a conscience. A woman who used her intellect and wits to do some good in a world where women often get the short end of the stick.

Meg and Kat don't trust each other, even as they get closer and closer. What was the most challenging part of writing their relationship?

The most challenging part was making sure the relationship evolved naturally, while also keeping the timeline relatively short. Kat has the heavy load of her own trauma that keeps her from seeing Meg clearly at first, and I needed her to slowly begin to embrace Meg, despite who she believed Meg to be. The other challenging part was making sure Meg was simmering with her own...