We’re excited to have Leanna Sain back to tell her about her new book, Hoax, the newest installment of the Amelia Island Suspense series. Leanna joined us back in November 2019 to tell us about the first installment of the series.
Hoax
by Leanna Sain
I never intended to write a sequel to Hush. In my mind it was supposed to be a stand-alone story, something I used as therapy for getting me through the final stages of my mother’s Alzheimer’s journey. When it was done, I thought it would be the end of Lacey and Ford and living in the imaginary world I’d created on Amelia Island. But my publisher informed me that suspense novels do better when they’re in a series, so would I please create one? What? A series? Yikes! I hadn’t bargained on that. Time to reset my thinking. Hmmm. What if I followed the thread about Lacey’s granddad’s paintings? The ones she and Ford discovered at the end of the story? That might work as a starting point, but I had to have more than that.
I flirted with the idea of art forgery, something I knew little to nothing about. Yes, that might work, but if I went that route, I had some serious research to do. I had to know about art forgery before I could write about it and make it believable. So I started digging. That’s my favorite part about writing a book—the research part. I consider it continuing my college education without having to pay for tuition. Thank the Lord for the Internet!
Since I’m a very “visual” person, one of the first things I needed to do was find the perfect artist to pattern the character of JD Campbell after. I needed to be able to see the work while writing my story. I logged untold hours online searching and was beginning to think I’d never find exactly what I was looking for, that I’d have to settle for something less. Then I discovered Erin Hanson’s work, and I knew I’d found the perfect fit. Take a look: (https://www.erinhanson.com/p/lilies_on_the_lake) Her beautiful painting, Lilies on the Lake, was the inspiration for JD’s missing work, Delilah’s Lilies, in the story. I love, love, LOVE her open impressionism style, and I’m so glad I found her. My dream is to one day own a print of that painting.
Once I started educating myself about art forgeries, I realized how very much I needed to learn. The process of both creating forgeries and catching forgers is a lot more involved than I ever realized. I also learned how widespread art forgery was. Even major art museums—the ones everyone has heard about—weren’t immune. The statistics were mind-boggling—so much so that I included a quote by Theodore Rousseau of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the introduction of Hoax. “We can only talk about the bad forgeries, the ones that have been detected. The good ones are still hanging on museum walls.” It was while doing my research that my story headed down a path I hadn’t planned. I actually love it when that happens, when the characters take the helm and start steering the story themselves. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that, but I think the end result is so much better than my original outline. I hope you’ll agree. Here’s the back cover copy to give you a taste:
Soon-to-be bride, Lacey Campbell, discovers a secret just days before her wedding causing her to doubt everything she’s always believed about her family.
When her strange premonitory dreams begin again—visions of snarling canines and
dangerous Inuit knives—past experience tells her that danger isn’t far behind. With her
police-chief fiancé, Ford Jamison, she struggles to preserve her famous grandfather’s legacy while searching for a possible claimant to his estate.
As she pursues the truth, she risks losing everything—her future with Ford, her precious restaurant, Black Pearl and even her life. Can she escape the peril, outwit her hidden adversary, and reveal the biggest Hoax of all?
If you haven’t read Hush, the first book of the Amelia Island Suspense series, you’ll need to because Hoax builds on the first book. Both are available on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and Hush is also an audio book. And if you’re interested in a little backstory, I wrote a short prequel entitled, Harbinger—Before the Lullaby. It’s written in middle school Lacey’s POV, but I think it helps you understand her a bit better. You can read it for free on my website: www.LeannaSain.com. It’s in the blog section.
And when you’re finished reading Hoax (and Hush, if you haven’t already read it), please write a quick review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. I promise, doing that simple task helps us authors more than you know. Happy reading!
••••••••••
Thank you so much for checking out our interview with Leanna Sain! You can buy Hoax here, the first work of the Amelia Island Suspense series, Hush, here, and purchase her other works here. Check out her website, and be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter! If you have a question or comment for us, we’d love to hear from you! Be sure to share this post, and comment below.
Thank you for reading!