2017 A to Z Challenge: D is for Deception

 

Hello again and welcome to Day 4 of the A to Z Challenge.  There were a number of possibilities that ran through my mind as I considered today’s date, but in the end, I decided to write about something that I realized in an incredibly common trope in many of the books I write. It doesn’t matter if it’s a episode from my sci-fi series, one of my historical romances, a contemporary romance, a paranormal romance, or a suspense, in each and everyone of my books, something is not what it seems to be.

That’s right. D is for DECEPTION. In the words of Wikipedia , everyone’s fast and friendly source of information, most of the time reasonably accurate:

Deception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification, ruse, and subterfuge is the act of propagating beliefs in things that are not true, or not the whole truth (as in half-truths or omission). Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand, as well as distraction, camouflage, or concealment. There is also self-deception, as in bad faith.

Deception is a major relational transgression that often leads to feelings of betrayal and distrust between relational partners. Deception violates relational rules and is considered to be a negative violation of expectations. Most people expect friends, relational partners, and even strangers to be truthful most of the time. If people expected most conversations to be untruthful, talking and communicating with others would require distraction and misdirection to acquire reliable information. A significant amount of deception occurs between romantic and relational partners.^[1]

Deceit and dishonesty can also form grounds for civil litigation in tort, or contract law (where it is known as misrepresentation or fraudulent misrepresentation if deliberate), or give rise to criminal prosecution for fraud. It also forms a vital part of psychological warfare in Denial and deception.

Wow! That pretty much says it all. In my novel, Desert Deception, there’s more than one kind of deceit going on. Even Mother Nature gets in on the game.

Seeing is believing, or is it?

When high-powered Santa Fe attorney Casey Stevens reluctantly returns to Fortune for Gold Rush Days, she is drawn to Cole Walker Junior, but he is no longer the shy, quiet boy she recalls. Then again, Cole isn’t the only one who has changed. The town may be celebrating its past, but someone is trying to destroy its future. A hit and run accident leaves Fortune’s only lawyer in a coma, forcing Casey to choose between helping innocent people and running away once more. Can she face the demons of her past or will they destroy her this time?

Cole Warner has a secret identity, one he’s determined to protect at all costs. The police officer, volunteer firefighter, and part-time store owner, is also popular western novelist, CJ Coleson, who uses Fortune and its people as the inspiration for his books. Having Casey walk into his life turns it upside down. When someone starts using the murders in Cole’s books to stage a killing spree of their own, keeping his secret may be too costly, but admitting the truth could ruin any chance they have for a happily ever after.

As the bodies pile up and the buildings burn down, Casey and Cole have to work together to stop a madman with gold fever before more people die. The answer lies on Superstition Mountain or is it all a desert deception?

Have you ever been deceived? How did it make you feel?

Please check out the rest of today’s A to Z bloggers.

A to Z Challenge Blog