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Karen Young | Determing the BIG DILEMMA
August 2, 2011
I'm not sure how I came up with the idea for the plot of LIE FOR ME. Readers often
ask me that question. Like many authors of multiple books, I always have scraps
of plot ideas percolating in my mind. All it takes is a newspaper article or
something I read on the Internet, or happenings in the lives of people around
me—my friends, my family, folks I don't even know—and then suddenly
I'll think, "Oh, that would be a great plot." Then I'm off and running. But I
can't think of a particular moment when I was struck with the plot of LIE FOR ME. I don't recall
reading about or knowing of someone who was faced with that dilemma. Plotting LIE FOR ME
meant I would need to move the story along setting the groundwork for the BIG
DILEMMA: What would the heroine (Lauren) say when the hero (Tucker) asked
her to provide an alibi for him and it meant she'd have to lie? How would she
react? LIE FOR ME is the
third book of Christian fiction I've written, so I needed to deal with questions
of morality and faith, weaving the spiritual journey of one or both protagonists
into the story. I found myself asking this question: What would happen if a
person of faith were to be asked to do something she knew was absolutely,
morally wrong? Did Lauren react from her Christian convictions? Not necessarily,
at least, not in my book. I don't think Christians have a monopoly on moral
behavior, on doing the right thing. I think any person with strong moral
character would balk at being asked to lie, especially if the consequences were
huge. At any rate, the character I created did just that—she
refused—and her whole world crashed around her. Maybe an underlying
message in LIE FOR ME is
that doing the right thing doesn't always reward the person doing it. As you can see, I could go on and on about the morality of lying in this book.
But I hope the little I've given you here will make you want to read Lauren's
story so you can wrestle with the thorny issue yourself. As always, I look
forward to what my readers think. LIE FOR ME will be
available August 2, 2011 Karen Young Comment to win a copy of LIE FOR ME
Comments
36 comments posted.
Re: Karen Young | Determing the BIG DILEMMA
Yes, you have my interest. How can someone call themselves a
Christian but still even consider lying for anyone for any
reason?
(Mary Baker 3:48am August 2, 2011)
You would have to be able to justify the lie to yourself. It would weigh on your conscience no matter what.
(Mary Preston 4:51am August 2, 2011)
A dilemma for sure! Sounds like an exciting read.
(Karen Gervasi 6:48am August 2, 2011)
They are a lot of reasons, and thus dilemmas, for telling a lie, including saving a life. I doubt anyone has never told at least one.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 7:01am August 2, 2011)
No relationship should be built on even one lie. Where there is one lie there are
bound to be more. There can never be real trust with even one lie and without
trust no relationship lasts.
(Sandra Spilecki 7:35am August 2, 2011)
THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU EXPLORED THE OLD ADAGE, "NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED,"..I AM IN IT TO WIN IT!
(Silvana Moscato 7:37am August 2, 2011)
It took a little time to figure out how to get to the comment section, but I am persistent. Many of us have bent the truth in order to protect people we care about. Like telling a friend that her haircut isn't so bad...
(Diane McMahon 7:37am August 2, 2011)
You created a character (Lauren) with great courage. There are big lies & little lies, but the one Tucker asked her to do was a whopper. You are right, as some of us can attest to, no good deed goes unpunished. Been there, done that.
(Beverly Beltz 8:43am August 2, 2011)
Interesting concept. Especially for a Christian writer.
(Pam Howell 8:54am August 2, 2011)
Lying is so pervasive today--I really think it should be examined more often.
(Sue Farrell 9:15am August 2, 2011)
Interesting concept to base the book on considering all the different "levels" of lies.
Thanks
(Julie Parrish 9:19am August 2, 2011)
Very interesting subject to write about. A good thing to write about...really excited to read this...Thanks for sharing!
(Dawn Staniszeski 9:27am August 2, 2011)
Sounds like a good book and I hope it is available in e-book format.
(Vickie Hightower 10:09am August 2, 2011)
wow. what do you do? compromise yourself for someone else's
safety? i'd like to read this, and plan to. thank you for
something to consider!
(Anne Harris 10:10am August 2, 2011)
Sounds like a very interesting book. Thanks for giving me a
chance to win it.
(Linda Hall 1:06pm August 2, 2011)
You have caught my attention... Sounds like a very interesting book to read!
(Colleen Conklin 1:58pm August 2, 2011)
When we were kids, we were always told that if you told the truth you didn't have to remember how it went.
(Sandy Fielder 2:23pm August 2, 2011)
Thanks for the giveaway! This book sounds very interesting!!! :))
(Kristen Michelle 2:34pm August 2, 2011)
I so want this book. It sounds exciting for a dull summer night when I am all alone.
(Debby Creager 4:02pm August 2, 2011)
As a kid I could never figure out who told on me when I told a lie. Years later, my mother told me that I, myself,
told her about the lie. My face gave me away. Now, I never tell a lie, but will refrain from commenting instead. In the end, I have to live with myself and my integrity
(Rosemary Simm 4:03pm August 2, 2011)
It put Lauren between the rock and a hard place when Tucker asked her to lie for him. Telling the truth was the right thing to do, but I imagine she worried about what happened to Tucker as a result. The book sounds interesting.
(Anna Speed 4:08pm August 2, 2011)
It would be tough to decide whether to lie for him, but we are sometime fools for those we love and would do an awful lot for them, be it good or bad. Look forward to reading this book. Thanks
(Constance Biller 6:18pm August 2, 2011)
Interesting subject matter. I am eager to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
(Diane Pernick 6:37pm August 2, 2011)
Looking fw to reading Lauren's story
(Annette Cunningham 7:33pm August 2, 2011)
Lying sets a rotten standard that only gets worse. I tend to be blunt so lying isn't a big part of my livelihood since it's so hard to remember what you've said to whom, when, where and exactly why you needed to stretch the truth to begin with. Who are you protecting the most with lies - yourself or the ones you are pulling one over on?
(Alyson Widen 8:24pm August 2, 2011)
On lie leads to many others until you lose track of the original lie. This sounds like a interesting read. Putting it on my TBR list. Thanks for the contest!
(Teresa Ward 8:51pm August 2, 2011)
Some people lie to protect someone else's feelings. Like ,do I look fat in this dress.Ect..
(Deb Pelletier 9:08pm August 2, 2011)
I must say that just looking at the cover of your book caught my interest, let alone knowing what the book itself is about. The issue itself is a touchy one. I know people who have lied for others to protect another person from being hurt. Whether it was the right thing to do is not for me to say. I was raised "old school," and was not taught to lie, so I can't say I would do the same thing in that circumstance. It would eat at me like a cancer until I couldn't take the deceipt anymore, and would have to spill all!! I can't wait to read your book, and find out what lies behind the mysterious woman on the cover. Thank you for the great giveaway!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:36pm August 2, 2011)
Looking forward to reading this one. It definately doesn't sound like something I've read before.
Thanks
(Patti Paonessa 10:06pm August 2, 2011)
Interesting idea... lies have different meanings to different people... Some are white lies and some are true selfish lies.
(May Pau 10:16pm August 2, 2011)
The title itself is interesting
(Karen Triolo 11:12pm August 2, 2011)
For me, too, this would be one of the biggest dilemmas: whether to try to spare a loved one the pain of going through a police investigation for murder if I felt 99% certain that he couldn't have done it. I've always tried to be truthful, though I'm sure I've fudged it a little at times. But it's never been in a case of huge importance like a murder. What would I do? I really don't know. It would depend on the whole set of circumstances.
BTW, I recently came across the wording of the commandments in Exodus 20 again and was struck anew by the wording of the ninth commandment: "You shall not bear false testimony against your neighbor." I recalled a sermon many years ago in which the pastor stated that sometimes it's better not to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When you know a truth that might hurt a friend, a neighbor, a loved one, you should think about whether it's better to say nothing at all or how to break something as gently as possible. It's certainly never right to gleefully tell someone that their partner is cheating. And, yes, sometimes it's to lie by omission.
Being asked point blank about a crime, however, can only be very hard to answer truthfully if a loved one is involved. I'm sure that you will handle it well, Karen. I've loved your latest mysteries and know I'll love this one too. I loved your Silhouette books too. You have a great insight into characters.
(Sigrun Schulz 2:50am August 3, 2011)
What a delimma, love or honor! And then he goes missing, that drew me in!
(Marcelle Cole 5:50pm August 3, 2011)
A lie is all about not being honest. Why would you lie to others and yourself for someone else. It's just not right.
(Cheryl English 8:03pm August 3, 2011)
It is great to see a Christian book exploring a topic that can produce such reaction from your readers. I do agree with most of the comments but you might consider a book about "Don't judge me". Good luck on the book.
(Kathleen Yohanna 4:57am August 5, 2011)
I've decided the only ones I could lie for would be my kids and my husband and it would have to be a little lie?
(Constance Biller 4:37pm August 7, 2011)
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