Will Cann, a recovering heroin addict-turned-counselor for whom truth is a championed element to recovery, has a dark secret — shared with no one outside of his anonymous AA meetings. Over twenty years ago, after an ultimatum from his pregnant ex-wife, Will was forced to assume a new identity and to fake his own death to get out from under his dealer and user-friends once and for all.
Now, Will is counseling Thea Brown, a young woman who has been diagnosed with a pathological addiction to creating fake social media identities, and who founded a start-up company (“Alibis”) that created false internet identities for clients, many with suspect pasts. Thea’s addiction has landed her in rehab as a condition of her parole — after a plea bargain cut short a court case that would have put both Thea and Alibis on trial for a very high-profile crime.
As Will counsels Thea, the past is on a collision course with the present. Both Will’s, and his young client’s, fast-held secrets start to unravel... and reveal, at long last, the truth about Thea.
"Impellizzeri unleashes a tangled skein of half-truths and lies that unravels with each chapter. Perspectives alternate between that of almost sociopathic Thea and others who are trying to discover Thea’s truth. This satisfying story will keep readers guessing until the end."Some Q & A with Amy ~
-Booklist
"Clever, mind-bending and darkly original, THE TRUTH ABOUT THEA had me hooked from page one. In Thea Brown, Amy Impellizzeri has created a brilliant, complicated, flawed character that gets under your skin and stays there. Fast-paced and twisty, the unexpected ending will have you gasping for air. "
-Heather Gudenkauf, NYT best selling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE and NOT A SOUND
"A man’s past and a woman’s present collide in Amy Impellizzeri’s latest up-all-night thriller where nothing is as it seems. Filled with questionable characters, long-held secrets, and a tangled web of twists and turns, THE TRUTH ABOUT THEA will keep readers guessing who — if anyone — can be trusted. A perfectly compelling read all the way to the shocking end."
-Kimberly Belle, USA TODAY and WSJ best selling author of THE MARRIAGE LIE
"Thrilling and well-plotted story. You’ve made me a fan of psychological suspense!"
Julie Cantrell, NYT and USA TODAY best selling author
"Filled with tension and twists you don't see coming, Amy Impellizzeri's dialogue crackles and her characters scheme and surprise. I was invested and thrilled -- what a ride!"
-Kelly Simmons, international selling author of ONE MORE DAY and THE FIFTH OF JULY
"Just try to keep your eye on the ball in this intricate thriller. No matter how carefully you follow all the moving pieces, nothing will prepare you for where Impellizzeri takes you. A twisting story where everyone has secrets, and no one can be trusted."
-Rena Olsen, Author,
THE GIRL BEFORE
Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you started writing.
I have always been a writer. But in college, I put away all my creative writing journals to get ready for law school. I was convinced I could not pursue BOTH creative writing AND get ready for law school. I’m not sure that was exactly correct. But, hindsight is 20/20. I packed all my journals away, and only re-discovered my creative writing voice when I took a sabbatical from my 13-year corporate law career in 2009. I took a one-year sabbatical that year – and I’m still on it!
What are some things you enjoy when not writing?
I can never really sit still too long. I love to travel. And I incorporate my adventures into my novels. From New York City to Central America and the Caribbean, the settings of my novels are often based on places I’ve already fallen in love with.
Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?
So even though I left the law in 2009, I’ve pretty much always had a “day job” alongside writing. (See above. I can NEVER really sit still too long!) For several years, I was on the executive team of a start-up company working to raise up and market women entrepreneurs. I’ve also worked as a speaker on career transition and as a teacher of writing workshops nationally, and more recently, I’ve been working in development and marketing for a local private school. Also, I have three children 13 and younger. And a dog. So there’s them. But writing isn’t something I “fit in” alongside my day jobs. It’s woven into the fabric of every day. It sustains me, frankly.
Where do you get your ideas?
Everywhere. The news, the coffee shop. My friends. (Just kidding! I never use my friends in my novels. But if I did, I would totally change their names. Wink.)
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
I used to think I had an unusual journey to publication. But I’m learning that every story is completely unique, so maybe not. I submitted my first novel without an agent to Nancy Cleary of Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing after a former magazine editor friend of mine introduced us. I think I even kind of hounded Nancy to read it after she read the synopsis and declared it intriguing. It was one of those things that could have backfired if the planets were slightly misaligned. But it didn’t. She read it, she loved it, and after I landed my fabulous agent, Bob Diforio, I stayed with Wyatt-MacKenzie for my next two novels.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a new novel about a powerful political couple from Washington DC – the place where I started my legal career. When tragedy strikes, everything they thought they knew about each other – and wanted for each other – will change. For those familiar with my novels, you won’t be surprised to hear there’s a lot of unraveling of secrets. The working title is “Why We Lie.”
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Yes. You have time.
What I hear most from aspiring writers is that they want to write a story, but they can’t find the time. And in my writing workshops, I work hard to help students find it. I’m not interested in covering up the truth that writing DOES take a lot of time. And sometimes carving out the time feels a little selfish at first, but I work with writers to help them get over the guilt and carve out the time anyway.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you! It’s been an amazing and humbling journey putting three novels out into the world and watching readers and Book Clubs embrace them. I’ll never stop being grateful.
To connect with Amy:
Faceook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpellizzeriAmy
website: www.amyimpellizzeri.com
Amazon Buy Link: bit.ly/ownyourtruth
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