Meet author H.A.Leuschel and her novel ‘My Sweet Friend’, a Hot New Release, and Telling Stories to Understand the Human Mind.
Helene Andrea Leuschel is a wonderful Twitter friend and a talented author of psychological thrillers and writing dwelling into the human psychic. Her writing style has been described as “gripping”, “thought-provoking”, “full of depths and pathos.” She is the author of “Manipulated Lives” and “Tess and Tattoos”.
H.A.Leuschel’s new novella “My Sweet Friend” is coming out today, a fascinating modern story told from two points of view, that of the victim and of the manipulator, moving seamlessly between the two.
My Sweet Friend on Amazon Canada
My Sweet Friend, Book Blurb
A stand-alone novella from the author of Manipulated Lives
A perfect friend … or a perfect impostor?
Alexa is an energetic and charismatic professional and the new member of a Parisian PR company where she quickly befriends her colleagues Rosie and Jack. She brings a much-needed breath of fresh air into the office and ambitiously throws herself into her new job and friendships.
But is Alexa all she claims to be?
As her life intertwines with Rosie and Jack’s, they must all decide what separates truth from fiction. Will the stories that unfold unite or divide them? Can first impressions ever be trusted?
In this original novella, H.A. Leuschel evokes the powerful hold of appearances and what a person is prepared to do to keep up the facade. If you like thought-provoking and compelling reads with intriguing characters, My Sweet Friend is for you.
Read Helene’s thoughts on why writing stories for grown-ups is so compelling to her.
Telling stories to understand the human mind
Human beings have been telling each other stories for times immemorial, and this for many different reasons. Oral tradition has allowed knowledge to be passed on from one generation to the next, making sure that traditions, folk songs, general information and historical facts are not lost. This transmission was mainly done through speech or song.
As opposed to stories that are written down and can therefore be debated about more objectively, stories passed on orally are more vulnerable to distortions or misrepresentations. Hence, apart from the obvious and innocent problem of falsification, verbal transmission has always been a potential for fraud. A king or emperor for instance may have wanted to make sure that only good things were spoken about him or her, that any flaws were erased, and documents destroyed that could compromise the image of a perfect leader.
As much as a writer may also be misunderstood by her readers, the orator has a more difficult task in passing on information successfully, yet also the advantage to use the weakness of speech to manipulate and control. A lie is born whenever this happens, a deception to confuse and mislead another person.
The longer a person lies and improves in tricking others, and the more they enjoy the success, the more likely it is that they become addicted to telling a false story.
In my first book Manipulated Lives, I wrote five stories that were centred around psychological manipulation, a tool that although it can vary from mild to severe, has one underlying symptom in common: lying.
In my new stand-alone novella, I explored the pathology further where it is one character’s main skill in life and the curse she is unable to shed …
Helene Andrea Leuschel grew up in Belgium where she gained a Licentiate in Journalism & Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. She now lives with her husband and two children in Portugal and recently acquired a Master of Philosophy with the OU, deepening her passion for the study of the mind. When she is not writing, Helene works as a freelance journalist and teaches Yoga.
For more information about the author and her upcoming books, please visit:
Helene Leuschel Author Website
Find Author Helene Leuschel on Goodreads
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