Who hasn’t dreamed of the ancient Egyptian Pyramids? Of the dazzling treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb? Of cruising the Nile on a sumptuous barge with Cleopatra’s court? I sure have. From a young age the images of slender, graceful people in gossamer linen garb bedecked with exotic jewels fired my imagination. How had these people achieved so much—in architecture, literature, agriculture—and managed to maintain their advanced civilization for thousands of years? By the time Mysteries of Egypt, an IMAX film featuring Omar Sharif came along (I saw it at least a dozen times) the die was cast. Sitting beneath domed-screened images of one of the most fascinating civilizations ever known made it clear: to Egypt I must go.
Before the trip could be arranged, the horrific events of 9/11 shocked the world. The inexplicable tragedies of that day touched something deep within my soul. I kept asking myself: Would this have happened if we Americans had been paying more attention? Cared a little more about what was happening in the rest of the world? And maybe troubled ourselves to call our government to account for its actions on the global stage? These hard questions led me to take a sabbatical and took me on a journey—both physical and spiritual—to previously unexplored territories.
What I found in Egypt was a startling dichotomy. The glorious ancient past struggled to hold its head high in the midst of a corrupt and often infuriating patriarchal society under the thumb of a long-standing authoritarian government. Trouble was brewing there, palpable trouble. Something was bound to happen. A profound quotation I’d come across kept ringing in my ears: “The prerequisite of political stability is social justice, for it is in the nature of things that injustice will not endure.”
On that first trip I made friends. I learned a little about what life was like for the Egyptian people. The contrasts were sharp...and severe. As with many “developing countries,” life in the major cities was a struggle for even the most educated. In the countryside, the people were heartbreakingly poor. In Egypt I saw and heard first hand how the actions and policies of my country’s government had affected the lives of millions—sometimes to their benefit, often not.
Back in California, a world away, those thoughts and images continued to whirl in my brain. So I returned to Egypt, again and again. Each time I came home to recount my experiences to friends, they would say, “You should write a book.” When I finally sat down to record my thoughts, almost immediately the fictional story began to emerge, clamored to be told. The richness…the complexities…the harsh realities of life in Egypt insisted that—as fiction—the story could reveal so much more…entertain so much more. Yes, Grains of Truth is fiction. But the story was inspired by real people and real world issues...things that we should all care more about, for the sake of others as well as our own.
by Lydia Crichton
Paperback: 382 pages
Publisher: Barringer Publishing/Schlesinger Advertising (May 1, 2013)
Amazon Link
Synopsis:
In her debut novel, GRAINS OF TRUTH (Barringer Publishing/May 2013) author Lydia Crichton married her love and fascination for Egypt's history in a character-driven page turner that blends romance, suspense, and espionage in one woman’s quest for justice, love, peace, and redemption.
When rigid pacifist Julia Grant is manipulated by U.S. Intelligence to take part in a covert mission in Egypt to help foil a major terrorist plot, she is torn between saving lives and becoming a pawn in her government's political agenda. As her mission unfolds, Julia finds her heart torn between a married Egyptologist and a charismatic arms dealer. Romantic complications ensue and when her contacts die along the Nile, Julia realizes that she has become the center of a deadly plot, spun by passion, intrigue, and the clashing of radically diverse cultures and beliefs, including her own.
"GRAINS OF TRUTH is a taut, well-written, action packed story – an intelligent romantic thriller that never loses its focus as a high entertainment story." ––LARRY MYLES, RED INKWORDS
For more information on Lydia Crichton, please visit: www.lydiacrichton.com.
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