The Artful Liar

Book excerpt: THE ARTFUL LIAR is a fictionalized memoir about disloyalty and duplicity written in the third-person as a series of stand-alone vignettes based on the author’s imagination and experiences. At the end of each vignette are five meaningful learning messages, gleaned through the life tests of that story. THE ARTFUL LIAR presents an examined life to the reader. It tells one woman’s journey and her reflections on surviving deception and betrayal. It’s meant to be a gift to women of all ages everywhere who struggle with dishonesty, cheating, infidelity and relationship loss. It’s a call to every woman to be strong, to pay attention, to listen to her gut, to rid herself of betrayers and deceivers, and to claim what she wants. Reviews for THE ARTFUL LIAR: “In THE ARTFUL LIAR, Cynthia Friedlander has given us the compelling story of a decade-long relationship between a charming sociopathic liar and the successful, talented and intelligent woman who loves him. When she at last discovers – and can no longer explain away or deny – the extent of his lies, she must learn to fight to regain her self-respect, self-esteem, and her very existence. THE ARTFUL LIAR ultimately becomes a heart-wrenching cautionary tale for modern, urban women of all ages.” –Pat Carr, author of ONE PAGE AT A TIME “Cynthia Friedlander’s THE ARTFUL LIAR delves into the story of a betrayed woman with such depth and honesty, one can almost feel her pain as she becomes aware of the extent of her betrayer’s lies. She must come to terms with the knowledge that a man she loved and shared her life with had deceived her for years, and Friedlander pours her soul into her writing of the woman’s pain and, eventual healing. Friedlander provides a service to the many people who will find comfort in seeing themselves and their stories reflected in this book.” –Ellen Schnier, LCSW, Psychotherapist “What a beautiful and graceful telling of an extraordinary story. I could not stop turning the pages and anticipating what would happen next - what great storytelling is all about. Surely this book is going to touch many lives. So many of us have been deceived by one(s) we loved; this retelling of how the author overcame, regained her confidence, and moved on was what really made the book for me. I am also very impressed with the guiding messages. Such a gift for anyone who is in the valley and trying to climb back up the mountain.” –Elise Davis-McFarland, PhD, former VP, Trident Technical College, Certified Speech-Language Pathologist “Thank you for giving us THE ARTFUL LIAR. This book stirred my emotions and interest at all times. I could feel pain and anger. What a strong and courageous woman. THE ARTFUL LIAR will help many women who have found themselves in a deceptive relationship.” –Florence Schmelzer, Native New Yorker, Relationship Survivor, Former Manager, New York Convention and Visitors Bureau