Debut Headline author Sam Hayes explains how real life can be more terrifying than fiction...

When I began writing BLOOD TIES, I knew I wanted to write a powerfully emotional thriller that would strike a chord with all readers. The main premise in the book came to me after two particularly harrowing incidents happened to coincide. A friend lost her young daughter in crowds while abroad (the child was found several hours later but it was the worst time of her life) and, around the same time, another acquaintance had to make the painful decision about whether to dispose of unused IVF embryos. It was then that I decided I was going to write about every mother’s worst nightmare – a stolen baby – and I began to ask the question: What if?

There’s nothing more painful than the loss of a child, and I honestly don’t think I would have done a good job tackling these emotions if I’d not been a mother myself. Staying detached from issues as powerful as these wasn’t always possible and researching child abuse and the prostitution of young women was particularly harrowing. It was important, too, that my book be centred on family and the protection of that unit, as well as revolving around a shocking plot. It was also vital to me that the book remained accessible, believable and, ultimately, riveting. I do hope you’ll enjoy reading the novel as much as I enjoyed writing it.