Pages

Friday, November 28, 2014

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for The Duke's Guide to Correct Behavior by Megan Frampton

 photo The-Dukes-Guide-to-Correct-Behavior-TOUR-BANNER_zps006345ca.jpg

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Tasty Book Tours, for The Duke’s Guide to Correct Behavior by Megan Frampton.  Please leave a comment or question for Megan to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, where her publisher is giving away a $25 Amazon GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour by clicking on the banner above, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 

The Duke’s Guide to Correct Behavior
By Megan Frampton
Duke’s Behaving Badly, Book 1

Publisher:  Avon (An Imprint of Harper Collins)
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Genre: Historical Romance
Length:  384 Pages
ISBN:   978-0-062352217

 photo GoodreadsButton_zps1cadd56c.png


Buy Links : Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo


About the book: 

All of London knows the Duke of Rutherford has position and wealth. They also whisper that he’s dissolute, devilish, and determinedly unwed. So why, everyone is asking, has he hired a governess?

When Miss Lily Russell crosses the threshold of the Duke of Rutherford’s stylish townhouse, she knows she has come face to face with sensual danger. For this is no doting papa. Rather, his behavior is scandalous, and his reputation rightly earned. And his pursuit of her is nearly irresistible—but resist she must for the sake of her pupil.

As for the duke himself, it was bad enough when his unknown child landed on his doorstep. Now Lily, with her unassuming beauty, has aroused his most wicked fantasies—and, shockingly, his desire to change his wanton ways. He’s determined to become worthy of her, and so he asks for her help in correcting his behavior.

But Lily has a secret, one that, if it becomes known, could change everything . . .




Megan Frampton writes historical romance under her own name and romantic women’s fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and son.

Megan’s Links: 










a Rafflecopter giveaway



Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle

 photo The-Viscount-who-Lived-Down-the-Lane-Elizabeth-Boyle_zps7b4af39b.jpg

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Tasty Book Tours, for The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane by Elizabeth Boyle.  Please leave a comment or question for Elizabeth to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter her tour wide giveaway, where her publisher is giving away ten (10) print copies of The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of her tour by clicking on the banner above, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.

The Viscount Who Lived Down the Lane
By Elizabeth Boyle
Rhymes With Love, Book 4

Publisher:  Avon (An Imprint of Harper Collins)
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Genre: Historical Romance
Length:  384 Pages
ISBN:   978-0062283818
ASIN:  B00I7V11L6

Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes | iTunes | Kobo

 photo GoodreadsButton_zps1cadd56c.png


About the book:



In New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Boyle's fourth novel in the Rhymes With Love series, a resolute young woman goes toe-to-toe with the Beast of Mayfair...

She has no desire for love...

As she arrives in Mayfair, Louisa Tempest is horrified when her incorrigible cat bolts from the carriage and dashes into a neighbor's house, where she comes face-to-face with the reclusive Viscount Wakefield. But even more dismaying than his foul temper is the disarray in which she finds his home. Convinced his demeanor would improve if his household were in order, Louisa resolves to put everything to rights.

...until she meets the viscount who lives down the lane.
Much to his chagrin, Wakefield finds it impossible to keep the meddling Louisa out of his home, invading his daily life with her "improvements," and his nights with the tempting desires she sparks inside him. Wounded in the war, he's scorned society ever since his return . . . until Louisa opens the door to his heart and convinces him to give love a second chance.







London, Hanover Square
November 1810

“What is it, Haley?” Lord Charleton asked, spar- ing a glance at the door of the breakfast room where his secretary stood, hovering about like a nervous sparrow. “Is it Rowland? Tell me he hasn’t landed in the suds yet again.”

“No, my lord.”\

The man’s brow furrowed a bit. “Couldn’t be Wakefield.”

“Certainly not, my lord.”

The baron glanced up. “Wouldn’t mind if it was. Demmed waste having him mope about, locked up in that house of his.”

“Indeed,” the secretary replied, and if Charleton wasn’t mistaken, there was a note of irony to the man’s declaration—one he chose to ignore, instead pinning a glance on the impudent fellow.

Under the scrutiny, Haley’s jaw worked back and forth as if the words were stuck there in his craw.

“Well?” Lord Charleton prodded. “Out with it. Before my kippers grow cold.” As it was, the baron shoved his plate forward and set down the paper he’d been reading.

Mr. Haley cleared his throat and held out a letter. “I’ve come across a small debt your wife owed—”

There it was. That cold stillness that came every time someone had the nerve to mention Isobel’s name.  How  Lord  Charleton  wished  he  could forget her passing so this wrenching pain would fade from his heart. Yet, still, even a year after her loss, it was a sharp ache he woke up with, one that haunted him even after he closed his eyes at night.
Now here was his secretary bringing her up when he’d quite forbidden the matter.

“Pay it,” he ordered in a tone that said he wanted nothing further to do with any reminders of her.

“But, my lord—” Haley shuffled about.

Lord Charleton removed his glasses and slowly cleaned them. Then once they were perched back up on his nose he stared coldly at the fellow. He was a good man, Haley. An excellent secretary, but why the man continued to bring up Lady Charleton, the baron could not understand. Speaking slowly and deliberately, so there was no mistaking the matter, he said, “You know what to do. Take care of the matter and leave me be.”

“If you insist, my lord . . .” Haley’s voice trailed off tentatively. It wasn’t so much a reply as one last prod.

Truly? He was going to ask yet again? If he wasn’t the most thorough and honest fellow the baron had ever hired—well, actually Lady Charleton had found him and insisted he be hired, but that wasn’t the point. Haley had become rather cheeky of late and Charleton wanted nothing more than to fire him on the spot.

But Isobel wouldn’t have approved, and so Charlton inclined his head, reined back his ire and said with a final note, “Just see to it as Her Lady- ship would have wanted.” Then he went back to his paper and ignored Haley, who stood for a few more moments in the doorway.

And if the baron had looked up, he might have seen the wry, wily smile that had led Lady Char- leton to hire Mr. Haley in the first place.

CHAPTER 1

London
Six months later

Areowwwwww!  The unholy complaint filled the carriage.

“You should have left that foul creature back in Kempton, Miss  Tempest,”  Mrs.  Bagley-Butterton complained for about the hundredth time.

Which equaled the number of times Hannibal had let out that ear-piercing yowl from the basket in which he was trapped.

“He  doesn’t  like  being  penned  up  so,”  Miss Louisa Tempest said in defense of her cat. “And I couldn’t leave him behind.”

There  was  a  sigh  of  resignation  from  beside Louisa. Miss Lavinia Tempest, Louisa’s twin, made a very deliberate show of looking out the window. She wasn’t about to rise to Hannibal’s defense.
Never would.

Louisa suspected her sister shared Mrs. Bagley- Butterton’s exasperation and wished poor Hanni- bal back in Kempton as well.

“I only hope your godmother is an understand- ing sort,” the matron continued, shifting in her seat in the carriage and eyeing the large basket on Louisa’s lap with an air of disdain and suspi- cion. She had protested vehemently against the cat being brought along, but she could hardly prevent the matter when the carriage conveying them to London belonged to the girls’ father, Sir Ambrose Tempest. “I know I wouldn’t have that cat in my house.” She sniffed loudly.



 Elizabeth Boyle was an antipiracy paralegal for Microsoft before settling down to write full-time. Her first novel, Brazen Angel, which won Dell's Diamond Debut Award in 1996, also won the Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best First Book, and was a finalist for Best Long Historical Romance. She lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. She is also the author of Brazen Heiress.

Author Links
Website:  http://www.elizabethboyle.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorElizabethBoyle
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ElizBoyle
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19842.Elizabeth_Boyle




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Book Blast & Giveaway for Winter Wolf by R.J.Blain

  Winter Wolf

Winter Wolf
By R.J. Blain
Witch & Wolf, Book 2

Publisher:  Pen & Page Publishing
Release Date: November 24, 2014
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Length: 361 Pages
ISBN:  9781928148012
ASIN:  B00N1BXDMW

About the book:  

The Hunted Wizard 

When Nicole dabbled in the occult, she lost it all: Her voice, her family, and her name. Now on the run from the Inquisition, she must prove to herself—and the world—that not all wizards are too dangerous to let live.

The savage murder of a bookstore employee throws Nicole into the middle of Inquisition business, like it or not. Driven by her inability to save the young man’s life, she decides to hunt the killer on her own. Using forbidden magic to investigate the past, she learns that the murderer is in fact a disease that could kill the entire werewolf race.

Forced to choose between saving lives and preserving her own, Nicole embraces the magic that sent her into exile. Without werewolves, the power of the Inquisition would dwindle, and she could live without being hunted.

Nicole’s only hope for success lies in the hands of the werewolves she hates and the Inquisition she fears, but finding someone to trust is only the beginning of her problems.

There are those who want to ensure that the werewolves go extinct and that the Inquisition falls. But, if she fails to find a cure, her family—including her twin sister—will perish…

Buy Links:  Amazon * iTunes * Kobo * Barnes & Noble




EXCERPT


Almost everyone in the store had a phone.

Dormant devices, from reading lights to mobile chargers, littered the tables. One woman, browsing books nearby, had four battery-powered devices in her purse. One was a phone, and like mine, it hungered. Its need was strong; its battery waned to the point of failure. If I wanted, I could charge it for her. No one would notice if I did. Maybe the woman would wonder how her phone hadn’t died before she got home. It only had a few minutes left. It’d take me all of ten seconds to fix it for her.

If I did, I wouldn’t be so aware of it. But to do so, I’d have to touch her—or her phone. Some things I could manipulate without having a direct conduit, but cell phone batteries were tricky, greedy things. I cringed a little, setting the thriller book down. I picked up the next nearest title. I flipped it over, not reading the text on the back.

Did I dare?

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the woman browsing through the books. All it would take was a few seconds. I could charge it without her noticing. That was one thing I was actually good at. I put the novel I held down and wandered to the same table, careful not to look at her. Book by book, I investigated the titles, circling to where she stood. “You’re Nicole Thomas, aren’t you? The actress. You’re her.”

My quarry appraised me with a pleased expression. People normally recognized the mainliners, people with beautiful faces and voices to match, people who didn’t avoid crowds. In short, people other than me. I met her gaze, abandoning my perusal of novels.

“I am,” I replied, wincing a little at the sandpaper-rough quality of my voice. At least I hadn’t been reduced to a whisper—yet. My fatal flaw was my rough, grating voice. Chronic laryngitis did that to a person. It ruined careers, as it had mine, though I hadn’t quite given up on being an actress. I’d already lost the ability to sing. I wasn’t going to let a stupid disease take everything away from me. The woman smiled, not seeming to mind talking to someone who sounded more like a zombie than a human.

“You’re taller than I expected. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She thrust out her hand. We shook. I left her phone alone. “They keep putting me next to giants,” I quipped. It was true. When I did manage to get on the silver screen, I worked alongside actors easily a foot-and-a-half taller than me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” I matched her smile. She didn’t tell me her name, and I didn’t ask for it.

It took all of my will not to fiddle with her phone. All it would take was a murmured word and a thought, and it’d be done. It would have been easy to charge the battery when our hands had been clasped together, but I hadn’t dared. If, sometime later, she noticed her phone had magically been charged—literally—she might remember me. She knew my name. And in true cowardice, I couldn’t bring myself to help her. If she connected the strange behavior of her phone with me, she might tell someone. If she did, I’d be as good as dead—or worse. I had dabbled in the occult, and the occult had dabbled back, and there were those who didn’t like when that happened. The last thing I needed was them finding me. 


 About the Author:
Author RJ BlainRJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning. When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband. She is currently on a quest for a new warrior fish. In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.

Favorite Books & Series In no particular order: Anne McCaffrey's Pern Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar & Gryphon Series Jim Butcher's Codex Alera & The Dresden Files Brandon Sanderson's Elantris Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega, Dragon Bones, & The Mercy Thompson series Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time



book blast button        

Blast Giveaway
  • $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/16/14
  • Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash.
  • Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded.
  • No purchase necessary.
  • You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you.
  • The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
  • This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified.
  • The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson

 photo murder-the-tey-way-large-banner640_zpse89c3f7b.jpg

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, for Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson.  Please leave a comment or question for Marilyn to let her know you stopped by.  You can enter the tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of the tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 





Why I chose the Golden Age of Mystery Theme for My Series
by Marilyn Levinson

As a mystery writer, I’m well aware of the history and development of the mystery novel, and how it has become one of the most popular genres today. I hold the authors of the Golden Age of Mystery in the highest regard. The Golden Age is the period roughly between the World War One and Two. The authors were mainly English and American. One of my purposes in writing the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries is to encourage mystery readers to read these authors.
         
After writing Murder a la Christie, the first book in the series, I was surprised to learn that, while many mystery lovers had seen the Agatha Christie mysteries on TV, many hadn’t read the books themselves.  In my novel, Lexie and the book club members discuss seven Agatha Christie mysteries. Many take place in a manor house, similar to Lexie’s friend’s home where the first murder in Murder a la Christie takes place. Employing Miss Marple’s knowledge of human nature and Hercule Poirot’s cunning, Lexie reveals the murderer when everyone’s sitting around in a circle as Christie often did. I’m hoping that reading my novel will inspire readers to read the Christie novels, too.

Josephine Tey is not nearly as well-known as Agatha Christie, nor is her output as prodigious. Still, her brilliant and original writing style makes her a definite member of the Golden Age of Mystery. Born Elizabeth MacKintosh, not much is known about this author. She wrote plays under the pseudonym of Gordon Daviot. The most successful was Richard of Bordeaux. A young John Gielgud played the starring role.

Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard is Tey’s hero. In The Daughter of Time, Grant is in a hospital bed recovering from an injury. Bored, he asks a dear friend who is an actress to bring him pictures of people. She obliges, and one of the photos she brings him is a photo of Richard the Third. The king’s demeanor encourages Inspector Grant to prove that this man never murdered his nephews as so many accused him to have done. He does this via actual letters and historical events. While Josephine Tey was not the first person to claim Richard’s innocence, The Daughter of Time certainly popularized this concept.

My favorite Tey novel is Brat Farrar, the story of a young man who pretends to be someone who may have been murdered. This book and The Daughter of Time are on the best 100 mysteries list. I’m hoping that those who read Murder the Tey Way will be encouraged to read all of Tey’s novels. They’re all wonderful.

Murder the Tey Way
By Marilyn Levinson
The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher:  Marilyn Levinson
Release Date: October 17, 2014
Genre: Mystery/Female Sleuth
Length:  305 Pages
ISBN:  978-1502413260
ASIN:  B00ONB1JB6

Buy Links:  Amazon   *   Barnes & Noble

About the book: 

Professor Lexie Driscoll is leading a Golden Age of Mystery book club discussion of Josephine Tey’s novels, when her sister arrives in a state of agitation. The sisters aren’t close, and Lexie wonders why Gayle has driven from Utah to Long Island to stay with her. The following morning, Gayle awakens Lexie to say there’s a dead man lying in her backyard. Gayle confesses she’s on the run because she witnessed a murder and the murderer is out to get her. Gayle takes off after begging Lexie not to tell the police she’s been there. This presents a problem because Lexie’s boyfriend, homicide detective Brian Donovan, is initially put in charge of the investigation. The murder victim turns out to be a minor criminal suspected of having burgled several homes in the area. Lexie wonders if her sister killed the man, believing he was sent to kill her.

Lexie and her friend Joy Lincoln, a former FBI agent and now a stay-at-home mom, soon discover that all of the book club members either have secrets or are in situations involving the wrong side of the law. An older couple, Marge and Evan Billings, are at the mercy of the criminals they’ve hired to extricate their young granddaughter from Peru. Tim Draigon has lost his attorney’s license for illegal activities. He and Sadie Lu, a guidance counselor, owe money and have borrowed large sums from money lenders connected to the murdered man. Lexie’s neighbors, the Roberts sisters, are strange birds. Corinne dominates her slow sister, Felicity, and berates Lexie whenever she comes to Felicity’s aid. And who is this Johnny Scarvino Felicity fears? Another club member is murdered, one is knocked unconscious, and old and new secrets impact the lives of the members of the book club. Lexie must find the murderer before more lives are destroyed.



About the Author
A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and books for kids.

Her latest mystery, Murder a la Christie, is out with Oak Tree Press. Untreed Reads has brought out new e-editions of her Twin Lakes mysteries: A Murderer Among Us, awarded a Suspense Magazine Best Indie, and Murder in the Air. Uncial Press e-publishes her ghost mystery, Giving Up the Ghost, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations. All of Marilyn’s mysteries take place on Long Island, where she lives.

Her books for young readers include No Boys Allowed; Rufus and Magic Run Amok, which was awarded a Children’s Choice; Getting Back to Normal, & And Don’t Bring Jeremy.

Marilyn loves traveling, reading, knitting, doing Sudoku, and visiting with her granddaughter, Olivia, on FaceTime. She is co-founder and past president of the Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links


Blog: Makeminemystery the first and third Monday of every month.









The second book in The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mystery series, Murder the Tey Way by Marilyn Levinson, showcases the works of author Josephine Tey while Professor Lexie Driscoll once again finds herself solving a series of crimes.  A fairly well-developed character, we get to know Lexie’s background a little bit better as we are introduced to her younger sister, and get to watch Lexie interact with the members of her book club.  Once again drawing me into her world, Ms. Levinson kept me turning the pages to discover how Lexie would stop the killer before too many lives were claimed.

Comfortably settled into her new rental home, Professor Lexie Driscoll eagerly anticipates the upcoming meeting of her book club and their discussion about the works of mystery writer Josephine Tey.  Only the evening doesn’t exactly go as planned; a strange man looks in the window of the meeting scaring some of the members and then her younger sister, Gayle, shows up unannounced.  Things don’t get any better the next morning when she and her sister discover the body of a dead man in her back yard and her sister takes off leaving Lexie with more questions than she wants to answer. 

Ms. Levinson does a good job introducing new readers to Lexie and the members of her book club from the very start of this book.  As the story develops, and Lexie is forced to question her sister’s sudden arrival and then sudden departure, we learn that Gayle is wanted by the police in Utah for a possible connection to her boyfriend’s murder.  While Lexie believes her sister is not capable of murder – she does have to acknowledge that her sister is definitely hiding something.  Discovering that almost everyone in her book club had some sort of connection to the dead man in her back yard, also makes her question how well she knows the people she considers her friends.  Especially when another crime is committed and the victim is one of her book club members!

The secondary characters are all well developed and Ms. Levinson did a good job providing them all with secrets which made them interesting and possible suspects for Lexie to investigate.  I especially liked how Ms. Levinson incorporated the books the “mystery book club” was reading into the plot.  Never having read anything by Josephine Tey, I’m now intrigued and plan to look them up.  The mysteries themselves (there is more than one) are well written and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing as to who committed what crime and why.  There is also a little bit of a development in Lexie’s romance life as her “sort of boyfriend” Al is out of town and she begins to see the detective (Brian) she met in the previous book.

Will Lexie figure out who killed the man in her back yard and why they did it? Will Lexie’s sister Gayle end up going back to Utah to face possible murder charges? And will the members of Lexie’s book club still want her to lead them once they discover she considered them all possible suspects?  You’ll have to read Murder the Tey Way to find out.  I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns  



 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Betrayal by John Wendell Adams

 photo BetrayalTourBanner_zpsce0a9270.jpg

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Betrayal by John Wendell Adams.  Please leave a comment or question for John to let him know you stopped by.  You can enter his tour wide giveaway, for a $50 Amazon/B&N GC, by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  You can also follow the rest of John’s tour by clicking on the banner above.  The more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning. 





“Corporate America and its Betrayal of the Female Work Force" 
by John Wendell Adams

Webster says that “Betrayal has to do with destroying someone's trust, possibly by lying”.  So if that is where this starts, how does it apply in the marketplace, especially for women?  I should start by saying that my mother and father were separated and divorced when I was eight years old.  So I grew up with a mother and three sisters.  I’ve had a real sensitivity for women from a very early age.  In addition, my mother was chiefly responsible for my upbringing.  She was a strong woman who achieved things that were unheard of during her career.  She ran her own successful business, was a radio personality before it was in vogue, an accomplished writer, and a world traveler.  She taught us to be the very best we could be and not ever accept mediocrity. 

My sisters and I have advanced degrees and have been successful in the workforce.  I did recognize the fact that I excelled and was promoted faster than my sisters.  I also received more money in salary and bonuses during a similar period.  Actually, my two older sisters were much smarter than me but I received greater accolades.  My sisters would not be the only women who have not been recognized for their achievements.  There are a host of reasons given:
  • Waiting for the “right” promotional opportunity
  • Being married and having children
  • Needing the proper mentor
  • Requiring more seasoning

The list is endless.  There have been those women who have forsaken everything for the corporate requirements.  If there was a requirement to travel, they traveled.  If there was a requirement to hang out with the guys and drink, they drank.  If there was the need to use crude talk and tell obscene jokes, they told them.  Finally, if they needed to sleep with the boss, they did that as well.  In the end, many women were swept to the side lines and told that they weren’t leadership material.  It’s happened way too often.

Has that changed? Yes…and no.  

There are more female senior leaders than ever before.  These women are talented and extremely capable.  They are establishing themselves as role models and mentor for women that are following them.  There are more forums for women in the marketplace and they are trying to raise the bar and change the conversation.  The thought is that, given the opportunity, women provide a diverse set of ingredients that help to drive greater revenues, increased profits, and enhanced customer experiences.  

In addition, the “pay for performance” discussions are changing as well.  Women are starting to be compensated at levels greater than ever before.  But it can’t stop.  It must continue, so that there are no distinctions between male and female contribution.  Yes, there are still women who are being put in compromising situation and told that they have to perform in a certain way or get passed over.  This ancient way of thinking has to stop.  Whenever it happens, women have to be willing to bring the injustices in to the light.

My mother would say, “Don’t accept mediocrity.  If you do, you are giving up on yourself and your legacy of smart, brilliant women of the past”.  

Betrayal
By John Wendell Adams

Publisher:  John Wendell Adams
Release Date: August 19, 2014
Genre: Corporate Suspense/Novel
Length:  256 Pages
ISBN:  978-0990365099
ASIN:  B00MW9X8A6

Buy Link:  Amazon



About the book:

Betrayal. It’s an ugly word, and virtually everyone has experienced it in one form or another. The question is, what do you do about it? Seek revenge? Recover and go on? Or allow rage and despair to destroy everything you’ve ever worked for?

In his riveting debut novel, author and longtime businessman John Wendell Adams details the story of a man caught in an ugly web. Jack Alexander has landed a great job as a divisional director of sales in a Chicago-based IT company. Hired to turn around a regional disaster, he is rewarded with additional responsibilities. The problem: his vitriolic new boss, a co-worker's unwanted advances, and their secret conspiracy.

Fired from his job, forced to confront both his present and his past, Jack goes through an emotional tailspin before he is able to reconcile what has happened to him. Eventually, he’s hired as a vice president with a much larger firm. When his new company decides to acquire his old one, Jack comes face to face with the two people responsible for his earlier demise. Meanwhile, he uncovers some illegal activities that could put the acquisition at risk.

Is this the time for revenge, to right the wrongs that have been done to him? What should he do? Is it possible to act effectively and also with integrity when confronted with those who compromised his marriage, his career, and his sense of self-worth?

Adams comments, “I have worked in the corporate world all my adult life and have witnessed or personally experienced the highlights and moral failings that come with it. To put it simply, if you’ve ever experienced betrayal in the workplace, in love, or in a family, this book is for you.”  


“Betrayal is simply a stunning, must-read work that will transform hearts that are open to receive the life lesson within its pages.” ~ Reader Review




Excerpt


Jack couldn’t wait until church was over on Sunday. It was a train and a bus ride for Jack and his sisters. His mother was comfortable with letting the four of them go alone since his oldest sister was very responsible. They talked as they went but Jack was consumed with his thoughts about spending the day with his dad. Janice, his big sister told them,

“Mama said that we have to stay together. So hold hands and make sure we don’t get separated.”  As they walked the two blocks from the bus to the address Jack’s dad gave them, he almost couldn’t contain himself.

“Are we almost there?” He asked his sister.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes. Just stay together,” she reminded them.

When they got to the address his father gave them it turned out to be a parking lot.  Janice looked at the addresses on both sides of the parking lot to determine if maybe he’d written down the wrong number. They then walked to a corner store; found a pay phone, and Janice called the phone number they had. She tried it three times. Each time the recording was the same…

“I’m sorry, the number you’ve dialed has been disconnected. Please check the number and try your call again.” She then called their mother, explained the situation, and asked her what to do. Their mother’s answer was clear,

“Just get back on the bus and the train and come home.”

When Janice told her siblings that they were going back home Jack started talking and crying at the same time.

“Wait, why are we leaving? We haven’t seen Daddy yet. Maybe he’s out looking for us. If we leave, he won’t find us. We can’t leave.” But Janice was direct.

“Mama said we need to go back home. So, let’s get going.”  Jack couldn’t stop crying. He couldn’t believe that he wouldn’t see his dad. It was as if all hope was gone.  Jack was sad all the way back home. He never saw his dad again until he was grown, married, and had two children.

It was clear that Jack’s dad didn’t really care about his son or helping Jack through life. Jack developed a hard inner shell, trusting no one, not wanting to be hurt like that ever again. And while he didn’t trust Art completely, he did appreciate Art’s care and concern for him from a business perspective.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author: John Wendell Adams has more than twenty-five years of experience in management, marketing, and sales. With degrees in business and management development, Mr. Adams has led highly effective sales teams, managed an executive briefing center for senior leaders, and won numerous awards as a leader and individual contributor. His senior leadership positions and assignments stretch across domestic and international markets and include Aragon Consulting Group and IBM. These experiences served as a catalyst for Betrayal, his newly published work of fiction. The author of A Man's Story, a collection of motivational short stories for men, John has conducted seminars and speaking engagements around the country and is involved in various charitable organizations. He and his wife Grace have five children and currently live in Skokie, Illinois.  www.johnwendelladams.com