Title: Betrayal
My mother was pregnant with me. During her seventh or eighth month she was riding on a CTA public bus in Chicago. As she was getting off, the bus driver closed the doors too quickly and my mother was thrown to the ground. The ambulance and police came to the scene and she was taken to the hospital.
A reporter for the Chicago Daily News, a weekly paper that is now defunct, came to the hospital to interview my mother. He later wrote an article about what had happened. That article caused the bus company to give my mother a substantial sum of money and the also arranged to move my family to a terrific home. The name of this reporter was Wendell Smith. My mother decided that my middle name would be Wendell. Later, he became the first man of color to announce sports on television in Chicago. Bryan Gumbel talks about the fact that when he grew up watching television, Wendell Smith inspired him to go into sports journalism.
The back story associated with my name is an interesting. My father’s name is John Henry Adams. He grew up in the south and whenever his mother was upset with him, she’d call him, “John Henry.” So, when I was born, the nurse came in and asked what my name would be for the birth certificate. My father told her that they named me John Wendell Adams. The nurse then asked my dad what his name was and he answered, John Wendell Adams. So, my birth certificate reads father, John Wendell Adams and son, John Wendell Adams Jr. As a result, legally, I’m a junior but technically, I’m not. Go figure!
Author: John Wendell Adams
Series: N/A
Pages: N/A
Date Published: N/A
Publisher: N/A
Format: N/A
Genre: Contemporary Triller
Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours
Synopsis:
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?
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?
~Guest Post!~
How John Wendell Adams Got His Name
My mother was pregnant with me. During her seventh or eighth month she was riding on a CTA public bus in Chicago. As she was getting off, the bus driver closed the doors too quickly and my mother was thrown to the ground. The ambulance and police came to the scene and she was taken to the hospital.
A reporter for the Chicago Daily News, a weekly paper that is now defunct, came to the hospital to interview my mother. He later wrote an article about what had happened. That article caused the bus company to give my mother a substantial sum of money and the also arranged to move my family to a terrific home. The name of this reporter was Wendell Smith. My mother decided that my middle name would be Wendell. Later, he became the first man of color to announce sports on television in Chicago. Bryan Gumbel talks about the fact that when he grew up watching television, Wendell Smith inspired him to go into sports journalism.
The back story associated with my name is an interesting. My father’s name is John Henry Adams. He grew up in the south and whenever his mother was upset with him, she’d call him, “John Henry.” So, when I was born, the nurse came in and asked what my name would be for the birth certificate. My father told her that they named me John Wendell Adams. The nurse then asked my dad what his name was and he answered, John Wendell Adams. So, my birth certificate reads father, John Wendell Adams and son, John Wendell Adams Jr. As a result, legally, I’m a junior but technically, I’m not. Go figure!
~Try an 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.
~Meet John!~
a Rafflecopter giveaway
John Wendell
Adams is the author of “Betrayal”, an exciting novel that exposes some the
moral failings in the business world. Set in Chicago, Betrayal is a suspenseful
and intriguing page-turner for anyone who has ever been betrayed or bushwhacked
in the workplace, a love relationship, or in a family. Earlier published works
by John include the series, A Man's Story, a collection of motivational short
stories for men.
With more than 25 years of experience in management,
marketing, and sales, having degrees in business and management development,
Mr. Adams has held a number of senior leadership positions and assignments,
including Aragon Consulting Group and IBM, which stretched across domestic and
international markets. These experiences served as a catalyst for his newly
published work of fiction.
John has
conducted several seminars and speaking engagements around the country. In
addition, he is involved in various charitable organizations. He and his wife,
Grace, have five children and currently live in Skokie, Illinois.
We are giving away a $50 Amazon Giftcard giveaway for a randomly drawn commentor so tell me what you think! a Rafflecopter giveaway
I tried an excerpt & did enjoy thank you.
ReplyDeleteMary - Thanks so much for your comment. We are having such a great time with the release of "Betrayal". You can read another excerpt on my website - www.johnwendelladams.com OR drop me a note at john.johnwendelladams.com. Thanks again
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI love a good thriller; thank you for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeletejslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com
Lisa -
DeleteThanks so much for the note. Be sure to drop me a note at john@johnwendelladams.com. Have a great day
I enjoyed the excerpt and who doesn't enjoy a nice thriller book occasionally ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays
lori
lorih824 at yahoo dot com
Beautiful Disaster -
DeleteThanks for your comments re: the excerpt. We are having so much fun re: the release of "Betrayal". Drop me a note at john@johnwendelladams.com and we'll send you an additional excerpt (and some free stuff).
Have a Great day
John
This sounds like an exciting story. I can hardly wait to read it. I loved the way you got your name. So your mom's accident actually turned out to be a blessing.
ReplyDeleteMomJane - Thanks for the words. My mother is a very wise woman. She always tried to view life through the most positive lens possible. Send me a note john@johnwendelladams.com and I'll get you another excerpt and some free stuff.
DeleteHave a Great day
John
Sounds like a very intriguing story. Cannot wait!
ReplyDeleteRobert -
DeleteTried to send you a reply but it apparently didn't take.
Thanks for your comment. We are having such a great time with the release of "Betrayal". We just completed a book launch party where more than 200 people showed up.
Send me a note john@johnwendelladams.com and we'll get you a copy at a real reduced rate.
Have a Great day
John
Andra - Thank you for hosting me today. I am so intrigued by the comments from your followers. I'll continue to try and respond to everyone. We are having a great time with the release of "Betrayal". So glad that I wrote it!
ReplyDeleteHave a Great day
Thanks Again
John Wendell Adams
Great excerpt. Thanks for the introduction to a new to me author.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your debut! It's always nice to meet a new author.
ReplyDeleteInteresting character
ReplyDelete