Patricia Gitt's ASAP Takes Us in Computer Theft and Black Marketing!

She had particularly loved visiting the Temple of A-Ma.   It was set on a small rise facing the inner harbor.   The Temple’s charming tale had captured her imagination.   It told of a poor young girl who had been seeking passage on a boat only to be turned down, until a small fishing boat took her aboard.   A storm blew up while they were at sea, destroying all the other boats save the one she was on.   Returning to shore, the girl revealed herself as the sea goddess A-Ma, and the fisherman was said to repay her by building a temple in her honor.   When she had asked Binh if he believed the tale, he said the Temple was 600 years old and predated the time of the supposed story.
                      Suzanne laughed but enjoyed the colorful little temple all the more.   This private tour was the first enjoyable time she'd had since this venture had begun.   Could it have only been five weeks since that first call from Smitty?   With each site Binh took her to, she relaxed a little more.   Things would work out.   Thank God Brad was in charge.   When she returned home, straightening out her husband would be her first priority.   If he was low enough to steal from the kids, what else had he been up to?
                       The car was now driving through an older section of the city, with narrow streets and three and four-story buildings located near the center of the island.   Binh told her they were going to stop near the Citadel of Sao Paulo do Monte, that there was a little factory shop selling Armani t- shirts and Louis Vuitton handbags at a discount.   Everyone knew that Asia had become the manufacturing center of the world.   She wondered if this outlet sold legitimate designer goods, or knockoffs?                      
Suddenly the front windshield next to Binh exploded in spider’s web of cracked glass.   Stunned, Suzanne sat frozen in her seat.   Binh’s scream pierced her brain. "Get down.   Don't get up until I tell you."
                         Throwing herself to the floor she banged her head on the console as the car hit a pothole.   She could feel her blood chill as Binh jerked the car into reverse and sped backward in the direction they had just come from.   Suzanne thought her heart would stop as the sound of rapidly firing guns pursued their high speed escape...
~~~  

ASAP--
 As Soon As Possible

By Patricia E. Gitt

This novel reminded me a little of the Women's Murder Club Series, except there was no murder...LOL The reason was because there are three female friends who are extremely close and involved in each other's lives, so that when one has a problem, they all get involved...

ASAP is more business-oriented, focusing on three dynamic, successful women, who have each made it--an author, a designer and the main character in this book,  an expert and owner of a computer-design company. The primary emphasis was on the effect of her professional role on Suzanne Moss's personal life. For me, this was an issue about which I had to think, "been there" and had discussed it with other women and in professional associations, for decades. However, for women who are just entering the business world, it can be a startling picture of the reality!

“Mrs. Moss, this isn't a social call.   What I have to tell you has to be said in person.   What I can tell you is that your company has a leak.   An expensive one."
 “Leaks are always problematic, especially in the technology industry,” Suzanne said, playing for time.   “But I’m not the one you should be meeting with.   You want to see my partner, Bradley Stanton.”
 “First, I must see you.   The sooner we meet the sooner you can protect your company from a major theft.”
Suzanne liked Debbie and if she had given this stranger her private number then she should hear what he had to say.   Glancing at her schedule she sighed.   "Look, this is Thursday.   The best I can do is next Monday morning."
 "It can’t wait.   I can be at your office in five minutes."
"How about fifteen, but not in my office?   There's a coffee shop on the corner of 59th and 2nd Avenue.   It's off the beaten path so no one should recognize us.”   She’d be damned if she was going to meet a stranger in her office at this hour without even an assistant nearby.   “How will I recognize you?"
"I'll find you." Suzanne heard a soft chuckle.   "You find this humorous?"
"No Ma'am.   But you are rather famous in some circles."
The connection was cut leaving her to wonder just what circles this man traveled in.   Picking up her monthly diary, she jotted down the place and time of the early morning meeting.   For all of her expertise in computers, hand writing her appointments was one way she slowed down her fast paced life.   Everything seemed to be needed as soon as possible.   Asap was her life.
~~~ 

Let me just say that the story rings absolutely for what happens to Suzanne's life, so if that is a subject that concerns you, this may be a must-read for you.

I'm going to look instead at the very real issue that Suzanne faced professionally! She and her best friend, Brad had co-founded a company that quickly became successful. That was based not only on the product, but also on the individual talents of both Brad and Suzanne.

Suzanne handled almost all of the administrative duties. As those of us who have worked in that area, the time involved is rarely understood by those not having to perform the activities! Thus, she was working more and more overtime and her husband was getting more and more aggressive in his criticism of time away from home and the kids...

As well as the time spent by Brad...who handled the PR, marketing and other technical issues... Two different uses of time--no matter what, Suzanne would always be much more inundated, time-wise...

This company has an important goal of working to provide home-health care equipment, especially for those who are on continuous medication, such as for diabetes. Then, a brilliant young student had been discovered that could potentially upgrade/enhance this activity to a level that would be worth billions if successful.

But Suzanne was contacted by a man, who she felt she could trust, and told that her company was on a list that was "out" for those items that were to be acquired for sale on the black market! Brad had normally taken care of security issues and Suzanne realized that she had not really taken the issue as importantly as it should have been. Now, it was too late, the company had apparently already been hacked and important documentation stolen.

For the first time, Suzanne realized that she shouldn't, couldn't trust anybody!

She did have to trust Brad, though, because he was the only one that could help improve the situation. What she discovered, however, was that there was much in Brad's background that she was not aware of. And what might happen could be not only dangerous, but could cost them their company, if not their lives!

And those involved in this plan wanted her involved... She had to secretly travel to Macau without letting anybody, including her family, know where she was... Only to be caught in the middle of gunfire on the main streets there! Did they bring her here to kill? To ransom for the prototypes?

The womens' issues of being in business are important for those working, especially in male-dominated fields. I especially enjoyed the chase, the mystery of who could have betrayed their company and the reality of who did! Nothing that was unpredictable here...but still a good solid story that is worth your consideration! Check it out!


GABixlerReviews

Having built a successful career as an executive in public relations, I've met and worked with many outstanding business leaders. Fascinated by power - those who amass it and those who are exiled from it - I create fictional worlds in which smart women balance high-powered careers with their private lives.

My debut novel, "CEO", is the fast-paced tale of corporate intrigue. Can CEO, Melissa Lynn Horn, save United Chemicals Corporation from extinction? Follow one savvy woman as she faces down an enemy bent on destroying the company, while navigating the all male corporate culture. In the end, does being a woman empower the CEO, or does being CEO transform the woman?

"asap --as soon as possible--", is my latest novel. It is the tale of business founder, Suzanne Moss, who is suddenly thrust into warp speed upon learning of a potential theft of her company's innovative technology. Meanwhile her overly scheduled life as wife and mother of a preteen son and daughter continues to challenge her powers to balance a dynamic career with her private responsibilities. With emotions stretched thin, Suzanne races to regain control of her life while saving her company.

Review: Quinn's First Drama Provides Great Kick-Off for Web Series!

Image via Wikipedia

Webs of Power

Darlene Quinn







Webs of Power is a work of fiction; however, if you happen to fill a high-level position in some corporate hierarchy, you may think you're reading a story about your own company! Darlene Quinn has done an excellent job in taking readers into the fast-paced and sometimes terror-filled world of high finance and corporate takeovers. This time, for department stores, in the late 1980s.

Quinn's note at the end of the book provides a short, helpful historical view of the rise and, to some extent, fall of the great department stores. Most of us at least recognize the name of Macy's, which sponsors the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. Many have watched as other stores have closed and the downtowns of our cities board up the large windows that formerly provided samples of what these stores offered.

There is no doubt that Power...and the desire for ever, more Money were the main factors that drove the creation of large conglomerates. By the time of this story, there were billions involved in mergers, hostile takeovers, and the resale of smaller stores.

Webs of Power focuses on three women and those around them. Into the webs of deceit in business, they brought the only thing stronger than power and money. They brought Love.

Page Toddman, together with her husband Mark, were major players at Consolidated. They both had personal histories with the company and had contributed greatly to its growth. However, at the first sign of financial weakness, an Australian land developer, Philip Sloan made a hostile offer of $4.2 billion for the retail empire. Mark was immediately caught up in trying to prevent the takeover, but Page had something much more important that she faced--a late-life pregnancy that forced a re-evaluation of what was most important to her.

Ashleigh McDowell, engaged to be married to Conrad Taylor, one of Mark's primary executives, had unexpectedly been asked to take over the reigns of his father's business, commercial investments, and had to relocate across the country. Ashleigh's career was at Bentley's, a prestigious division of Consolidated, and was forced to stay there as everyone worked to prevent the takeover. Could love survive postponement of their wedding indefinitely?

Viviane De Mornay is the glamorous woman you want to hate, but cannot. She, too, was affected by the potential upheaval of the takeover--but potentially in a much-different way. For she is having an affair with Philip Sloan! Her tangled life could be the most affected and she dreams of standing beside Sloan as he takes over Consolidated. Besides she loves him. What she can't quite be sure of is that she loves him for himself--or for the power and money he can provide her.

Quinn has effectively used her experience and expertise in department store management to create a thoroughly intriguing, believable, and twisted drama of deceit, love, greed--and, yes, webs of power! Once you get caught in the tangle of the lives of these three women, you will be turning each page until you know what happens to them.

One small sub-plot of a former corporate raider, who gave everything up to take care of his much-loved son when he became ill, was one of my favorite surprises. What does the power of love do to the lives of those affected by corporate power struggles? This book reveals it all! Enjoy!

G. A. Bixler

Related articles

• A glance at Macy's history (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• A Glance at Macy's History (abcnews.go.com)
• How Dillard's did it (money.cnn.com)
• Media Decoder: Macy's Wants to 'Wake Up' Black Friday (mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Von Maur department store chain to enter Atlanta market (ajc.com)

Review: All Great Books - This Was My Favorite from Rohm!



Image by Jay Tamboli via Flickr

Sandrina danced wildly, freely at the Voodoo secret ceremony

 The Secret Life  of Sandrina M.



By Jessica Dee Rohm






Of her three novels, The Secret Life of Sandrina M. by Jessica Dee Rohm, was my favorite. Perhaps it was the erotic touch of her secret life...but, maybe more, it was the sharing of that life with her readers. It is not easy to analyze your own actions, especially at the time you are directly involved in those actions, so Rohm's creation of a character who we see agonizing over her actions, while still involved, created an intimacy of realism for all of us to share. We became much more involved and concerned and wanted it all to be "OK" for her, even as we knew she was playing with fire...

Perhaps that secret life was a direct response to having a miscarriage. She had wanted the child, but knew that her husband was satisfied with just the two of them. He had even suggested an abortion and then when the baby had died, had told her that it was for the best...

She had gained her Pygmalion status through Joshua who saw her potential and began to mentor her in all things needed for her success. She was introduced to all the right people and dressed by a personal shopper until she could fashionably dress herself. He even told her how and when to eat! And at the end, she was ready to enter the PR business as a leader. Of course Joshua arranged for her first client...and she had been offered their business!

Now she had her own company and was heading for Brazil at the suggestion of clients who would host her.

And there she met Warren, with whom she began her secret life, especially on the night he took her to a secret candomble ceremony where she was quickly separated from him and attendants helped her to be entered by the spirit of fertility and protection... 

During her trance, she was once against going through her miscarriage and in her heart she blamed her husband...

But two things were happening back home. Michael, her husband, was facing major business problems and maybe legal action, based upon what his brother had done without his knowledge.

At the same time, a woman who worked for her and who she had recently promoted, was moving fast to corner Sandrina's clients through lies, tricks and two-faced backstabbing...

Sandrina had learn to be sharp and was an intelligent professional woman but when she learned that her mentor, Joshua had died while she was traveling, she was devastated.  But with the types of problems that could end both her personal and professional life, she had to act swiftly and with no holds barred! Sandrina is a woman ever woman should meet! She trusts easily, but when she is attacked, she acts immediately to hold what is hers. She is powerful, but her personal integrity shines through--you gotta love her!

I loved this story! Thoroughly enjoyable drama and a fantastic female lead character...A wonderful combination for readers!

Home for the holidays? Spend time with Jessica and her savvy sexy lead females even if you have to buy them and put them under the tree yourself! Don't forget to check out my reviews for all three books and my interview with the author...next!

Book Received Via
Bostick Communications

G. A. Bixler