A review of my book Legend Station by Angels Cry Havoc.

"First, I'm going to start by thanking our Author Frank Riganelli For offering up his book when I first had reviewed one. He has not disappointed me. It took me an unfortunate time to get around to it but I have not been disappointed.

Legend Station was full of Suspense, page turning and I loved every second of it. So much so that I Implore You all to pick it up and read it. I loved the balance of action and the frights, Things seemed just right (as I moved through the pages) I could not put it down wanting to know what would happen next. The characters were perfect as well as the atmosphere of the scenes and settings. Each emotion was allowed it's own chance to play with you. The religious references and the way the agnostic views filled in had in no way or shape to offend anyone and even allowed me to question somethings myself making it all out for a great read.

As stated in a previous review I loved horrors of all kinds the frights give me a little tickle to feel reading, watching a movie or just getting told a fable from a local legend and this book kept me with that feeling, Something that I hadn't had for a while until now two of my recent reads.

So to Frank I ask MORE please more as well I say great job!"

The latest perplexing problem which remains inexplicable. Amazon KDP ranking.

The ranking above is for one of my novels and the sales figures reported show zero sales for the time period where the ranking was at its highest. The sales figures also said zero prior to and after the highest point on the graph. After speaking with Amazon, they were not able to explain the curious scenario — a high ranking which continued for days with zero sales reported. 

It was explained to me that there is no formula for the KDP ranking and that the ranking is based on (historical) sales and a relative comparison to the other (750,000) books in the catagory, while updated by the hour and shown in the graph by day. It is not known how much higher the ranking was — following the fairly uniform trend of the graph prior to the one month timeframe, but for the same prior time frame immediately before Nov. 1, sales were also reported as zero. 

As it stands, this curious scenario of ranking without any reported sales figures remains inexplicable.  Does anyone have any insights which might explain this? Is it a glitch in Amazon's data/information system? Or is there some other possible explanation? Is it reasonable/plausible that hundreds of thousands of KDP books all declined in sales regularly for days and weeks, which could shed some light on how a book with zero reported sales would have this type of performance in ranking? And similarly, has anyone had a high ranking when their book has had zero sales results for days and days?

*Have you heard of a different figure for the number of books in the KDP listing? The graph says 750,000 and Amazon hasn't said anything to the contrary.

*For 750,000 books in the KDP listing, the highest ranking point on the graph equates to approximately the top 15% of all books. (85th percentile)

A book reveiw of THE SWINDLE

I was asked to write a review of my own novel and decided to write in the third person.

I'm not surprised this novel's first version received the good review it did from a news group. I did some research on the book before writing this review, and can see why another author had called it a fascinating blend with imagination. While the novel; a re-edited version of its original, offers thrill, twists and turns, and excitement, it mainly looks at three topics: the inner workings of a big (multinational) company's business systems; specifically the measurement and reporting of financial information, while presenting a plausible case for a swindle — how surveillance technologies are used to secretly monitor people and steal the intellectual property of people — and how gang stalking and related methods are used to target whistle blowers. However, despite these heavy-sounding topics, the story offers its thrilling moments and excitement, and along the way makes it evident that the author had firsthand experience in the world of big companies. The Author's note in the book made me appreciate his concern for impressions that might be created by reading it. And having spoken with the author; who explained that the sources of some information used in the book remain undisclosed for their own benefit, considering the sensitive nature of the information, I'd say he was quite  responsible in writing the book. This is from the preface, "The story represents a period of approximately one year, which would have spanned August 2007. It is not based on a true story although events in it are inspired by; however not based on, certain events that have happened for real. In its entirety, the story is not to be considered real."

It's my suspicion the story makes reference to what is considered today to be government classified information. The novel isn't a spy story nor is it a book about espionage, and this is because the author's approach weaved together bits and pieces of information from various sources and topics, making it a different type of cross-genre story. But don't be surprised if in the future, information in the book is revealed to be formally acknowledged, in a similar way; in principle, to the secretive existence of Echelon; Global Surveillance System Echelon Global Surveillance  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON), MK Ultra; the secret experimentation on civilians by the CIA MKULTRA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA), and the John F. Kennedy assassination; the conclusions of the official Warren Commission investigation questioned for their accuracy to the truth (Almost immediately after the Warren Commission Report was issued, several researchers began seriously questioning its conclusions. … JFK Assassination http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy#Public_response_to_the_Warren_Report). In these cases the truth of events and activities was withheld until a later date when they were formally acknowledged by the governments and groups involved.

Now onto the story… The story's main character; Anthony Brina of Toronto, is presented as an upstanding and down-to-earth executive of integrity, and Mina Kent; his professional colleague and friend from California, is shown to be a loyal friend to Anthony in his time of need — while her profession in journalism sees its own share of corruption. The book's writing is easy to read and it has its moments of elegant prose, and it also offers a good flavour of Toronto and especially Rome as the story moves to different cities; including New York and Los Angeles and the campus of MIT. There is no shortage of twists and turns in the story; they include a leak of sensitive information that puts a United Nations resolution; which affects the launch of the secretive bioengineered product in the story at risk — the mysterious ending of Eva Su; a woman who intercepts Anthony and tries to draw his deep affection — Mina having to reluctantly distance herself from Anthony for her own safety — the unexpected display of the secretive affects of the genetic-altering product which the multinational company has developed — and the surprising climax to Anthony's plan to expose a massive cover up. And beyond these moments of intrigue, the following highlight the book's multi-faceted style: Anthony finding out his mother has suddenly died when his sister tells him to stay away — the display of the futuristic bioengineered technology which is central to the swindle of hundreds of billions of dollars — the chase at the Coliseum and confrontations in Rome and Los Angeles — romantic moments at the Fountain of Trevi and Piazza Navona; also in Rome — a press conference with candid dialogue about the controversy surrounding the multi-national company's global scale product launch, and some lighthearted moments — dialogue about sensitive business information of the international conglomerate — and Mina's live televised report which sees an assassin trying to get to her. I won't comment on the story's ending, I don't want to give it away, but it has a  touch of old-fashioned heroic-like romance.

The book has several provocative references listed in its endnotes, including a news story which was in The Washington Post. And not unlike the case of David Milgaard who was wrongfully imprisoned in Canada for 20 years, the story also looks at Anthony's unjust victimization; in his case for the discovery he made in the multi-national company. In both cases the accused was in fact innocent.

I must admit the most enjoyable aspect of preparing to write this review was my interview with the author; Frank Riganelli. He first explained to me that it's always a challenge for him to talk about the book because of the sensitive aspects of it. And after having our talk I could understand how an author of this book could chose to not speak of it at all, which made me respect his effort all the more. And what I am referring to is how people have been severely and unjustly discredited for revealing information about some of the sensitive topics in the book. When I asked Frank why he wrote the book, he didn't hesitate to say it was a story he wanted to tell because it needs to be told — before he shared with me his feeling that good and decent people in our societies are targeted for destruction and or monitoring, when they are in fact undeserving of it and suffer unjustly for it. My next question which others have also asked him was if he is the main character in the book. He answered by saying that although the book is not an auto-biography, parts of it are auto-biographical in principle and that he wouldn't go into details about which parts those were. I found him careful in talking about the book and in his choice of words at times because of the precarious aspects of the story, however he was very open in talking about his background which allowed him to write the book — and in sharing his thoughts about writing it. He had a former career in the operations group of several well-known Fortune companies in Canada, and his degree is in Industrial Engineering. He shared with me that many aren't aware of what I.E.s (Industrial Engineers) do, which among other things includes working in the area of cost development; a part of the story which is evident — and that his formal training and then experience in the area permitted him to write the storyline about the swindle. He was clear in saying that the part of the book about the swindle is real in principle, and that he had personally been involved in a similar matter which had the United States Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) discuss a report about a Fortune company, and that the SEC had corroborated the company's guilt of fraudulence in the matter. When I asked him about the information in the book regarding gang stalking and related methods; and their affects on targeted people, he told me there are numerous accounts of victimization and that the information is not difficult to find. But when I asked him about his sources, he became tight-lipped and only said that people have been unjustly discredited for revealing information about aspects of the topics in question. He said that gang stalking has been reported on in newspapers, and that the information available on different theories relating to more sophisticated aspects of it, in many cases are legitimate; although not yet formally acknowledged in this problem. The interview then became a bit quiet at that point so I changed pace and asked him if he knows a Mina Kent or Eva Su for real. He answered that he had known a woman who the character Eva is somewhat based on, and that he wished he knew a Mina Kent. He explained that the character of Mina is a metaphor for how some people in the media have offered assistance to victims like Anthony. I asked him if he was a victim like the main character, and he replied that his circumstances had changed for the worst years ago while in his professional career in Fortune companies. He went on to say that it's not an easy thing to talk about because people who tell the truth about certain aspects of victimizations are often smeared — but he did say unequivocally that gang stalking is real and dangerous and that's it's been reported on in the news, and that people should not try to cover it up. I asked him how he was able to combine the many different aspects in the story, and he said it's in ways like a balancing act of working with ideas. They all have to relate reasonably to each other and if they don't the story risks leaning too much to one side of the high wire, and possibly falling off it. The author went on to say how he enjoyed writing about the characters and inner workings of the multi-national company, because a lot of it came from his own personal experiences. And he added that writing about the characters and their relationships was also fun; being able to draw upon his life experiences while adding some imagination. He said he enjoyed writing about Rome and it's sites; having been to the city himself, and wanted to offer the cities beautiful and historic sense to the story. "Rome is one of those places that makes you stop a moment and appreciate all that has gone on there in the past. I thought to use the city as a location to offer the sense of historic romance to the story, which provided for some softer scenes with the characters; writing about Piazza Navona with its cafes and famous statues, and the Fountain of Trevi," he explained.

My final question was about the character Ken Striker and why he wrote the character the way he did. And in reply Frank said that in ways I was like a Ken Striker by offering the interview — Ken being a journalist who helped Anthony by revealing sensitive information to him about secretive government activities. He explained that Ken had to be a strong type of character for what he was to bring to the story, and that the name Striker served to help that impression. He added that Ken is a seasoned veteran in his work and has seen a lot in his career, which lets him withstand the influences of gang stalking activities. He serves to offer the voice of insight the author explained, and his character allowed for a reasonable way to introduce the information which is revealed. He added that in real life that's how it usually happens in such situations; the revealing of undisclosed information. And, he said the character; the way he wrote him, brings the necessary credibility to his role in the story. "If I wrote the story in a way that had Anthony break into a government building and steal the information, that would have brought the story in a different direction," he explained. "And also, I was working within the idea of the media helping a targeted individual."

We wound up the interview with my asking about Frank's future plans and next book, and he answered that the horizon didn't look very good for him. He said he is experiencing the continued effects in his life of the monitoring and surveillance of him, which had started years ago in his former career — and that the reported sales of the novel has been near zero which means no royalties from it. He also said people have wanted to know what happens next with Anthony, but without a reasonable chance at writing a sequel to The Swindle for his circumstances; which include severe financial setbacks, he said it looks like they'll never find out. I asked him if he could comment on his circumstances when he paused in thought a moment before replying, "Let's just say the things I do don't remain solely with me, and not that I do anything wrong, but the meddling creates problems."

This excerpt is from chapter 10 of The Swindle:

"Within fifteen minutes he was at Albergo Ottocento. It was a nineteenth century hotel nestled between adjoining businesses that fronted the street — a design of a continuous three-story stone structures that ran the length of the city block. The glass and marble décor provided for a modern setting within the older theme, and it was complete with a rooftop restaurant.
    He paid the driver and walked into the hotel lobby to book a room, when he asked for Mina. After dropping his bag in his room, he immediately went to hers on the second floor and knocked on the door — room 213.
    “Si,” she called out from inside the room.
    “Mina, it’s me, Anthony.” The door opened and he saw her standing in her bathrobe, looking a little worried.
    “Come in come in. What’s this all about?”
    He walked into the room as his shoes tapped on the wood flooring, before he abruptly stopped. “I got an anonymous note sent to my apartment,” he began saying with swift words. “It says I’m a target in a program that thinks I’m a genius—”
    “Hold on,” she interrupted. “Have a seat and tell me what happened from the beginning.” He wasn’t himself she thought to herself. She had never seen him like this and knew he had good self-control, and wasn’t prone to panicking or getting visibly nervous.
    “Do you want a glass of water?”
    “No, I’m okay,” he replied, as he took a deep breath to relax, before looking at her with dead seriousness. “Gene-Aid is a fraud,” he said plainly.
    She didn’t say a word. This wasn’t what she expected. “A fraud?”" ...

MY REPLY TO A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ARTICLE - On the topic of national bankruptcies.

The article: Is it Time for a National Bankruptcy?

Iceland declares bankruptcy in 2006 and Argentina in 2001 ( http://info-wars.org/2010/02/15/real-list-of-countries-on-verge-of-bankruptcy/ ), and the HBS article mentions Greece which is now amid a sever national crisis. A nation going bankrupt, at one time it was too absurd to consider, but now not even the most developed nations with some of the highest standards of living can escape the prospect of throwing in the towel. It's a coincidence that I was recently talking with a banker from a country in Europe about the worsening status of global financial-economic affairs. I suggested that the things needed to come up with a solution are no longer there for us to use like they were at one time. Perhaps this new phenomena of national bankruptcies is evidence of that.

The entire matter is extremely complex for the economic, financial, and global considerations to be taken into account. But what can be helpful is a detailed retracing of the goings-on that led to a nation's financial downfall. It was an approach similar to this that enabled a historian to realize the US debt crisis was created by decisions which were politically motivated. In such an analysis the rubber meets the road in identifying what has happened and exposing causes. The question is will the people involved be big enough to acknowledge it; so as to create understanding of it in order to prevent it from happening again. If a model failed once, what's to stop it from failing again unless it is changed for the better?

This is as much an emotional issue as it is a financial one. Like the individual who suffers the sense of failure and the stigma that goes with declaring bankruptcy, a nation and its people will suffer in their identity; feeling a similar sense of failure.  However if in every problem there exists an opportunity, an optimistic outlook would be that this presents a chance for real change. But when that time eventually comes, as today there is no other vehicle to deal with this type of financial catastrophe in another manner, a nation will need to consider the soft issues as much as the monetary ones. 

MY BOOK REVIEW OF, Deep Chill

Genre: Fiction, Sub-genre: Mystery/Suspense
Title: DEEP CHILL   
Author: Li Westerlund
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing
The book's web page or goto http://dorrance.stores.yahoo.net/deepchill.html

About the author:  Born in Sweden, Li Westerlund holds European equivalents of the Ph.D., master’s, and J.D. in law, and the B.S. equivalent in electrical engineering; appointed professor of law in 2000. She is now the Vice President of Global IP for a biopharmaceutical company stationed in Washington, D.C. She has published six books dealing with patent and other law and dozens of articles in professional journals and anthologies, but Deep Chill is her first novel (released as Djup Kyla in Sweden in 2003 by Carlssons Publishers).

A review by Frank Riganelli.

It’s a long way from Sweden to Sri Lanka, but Anna Edelhielm, a Special Narcotics Prosecutor in Sweden, needs to get away after her boyfriend is murdered in Stockholm. What better place to go on a “dream vacation” than Sri Lanka, where her sister, Marie, has settled and married? But something strange and perhaps dangerous is keeping Marie from leaving the island. Kevin, an American conducting sensitive negotiations in Sri Lanka, starts to figure out what that something could be. And it’s not what Anna—or you—might expect. -from the Publisher.

Deep Chill; the author’s first novel that was originally published in Sweden, follows Anna Edelhielm; an attorney in the District Attorney’s office of Stockholm, to Sri Lanka where she intends to retrieve her sister. Marie has married and relocated to a life in the tropical country. In the opening scene Anna’s ex-boyfriend is murdered in Stockholm, as the startling events that surround her continue and slowly unfold the story’s mystery, which offers some unsettling realizations to her.

Anna is a sharp minded women who keeps her scars from the past hidden, as she experiences troubling dreams, some of which take place while she’s awake. She loses her sight in a hiking accident and is forced to put aside her cool feelings toward her sister’s family, and begin appreciating the consideration they extend her. But her newly formed affection for the Lankese group is soon shocked by suspicions of criminal activity, and the prospect of murder.

For its 224 pages, the book reads to its end quick enough as the reader sees various events,  including news reports about a militant guerilla group in the area and secretive meetings between a mobile-phone communications company and the Sri Lanken government. The two groups discuss the theft of a laptop computer in Sweden, which is suspected to have vital information about satellite communications.

The story’s final scene shows what appears to be an attempted murder of the two sisters, when Kevin; the American Anna has come to know, and his agent colleague try to foil the attempt. In the story’s epilogue the reader jumps ahead 3 years, in which time a diary found in the investigations after the ordeal has been read. It’s private insights confirm suspicions held throughout the story, while revealing truths about people that were unknown.

Overall, the novel moves along well at a fairly fast and steady pace after the first third of it, which jumps quickly as it takes brief looks at different parts of the story — and it nicely ties the many different events together as the story later gels, bringing its mystery closer to being solved.

The writing style introduces changes in scenes only sporadically, often creating brief analysis in determining who is speaking and what the location is, which then offers penny-dropping moments as the story tightens up again. A finer comment about the writing sees the introduction of important story points blended between the characters, who are continually developed through their different aspects, and the narrative, which at times offers the author’s comments and opinions that provoke the reader. The use of news reports creatively provides additional information to the story, however with a tendancy to not always consider the story's flow, there are times which can leave the reader slightly confused.

The novel offers vivid descriptions of the natural beauty of Sri Lanka as well as the underwater world of scuba diving, as it touches on the topic of satellite communications and the espionage of them, and international drug trafficking.

This excerpt about Anna’s love for diving is from chapter 4. “Anna loved to dive. The rest of the world disappeared, allowing her to become absorbed with what she was doing. Compared with the Baltic Sea, there was so much more to see here and this world was so amazingly colorful. It was a challenge. To master this inaccessible and physiologically impossible element gave her a real high. The adrenaline that rushed through her body took control; her mind became chilled and a calm just filled her. Excitement and the beautiful colors appealed to her, but the feeling of weightlessness was the most wonderful aspect of diving. To just float, suspended in the depths of the ocean. It was about both freedom and control.”
 
All in all, Deep Chill offers a decent intriguing mystery which involves some serious topics. Readers who enjoy mysteries, thrill, or solving a mystery will enjoy this novel.

* I received a complimentary copy of On Finding Solutions For Human Problems as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. This review was written in accordance with guidelines provided by the Publisher.

See this review at shelfari (books)

MY REPLY TO A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ARTICLE - On the topic of why leaders lose their way.

The article: Why Leaders Lose Their Way

Another provocative topic worthy of serious consideration. I won’t comment on the personality or psyche of the leader, it’s too serious a subject which requires the discretion of conditions conducive to effectively talking about it.

However, having lived abroad for over 10 years, and in different cultures with their own perspectives on subjects like leadership, I suggest that there is one universal idea of leadership. And that is that when a leader takes actions which harm their organization, and by extension the people in it, it is considered to be undesirable.

I see this topic as supporting an earlier topic here about poor ethics in organizations. Considering the dark side of leadership, it serves my previous comments about putting ethical people in positions higher and higher in an organization. And value centered leadership reinforces the idea that leaders must have the right traits when chosen for a leadership position. That will include their ways of dealing with aspects of the position which push or try to compromise them. The, it’s lonely at the top, notion shows to have different interpretations of it. Some of them being, the buck stops here; the person at the top has no friends; you must distance yourself from your friends in an organization; and that when you have reached the highest position possible you feel a sense of loneliness for the end of the challenge, which offers nothing higher to strive for. However, the article’s idea about it, that the pressure of responsibility on a leader creates feelings of loneliness, serves to show that a leader who does not posses the right traits can in fact be lonely at the top.

The idea of being lonely at the top focuses on the notion that a leader must make difficult decisions, which at times can make them unpopular with people in the organization. Hence, either having lost the sense of camaraderie or possibly the public display of friendships by people in the organization, it is said the leader is lonely in their position at the top. This leader makes decisions which are in the best interest of the organization and the people in it, but they are not always popular decisions. Those who put this leader in their position must accept the responsibility to support the leader in the face of a loss of popularity at times. Without such support this leader risks becoming vulnerable to the traps of popularity, and become at risk of losing their way. That is if they are not taken out of their position for all the wrong reasons, in which case the organization has shown to have a flawed idea of leadership. The leader whose popularity takes a back seat to decisions that are good for an organization, is in contrast to the leader who seeks popularity at the expense of the organization’s best interests in their decisions — a leader, as I suggest in terms of a universal idea, is not a desirable one.

If the questions to be answered from this article are, "Why do I want to lead?" and "What's the purpose of my leadership?" — it is the reply to these questions by those selecting the leader for a position, or their understanding of the answers given by the prospective leader, that offer the chance to put the best possible person into a leadership position. Of course a leader must be introspective, but to avoid a leader losing their way it must be ensured initially that the leader has the right traits.

TURNING A PIECE OF HISTORY INTO FICTION

The article: Caleb's Crossing: A piece of history gets turned into fiction

As the news article explains, “As she did with her previous novel, People of the Book, Brooks has successfully built a fascinating story around a nugget of history. Many of the characters in this novel are based on actual people, but Bethia is entirely fictional.”

As I studied and learned about writing, I enjoyed finding out about those novels that emphasized the imagination component of fiction. And now, after having made my attempt at 3 books, with my fourth in the works, it seems I’ve developed the curious interest of some in what I write, as well as how I do it.

I will put down the sharp words of the fountain pen for a moment and use the softer, more educationally palatable prose of the ball-point pen, if you will. It’s been my experience that some wallow in misunderstanding when faced with the writing of different authors. And more so, the basic ability to appreciate the writing has been missing. What Geraldine Brooks has done is use imagination in creating a work that offers the experiences of characters who were real people. Be they ideals, experiences, or lessons to be learned that are offered, this approach offers a blend of fact and the imagination component of fiction.

It's inappropriate to critique works similar to this one by comparing their imaginative portion to facts of places, things and people. This misses the point of the book and what it is trying to accomplish. Perhaps a reminder is needed that if a person wants to learn about a particular person, place or thing, they can look to non-fiction. But let us not forget that there is, or should be, a responsibility to be accurate in what is written. If the words written are from imagination, then it is understood that they are not talking about factual items. On the other hand, if something is talked of which is factual, it’s description and the words that talk about it should be accurate to the facts of it.

I’m happy to say that the teaching I had received in writing appreciation has let me understand what an author like Geraldine Brooks is doing with her novel. Perhaps it is helpful to consider the different genres and sub-genres which try to sift through and separate the differences of books. There is fantasy for example, and then there is urban fantasy. There is high fantasy and light fantasy. And to focus on urban fantasy, one sees that while a story is based on descriptions that are not factual, the setting of the story will be in a real place and as such the descriptions of it will be accurate to that place.

The writing of stories is a mix of skills and desires. What an author wants to do and what they can do. Historical fiction offers a story of the past which has been told, leaving the author to work their hand in describing it. General fiction, or the thrillers or mystery novels, offer the chance for imagination in creating a story if not based on a story that is known. It is a mix which is only appreciated when one understands what the book in front of them has been written to accomplish.

Myself, I also have used an approach similar to Geraldine Brook’s in my debut novel and second book. Like the title of the article says, A piece of history gets turned into fiction. In the case of my debut novel; it’s second writing titled The Swindle, the actual events from an earlier period; 1997, are used in a story that was created from my imagination. And, as another author has put it in giving a review of my novel, they called it a fascinating blend of reality and possibility, birthed from the imagination of the author. It was nice to also hear them say I am an author to keep an eye on. A second storyline in my debut novel uses imagination to describe events that were inspired by, not based on, real experiences. 

My second novel, although not based on an event from history, uses imagination to portray events through the characters, who in this case are also creatively conjured up.

For those of you with good skills in imagination who are considering writing a novel, this type of book offers the chance to convey ideas about people, life, issues, or whatever you chose, through the creative use of your own ideas. If you don’t see yourself putting your words on paper, but want to appreciate a novel like this, know what it is offering and how it does that.

MY REPLY TO A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ARTICLE - On the topic of the Japan earthquake

If often takes a crisis like this to get an organization to look at their strategies. As unforeseen as the coming of an earthquake is, we know they do happen which presents a choice to companies in their supply-chain strategies.

As Willy Shih explains, “"In the race to provide better quality at lower prices, manufacturers picked very narrow, optimized supply chains.""They put all of their eggs with one supplier that had the best product at the lowest price."

Organizations can opt to consider the tortoise and the hare fable where priority is given to approaches that value the longer-term, as opposed to the short-term. Not only does this protect against unexpected crisis which damage supply-chains, keeping the wheels of the business productively turning, but it also adds in a way to the company’s strategy toward sustainability. Is there a cost to this? Of course, and it is recovered over time in ways that are often not measured although the benefit is there.

 Crisis are a peculiar thing in how groups prepare for them. The article says, “When a natural disaster hits, relief organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders swing into action with crisis-response plans that have been honed, refined, and improved with experience. Not so manufacturers and their complex webs of suppliers, who in many cases lack that same experience or large-scale backup plans. The result: a chaotic scramble resulting in production delays, product shortages, and higher prices.”

I had worked for a multi-national company in the past and we had gone through the steps in developing a crisis response plan for the chance that a nearby facility might release harmful emissions. The crisis never took place for my time with the organization, but the plan was put in place and people felt secure knowing that should it happen, they would be safe. For all the effort, resources, and consideration put into designing the most efficient manufacturing facilities and systems we can, it should be a natural next step to protect them by developing crisis response plans. In terms of ROI for the initiative and the associated cost, if it is looked at as being amortized over a long period of time, which is consistent with the likelihood of an earthquake happening, for most geographic regions, the cost to the business is minimal. It’s a matter of risk management and taking steps to prevent the chance of unexpected losses. If people need help in selling this idea to their organizations, they can present the case as a matter of cost avoidance or loss (risk) management. Benchmarking to other organizations is always helpful, where you will find some companies have an entire department dedicated to loss control.

Frank Riganelli, Author
Former Fortune management, consultant, and trainer.

P.S. — People have questioned my posting at this group for the fact that I write mainly fiction novels. I explain to them that the hypothetical thriller novel which has a character scramble for their life when a disaster hits their workplace is that much more realistic when the group’s actions and responses are true to life. And then I tell them that I also write books on the topic of business.

A COMMENT AFTER THIS BOOK REVIEW; THE PALE KING by David Foster Wallace, at a news site.

If you weren’t aware of it, David Foster Wallace died back in 2008 and had in his possession his unfinished novel; The Pale King. The novel has been published since his death and this candid review of it makes some interesting points about things other than the novel itself.

In the review he is praised as a great novelist although without a great novel, a point I paused on as I read it as my own writing has been assessed to be similar to his, among other authors; Dan Brown, Cory Doctorow, and Stephen King. But after holding my breath for a moment I remembered that my debut novel received a good review. Phew!

The review says this about the novel’s topic, “The premise (of the book) is truly brilliant, a group of characters who work at an IRS processing centre. Why has no one written a great novel about taxation before? The IRS is the focal point of the most important political development of the past 30 years: the conversion of citizens into taxpayers, and the triumph of the idea that paying less tax, abrogating our financial responsibilities to the communities in which we live, is a form of righteousness.”

The point made is very valid and leaves one to wonder if the IRS is a sacred cow to not be disturbed in the pages of novels, or is it just a matter of the preference of readers? Why wouldn’t people want to read about such a significant topic which has a real affect on their life?

Perhaps writing about the IRS is in a way similar to the notion of writing about the corporate world. After writing my debut novel which looks at a multi-national company that becomes part of a massive swindle, I received suggestions that it was too hot a topic, and more so, a taboo topic. People are regulated by the IRS who have a direct effect on the money every person earns and has to live with, and on a daily basis people purchase products made by the corporate world, which they bring into their homes, consume, and give to their children. It seems odd that people don’t want to read about these aspects of our societies which affect them as much as they do.

I had some people tell me they were intrigued by the synopsis of my debut novel, and that they were interested to know what went on in the corporate world. So I suppose there are some people out there, but still the topics written about have the IRS, the corporate world, and I would suggest other groups who have a strong impact on the lives of people low on the totem pole of bestseller novels.

The books’ review also says, “There are (in the book) also hilarious snatches of dialogue, moving scenes with memorable characters and many, many pieces of bravura writing. None of them are organized in a way that communicates a meaningful storyline or congregates their manifold pleasures into anything more substantial than fragments, but they are there.”

This critique caught my attention as I had recently explained to someone that one of the challenges in writing my debut novel was in including topical information while maintaing the storyline in a reasonable way. I said, “I didn’t force the topic’s information into the plot simply for the sake of talking about it.” It appears my consideration in this is something which others are also attentive to. How nice, I thought.

I'm not anti-corporate world, it's because I worked in it and offered services to it for over two decades that I enjoy writing about it. And it's a little surprsing that people show the little interest they do in this aspect of our society, which has a major influcene on economies, yes, that means your job also.

Aside from this comment I wanted to make about the topics we see in novels, I thought the review was hard hitting considering David Foster Wallace is no longer with us. It gives a different take on the idiom, respect for the dead.

MY REPLY TO A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ARTICLE - On the topic of ethics

The article: How Ethical Can We Be?

Looking at the conclusion which the articles questions are based on, I would continue on to make this specific point. Bounded ethicality can be addressed in ethics education by teaching a type of ethics management. This is similar to the notion of politics in an organization, which some propose should be accepted for the fact that is has become more common over the years, while at the same time business schools teach that politics is bad for an organization.

Something to recognize in the case of bounded ethicality, and responses to reduce its effect toward eliminating it, is that the approaches will find resistance from other organizational approaches, which put ethics low on the list of priorities. These are the those organizational styles which primarily value results above all else, where the concept of entrepreneurialism, for instance,  is promoted to the detriment of structure and the procedures that come with, including procedures intended to foster good ethics.
 

I think the ethics training currently provided is helping people see how they act in ways that are inconsistent with their more reasoned ethical preferences, as Jim Heskett, the articles author, puts it. But still the problem remains, begging the article’s question, ‘How do we address this problem?’. I suggest that hiring more ethical people into leadership positions higher and higher up in an organization is an effective answer. This helps address the conflict of organizational styles which has a waterfall effect down through an organization, disseminating the idea of good ethics and countering any ill-effects from silos, the lack of transparency, and matrix-management, for example. 
 

Although the business world is different enough than a society that it needs to be looked at differently, societies have historically gone the approach of ethical leadership. The promises to promote the rights of people or the credos about bringing about change have been common among those wanting the societal leadership position. And as in the business world, improving ethics in a society presents its own difficulties, but the ethical leadership approach has been very popular.
 

Having worked in the operations end of multinational businesses myself, I appreciate the complexity of the business environment and the difficulties in implementing the ideas spoken of here. When people, information, products, and resources of various types must come together in a way that meets very stringent criteria, any solutions sought will present many considerations and challenges. It is no surprise the manufacturing sector has gained the reputation of being the most complex system of work.
 

The problem of bounded ethicality is only beyond us if we acknowledge it to be, and we can only be as ethical as the boundaries forced on us permit. I think it is dangerous to entertain thoughts of ethical and moral behavior being beyond us. Without these, we step into a boundlessness world which in essence moves toward a no-rules environment. And once that is accepted and considered acceptable as a rule, we have to start asking very basic questions, like is the information in this article real at all? A bit absurd to ask, of course, but it makes the point that nothing will be worthy of being trusted, and why would it if there are no ethics?
 

I will not go so far as to talk about what a solution to bounded ethicality would look like, my consulting days are over, I do however offer thoughts on business related and other topics in the books I write.

My books; A Business Diary and The Swindle, look at issues pertaining to the business world, some the same as the ideas presented in this article. My novel Legend Station relates to societal ethics in terms of people’s vices.

Frank Riganelli, Author

Former Fortune management, consultant and trainer.

MY REPLY TO A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ARTICLE - On the topic of customer service

I receive the newsletter, Working Knowledge - A first look at faculty research, which is distributed by Harvard Business School, and occasionally reply to its articles. 

The article: What Loyalty? High-end Customers Are First To Flee

I quickly read the valued replies from the CEOs of different companies, and wanted to offer an additional perspective to this important topic.

As the article is not business-sector specific we should ask ourselves how these ideas of customer service apply to specific businesses. Not all can accommodate the approaches suggested without difficulty. And while customer is king, not recognizing a potential problem can be the makings of soon-to-be big problems.

What is important to remember is that such approaches put a strain on other parts of the business and their approaches, many that require a certain amount of standardization in the business and (product or) service offered. If the customer's needs becomes a moving target, changing often and even only in modest ways, it can send a ripple effect through a business in responding to it. Now, not only is the business changing in the marketing and sales end of the business, trying to read the customer and change the offering to accommodate a new or changed need, but other groups in the business must also adapt so the business can effectively provide the service in a quality manner.

A market-driven, or customer oriented, business can be like a whip -- once it's slung out to satisfy a customer, it sends a wave through the business. If this isn't considered, any damage to the business will never be known. I suggest that the business that not only satisfies their customers' changing needs, but also manages the rest of the business to effectively accommodate that will be the business standing when others have fallen.

Frank Riganelli, Author

P.S. I have written a business-related book which reads more like a novel. It's called A Business Diary, Part I and it looks at  issues that come up in the workplace.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT CHARACTERS IN NOVELS

Since I began writing novels, I’ve come across the odd question and interest of some about the use of characters in a story. And more specifically they were interested to know about the way of thinking, or personality, of written characters.

I’m not a psychologist I quickly explain, before I point out that I prefer not to talk too much about the topic. An explanation which draws the immediate response, why not? After about 7 years of working in foreign countries, I found the topic to be quite controversial, I say. Too many misunderstandings have been created because the discussion at-hand doesn’t go into the necessary detail needed, and  oftentimes the background required to adequately understand the discussion isn’t there. It’s all too sensitive in those circumstances, outside of basic examples, I continue to explain.

I tell these curious enthusiasts of writing that I have studied some psychology, and that I have also done a lot of work which required dealing with people, which includes listening for understanding. And it all requires interacting with many different personalities. It is when an author refers to their life experiences that they are referring to things they’ve seen or done, or have come to learn, for instance, which includes all those times that have involved people. The woman with the hot temper, the man with the calming demeanor, the cold, calculating type, or the jocular happy-go-lucky person.

I’ve known my share of people in the psychology field, be they friends or an acquaintance met, like a psychology professor from an Ivy league university who I met not long ago — we toured a historic area of the city we were in, and enjoyed a dinner together. A delightful meeting by chance, and what a coincidence that I might have the opportunity to draw upon that meeting in writing a character, when the person I met was in the psychology field, the topic of those asking me their questions. 

But still, those pressing me for answers and explanations continued on. Apparently intrigued by a character in one of my novels, they were unexpectedly surprised by the character’s actions in my book, which they recognized to be quite accurate. With their how-did-you-know that interest they chipped away at me. Now having their undivided attention, I created different examples of situations in which people are often known to be in. I walked through the examples, introducing the characters involved and explaining the circumstances, before posing a question back to them. I asked, how do most people react (or behave) in this situation, and after a moment’s thought the slight grin of recognition spread itself across the silent faces in front of me.

Authors can create characters for different reasons and there's more to writing them than I've touched on here — and in those instances when a reader enjoys the realism of a character, it's a nice compliment when extended to this author.

I told the one-day-would-be-writers that observing people can offer a lot of insights into people’s reactions. It doesn’t tell you who they are I emphasized, but it does offer descriptions of how people react and behave. And having said that to them, I pointed out that they shouldn’t be surprised if someone, one day, approaches them and asks why they’re staring.

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO WRITE MY DEBUT NOVEL? (The Swindle)

The curious thing about this question is the more time that passes the clearer the answer has become to me. Maybe it’s because I’m on my 4th novel now, and while writing my debut novel I was studying and learning fiction and writing as I wrote it — a lot happening all at once, which can make it difficult to clearly separate your thoughts. Or possibly it’s the fact that some of the novel is about a sensitive topic, which has clouded or subdued me in talking about it, and then also it could be that much of the novel is from my own experiences that parts of it were effortless in writing, leaving me to struggle in explaining my inspirations because it came off my fingers unchallenged. In a way perhaps like the saying, a person can’t see the forest for the trees. Something is so obvious to you, you fail to see it. However, if every decent question deserves a good answer, I shall try.

The idea of inspiration is referred to in dictionaries with statements like, 'the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative' -from a dictionary. We are not talking about how I wrote the novel, but about the idea that made me want to write it.

Let me first go back in time a bit to create some perspective. If you’ve seen my biography information at my web site, you know I had two former careers; 15 years in management positions of Fortune multinational companies, and another 7 years providing communications and skills training in foreign countries, which doesn’t include my time instructing at the college level.

It’s not everyone who has two careers in their life, it does happen though, and oftentimes there is a story to accompany the change in profession or work. In my case there is a story, which I won’t go into here, but suffice it to say it provided some interesting accounts which I used in writing the story. But I get ahead of myself. At the end of my second career it became evident that some circumstances would not permit it to continue. And as I write this, it reminds me of a phrase about philosophy, and perhaps psychology, from many years ago that says, circumstances control men, men do not control circumstances. And moving along in my story, at that time I endeavored to study fiction and writing with the idea to write a novel. It was an idea I had many years earlier while still in my first (professional) career. In fact it was during a professional development session which explored a person’s alter-ego, and goals for the future. And one of my goals was to write a novel.

When the time came, I read, I learned, I studied, I practiced, and I wrote. I went through the novels of well-known authors, studying their structures and styles, and took the learnings of teaching material about fiction, characters, writing and plot. It was 6 months of dedicated writing and learning.

In coming up with the idea for the book, I knew my background offered a lot of experiences to write about, and also knew that many other authors, some of them bestselling, wrote novels based on their former careers. Then the idea hit me — a corporate mystery, or thriller. It would need some aspects to it to make it interesting, like perhaps a technology that is very advanced and extremely expensive, and even better, it makes a genetic-altering product that the entire world wants to have. Hmm, not bad I thought, it’s already starting to sound intriguing, which was the same feedback I received from others who I pitched the story’s synopsis to.

I won’t go into every detail of how I added all the different plot elements of the story, but I did it in a way similar to what is called the snowflake approach. I don’t profess to use that approach in writing my outlines, but in a similar way I kept adding more to the story — events, characters, and storylines to support all of it, until I had all the ingredients I needed. My approach was very methodical and required less imagination than my subsequent novels, which have some light fantasy in them, except for my business-related book. And I’d say it was because much of the story was already in my head; my background and the experiences from it.

I ended up with the main storyline that follows the main character; Anthony Brina, in his involvement in the futuristic product his company develops before he flees in search of safety, with a few other secondary storylines. This was a fairly straightforward activity as I followed many of the events of my own background, although the character of Anthony is not meant to represent me. It’s just that many of the things, not all, that happen to him have also happened to me, either in principle or more literally. In the story he (must) leave his professional career, just as I had to in my own life. The other storylines include the searching for information about secretive government programs; the relationship Anthony has with his good friend and colleague; Mina Kent, who introduces the role of the media to the story; and the creation of a plan by Anthony and Mina to expose a massive cover-up.

If you’ve heard authors talk about using diagrams in creating and organizing their story on paper, these tools serve to connect and relate the many different relationships that exist in the storylines. I did a bit of this, mostly arrow diagrams and small path or network charting, but relied mostly on short outlines as I moved through the writing. These are gone today and of little use anyway, as they were mainly point form, and of little use after I finished the book. After relocating several times since starting to write the novel, books, notes, and other items, including the computer I initially wrote the manuscript with, have been left behind or have gone missing in all the movement. The tribulations of packing and relocating, again and again. Any details I needed to find after writing the story, I could find in the manuscript easy enough, if not from memory.   

And without going into unnecessary details, that’s how I came up with the novel. It is largely based on my experiences in my former career, with the addition of characters and events to create something close to what could be called a corporate thriller. You’ve likely heard of legal thrillers or mysteries, or detective thrillers or mysteries, or medical thrillers? The novel is cross-genre as I don’t write formula plots, but it’s set in the corporate world for the first part of it, before the primary storyline mainly travels to Rome, Italy from Toronto, with the sub-storylines traveling to New York, Chicago, Geneva, and the campus of MIT.

I won’t go more into how I wrote it, that’s for another day, but I will say that much of it was intuitive. And as such, you shouldn’t be surprised if my explanation of how I wrote it is different than other methods used by authors. Maybe you are intuitive in something you do, in which case you do something based on what you feel is true, or appropriate, or right, even without consciously knowing the reasoning behind it at the time. And what you did is in fact good or right. If enough people show interest, I can write another post about how I wrote the book.

However, I make this next comment to avoid any future misunderstandings or problems. There is no one best way to write a novel, but there are many approaches available, some of them more established than others. If I were to share my insights about how I write a novel, it will, without question, be different than formulaic approaches. This doesn’t mean it’s wrong, it’s just different, and having said that, it doesn’t mean it is the best way either. It is an approach that comes from this writer who is somewhat intuitive in his writing. It may not be for you, or you may like it. But what is most important is to recognize that writing is a creative process, which by definition cannot be standardized. There is no way to know what a person will creatively come up with next. I realize my words on this topic are debatable, and I hope that those reading this understand there is no one perfect, or best way, of doing it. It depends on the author and what they are trying to accomplish in writing their novel. Having said all of this, there is the commercial aspect of novel writing to be considered, which brings with it it’s own debates.

I was once told by a girl who was enthusiastic about novel writing that she wanted to write a book. She had little experience in writing, but if her enthusiasm was an indication of her initiative she would be able to do it, I told her. I said it’s fun and a lot of work.

A final word on inspirations. Essentially the book was inspired by my desire to write, in fiction, a novel that was a bit thrilling and interesting, using the experiences from my background. I had no other books serve as inspirations, other than the writing styles of some authors; Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum, to name just two of them.

I realize the sensitive aspect of the story regarding secretive government programs can be intriguing, and the global-scale involvement of over 90 countries in investing in the multi-trillion dollar technology development, which includes the United Nations in forming resolutions for it for arguing nations, can also be engaging — and not to forget the inexplicable swindle of hundreds of billions of dollars which Anthony discovers in the fine workings of the sci-fi technology, and the plan he and Mina devise under terrible conditions which is not known until near the end of the story, both which can be just as absorbing. 

And a comment on the secretive government programs. In the novel I make a plausible case for the existence of sophisticated technologies in use today. Plausible, as in ‘(of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable’ -taken from a dictionary. Let me be very clear when I say I did not write the book to imply this part of the story is real. I wrote it to support the story’s happenings and to leave it to the reader to consider. The information pertaining to this aspect of the story is footnoted in the back of the book. The story is fictional while parts of it offer a fictional portrayal of events and ideas that are real. It is not non-fiction or based on a true story, as explained in the novel’s disclaimer.

This aspect of the book has created much controversy. In real life there are people who believe that secretive technologies are being used today, and then there are others who do not. An interesting point to note in this is how when some people have publicly spoken out about the use of such secretive technologies, they are discredited. This leaves the other side of the argument which proposes that if such methods are in use and secretive, discrediting accusations would likely be the result. However, this is not the primary part of the novel while it is presented to be plausible, leaving it to the reader to appreciate as a portion needed to support the overall story.

I should point out that the swindle in the story is not based on a real swindle. The entire story is fictional although some aspects of it are taken from real ideas and events. Because of my experience in multi-national companies and different areas of them, I was savvy of what was needed to be understood to write the swindle aspect of the story, so that it is realistic. What you don’t know is my background includes writing proposals with financial considerations in Fortune companies, and working with figures and information in the area of performance and financial measures. This is how I could write this part of the story to be so realistic, which some have responded to in surprise when they understood that while the story is fiction, parts of it are real to true facts.

Yes, I know, I didn’t mention how MIT (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology) fits into it, or how a mysterious woman who is well-versed in ways that are seductive and aluring comes into the story, or how Anthony’s loving mother dies suddenly, or how he manages to find the thing he has been missing in his life. This is the discovery, or finding, or change in the main character where they learn something about themselves, or resolve a conflict of sorts within them, which is often an objective of novels.

But like I said, my explanation of how all of the aspects of the story are written to come together is for another day, we’re talking inspirations here. I don’t want to give away the entire story. It has a lot in it as you can see, and for this reason I tell people they are better off asking their specific questions instead of me guessing at what they want to hear. For now, my best advice is read the book and then get back to me. 

The original manuscript was in the area of 110,000 words, and its re-edited version, now called The Swindle, is at about 125,000. As much as I had wanted to go into more detail in aspects of the story, and even add others, I was restricted by the length of the novel and managing the level of intensity throughout it.

And don’t forget about the book’s contest. You could win a kindle e-reader! (See my web site for details) The contest involves an article from a publication of Harvard Business School, which helps explain the swindle in the story, that’s how true to life parts of the novel were written.

WHY WRITE A NOVEL THAT IS SO DIFFERENT? (Legend Station)

After writing my debut novel which received a good review, calling it taut and suspenseful with adept twists and turns, and an exhilarating roller-coaster ride, my writing of my next novel; Legend Station, has sparked some focused interest and curiosity. It’s use of horror, the use of a character who is a call-girl, and it’s direct manner in which it is written appear to be the main reasons it’s drawing the attention of onlookers.

So why did I write this novel? It’s completely different than the book I wrote before it, which is also cross-genre, as it’s story is revealed through characters who are in the corporate world, close to secretive government programs, the media, and in academia, in referring to a few of the more predominant ones. And it’s written differently, more in the style of a traditional plot-oriented fiction novel, as it looks at social and business issues with a slight reference to the political area in its fictional portrayal.

I wrote Legend Station because I wanted to do something different. It’s that simple. This was my original inspiration, and from there other inspirations took hold and the creation of the book began.

Inspirations come from here, there, and everywhere, as authors are inspired in many different ways. A story idea can come from a dream, from having travelled to a place, or for want of exploring a particular topic or issue, or a relationship between the same. One author I am thinking of was inspired by something she saw, which she wanted to recreate in writing, and from there an idea for a book was born.

In my case in writing the novel, once I had decided to do something different and break from the style and type of my debut novel, the juices of imagination and creativity began flowing. I thought, how nice it would be to write something similar to the older classics in some ways — something that eases into the story in an elegant-like manner, and offers a setting that’s as elegant as it is regal. And because my motivation was to write the book differently, I decided to grab the reader a short way into the story, creating a shock effect, and then, once their attention and curiosity is hopefully captured, reveal to them the main purpose of the story.

Other works that served as inspirations are Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which I used as a creative reference for its ability to present different perspectives of time in the life of a character, and its use of self-revelation. ‘A Christmas Carol [note 1] is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.’ (taken from Wikipedia)

Another book that helped in my inspiration, which some also consider a classic, is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I considered it for its moral reference and its use of a ‘monstrous’ creature, although the nature of the creature is debatable depending on how you interpret that story. ‘Frankenstein -  Major critics such as M. A. Goldberg and Harold Bloom have praised the "aesthetic and moral" relevance of the novel[29]’ (taken from Wikipedia)

I then used what I lightheartedly call the cocktail-shaker approach. That’s when I take all these thoughts and ideas and mix them with imagination and purpose to create the outline of the story. As I poured the mix onto paper as a story outline; I always start with an outline, I had the makings of a novel that would be different in writing style, topics, and story, which is what I set out to do.

I’m going to digress just a bit and address some specific reactions to the book. Let’s start with horror. As popular as it is in storytelling, some were surprised to see the use of it, although sporadic as it is, in Legend Station. Perhaps this is from wide-eyed reactions that noted the difference from my previous book, and as I’ve said, it was my intention to do something different that shock’s somewhat — a chance to practice different writing skills and story-writing overall. In hindsight, the responses seem to indicate I was successful in this. And to be thorough in looking at this aspect of the book, as some, for reasons I won’t go into here, have tried to make inferences about my use of horror, let’s take a moment and look at what horror is.

Denotative meanings of horror include expressions like, ‘an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust; a thing causing such a feeling; a literary or film genre concerned with arousing such feelings’ -taken from a dictionary. And to be further clear, when we talk of a horror story as it is generally understood, we are not talking about a horrific feeling or experience that is created by various situations, actions, and circumstances, which themselves are not horror-full — we are talking about the commonly accepted idea of horror that is known from classic fiction characters like vampires and werewolves, where they engage in bloody, grotesque, and gruesome exchanges.

Another source on the topic of horror says, ‘Supernatural horror has its roots in folklore and religious traditions on death, the afterlife, evil, the demonic  and the principle of evil embodied in The Devil. [1] These were manifested in stories of witches, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and demonic pacts such as that of Faust.’ (taken from Wikipedia)

As much as the aspect of horror in my novel allowed for a shock effect, it also helped serve the idea of a severe redemption which supports the overall story. An idea may be easy to come up with, the use of horror in this case, but its relationship in the web of other ideas and their uses is sometimes subtle to recognize. However before leaving this subject, I would be remiss if I didn’t clearly state that there is a creature in the story. It’s not a werewolf, nor vampire, but something else, and it serves to create the feeling of horror.

Getting back to the story’s outline, which I next developed in more detail, I then looked at a blank screen on my computer and began writing the story, which was different in writing style and topics involved.

This bring me to the reactions of others at the use of a character who is a call-girl, and the direct manner of the novel’s writing.

A call-girl? How provocative a character you may say. And who would want an uninteresting character in a novel? Let’s take a moment and consider this character beyond first impressions. Going back in history to the time of Christ, where the woman-of-the-night is seen and referred to as practicing one of the oldest professions known to man, we see the character that is real as far back as 2000 years, if not more.

This is taken from the writings of a Pastor on the topic of women-of-the-night in history.

‘In spite of all her fame, and all the coverage she gets in God's Word, her name never became a popular name, which is usually the case with women who do good and great things in the Bible. The reason for her name never becoming widely used is due to the first aspect of her life that we want to consider. I. HER PAST PROFESSION. Rahab was a harlot, or better known in our culture as a [woman-of-the-night]. Here is a paradox, for she was a heathen harlot who became a messianic mother, her name never escaped the taint of her past, even though she did fully escape that past, and will be singing in eternity the song of the redeemed. The study of Rahab forces us to look at the subject of [harlotry], for this profession is always linked with her name except for one time in the genealogy of Matt. 1. Even when she is held up as a great example of faith and works she is called Rahab the harlot.
 
The question that comes to our minds is why? Why is [harlotry] so persistently prevalent all through history? It is known as the oldest profession, and it is a profession that has played a major role in history.’ -taken from THE BIBLE'S MOST FAMOUS [HARLOT] Based on Joshua 2:1-21 By Pastor Glenn Pease

For a character to have been with us for so long, and in real-life, offers a depth to them that is not only risque in this case, but also filled with a history of interesting experiences. The other characters in the story — an investment advisor, a police-officer, and by social standards a regular male with a passion for fast sports-cars, provide a connection to commonly-known types of people in our societies.

Similar to A Christmas Carol, which looks at the vices of its main character in a fairly forthright way, and different than Frankenstein’s indirect moral reference to society — my story is plain-spoken in addressing some of the vices of people, and indirect in its reference to what is guiding the story. And having said that, I am not referring to the narrative. Charles Dickens’ story utilizes the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future while the narrative still exists, and Mary Shelley’s work uses Dr. Frankenstein’s actions and the societal responses to it to guide the story, separate from its narrative. In my novel this aspect of the story remains purposely unknown, with the question of what  is guiding the people and forces that guide the story unanswered, hopefully leaving a sense of mystery and intrigue to consider (in the novel’s sequel).

To take a closer look at the characters in my novel, they bring with them their individual stories which span the topics of vices and their impact to love and death. A reader may ponder such questions as, can love be too overpowering, and can it truly be ignored? Or perhaps, how can the paramountcy of life be compromised by our vices? Through the characters, who are identifiable with relative ease, the story presents events which, either through the reader’s personal experience or gained familiarity, they will have some level of understanding of.

And what about the direct manner in which I wrote the story? The prose, or words written, are full with description at times, with imagery, metaphor, character sketches positioned in the straightforward manner of the story, along with the use of motifs, as part of a story written with a stronger tone, or voice. And if you are coming to understand the nature of the story, you will understand the use of its less than soft voice. Outside of the main motif, or theme, of good and evil, which is readily apparent, there is a motif in the use of a decoration in the elegant station. A magnificent clock hangs high in the entrance hall of the station, gracing everyone with its beauty as they enter. And it’s design includes the images of creatures carved into it, as they are in a sea of waves; each reaching out of the clock in a three dimensional effect. As splendid a sight as the clock is, it serves to represent the idea of a deceiving contrast to what people see when looking at it. I can’t give away the story here, but events take place that involve the clock, which show the other aspect of the motif; the opposing aspect to the clock’s apparent magnificence and splendor. A deceiving contrast in a story which talks of people and deception, among other things. That's it, I won't say more about it, but leave the story for you to read and discover.

Certain literary devices, which would usually be used in handling the change in points in time in the story, are substituted by the style of the telling of the story, and this allowed for the same result. For instance, similar to Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, who saw firsthand his past and future though writing that is in the present time, not through a departure to a former or future time which is written as the present time, I wrote Legend Station in a similar manner. By not using the literary devices that accommodate this, and striving to achieve the same effect through the events of the story, written in the present time, the novel is more undeviating in how it is written.

This may sound complex, but in writing a novel one must consider the timeframes in which the story is  written. Different timeframes can be used, and this is where the more involved storyline comes to be. It is less linear in this way, perhaps going back to a past event; in the life of a character, or to a previous time in the plot. And it was a conscious decision of mine to not use this style, for the reasons of keeping the story relatively short. The novel is in the area of 60,000 words, as compared to the 124,000, or so, of my re-edited debut novel. 

For all the decisions needed to be made in writing a novel, and as you can see there are many, this was another of them. I finally conceded to this approach with the idea that the straight manner of writing served the novel. It complimented the stronger tone of the book, and supported the use of horror and the graphic portrayal of the vices looked at. Also, it satisfied my objective of keeping the novel shorter than its predecessor. I suppose this makes it a novella.

Why write a novel that is so different? Why? Why? Why? — the popular unguided interrogative jab, which often hasn't stopped to consider what it is asking. And for the inquiring minds that ask why about my writing this novel, I say that their questions can only be properly answered by asking me. It is unfair and, just as importantly, ineffective to try to guess why about an author without asking them. I say this as most of the reactions created by my novel have come to be known by me through gossip; an exercise in futility in finding understanding and truth in a matter. It’s similar to considering what Einstein's last words spoken were, which have never been known because the person at his side at the time of his death, when he spoke his last words, didn’t understand German. With no other choice, people may guess, but it will never be known because he is no longer here to ask the question to. Any guess is just that, and nothing more, and it will never be known if it is at all accurate.

A COMMENT ON LEAVING ABUSE AND THE NOVEL I'M WRITING (THE RENAISSANCE SPHERE)

I came across an article titled Leaving Abuse  which looks at a topic that is very important for women, as well as people in general. Bad relationships which become so bad they are abusive can have a devastating effect on their victim. Like the article says, you can and should leave an abusive relationship. And I agree entirely.

This is an important topic for everyone; men and women, and I’ve posted this as the novel I am writing titled The Renaissance Sphere looks at this topic among others. The portrayal of a woman in a very poor relationship is looked at in the story, as Madison Skyler suffers in an abusive relationship to the point she begins falling apart over it.

The significance to a victim who choses to leave a severely bad, or abusive, relationship can be profound in their life. It gives them the chance to be a person who controls what they do and where they go in the rest of their life.

In writing the novel I wanted to explore this idea; the significance of this type of decision by a person and how important it is, because as the article mentions, it can be one of the most difficult things a person does. It is the challenge posed to the victim in deciding to confront this difficulty that makes the action so telling. I wrote the story so this revelation about Madison, who is suffering in a very bad relationship, is something that is watched carefully by a group who have devised a plan to save the world. Her decision and her ability to accept the challenge in making it, is the critical piece of what is an otherworldly design to save the future.

I don’t want to give away too much about the novel, but it’s a combination of two stories that occur at the same time. What happens in Madison’s life affects what happens in the  other story where a plan to save the future is fought over. This other place is beyond imagination and scientific reasoning, only showing itself discretely in what are referred to as moments of clarity, or in dreams. And Madison is the key to all of it, although she doesn’t know it.

Life has dealt her a bad hand which she has suffered for, and through her strength she has pulled herself close to the person she once was, except she is now in a bad relationship which takes advantage of her. Bit by bit her decisions have defined her and she is no longer the same person she had been, and as the stakes rise in the decisions posed to her, she comes closer to that moment which will present the most difficult decision she could ever make. In the surreal experience she faces the personal challenge as others secretly watch, knowing that their plan to save the future depends entirely on her.

That crystallizing moment the article refers to, which lets a woman, or person, know what they are going to do in response to their terrible situation, is the same moment Madison experiences. It is offered to her and she is touched as a person, as it happens in a way she can’t completely explain to her best friend, because of the mysterious nature of the gift brought to her in the epiphany-like experience.

For Madison, and any woman or person in a very bad, or abusive, relationship, they have a choice of starting fresh, of renewing themselves and their life, and of starting a personal renaissance for themselves. The Renaissance Sphere is the name of my book and this topic in it is very real. Like the victims of abusive relationships, Madison Skyler faces one of the most difficult challenges she could ever face.

The novel is about 70% complete, however I’ve stopped writing at the moment for some distracting circumstances.

MY BOOK REVIEW OF, On Finding Solutions To Human Problems

Genre: Non-fiction, Sub-genre: Essays-nostalgia
Title: On Finding Solutions For Human Problems
Author: Not Famous (pseudonym)
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing
The book's web page or goto (http://dorrance.stores.yahoo.net/onfinsolforh.html)

About the author: With master’s degrees in both psychology and literature, Not Famous is a native New Yorker who now lives in Florida, where she works as a psychologist, both in hospital and private practice.

A review by Frank Riganelli.

Sure, the human race has problems, but what are the solutions? In this volume, author Not Famous, a psychologist with a passion for literature, takes us on an expedition to discover the flaws of being a human being in a collection of often satirical essays. –by the Publisher.

The author, who uses a pseudonym, makes many serious points that are presented with a spoof-like style, which keeps the book’s tone light, and the pages turn quickly for its leisure manner as it presents numerous short essays on different, provoking topics.

Some examples of the writings and the provocative questions they raise are: It’s Normal To Be Insane, which comments on how it is rare to be sane, and what is considered normal is insane; Praying – For Love Or Justice?; an account which makes the comment, it is better to have fairness than love; and Jealousy And Survival, which is a narrative; like most of the essays are, that comments on how destructive the vice is and that it can work against survival.

The writing is generally uncomplicated, with some occasional additional effect as seen in the essay Benji And What Made The Reporter Cry. In the account the author gives a brief yet detailed breakdown of the monthly personal expenditures of a mugger, who also kills for a living – and by doing so adds to the element of realism, making the character that much more real to the reader. Other writing that effectively captures the tongue-in-cheek style of the book is seen in the essays Not All Dummies Are The Same, where the distinction is made between genuine dummies and intelligent dummies; and How To Get Paid For Being Stupid in which someone becomes a millionaire for being stupid.

The (66 page) work is suited to readers who enjoy a good-humored perspective in looking at problems which are humorless. To sum it up, the book offers easy-to-read accounts through satire, while presenting the chance to consider some serious points about people, the problems we face, and today’s society.

* I received a complimentary copy of On Finding Solutions For Human Problems as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. This review was written in accordance with guidelines provided by the Publisher.
* The review is posted at shelfari (books)

MY REPLY TO: WHEN SHOULD THE PUBLIC SECTOR TAKE OVER IN A MELTDOWN? -Working Knowledge, of Harvard Business School

Click here to see the article

I tend to agree with one comment in these replies which looks at this question in terms of the model in use. I do not propose to try to influence government policies or procedures regarding responses to meltdowns in my reply to this article, or even specifically challenge them. Whichever government group is involved in the discussion of a meltdown and responses to it, be it when the response is to be made, or why would the response be made at the time it is, or more basically, why would they respond at all, is dependent on the model in use, I propose.

A meltdown, however we chose to define it, is essentially recognized as a situation of grave significance to people and groups, in one way or another. And any public sector model is already designed to address such a situation, whereby some perform better in this area than others, as will happen considering the variety of models and their application to the areas they govern.

However the failure of some models to effectively respond to situations with grave impacts has brought us to ask the questions posed by this article. As far as questioning the government's role in a meltdown situation, I think that somewhere, in the vastness of policies and procedures of governing, be they called mandates, programs, or by some other vernacular appropriate to government models, it will already be stated what that role is -- which leaves the matter to be one which questions execution of the model. After the private sector, or public in general, answer the question of when the public sector should intervene, we will see the public sector's reply which will likely make reference in some way to their model. I am not here to tell our public sector, which is laden with resources and budgets, what they should be doing, they should already know that. Perhaps it is better to reply to the questions of this article by reminding the public sector that they are failing in areas of the execution of their model, which the information of the article supports, and that they are accountable to those failures.
Another example of these failures is when the public sector expects the private sector, or more specifically within the general public; the people reading and replying to this article, to provide solutions to the failures of the model. This comment represents those of us who are looked to for solutions by those who are failing in providing them themselves, when they have been charged with that responsibility. Has not enough been asked of the general public already in their losses for the meltdowns which have occurred?

Going back to David Physick's rewording of the question posed, I would add the consideration that another issue be highlighted and asked, and that is how to make the public sector realize the shortcomings of their models and get them to improve them. The article's responses offer a plethora of ideas which can be offered to a government if they are not able to address their model effectively on their own. But this should be recognized as what it is, another failure of the model.

It is a selfserving compliment to ask the private sector and general public for solutions, when the request is covering up a basic failure of the public sector. 

In more layman’s terms for anyone reading this, opportunism has grown to new heights such that the ideas presented here have a good chance of being taken and used, for real, by a public sector group, with no recognition extended to the originator of the idea — that’s all the people who have commented to the article. But it will not include my ideas, as I have explained.

A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL ARTICLE AND MY NOVEL; A Business Diary, Part I

I’ve written a book; A Business Diary, Part I, which looks at aspects of the workplace and touches on points that are related to the approach seen in the system looked at in the article. It explores the contradictions that keep an organization from achieving the successes which this system enjoys, and looks clearly at the gaps that exist. Different than most other business-related books, it reads like a novel as it presents four candid stories that take place in the workplace. I play with the idea of writing Part 2 of the series, where I would be able to share more insights about creating the success which is seen in the Toyota system. But it depends on the success of my current books, and is only an idea at this point.

The link is to an article from Working Knowledge - A First Look At Faculty Research (from the Harvard Business School)

The article’s point about how others have not been able to emulate the Toyota system is very true. “However, despite Toyota's openness and the genuinely honest efforts by other companies over many years to emulate Toyota, no one had yet mat...ched Toyota in terms of having simultaneously high-quality, low-cost, short lead-time, flexible production over time and broadly based across the system.”

The success of the Toyota system is based very much on the traits of the workers; their inherent attributes that permit them to be able to do what is necessary for the system to be as effective as it is. These are fundamental items which cannot easily, if at all, be trained into people. I’d say this is why other companies have struggled to replicate it and its success. The top down approach of control through managing is not conducive to what it takes for the Toyota system to work. This is why people have sat, puzzled, at how to apply the Toyota system to their organizations, there is a basic contradiction between the two. And this is also why some companies have started up entirely new businesses, some as joint ventures with Japanese companies, to try to instill the fundamental items needed from the start.

The system is somewhat of an elusive thing, to obtain and understand it, and try to apply it. It stems from some fundamental aspects of the people doing the work and it spreads out from there throughout the entire organization. It’s a way of thinking.

If a company tries to replicate the system, people have to learn to let go and give responsibility and even authority away. It’s about empowerment. If this is successfully done, an organization will change in the way it looks. In more layman’s terms people must have a lot of personal maturity, more of it within those who are not directly doing the work. Hence the comments about leadership in the Toyota system.

One can disagree about what it takes to get the Toyota success, but the fact that the results have never been duplicated leaves the challenges to be unsuccessful, which further reinforces the thinking and traits needed. And I would argue that it is for this reason that similar approaches, in the design of work systems but not their execution, have seen some good results but not within an environment similar to that of the Toyota system. The alternative in the standardization of work and the consistent application of the plan-do-check-act cycle can be designed into a business, but its execution will be driven by the business’ systems and not by the worker’s themselves. The difference being the autonomy in one which permits decision making as part of the responsibility given, and the other a rigid adherence to procedures, that are part of an overall system, which control the making of the decision. A fine point and an important one, somewhat analogous to the differences between a pull system versus a push system, figuratively speaking.

It is not surprising that the finer workings of the Toyota system are still not fully understood by many. There is a gap in expectations and outlooks which prevents the system from being internalized.

I’ve written a book, A Business Diary, Part I, which looks at aspects of the workplace and touches on points that are related to the approach seen in the Toyota system. It explores the contradictions that keep an organization from achieving the successes which this system enjoys, and looks clearly at the gaps that exist. Different than most other business-related books, it reads like a novel as it presents four candid stories that take place in the workplace. I play with the idea of writing Part 2 of the series, where I would be able to share more insights about creating the success which is seen in the Toyota system. But it depends on the success of my current books, and is only an idea at this point.