Interview with John Wendell Adams

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

If you’ve ever experienced betrayal in the workplace, in a love relationship, or in a family, this book is for you.

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

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

Fired from his job, forced to confront both his present and his past, Jack goes

through an emotional tailspin before he is able to reconcile what has happened to

him. Eventually, he’s hired as a vice president with a much larger firm. When his

new company decides to acquire his old one, Jack comes face to face with the two

people responsible for his earlier demise. Meanwhile, he uncovers some illegal

activities that could put the acquisition at risk.

Is this the time for revenge, to right the wrongs that have been done to him? What

should he do? Is it possible to act effectively and also with integrity when

confronted with those who compromised his marriage, his career, and his sense of

self-worth?  It is the first of a new series.

Do you have a favorite character?

Yes…Jack Alexander.  He is the protagonist of the story.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

Yes…we actually had a publisher but a couple of unacceptable things happened and I decided to go in a different direction and go in the self-publishing route.

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?

We are making plans and moving forward to self-publish our next book which is scheduled to come out late in 2015 or early 2016.

If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?

Yes, we did use a graphic designer.  We worked hand-in-hand throughout the process.  In the end I was happy with the finished product.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?

I was not part of an official critique group.  We decided to ask a collection of people that we trusted.  They gave us valuable input all along the way.  Much of what we received helped us to complete the project.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

A key ingredient for me is the writing process.  Some authors write every day.  Others only write when they get “inspired”.  So, each person is different.  My days are all different.  My day is a combination of writing, reading, planning, investigating, and holding business meetings. I believe that I am the king of multi-tasking. Some days I will allocate several hours to writing, especially when I encounters a story angle that I hadn’t previously considered. Other days I may only devote a short time to the writing process. But my motto is “Make sure you write something every day, however long or short.” I have a habit of completing a draft, giving it to a community of people to read, and not looking at my work for an extended period of time. 

In the end, writing is like your DNA.  Each of us has one that is unique.  Some elements will be the same as others.  Some will be quite different.  It is important to recognize your own and allow it to guide you and your writing direction. Keep Writing!!!

What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?

I learned that the self-publishing route is very difficult.  It’s not the writing process, it’s the advertising, promotion, and marketing.  I have a business background.  So, for me, it wasn’t as tough as others that I’ve talked to. 

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Right now, Amazon and my website (www.johnwendelladams.com) are the primary sites for the book.  We are working on others for the future.

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?

We are currently using email blasts, Facebook, and twitter.

What’s next for you?

I am more than 50% finished with the next novel.  In addition, I’ve announced a series of “betrayal” seminars that we will hold.  These are designed to help people who have been betrayed, bushwhacked, and ambushed recover and move on with their lives.

BOOK BLURB:

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

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

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

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

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

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

John Wendell Adams is the author of “Betrayal”, an exciting novel that exposes some the moral failings in the business world. Set in Chicago, Betrayal is a suspenseful and intriguing page-turner for anyone who has ever been betrayed or bushwhacked in the workplace, a love relationship, or in a family. Earlier published works by John include the series, A Man's Story, a collection of motivational short stories for men.

 With more than 25 years of experience in management, marketing, and sales, having degrees in business and management development, Mr. Adams has held a number of senior leadership positions and assignments, including Aragon Consulting Group and IBM, which stretched across domestic and international markets. These experiences served as a catalyst for his newly published work of fiction.

John has conducted several seminars and speaking engagements around the country. In addition, he is involved in various charitable organizations. He and his wife, Grace, have five children and currently live in Skokie, Illinois. 

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