Author J. L. Greger Is A Scientist Turned Novelist!
Other People’s Mothers by J. L. Greger.
A Collection of Stories.
The short stories in OTHER’S PEOPLE’S MOTHERS are snapshots of the wisdom, humor, and errors made by women as they interact with their children as youngsters and adults. Mothers in fiction are often reduced to stereotypes of good, like Carol Brady and Claire Huxtable in television programs, or bad, like Mommy Dearest. Even Tolstoy over simplified families and mother when he said, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” In practice, no family is always happy, and no mother is perfect. Perhaps that’s good. Much of the diversity we treasure in others reflects the quirks of their mothers’ personalities.
Think how boring life would be if we all had perfect mothers. The mothers in these vignettes certainly are not perfect, and that’s why they’re intriguing. They made choices. The narrators of the stories often didn’t understand the basis of the mothers’ decisions because of incomplete information or personal biases. Accordingly, they warped the portraits of the mothers. Think how you and your siblings remember childhood events differently. Perhaps OTHER PEOPLE’S MOTHERS will help you take a fresh look at your mother and gain a more realistic understanding of yourself.
Review by John R. Lindermuth: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. An Academic Mystery. Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2017. When Dana Richardson accepted a new administrative position at State University, she looked forward to the challenge of shaping an evolving program. But it isn’t long before she uncovers rampant corruption, which could jeopardize the university’s grant applications and possibly warrant criminal fraud charges. There are even campus rumors of Mafia or Russian mob involvement.
The president and most of the university hierarchy seem to have turned a blind eye to the situation and are more inclined to protecting their own interest rather than solving the problem. Ignore the issue, and she could be the one facing jail time.
There appear to be few people Dana can trust. As she delves deeper, Dana discovers her predecessor died in a suspicious accident. And now someone is stalking her. An absorbing read with a multitude of suspects, twists, and insights into academic politics.
Review by Thonie Hevron: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. An intricate mystery. Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2017. This academic thriller is steeped university politics. Anyone who has been on a campus will recognize the general setting and bureaucratic atmosphere. What sets this novel apart is the intrigue wrapped in legal intricacies that have been set in motion against heroine Dana Richardson. After accepting an administrative position at a New England state university, she discovers criminal corruption that included Russian mob ties. When she acts to save the school from financial penalties, those involved act to protect their turf. She soon discovers the woman who previously held her position, died in a suspicious accident. And now, a volatile member of her faculty is following her. The tension ramps up at the dramatic conclusion. This university mystery offers an inside look at the complex world of higher education.
About The Author: J. L. Greger, a past professor and research administrator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, likes to include tidbits of science in her novels. She has written six thrillers and medical mysteries in her Science Traveler series, which features Sara Almquist, a globe-trotting scientist, and her dog Bug. They are: Riddled with Clues (2017 finalist for a NM/Arizona Book Award), I Saw You in Beirut, Murder…A Way to Lose Weight (1st prize in the 2016 Public Safety Writers’ [PSWA] completion and 2016 finalist for a NM/Arizona Book Award), Malignancy (1st prize in the 2015 PSWA competition), Ignore the Pain, and Coming Flu. Her collections of short stories, Other People’s Mothers (2017 finalist for a NM/Arizona Book Award) and The Good Old Days? focus on families. She Didn’t Know Her Place is an academic mystery but doesn’t reflect events at any specific university.
Product Details:
Stand-Alone Book
Paperback: 118 Pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st Edition (March 30, 2017)
Language: English
Fiction (Family Life)
Customer Ratings:
https://www.amazon.com/She-Didnt-Know-Her-Place/dp/1979733112/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#customerReviews
*****
About J.L. Greger: J. L. Greger is a scientist turned novelist. Is science a mystery to you? Do you want to learn a bit more about science, but you don’t want to read a dry text?
In my Science Traveler Series, you’ll see Sara Almquist apply her skills as a scientist to solve medical and criminal mysteries in New Mexico and worldwide. Sara is a modern woman—a professional but with practical problems, including a boyfriend.
You’ll also meet the perfect gentleman in my books, Sara’s Japanese Chin dog – Bug. The character Bug is based on my own dog. As you read the books, you may think Sara has better taste in dogs than in men.
Here are blurbs on my thrillers/mysteries:
The U.S. consular office in Manaus Brazil is a BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE. Can Sara Almquist figure out how the staff in this office became so enmeshed in the illegal trade of drugs and cultural artifacts? (Book 11 of the series).
FAIR COMPROMISES: In a race against time, Sara Almquist and her FBI colleagues must determine how attendees at a U.S. Senate candidate’s rally were poisoned with botulinum toxin and investigate related murders before the killer strikes again. (Book 10 in the series).
GAMES FOR COUPLES: A man participating in a study of cultured meat – meat grown in a test tube – dies. Was his death caused by toxic compounds in the product, lethal competition among biotech firms, or spite between battling couples? (Finalist for a NM/Arizona book award. Book 9 in the series).
DIRTY HOLY WATER: Sara learns what if feels like to be a suspect when a friend is murdered. Of course, she didn’t kill the woman, but can she prove it before she’s scheduled to take a romantic trip to India? (Finalist for a NM/Arizona book award. Book 8 in the series).
THE FLU IS COMING: Which is deadlier: a new form of flu which killed half or Sara’s neighbors in a walled community or a drug kingpin determined to break out of the quarantined enclave? (Finalist for a New Mexico/Arizona book award. Book 1 in the series).
MURDER…A WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT: Can Sara and her sister determine how a diet doctor in a medical center was poisoned before the killer strikes again? (Finalist for a 2016 New Mexico/Arizona Book Award and won the 2016 Public Safety Writers Association [PSWA] contest. Book 2 in the series).
IGNORE THE PAIN: Did Sara learn too much about the coca trade and too little about a sexy new colleague while on a public health assignment in Bolivia? (Book 3 in series).
MALIGNANCY: After being shot at twice in one day by gang members disguised as police, Sara accepts a risky assignment in Cuba. Was that a wise decision? (Won the 2015 PSWA contest. Book 4 in the series).
I SAW YOU IN BEIRUT: Will Sara’s past provides clues to aid the extraction of a nuclear scientist from Iran? (Book 5 in the series).
RIDDLED WITH CLUES: Will tales about the Vietnam War from an undercover drug agent and messages from a homeless veteran save a woman? (Finalist for a New Mexico/Arizona Book Award. Book 6 in the series).
A POUND OF FLESH, SORTA A pound of sheep guts contaminated with plague bacteria which causes plague is delivered to Sara’s home. Is it a threat by gang leaders to prevent Sara testifying at their racketeering trials or as a plea for help from an employee in a meat packing plant. (Finalist for a NM/Arizona book award. Book 7 in the series).
If you’re not in the mood for a thriller or a mystery, why not read about families in THE GOOD OLD DAYS? or OTHER PEOPLE’S MOTHERS. (The second collection was a finalist for a NM/Arizona book award.) These stories aren’t memoirs but are based on real memories.
Amazon Author’s Page:
https://www.amazon.com/J-L-Greger/e/B008IFZSC4/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Professional Website:
http://jlgreger.com
Professional Blog:
http://jlgregerblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/whats-on-your-bucket-list.html
Author’s Page At Book Marketing Global Network:
https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/book-marketing-global-network/j-l-greger
