Sizzle

SIZZLE C.J.Beck Homemaker Mary Cavanaugh is trapped in a wonderful life; a house by the sea, an adoring husband and two lovely young children. Her husband's sudden death and her family's eviction force a devastating reversal of fortune. Sizzle is about her heroic transformation as she makes her way alone and the unforgettable characters she encounters on the way. Romance beckons but she is unsure she can love again. Richly cast and directed with an insider's eye, this sweeping Beck drama is a mystery wrapped inside a dark secret, set against a backdrop of the menacing waters of the Pacific, herb scented hills of Provence, and politics of Madison Avenue, Hollywood and Washington D.C. Literate, with pitch-perfect dialog, Sizzle is a compelling full-length novel which keeps you guessing until its stunning conclusion. In 1969, a baby boy is sold by a desperate mother to a wealthy couple on a dreary Manhattan quayside. 24 years later, in Marina del Rey, California, the mercurial Milton Stonier, commissions Mary Cavanaugh's husband Sean to build a new super-yacht, the Caveat Emptor. Mary and Sean quarrel, and before they can reconcile, Sean is lost overboard during the sea-trial. While working grueling hours in a job she hates, she discovers her hidden writing talent. Many stand in her way and have their own plans for Mary. They are more worldly and cunning than anyone she encountered during her sheltered married life. Among them is advertising exec Joan Scanlon, her boss, who'll do anything to win a client and cheats her of glory and promotion, and grifter Milton Stonier, whose violent past feeds his increasing paranoia and volatility. Mary learns to build alliances with powerful people to make her way against the odds. However none of the men drawn to her appear to complete all her needs; or perhaps she's too stressed to notice. When murder threatens she is alone and her children nowhere to be found.

For many years C.J.Beck wrote a humorous column in the Bay City News, Santa Monica and has collaborated with Hollywood celebrities and A-list directors in developing TV and film projects. The author has held senior positions at Chiat/Day, BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather and J. Walter Thompson.

C.J.Beck is a business turnaround veteran and advertising pioneer who has helped top U.S. advertising agencies win new business in excess of $1 billion with clients like Microsoft, Apple, Molson, Nissan, Delta Airlines and Unilever. A pioneer of account planning through publication and practice, C.J.Beck is a consultant as team leader and strategist in New Business and Account Planning.

NEWS FLASH -SIZZLE ADOPTED FOR BROWARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

TEST MARKET UPDATE. Based on the regional test market the national grossed-up equivalent for the Border´s chain alone is in excess of 60,000 copies with zero promotion and no Oprah. Assuming Borders have a 20% market share that´s a potential sale of 300,000 copies with no promotion. Most important from Beck´s point-of-view are readers´ comments. The Press, Amazon, B&N and Borders.com customers have been very flattering but it is the ecstatic response of readers at personal appearances that have encouraged Beck to continue writing. Readers really love this book.

Summer reading hasn´t had it this good in quite some time says Tribune Group writer Antoinette Walters in the Hi-Riser

Beck's next book is the 466 page adventure novel SPIKED due out February 2002 from Xlibris.