PRO CONNECT
Jennifer Fales is an award-winning Southern California based author. Her books and writing style have won acclaim from the Readers Favorite International Book Awards, IndieFab/Foreword Reviews Book of The Year, and Feathered Quill.
An east coast native transported to the west coast over a decade ago, she has an undying love for literature and humanity, and a diverse background that adds to her unique genre-bending perspective and humor. She has worn multiple professional hats over the years, including those in the clothing and automotive industry, financials, and securities. Her latest novel, The Robusta Incident, is a dark comedy that parodies corporate culture and serves up office zombies and archetypes of good and evil with a steaming cup of virtual coffee and a giggle. She would love to see one or more of her books adapted for film someday.
“A novel packed with humor and absurd plot twists that satirizes corporate scientists and soulless management…this book will appeal to anyone who's ever endured petty bureaucracy.”
– Kirkus Reviews
A novel packed with humor and absurd plot twists that satirizes corporate scientists and soulless management.
Howard Danishefsky is a hapless soul. He abhors his job at the Robusta Corporation, an international coffee conglomerate; he drinks too much; and his estranged father has never bothered to look him up. Worse, he isn’t even a very good person: he cheated on his now-ex-wife with a woman who has since become his boss, and he spends much of his day silently swearing vengeance on his co-workers—a revenge he exacts by performing covert, scientific tests on them. Throughout the novel, Howard carries on an ongoing conversation with his dead mother, Mimi, a doting Russian woman whom Howard’s mysterious father abandoned. Mimi attempts to steer Howard away from booze and destructive thoughts, but he generally brushes off her advice, or executes it poorly. When Howard’s experiments finally backfire, the Robusta headquarters transforms from purgatory to inferno, and he fights for his life against an army of zombified office drones. Fales’ (Shadows and Fire, 2013, etc.) novel overflows with one-liners and bitter wit, and nearly every line doubles as a nihilistic joke: “The walk to the bus stop was more of a one-man march minus the brass band....His worn shoes pounded the pavement, emphasizing every blister on his feet in a Technicolor rainbow of discomfort.” The characters are also cartoonishly goofy; for example, his ex-mistress has a seemingly bottomless wardrobe of skintight outfits, and his father is part of a secret society called The Consortium of Evil. However, the humor hides pain, as most of the book is dedicated to Howard’s self-loathing. As the action accelerates toward the finale, he shows so much reluctance in the face of danger that the prose can get monotonous, amusing as it is. Even Howard’s dead mother seems to think he’s a stick in the mud, and it’s not until the final pages that he shows any hints of redemption.
Even though it dwells too often on its protagonist’s misery, this book will appeal to anyone who’s ever endured petty bureaucracy.
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-0990779100
Page count: 308pp
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2015
Favorite line from a book
"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move." - Douglas Adams
Favorite word
Nefarious
Hometown
Jacksonville, FL
Unexpected skill or talent
Quasi Yodeling
Shadows and Fire: Foreword BOTYA/INDIEFAB Award, 2012
The Seraph Contingency: Feathered Quill Award, 2014
The Seraph Contingency: Readers' Favorite Int'l Book Award, 2013
Sleight of Hand: Shadow Games: IndieReader Approved, 2014
THE ROBUSTA INCIDENT: IndieReader Approved, 2015
THE ROBUSTA INCIDENT: LA Book Festival Honorable Mention, 2015
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