Did I Predict the Placement and Location of the New San Diego Chargers Stadium?

As many of you know, I am currently shopping my manuscript titled The Calling to Lead and a while back, I wrote about the manuscript's connection to the city of San Diego.

The Journey, Part VIII: Making the Sausage

Being involved with politics since my time as a student at Drew University, whether in classes or as College Republicans President, I have been fortunate to have an up close and personal view of politics. Some years have been closer, some have been more on the edge of the loop, but I've always kept my head in it in some way or another.

To this day, in information I read, stories I hear from friends (and sources for The Calling to Lead), I am astonished by what goes on in both Trenton and Washington. (If constituents knew the truth, they'd be shocked...and maybe a little sickened!) While being astonished, I am also highly intrigued and it is this political drama that has made it into the storyline of The Calling to Lead. Not going to give too much away of it, but we'll see some "Inside Baseball" in both the political and campaign processes. I also need to profusely thank my sources as you folks helped fill in the blanks during those times I have been on the outer edge of the loop and were key in helping me to finish writing The Calling to Lead.

The Journey, Part VI: The October Surprise

We all have seen this in recent political history: The October Surprise, an event that due to its groundbreaking or surprising nature, has the ability to throw an election one way or the other. Some may be legit, some are just downright nasty. When you read The Calling to Lead, you will note there are three October Surprises that play into the storyline. In my writing and researching, I studied some of the October Surprises in recent history, as well as other crazy incidents in politics to hit the airwaves. I'll leave you all guessing as to what they are and their effect on the storyline, but in the meantime, here are some of the more notable October surprises.

Peace at Hand, 1972: News broke that then National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger brokered a deal to end American Involvement in the Vietnam War. At a press conference that took place in October of 1972, he stated, "peace is at hand." Talks broke down and military actions resumed, including the Christmas Day bombings, but by January of 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed. Peace at hand definitely helped Nixon in his re-election efforts against McGovern as it took a major issue away from him. Combined with this and McGovern's horrible campaign, Nixon was re-elected in a landslide.

Iran Hostage Crisis, 1980: The Iran Hostage Crisis hampered the Carter Administration and was the focus of news coverage for the 444 days it lasted (Nightline originally started as a special news broadcast to cover the hostage crisis). Negotiations failed as did military rescues, most notably Operation Eagle Claw. Both sides thought the opposition would use this hostage crisis as an October Surprise; Carter's camp having a successful military rescue or brokering a last minute deal, or Reagan's camp convincing the Iranians to delay the release past the election. Looking back, I believe that Iran delayed the release to make Carter look like a fool and weaken his stance as President, at the same time embarrassing the United States. The only reason they were released on January 20, 1981 was due to the fact that a new president (Reagan) was more direct than Carter and that they feared what his reaction would be. Therefore, neither camp had any direct influence to release the hostages.

Caspar Weinberger and the Iran-Contra Hearings, 1992: Despite his successes in guiding and leading during Operation Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush's poll numbers took a big hit due to economic challenges at home and Ross Perot was also running as a 3rd Party Candidate. Leading up to the election, Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh was investigating those involved in the Iran-Contra Scandal. Walsh announced the indictment of Weinberger the month before the election. In his lame duck period after losing the election, President George H.W Bush pardoned Weinberger. I would argue this October Surprise further damaged Bush 41 in his re-election effort.

George W. Bush DWI, 2000: The week before the election, news broke that in 1976, George W. Bush was arrested for a DWI in Kennebunkport, Maine. It was released to the media by a Democrat Party member in Maine who had prior knowledge about it. This last minute release was meant to embarrass Bush and a last ditch effort at throwing the election to Gore, but while it may have had an effect with some Evangelical Christian voters or Mormon voters, it had no effect on the Florida Recount...we can thank the media for that one, calling Florida for Gore at 7:45, when voters in Pensacola and the panhandle (in the Central Time Zone) still had 15 more minutes to vote.

Forged CBS Documents, 2004: Technically in September, but meant to have stayed in the media until October, CBS Producer Mary Mapes had acquired documents from Bill Burkett, allegedly written by Bush's Commander, Jerry Killian (deceased), claimed in these documents that Bush did not fulfill his commitment to the Air National Guard. This story was aired by Dan Rather on 60 Minutes as an exclusive. As the story circulated, the blog Little Green Footballs examined the documents and came to the conclusion they were forgeries, as a result of an examination of the font style (the documents were in Times New Roman, the default font in Microsoft Word, a font not used in a typewriters during the time the documents were allegedly written.) After media follow-ups and an examination of the font, the documents were proven as forgeries. George W. Bush ended up increasing his plurality and as a result of Dan Rather's constant defense and unwillingness to accept responsibility, he was pushed out at CBS.

Mark Foley, 2006: In October of 2006, it came to light that Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL) had sent emails and IMs of a sexual nature to teenage boys who served as Congressional Pages. When the first emails came out, Foley immediately resigned and apologized, but it was later found out that Foley had a pattern of this activity. Foley's Scandal, combined with Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal and Randall "Duke" Cunningham's conviction made it easier for the Democrats to pin the moniker "Culture of Corruption" on the Republicans. In that Midterm, the Democrats won both houses of Congress and their inability to defend themselves in light of the scandal(s), combined with the Republican abandonment of Conservatism, contributed to Republican losses.

We are approaching the final month of the 2010 Midterm Election cycle and I will guarantee that a few October surprises will be attempted. Not sure exactly what, but for sure, I'm thinking creatively. Buckle up as these next 40+ days will be a bumpy ride!

UPDATE: Here comes the mud!

The Journey, Part V...Rise of the 9-11 Generation

I am a proud member of "Generation X." Like myself, Michael Buonocore in The Calling to Lead is a proud member of "Generation X."

For years, many in my generation have been criticized by those older than us, specifically the Baby Boomers, in that we have not done anything significant. The Baby Boomers then run through the list of the things their generation has done. (some of which I don't think I could proudly say were good) To my Baby Boomer friends and others who have doubted us over the years, I believe our time has come.

Most historians put Generation X between the years of 1964 thorough 1979 births. Gen-Xers have learned about the greatness and history of this country from their parents, grandparents and teachers, have been inspired by leaders such as Reagan and events like the end of the Cold War; which have allowed those lessons to become reality. Applying what they have learned in those important life lessons, Gen-Xers played roles in the longest peacetime economic boom in United States history. Add another event to that list that will forever impact Gen-Xers: the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Fresh to the professional world, and some having just, or almost finished their four years of college were brutally and brazenly awoken to the evil in the world as terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. No longer was the United States exempt because of the two oceans that separate her from the rest of the world. On that day and since, members of Generation X have stood up to protect and defend the United States of America, whether spontaneously stopping terrorists from further attacking America in the way that Todd Beamer (born 1968) did, to the brave American soldiers, many of whom decided to carry out plans to fight for our interests abroad so citizens at home will not have to live through another September 11th. Members of Generation X have re-evaluated their positions in life as a result of this event, causing them to ask themselves, "How will I best contribute to America's Exceptionalism?" It may not be tomorrow, it may not be in two months or two years, but that fateful day will drive Generation X and they will then become known as the "9-11 Generation."

As stated above, Gen-Xers have learned about the United States and know what makes this country the best nation God has given man. Gen-Xers also know the importance of the individual to the American success story. As a result, they see what their Baby Boomer president (born 1961) is doing legislatively, in that he and the Congress are pushing though legislation that stifles individualism thorough Federal Government control. With large majorities in Congress, the president was able to pass health care legislation that increases the size, scope and influence of the Federal Government, the ARRA (Stimulus) that increases the size, scope and influence of the Federal Government, as well as the financial reform bill that increases the size, scope and influence of the Federal Government.

It will be a member of the eventually minted "9-11 Generation" that will stand up to this baby boomer president, get the American people on their side and right the ship, giving Americans the opportunity to succeed and use the Federal Government not to stand over, but to stand behind.

We may have that leader now, we may not; but in The Calling to Lead, I describe how that GenX/9-11 Generation leader can rise. Michael Buonocore is that leader and he was deeply affected by September 11, changed his life goal so that it best contributed to the continuation of American Exceptionalism, and rose in prominence because of his leadership skills and ability to articulate how America will continue to be the best nation God has given man. I hope that when The Calling to Lead is eventually published, readers and members of my generation can look at it as a handbook on how tomorrow's leaders in the "9-11 Generation" can be born, grow in influence and become celebrated, distinguished leaders who will positively impact the United States of America for years to come.

The Journey, Part IV

As written in a previous post, I am very proud of my Alma Mater, Drew University. Additionally, my time at Monmouth University and Kean University, where I completed graduate study, have also been influential, not only in my professional life, but in writing The Calling to Lead. Look for these three individuals, who were my educational mentors, in the many characters of The Calling to Lead:

Dr. Julius J. Mastro: Dr. Mastro has long been a fixture of Drew University; a student, alumnus, professor, chairperson and trustee. He had many students over the years and as Chair of the Political Science Department, was responsible for forming and staffing the department. Dr. Mastro's love of Drew was so noticeable and contagious, so much so that he came out of retirement twice to teach Drew's students. He also had a great influence on his students, including myself! Before I took his intro to American Government class (PSCI 6), I was planning on majoring in History. After I took his class, it was the force that brought me to change my mind and become a Political Science major. Dr. Mastro made sure his students were active participants in the learning process through discussion, debate and the application of real world activities. The two things he taught me, as well as the rest of his students stayed with me to this day.

• "Know all sides of the argument"
• "If you want it or believe in it, stand up for it"

For an intro class, PSCI 6 was quite challenging and he gave the hardest exams around, but in the end, his students learned the material. He also had a strong sense of humor that one could mistake him for a comedian instead of a professor. Many a Drewid was teased by him and made to falsely believe that they would have a chance to drive his Jaguar convertible if they got on his good side. Interestingly enough, Dr. Mastro also owned a shoe store in Bernardsville that is still in existence today. Dr. Mastro passed away in 1999, but will be long remembered by his students and the Drew community.

The Honorable Thomas H. Kean: As the president of a university, one would expect the person in this position to be hidden behind a desk in the ivory towers, unseen by students and inaccessible to the public. This was not the case with Former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean. He was readily visible among the campus, meeting with students, sitting down to eat lunch with the students in the Commons, attending campus events and even teaching a class. In this class, Governing a State, Governor Kean taught with the use of storytelling. Each event or moment brought up was relevant to leadership and government; the two themes of his class. Additionally, he brought in speakers to his class that ranged from pundits to State Supreme Court Justices to Legislators in order to show the students the faces behind the stories and allow them to directly tell the students their experiences. We were also welcomed to network with these individuals. The Governor invited his students to various social events around campus and in North Jersey, and also took us on a very memorable field trip to the Statehouse in Trenton.

As a professor, Governor Kean was in close contact with all his students, allowed them the opportunity to exhibit their strengths and was incredibly loyal even after leaving his class. This class and my experiences within, as well as the encouragement and opportunities presented to me by the governor are some of the most memorable academic and professional moments for me at Drew.

Dr. Nicolas Celso, Esq.: Of all the graduate classes in Education I've taken at Monmouth and Kean, and many of them have been quite fulfilling and useful, School Law, a class I took for the Masters in Educational Leadership program at Kean University, was the most useful and fulfilling Graduate Class I have ever taken! The professor, Dr. Nicholas Celso, a former school administrator and attorney/partner in his own firm, knows the material and presents it clearly and articulately to his students. He has been teaching at Kean for many years and I find it amazing that a family member of a friend of mine had him as a professor in his first year at Kean. Back then, Dr. Celso admitted being a novice instructor, but sure did not show it! And he definitely did not show it last year when I took the class! The class was taught very much like a law school class where we had to read cases, examine legal precedents and analyze the reasons why the courts ruled as they did, after learning New Jersey Educational Law (Section 6A and 18A). He was a big fan of the Socratic Method and gave a final exam in the end that was a significant portion of the grade. This class has definitely helped me in my teaching career and will help me if I become an administrator. After taking this class, I learned that (a) many teachers are unaware of the laws and; (b) many administrators are unaware of the laws.

As an educator, I highly recommend my fellow teachers thoroughly read through 6A and 18A and know it by heart! It is unfortunate that some administrators in the system operate with the belief the teachers do not know the law and take advantage of their lack of knowledge Dr. Celso taught me that the career you save in knowing the law may very well be your own.

As I said in earlier Journey posts, my life experiences have helped to form the plot of The Calling to Lead. People who have been influential in my life one way or another have inspired characters in the book. As these three gentlemen have greatly influenced my professional life and their teachings still live on to this day, having them inspire characters in The Calling to Lead is the best thank you and honor I could give to them for mentoring me.

Fox News...the ONLY name in cable news

Almost 14 years old, the Fox News Channel has taken the world by storm!

For as long as we can remember, the news was dominated by ABC, CBS and NBC. As CNN entered the scene, television news still operated with a liberal bias; blatant to those who closely followed their coverage. In the midst of the media slobbering over President Bill Clinton on "All Bill Clinton," the "Clinton News Network," "Nothing But Clinton," and the "Clinton Broadcast System," Americans wanted an alternative and that void was filled by the Fox News Channel.

Roger Ailes is the mastermind behind Fox News and with his intuition, his keen eye for on air talent and his belief that Americans do not want bias in their news coverage, Fox News rose to the top and is currently the highest rated cable news station. Americans truly believe Fox News is 'fair and balanced' and as a result, the network has garnered much success over the years it has been on the air.

In doing my research for The Calling to Lead, I decided that Fox News will play a major role in the storyline and in Michael Buonocore's life. Having intensively researched Fox News at a time I considered working for them, as well as thanks to the folks I know who work there that provided me with information, I have a working knowledge of why Fox News is so successful and including them was the appropriate ode to their importance in American society, politics and the way the media does business. I have taken from Fox News the idea of "Fair and Balanced" in my teaching, as I have explained in a previous blog post.

Liberals and opponents of Fox News hate it. They hate that conservatives have a voice, they smear anyone working for them as dumb, rigid or radical. Additionally, they scream that Fox News has a blatant Conservative bias and constantly cite Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Neil Cavuto. What the liberals don't tell their drone supporters is that Fox News television programming is broken into two areas:

Hard News: This is defined as news programming where there is an anchor(s) in the studio who may moderate debates between guests, read the news or introduce field correspondents who are covering the stories they are introducing. On Fox News, these anchors, consisting of Bret Baier, Shepard Smith, Juliet Huddy, Martha MacCallum, etc, are even handed and do not give their opinions. They let the viewer decide for themselves. Fox News is the only network whose hard news programming does not disclose their bias.

News Analysis: This is defined as programming whose hosts DO give their opinion and are required to do so in many cases. Hosts like Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, etc, are intellectually honest about their beliefs and do not hide behind the cover of journalism to give their viewpoints. The critics of Fox News specifically cite this type of programming as the reason why Fox News has a conservative bias, but when you look at the analysts who host shows on Fox, Greta Van Susteren, Geraldo Rivera, as well as some of the pundits like Juan Williams who have guest hosted, they are not conservative...more than can be said for MSNBC who only has Joe Scarborough (and he has a liberal to keep an eye on him in Mika Brzezinski.)

One final note, their pundits or contributors are much more evenly divided than on the other networks. You have Ann Coulter, but you also have Bob Beckel. You have Michelle Malkin, but you also have Penny Lee. Rarely does one see a conservative on the other networks and when they are on, they are usually being talked over or demeaned.

In the past year alone, Fox News has broken stories such as ACORN's fraud, Van Jones, Anita Dunn, Bill Ayers and the recent corruption in the justice department that other outlets have ignored.

So the next time critics scream about Fox News, it would be wise for us to examine the veracity of their attacks and once we find out they are false, thank Roger Ailes and Fox News for introducing a truly fair and balanced news outlet that will continue to have influence over the way journalism is presented to Americans and viewers around the world.

Back in the news...where will this go?

Those of us who were watching the Election of 2008 closely remember this ugly incident in Philadelphia, when members of the Black Panther Party stood in front of a polling place, holding billy clubs and acting in an intimidating fashion. I speak of this case not only because of the news that broke today, which I will explain, but because this event, as it was so shocking to see in America, in 2008, inspired an event in The Calling to Lead. What could happen if (a) that confrontation went further? (b) that confrontation is not legally addressed? (That's all I'm going to say...you probably understand why!)

This afternoon on Fox News, Megyn Kelly, on her show, America Live, interviewed Christian Adams who is whistle-blowing on the Philadelphia 2008 Voter Intimidation case that was dismissed by Attorney General Eric Holder. Adams was the lead attorney on this case. Here is Part I of the interview:



This is a very big development and it is very early to draw any conclusions. I will be looking forward to Part II of the interview, as well as if this will be picked up and further covered by others.


UPDATE: Here is Part II of the interview:



Megyn Kelly did some good work on this one and followed up on him. I wonder where this will go and I think it will take a Republican Congress in 2011 to hold hearings on this and further explore.

The Journey: Part III

Time for a little more reflection on the writing and planning of The Calling to Lead. I'm going to continue with setting and talk a little bit about one of my secondary settings in the novel, San Diego, California, while also getting into a little character development.

Many of you may be asking, "Why San Diego, Chris?" For those of you who know me, you know that I visited San Diego the first time last summer on vacation, when returning to California.. At a time when a vacation was imperative, combined with escaping a not so sunny New Jersey summer, combined with traveling with a good friend, combined with a ride to Anaheim for a visit to Disneyland, it was an incredible trip and I had a blast in San Diego.

There is so much that I love about this city and the San Diego region. It's a good mix of cosmopolitan and "laid back," the weather is always beautiful (it was in the 70s and sunny the entire time we were there), there's a large range of restaurants, bars and activities in the Gaslamp District, the views/vistas are quite breathtaking, the beaches are wide and clean, there is history abound, whether it is pop culture (the Hotel Del Coronado), military (the Naval bases, the USS Midway) or cultural (Old Town), and the people are very nice.

Thinking back on that vacation while writing The Calling to Lead, I wanted to include this city and region so I tied it into the storyline. Last blog entry, I articulated how California can "go red." The character Kristin Conlan is introduced as the engine to make that happens. A San Diego native and a businesswoman turned politician, Kristin Conlan is a combination of Sarah Palin and Meg Whitman. She shares Sarah Palin's ability to connect with people, her athletic background and her political ideology while she share's Meg Whitman's education (Conlan is a graduate of USC and holds an MBA from Stanford) and business acumen. And like both women, Kristin Conlan has a strong attachment to her community and has done much good for it. After working in business and having much success, Kristin Conlan purchased the San Diego Chargers, updating the team, updating their facilities (in turn, further cleaning up the East Village) and bringing home Super Bowl titles. Therefore, she brought a resolution to two problems that are plaguing the San Diego region: ending the San Diego Sports Curse and new Chargers Stadium in the East Village area. Between her work with the Chargers, her charitable work, along with starting an NBA expansion team in San Diego, while replacing the dilapidated San Diego Sports Arena (also in the East Village), she was well known in San Diego and throughout Southern California, so much so that she ran for governor, won twice, was successful at bringing conservative reforms to the Golden State and was popular throughout the state. As The Calling to Lead progresses, she will continue to play a significant role. (You didn't think I was going to tell you everything, now did you!)

San Diego also makes an appearance when Michael, who becomes a pundit, does a show on location, on the flight deck of the USS Midway.

This is a recommended visit when in San Diego as one can learn about her history in battle (saw action in Vietnam and Desert Storm), how those in the Navy lived while at sea, as well as see many military aircraft along the flight deck of the Midway.

 

 

I look forward to taking another trip out to San Diego and I'm glad I included aspects of this region in The Calling to Lead.

The Journey, Part II

Continuing on with some of my reflections of the research and writing of The Calling to Lead, I’m going to talk a little about why I chose the setting I did.

Many people say they write about what they know (example: Clancy is from Maryland, Jack Ryan is from Maryland; Joel Rosenberg spent a lot of time in Israel, many of his novels are partially set in Israel), so I figured I would do the same. Having traveled all over this great country and the world (20 states, 13 countries) has allowed me to see many places, learn about various cultures and locales, as well as have experiences that I would not have had if I stayed home. Additionally, the traveling I have done gives me even more appreciation for my home, New Jersey. Those who do not live here know our state from what they see on such shows as The Sopranos, Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Jerseylicious, as well as the many late night talk show host jokes and believe that all of New Jersey and all New Jerseyans are like what they see and hear. I'll spare you from my opinion of most of those shows. (if you know me and how I think, then you already know my opinion) If they believe that, they are sorely mistaken and are missing out from a great experience.

Something that I have found unique about New Jersey is its size. Being the 46th largest state, traveling around is fairly easy and for someone like me whose family and friends are in different parts of the state from where I grew up, I get know the regions of New Jersey very well.
I grew up near the Jersey Shore, most of my family is in North Jersey, and I went to college at Drew University, which is in Morris County. I stayed near the Jersey Shore after college, did my first Masters near the Two Rivers are of the Jersey Shore, have worked in the Two Rivers area the Jersey Shore, as well as in North and Central Jersey, and have friends all over the state from Mahwah to Cherry Hill.

In paying homage to my home state, I made New Jersey, specifically the Jersey Shore, the primary setting in The Calling to Lead. Michael Buonocore is raised and eventually settles in the Two Rivers area of the Jersey Shore. For those not familiar with this location, it is the Eastern and Central portion of Monmouth County where the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers converge before emptying into Sandy Hook Bay. The municipalities in this area consist of the following: Middletown, Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, Oceanport, West Long Branch, Little Silver, Shrewsbury, Rumson, Fair Haven and Red Bank. Not only is this a beautiful area in which to live because of friendly, safe neighborhoods, excellent schools and good access to transportation, there is much to do, and it isn’t even limited to the summer beach months! Between beautiful nature trails and parks, cultural activities, historical sites, good shopping, excellent restaurants (especially in Red Bank and Long Branch), and friendly bars, one can stay very active and an activity is never too hard to find. I’ll likely blog about some of these places in the future so you, the reader, can learn more about them and my connections to them. The picture below is a view of the Navesink River along an opened Oceanic Bridge between Middletown and Rumson.



Secondary settings in New Jersey consist of Drew University, from where Michael graduated after four years of college. In The Calling to Lead, Michael stays in close contact with Drew University through their alumni network. He believes, as I do, that it is necessary to give back to those who have given to you. Also, part of The Calling to Lead is set in Hoboken (pictured below), where many Drew graduates and young professional move to when starting their careers. Hoboken benefits from its location just across the Hudson River from New York City and has an amazing story of rebirth stretching back to the late 1980s. Today in Hoboken, one can find many excellent restaurants, bars, cultural activities and beautiful public spaces. Michael eventually decides that the lure of the Jersey Shore is too great for him to resist.



I will try to do an entry on “The Journey” every seven blog entries as there is much to reflect on, speaking about this wonderful experience of writing a novel.

The Journey, Part I

"It is such a pleasure to watch you think!"

I know that quote may seem somewhat self-centered and self-serving, but let me explain its origin. It was said to me two years ago by a paraprofessional, who shared my classroom as a result of a student with whom she worked, after observing a lesson and watching the light bulb in her student's head turn on. In the years I've worked in education, it was one of the nicest compliments I have received and will never forget it!

Being inspired by that quote, from time to time, I will give some insight how I went about the planning and writing of my 8 month writing project that has come to be known as The Calling to Lead. Each "Journey" post will deal with a different aspect that went into planning/writing.

One common question that has been asked of me follows:

"How did you come up with all the characters?"

Planning for the main character, Michael Buonocore (his surname means "Good Heart" in Italian), I thought of qualities I have, I strive to perfect, as well as qualities I believe educators, pundits/journalists and politicians should have: hard-working, a person of strong character, loyalty, honesty, optimism, a positive/hands-on leader, intelligence, open-mindedness, the possession of strong interpersonal, as well as strong intra-personal skills. Michael is a strong speaker, passionate about his beliefs, is willing to roll up his sleeves to make sure a problem is solved and has successfully utilized, applied and implemented the leadership skills those from parents to superiors have taught him, in his own leadership positions.

Supporting characters were built around Michael and have worked with him or known him in his various roles or at different times in his life. As one will see when they read the book, the shared loyalty between the supporting characters and Michael has allowed many of the characters to stay in Michael's life in different roles.

These supporting characters have been inspired by and based on some good friends, as well as family. My family is one of the most supportive around and I am very grateful for them, hence, it's only right that they have inspired characters within The Calling to Lead. When writing about Michael's professional journey through college, education, media/journalism and politics, I also thought about people who I met along the way on my own personal journey. Colleagues who have become friends, friends with whom I have stayed friends through the years, students with whom I have stayed in contact long after they left my classroom, mentors and superiors who have reinforced what my parents have taught me. These people, in some form or another, have inspired me, supported me or touched my life in some fashion and the most appropriate remembrance of their respective roles was to include them within The Calling to Lead. It makes me quite happy the reactions of those who I told have inspired characters! In addition, you, the reader, will see some familiar faces from politics and will even see some supporting characters based on those familiar faces as I have blended fiction with current events and history.

I look forward to the next insight post and will also let you all know the progress of getting The Calling to Lead published. As always, if you know of anyone that is a literary agent or in publishing, do not hesitate to let me know! In the meantime, thanks again for reading, "The 'Right' Solutions!"