Fatal Attraction by Jennie Spallone
My most recent mystery FATAL REACTION shines a light on my former
career as a special education teacher and tutor of students with emotional and
learning disabilities. Spoil Alert: No one I taught wound up killing their
father! They might have hurt and maimed -- just kidding!
In this book, I examine how a catastrophic family event causes a
nurtured child to morph into a school bully. Yes, I worked with school bullies
in real life. Their trust in adults has been destroyed. Their hearts are
crusted with despair. And so they lash out for attention. Whether positive or
negative, attention reflects that they are "visible" in the eyes of
others.
These kids "act out" because they lack a responsive,
responsible adult to guide them through their daily lives. Responsive because
we all need love and gentle direction to steer us down the path. Responsible
because limits must be set to inform the child what behavior will be tolerated
and what behavior is off-limits. As a teacher, I found it difficult to offer
consistent consequences for negative behavior. Dealing with manipulative
teenagers is exhausting, especially in a classroom setting! It didn't help that
my own parents divorced when I was a young child, and I was raised without
boundaries. Yet I knew I was loved and cherished, which kept me on the straight
and narrow.
Maybe our task is to reach out to these kids as a weekly mentor
through OMNI YOUTH SERVICES or other Big Brother, Big Sister Programs in our
local area. Give them one-on-one attention, whether it be to take them out for
lunch, shoot some hoops, watch their favorite sports team on television, or
engage in an activity that peaks their interest. No, not drugs!
Book Blurb:
Lake Forest bank executive Joseph Barge is dead and
everybody he’s tormented is celebrating, all except Ellie, his 13 year-old
daughter. Left to the cold glare of her father who drowned his sorrows in rage
and alcohol, Ellie resorted to bullying to get his attention. Years ago, she
lost her mother. Now her father,too!
In shock at her father’s death, Ellie plunges into a deep
depression, unable to communicate with the outside world. Distressed by her
student’s suffering, special education teacher Mitzi Maven teams up with CPD
Detective Maggie O’Connor and hottie North Shore Detective Eric Whelan to solve
the case.
It doesn’t take long for Mitzy, a former investigative reporter for
the Chicago Tribune, to discover a slew of suspects who wanted Barge gone. A
disgruntled co-worker. The sexually-harassed nanny. The sister-in-law who
fought for custody. Half the White Oaks Middle School teaching staff.
BIO:
Suspense author Jennie Spallone wrote over one hundred
profiles and feature stories for local and national publications, as well as
the award-winning mystery novel Deadly Choices and Window of Guilt, before
putting pen to Fatal Reaction.
Jennie, an active member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery
Writers of America, has spoken at local bookstores, schools, and libraries, in
addition to Mystery Conferences throughout the country, including Scene of the
Crime, Bouchercon, Printer’s Row, Sleuthfest, Malice Domestic, Magna Cum
Murder, Midwest Literary Fest, Love is Murder, Public Safety Writers of
America, Romantic Times Writers’ Conference, and the University of Wisconsin
Writer’s Institute.
Please send your comments, questions and speaking engagement
queries to spalloneauthor@aol.com
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