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Fantasy Patch
Picture This!Danté Roenik creates ad campaigns, reveling in the fine art of rendering his concepts on million-dollar canvasses financed by big-budget clients. Intoxicated by the sheer power of directing public opinion, he dares wage war against the conglomerate behind a worldwide anti-depressant increasingly associated with sporadic violence. To juxtapose his images with reality, he enlists a mixed palette of business tycoons, his fiancée/attorney, a team of corporate-spy soldiers of fortune, one resurgent news anchor, and the best TV-production crew in Chicago.But the sharp lines dividing perception from truth begin to blur when the darker motives shaping mass media come to light. Forced to re-examine the ethics of designer pharmacology, Danté is painted into a corner, his future about to be erased as patients die, clients lie, and unhealthy doses of murder prove too hard to swallow.Too late to whitewash the stain of deceit, Danté must decide who deserves to appear in his picture, the true subject an unfinished self-portrait way past its own deadline.It’s not what you see, not what you get . . .But all you could ever imagine.Let Danté show you how . . .With a Fantasy Patch!
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2006
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Geez
18 books44 followersUndergraduate and Graduate degrees from the University of Michigan. Stephen has worked as a composer, editor, producer, publisher, and a writer. Major influences include the natural world, life experiences, and the works of the great literary masters.
Stephen's works include Dance of the Lights (a story of loss, grief, and renewal), What Sara Saw (an odyssey of discovery), Zhasou Pure (a moving sci-fi story), Papala Skies (about a young woman's search for herself), and Been There, Noted That (a collection of new and favorite essays). Stephen is a proud member of the Fresh Ink Group!
Stephen's works include Dance of the Lights (a story of loss, grief, and renewal), What Sara Saw (an odyssey of discovery), Zhasou Pure (a moving sci-fi story), Papala Skies (about a young woman's search for herself), and Been There, Noted That (a collection of new and favorite essays). Stephen is a proud member of the Fresh Ink Group!
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 9, 2018
From the very beginning of this story, I felt the urgency of the author to reveal the dangers of chemicals in deadly drugs. At first, I couldn’t catch my breath, I couldn’t connect with most of the names. I still cannot.
But, by the middle of the story, I decided to follow one character, the main character to see whether I could connect with the others, and Bam! Frank, Frank who? I don’t know but he seemed to be the one to keep my eyes on. I followed his story. But he was not the one telling the story. Who was? I found out much later that Dante was the man behind the story. The story of Parzilac, a cure all drug that was doing more damage than good, and Fantasy Patch, the competition, trying to replace Parzilac. There was so much intrigue my head was reeling.
This was a fast-moving thriller! I started reading it thinking it was a short story! It took me weeks to finish. I was tempted twice to just drop it and move on. The beginning was so complicated it was hard to remember who was who, and what was what.
In the end, my patience won. I read the whole story to the end, and it was fascinating. To think of how much chemicals are in the drugs that drug makers feed the world all in the quest for more money is frightening. Whether it is Parzilac or Fantasy Patch, chemicals do more damage that good. Drug makers will tell you otherwise. All they care for is sell their poison. The author, whom I have read before, has a panache for words
But, by the middle of the story, I decided to follow one character, the main character to see whether I could connect with the others, and Bam! Frank, Frank who? I don’t know but he seemed to be the one to keep my eyes on. I followed his story. But he was not the one telling the story. Who was? I found out much later that Dante was the man behind the story. The story of Parzilac, a cure all drug that was doing more damage than good, and Fantasy Patch, the competition, trying to replace Parzilac. There was so much intrigue my head was reeling.
This was a fast-moving thriller! I started reading it thinking it was a short story! It took me weeks to finish. I was tempted twice to just drop it and move on. The beginning was so complicated it was hard to remember who was who, and what was what.
In the end, my patience won. I read the whole story to the end, and it was fascinating. To think of how much chemicals are in the drugs that drug makers feed the world all in the quest for more money is frightening. Whether it is Parzilac or Fantasy Patch, chemicals do more damage that good. Drug makers will tell you otherwise. All they care for is sell their poison. The author, whom I have read before, has a panache for words
March 16, 2017
Wow. I'm geeking out so much over how good this book is, I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start with the characters - loved 'em. They were believable, relatable, interesting, and worthy of cheering for. The main character, Dante, is an artist, and he was portrayed SO well. My husband is an artist, and I could totally imagine him saying, doing, and thinking just as Dante did. Brilliant. The writing style - quirky and fun. I appreciated the creative use of language and play on words. The story - fantastic. It was fast-paced, suspenseful, smart, and full of surprises. I would have to say the way the story is presented is what makes this such a memorable read for me. It fostered a full array of feelings and emotions, and ultimately a better understanding of human nature. I would find myself disgusted with a business, excited for the inevitable joy of watching it squirm, suffer and DIE in the anticipated happy ending where the good guys would win. Then the plot would twist and I'd find myself ashamed of the snap judgements I had formed, worried (for the first time) about the hit the unsuspecting "little guy" would have taken in that [undeserved] fall. I would find myself annoyed with a character who was full of himself, anxious for the part where - surely - he would be knocked down a peg or two and taught a lesson in decency and humility. Then more information would come to light, and I'd realize that those seemingly self-serving behaviors ended up helping many people. In the end, I was reminded that people are people and the world doesn't work in black and white simplicity. Yes, there are unscrupulous, spiteful, selfish people out there. Yes, "the system" often encourages greed and [sometimes] immoral behavior. Generally speaking, though, we all have similar personal motivations - motivations that can have unfortunate unintended consequences in the big picture and in the long run. In fast-paced industries with high stakes and stiff competition, those unintended consequences can spin out of control quickly and become catastrophic. While entire industries can come off as evil ("big pharma", for instance) , most of the people involved are just cogs in the wheel, aware only of their specific responsibility, "distracted" with the desire to just do their jobs, raise their families, and enjoy a nice weekend BBQ. I'm a big fan of Mr. Geez now, and look forward to checking out more of his fantastic work!
August 22, 2017
The protagonist Dante Roenik is on a quest to bring to light what he believes to be Big Pharma out of control. He suspects that some deaths are related to a drug that is supposed to provide users with more control over their lives. Dante is not a private eye or a detective but is the lead creative person in an advertising agency. Certainly not the usual role for a crusader. By the way, this is not the only unusual feature of this book. The design of the story is in such a way that when you think you have the bad guys figured out there is a twist that will send you onto another track. The beautiful thing is once you have settled on the bad guys, just because there is a twist don’t think those guys aren’t bad. Like any fun read there are plenty of bad guys to go around and don’t worry about going along with the protagonist in his effort to bring them to justice.
The author does an exceptional job of painting a realistic scene of two separate worlds. He is very knowledgeable about advertising and PR and makes that world come to life in an interesting way. The author also knows a lot about the drug approval process and some of the pressures that drug companies are under bringing products to market. The net result is you have a piece of fiction that carries with it the integrity of nonfiction in the depiction of both advertising and the Pharma worlds.
I fully enjoyed the book and was very captivated by the stream of consciousness manner in which Dante acted out the story. There are many clever and amusing asides that Dante shares with the reader which makes a more intimate storytelling method than dry prose. The dialog is crisp, and I for one appreciated the lack of extensive tags. I find dialog tags very annoying, and when they are not in a story, the plot moves at light speed.
I must admit that my background includes both advertising and Big Pharma, so the story was authentic and kept me captivated. I would, however, recommend this book to anyone who wants a tight plot, super dialog, enough complexity to be interesting, and some fascinating characters.
The author does an exceptional job of painting a realistic scene of two separate worlds. He is very knowledgeable about advertising and PR and makes that world come to life in an interesting way. The author also knows a lot about the drug approval process and some of the pressures that drug companies are under bringing products to market. The net result is you have a piece of fiction that carries with it the integrity of nonfiction in the depiction of both advertising and the Pharma worlds.
I fully enjoyed the book and was very captivated by the stream of consciousness manner in which Dante acted out the story. There are many clever and amusing asides that Dante shares with the reader which makes a more intimate storytelling method than dry prose. The dialog is crisp, and I for one appreciated the lack of extensive tags. I find dialog tags very annoying, and when they are not in a story, the plot moves at light speed.
I must admit that my background includes both advertising and Big Pharma, so the story was authentic and kept me captivated. I would, however, recommend this book to anyone who wants a tight plot, super dialog, enough complexity to be interesting, and some fascinating characters.
October 10, 2017
Big pharmacy conglomerate, a talented artist and advocate to reveal the new drug Parzilac, which has dangerous and deadly side effects. The main character, Dante strives to expose the danger of this drug, solve a murder, and the illegal distribution of the drug. Interesting characters, fast paced, and strong plot. I had to give it four stars because there was so much going on that it was difficult to understand or keep up with the many characters and sub-plots.
January 13, 2018
Wow! What a roller coaster ride! This is a fast paced thriller with an in depth look into the media business. Dante is the creative mind behind the business and he sets out with his team to expose a big pharmaceutical company. This takes them on a twisty-turny ride. I love Stephen Geez's writing and this does not disappoint. The characters are really well-rounded and real. I highly recommend it for those who like action and thrills.
February 4, 2017
Wow! What a ride! I'm still trying to catch my breath since finishing this fast-moving suspense thriller. In fact, sometimes it moved so fast, I felt left behind in the dust. The immediacy of the story is beyond gripping, told in first person/present tense through the eyes of protagonist, Danté Roenik. So "present", in fact, you don't even know his name for several pages. Kind of like meeting an interesting, good-looking, charismatic guy at a party who's telling a good story. You really don't care what his name is, you just want to be part of the excitement along with the other enchanted guests. This served as a very clever and effective writing tactic outside the mainstream, for which the author once again definitely earned my admiration.
This is the third Stephen Geez book I've read and this man must have multiple personalities because each tome's style, at least the ones I've read so far, stands out as unique. Some authors can write in multiple genres with ease, yet the style is largely the same. I don't think I'd be able to tell these were written by the same person, though they did share outstanding characterizations and vivid setting descriptions, plenty of suspense, lively dialog, and complex plots as well as strong writing, edited to perfection. No ruts or boring formula writing here! A random sprinkling of clever creative word plays are scattered throughout the narrative as well, which are not only entertaining but further characterize Danté's artistic temperament. For example, "beeping blippers and blipping beepers" or "purse snatchers and snatch pursuers" or "fact takers and tacit fakers", all of which add color and humor.
Poor Danté. An artist at heart, all he wants to do is draw, yet he's sucked into a web of intrigue through his position as creative director at a public relations firm. He's a nice guy, perhaps too nice, who adores the lively, old lady next door, Mrs. Moeroff, as well as the love of her life, another neighbor, Hank Barnahay. His attorney girlfriend, Cyn, is focused on an ambitious fast-track to partnership in her law firm, which is her top priority, much to Danté's dismay. And that's just his personal life. His professional life is what makes your head spin. The author places you firmly in Danté's shoes in a busy, competitive, fast-paced, head-spinning and often risky environment, ripe with industry jargon. If you've ever wanted to work in PR, then this story is required reading for its excellent description of what's involved, from the actual technical processes, to sales tactics, and competitors as trustworthy as piranha. By the time you finish this story, you feel as if you could put experience at Dellman/Roenik on your resume. I kid you not.
Of course any such firm is loaded with employees doing a variety of tasks, the boatload of characters adding to and authenticating the hectic pace. And then times it by two, by the way, because our hero changes employers, the original now his rather unfriendly competition. In fact, there were so many characters, I would have welcomed a dramatis personae to keep them all straight. They come at you fast, so unless you have a steel-trap memory, which I don't, you might want to keep notes. Trust me, it would be worth it, because things get more complicated with every page. The good news is that their names were not only unusual, but differed dramatically, reminding me at times of alphabet soup. Yet they were well-chosen and unique, which helped keep them straight versus unimaginative authors who call one character Bob and another Rob. Their physical descriptions were helpful as well, making them easy to envision, their personalities distinct and never lacking. There's no doubt this story would make an outstanding movie, or better yet, TV mini-series.
The story quickly evolves into a murder mystery, so the huge cast also serves as a collective red herring with regard to the identity of the guilty party. But actually, it's not that simple, it's Big Pharma and its cohorts covering their tracks with regard to lethal side effects of Parzilac, combined with rather vicious competition tactics as competitor, M-Slovak, prepares to release a potential competitor, the Fantasy Patch. Corporate espionage is in full swing as is appropriate security, courtesy of Flynn Durbett, a carryover character from "Invigilator." I love it when characters live on!
If you're looking for high-octane entertainment with surprises at every turn, grab a copy today and plan to stay up late reading. Same goes if you're naturally suspicious of Big Pharma or are annoyed by those TV drug ads (which are illegal is most of the world besides the USA) where the side effects narrative takes 90% of the allotted time. Breathtaking action, nail-biting suspense, crisp dialog, and edge-of-your-seat narrative suck you in, all the way to the last page. Don't miss it.
This is the third Stephen Geez book I've read and this man must have multiple personalities because each tome's style, at least the ones I've read so far, stands out as unique. Some authors can write in multiple genres with ease, yet the style is largely the same. I don't think I'd be able to tell these were written by the same person, though they did share outstanding characterizations and vivid setting descriptions, plenty of suspense, lively dialog, and complex plots as well as strong writing, edited to perfection. No ruts or boring formula writing here! A random sprinkling of clever creative word plays are scattered throughout the narrative as well, which are not only entertaining but further characterize Danté's artistic temperament. For example, "beeping blippers and blipping beepers" or "purse snatchers and snatch pursuers" or "fact takers and tacit fakers", all of which add color and humor.
Poor Danté. An artist at heart, all he wants to do is draw, yet he's sucked into a web of intrigue through his position as creative director at a public relations firm. He's a nice guy, perhaps too nice, who adores the lively, old lady next door, Mrs. Moeroff, as well as the love of her life, another neighbor, Hank Barnahay. His attorney girlfriend, Cyn, is focused on an ambitious fast-track to partnership in her law firm, which is her top priority, much to Danté's dismay. And that's just his personal life. His professional life is what makes your head spin. The author places you firmly in Danté's shoes in a busy, competitive, fast-paced, head-spinning and often risky environment, ripe with industry jargon. If you've ever wanted to work in PR, then this story is required reading for its excellent description of what's involved, from the actual technical processes, to sales tactics, and competitors as trustworthy as piranha. By the time you finish this story, you feel as if you could put experience at Dellman/Roenik on your resume. I kid you not.
Of course any such firm is loaded with employees doing a variety of tasks, the boatload of characters adding to and authenticating the hectic pace. And then times it by two, by the way, because our hero changes employers, the original now his rather unfriendly competition. In fact, there were so many characters, I would have welcomed a dramatis personae to keep them all straight. They come at you fast, so unless you have a steel-trap memory, which I don't, you might want to keep notes. Trust me, it would be worth it, because things get more complicated with every page. The good news is that their names were not only unusual, but differed dramatically, reminding me at times of alphabet soup. Yet they were well-chosen and unique, which helped keep them straight versus unimaginative authors who call one character Bob and another Rob. Their physical descriptions were helpful as well, making them easy to envision, their personalities distinct and never lacking. There's no doubt this story would make an outstanding movie, or better yet, TV mini-series.
The story quickly evolves into a murder mystery, so the huge cast also serves as a collective red herring with regard to the identity of the guilty party. But actually, it's not that simple, it's Big Pharma and its cohorts covering their tracks with regard to lethal side effects of Parzilac, combined with rather vicious competition tactics as competitor, M-Slovak, prepares to release a potential competitor, the Fantasy Patch. Corporate espionage is in full swing as is appropriate security, courtesy of Flynn Durbett, a carryover character from "Invigilator." I love it when characters live on!
If you're looking for high-octane entertainment with surprises at every turn, grab a copy today and plan to stay up late reading. Same goes if you're naturally suspicious of Big Pharma or are annoyed by those TV drug ads (which are illegal is most of the world besides the USA) where the side effects narrative takes 90% of the allotted time. Breathtaking action, nail-biting suspense, crisp dialog, and edge-of-your-seat narrative suck you in, all the way to the last page. Don't miss it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews