The Fringe Candidate

by Brad Swift

The Fringe Candidate
[Book I of the Amberica Series]
A race against evil . . . and time

— Delivering truth can be the most courageous act —
— Exposing evil rulers is a game of life or death — 

Led to the brink of destruction by its corrupt POTUS, Amberica is bleaker than ever. Who could hope to unseat Oscar Wellian, a fascist who wields the full force of martial law? Plenty are willing to try, but only one entrant has what it takes to give Oscar a run for his ill-gotten gains. Enter Angeline Tarkington . . . the people’s final hope.   

With The Fringe Candidate, Brad Swift offers readers a picture of untold possibility. It is visionary fiction from a dreamer’s apex—dark and doubly daring for its optimistic soul. Go to www.wbradfordswift.com/fringe1 to learn more.

177 pages, ebook

Published February 14, 2020

Reviews

[Benjamin Fife · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Overthrow the Corrupt System - My Initial Review of The Fringe Candidate by W. Brad Swift

The Election of 2016 resulted in a possibly mortal injury to the Status Quo. I applaud Donald J. Trump for that. Status Quo has had it coming for a long, long, long time. S.Q. still has its supporters & there are times when I'm pretty sure DJT is just trying to re-form S.Q., like he is the Republican party, in his own image. But for some of the same reasons he was elected in 2016, I think there's a decent chance he won't in 2020. No outright prophecies here, but some personal observations from the past & my opinions on how it may affect the future. Trump won the presidency due in large part because Democrats & the 'Left' underestimated just how much Republicans and the 'Right' hated Hillary Rodham Clinton. There's a pretty good chance that Democratic party turnout, and a pretty solid chunk of those like me who reject the party system, or at least are unwilling to commit to one or the other, will come out in record numbers on November 3rd to let the world know how much we dislike Donald Trump.

Unfortunately, most of the "fringe candidates" of the Democratic presidential primaries have already melted off. Though, to be fair to history - Bernie is still pretty fringe. Brad Swift contacted me shortly before Christmas about partnering with him & Meg Price to produce the audiobook of The Fringe Candidate. Due to prior commitments, I couldn't get around to it in time for it to be available while most of the "fringe candidates" were still in play. The titular character is based on Marianne Williamson who has unfortunately suspended her bid for the 2020 Presidency. As a dual narration, Meg Price will be voicing Angeline Tarkington & the other female characters of this book. I'll be narrating most of the book, told from the perspective of an MSNBC grizzled news commentary host Brasten Gramarly, as he first interviews her that leads to an eventual change in his own perspective & attitudes toward Tarkington and how to beat the Trump of a fictionalized America (Amberica in this case, and Oscar Wellian instead of Trump, and a couple other equally tongue-in-cheek-we-don't-want-to-get-sued kind of names to protect the innocent, or sometimes guilty).

When I was approached by Brad, I was excited to work on something that is trying to make a difference in our world today by use of story. This is something I've done with Cameron Taylor as well. Swift's writing is interesting & engaging. I'm going to enjoy giving voice to Brasten & the story in general. Brasten's deceased wife makes cameo appearances as his conscience & I thought the way Swift handled her as a character & as a driving force for change for Brasten was believable and made for some fun moments in the story. This is a quick read & will be a quick listen once the audio is done. (Click here to hear a sample of Meg & me reading from one of the first chapters).

The realistic approach to what it would take to actually get a fringe candidate elected to the highest office in the nation are well thought out & some of it is just outlandish enough that it might work. There are a couple of plot points I didn't see coming, and it should be interesting to see where Swift goes with this series. I like the use of the term "visionary fiction." I like stories that are meant to make us think & sometimes motivate us to make a change.

Realistically speaking, I think it's too late for the 2020 election to get a Fringe Candidate like Angeline Tarkington or Marianne Williamson elected. At best, we'll get another 4 years of somebody's version of the status quo. But reading this book has brought some things to the forefront of my mind:

1- The Status Quo NEEDS to be changed. Regularly. It's like a baby. If you don't change it, things are going to stink. Someone will end up screaming and uncomfortable and making things unpleasant for everyone else (I'd even be willing to replace "Status Quo" with "Politicians, Presidents, Senators, Representatives" and so on & still stand solidly behind that statement.

2 - There are indubitably some puppet masters pulling strings in the background of political machinations. If you think that's just a wild conspiracy theory, they've obviously got you drinking their KoolAid. Those in power are there & stay there because they have power & manipulate the system to keep it that way.

3 - If you want evidence of #2 - WHY have we not had a successful Woman candidate for president from either party. The Deck is stacked against them. It's not the status quo. Rich and Powerful White Men have been at the helm for all but 8 of the last 500 years on this continent. Some of them have been AMAZING principled white men, and others... well... Introducing Jim Crow Segregation into DC in your presidency a little over 100 years ago comes to mind along with some more recent examples.

4 - We NEED to speak out, act out, resist, and support those who are trying to stand up for Decency, Dignity, Personal Liberty, Humanity, and real solutions to the problems we are facing and throw the labels that are hampering us out the window. Including Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Democrat, Socialist, and Capitalist.

So while I don't necessarily agree with Swifts exact political leanings & I'm completely unwilling to declare myself as a Republican or a Democrat, I'm rating this book at 5 stars because it is designed to make you think - And to help us look directly at what is wrong in our current system that has evangelical Christians as apologists for a misogynist, and calls for a censuring of a politician for voting against party lines based on principles instead. I see in this book that Tarkington runs as a Democrat because that's the choice she has. The fact that we are again going to be ultimately stuck with a "binary choice" disgusts me. It floors me that not only have no Republicans stepped up to challenge Trump, but many states are not even holding Republican primaries. Baskin Robins always has 31 flavors. Why in the wealthiest nation in the world are we forced to pick between only 2 every election?

Is this book maybe too late for 2020? Maybe. I still hold my hopes out for some 3rd or 9th party candidate, but I'm not going to kid myself. Chances are good we are in for another 4 years of partisanship politics that is the ultimate Status Quo that needs to be toppled every bit as much as the 13 Colonies needed to revolt against King George. Read this book. If you want to help get it going live as an audiobook, contribute to the Kickstarter page. Pass it on to anyone you know who is sick of the partisan status quo. Give me another year or so & I'm hoping to have my own personal book written on how to fix what's wrong with the planet & our society, but in the meantime - I'll recommend anything I come across that I think might nudge things that way.

If you haven't got time to read it yourself, Take the time to listen to the audiobook coming later this year, Narrated by Me & Meg Price.

[Réal Laplaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fringe Candidate, by Brad Swift, is inspired by Marianne Williamson, a candidate in the 2020 elections against Donald Trump for the Presidency. While this is a fictional story, it is 100% on the mark with regards to the state of America’s political system, showing without apology or pulling any punches, that it has clearly been hijacked by those with money and power, and that the system of governance is no longer represented by people who truly represent the people of America, but a self-serving entity that empowers itself, first and foremost.
In this story, Angeline Tarkington, someone that no one is taking seriously, launches herself on the campaign trail against the extant President, who is clearly, a Donald Trump in disguise. Her platform is transparency, honesty, a message of peace and that America has never ceased to be great, it just needs more tolerance and love and not division and hatred.
It’s a fascinating read because it walks you through what could be an actual campaign trail, as seen from the perspective of Tarkington and those around her, and how the “Twitter-crazy” and arrogant President attempts at all costs, to character assassinate her at every turn.
No spoilers, but if you want see the vision of an actual government that represents the true democratic principles espoused by the Constitution it is supposed to follow, and not the mediocrity and imposter it has become over the years, then read this book. I rated it 5 stars both for the quality of the story and the message it imparts.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swift's The Fringe Candidate is a brilliantly written and light hearted satire about the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and a dark horse candidate who comes from relative obscurity to rock the very foundations of the political hierarchy.
Told from the perspective of a grizzled TV political commentator who's been there, done that and survived to tell the tales, the story takes a critical yet loving look at the political atmosphere in the apocryphal Amberica providing thinly veiled cameos of figures from politics and the media that we have come to know and "love" including chapter leading Twitter quotes from the current president Oscar Wellian (yes, Swift went there, and it made me smile every time I read a tweet).
Like most good satire, there were times when The Fringe Candidate made me wince at the stark, under the stage lights honesty of Swift's portrayals and many times when the laughter was a little bitter-sweet, but through it all, and even after the roller-coaster ride through political manipulation, violence and despair, I came to the closing pages of the story with a firmly planted sense of hope that through it all, Amberica and democracy will endure ... and that's what good political satire is really all about.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading the Fringe Candidate.

The political situation in The Netherlands, where I live, is very different from that in the US of Amberica. There's no winner takes all in this country, where political parties have to form coalitions to govern. Not sure why the author decided to exchange one Twittering president for another, but there's so much polarization in US politics that he maybe he decided not to estrange half the population (or at least the half of the population that cares about politics ;-).

Our previous prime-minister looked a bit like Harry Potter, minus the scar and the magical abilities, so I don't think calling a politician a witch or a wizard (or maybe witchard for some gender-neutral magical person) is a terrible insult!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Fringe Candidate
Author: Brad Swift
Publisher: Porpoise Punlishing
ISBN: 978190328921
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fringe-Candida...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
The Amberica 1
The Fringe Candidate
[Book I of the Amberica Series]
A race against evil . . . and time

— Delivering truth can be the most courageous act —
— Exposing evil rulers is a game of life or death — 

Led to the brink of destruction by its corrupt POTUS, Amberica is bleaker than ever. Who could hope to unseat Oscar Wellian, a fascist who wields the full force of martial law? Plenty are willing to try, but only one entrant has what it takes to give Oscar a run for his ill-gotten gains. Enter Angeline Tarkington . . . the people’s final hope.   
Total Score: 4/5

Summary:
This was an interesting take on what could happen in the world if someone was willing take a first step in changing what country is willing to accept in the political arena. Now this story had very specific political leanings towards one side leaving the other without much if any, positive points towards the opposite position. It was apparent to the reader that things can change if people are ready, but no one group has all the answers. Now Angeline Tarkington has a unique way of looking at the world where everyone owns up to what they do both good and bad allowing them to change for the better. Brasten Gramarly is a world weary news man who looks at the world through jaded eyes. His initial assessment of Angeline is more based on his slanted outlook than her ideas as an individual. It was fascinating how Brasten's deceased wife had a large part in encouraging him to change his life, but it was Angeline's acknowledgment of his wife's existence that gave Brasten to push to effect change. The unique way Angeline looked at the world and the paths she took to make her points placed her in the a precarious position that could give her success or destroy everything she worked for.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired by the Marianne Williamson’s 2020 presidential campaign
A race against evil . . . and time
— Delivering a simple truth can be the most courageous act —
— Exposing evil rulers is a game of life or death —
Led to the brink of destruction by its corrupt POTUS, Amberica is bleaker than ever. Who could hope to unseat Oscar Wellian, a fascist who wields the full force of martial law? Plenty are willing to try, but only one entrant has what it takes to give Oscar a run for his ill-gotten gains. Enter Angeline Tarkington . . . the people’s final hope.
Despite her heart of gold and concrete ideals, it won’t be easy. Is Tarkington’s integrity enough to combat systemic corruption and heal a hemorrhaging nation? An amalgam of corporate interests known as ‘The Triumvirate’ will stop at nothing to silence her, and Tarkington can’t expect victory without sacrifice.
Tarkington’s ability to transform those around her will be put to the ultimate test, as new allies may mean the difference between victory and defeat, but will they join her? In any case, she’ll need to tread very carefully. Unmasking a monster will be an invitation to an all-out duel with the nation as the prize.
With The Fringe Candidate, Brad Swift offers readers a picture of untold possibility. The Amberica series is visionary fiction from a dreamer’s apex—dark and doubly daring for its optimistic soul.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[James Frederick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amusing read. It struck me as kind of a liberal response to something like "The Two-fisted Jesus Tales," which was about as polar extreme in the opposite direction as this. Ironically, as I was reading this, Mary Ann Williamson all but suspended her candidacy for president. MAW is the person that is the main focus of the story.

There were a fair number of typos, of the "to" instead of "too" type. Not the kind of thing that spell check would catch. But the kind of thing that any editor should have spotted.

Is this great literature? No. Is it a decent book to read on a cold weekend? Sure. Would I read future Amberica books? Probably not.

IMO, the whole "Amberica" idea is just a way to try to avoid potential legal issues. It is very clear who the author is talking about, almost throughout the story. He even slips a couple of times and says America. Since it is clear what he MEANS, I see no benefit AT ALL, to going with the farce of changing the name of the country. That is even more true when he uses actual States and Cities in the book. Unless he is trying to suggest that this is a fairy tale land that he made up or an "alternative dimension."

This reads a lot like an op ed column in the liberal media. I gave it an extra star but I cannot say for sure why. I was tempted to take it away because the ending was just bad, for me. It came across as really contrived and unrealistic.

I DID receive this as an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[John Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

While dressed as a political satire based in 'Amberica' the book actually reflects on today's political environment where those in power are answerable to the elite rich but taking it further to the extent that few of the opposition candidates seeking to be his opponent in the 2020 election have any thought of speaking openly against the President though fear itself.
Every chapter started with a tweet from the President and these provided the main humour in the book although it would appear the President is stating his beliefs and not for a moment considering humour at all.
I also noticed a few misses by the editor (mainly spelling errors) but the book itself is very similar to current politics in the USA and I think was deliberate on the part of the author.
He did however leave a sting in the tail concerning one of the candidates looking to stand against him and who just made the selection process at the last minute. There is a suggestion there of more, but as yet unexplained 'skull duggery' about to bit the President.
Thoroughly enjoyable read, a few chuckles where you don't expect humour and the President's tweets being in total opposition to the state of the political scene and of the country itself.
I did receive an ARC in return for a review but I have pre-ordered the book to buy my own copy

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific and timely political fiction laced with humor. The Fringe Candidate (Amberica series #1) by Brad Swift is a thinly veiled story about an unusual fringe candidate for president versus a sitting president not unlike our current POTUS. Just as the country is disguised as Amberica, many of the characters are similarly named. I particularly loved the O's of Chicago, reminding me of the Obamas and Oprah!

Each chapter starts with a Tweet from the President. One chapter is all Tweets, and just like what we are currently enduring. The story is told by a freelance writer who takes a job as reporter in New York in order to gain health insurance due to his wife's cancer diagnosis. He hates his job and eventually becomes a cynical TV talk show host whose tagline is "Are you kidding me!"

I did not know when I read the book that this story is somewhat based on Marianne Williamson, a candidate in the 2020 elections.

[Denise Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book five stars for several reasons. I enjoyed the book immensely. I loved the author’s use of our current President’s name in a satirical way. The back door political shenanigans by the President’s Party is typical. I could feel the emotions of the characters and the situations. While some areas of the book may be considered predictable, I found it added to the book’s charm. It is a fictional story and a decent satire. I read an ARC copy but I also pre-ordered a copy from Amazon. This book is a keeper for me. Enjoy it for a light read and enjoy it for the satire.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a totally great read. It was also thought provoking and quite original.
What would happen if or rather when something like this really occurred? What would we do?
And are we ready for the consequences?
As certain questions are raised again and again there is no vlear cut answers.
This can be read as just another enjoyable story but it is also much more. It is a future that I think is quite possible!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am looking forward to book 2 in the series. I hope that it won't be very long before it is available, because I plan on reading the entire series for as long as the author continues.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best stories I have the pleasure of reading. The characters were well written. The story line held my attention I found it a very hard book to put down

[Ravi Rao · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good propaganda for MW. May be this was part of her campaign considering that they gave away her web address.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, could not put it down