A Merger of Equals, a novel

A Merger of Equals book coverA Merger of Equals is the story of Jane and Charlie and their climb up the corporate ladder. The novel depicts the business world in all its complacent, illogical, sexist glory and, at the same time, tells the entrancing story of two people who discover that quite a few so-called truths about work, life and love are not true at all – and that no one is required to yield to the narrow-minded dictates of the status quo.

Jane is tiny, fierce, ambitious and brilliant. She’s also skeptical and sarcastic. Sure that she’s going to be considered an incompetent interloper in the cozy little men’s club that is the traditional business world, she is determined to get to the top anyway, to become a leader and to change that world.

Charlie is the quintessential golden boy, with all the attributes that make it natural for men to succeed. He’s smart, he knows how to play the game, he’s charming and he’s gorgeous. He, too, is determined to succeed. Surprisingly, he’s also determined to change some of the rules of the game.

Jane and Charlie meet when he is assigned as her mentor at the big-time investment bank where they both work. Over the next ten years, they become colleagues, then friends, partners and parents. They balance her inherent skepticism and his blithe optimism to propel themselves up the corporate ladder, all the while surrounded by friends and lovers, some of whom ease the climb and some of whom decidedly do not.

The characters in A Merger of Equals are finely, articulately drawn. The dual first-person narrative allows the reader to understand the dynamic world in which the characters live through the eyes and ears and from the perspectives of the people living in it. The reader is privy to the characters’ thoughts and reactions, as well as to witty, incredibly savvy and perfectly written dialogue.

The reader also meets rich and colorful secondary characters, just as if he or she were part of Jane’s and Charlie’s world. Jane’s women friends are outspoken, funny, expressive and smart – and each of them finds her own way to succeed. Their “girls’ club” sessions are among the highlights of the book: lusty, razor-sharp and right on the money. Charlie’s male friends run the gamut from those sensitive enough to question their own approaches to success to those who wonder why things need to change at all. Jane and Charlie also have romantic relationships with other people before they find one another – and the way they ultimately do come together is innovative and unusual.

As it unfolds, the story reveals how very differently men and women experience ambition, work, sex, love and life. By its touching final pages, A Merger of Equals has freed both men and women from narrow definitional boxes and made it plain that half a life is no life at all.

Fact Sheet

Title: A Merger of Equals
Category: Fiction
Author: Debra Snider
Pub Month: Nov 2006
ISBN: 0-9764336-4-8
Format: Soft cover
Price: $15.95
Pages: 480
Publisher: MJS Publishing Group, LLC

Positioning Statement:

A Merger of Equals is the thinking woman’s dream – a fun novel that is also chock-full of great truths about the bedroom and the boardroom, a good story that ultimately offers important and inspiring lessons about the true nature of professional and personal success.

Intended Market:

Women, particularly professional and businesswomen, and men looking for insight into the business world and into how businesswomen think. People who work in the world of big business will appreciate its insightful, insider feel; everyone will appreciate its understanding of human relationships, both professional and personal, and its inspiring outlook.

Selling Points:

  1. Captivating story of two characters who meet the challenges that harried 21st century working people care about – overloaded schedules, corporate inanity, fear of diversity, power games, work-life balance and the never-ending conflict between the zeal to achieve and the desire for a little peace and quiet
  2. Broad appeal thanks to female and male main characters as well as realistic (and recognizably dysfunctional) workplace settings
  3. Strong appeal to women tempted to opt out of the business world and to people in companies anxious to retain women. A Merger of Equals is current and cutting edge as it tells the story of a woman who faces all the usual reasons for opting out, but chooses instead to stay, to succeed and to become a leader, finding personal satisfaction and love along the way
  4. Unlike other novels about women and success, A Merger of Equals also features a strong, likable male protagonist. He’s a card-carrying member of the powers that be who’s actually a good guy
  5. The two main characters and their friends and lovers are real, complex, touching, familiar. Character definition is at the psychology/personality level, not the external description level, so readers are left with plenty of room to put themselves and their experiences into the characters and the story and, thus, to identify
  6. Uses business, as well as personal, settings and situations to develop characters and drive plot – an unusual, but much-needed, approach to story-telling in light of how much time people spend at work and how obsessed they are with meshing work and life
  7. Beautifully illustrates the nature of friendship and collegiality –as well as the nature of rivalry– among women, among men, and between men and women

Author is a sought-after public speaker who leaves audiences enthusiastic, energized and inspired. Snider has the credibility, the contacts and the following that result from a highly successful 20-year career as a lawyer and business executive in a major US city. She also has a distinctive spoken and written voice, one that is compelling, credible, witty and forthright.

Where to Purchase:

Autographed Copies

Autographed paperback copies of A Merger of Equals are available for purchase via this website. For individual copies, the cost is $20.95 per book – the list price ($15.95) plus a $5.00 shipping & handling charge. Discounts are available for sets of 5 or 10 copies. Transactions are processed through PayPal.

To buy 1-4 copies, select “1 copy” in the dropdown menu below, click on the Add to Cart button, then type the number of books you want to buy in the Quantity box in your PayPal shopping cart. To buy sets of 5 or 10 copies at discounted prices, select the set you want in the dropdown menu, click on the Add to Cart button, then type the number of sets you want to buy in the Quantity box in your cart. 

This offer is void in Nevada and outside the United States.

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