Wall Street Maverick: Musings on a Career of Innovation, Derivatives, Credit, and Risk by Thomas Jasper

Thomas-jasper.com

https://www.amazon.com/Wall-Street-Maverick-Innovation-Derivatives/dp/B0H46WQY1M

IN THE WALL STREET boom of the 1980s and 1990s, fortunes were made, markets were invented, and the rules were still being written.

Where others saw risk, Tom Jasper recognized opportunity, but never at the expense of his ethical code. Wall Street Maverick is as much the story of Jasper’s contributions to derivatives, swaps, and credit markets as it is the story of a career defined by adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to operate on the edge. He navigated steep learning curves to thrive in a highly competitive—and sometimes cutthroat—environment.

This is no typical Wall Street memoir. It is, instead, a front-row account of how one modern financial market was built, told by a man who helped build it.

At the start of his career, Jasper stumbled into Lower Manhattan and seized opportunities to transform his trademark high risk tolerance into innovation. He recounts building and running Salomon Brothers’ successful interest rate swap desk (one of the largest in the industry), helping found and co-chair the ISDA by uniting fiercely competitive market participants, and later creating new credit default swap distribution models at Primus Guaranty.

Innovation, however, never came without danger. Jasper writes candidly about navigating scandal, global crises, and the 2008 financial meltdown—surviving by staying flexible, surrounding himself with exceptional talent, and never losing his moral compass as he walked the tightrope between risk and respect for the bottom line.

Wall Street Maverick offers a rare, honest look at building a career—and an industry—on the knife’s edge between risk and reward.

Run Robbie Run by Jon Pepper

https://www.amazon.com/Run-Robbie-Jon-Pepper/dp/B0H116JL73

Jonpepperbooks.com

Indelable.com

Jon Pepper’s political farce Run Robbie Run is a razor-sharp satire of an American political party at war with itself— and it’s wickedly funny.

Set during an election year nomination process, the novel follows two spectacularly unfit candidates: Dewey Fenwick, an 87-year-old former president who can barely stay conscious, and his successor Robbie Crowe, a lazy, self-absorbed billionaire who stumbles into the nomination without earning a single vote.

Pepper’s comic gifts are immediately on display.

The opening scene, in which campaign aides frantically try to rouse Dewey from a Golden Girls dream before television journalists arrive, is a masterclass in political absurdity. But the novel’s real engine is Robbie — a man so thoroughly unprepared for the presidency that when asked about his vision for America, he offers a few lyrics from What a Wonderful World and tells his aide to write it down.

The satire cuts in all directions.

The party machine, corrupt billionaire puppet-masters, a fawning media, campus radicals planning “mostly peaceful” firebombings at the Chicago convention — no faction escapes unscathed. The fictional surveillance program “America’s Just Rewards,” essentially a social credit system dressed up in loyalty-points marketing, provides the novel’s chilling undertow beneath all the comedy.

The supporting cast is superb: Dinda, the idealistic campaign intern who slowly realizes the party has no actual principles; Senator Hiram Fry, a straight-talking old warhorse who delivers the novel’s most sobering warnings; Lady Janice, the former First Lady desperate to return to the White House; and Marty, Robbie’s long-suffering aide whose deadpan exasperation carries the humor throughout.

Pepper writes with the confidence of someone who has watched Washington up close, and it shows.
Run Robbie Run is sharp, fast, and bracingly cynical — a comic novel that lands its punches because the absurdity never strays too far from reality.

About the author
Jon Pepper’s six novels form distinctive set of modern satirical fiction—mainly focused on business, politics, and popular culture. They have won praise from critics and readers alike for their humor, insight, clear prose, and brisk pacing.

Jon’s newest novel, “Run Robbie Run,” debuts June 16, 2026. It’s a fast, sharply comic political satire that aims its barbs at the modern campaign machine, media incentives, and the wealthy “do-gooder” class. One review observed: “What makes this work is the voice: brisk, confident, and unapologetically satirical. Pepper writes with a comedian’s timing and a columnist’s eye for hypocrisy.”

“Run Robbie Run” is Jon’s sixth novel. It follows his five-book series, “Fossil Feuds,” centered on the wealthy Crowe family’s New York-based energy empire. Intra-family warfare, executive rivalries, crosstown competitors, government regulators, and climate activists threaten to bring it all down. The Crowe family’s battles are sometimes petty, sometimes mean, but they’re always lively, amusing, and deeply human.

The Chris Voss Show Podcast – The Trust Factor with Kim Bohr: Unlocking Higher Revenue and Employee Retention

Sparkeffect.com/chrisvossshow

About the Guest(s):
Kim Bohr is the President and CEO of Spark Effect, a national leadership advisory firm specializing in working with Fortune 1000 and mission-driven organizations as they navigate restructuring, leadership transitions, mergers, and AI integration. With a wealth of experience as a CEO through planned succession, Kim has successfully led cultural integration following mergers. Additionally, she serves on the board of Cascade Public Media and has chaired governance for Susan G. Komen’s national board. Kim is also the host of the Courage to Advance podcast, where she discusses leadership challenges and how to build and maintain trust within organizations.

Episode Summary:
In this insightful episode of The Chris Voss Show, host Chris Voss is joined by Kim Bohr of Spark Effect to explore the intricate dynamics of organizational trust. Trust, as Kim emphasizes, is quantifiable and essential for thriving businesses, particularly amidst dramatic disruptions like AI advancements. The conversation delves into Kim’s extensive research featured in the “2026 State of Organizational Trust” report and sheds light on the pivotal role trust plays in impacting an organization’s revenue, retention, and reputation.
Throughout the episode, Kim explains how organizations can navigate the challenges posed by AI anxiety and organizational disruptions. She argues that trust and communication must be foundational elements in any strategic plan. Kim shares compelling findings from her research, revealing that high-trust organizations exhibit significantly higher revenue, employee retention, and reputation scores. The conversation offers valuable insights into how leadership can foster trust through clear communication, supportive management, and a strategic approach to embracing technological innovations without alienating employees.

Key Takeaways:
Trust is a critical element for organizational success, measurable and manageable like any other KPI.
Organizations with high levels of trust report higher revenue, employee retention, and customer reputation scores.
The introduction and ongoing use of AI represent significant disruptions but offer opportunities for innovation if navigated strategically.
Effective communication and transparency from leadership are paramount in managing disruptions and building trust.
Leadership development and executive coaching are crucial for managers to address current and future disruptions effectively.

Notable Quotes:
“Trust has a direct connection to retention, reputation, and revenue.” – Kim Bohr
“Trust isn’t a squishy thing; this is real business.” – Kim Bohr
“When trust shatters, it’s often because people feel like their leader doesn’t have their back.” – Kim Bohr
“AI is by far the most disruptive factor right now, and personal crises are right behind it.” – Kim Bohr
“We have agency, we have control, and there are ways to take action that allows us to get through this time more productively.” – Kim Bohr

The Boy Who Could Smell Warming by Patrick Fleming

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1963844572

There was always something exceptional and different about ten-year-old Reuben Otis O’Brien, but no one, including Reuben Otis himself, can figure out quite what it is. All that he knows is that he can smell something very strange that no one else can, and sometimes it makes him sick.

The Boy Who Could Smell Warming is the story of Reuben Otis’s quest to discover his special ability and its purpose. Since, as he describes himself, Reuben Otis is a “nerd in a cool guy’s body,” he does his own scientific investigation and finds out that he possesses a very unusual superpower which is vital for the whole world and will make him a true superhero. As he starts to use his superpower with the help of his family and two neighborhood friends, he learns he can change things vital to his hometown and to the entire planet. This gives Reuben Otis a newfound pride and a whole new direction to his life.

About the author
Patrick Fleming, M.Div., L.C.S.W., C.S.A.T. is a psychotherapist and spiritual coach in a private practice in St. Louis, MO, Double Rainbow Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting, with his wife, Suzanne Lauber-Fleming. He is the principal co-author, with his wife and other colleagues, of a trilogy of books on psycho-spiritual trauma recovery. He has also authored a number of articles on psychological, spiritual, recovery, and social issues for a variety of national and international publications As a psychotherapist, Patrick specializes in the treatment of abuse and trauma, sexual addiction and compulsivity, couple counseling, and the integration of spirituality and psychology. He has been a hospital chaplain, a hospice counselor and a psychotherapist for over thirty years.

Unapologetically Daring to Inspire by Petronely Grindea

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLJB9G8H

Petronelyempowers.com

In this powerful memoir, I bare my soul, sharing the unvarnished truth of my life’s journey to spark a conversation about women’s empowerment. With unflinching honesty, I explore the complexities of womanhood, offering a beacon of hope and solidarity for those seeking to find their voice and claim their strength.

About the author
“Petronely Grindea is a trailblazing entrepreneur, innovator, and author who has revolutionized the spa and wellness industry. As the founder of LifeBotanica and co-founder of Innovative Wellness 360, she pioneered the ‘beauty from within’ concept, empowering countless individuals to achieve holistic wellness. With over 25 years of experience and collaborations with industry giants like Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder, Petronely’s expertise has been featured in top publications and media outlets, including Spa Management, Cosmopolitan ,Vogue, and CNBC.

Now, as an author, Petronely is sharing her unvarnished life journey and insights on women’s empowerment through her memoir, “Unapologetically Daring to Inspire.” With unflinching honesty, she explores the complexities of womanhood, offering a beacon of hope and solidarity for women seeking to find their voice and claim their strength.

Never Give Up: Break the Connection Between Stress and Illness by Mrs Alexis A Acker-Halbur

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Give-Up-Connection-Between/dp/1494984245

If stress and anger are making you sick, Never Give Up: Break the Connection Between Stress and Illness can help you find peace and joy in your everyday life or give you the courage to open a new door to a healthy and fulfilling future.Alexis Acker-Halbur offers anyone who has suffered trauma or loss not just one way forward, but many. A survivor herself—of an astonishing number of traumas, including abuse, cancer, and a severe car accident—she describes the connection between mind, body, and spirit and shows how the stress and anger she has experienced connect to her life-threatening illnesses.Alex tells just enough of her own story to quickly become an inspiring companion for people who are struggling to heal. But her focus is always on sharing the perspectives and practices that have helped her survive and thrive, and the insights that made them possible. Every chapter contains accessible activities and practical tools geared toward managing the dark moments in your life and changing the way you think and act. After completing each activity, you will find yourself a few more steps down a new road toward healing.

Unstoppable: The Victoria Woodhull Story by Kate Danaher

https://www.amazon.com/Unstoppable-Victoria-Woodhull-Kate-Danaher/dp/1970157828

Katedanaher.com

“A compulsively readable portrait…a genuine pleasure…deftly paced and meticulously researched…full of rich characterization and well-observed historical detail.” — Kirkus, GET IT

“With strokes of vivid emotion and lively dialogue…Danaher gives heartfelt humanity to WoodhulL…a rousing portrait of a forgotten, sometimes maligned figure.” — BookLife, EDITOR’S PICK

VICTORIA WOODHULL AND THE COUNTRY THAT TRIED TO CRUSH HER.

In 1872, in an America that denied women the right to vote, Victoria Woodhull dared to run for president. From a difficult childhood to the center of New York’s political and financial elite, Woodhull battles scandal, ridicule, betrayal, and impossible odds as she fights to claim power in a world determined to silence women. Alongside her brilliant and fiercely loyal sister Tennessee, she challenges the establishment, reveals the sexual exploitation of women and young girls by wealthy, powerful New Yorkers, and risks everything to demand equality. Unstoppable: The Victoria Woodhull Story is a sweeping historical novel about ambition, resilience, and one woman’s determination to change America long before the nation was ready to listen.

HONORABLE MENTION, HOLLYWOOD BOOK AWARDS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
* Wonderfully written and magically told
* Love, love, love this book!
* Fascinating history
* Thoroughly enjoyable, can’t wait for the sequel
* A great novel about a great American: Victoria Woodhull

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED!

*Book Club Discussion Questions available on website, http://katedanaher.com*

EARLY PRAISE

Kate Danaher’s novel Unstoppable is a revelation—and I say this having written a biography of Victoria Woodhull myself. In her fictional account of this extraordinary character, Danaher combines the work of a skilled researcher with the flair of a poet to resurrect Victoria as she was, not as she has been incorrectly depicted for a century. This Victoria, Danaher’s Victoria is the true Victoria, and she is an inspiration. — Mary Gabriel, Pulitzer Prize Finalist and author of Ninth Street Women.

Kate Danaher is an exceptional researcher, writer and storyteller. Right from the opening scene, the reader is swept into the world of American’s most famous woman of 1872. Danaher writes stirring dialogue, and her use of short, active scenes moves the book along beautifully. Historical fiction has a new starring voice, and it is that of Kate Danaher. — Marion Roach Smith, The Memoir Project

Danaher accomplishes what the finest historical novelists—from Hilary Mantel to Geraldine Brooks—understand instinctively: the past becomes meaningful not when it resembles the present but when it reminds us how different intelligent, courageous people once understood the world. — Robert Rivenbark, Amazon bestselling author of The Cloud.

About the author
This is Kate Danaher’s first novel. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Delaware and is a former professor of English at Rosemont College, Pennsylvania. She is an Irish storyteller, fiddler, and a founder and emeritus board member of the Irish Heritage Theater in Philadelphia. She also performed with and served on the board of the Delaware Shakespeare Festival, and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London. Under the name Danaher and Cloud, she and her music partner, Amy Cloud Chambers, produced four Americana albums: Portraits, Late Bloomers, The Holiday Album, and the multi-award-winning album for kids, Just Kiddin’. All available on popular streaming services. An avid tennis player, she lives in Bonita Springs, Florida, with her husband, Bill Parks. They spend their summers in Troy, New York.

Kate is currently working on Volume II, Shattered, of The Victoria Woodhull Story. Volume III, Victorious, will follow that.

Redemptive Revenge by Greg Gilmartin

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1807049256

Greggilmartin.com

Carlos Quintaro is alive and he’s back!

With vengeance in his heart and PJ’s Crew in his sights… the Crew that shut down his drug empire in the mountains of Colombia. Quintaro has brought the fight to PJ McDonough’s home. On the water, in the air and the backwaters of Southern New England. Carlos has a new drug, and he is committed to expanding his empire and avenging PJ’s crew. This sequel to Greg Gilmartin’s first novel “Crew” continues the adventure with high tech machines and sailors forced to fight for

their lives, amidst the background of the Flying Foiling 50s Grand Prix in New London. The chase extends to Block Island where the forces of good must face off against one man’s evil, and find their own redemption for the murder of a teammate. Once again, Stoney, Lenny, Mickey, Dave and Kathryn are pushed to the limits of courage and friendship, by Quintaro’s evil determination. Redemptive Revenge brings together PJ’s Crew once again.

Kill or be killed? Fight or Flight? Right or wrong?

About the author
Gilmartin is a native New Yorker, born in the shadows of the parachute jump on Coney Island. Now living in Connecticut as a writer, producer and director with over 40 years experience in radio, TV and marketing. He served in the Air Force as a Russian Linguist in Germany, but only met Russians while sailing. His has worked as a car wash specialist, automotive journalist, radio DJ and award winning sports talk show host. His lowest form of celebrity came as PA Announcer for the Hartford Whalers, New England Blizzard and Hartford Wolfpack. His travel show “MysticView.TV” was broadcast on line and in hotel rooms in Southeast Connecticut, Hartford and Newport, RI for 20 years. “Castle Fires is his fourth novel and is now available along with “Can’t Sail In Jail!”, “Crew” and “Spy Island”. Keep up to date at GregGilmartin.com

Squatch in Daga by Cindy Mauro Reisenauer

https://www.amazon.com/Squatch-Daga-Cindy-Mauro-Reisenauer/dp/1954264089

Returning to the idyllic Adirondack Mountain, newlyweds Kat and Dillon Walker learn of an escalating crisis in the dense forests surrounding their Great Lake Sacandaga home. Hikers are being hunted by an unknown assailant, and a vicious attack in the nearby village is tied to unsolved area disappearances. For Dillon, whispers of monsters lurking in the nearby woods reveal a long-buried secret, jeopardizing the new life he and Kat have begun to build. Having survived last year’s shark attacks, all their hopes of a peaceful summer fade away as Kat and Dillon’s growing connection to the attacks puts them in greater peril. As the danger deepens, it falls to them to unravel this mystery before more of their loved ones fall prey to the elusive Squatch in Daga.

Life in Woke America: A Family’s Story of Truth and Betrayal Under Fire by Joel Rakow

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Woke-America-Familys-Betrayal/dp/1969572949

Lifeinwokeamerica.com

Life in Woke America: A Family’s Story of Truth and Betrayal Under Fireis more than a political thriller-it’s a powerful story of faith, family, courage, and the values that have defined generations of Americans.

When Army Private Xavier King, a foster child who grew up without a family, joins the military in search of purpose, he discovers that the greatest battles aren’t always fought overseas. After uncovering a secret Chinese bioweapon lab operating on U.S. soil, Xavier expects the system to act. Instead, he finds himself facing powerful institutions, political pressure, and moral choices that threaten everything he has worked to build.

As he fights to protect the life and love he has found with Audrey, Xavier must navigate institutional betrayal while remaining true to his principles. Blending high-stakes suspense, a tender slow-burn romance, and timely political conflict, this novel explores what happens when ordinary people are forced to defend extraordinary truths.

At its heart, Life in Woke America is a story about personal responsibility, the strength of family, the search for truth, and the courage to stand firm when convictions are tested. It captures the enduring “Great American Fight Back Spirit” through a story of redemption, patriotism, resilience, and hope.

Perfect for readers who enjoy thought-provoking political thrillers, emotionally rich character-driven fiction, and stories that challenge them to think critically, question assumptions, and draw their own conclusions.

About the author
I grew up a roofer’s son, twenty miles above the Mexican border, and a childhood patient of the local black doctor. As a Harvard Postdoctoral Fellow, I advised the Secret Service and FBI on cybersecurity, ran software development and tech companies, and coached CEO’s.

My achievements include serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for wards of the state—that inform this story’s foster-care themes—League MVP for my college baseball team, three-time winner of PC Magazine’s Product of the Year, and two-time Microsoft Partner of the Year. With six grandkids and over 50 years of married life, family and faith fuel this novel.

I envisioned this novel before writing it—the saga of a marginalized man’s defiance against the deceptions of a troubled cultural elite. Crafted for conservatives and moderates craving a tale that reflects real lives—not ideological illusions—enduring intense battles against suppression, if not extermination. Dive deeper on X @inWokeAmerica, and join the fight. Our America is fragile; truth, even in fiction, is my weapon.

Triumph Through Tragedy II by Carol Daems-Townsend https://www.amazon.com/Amuse-Philosophy-Servitude-Kristine-Lovett/dp/B0HNBW6YQL Caroldaemstownsendbooks.com This is the second book in the set. It covers two more women, inter-related to those in the first book. These two are thrown into chaos by life and find their way out to succeed beyond even their wildest dreams.