Jon Pepper Books - Jon Pepper Books

“An enjoyably irreverent depiction of political alarmism. Satirically sharp… edifying, entertaining, and often very funny.”
Kirkus Reviews

TIME

The near future

PLACE

New York City

As activists drive climate change anxiety to further their agenda for societal change, New York suffers through rolling brownouts. Therapists hang shingles to treat unhinged young people fearing the world is coming to an end. A climate countdown clock is erected in Times Square to alert the populace to the coming doomsday.

It’s no wonder Missy has a twitch, a tic that becomes the talk of the town.

Heiress to an energy fortune built off fossil fuels, Missy Mayburn Crowe is stricken with overwhelming anxiety over what she believes is a looming “climate apocalypse.” Wracked with guilt over her family’s possible contributions to climate change, Missy develops an involuntary twitch, diagnosed by a famed TV shrink as climatosis. Exposure on television and in social media propels climatosis into a worldwide social contagion. That makes Missy a celebrity ripe for exploitation by politicians, media, and business opportunists as “proof” that the apocalypse is now.

Told with humor, insight, and brisk pacing, Missy’s Twitch offers an entertaining twist on conventional wisdom about one of the most controversial issues of our time.

JON PEPPER is a novelist, entrepreneur, and business consultant based in New York City. Missy’s Twitch is the fourth novel in his series, Fossil Feuds. Previous books were recommended by Kirkus Reviews (Green Goddess is “a rollicking ride” and Heirs on Fire is “wickedly funny”) and the New York Post (Heirs on Fire is “a clever corporate satire”).

TIME

The near future

PLACE

New York City

As activists drive climate change anxiety to further their agenda for societal change, New York suffers through rolling brownouts. Therapists hang shingles to treat unhinged young people fearing the world is coming to an end. A climate countdown clock is erected in Times Square to alert the populace to the coming doomsday.

It’s no wonder Missy has a twitch, a tic that becomes the talk of the town.

Heiress to an energy fortune built off fossil fuels, Missy Mayburn Crowe is stricken with overwhelming anxiety over what she believes is a looming “climate apocalypse.” Wracked with guilt over her family’s possible contributions to climate change, Missy develops an involuntary twitch, diagnosed by a famed TV shrink as climatosis. Exposure on television and in social media propels climatosis into a worldwide social contagion. That makes Missy a celebrity ripe for exploitation by politicians, media, and business opportunists as “proof” that the apocalypse is now.

Told with humor, insight, and brisk pacing, Missy’s Twitch offers an entertaining twist on conventional wisdom about one of the most controversial issues of our time.

JON PEPPER is a novelist, entrepreneur, and business consultant based in New York City. Missy’s Twitch is the fourth novel in his series, Fossil Feuds. Previous books were recommended by Kirkus Reviews (Green Goddess is “a rollicking ride” and Heirs on Fire is “wickedly funny”) and the New York Post (Heirs on Fire is “a clever corporate satire”).

FACTS ABOUT THE FICTION:

Date of publication: Oct. 10, 2023
Publisher: North Cove Press LLC
Distributor: IngramSpark
Paperback: $14.95, 220 pages/Hardcover $24.95/eBook $9.95
Categories: Literary fiction, satire

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Praise for Missy’s Twitch

- Ronald Paul Barmby, Author, Sunlight on Climate Change: A Heretic's Guide to Global Climate Hysteria

“I received the book just before Christmas and had trouble putting it down. It’s an excellent modern historical novel that is engaging with a satirical expose of the prominent culprits. My biggest chuckle was his ability to match the real world’s mainstream media’s ever-escalating pending climate disasters. While making the reader laugh at the absurdity of it all, the realization that this is actually happening now is sobering; and I think that was Jon’s mission with Missy.”

- Dr. Steven Koonin, author of the best-selling book on climate science, Unsettled

“An easy and enjoyable read that I suspect will also be educational for many. Great wry capture of current stereotypes, as well as some barely disguised personalities currently in the news. It’s as though Ayn Rand and Gary Shteyngart had collaborated to write a story about climate and energy.”

- Kirkus Reviews

“An enjoyably irreverent depiction of political alarmism. Pepper’s plot is satirically sharp and wittily portrays how opportunistic cynicism can drive fearmongering, and the hypocrisy of those who publicly express their fears while privately refusing to curb reckless, indulgent behavior…. A generally thoughtful work that’s edifying, entertaining, and often very funny.”

- Thomas Richard, Editor, Climate Change Dispatch

“I enjoyed Missy’s Twitch immensely, even if it was more fact than fiction. It’s very engaging with likeable protagonists and some truly backbiting ‘villains.’ Dialogue was crisp and characters engaging. I’m mightily impressed.”

- Charles Rotter, Editor, Watts Up With That

“An amusing and enjoyable read that’s very funny in places. Extremely topical, with a story that represents things as they are happening today without straying too much from reality. It brings to life the mental stresses of young people bombarded daily with doomsday messages about the climate. It’s no wonder so many of them are seeking therapy.”

Fossil Feuds

The Fossil Feuds series centers around the founding family behind the century-old Crowe Power Company as they fight to maintain control of the firm.

A Turn in Fortune

Crowe Power Company chairman Robbie Crowe attempts to oust his CEO to grab credit for the company’s success and impress his critics. (2018)

More Information

Heirs on Fire

Everything in Robbie Crowe’s life is teetering toward disaster: his company, his marriage, and his reputation. His big fix could make matters worse. (2020)

More Information

Green Goddess

The first female leader in the company’s long history struggles to transition the firm from fossil fuels to green energy. (2022)

More Information

Welcome!

A chapter in Missy’s Twitch has Missy and her friends playing a drinking game as they watch the news on TV. It calls for them to guzzle a shot of tequila followed by a hard seltzer chaser every time reporters mention “climate change,” “climate emergency,” “climate catastrophe,” or “climate apocalypse.” Given the frequency with which climate is mentioned in news coverage, it was a recipe for getting hammered.

Whether you agree with the most ardent climate activists or not, you must give them credit for creating a cadence of climate alarm that permeates public life and influences the way we live, the cars we drive, the appliances we use. Whether that makes sense or not is questionable. What’s not in question is that it’s effective.

As the young heiress to a fossil fuels fortune, Missy feels the effects of this campaign acutely—even when she’s not downing shots of tequila. She and the family’s century-old business, the Crowe Power Company, are squarely in the middle of one of the great issues of our time. I hope you find reading about their journey both entertaining and illuminating.

Enjoy!

Readers Say…

- Patricia H. Campbell | Fossil Feuds series

“One of the things I like best about this series is I feel I know the characters. A goal for me this summer is to binge re-read all three.”

- Dave K | Green Goddess

“Jon has a great sense of humor and plays off all the craziness going on in the energy industry. I highly recommend this entertaining book….”

- The Bubblegum Review | A Turn in Fortune

“This is a light, fun, hilarious read about corporate shenanigans and buffoonery; I snickered and smirked with a dirty sense of delight every night reading it.”

- Intractable Reader | Heirs on Fire

“Just as Joseph Heller took us inside the absurdities of the military, this book takes us inside the craziness of the corporate American. Told with great insights and wit, this is a book that is impossible to put down.”

- Amazon Customer | A Turn in Fortune

“Beautifully told story of the games people play in corporate America. Insightful without taking itself seriously. A fun read that never gets silly. Found myself highlighting or bookmarking well-written passages regularly. Enjoyable read that left me wanting another 30 pages.”

- Christine L. | A Turn in Fortune

“A fun and fascinating insight into the corporate world. Beautifully written with well-crafted characters and a wonderful story line.”

- Kirkus Reviews | Heirs on Fire

“This satire of industrial fortune and family money brims with wickedly funny moments and offers readers plenty of memorable characters. There are also many laugh-out-loud scenes.”

- Reading in Tucson | Heirs on Fire

“The story moved along with great characters and you’ll find yourself cheering at the conclusion.”

- C J Tennyson | Heirs on Fire

“The saga of the Crowe family business empire provides laughs on every page. Pepper’s understanding of the corporate world makes his characters as authentic as they are farcical. Great read and a great escape.”

- William G. Abbatt | Heirs on Fire

“A gifted communicator, Pepper’s way with words shows in the text and even in the Chapter headings… Pepper write(s) insightfully and often hilariously in this genre. Heirs engages and challenges.”

- Nolan Finley, Detroit News | Green Goddess

“It’s a dandy.”

Get in touch with Jon:

jon@jonpepperbooks.com

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