The Promotion was inspired in part by my own career in finance, and life in Brooklyn Heights and Montclair in New Jersey; and in part by my very dramatic imagination. I was the kid that would daydream in all my classes through middle school. Although this is my first fiction novel, writing has always been part of my life either through blogs, unpublished short stories and then a lot of research roles at work.

The idea for a financial thriller was born many years ago in Brooklyn heights. Not only did I have have vivid dreams of random escapades there – I would often walk around the neighborhood with my 3 boys, 2 in a double stroller and one on a scooter thinking ‘this is the perfect spot for a kidnapping’. And when I interviewed babysitters, I would wonder if the candidate was actually an uncover spy!!!That said, I have had 3 German au pairs, and no, I haven’t ever wondered whether they had a double identity 🙂

I think the world of finance provides perfect fodder for financial thrillers.

After I graduated business school, I joined the sales and trading program at a small Wall Street firm in New York. Ruth’s character in the book and meeting her husband is partly based on my own life experience. Although we didn’t work for the same firm, I met my husband while out for dinner with about eight folks from my training program.

Ruth’s career mirrors that of three very successful, senior women at the firm I worked with early on in my career. All three were very quantitative, married and rose through the ranks quickly. Similar to Ruth, one woman that I worked briefly with, left the firm at the peak of her career to become a stay at home mom. Note in real life, I am very different from Ruth professionally, my strengths are in writing, research and relationship building but we do share the same love for family and are very athletic.

John’s quest for a promotion was my way of adding drama to an already challenging situation. Because I worked mostly with men, I saw the sacrifices that were made in trying to get to the top. Some men gave up their marriages since they spent long nights and weekends working. Health became an issue for some. There was a BEVY of swearing (I chose not to include this in the book).

I wanted to highlight the nonlinear path to promotion. This is especially acute once you reach the top since the corporate world is a pyramid structure and there’s only room for a chosen few. I loved the fact that even though John had everything lined up in his favor: gender, upbringing, experience, education, looks, family, and a lot of hard work -that there could be unhidden forces at work that could preempt his ascent.

Do John and Ruth get to live their happily ever after ? Well – you would have to read the sequel to find out.

The Promotion

Like many heavy hitters on Wall Street, John is an alpha male with good looks, intellect and the tenacity to run with the big dogs. His wife, Ruth, a former investment banker now turned Stay-At Home Mom, is every bit the perfect partner.

John is steps away from achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a partner at a prestigious investment firm in New York City. When unanticipated events over the weekend put his promotion in jeopardy, he starts to question who is obstructing his career and why?

As life gets increasingly complicated, how far will John go to achieve his end and will he sacrifice his own values and those of his family to fulfill a lifelong dream?

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B079VSGGNR

Nan Dale recently moved to Montclair, New Jersey from Brooklyn in New York. When she’s not breaking up a fight among her three boys, or playing basketball with them, she hangs out with her husband, does yoga or stages Just Dance competitions with her au pair. During the day, she works full time for a financial firm. She has spent 12 years in the world of finance – in which she describes the personalities as highly entertaining.