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Marion Stein

Marion Stein

About

Marion Stein is a native New Yorker who returned to her hometown in September 2001 after living many other places. She has an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence as well as an MSW from Hunter College. Marion's careers have included crisis clinician, teacher, tarot card reader, grant writer and temp. She is an avid blogger and the author of The Death Trip and Loisaida -- A New York Story.  She is currently working on an expansion of her novella, Hungry Ghosts which was shortlisted for the 32nd annual 3-Day Novel Contest.

Commitment

Commitment

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Description

<p>It’s hard to be committed to anyone when you don’t know whom to trust.</p><p>Alexis Toles, a former FBI agent turned undercover CIA agent, is quickly finding that out in Nancy Ann Healy’s newest political thriller, <i>Commitment</i>.</p><p>Alex embeds in a secret organization of intelligence operatives known as The Collaborative. Its partners include operatives from the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI, US Department of Defense, and an entanglement of foreign intelligence agencies.</p><p>It’s about half a year after the death of President John Merrow, a friend and someone she respected. But she remains committed to overthrowing The Collaborative as she works with a onetime adversary who believes the organization’s involved in the president’s death.</p><p>Meanwhile Alex; her wife, Cassidy O’Brien; and Cassidy’s son try hard to live as a family but must first overcome personal struggles, including a nasty custody battle with Cassidy’s ex-husband, Congressman Christopher O’Brien. The family has their own share of secrets that, if unleashed, could affect their hopes for the future.</p><p>There’s no place to turn without discovering people who are not who they claim to be. That can’t stop Alex. She must remain committed to the cause, both at home and as she works against The Collaborative.</p>

Story Behind The Book

The Death Trip was originally written for the 3 Day Novel Contest. I want to explore questions about end of life and the choices we make. I'm a big fan of The Matrix, especially the first film, and The Death Trip is an exploration of the question -- if given the choice between a reality of death and suffering or a dream of an idealized existence, which would you choose?

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Reviews

<div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <span style="margin-right:5px;"><span class="swSprite s_star_5_0"><span>5.0 out of 5 stars</span></span> </span> <span style="vertical-align:middle;"><strong>Perfection in Novella Form</strong>, December 1, 2009</span> </div> <div style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">By </td><td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A99HBVQL5ST66/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">Nautiknitter<span class="swSprite s_chevron custPopRight"></span></span></span></a> (CA) - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A99HBVQL5ST66/ref=cm_cr_dp_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&amp;sort_by=MostRecentReview">See all my reviews</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="tiny" style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <span class="crVerifiedStripe"><strong class="h3Color tiny" style="margin-right:.5em;">Amazon Verified Purchase</strong><span class="tiny verifyWhatsThis">(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/amazon-verified-purchase">What's this?</a>)</span></span> </div> <div class="tiny" style="margin-bottom:.5em;"> <strong><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span>The Death Trip (Kindle Edition)</strong> </div> I downloaded the sample of this short story/novella and was immediately hooked. For 99 cents, it was a no-brainer to buy. The author does an excellent job of quickly developing the characters and their relationships while moving the story along at a good clip. The plot touches on very sensitive topics, and shows both sides of the issues fairly equitably, though there's clearly a bias in the end. And the ending was perfection. I look forward to reading more of Marion Stein's work! <strong>Review by: </strong> <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DutchMom">C </a><br /><br /><strong>From Smashwords readers:</strong><br /><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DutchMom">Koeber</a> on Dec. 01, 2009 : <img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><br /> Excellent story on a compelling subject. The story is eerily believable, and the author clearly has a solid knowledge of end of life dilemma. I have worked in the hospice field for many, many years and found this book riveting, funny and poignant. Not usually a sci-fi fan, but thoroughly enjoyed this. Five stars!<br /><br /><strong>Review by: </strong> <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/pdallen">PD Allen</a> on Nov. 20, 2009 : <img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><img src="http://www.smashwords.com/static/img/star.png" alt="star" /><br /> Grim story, the last third is pretty intense. The author has developed some intriguing ideas about medicine, the pharmaceutical industry, and consumer culture. She has an adequate knowledge of pharmacology and ethnobotanics. I love a good corporate conspiracy, and this one is very well-done, making possible some interesting statements about the modern world in which we live. The ending presents the main character with a tremendous dilemma.