VISALIA – Opinions about leadership in the U.S. government are many. Regardless of political leanings, almost everyone agrees that our government is corrupt at all levels and that power-brokers are calling the shots. “I wanted to write a story of hope that just might get the attention of a disheartened country,” says Visalia author and writing coach, Terry Stafford.
Terry Stafford
Author
In Stafford’s new novel, Kéntro (which means the center in Greek), we are introduced to the character Brandon McStocker who, after the tragic death of his boss, is thrust into leading the most ambitious project ever undertaken by a country. The Harvard MBA and highly sought-after project manager hardly considers himself worthy of supporting the President of the United States on such a monumental endeavor.
Forced to overcome his weakness and self-doubt, Brandon must rise to a new calling. Outraged and exhausted by political corruption, the citizens are demanding that the nation’s capital be stripped of the lawless power-brokers who control it.
Brandon puts those closest to him in harm’s way when he shares the president’s unshaken commitment to building a new city across 20 square miles in the middle of nowhere. “Think…Dubai.” He must trust his team completely to avoid the largest project failure in human history. But can he?
The novel provides a window into what it might look like when a U.S. president gains unprecedented bipartisan support through a constitutional amendment, to move the nation’s capital to the geographic center of the continental United States. A move led by an accidental project manager from temporary offices at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. A new city is built on 20 square miles in the middle of nowhere northwest of there, near Lebanon. “Think Dubai.”
This is the first installment in the author’s new Brandon McStocker Series. Why this story? Why now? Studies show that 44 percent of Americans believe that corruption is pervasive. Almost 7 out of 10 people believe the government is failing to fight corruption. Fifty-five percent gave fear of retaliation as the main reason not to report corruption. Yet, 74 percent said ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption. These real-world statistics provide the backdrop for this story.
Terry Stafford is a senior project manager, author, and writing coach, helping others to get their words on paper and published. He is also the founder of The Joy Seekers Project, a movement to help people clear clutter and gain clarity to pursue their dreams. His first novel, Strings of Faith, is a musical journey of pain, friendship, and restoration. Terry lives with his wife, Gail, in California’s Central Valley, near Visalia.
