Set in the American Midwest in the early 1980s, Priscilla's father has taught her, by example, how to deal effectively with issues of racism, and politics, too. And although she is of mixed race (African/British/Choctaw on her father's side and African/Irish/Cherokee on her mother's side), she is regarded as black in America.
Priscilla has just begun her faculty post at Florida A&M University, where she teaches political science, when her father asks her to relocate closer to home, (Prendergast, New York). She contacts an Ohio state senator for whom she once performed an internship during her graduate studies at The Ohio State University. He offers her a job as his legislative aide. She accepts. The story takes off.
Like a primer, "Priscilla" takes a deep look at the forces which made her what she is: her family's roots in highly-segregated Mississippi, her upbringing in upstate New York where subtle racism leaves its scars despite her loving father's protection, a campus date rape that leaves her with unhealed wounds and, a scintillating season as a high-powered legislative aide in a life-altering political scandal.
About the Author :
M. J. Simms-Maddox, Ph.D., is the creator of the Priscilla Trilogy: Priscilla Engaging in the Game of Politics, Mystery in Harare: Priscilla's Journey into Southern Africa (a 2019 CLUE Book Award finalist for thriller/suspense in the Chanticleer International Book Awards), and Three Metal Pellets. With the publication of Special Envoy 1, the collection has become a series. The author was born in Clio, South Carolina, and grew up in the Snowbelt of western New York. She earned her doctorate in political science from The Ohio State University, has served as a legislative aide in the Ohio Senate, operated a PR firm, and taught political science intermittently from 1978 to 2020. MJ found her passion for writing somewhat late in her life and has been writing fiction, mostly thrillers, since 1999.
Review :
"The author weaves a tale that puts you right in the throes of Ohio politics and in the midst of a stoic family enduring all the trials and tribulations of life. The author is a true storyteller who keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering how the major character will handle issues with her family, personal life or pressures of developing a career in academia or politics. There are many mysteries in Priscilla's young life. This was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience."
Laura A. Johnson, Director of Library Services, Livingstone College, Andrew Carnegie Library
"I read Priscilla Engaging in the Game of Politics by M. J. Simms-Maddox, in two days because I could barely put it down. The protagonist is so well developed that she nearly comes alive. Moreover, the author's juxtaposition of family conflict with conflict in the political arena keeps the reader engrossed, and the plot twists and turns create just enough intrigue without giving anything away. This book will leave you impatiently waiting for the next chapter in the protagonist's life: book two of the Priscilla trilogy.
Donna Girouard, author of "The Other Side: Closing the Door" and "Felix Finds a Fur-ever Family"
