L.C. Evans loves to write. She grew up in Florida and now lives in North Carolina with her husband Bob and their three dogs. Occasionally there is a sighting around their home of a certain neurotic cat that may or may not be a part of the Evans household. Though L.C. is the author of many published mystery stories and children’s stories, Jobless Recovery is her first published novel. Written in 2004 and published in 2005, the book was a response to the corporate rush to outsourcing and insourcing that–in Ms. Evans mind–threatened the American economy. Many of the events she wrote about have since come true, including massive layoffs and mortgage foreclosures.

Other novels by this author include the horse lovers mystery, Talented Horsewoman, and the soon to be published Night Camp, a children’s vampire tale.

A Satirical Look at Corporate Greed

Dave Griffin thinks he has it made–beautiful girlfriend, computer programming job, and all the benefits that come with middle class life in America. Then Dave’s employer callously decides to replace American computer programmers with a combination of offshore and imported labor in order to increase company profits. Now Dave is out on the street and can’t find even a minimum wage job. But Dave still believes in the system. All he has to do is bring the problem to the attention of the media and the people in Washington to get results. But his agitating only deepens his trouble.

At the same time, Dave’s friend Joe Tremaine, a former FBI agent who lost his job after suffering a devastating head injury, is struggling to pay for his medicine and help his daughter. Cynical Joe knows better than to trust anyone in Washington or in corporate America. He embroils Dave in his fraudulent money-making schemes, and when Joe decides to educate the powerful senator who has been the driving factor in eliminating American jobs, his plan goes terribly wrong. Dave is the only one who can help, but helping will force him to choose who and what he cares for. Can an unemployed computer jockey manage to keep Joe-and himself–out of jail? Or will the oddly-shaped bundle in the back of Joe’s truck spell major trouble for both of them?

Book Excerpt:

Senator Drake’s fixed smile remained in place, but Dave saw the muscles around his right eye start twitching as if they’d been hooked up to a battery. “Well,” the Senator said. He paused to wave his arms, revealing patches of damp around his armpits. “Clearly, our educational system has failed to prepare American workers to compete, by golly it has. Until taxpayers vote for the dollars to upgrade our workers’ skills, we’ve got to import people to maintain American tech superiority. Why, I’ve just introduced a new bill that asks for increased funding for education. Those tech workers who want jobs, those who want to work instead of complain, will take advantage of the training, so they’ll have employment even during the current jobless recovery. I’m tired of racist American tech workers complaining when people from China or India get the jobs Americans can’t do.”
Dave rocketed out of his chair, flapping his sandwich back and forth like a cardboard church fan.  “You weasel. You lying dog. You put us out of work and then you have the gall to tell us to stop whining because we’re having a jobless recovery? What the hell is a jobless recovery anyway? Excuse me, while I run down to the bank and deposit my moneyless paycheck.” He clamped down hard on his sandwich and bit his finger. He howled and shook his hand. Chunks of ham plopped on the floor.

Learn more about L.C. Evans and her books at Jobless Recovery.

Tags: Authors, economy, jobs, novel