Under the Influence - Paperback

by Jean W. Garner (Author)

What happens when two social media megastars, Juan Martinez and Kay Kent, get caught up in the world of a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch and a dangerous Russian con man?

Juan is dashing, clever and has a winning smile. He stumbled, badly, and had to drop out of law school loaded with a mountain of debt. His aunt, Kay, is an award winning ex-TV producer, who was ousted for the sin of aging. They decide their best revenge is success. With his on-camera charisma and her media smarts, they create an online sensation, Sigma Alpha Guy and take the digital world by storm. They jet set to the glitziest and most exclusive destinations, transforming not just their fortunes, but the viral cyber-scape as well.

Abruptly, it's a real virus that strands them in Prague. When a global pandemic locks them down in this European idyll, they struggle to keep their business afloat. While exploring the city's foggy streets and old world cafes, they are quickly charmed by the city's Bohemian allure and the eclectic ex-pats who call it home. With their trajectory now skittering in an unexpected direction they both end up tumbling into romance. Kay's creative juices get a jolt when she meets Paul, the introspective and charming magazine editor. Juan becomes entranced by Ivana, a dazzling Ukrainian art student. She also happens to be the granddaughter of a powerful oligarch in Kyiv. He's a master manipulator, but the pandemic has put his empire at risk.

Before long, Juan and Kay get ensnared in mayhem and chaos. It becomes a warped fairytale that sees them hunting down a priceless icon, being chased by gangsters across Prague's cobblestone streets, all while trying to help Ivana save her mobster family from the clutches of a maniacal grifter trying to influence them all.

If they manage to survive, their story will kill on TikTok.