Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Borders and Hasting Book Stores are not Independent
January 10, 2005 (Press Release) --
The Author
The woman behind the computer is compact, petite and possessed of a certain seen-it-all attitude that well-applied makeup cannot hide. Remember the beautiful blonde star of the TV series, "Family Ties?" In her high-heel boots and turtle-neck sweater, Sydney Newman Dotson resembles the beautiful actress Meredith Baxter-Birney that we all know and love.
She's smart and sassy, yet tough and literate. Sydney Newman Dotson, better known as the author of, "No Greater Deception, a True Texas Story" - a series of books about her family, identity theft, a forged last will and testament and a stepmother who is possibly a black widow serial killer - is in town for a couple of days.
In three short years Dotson, 53, has become one of the most sought after identity theft experts and motivational speakers in the country. Her books have quickly become case studies for the FBI, attorneys, detectives and criminal profilers. More than 10,000 copies of her first book were purchased in the United States alone.
She is in Houston to sign her book, to meet her armies of admirers and to counter a small group of critics who claim her stepmother is not the evil woman as described in her first book.
By 1 p.m. - an hour before the author starts signing autographs - the line of men and women is stretched out the front door of the bookstore and down the block. Having previously read Dotson's action thriller, some of the fans picked up on the author's favorite dessert and have baked a pecan pie in her honor.
Before venturing out into this group just wild about her true story, she sips on a "café latte mocha" from a Styrofoam cup and thinks about how life has changed. And the ways in which it hasn't. Life three years ago was very different.
Her Destiny
Dotson knows about following a dream. From the time she was 6, she knew she liked reading and writing. "I loved reading the short stories in the Reader's Digest when it arrived in the mail. I even entered a couple of their art and writing contests. But my stories weren't selected," she said.
A bright student, Sydney attended public schools near the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston with children of the astronauts. She was a full-time mom to two sons while attempting to complete her education at a number of community colleges. When she finally earned her bachelor's degree in sociology, she was also working an internship at a juvenile probation department and as a volunteer fundraiser for several state and local political candidates she believed in.
She wrote a lot of stories as a child and while in college, but never attempted to have them published.
She continued to read and write, first on a typewriter, then later on a computer. Although she dreamed of working for the White House, State Department or CIA, her husband, at the time, insisted they must live in Texas. But this Type-A overachiever didn't let the geographic restriction hold her back.
She viewed the invention of the Internet as a miracle and answer to her thirst for knowledge as a fundraiser and corporate information officer at EDS and IBM. She soaked up knowledge like a sponge and distributed high-level strategic information to the chairman, officers and senior executives. She was a sought after sales, marketing and deal making expert in many areas, including business intelligence, industry analysis, relationship management and leadership development.
Her peers included Michael Porter, Tom Peters and Michael Hammer whose books she proudly displayed on her bookshelves. In her spare time, she practiced her golf stroke and eventually played on two ladies professional tours, including the LPGA Futures Tour.
Around the time her father was diagnosed with acute leukemia in Texas, she was at the peak of her career at IBM. She left that job to return to Texas and spend more time with him. When he died in 2000, she was working for Compaq and managing a large sales force in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Little did she know that her career would take a turn in a different direction.
Seeking justice on her father's behalf became her full-time job when she learned her stepmother was out to disinherit her and her five brothers and sisters. She left her job at Compaq to continue to pursue her father's last wishes, and locate an author to write a biography about her family's experience with identity theft, forgery and a suspected black widow serial killer. She mailed her one-page summary or overview of the events to Ann Rule who promptly told her she didn't need her. The author told her she was gifted and must write her own book.
She contacted many agents and publishers to no avail. It seemed that one had to be married to, related to, or sleeping with them to be successful. But she didn't allow their rejections to stand in her way. As rejection letters began to fill her mailbox, she pondered over where to start, what to put in the first chapter. It wasn't for a lack of dramatic events that stood in her way of writing the opening scene.
In fact, most families don't experience the number of house burnings, insurance scams, forgeries and mysterious deaths that her family experienced. So, when she identified the one single event that gave her and her sister the strength to continue their investigation, the words began to flow like wine out of a fine pitcher.
When she raised up take a breath four weeks later and inform her sister about her writing, she found she had written over 200 pages and was only halfway through their story. It was then that her sister volunteered to be her first editor.
The second time she stopped to call her sister, the document was up to 400 pages. When all was said and done, she found she had written 600 pages in three months. After a professional editor was called in to transform the rough stone into a polished diamond, she re-approached several of the agents and publishers with the news.
Upon receiving a second rejection, she decided to form her own publishing company and self-publish the book without them. Today, her first book, "No Greater Deception, A True Texas Story," is available on over 360 websites in 22 countries, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. It's the #1 best-selling true crime autobiography, true crime biography, women outlaws biography, and personal criminal memoirs.
While she's marketing her first book to major publishers and movie producers, she's writing a second book with plans for a third book to complete the trilogy. She's managed to knock down a number of barriers and has received some measure of success, but will not stop until her book is optioned. A 6-figure deal with a major publisher and film studio would definitely "make her day." A motion picture and follow-up TV Series should follow.
Adoring Fans
This is how zealous folks are for "No Greater Deception" and its creator who is often referred to as a corporate spy. Barnes & Noble and Borders Bookstores were not prepared to meet the demand for this tell-all book written by a local Galveston County deputy sheriff's daughter. Customers were often told the book is "not in stock" or "not available." They didn't let that stop them. They later nabbed a copy on Barnes and Noble.com.
"It's a real-life Texas Soap Opera of Love, Death, Betrayal and Justice," says Liz Carpenter, author and Lady Bird Johnson's WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary.
"I want to find out if her father had anything to do with the JFK assassination," said a Dallas man.
A woman Dotson’s hometown said, "I can't wait to read this book. I think I will be able to figure out her father's real name."
"Every law enforcement officer and detective should read this book," said a Louisiana private investigator.
"I've suspected for a long time that my stepmother forged my father's will and killed him. I'm hoping this book will give me some tips as to what I should do," says a woman in North Carolina who discovered Dotson's book on Barnes and Noble.com.
"Her spy work is phenomenal. She's a female James Bond," says a Tallahassee radio anchor.
And the Not-So-Adoring
One of Dotson's most terrifying characters is the sinister stepmother, Betty. She is the embodiment of pure evil. To some readers, she's a stepchild's worst nightmare. How she got away with her crimes astonishes everyone who hears about her.
"The Texas Justice System needs to be reformed. Incompetent attorneys should not be allowed to practice law. Practicing without malpractice insurance should be a felony," says a Houston attorney.
"The Judge should have insisted of a change of venue," said a forensic handwriting expert. "She did this case a terrible injustice."
Interestingly, one of Dotson's goals may come to fruition. The Texas State Bar Association and Houston Bar Association are reviewing Dotson's book to identify areas for improvement.
Even though her book has become a bestseller, major bookstores are not placing her book on their shelves yet.
"We only stock books by major publishers that are approved by our corporate headquarters," says a Barnes & Noble store manager. But she later ordered 6 books from Dotson's publisher.
"I'm sorry. We don't conduct book-signings for self-published authors," says a Borders store manager.
On an odd note, the author's stepmother has an army of supportive elderly friends on her side.
"It's all lies. I don't think she did those things. I've known her for a long time. She and I go to the same church together," said a gift shop owner in Kemah.
"I know more than I'm telling those girls (referring to Sydney and her sister Heather). I could help them more, but I can't. I don't want to hurt Betty's feelings," says a deputy sheriff's wife. The officer's wives club stands by members regardless of their dastardly deeds.
Happy Ending
Sydney Newman Dotson is following her dream and no one is going to get in the way. The next two books have been outlined. Random House, Lifetime TV, Benderspink and two independent film producers have contacted her about her book and film rights. She is holding out for a major film studio deal from MGM, Miramax, Paramount, Universal or Warner Bros.
In the meantime, she is busy with writing and book tours. She is often engaged as a guest speaker by law enforcement agencies, retirement communities and conventions.
Her life has changed, she said with a smile. "I don't have to get up at 6 a.m. every day to go to work. Now I can work all night and sleep in the mornings." She laughs. "Honestly, I miss the steady income, but I firmly believe I'm on the brink of becoming a successful author and screenwriter."
The biggest thing is her sense of optimism. She has been touched by the most astonishing magic. There is no chance she will settle for a 9 to 5 job again. She is going to follow her principles and do what she thinks she is supposed to do.
Write.
The woman behind the computer is compact, petite and possessed of a certain seen-it-all attitude that well-applied makeup cannot hide. Remember the beautiful blonde star of the TV series, "Family Ties?" In her high-heel boots and turtle-neck sweater, Sydney Newman Dotson resembles the beautiful actress Meredith Baxter-Birney that we all know and love.
She's smart and sassy, yet tough and literate. Sydney Newman Dotson, better known as the author of, "No Greater Deception, a True Texas Story" - a series of books about her family, identity theft, a forged last will and testament and a stepmother who is possibly a black widow serial killer - is in town for a couple of days.
In three short years Dotson, 53, has become one of the most sought after identity theft experts and motivational speakers in the country. Her books have quickly become case studies for the FBI, attorneys, detectives and criminal profilers. More than 10,000 copies of her first book were purchased in the United States alone.
She is in Houston to sign her book, to meet her armies of admirers and to counter a small group of critics who claim her stepmother is not the evil woman as described in her first book.
By 1 p.m. - an hour before the author starts signing autographs - the line of men and women is stretched out the front door of the bookstore and down the block. Having previously read Dotson's action thriller, some of the fans picked up on the author's favorite dessert and have baked a pecan pie in her honor.
Before venturing out into this group just wild about her true story, she sips on a "café latte mocha" from a Styrofoam cup and thinks about how life has changed. And the ways in which it hasn't. Life three years ago was very different.
Her Destiny
Dotson knows about following a dream. From the time she was 6, she knew she liked reading and writing. "I loved reading the short stories in the Reader's Digest when it arrived in the mail. I even entered a couple of their art and writing contests. But my stories weren't selected," she said.
A bright student, Sydney attended public schools near the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston with children of the astronauts. She was a full-time mom to two sons while attempting to complete her education at a number of community colleges. When she finally earned her bachelor's degree in sociology, she was also working an internship at a juvenile probation department and as a volunteer fundraiser for several state and local political candidates she believed in.
She wrote a lot of stories as a child and while in college, but never attempted to have them published.
She continued to read and write, first on a typewriter, then later on a computer. Although she dreamed of working for the White House, State Department or CIA, her husband, at the time, insisted they must live in Texas. But this Type-A overachiever didn't let the geographic restriction hold her back.
She viewed the invention of the Internet as a miracle and answer to her thirst for knowledge as a fundraiser and corporate information officer at EDS and IBM. She soaked up knowledge like a sponge and distributed high-level strategic information to the chairman, officers and senior executives. She was a sought after sales, marketing and deal making expert in many areas, including business intelligence, industry analysis, relationship management and leadership development.
Her peers included Michael Porter, Tom Peters and Michael Hammer whose books she proudly displayed on her bookshelves. In her spare time, she practiced her golf stroke and eventually played on two ladies professional tours, including the LPGA Futures Tour.
Around the time her father was diagnosed with acute leukemia in Texas, she was at the peak of her career at IBM. She left that job to return to Texas and spend more time with him. When he died in 2000, she was working for Compaq and managing a large sales force in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. Little did she know that her career would take a turn in a different direction.
Seeking justice on her father's behalf became her full-time job when she learned her stepmother was out to disinherit her and her five brothers and sisters. She left her job at Compaq to continue to pursue her father's last wishes, and locate an author to write a biography about her family's experience with identity theft, forgery and a suspected black widow serial killer. She mailed her one-page summary or overview of the events to Ann Rule who promptly told her she didn't need her. The author told her she was gifted and must write her own book.
She contacted many agents and publishers to no avail. It seemed that one had to be married to, related to, or sleeping with them to be successful. But she didn't allow their rejections to stand in her way. As rejection letters began to fill her mailbox, she pondered over where to start, what to put in the first chapter. It wasn't for a lack of dramatic events that stood in her way of writing the opening scene.
In fact, most families don't experience the number of house burnings, insurance scams, forgeries and mysterious deaths that her family experienced. So, when she identified the one single event that gave her and her sister the strength to continue their investigation, the words began to flow like wine out of a fine pitcher.
When she raised up take a breath four weeks later and inform her sister about her writing, she found she had written over 200 pages and was only halfway through their story. It was then that her sister volunteered to be her first editor.
The second time she stopped to call her sister, the document was up to 400 pages. When all was said and done, she found she had written 600 pages in three months. After a professional editor was called in to transform the rough stone into a polished diamond, she re-approached several of the agents and publishers with the news.
Upon receiving a second rejection, she decided to form her own publishing company and self-publish the book without them. Today, her first book, "No Greater Deception, A True Texas Story," is available on over 360 websites in 22 countries, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com. It's the #1 best-selling true crime autobiography, true crime biography, women outlaws biography, and personal criminal memoirs.
While she's marketing her first book to major publishers and movie producers, she's writing a second book with plans for a third book to complete the trilogy. She's managed to knock down a number of barriers and has received some measure of success, but will not stop until her book is optioned. A 6-figure deal with a major publisher and film studio would definitely "make her day." A motion picture and follow-up TV Series should follow.
Adoring Fans
This is how zealous folks are for "No Greater Deception" and its creator who is often referred to as a corporate spy. Barnes & Noble and Borders Bookstores were not prepared to meet the demand for this tell-all book written by a local Galveston County deputy sheriff's daughter. Customers were often told the book is "not in stock" or "not available." They didn't let that stop them. They later nabbed a copy on Barnes and Noble.com.
"It's a real-life Texas Soap Opera of Love, Death, Betrayal and Justice," says Liz Carpenter, author and Lady Bird Johnson's WHITE HOUSE Press Secretary.
"I want to find out if her father had anything to do with the JFK assassination," said a Dallas man.
A woman Dotson’s hometown said, "I can't wait to read this book. I think I will be able to figure out her father's real name."
"Every law enforcement officer and detective should read this book," said a Louisiana private investigator.
"I've suspected for a long time that my stepmother forged my father's will and killed him. I'm hoping this book will give me some tips as to what I should do," says a woman in North Carolina who discovered Dotson's book on Barnes and Noble.com.
"Her spy work is phenomenal. She's a female James Bond," says a Tallahassee radio anchor.
And the Not-So-Adoring
One of Dotson's most terrifying characters is the sinister stepmother, Betty. She is the embodiment of pure evil. To some readers, she's a stepchild's worst nightmare. How she got away with her crimes astonishes everyone who hears about her.
"The Texas Justice System needs to be reformed. Incompetent attorneys should not be allowed to practice law. Practicing without malpractice insurance should be a felony," says a Houston attorney.
"The Judge should have insisted of a change of venue," said a forensic handwriting expert. "She did this case a terrible injustice."
Interestingly, one of Dotson's goals may come to fruition. The Texas State Bar Association and Houston Bar Association are reviewing Dotson's book to identify areas for improvement.
Even though her book has become a bestseller, major bookstores are not placing her book on their shelves yet.
"We only stock books by major publishers that are approved by our corporate headquarters," says a Barnes & Noble store manager. But she later ordered 6 books from Dotson's publisher.
"I'm sorry. We don't conduct book-signings for self-published authors," says a Borders store manager.
On an odd note, the author's stepmother has an army of supportive elderly friends on her side.
"It's all lies. I don't think she did those things. I've known her for a long time. She and I go to the same church together," said a gift shop owner in Kemah.
"I know more than I'm telling those girls (referring to Sydney and her sister Heather). I could help them more, but I can't. I don't want to hurt Betty's feelings," says a deputy sheriff's wife. The officer's wives club stands by members regardless of their dastardly deeds.
Happy Ending
Sydney Newman Dotson is following her dream and no one is going to get in the way. The next two books have been outlined. Random House, Lifetime TV, Benderspink and two independent film producers have contacted her about her book and film rights. She is holding out for a major film studio deal from MGM, Miramax, Paramount, Universal or Warner Bros.
In the meantime, she is busy with writing and book tours. She is often engaged as a guest speaker by law enforcement agencies, retirement communities and conventions.
Her life has changed, she said with a smile. "I don't have to get up at 6 a.m. every day to go to work. Now I can work all night and sleep in the mornings." She laughs. "Honestly, I miss the steady income, but I firmly believe I'm on the brink of becoming a successful author and screenwriter."
The biggest thing is her sense of optimism. She has been touched by the most astonishing magic. There is no chance she will settle for a 9 to 5 job again. She is going to follow her principles and do what she thinks she is supposed to do.
Write.
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