The Devil Fights Back
Viewing comments for Chapter 18 "The Devil Fights Back - Ch. 18"Challenges in the pharmaceutical field
17 total reviews
Comment from Ric Myworld
I like the way you've slipped in the personal family settings and reconciliation. It's always nice to have a few small wins along the way in what I'm figuring to become an intense technical story at some point.
Thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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I like the way you've slipped in the personal family settings and reconciliation. It's always nice to have a few small wins along the way in what I'm figuring to become an intense technical story at some point.
Thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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It's funny how this story has evolved. I'd intended from the start to make it mainly an action/adventure type story, but as I got into the writing of it, the personal relationships began taking on a much larger role in the story. We'll be getting back to the action very soon, though.
Comment from lancellot
Nice 'temporary' conclusion for Marie, and it was good see her grandson, kind of, say grandma. Good touch with her heart growing three sizes bigger; it matches that Grinch theme. Dana is fully on board with the plan and I'm sure she will record perfect confessions for evidence against Big pharma. Good writing and editing.
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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Nice 'temporary' conclusion for Marie, and it was good see her grandson, kind of, say grandma. Good touch with her heart growing three sizes bigger; it matches that Grinch theme. Dana is fully on board with the plan and I'm sure she will record perfect confessions for evidence against Big pharma. Good writing and editing.
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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Thanks, Lance. Yeah, this is just phase 1 of Marie's education and transformation. She still has a few demons to overcome. Dana's contribution, too, won't be quite so straightforward and will require some stretching of legal bounds perhaps.
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
I have seen people do a 360 in their life, but you don't see it often. Maybe since she has a lot of time on her hands she is able to reflect. Ambition can blind you to life. My mother told me I had a wonderful voice, I had won awards for it, but she said if I wanted to be famous and be known, it would take everything I had. It would be first and last in my life. I would not have time for family, a partner, or kids. It would have to become my whole life.
Was I willing to give up everything else, to have this? I said that would not be any fun. Well then, you need to settle for being good. I am glad she was straight with me.
My mom was a smarty smart too, as was her Mom. You write well. Karen
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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I have seen people do a 360 in their life, but you don't see it often. Maybe since she has a lot of time on her hands she is able to reflect. Ambition can blind you to life. My mother told me I had a wonderful voice, I had won awards for it, but she said if I wanted to be famous and be known, it would take everything I had. It would be first and last in my life. I would not have time for family, a partner, or kids. It would have to become my whole life.
Was I willing to give up everything else, to have this? I said that would not be any fun. Well then, you need to settle for being good. I am glad she was straight with me.
My mom was a smarty smart too, as was her Mom. You write well. Karen
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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It sounds like your mother was very wise and realistic and didn't want you to waste your time on something that may lead to eventual heartbreak and a single-track life.
That's what happened to Marie, much to her detriment, and fortunately, Brian helped save Julia from such a fate. Marie is not out of the woods yet, but she's well on her way to a transformation.
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She said dreams are good things, but reality needs our attention too. She wrote poems and short stories too. Karen
Comment from Debbie D'Arcy
What a lovely farewell from Marie! I was feeling quite emotional. It often easier to remain locked into your sense of self-righteousness than, actually, face the reality of how much you've missed out on in the past. Great too that you remind the reader about the tragic loss of Fran and Brian's parents and how much they've both grown in wisdom and morality since then. Now the mission really begins and I wonder if Dana can follow Fran's advice and keep her surveillance as discreet as possible. She's effectively entering a lion's den and I imagine this is going to get quite tense and exciting. Well done, Jim on another goodie! Debbie
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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What a lovely farewell from Marie! I was feeling quite emotional. It often easier to remain locked into your sense of self-righteousness than, actually, face the reality of how much you've missed out on in the past. Great too that you remind the reader about the tragic loss of Fran and Brian's parents and how much they've both grown in wisdom and morality since then. Now the mission really begins and I wonder if Dana can follow Fran's advice and keep her surveillance as discreet as possible. She's effectively entering a lion's den and I imagine this is going to get quite tense and exciting. Well done, Jim on another goodie! Debbie
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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One thing about Marie that contrasts her to other "villains" is that she has some self-awareness and doesn't delude herself into thinking she is normal. She knows she's a bitch and not a nice person. Her transformation comes through realizing she's made some very bad assumptions as well as that somewhat inexplicable (to her) affinity towards her grandson. That combination leads to major changes for her.
Good suspicions about Dana. She's not one to sit idly around waiting for things to happen. You just know she is likely to stir the pot to get things moving.
Comment from Lana Marie
Thank you for sharing this chapter. I have not read any of the other ones, but because of the background that you wrote first, and then at the end, with all the characters, I was able to dive into this chapter and know exactly what was going on. You've done a great job, letting the reader envision the scenes, the history of some of the
relationships, the mission that is at hand and the feelings of the characters. I enjoyed this chapter. Sounds like a very good story.
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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Thank you for sharing this chapter. I have not read any of the other ones, but because of the background that you wrote first, and then at the end, with all the characters, I was able to dive into this chapter and know exactly what was going on. You've done a great job, letting the reader envision the scenes, the history of some of the
relationships, the mission that is at hand and the feelings of the characters. I enjoyed this chapter. Sounds like a very good story.
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 29-Dec-2024
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Thanks so much, Lana. I'm glad you found this chapter and enjoyed it.
If you think you might be interested in reading more and want to catch up, I had previously written a brief synopsis for a few others who recently began reading. It's a synopsis of both the previous story this one is a sequel to called Duel with the Devil as well as what has happened so far in this story which is about 1/3 of the way through at this point.
Here it is if you'd like more background:
Duel with the Devil was about a young man named Brian Kendrick, who was in an auto accident when he was 16 and was in chronic pain and became addicted to opioids. He then made it his goal to study neuroscience in college with the goal of inventing a non-addictive painkiller to cure his chronic pain. In rehab when he was 16, he meets Julia who is an extremely good violinist, who has a terrible mother and violin teacher (Dr. Marie Schmidt) who drives her to drugs because she is a cold hearted, demanding bitch.
Brian's first attempt at creating a non-addictive drug, called Dipraxa, proved to be extremely addictive at a high dose, but he fixes the problem and creates Glyptophan which, in this story, a sequel, is currently undergoing human trials, and has proven very successful so far. Brian sold a license to his former employer to manufacture the drug and earned 8 figures for it, so he is very rich now. Julia, who Brian married right after college, was a touring violinist of world fame until they decided to have a baby, and now she has a 1-year old who she stays at home with. In the meantime, she develops a love for fiddle and banjo and now plays part-time in a bluegrass band.
Brian's sister, Fran, is an FBI agent who is in charge of a mission to stop the spread of Brian's first addictive drug, Dipraxa, whose formula was stolen and given to the Chinese who now produce it and sell it in the US. It is so pleasurable and addictive that it will eventually ruin the US economy because no one who takes it will want to work after taking it.
We also meet Dana Padgett in this story who works for a Big Pharma company intent on destroying Brian's new successful drug, Glyptophan, before it takes the place of their cash cow opioids and hurts their bottom line. She meets Fran and becomes a whistleblower and a confidential informant for the FBI and reports to Fran any shenanigans she sees.
Dr. Marie Schmidt (Julia's mother) is also one of the three main characters in the story besides Fran and Dana. She and Julia were estranged for 13 years, but Julia invites her down for the Christening, and she meets little Johnny. She and Julia make up after Brian helps them with this, and the baby now creates a great pull for her to continue the relationship. The story shows the gradual transformation of Marie into a decent person.
That's about where we are now in the story. Abby Payne, who has been in most of my past stories, has joined Brian to try to figure out the way to stop the spread of Dipraxa.
This is a complicated story with 3 main plots: the attempt to stop the spread of Dipraxa, the fight against Big Pharma who wants to ruin Glyptophan, and the evolution of Marie. The three main characters will come together by the end. The story is only about 1/3 of the way through now.
Comment from Cecilia A Heiskary
Jim,
Another fine chapter of your book. It appears things are moving along nicely for all the characters. I love the way you separate the speakers throughout the book. It makes it less confusing.
Well done my friend
Cecilia
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reply by the author on 28-Dec-2024
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Jim,
Another fine chapter of your book. It appears things are moving along nicely for all the characters. I love the way you separate the speakers throughout the book. It makes it less confusing.
Well done my friend
Cecilia
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 28-Dec-2024
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Thanks so much, Cecilia. After I finish posting this novel on FanStory, I will probably make a separate chapter for each character, rather than combine several characters in one chapter with sub-headings. I do it this way to keep all my chapters between about 1,100 and 2,000 words for posting. I'm glad it isn't confusing, though.
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You're welcome and it's not confusing
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Well written.
Who do smart people go to for help, you write. In my circles (California and then Arkansas), I was the only one with a college degree, the only one with a successful business. My confidants were not educated or particularly gifted intellectually. (not that I am) One only had a 9th-grade education. But both were of immense value in terms of emotional support and common sense with respect to relationships.
Best wishes for the new year.
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reply by the author on 28-Dec-2024
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Well written.
Who do smart people go to for help, you write. In my circles (California and then Arkansas), I was the only one with a college degree, the only one with a successful business. My confidants were not educated or particularly gifted intellectually. (not that I am) One only had a 9th-grade education. But both were of immense value in terms of emotional support and common sense with respect to relationships.
Best wishes for the new year.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 28-Dec-2024
reply by the author on 28-Dec-2024
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Thanks, Wayne. In the days before the internet where you can Google just about anything and get an answer to it, I used to feel sorry for the smartest guy in our IT department. We could always go to him when we got stuck for an answer. He was such a nice guy and not at all intimidating, so people didn't hesitate to seek him out for answers, and he was always happy to help out. I was glad I wasn't in his shoes, though, because he had no one to go to when he got stuck. I don't know what he did then.
