Child Support and Other Guarantees
by Laverne Lewis Gaskins
Category: Fiction

Child Support and Other Guarantees is a romantic mystery set in modern day Alabama with the common denominator of child support binding the major characters in this novel. Jason Calliner, a tall, attractive man, with dreams of becoming the first Black CEO of Macheaux, Inc., is haunted by a childhood marred by brutal poverty that results in a deep-rooted insecurity. The devastating failure of his formula for success further compounds his inner fears and doubts. It is with this mindset, that Jason struggles to navigate the landscape of corporate America while maintaining his marriage to Olga. Olga is a Black, attractive accountant who remains steadfast in her love for Jason as she struggles to maintain a sense of balance in her professional and personal life. Unexpectedly, Olga finds herself in a vulnerable state when her relationship with Jason forces her to function without her familiar, childhood spiritual base. The couple's life unfolds through North Carolina, scenic Egypt, the cool blue water of Africa's Victoria Falls, and in their upscale home in Alabama. Throughout her life, Olga maintains the enduring support of her friends: India, Roger, Porsha, and Juan. Precious Rudd and Tamika Jefferson, as best friends, think they have crafted a perfect system to successfully manipulate life's disadvantages to their material benefit, only to suffer from their failure to acknowledge the impact of individual shortcomings on circumstances. The characters' journey through life converges as mysteries captivate the community in which they live. As an investigation looms over them, Olga and Jason's love for one another transcends their turbulent past and the uncertainty of their future.