January 2018 Book of the Month
It’s News To Me by Olga Campos Benz
Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN-10: 1540712478
ISBN-13: 978-1540712479
SYNOPSIS:
Life in television news is not as glamorous, exciting or entertaining as viewers might think. At least it’s not for anchor-reporter Marissa Cavelo who is tired of being typecast as a feature reporter. There are only so many ribbon-cutting ceremonies a reporter can handle without going insane! Marissa is determined to break a big exclusive story to prove she’s a serious broadcast journalist. She also hopes to grab the attention of a national talent scout who’s searching for the next network news anchor. While out on yet another “fluff’ story, Marissa stumbles upon breaking news and the “live” coverage unexpectedly propels her career forward, but it also angers a violent criminal who has a longstanding vendetta against Marissa’s family. Her bumbling bosses and competitive colleagues don’t want her to succeed for their own selfish reasons, so in an attempt to stop her quick rise to fame, the executive producer hands Marisa an impossible assignment – one she is guaranteed to fail.
Marissa tackles the tough assignment while maneuvering the crazy, often hilarious world of local television news at KATX-TV in Austin, Texas. As she digs up dirt on a bogus money-making operation, Marissa finds herself sexually drawn to her handsome partner/photographer. At the same time, she is pulled further away from her twin sister who hates being in the expanding shadow of her celebrity sibling. It turns out Marissa’s twin sister is living a secret life that puts both women in danger leaving Marissa forced to use her investigative reporting skills to either save her sister or expose her enemies with cameras rolling. Either way, Marissa risks her shot at becoming a network anchor. Fortunately for the fans of this savvy Latina, her sarcastic humor and the perfect margarita are always free flowing in “It’s News to Me”!
BIO:
Olga Campos Benz is one of the most honored anchor/reporters ever to grace the Texas airwaves. A University of Texas graduate, Olga spent more than 30 years covering the biggest news stories in Houston, Corpus Christi and Austin, Texas. Following her retirement as a broadcast journalist in 2010, Olga enjoyed a smooth transition into an arena she knows well thanks to her active role as a volunteer and community supporter. She serves on several non-profit boards including The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), the Joe and Teresa Long Center for the Performing Arts, the Austin Film Festival, the Writers’ League of Texas and as an Advisory Council member of the University of Texas’ Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. In 2013, the Austin Business Journal named her among the “Profiles in Power: Women of Influence.” She is a 2014 inductee into the City of Austin Commission for Women Hall of Fame and the 2015 Distinguished Alum of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Austin Leadership Program. She and her husband, Kevin Benz, live in Austin and have twin daughters, Corazon and Allegra.
