Book Title: JOHN B. PEOPLES
Character Name: John Peoples
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I grew up on a farm in California’s central valley. I was the only child of conservative parents. Life was idyllic, with rodeos and trips up to the Sierra Nevada mountains.
What was your greatest talent?
I was a terrific football player in high school
Significant other?
I am divorced and not dating.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
My lack of confidence.
Where do you live?
I live in a converted garage in West Los Angeles.
Do you have any enemies?
Nobody that is “trying to get me” if that’s what you mean. I am very concerned, however, that my boss is trying to screw me out of a big lottery jackpot.
How do you feel about the place where you are now?
Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place? I like Los Angeles well enough. Being big has its pros and cons. I like the diversity and all the choices of concerts, sports, etc. But there is that traffic, and the noise where I live. There are also a lot of what I would call “plastic people” like actors and some lawyers.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
I have one daughter.
What do you do for a living?
I sell telecommunications services.
Greatest disappointment?
Blowing out my knee and not being able to play college football.
Greatest source of joy?
My teenage daughter.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I can’t afford to do much except hang out with my friends Pete and Tina. I do go to the gym regularly, but at home I watch way too much TV.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Not seeing a way out of the financial and personal funk I am in. I feel stuck.
What keeps you awake at night?
Thinking about why my boss won’t answer my calls – and wondering if he is trying to screw me out of my share of a lottery jackpot.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
Finding my boss or just getting him to talk to me.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have?
Yes – my share of the lottery. For yourself or for someone important to you? For myself and for my daughter’s future.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
My boss, Ed White, is ghosting me.
Divorced and living in a converted garage, John Peoples thinks his difficulties are over when he wins half of a $40 million lottery jackpot. But his boss, Ed White, bought the winning ticket for the two of them, and only Ed's name is on the ticket. When White makes clear his intention to cut John out of the winnings and then disappears with the entire jackpot, John embarks on an effort to find White and right the wrong.
During his quest, John suffers a debilitating spine injury and struggles to heal physically and emotionally. Yet he continues pursuing White from Los Angeles to Paris to Marseille. Along the way, he tries navigating the legal system, meets a woman he believes he can only dream about, and eventually engages the help of organized crime. Ultimately, he is faced with the question of how far he is willing to go to retrieve and protect what is his.
John B. Peoples is more than the study of a character out to correct an injustice. It takes us on a powerful journey while examining loss, personal growth, and the everyday challenges of life in America today.
Thriller Crime [ Koehler Books, On Sale: April 21, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781538757710 / ]
A confirmed Francophile, Michael Cowan taught writing at UCLA School of Law, sang professionally, argued and won a case before the California Supreme Court, had two songs published, co-owned a dairy manufacturing business, and became the general counsel of two major corporations. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Michael attended Amherst High School, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan Law School. Father of three and grandfather of four, he lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their eccentric rescue dog Percie.
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