What happens to an oil industry lobbyist when climate change gets personal?In a world where the devastating effects of climate change can seem inconsequential to the lives of the wealthy, Daniel Lazaro thrives as a powerful Washington lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry. With a dream life on the Guadalupe River, a loving wife and a young daughter, Daniel is blind to the repercussions of his work. But when a flash flood in the Texas Hill Country sweeps away his home and his family, Daniel is left shattered and haunted by even the sight of water.Burdened by guilt and struggling with his debilitating phobia, Daniel descends into a bleak abyss. But a charismatic environmental activist recognizes the potential for Daniel to use his political access to challenge the industry he once championed. Daniel is torn between his own personal grief and his urgent need to make amends. Will he redeem himself or stand aside as the world plunges further into chaos?In "Two Degrees," a gripping tale of redemption and the fight for a dying planet, award-winning author William Michael Ried puts Dan Lazaro at the intersection of power politics and climate change, where a collision is inescapable. William Michael Ried was born on Long Island, graduated from the University of Michigan and Georgetown University Law Center and practices law in New York City. His first novel Five Ferries was a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards for Best New Fiction. In 2021 his second novel Backstory won the New York City Big Book Award for Mystery and a Silver Medal from the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for Adult Fiction, was a semi-finalist for the Kindle Book Award for Literary Fiction, and it was named a 2022 Eric Hoffer Award Category Finalist. His third novel Pandion was named a 2022 Distinguished Favorite Mystery by the NYC Big Book Awards and a Red Ribbon Winner of the 2022 Wishing Shelf Awards, made the 2023 Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize Short List and was awarded Honorable Mention in the category of Mystery/Crime in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Awards. He lives with his wife in Manhattan.
