Maddie Samuels is a woman of – and ahead of – her time. She knows she doesn’t belong in the kitchen, and she refuses to become trapped in a secretarial pool. In mid-sixties New York City, she’s not only determined to succeed in a man’s world, but to prove her work is as good – or better – than any man’s.
With “free love” redefining relationships with head-spinning rapidity, Maddie learns how to push the accepted boundaries of established old-boy networks while refusing to accept the all-too-pervasive harassment by men in power. And yet as a woman in love, she discovers that beliefs and actions are often very different things – especially when it comes to a man like the seductive and charismatic Rob MacLeod.
Set in the era of Mad Men, I LOVE YOU TODAY is passionate, sexy, liberating and deeply moving. With a story as relevant today as it was then, this is a novel that readers will take to their hearts and their souls.
Life in a “Mad Men” World
by Marcia Gloster
Since writing I Love You Today, I have often been asked what was it like to work during the 1960s, when gender discrimination was rampant, and if I think the workplace is different now.
In those days, we didn’t view the way women were treated as discrimination. The word wasn’t necessarily part of my vocabulary, at least insofar as my daily life was concerned. Discrimination referred to the profound racial issues of the South. It didn’t relate to my experiences as young woman interviewing at New York City ad agencies. My phrase was, “it’s just the way it is.”
Although I was warned when I graduated from college that I would likely have difficulty getting a job in an art department, it didn’t really register until the day I was told I wouldn’t be hired at a large Madison Avenue agency because “the boys in the bullpen” would feel too self-conscious to swear in front of a girl and therefore their work might suffer. Without thinking, I said, “I can swear… want to hear me?” I immediately cringed, wishing I could take it back, but years later I gave myself a pat on the back.
There were offices where I worked where harassment was subtler. Nothing overt was said to our faces, there were just snappy comments made behind out backs. No one touched us—at least not me.
At some point I realized men’s attitudes weren’t much different outside of the office. The young men who picked me up for dates in the suburbs, who had to greet my parents and shake hands with my stepfather, were far more respectful than those in the city who knew me as an independent working girl living alone in an apartment. The concept of “free love” was new and exciting, and many men expected I would jump into bed with them after a dinner out, a movie, or even a couple of drinks. There may have been a sense of expectation as the guys who asked me out always paid, with no discussion. Again, it’s just the way it was.
In the late ’70s, I founded and ran, together with a female business partner, a successful boutique advertising agency. Many years later, we merged with a larger agency that had an all-male hierarchy. It quickly became clear that we had been brought in as token female creative executives. I was invited to many meetings for which I was neither prepped, nor had any reason to attend—except for the fact that I was female. The men stuck together and we were generally ignored, unless needed for display or a photo shoot that no one else wanted to handle. By this time (it was the 1990s) sexual harassment was illegal, but traditional att
itudes still prevailed. One older copywriter, who frequently stopped by my office, used to say in a seductive voice, “You’re harassing me just by being here.”
I was treated with more respect as I gained experience and seniority. Some of my male bosses were very supportive and treated me equally—in importance, if not in salary. Still, there was often an insinuation of seduction in meetings with male clients, who could be flirtatious, inappropriate or rude.
As I was completing I Love You Today, gender discrimination and sexual harassment in advertising and the media, exploded into front-page news. One New York Times article was titled, “For Women in Advertising, It’s Still a ‘Mad Men’ World.” It was as if little had changed in 50 years. Maddie’s experiences in the 1960s were being echoed in the headlines and I Love You Today suddenly had a new relevance.
Reviewers Are Loving I Love You Today!:
“Love, sex, lies, and advertising in the era of Mad Men. Compelling and provocative.” – James Wiatt, former Chairman and CEO, William Morris Agency
“A romp through the Mad Men era, told from a woman’s point of view.” – Pamela Fiori, author and former editor-in-chief, Town & Country
“Marcia Gloster paints an intimate portrait of life in 1960s Manhattan… Readers looking for a peek into the magazine publishing and advertising world of that era will be intrigued!” – Marilyn Brant, New York Times bestselling author
“I Love You Today pulled me right in, from the wrenching love story that could never have a happy ending, to the ultimate strength shown by the main character. An overall compelling journey.” – Andrea Hurst, author of Always with You
More…
| Author: | Marcia Gloster | ||
| Source: | Providence Book Promotions | ||
| Publisher & Date: | The Story Plant, April 18th 2017 | ||
| Genre: | Women’s Fiction | ||
| Pages: | 402 | ||
Excerpt:
The receptionist was tapping rapidly on her typewriter while talking equally as rapidly on the phone. Seeing Maddie, she looked up with an impatient expression on her heavily made-up face and whispered that she’d call back. Maddie told her she was there to see Mr. MacLeod. After an appraising glance, the receptionist unwrapped a piece of Juicy Fruit, popped it in her mouth and dialed an extension. Maddie straightened her skirt, suddenly wondering if she should have worn something other than a suit.
Have a seat,” the girl said in a bored voice, indicating the couch. “His secretary will be right out.”
Maddie sat, feeling nervousness creep in and her earlier, all-too-fragile confidence beginning to fade. A few minutes later, a short dark-haired young woman in a miniskirt came in and introduced herself as Tara, Mr. MacLeod’s secretary. Maddie followed her along a corridor lined with several windowed offices on the left and a bright open bullpen area on the right where it looked like some assistants worked in different sized cubicles. On the far side she saw two more large, sun filled offices. In one of the doorways two men stopped talking and glanced at her.
Tara stopped at the second to last office, looked in and grinned. “Rob, this is Miss Samuels, your three o’clock appointment.” There seemed to be an inside joke somewhere in there, but Maddie didn’t get it. Not then.
As she walked in he stood up, buttoned his suit jacket and stepped forward to shake her hand. She caught her breath; not only was he attractive, he had bright emerald green eyes and perhaps the longest eyelashes she had ever seen. Wasted on a man, she thought, trying not to stare. Or, perhaps not. His dark brown hair was cut short with long sideburns that framed his handsome face.
She sat down on one of the metal and leather chairs that faced his desk. A large drawing board, covered in layout sheets, rolls of galleys and photo stats was to his right. On the left, flat files were piled high with books of typefaces and stock photos. The office wasn’t designed for so much furniture; there was little room to move around.
He sat back and asked her to tell him about herself. Interviews generally didn’t faze her, but this time she was unusually flustered. She began by mentioning Today’s Bride, saying that she had liked working there.
“Why did you leave? You weren’t fired were you?”
“No. Not at all. It was just becoming uncomfortable. I’m not sure it’s something I should talk about.”
Her answer seemed to intrigue him. A smile lit up his eyes and he leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “Now you have to tell me, Miss Samuels. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Was it some sort of conspiracy?”
“No,” she stammered, wishing she had never brought it up. “Nothing like that. I was very close to Joan, the art director who hired me. She was a great teacher, actually a mentor for me. I was a kid just out of art school. But after two years her husband was offered a job at Publicis, the big ad agency in Paris and they decided to move there. Before she left she tried to have me named as art director. By then I was doing half the work on the magazine anyway. But the publisher told her he had already decided to bring in a well-known art director from a rival publication.” She stopped, unsure how to proceed.
“So what was the problem?”
“Well,” she took a breath, “not only was he hiring her, but his weekly meetings with his so-called ‘investors’ were really long afternoons at the Biltmore, a few blocks away.”
He leaned back in his chair and laughed. “You had to leave because the publisher was screwing…pardon me, sleeping with the new art director?”
She bit her lip, sorry she had mentioned it and realizing she had backed herself into a corner.
“It wasn’t quite so simple. Over the first couple of months she did everything she could to make my life miserable. Suddenly I wasn’t allowed to cover photo shoots and then she didn’t even want me doing layouts. She began quietly bringing in her own team. By the time everyone realized what was going on, there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. I spoke to the publisher who I knew liked me, but he said it was now up to her. It was out of his hands. So I resigned.” Taking another big breath, she looked at him, hoping she hadn’t said too much.
He shook his head. “Too bad. It sounds like you were happy there.”
“Yes. I was.”
He asked her to tell him more: what her goals were and did she really want a career or just a job until she found the right man to marry.
His questions didn’t surprise her; she had been asked the same things at every interview.
“Mr. MacLeod. I have no desire to be married. I’m focused on my career. I hope to be an art director one day.”
“And how do you plan to become one?”
She looked back at him wide eyed. It was a question she had never been asked. “I guess I’ll just have to keep on working and learning. I’m very motivated, Mr. MacLeod. If something needs to get done, I’ll make sure it happens.”
He nodded, green eyes flashing. “I’ll bet you will. Let me have a look at your portfolio.”
As she stood up, she noticed him glance at her legs. She wondered if her skirt was too short but not wanting to appear self-conscious she stopped herself from smoothing it down. Standing next to him, she answered his questions as he leafed through the pages.
“Miss Samuels, can you leave the portfolio with me? Unless, of course, you have other interviews today.”
“Yes. I mean, no.” She wanted to kick herself. What is wrong with me? “Yes, I can leave it, and no, I don’t have any more interviews today.”
He smiled, amused at her obvious discomfort. “Good. I’d like to show it to the managing editor. I’ve already seen several potential candidates and I expect to make a decision later today.”
She thanked him and he shook her hand, holding it she thought, a bit longer than necessary.
***
Excerpt from I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster. Copyright © 2017 by Marcia Gloster. Reproduced with permission from The Story Plant. All rights reserved.
Marcia Gloster!
After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in the 1960s, Marcia Gloster built a career in New York City as an award-winning book designer and art director. A decade later, she founded and ran a boutique ad agency specializing in fashion. Gloster is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and Studio Montclair and exhibits her paintings in the New York area. Her first book, 31 DAYS: A MEMOIR OF SEDUCTION, was published in 2014.
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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Providence Book Propotions for Marcia Gloster and The Story Plant. There will be 1 winner of one (1) $25 Amazon.com Gift Card and 5 winners of 1 eBook copy of 31 DAYS: A MEMOIR OF SEDUCTION by Marcia Gloster. The giveaway begins on April 17th and runs through June 19th, 2017. This giveaway is for US residents only. Void where prohibited by law.
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Great post! After reading this book I realized how far we have come!
Gina, thanks for the guest post and for spreading the word about my new novel!