Spotlight
Highlighting the works of our authors.
You are cordially invited to enter the world of E.G. Lewis...
At the time of the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, E.G. Lewis is poised to become the richest man in America. His Woman’s Magazine employs legions of women and reaches nearly every household in the country, creating a national platform to promote progressive views (including a woman’s right to vote).
His outsized charm and entrepreneurial spirit attract clever, creative women who fight passionately for a new American dream. However, the magazine’s success soon exposes a tangled web of envy and manipulation that threatens men at the highest levels of business and government, inviting a conspiracy that could erase everything.
As E.G. Lewis’s wealth, power, and influence grow, new temptations challenge his family, coworkers, and especially his marriage. His only chance for redemption comes from the smart, capable women in his circle, reminding the world to never underestimate the company of women.
And the story continues...
At the start of World War I, E.G. Lewis promotes his new city of Atascadero in California as a rival to Los Angeles and San Francisco. Targeting the millions of subscribers to his national women’s magazines, his alluring sales brochures attract legions of women to invest and pre-purchase homesites in what is designed to be a utopia for progressive women and their families.
His outsized charm and entrepreneurial spirit entice clever, determined women to move across the country to build a new American dream. However, Atascadero’s success soon attracts conspirators from his past, threatening to destroy all he’s built.
With vultures circling, E.G. Lewis fights not only to keep Atascadero alive but also to preserve the one relationship he most cherishes – his marriage. His only salvation comes from the smart, capable women in his circle, reminding the world never to underestimate a city of women.
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Meet the Author
Doug Villhard
Writer, Professor, Entrepreneur, Investor, Philanthropist
Doug Villhard is a professor, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. After decades of starting and selling companies, he is supposed to be retired, but instead is having too much fun heading the #1 ranked entrepreneurship department at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.
Doug, Diane, and their four children live just outside of St. Louis in Glen Carbon, Illinois, where they co-founded Father McGivney Catholic High School.
When Doug isn’t writing, teaching, investing in startups, or serving on boards, he’s perpetually working toward achieving a respectable golf score.
READER REVIEWS
Praise for COMPANY OF WOMEN
There are many stand out characters, but I was particularly fond of Mabel, who is an unapologetically strong female. She is a tough cookie, not intimated by male patriarchy or societal norms, completely comfortable with voicing her opinions. BUT at the same time she is highly intuitive and incredibly empathetic. A true joy to get to know throughout the book. She had both remarkable depth and raw authenticity, making it almost impossible to put the book down.
I loved this book! Eddie Lewis has a fascinating life story. He is an unlikely hero who was ahead of his time. This book is extremely well-written and kept me engaged till the end! As a native of the St. Louis area, I particularly loved the local history and descriptions of the 1904 World’s Fair. I felt like I was there!
Enjoyable read! Brisk pacing, a well-developed plot & characters, some good good research into turn-of-the-previous-century middle America, St. Louis, the US Mail, American media/business, gender roles – lots to chew on here. Kudos to the author!