The Concealers

Katherine Kelly's mentor says she has the makings of a good reporter, but
to be great, she must learn to find the emotional core of a story and not hold back in its
telling. Then he suggests one last grad school assignment: find someone who has influenced her
family and tell that story. Katherine decides to pursue the only family story that has eluded
her all her life: the identity of the father she never knew. Her mother, knowing her persistent
daughter won't stop until she gets the truth, breaks her years of silence and makes the call she
always swore she would never make.  The reality of her father stands in stark
contrast to the father of her dreams, and Katherine realizes she must decide for herself who her
father really is: the guardian of a group of wounded souls he calls The Collectibles, the
attentive father of a newly discovered daughter, the person of interest in a bank fraud
investigation . . . or a little of all three. Blood is deeper than principle, or so she is told.
And a great journalist follows a story wherever it leads. It's Katherine's call, and only she
can make it.           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           
           *** As a
novelist, James J. Kaufman, a former attorney and judge, draws heavily upon his experiences in
law, his dealings in the business world, and his interactions with people from widely different
backgrounds. He and his wife make their home in Wilmington, North Carolina.  
           
           
          The Collectibles, Book One
in the Collectibles Trilogy, my first foray into the world of fiction, is a story of
two men from different worlds. Preston Wilson, an elitist automobile dealer from New York City's
Upper East Side, seeks the assistance of Joe Hart, the one attorney Wilson believes can save his
crumbling empire. Hart reluctantly decides to help--but only after extracting a promise that
Preston will fulfill an unspecified condition when called upon. Desperate, Preston agrees. When
Hart calls in the unconventional IOU, he requires that Preston meet, earn the trust of, and care
for several friends of Joe's, each with challenges and none of whom Preston would ever want to
know. In fulfilling the promise, Preston finds a new way of looking at life, and his life and
the lives of others are changed forever. It's not ultimately about money or control but
extensions of the heart. Relationships matter.   After The Collectibles was
published, I received several literary awards and strong reviews; the novel is now in the hands
of over one hundred thousand readers. What means the most to me, however, are the letters I
receive on an average of one a week from readers all over the country, telling me how much they
enjoyed The Collectibles, and that it changed the way they look at life. I answer every one
within ten minutes, thanking them for their kind words and taking the time to write. My
discussions with book clubs, in person and through Skype, have been among the most rewarding
experiences of my life. This is why I wrote The Concealers, Book Two of the Collectibles
Trilogy. In The Concealers, my readers find out what happened to the Collectibles, see whether
Preston has fulfilled his promise to Joe Hart, and meet several new characters including a
twenty-three year-old named Katherine Kelly. Raised by a single mother and poised to receive her
master's degree in journalism, Katherine is told by her graduate school mentor that she is a
good reporter, but to be great, she must find the emotional core of the story and not hold back.
He suggests that she complete one more assignment--a story relating to someone having an
influence on her family. Her mentor's remarks hit a nerve, bringing back long-ago demons about
the father she never knew. She presses her mother for more details. Unsatisfied, she delves
deeper, only to discover the truth about the man she was told was her father. This story asks
the question whether telling the truth still matters. I would tell you more, but I don't want to
spoil the story. I hope you will visit me at my website, www.jamesjkaufman.com and
perhaps tell me who your Collectibles are.