Cara Bertoia and CAsino Queen
Cara Bertoia’s novel Casino Queen paired with a Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc
About the Book: Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt, ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California, where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino, where she is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.
Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of often unique guests, and growing revenue while rooting out corruption.
In the process of rediscovering her inner strength, she learns you have to gamble like your life depends on it. With her life on the line, can she pull out of the win?
About the Beverage: Cara pairs her book CASINO QUEEN with “Dark Horse, Sauvignon Blanc, because Caroline Popov was a very dark horse when she started running the Night Hawk casino. This is a California wine, and my story is set in Palm Springs and Joshua Tree. It is a dry wine, and she likes her wine dry like the desert. Caroline lives in a cabin on a mountainside in Joshua Tree. She loves to drink wine on her porch and watch the sky fill with the red streaks of sunset in the High Desert. She always uses a stemless wine glass to avoid accidents.”
About the Author: Cara says, “They say write about what you know, and I know a lot about casinos. My new mystery Casino Queen has been featured in The Big Thrill, Women Writers Women's Books, Charlotte Reader's Podcast, Tell Me About Your Book, and dozens of popular book review sites.
In my twenties, on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina, I drove to California and became a dealer in Lake Tahoe. Well, I can tell you that after teaching high school, handling an unruly gambler was a piece of cake.
I was offered the opportunity to join Princess Cruises as a croupier. Jumping at the chance, I spent the next five years circling the globe. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. I was awed by the beauty of Venice, the glaciers of Alaska, and the wonders of the Amazon.
I returned from ships with a very special souvenir, my husband Ray. We now live in Hollywood, Florida, where I write while gazing out at the ocean. I can see the cruise ships sailing out of Port Everglades, and I get a little bit jealous.”
CASINO QUEEN is available on Amazon, and all other places books are sold. “If you buy a copy of Casino Queen,” Cara says, “I would love to see a picture of you holding the book. If you’d like, I will post it on my social media account. I’m trying to travel Casino Queen around the world.”
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