Thanks for checking out the blog tour for Cash Plays, the third book in the Seven of Spades series!

After the Seven of Spades returns at the end of Trick Roller, they resume their vigilante mission with a vengeance. Levi and Dominic do their best to keep up, but a bloodthirsty serial killer isn’t the only threat they face…

Learning to Play Poker

True confession: I’ve never played poker in my life.

Unlike Dominic, I’ve never seen the appeal of gambling. I can understand it intellectually, but it holds no interest for me, so the only gambling I’ve ever done is the occasional scratch-off lottery ticket. I made it to the age of thirty having never played poker and perfectly content with that.

As I began writing Cash Plays, however, I realized pretty quickly that there was no way I could pull it off knowing nothing about poker. And it wouldn’t be enough to just learn the basics: I had to know how to play poker the way a skilled, experienced compulsive gambler would.

Uh-oh.

I’ve written about arms trafficking, money laundering, poisoning, serial killers – but the amount of research I had to do on poker surpassed all of those subjects by miles. Because a significant element of the plot in Cash Plays hinges on one particular poker game, it was vital to ensure every element of that game was as believable as possible. And because poker is something many people are familiar with in real life (unlike, say, arms trafficking), it couldn’t be fudged with claims of artistic license.

I spent a couple of weeks watching hours and hours of videos from professional gamblers and poker champions, absorbing everything I could. I carried my laptop with me around the house so I could watch while doing chores and making dinner. I have endless reams of notes and diagrams on the topic. My life was 24/7 poker instruction to the point where I would dream about it at night.

It was a rough road, but worth it in the end: I believe the final product will pass muster even with readers who are experienced players themselves.

As for me? I still have no desire to actually play the game myself!

About Cash Plays

In this game, the stakes are life or death.

The Seven of Spades is back with a vengeance—the vigilante serial killer has resumed their murderous crusade, eluding the police at every turn. But a bloodthirsty killer isn’t the only threat facing Sin City. A devious saboteur is wreaking havoc in Las Vegas’s criminal underworld, and the entire city seems to be barreling toward an all-out gang war.

As Detective Levi Abrams is pushed ever closer to his breaking point, his control over his dangerous rage slips further every day. His relationship with PI Dominic Russo should be a source of comfort, but Dominic is secretly locked in his own downward spiral, confronting a nightmare he can’t bear to reveal.

Las Vegas is floundering. Levi and Dominic’s bond is cracking along the seams. And the Seven of Spades is still playing to win. How many bad hands can Levi and Dominic survive before it’s game over?

Riptide Publishing

Amazon

About the Seven of Spades Series

Las Vegas has never seen a serial killer like the Seven of Spades.

The self-styled vigilante is on a mission to cut down the wicked and treacherous, and Sin City has no shortage of targets for their bloody wrath. What happens in Vegas . . . ends with the Seven of Spades’s calling card on a grisly corpse.

Standing against the killer are Levi Abrams, a dedicated homicide detective locked in a constant struggle to restrain his own dark side, and bounty hunter Dominic Russo, a charming rogue with a heavy secret weighing on his shoulders.

The hunt for the Seven of Spades sends Levi and Dominic on a collision course, igniting a passionate relationship forged in conflict and sealed with blood. Together they’re stronger than the sum of their parts, but a wily, elusive serial killer isn’t the only threat that will strain their bond to the breaking point.

Ante up, because the Seven of Spades is all in. Are you?

About Cordelia Kingsbridge

Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.

Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!

Connect with Cordelia:

• Email:  cordeliakingsbridge@gmail.com
• Tumblr: http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com
• Twitter:  @c_kingsbridge
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cordelia.Kingsbridge/

To celebrate the release of Cash Plays, Cordelia is giving away a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on June 9, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!