The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul

Would you bet your life on a 50-1 shot? Read the riveting true story of the gamblers that bet millions on the Kentucky Derby against the Mexican Cartel!
The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told is an inspiring personal narrative about a filly who broke through the male-dominated world of horseracing and inspired crowds of men and women alike, along with a trio of gamblers who embark on an unforgettable adventure that's as epic as the history victory of Winning Colors. It's Seabiscuit meets Narcos, and the best true-life gambling story ever told.
In the late 1980s, a spectacular three-year-old female racehorse named Winning Colors was being groomed for success under her famous "Hollywood" trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, and the billionaire owner of the San Diego Chargers pro-football team, Eugene Klein. Meanwhile, three fun-loving gamblers, Miami Paul, Dino Mateo, and Big Bernie believed that Winning Colors could be the unlikely female winner of the 1988 Kentucky Derby.
When the gamblers unknowingly place their longshot bet with members of a suspected drug cartel at a racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico, they must figure out how to claim their prize -- without getting killed in the process. In a heart-pounding race of their own across the U.S.-Mexico border, the trio come face-to-face with suspected killers, are arrested by the Border Patrol, and fumble their way through the riskiest bet of their lives.
Recent Praise:  The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told:
“An exciting read from the get-go… an energized narrative surrounding a historical sporting event… the author relays (the story) with precision and vividness.” - The BookLife Prize
"The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told follows the development of champion Winning Colors through the eyes of her owner, trainer and jockey. But the drama is just beginning at the Tijuana Mexico betting windows, after Winning Colors wins the Kentucky Derby!” - Steve Springer, Los Angeles Times award winning sportswriter
“How can you resist a true story with the Kentucky Derby, the Cartel, Tijuana gambling, and a guy named Miami? You can’t! Prepare yourself for the ride.”- Brandt Andersen, Executive Producer: American Made (2017), Silence (2016), and Lone Survivor (2013)
“An exciting story of a filly battling the males in the Kentucky Derby… and the gamblers that risked their lives on her. I was fascinated by the behind the scenes aspects of thoroughbred racing. A fun, fast, and exciting read.” - Ken Stovitz, Producer of The Karate Kid (1984)

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The Star and the Shamrock by Jean Grainger

Ariella Bannon has no choice: she must put her precious children, Liesl and Erich, on that train or allow them to become prey for the Nazis.
Berlin 1939.
When her husband doesn’t come home one day, Ariella realises that the only way she can ensure her Jewish children’s safety is to avail of the Kindertransport, but can she bear to let them go?
A thousand miles away, Elizabeth Klein has closed herself off from the world. Losing her husband on the last day of the Great War, and her child months later, she cannot, will not, love again. It hurts too much.
But she is all Liesl and Erich Bannon have.
Thrown together in the wild countryside of Northern Ireland, Elizabeth and the Bannon children discover that life in the country is anything but tranquil. Danger and intrigue lurk everywhere, and some people are not what they seem.
From the streets of wartime Berlin, to the bombed out city of Liverpool, and finally resting in the lush valleys of the Ards Penisula, The Star and The Shamrock from USA Today bestselling author Jean Grainger, is unputdownable.

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The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story by David Crow

WINNER OF THE SPUR AWARD FOR BEST WESTERN FIRST NONFICTION BOOK • FINALIST FOR THE SPUR AWARD FOR BEST WESTERN CONTEMPORARY NONFICTION
A violent ex-con forces his son to commit crimes in this unforgettable memoir about family and survival
“Cinematically gripping.”—Kirkus Reviews
Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his three siblings idolized their dad. Tall, strong, smart, and brave, the self-taught Cherokee regaled his family with stories of his World War II feats. But as time passed, David discovered the other side of Thurston Crow, the ex-con with his own code of ethics that justified cruelty, violence, lies—even murder.
A shrewd con artist with a genius IQ, Thurston intimidated David with beatings to coerce him into doing his criminal bidding. David’s mom, too mentally ill to care for her children, couldn’t protect him. One day, Thurston packed up the house and took the kids, leaving her with nothing. Soon he remarried, and David learned that his stepmother was just as vicious and abusive as his father.
Through sheer determination, and with the help of a few angels along the way, David managed to get into college and achieve professional success. When he finally found the courage to stop helping his father with his criminal activities, he unwittingly triggered a plot of revenge that would force him into a showdown with Thurston Crow. With lives at stake, including his own, David would have only twenty-four hours to outsmart his father—the brilliant, psychotic man who bragged that the three years he spent in the notorious San Quentin State Prison had been the easiest time of his life.
The Pale-Faced Lie is a searing, raw, palpable memoir that reminds us what an important role our parents play in our lives. Most of all, it’s an inspirational story about the power of forgiveness and the strength of the human spirit to overcome adversity.

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The Girl Who Lived: A Thrilling Suspense Novel by Christopher Greyson

Ten years ago, four people were brutally murdered—one girl lived.
No one believes her story. The police think she's crazy. Her therapist thinks she's suicidal. Everyone else thinks she's a dangerous drunk. They're all right—but did she see the killer?
Best Mystery-Thriller eBook of the Year — Independent Publisher Book Awards
Winner Best Thriller — National Indie Excellence Awards
Winner Best Thriller — Silver Falchion Award
Finalist eBook Fiction — Indie Book Awards
Silver Medal Suspense — Reader’s Favorite Book Awards
Voted Most Loved Cover — NetGalley Readers

Grab your copy of this award-winning psychological thriller today!

As the anniversary of the murders approaches, Faith Winters is released from the psychiatric hospital and yanked back to the last spot on earth she wants to be—her hometown where the slayings took place. Wracked by the lingering echoes of survivor's guilt, Faith spirals into a black hole of alcoholism and wanton self-destruction. Finding no solace at the bottom of a bottle, Faith decides to track down her sister's killer—only to discover that she's the one being hunted.
How can one woman uncover the truth when everyone's a suspect—including herself?
From the mind of Wall Street Journal bestselling author Christopher Greyson comes a story with twists and turns that take the reader to the edge of madness. The Girl Who Lived should come with a warning label: once you start reading, you won't be able to stop. Not since Girl on the Train and Gone Girl has a psychological thriller kept readers so addicted—and guessing right until the last page.
"Christopher Greyson has created a thriller on par with The Girl on the Train, only with more suspects, more danger, and more agony for the young heroine." — Killer Nashville
"The plot turns come fast and furious... Sharp characters enmeshed in a mystery that, particularly in its final lap, is a gleefully dizzy ride." — Kirkus Reviews
"Greyson is a master of weaving suspense and keeping the reader guessing..." — NetGalley Review
Christopher Greyson's novels have been read by over a million readers and counting. Look for other standalone novels by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author. These books can be read in any order:
And Then She Was Gone (Prequel)
Girl Jacked
Jack Knifed
Jacks Are Wild
Jack and the Giant Killer
Data Jack
Jack of Hearts
Jack Frost
Jack of Diamonds

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v

#1 THRILLER BESTSELLER!
INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY
"Spectacular. I have not read a book about a legal eagle this good in a long time. I absolutely cannot wait for the next in the series." Amazon 5 star review*****
"A good book you cannot put down!!!!! DON'T PASS THIS BOOK UP-GREAT STORY LINE"!!!!! Amazon 5 star review*****
"I'd give it 10 stars If I could and can hardly wait to read his next book."
Amazon 5 star review*****
INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY. A young, ambitious lawyer is eager to prove he is better than the father who abandoned him and worthy of the devoted mother who raised him beyond the siren call of the mobster dominated family he grew up in. Working as a Bronx Legal Aid Attorney he learn show to twist the system, how to become an unbeatable defense lawyer, and he is peacock proud of his perfect record-not a single conviction. But it's 1982. The Spider-man rapist is on the loose and New York City is a city in fear. When an outraged rape victim commits suicide right before his eyes, searching for absolution, he grabs the headline case of a teacher's aide accused of molesting three students. Armed with a firm belief in his client's innocence, he knocks the pegs out from under the prosecution's case. When one of the children turns up dead, he discovers that his client may be strangely connected to the Spider-man. Digging deeper, horrifying revelations about his family's past collide with the true identity of the sadistic sociopath behind the Spider-man's rampage. In the process, this good lawyer comes face-to-face with his greatest conflict and deepest fear: to win, really win-save the city and even the woman he loves-must he sacrifice every principle he believes in and embrace his family's mafia past?

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The Missing Sister by Elle Marr

An Amazon Charts bestseller.
In Paris, her twin sister has vanished, leaving behind three chilling words: Trust no one.
Shayna Darby is finally coming to terms with her parents’ deaths when she’s delivered another blow. The body of her estranged twin sister, Angela—the possible victim of a serial killer—has been pulled from the Seine. Putting what’s left of her life on hold, Shayna heads to Paris. But while cleaning out Angela’s apartment, Shayna makes a startling discovery: a coded message meant for her alone…
Alive. Trust no one.
Taking the warning to heart, Shayna maintains the lie. She makes a positive ID on the remains and works to find out where—and why—her missing sister is hiding. Shayna retraces her sister’s footsteps, and they lead her down into Paris’s underbelly.
As she gets closer to the truth—and to the killer—Shayna’s own life may now be in the balance…

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Darkside

Darkside

 One

Short dark hair. Suits me more than I thought it would actually. Makes me look kinda badass...and I need to be a badass if I’m going to survive what’s next. Long blonde locks that nearly touch my butt might’ve been my staple image for ages, but I’m shaking off my old life like a snake skin. Including the hair.
This isn’t just planning anymore, I’m really doing this shit. It couldn't be more different.
“Phoenix.” My reflection in the grubby truck stop bathroom mirror repeats me. “That’s who you are now, Phoenix.”
I suppose I should add on a surname at some point, but I’ll do that when the time comes. Acting on instinct has done me well so far, it’s brought me to this point, so I don’t see why I should change things. It’ll just pop into my brain like magic when it needs to. Then I’ll stick with it. The surname will become me.
My sweaty palm drags down the mirror, immediately alerting me to the wipes in my purse. No fingerprints. I need to get rid of any evidence that I was ever here, or anywhere for that matter. I even researched damaging my fingers so the prints don’t exist anymore, but wiping everywhere I go seems like the least painful solution. I don’t need any more pain, that’s for sure.
But I also can’t have anyone finding me, least of all him.
“Not Luvvie Thompson anymore. No, she’s Missing: Presumed Dead. Just as planned.”
Completely abandoning one life to start another is no easy task. Only the most dedicated can do it. Only those who have something they really need to run away from, and I cast myself in that category. Luvvie needs to be dead, she can’t come back, there’s nothing left for her now. But Phoenix has a chance. She can do something, be someone, be free. That’s all she wants really, freedom. That isn’t too much of an ask. A basic human right, some might say.
“Time to go.” My heart jackhammers against my ribcage. “It’s now or never.”
My legs don't move immediately, they seem to be waiting for something to happen, a sign maybe, that this is the right thing to do. As if I haven’t had enough signs already.
No one will mistake me for Luvvie now, I couldn't look anymore different, all I need to do is head out there and jump in the first truck to give me a ride, and freedom will be within my grasp. Hitchhiking might not be the ideal way to get around, but safety can’t be my first priority here. Getting away undetected is. Presumed dead isn’t always enough for some people. They’ll continue to search for signs of life anywhere.
There they are. The truck drivers, adding fuel to their bodies and trucks before starting their long endless drives all over again. I just need one who doesn’t look like he’ll bother asking too many questions I can’t answer. My escape route, I just need to take it. Find the one and go.
No words come, it’s too much of a big ask, I’m too vulnerable, too exposed. My thumb will have to do the work for me.
“Where you headed?” This man’s grubby beard doesn’t appeal, it’s full of crumbs, but no one else is offering. I wouldn’t be so ignored if I still had the hair. “I might be headed your way.”
“Oh, I think you are.” Don’t smile, I can’t smile. My cracked front tooth might give me away. “Because I’m headed in whatever way you’re going.”
“What you escaping from?”
“Take your pick.” Violence, blood, missing: presumed dead. “I just need to go.”
A simple nod is an invitation into his truck and far away from here. I don’t even watch home fly by the window. I don’t need to see it go. It’s behind me, in the rearview mirror. Gone. It’s over. Onto the next chapter of my life.
Let’s hope it’s better than the last.
“You’re a quiet one, huh?” I ignore his question, staring at the road ahead through the front window. “I like that. Too many people think silence needs to be filled. It don’t. Quiet is good.”
“Want to give me some then?”
Yep, barking like a badass at this idiot works, it goes with Phoenix. She doesn’t take any shit. Not like Luvvie. Luvvie stood back and let all sorts happen to her. She would’ve continued to do so as well, if that hadn’t happened...
Not that I’m thinking about that anymore.
“Yeah, course.” He coughs up mucus from his gross black smoker lungs. “Though you might have to get out at the next stop. I can’t be caught with a young lady by my side, if you know what I mean? Won’t be for a couple hours or so though, if you want some shut eye.”
“No.” I shoot him ice-cold eyes, hiding the crushing disappointment. That won’t be far enough away. I’ll still be within reaching distance. “I don’t ‘know what you mean’. Tell me.”
“Tell you?” He shifts uncomfortably. Good. He should be uncomfortable. “Well, you know, an ol’ dude like me, a pretty young thing like you...people might assume there’s summat going on.”
Wow. Just wow. Me and him? No way.
He wouldn’t make that comment to Luvvie. She was clearly too good for him. Phoenix is too, he just doesn’t realize it yet.
“Whatever. Drop me wherever. I don’t care. I will sleep. Wake me up when we get there.”

***

Small town, ass end of nowhere. Why did he drop me here of all places? Did I really offend him that much because I wouldn’t hook up with him?
Urgh, as if! That beard for one…
This won’t do. I need a city, I need to be anonymous, not with a freaking neighbor who knows my name. I can’t pay for everything with my carefully concealed cash here. The people have nothing else going on. They’ll ask questions for sure. They might even know.
News travels fast, it could be here by now, if so…well, my first stop might be my last.
Fucking truck driver and his hurt pride. What an asshole. He might as well have thrown me out of the cab, he couldn't get away from me fast enough. I tug my backpack hard and push him from my mind. Fuck that dude, he won’t destroy me. No way.
There’s a motel up ahead anyway, and since it’s late, that’s all I got. Let’s just hope whoever works there has no interest in some newbie in town.
Is there any chance of me getting so lucky?

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In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn

An Amazon Charts bestseller.
A deeply moving story of carrying on even when it seems impossible.
Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.
Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret. Unable to let go, Finn keeps vigil as they struggle to reclaim their shattered lives. Jack, her father, who seeks vengeance against the one person he can blame other than himself; her best friend, Mo, who bravely searches for the truth as the story of their survival is rewritten; her sister Chloe, who knows Finn lingers and yearns to join her; and her mother, Ann, who saved them all but is haunted by her decisions. Finn needs to move on, but how can she with her family still in pieces?
Heartrending yet ultimately redemptive, In an Instant is a story about the power of love, the meaning of family, and carrying on…even when it seems impossible.

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If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen

A #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon Charts, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen’s shocking and empowering true-crime story of three sisters determined to survive their mother’s house of horrors.
After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now.
For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.
Harrowing and heartrending, If You Tell is a survivor’s story of absolute evil—and the freedom and justice that Nikki, Sami, and Tori risked their lives to fight for. Sisters forever, victims no more, they found a light in the darkness that made them the resilient women they are today—loving, loved, and moving on.

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Last Day by Luanne Rice

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice comes a riveting story of a seaside community shaken by a violent crime and a tragic loss.
Years ago, Beth Lathrop and her sister Kate suffered what they thought would be the worst tragedy of their lives the night both the famous painting Moonlight and their mother were taken. The detective assigned to the case, Conor Reid, swore to protect the sisters from then on.
Beth moved on, throwing herself fully into the art world, running the family gallery, and raising a beautiful daughter with her husband Pete. Kate, instead, retreated into herself and took to the skies as a pilot, always on the run. When Beth is found strangled in her home, and Moonlight goes missing again, Detective Reid can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.
Reid immediately suspects Beth’s husband, whose affair is a poorly kept secret. He has an airtight alibi—but he also has a motive, and the evidence seems to point to him. Kate and Reid, along with the sisters’ closest childhood friends, struggle to make sense of Beth’s death, but they only find more questions: Who else would have wanted Beth dead? What’s the significance of Moonlight?
Twenty years ago, Reid vowed to protect Beth and Kate—and he’s failed. Now solving the case is turning into an obsession . . .

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A new anthology #AcceptingSubmissions

I am looking for submissions for my new anthology. Here are the details:

Theme: Seven Deadly Sins

Genre: Horror

Word Count: 500 - 15,000

Deadline– May 31st

If this is something that you're interested in, the nitty gritty details can be found in the sample contract posted below. If you would like to submit or have any more questions, my email is lockdown@writeme.com:

Contract

To see some of the other anthologies I have compiled, check out samiesands.com/books