Читать книгу Betting On Santa - Debra Salonen - Страница 3

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a child, Debra wanted to be an artist. She saved her allowance to send away for a “Learn To Draw” kit, but when her mother mistook Deb’s artful rendition of a horse for a cow, Deb turned to her second love – writing.

Debra’s first published romance novel was released in 2000. Since her first sale, she has tackled many challenging, provocative subjects in her stories: blended families, ageing parents, the death of a spouse, catastrophic illness and divorce, child abduction, fertility issues and adoption. She was recently honoured as Romantic Times BOOKreviews’ 2006 Series Storyteller of the Year.

Dear Reader,

I was born into a family of gamblers. My mother used to say that her father would have bet on whether or not the sun would come up the next day…if he could get the right odds.

When I was invited to participate in a series about a group of friends who get together for weekly poker games, I didn’t hesitate to dust off my pack of cards and jump in. But I knew I needed a refresher course, so I turned to friends Dave and Sandra Meek – and the other players who make up their own kind of “Wild Bunch.” Thanks for letting me leave a few dollars ahead. I also have many fond memories of my parents and their friends gathered around the kitchen table with stacks of red, white and blue plastic chips, the sound of cards being shuffled and the friendly razzing as fortunes rose and fell. I felt exactly the same when the “Wild Bunch” started to come to life. I love these guys, and, win or lose, they’re there for each other.

The decision to set this series in a small town near San Antonio turned out to be most fortuitous for me, since that meant I could call upon friends Karen and Jim Hale for the inside scoop. Karen not only devoted several days to playing tour guide, but she made sure we ate authentic Tex-Mex and barbecue, Boracho beans and Shiner Bock – I can’t wait to return. Karen also proved instrumental in helping me understand what went wrong in Cole’s real estate deal. Thanks again for the grand, Texas-size hospitality.

Debra

Romantic Times BOOKreviews’ 2006 Series Storyteller of the Year