The Top Ten Reasons to Travel Around Europe on a Cruise Ship

 .

The Author in Leningrad
Many times people ask me what is the best way to travel around Europe. I have toured England and Europe by car and train, but definitely the best way to get around Europe was on a cruise ship. For many seasons I cruised the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Here are my top ten reasons for picking a cruise ship over train or road.

 1. Sail Away. There is no view in the world that compares to sailing out of Venice on a large ocean liner. I remember the time the crew club sponsored a pizza party on the back deck. To look down on the city of Venice and sail past all the medieval buildings while drinking wine and eating pizza, cooked by Italian chefs will always remain a special memory. The sun was setting and the view was spectacular.

 2. You only have to pack your bags once. When you try to visit a lot of countries in Europe by car or train, you always seem to be packing. Inevitably you leave a few things behind. But on a cruise ship you unpack at the beginning of the cruise and pack the night before you go home no matter how many countries you visit.

 3. You don't have to spend all your time working out how to travel from place to place. When I went by train so much of my time was spent figuring out the train schedules and I ended up spending many of my nights on trains and buses lugging heavy suitcases. I was always exhausted. On a ship one day you are in Copenhagen and the next morning you wake up in Stockholm, refreshed, very well fed and ready for a new adventure.

 4. Speaking of well fed the food is wonderful, plentiful and served at any hour of the day or night. It seems as if in Europe that the chefs try to outdo the local chefs. Besides three meals there is the pizzeria, room service and the midnight buffet. It is a feast and at the midnight buffet it is also a feast for the eyes.

 5. If you pick your ship carefully you will find first rate entertainment. Many of the ships offer history lessons about the ports of call, wine tasting and some feature Cirque de Soleil caliber shows. I never did figure out how they managed to balance so well while the ship was moving.

 6. You can sample many countries on a cruise and if you find a place that you really enjoy you can always return for a longer stay.

  7. Tea Time. I just love tea time. In the afternoon I would always run down from the casino to the lounge where tea, finger sandwiches and adorable tiny cakes were served. I worked on a British ship and no one does tea better that the Brits.

 8. When you travel from country to country you never have to worry about clearing customs, that is all taken care of by the pursers staff, usually when you are asleep.

 9. There is something luxurious about traveling on a cruise ship. From the crystal chandeliers to the polished brass stair railings, ships exude elegance. Even though I was only working on a ship I always felt like a celebrity traveling on a very big yacht.

10. I wrote novel based on my years at sea called Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. I met my husband while working in the Star Princess and it is about adventures. I have to mention that most cruise ships have an onboard casino. It is usually a small and intimate room, which closes while the ship is in port but opens as soon as the ships sails. Here is the link to find my novel on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Cruise-Quarters-Novel-About-Casinos-ebook/dp/B004NIFUUU


About the Author:
Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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. Because it often does.




Click the link below to order at Amazon, enjoy your stay at the Night Hawk

Casino Queen (Night Hawk Casino Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by Bertoia, Cara. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Click the link below to order at Barnes and Noble 

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

.

No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How the Casino Industry Sucked Me in and Never Let Me Go!

 

.


When I was younger and working at Caesar’s Tahoe, players would sit down at my game and invariably the following question would come up. “What’s a nice girl like you doing working in a joint like this?” I would always look around me where there were rows of dealers like me, fresh-faced recent college grads trying to postpone adulthood as long as we could and Lake Tahoe (America’s all year playground) was a great place to do it.  Over the years at one time or another most of us have left the casino business, but in the end the majority return. So let me tell you the top ten reasons for working in a joint like the Night Hawk.

1.     You get paid for playing games all day but you really don’t get paid much. The majority of your income comes from tips. Remember punters there is one person in the casino who wants you to win, and that person is the dealer. Because if you don’t win she won’t make tips and everybody likes to eat. There is nothing more exhilarating than sharing in a big win with a player. If you work in a ‘go for your own joint,’ you get to keep all the tips you can make. Your salary is pretty much up to you and your personality. It’s like being a salesman but the casino provides all the leads.

2.     Every casino I have ever worked in provides health insurance because we are all going to get carpel tunnel from pitching cards for years. You also only work 8 hours a day. Occasionally I worked overtime but I got paid for it. I decided I’d rather work by the hour than for a salary.

3.     You can work any shift that you want to. Can’t stand sunlight, you sign up to work the graveyard shift. A morning person, well day shift is for you. With casinos open 24 / 7, including the holidays there is a perfect shift for everyone. Dealers who have children don’t need child care they because work opposite shifts. At a young age I decided I liked to work night shift. I lived in Lake Tahoe and if I worked nights that left my days free to ski or swim in the lake. I also hate waking up to a alarm clock.

4.     Gambling is a growth industry. With more states and cities in desperate financial straits, they are turning to casinos. Fifty years ago there were casinos only in Nevada now according to Wikipedia there are casinos in 30 states.

5.     You can’t be outsourced. Someone does have to actually pitch those cards on a blackjack game. I know they have been working on perfecting a blackjack machine, but then you might as well play the slot machines, Table game gamblers don’t trust machines. I believe dealers are safe for a while.

6.     You can get a job at almost any age. I have seen dealers in their sixties get hired. This is great because at some point most people in the casino get fired. But it is a small enough industry that you probably know someone in management somewhere, and they will juice you into a job. When I left high tech to go  into the casino industry people thought I was crazy but most of my friends got laid off at one point or another that never happened to me.

7.     Free food is a great incentive. Most casinos I’ve worked in have provided free meals and drinks and if they do charge the cost is minimal. If going out to lunch costs $10 a day, then that is like a $50 raise every week. It can get even better, when I lived on a ship I also got free room and board.

8.     You don’t have to buy clothes, because your company will gladly provide you with a uniform. It will be ugly, it will be made of polyester, but it will be free.

9.     You get to live in nice places which is what got me into the business in the   first place. Besides Tahoe, I have lived on a cruise ship circling the world, and Palm Springs. My husband has worked in Moscow, London, the Czech Republic and the Bahamas. Not all casinos are located in nice places but with a little research you can find a beautiful place to deal.

10. You get to meet celebrities. I was thrilled whenever anyone from Vanderpump Rules played on my game. Well, okay to me they are actually big celebrities. I have also dealt to official Hollywood stars. Some of them are nice, but you soon realize the rich and famous aren’t “all that.”

The next time you play at a table you don’t have to ask, you will already know why that dealer is working there. Read my suspense novel Casino Queen and enjoy your time at the Night Hawk.

Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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 a win?

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

No comments:
Labels:

If the Blackjack Table Could Talk

 Hi, my name is Cara and I am the author of a new suspense novel Casino Queen, it is based on my years working at Native American casinos in Southern California. One week we were working on a cruise ship and the next week in a Native American casino in Palm Springs, California. When I arrived, the casinos had recently opened. It was a brand-new industry that needed to hire thousands of people. If you build it, they will come, blackjack dealers appeared from all over the country.

If you read my book, you are probably curious about casinos.  I have spent decades in the casino business. I have decided to show you the view from behind the table. I will pass on a few tips, so superstition doesn’t ruin your game. Please let me know if they help you win the next time you visit a casino!

If the Blackjack Dealer Was Allowed to Speak!


If you were a blackjack table visited by thousands of punters a year, you would hear the same five things repeated every day. Guess what, all five of them are misconceptions, mixed up with superstitions and topped off with a thick layer of so-called expertise. 

1. When the majority of players walk up to the table the first words out of their mouth are, “Dealer, are you running hot or cold?”

This old chestnut has been around as long as gambling. Movies, books, and even a dealer or two have added to the mystique of hot and cold dealers. Some things are easily disproved.  Trust me, if some dealers were naturally hot and some cold then the casino would only employ the hot variety. Have you ever seen an advert in the paper for a new casino, “Now interviewing for staff, hot dealers only need apply.” No one would be a dealer because dealers work for tips and generally people who are winning tip. Without winners dealers would have no income. I can assure you there is only one person in the casino who wants you to win, the dealer! They want you to win because they work for the tips you throw them.

2. Third Base is the most important spot at the table, because seat number seven controls the cards.

That would only be true if the player in seat seven had a crystal ball and knew what cards would appear next. Sometimes they play correctly and the cards fall perfectly and the dealer busts, then third base will take all the credit. Sometimes they play correctly and the dealer hits out to twenty-one, but they don’t take the blame for their losses. In fact, the cards are shuffled many times during the course of the day and no one knows the next card – or equally importantly the dealer’s hole card.

3. Someone at the table has to take a hit.

Let’s imagine the following scenario. The dealer shows a low card, maybe a five or a six, and everyone at the table has a stiff hand (12 – 16). All the players signal no card, but the benevolent player at the all-important third base will offer to sacrifice his hand for the good of the table, because, “Someone has to take a hit.” I have never understood the logic of this one. Since no one knows what the dealer’s hole card is or the next card out of the shoe, then just like every other hand a player should stick to the rules of basic strategy. By the previously mentioned twisted logic, third base may very well take the bust card and his sacrifice will doom the table. But if everyone loses with a sigh he will proclaim, “Well at least I tried.”

4. When things are going badly at the table, players think they can change the flow of the cards by adding or subtracting a hand from the game.

There is no flow or run of the cards, they are shuffled in a random order. Casinos go to great lengths to devise a shuffle which results in a random rearrangement of the cards at every shuffle.

5. I know I shouldn’t split these sixes against a ten but I have a feeling.

Nothing gets a gambler into more trouble than a feeling. A gambler feels like they are smarter than the average person. The house always has slight edge even at blackjack but if a player follows the rules of basic strategy, they can avoid increasing that edge.

Like most things in life blackjack is a game of skill, which can be easily learned. I feel that if a player is going to spend $300 on a night at the tables it is worth their while to invest ten dollars to buy a book on basic strategy. There are thousands of books on basic strategy, you can find them in the gambling section of any bookstore or online. No book on basic strategy or gambling mentions ‘hot dealers’ or ‘taking the dealers bust card’ or ‘flow of the cards,’ it’s all strictly math. Take our advice, forget the old wife’s tales, buy yourself a copy, read it and study it. Happy Gambling.

Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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 a win?

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

No comments:
Labels:

Derrick from Donegal from Casino Queen Will Take You Inside of the Mind of a Gambler!

 

Yeh, I’m Derrick from Donegal. I’m the table games director at the Night Hawk.  Don’t believe what people say about me especially that that tight arsed bitch Caroline. I’d like to see how long she’d last in the East End of London where I was raised.

She can’t see I am a damn good boss. They should have made me casino manager instead of her. Who ever heard of a bird running a casino? She’s probably sleeping with the Chairman John Tovar. I see the way they look at each other. It’s like they speak a secret language.

Don’t start me on John. All the guest and employees act like he walks on water. It’s as if they think he’s not just the Indian chief but some kind of shaman. With his braids he looks like Pocahontas, pretty like a bird. I like his cousins, the Tovar twins, a whole lot better, they know the score. Don’t look too closely don’t upset the good gig we have going on here.



Caroline caused trouble for me since the first day she walked through the door. Towering over me in her heels, trying to intimidate me. She acted all lady boss, calm and efficient, but I could tell this wasn’t going to work out. I don’t know what the problem was, but I have never done well with lady bosses. They don’t really understand how this business works. Blokes know that if you scratch someone’s back, they’ll scratch yours in the future. It’s what I did for my employees. I did favors for them to help them make more money, and they passed part of it my way. We have an understanding. Do you see the problem?

I first walked into a casino in London when I was laying bricks at the Golden Nugget. Working inside seemed a damn site better than freezing my bum out in the cold, wicked streets of the city. I signed up for a grueling training class in roulette. I remember the thrill I felt the first time I spun the ball around the heavy mahogany wheel without it flying into space. I had to memorize so many multiplication tables, it almost did my head in. But I survived. We started with fifty in the class and ended up with five. I’m glad to say, London dealers are the gold standard.

We were wanted all over the world, from South Africa to cruise ships circling the globe. A captive audience. I met the Ex on a Regal Cruise ship. An American who fancied a man in a suit. I fancied a green card. When the marriage ended, I walked away with a green card and a restraining order against me. I tried to get as far away from San Diego as I could which is how I ended up in this godforsaken desert, with a bitch for a boss. But it is a sweet gig and I don’t intend to lose it.

It's not my fault, the only thing there is to do around here is play at the casinos. It’s so hot in the summer you feel it in your bones when you walk outside. The dust from the wind storms so thick it settles in your suits. I can only spend so many nights on the couch drinking Guinness and watching the telly. When I get off work casinos an hour away in every direction entice me to eat, play, win. I get the itch about half-way through my shift. I drive to Indio Springs convinced I will walk away with a small fortune and make up for the losing streak I have been on lately.

At first, it all goes to plan. I keep hitting numbers at the roulette wheel, turning a thousand into ten thousand. It feels so good to win, there is nothing that compares, even sex. In the flow, I feel invincible. But a plonker like me never knows when to quit. I keep telling myself the next roll will be my last as my pile begins to disintegrate. Before I know it, I am back to my one thousand and then down to naught. Pissed off at myself, I slam my fist on the table. A few minutes later security escorts me to the door. Hope the Chairman doesn’t hear about that.

But I can feel it starting again, that itch. But tonight, I will quit when I’m ahead. It will happen, I will climb out of this hole. All it takes is one good night. Only four more hours to go. I walk over to watch the black jack game and notice this idiot making money hand over fist. But I’m not worried I know he’ll walk away with nothing. Because it’s hard to walk away from a winning streak. But I will tonight.

I’ve learned my lesson. Want to come with me to Indio Springs? I could teach you roulette.

Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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 a win?

                        

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

No comments:
Labels:

Caroline Popov Casino Manager at the Night Hawk Would Like to Introduce Herself to You!

 

Hi, I’m Caroline Popov, casino manager for the Night Hawk. I was more surprised than anyone when I was promoted to this position. The first woman casino manager in the valley. John, the tribal chairman likes to call me the Casino Queen but that doesn’t sit well with me. Whenever I think of a Queen, Mary Queen of Scots comes to mind and we know she was beheaded by her cousin. 

It’s funny living up here in the High Desert between Joshua Tree National Park and the world’s largest Marine base. There isn’t much around here some scrub brush and twisty mountain roads bordered by rocks that look like Jenga pieces. The kind of place where you would film a car commercial. The sky is always crystal blue and it barely rains, but when it does it is quite spectacular. A few days after a rain storm the desert wildflowers bloom painting the hillsides in a rainbow of colors. There is something spiritual about the place.



I worked hard to deserve the job. I was such a scared lonely person when I came to work at the Palm Oasis in Palm Springs. I needed money and John Tovar our Tribal Chairman promised me a future with the tribe. He guaranteed it would be a trial by fire. I know there were some skeptics who didn’t think a woman couldn’t be tough enough to run a casino. Especially that chauvinist Derrick. He’s from Ireland and speaks a nice brogue but I can tell you his words are all Blarney. You have to be tough, but there is room for a little heart in this business. John taught me that.

One thing they never tell you about when you are training is at end of the day your feet feel like lead weights are attached to them, and your hair and clothes smell like cigarettes. Not the glamorous image of casinos you see portrayed on the movie screen. I can’t remember the last time someone walked into the Night Hawk in an evening gown. But there was something about the business that drew me in.

There was a fun atmosphere in the casino, you worked with hundreds of people. Every night was a mini adventure. I was alone, but I never felt lonely. Because dealers are working with math, after an hour the numbers start to get jumbled in your head and you lose concentration. That’s why if you are dealing you get a twenty-minute break every hour. That meant I had plenty of time to read, most dealers always have a book on the go. But most breaks I shot the breeze back in the break room with my team members.

Working with dealers from all over the world opened me up. Rui came from China. June came from Wales, she won the Green Card Lottery. Binh escaped from Vietnam on a leaky boat. Nadia came over as a mail-order bride. So many countries, so many stories. I could spend all day telling you about them. I was completely fascinated by them, Sometimes they made me cry but I admired the way they all fought to be part of the American dream. Although I doubt living forty miles off the highway slinging cards or pouring drinks was part of that dream. But the money was good, the hours were flexible and the job came with health insurance.

Here at the Night Hawk, my team really works well under pressure. You try dealing to someone when you’ve just relieved them of $10,000. Sometimes customers can be less than diplomatic. I’ve been called a bitch on many occasions. But it comes with the territory. On the other side I’ve had a player throw me a $500 chip. You learned fast in this business to take the bad with the good.

Of course, there are a few bad apples around here. When people work in the money store, they begin to think the money is theirs. Look around there are cameras everywhere. Everything you do is being recorded. We trust our employees but we believe in trust but verify. There are so many inventive ways to steal from a casino.

When you come visit the Night Hawk, I’ll show you some of the scams people have tried to pull on us. There is the famous wall of shame filled with photos of all the finest hustlers, petty thieves, hookers, drug pushers and gambling addicts the valley has to offer. Keeping one step ahead of them is a big part of my job.

You can tell I really love this place. I confess, the business is in my bones. I’ve seen people leave but they always come back. Come to work for me, you’ll find out why. But in the meantime, let the casino buy you some dinner.

Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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 a win?

                          

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

1 comment:
Labels:

The Big Thrill Interviews Me, Cara Bertoia About My Novel Casino Queen

 



I want to express my appreciation to The Big Thrill for including an author interview from me in their April issue. I consider it a great honor to see my name beside so many accomplished authors. In the article I trace the inspiration for my story and the crazy journey I took to becoming a novelist.

When you write a novel you have a vision, and Susana Kuehne got it! My inspiration for a suspense novel was based on the noir classics. I love stories with quick-witted characters, twisty plots with red herrings thrown in for flavor, and realistic storylines. But Casino Queen was written for this century, it tries to capture the craziness of the first two decades of this century, when casinos opened in Southern California.


                        Check out the article here. Please share if you enjoy it.

Click the link below.

                                Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL


Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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 a win?


No comments:
Labels:

Tribal Chairman and Fan Favorite John Tovar from Casino Queen Returns to Palm Springs High to Give the Commencement Speech

 


Hi, everyone my name is John Tovar although most of you probably know me as Kevin’s father. It feels funny returning to my alma mater Palm Springs High to give a speech. I was embarrassed when they first asked me. Believe me in high school I would have been voted least likely to succeed if anyone paid any attention to me at all. I didn’t have fancy clothes, a nice car or any car. I went to school to get the free meal at lunch, and to hang out with my friends. My mother worked three jobs to keep a roof over my head, and she would have kicked my ass if I ever dropped out. So, I limped along and finished high school with a very below average G.P.A. Not setting a very good example for you, but this is a redemption story.

Native American Women in Palm Springs 

I’m going to give it to your straight because I believe you are old enough to learn how the world works. When I was growing up, I wasn’t proud of being Native American. I wished I could be one of the kids who had a celebrity for a parent. This city was swarming with them when I was young. They lived in big mansions behind high walls and we were shuffled to Section 14, one square mile in the middle of the city. When the city decided to develop it, some people would go to work and return home to find their homes had been bulldozed. The only time I felt like I belonged was when I went to play with my cousins in the High Desert.

I am a member of the Shotowa Tribe and my ancestors have lived in the Coachella Valley for thousands of years. We were the original immigrants, when this land was wide open. Now it’s time for a little history lesson. I believe it is important that we learn the history of this country good and bad. Native American tribes were always considered sovereign nations which usually meant we were on our own.

Ultimately the secret of my success did lie in my heritage because in 1987 the supreme court decided a tribe could have gambling. I was born into the right tribe. It was like we won the lottery not the mega millions but one that will pay your bills. It allows us to offer educational and job opportunities for our members. Maybe a casino isn’t a fair trade since we lost a whole country to illegal immigrants but it’s a start. But it feels pretty good to be the tribal chairman. It was a thrill to be introduced to Queen Elizabeth as the leader of the Shotowa. Not bad for a kid raised in Section 14. Today our story is in the Smithsonian.

I know that there are casinos all over Southern California now, but in the early days opening a casino wasn’t easy. We had to sneak slot machines in at two a.m. For the first few years we lived in fear of the feds shutting us down, Then the voters of California made it legal under Proposition 5.

I know everyone tells you get your education but when I left this place more school was the last thing on my mind. I joined the Marines and stayed there for about ten years and one divorce. But when I returned home with no career path, I went to work at a Native bingo hall. I learned owning a casino was like printing money. I had found my calling. I could help do good things for the Shotowa Tribe.

I pledged that if the tribal council would send me to college for business I would find a way for us to open a casino. This time I studied hard because it was my idea and I couldn’t let the tribe down. My most helpful class turned out to be business etiquette. I learned how to have a meal with potential investors and more importantly how to listen and when to speak. Because in life it’s all about the relationships you create. Always surround yourself with good people.

I will leave you with this piece of advice. Try not to dwell in the past. If Native Americans felt like that we would never get up in the morning. Your story will contain twists and turns which will make for an interesting life. You have to lose a few times to appreciate winning.

I start each day anew and thank Mother Earth for her bounties. I ask her how can I best help the Tribe. We live in a beautiful place and we need to care for it. Go out in the world and make your mark, take advantage of all the opportunities life gives you. You may not be the smartest or the richest, I sure wasn’t. But you are the only you, and you have your own story to write. 

 Cara Bertoia is the author of the critically acclaimed Casino Queen, a new suspense novel published by The Wild Rose Press. She has drawn from her years in the casino industry to create a fascinating thriller. It is all true although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. It had been featured at The Big Thrill and Women Writers Women's Books and at many other sites. Read the blurb here.                  

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 and 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 challenging guests, 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 a win?


Click the link below to order at Amazon, enjoy your stay at the Night Hawk!

Casino Queen (Night Hawk Casino Series Book 1) - Kindle edition by Bertoia, Cara. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.    

Click the link below to order at Barnes and Noble 

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

.                         

                         To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.

Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL

1 comment:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)