Cara Bertoia

Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click the link to find at Amazon Australia
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany

Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil

Click the link to find at Barnes and Noble
Ray and Cara have also produced the number one guide on walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The Desert Woman calls it inspiring.
Click the link to find the DVD Camino de Santiago a Walkers Guide at Amazon

Growing up in a strait-laced Southern family, I was always fascinated with casinos. In my twenties on a summer hiatus from teaching in North Carolina, I drove to California and became a dealer at Caesars in Lake Tahoe. Well, I can tell you that after teaching high school, handling an unruly gambler was a piece of cake. My mother highly disapproved of my working in a casino, "a place so bad it has 'sin' in the middle." I wanted to write the first realistic novel about casino life from the perspective of an experienced table games dealer. I spent the next five years circling the globe for Princess Cruises. Sometimes life exceeds your dreams. I was awed by the wonders of Venice, the fjords of Norway, and the Northern Lights in Leningrad. I returned from ships with a very special souvenir, my Scottish husband Ray. We went to work in Palm Springs. We now live in Hollywood, Florida, where I write about my casino years while wistfully gazing out at the ocean.

THE TOP TEN REASONS TO TRAVEL AROUND EUROPE ON A RIVER CRUISE

Me at the window catching some rays

I was born in Charleston, South Carolina, a very old town on the east coast of The United States. My earliest memories are of my father driving all the kids to the beach at Sullivans Isle so that my mom could clean the house in peace. I loved standing at the edge of the shore and daydreaming about what lay on the other side of the very big ocean. Show me the child of six and I will show you the woman. Those days at the shore left me with wanderlust and freckles.

I love to travel, especially by boat, being on the water is my vision of being in heaven. So when I grew up it was no great surprise to anyone that I went to work on a cruise ship. I even wrote about my adventures in Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. I have worked on some really big ships, and I loved it but then one day I heard about European River Cruises. I know river cruises have been around for a while but it seems like they have just taken off in the last ten years. In fact, the company that we cruised with, AMA River Cruises has only been around for 10 years, and they have already doubled the size or their fleet. One cruise in and I am a convert and now I would like to share with you my top ten reasons for traveling around Europe on a very long boat.

1. The scenery, Europe is gorgeous; the countryside is laced with beautiful forests, architectural gems and turreted castles sitting high on the hills. We booked a French balcony; most of the rooms on the ship were in this category. It meant that the cabin had floor to ceiling windows, which were perfect for river views. Our favorite thing was to wake up around six in the morning, open the curtains, and lie in bed watching the world go by on the river as the sun rose in the sky. It doesn't' end there, all day long wherever you are on the ship, you always have wonderful views of the shore which is always in sight and the traffic on the river to entertain you.

Watching the world go by from the comfort of the lounge

2. The river system is incredible. We traveled down the Danube passing through the Main-Danube Canal. The canal is 171 km/106miles long. This canal allows traffic to pass between the North Sea and the black sea. The canal has a total of 16 locks, each about 625 feet long, 40 feet wide and up to 81 feet deep. It is thrilling to watch as you are lowered into a lock and see that the ship is only inches away from the wall, or passing under bridges just inches above the ship. If you love the Panama Canal you will be amazed by this canal.

3. River cruising is so smooth. If I hadn't occasionally heard the sound of the engines I wouldn't even have known that the ship was moving. We traveled in winter, no matter what the weather, it was like we were gliding on the water.

4. It is intimate. The ship held only 180 passengers at full capacity. The crew staff were always available to help you. There were no lines for anything. The ship was new, and very cozy.

5. You don't have to spend all your time working out how to travel from place to place. When I traveled by train so much of my time was spent figuring out the train schedules and I ended up spending many nights on trains and buses lugging heavy suitcases. The last time I went from Vienna to Budapest by train I was exhausted before I even arrived. This time I watched us sail in. I was refreshed, ready for a new adventure.

6. You only have to pack your bags once. When you 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 river cruise you unpack at the beginning of the cruise and pack the night before you go home no matter how many countries you visit. Even though the room on the ship wasn't huge it had been so well designed that there was plenty of storage for all our clothes and even our suitcases. We went with a couple who had only tried bus trips before and they said that this was a much more relaxing experience.

7. Almost everything is included. If you look at the cost of a river cruise as compared to a bus tour or a regular cruise it might seem expensive but when you break it down it is a bargain. On our ship all the tours were included. There were a few optional excursions available but I felt that the included tours were enough. All our meals were included even beer and wine at dinner. If any of you have ever traveled to Europe you know that restaurants can be very expensive.

8. The food was wonderful. Breakfast was a buffet with side dishes like eggs benedict cooked to order. I especially loved the array of breads and pastries. My favorite meal was lunch, local specialties were featured and the chef would cook pasta to order, and it was wonderful the way only pasta cooked in Europe is. Dinner also included local specialties, and so much great seafood, such as halibut which, is quite expensive in America. Wonderful salmon was available every day. But the bonus we most enjoyed was the local beer and wine that were included. It was great to sample all that the countries we visited had to offer.

9. Because you are on a smaller ship traveling down a river and not on the ocean you can visit small intimate ports. We especially loved the medieval city of Regensburg in Germany. It was so convenient. We just walked off the ship and the tour would begin. It was winter time and the romantic Christmas market at the Thurn and Taxis Palace was bustling. It was great to be able to explore the city on our own with only a short walk back to the ship.

Christmas Market in Vienna

10. Some of the tour options were quite inventive. We cooked Hungarian Goulash at the Hotel Sofitel in Budapest. It was a great experience and we got some tips on cooking with paprika. It wasn't just a demonstration we chopped and fried and even tasted our own creation served with heavy crusted bread. We left with aprons and tea towels, and we all agreed it was the best tour. Our AMA cruise manager told us that they are always looking for way to improve and make our experience more enjoyable.

There is something luxurious about traveling on a cruise ship whether it be an ocean cruise or river cruise. From the crystal chandeliers to the polished brass stair railing, ships exude elegance. It is great that as cruisers we have more options all the time. I am sold on river cruises, the next time I plan to travel in tulip time. Maybe I'll see you there.

About the author:

Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Please check out her most popular posts to find more blogs about cruising.

Below are the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships

Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click the link to find at Barnes and Noble
Ray and Cara have also produced the number one guide on walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The Desert Woman calls it inspiring.
Click the link to find the DVD Camino de Santiago a Walkers Guide at Amazon

Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany

THE FUTURE IS HERE AND IT JUST MIGHT BE SLAB CITY

Have you ever thought of just chucking it all in, walking away from the routine of everyday life? Well I know a place thousands of people escape to every year. The name is Slab City and if you have ever wondered what a post apocalyptic world would look like this is probably the closest you will find.

Even though Slab City is less than two hours from my house I had never been there, but one day a friend from Vegas came to visit and that was the only one place he wanted to see. We drove past the splendid decay of the Salton Sea, a huge slowly dying lake in Southern California which ends mere miles from the Mexican border.

When we reached the small town of Niland we took a left and traveled three miles to the remnants of the World War II-era Camp Dunlamp Naval Reservation. It is on that deserted base that thousands of snowbirds descend every year, rent free to spend their winters. A few hardy souls live there year round although in the summer temperatures routinely break the century mark.

Religion always features prominently in a post-apocalyptic scenario and the first thing that greets you as you enter this community is Salvation Mountain. Started in the eighties Leonard Knight a self-proclaimed Christian built a colorful mountain out of adobe clay and donated paint. His recurring theme was, Love is everywhere at Salvation Mountain. Climb to the top and feel the love around you. Although Leonard is now deceased the work continues.

FIND LOVE IN THE DESERT AT SALVATION MOUNTAIN

Travel down the road past the community center, a library and an open-air nightclub - The Range. Pass fields filled with RV's, where some of the 47% have found their place due to economic limitations and the rest of the population just want to be left alone to do as they please.

But for me the most interesting place can be found just north of The Range. It is an experimental community using predominantly recycled, re-purposed or discarded materials to create incredible works of art. The day we came the inhabitants were happy to give us a tour of the art, the living quarters and shared their plans for the future. They plan to make their community self sustaining. We made a donation and were rewarded with the coolest T-shirt ever. Although Charles Russell, the founder of East Jesus, died unexpectedly of a heart attack in his mid-40's he left a legacy and a community that is expanding and pays tribute to his vision. And if you visit bring a book to donate to the library, the nights are long in the desert.

FREEDOM AHEAD SLAB CITY

So if you would like to visit America's version of the back of beyond, a place closely resembling the world of Mad Max without the violence, just take a trip to Slab City, I know I will be back.

About the author:

Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships

Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click the link to find at Barnes and Noble
Ray and Cara have also produced the number one guide on walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The Desert Woman calls it inspiring.
Click the link to find the DVD Camino de Santiago a Walkers Guide at Amazon

APOCALYPTO XMAS

I can't believe another year has passed and life is going great. A few years my husband Ray and I started a new Holiday tradition. We make holiday videos, no they really aren't about us just fun videos that we hope will make you smile.
This year we are happy to premiere our latest release, Apocalypto Xmas.

Click here to view a sneak preview of Apocalypto Xmas

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

THE NEXT BIG THING WRITERS TELL ABOUT THEMSELVES AND PASS IT ALONG

A fellow writer Georgina Young Ellis, a great writer of time travel novels asked me if I would take part in a blog chain where writers post what they are working on now for the Next Big Thing. Her third novel, The Time Contessa will be published in Jan.

I am working currently on a blog about everything that has to do with travel I have been focusing lately on travel destinations around Southern California. One posting I especially liked writing focused on my hometown and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Next week I will be posting a blog about Slab City, a very interesting community just east of the Salton Sea.

Every wondered what a post apocalyptic world would look like. This place will give you a glimpse of a possible future. I have started writing a novel about a future society.

How did you come by the idea for your blog?

I had so much fun writing about my adventures working on a cruise ship in my novel Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships and I got so much good feedback from my readers that I just wanted to share more. Also my novel will be featured as Bargain Book of the Day at E Reader News Today on Dec 2.

What genre does your book fall under?

My book is a funny novelization of life aboard a cruise ship, with travel and romance thrown in. I find it really hard to place it under any one genre.

Who could play these people in the movie?

Which actors would you choose to play your characters if it were a movie?

Well I wouldn't go for big stars, because mine is a story about ordinary people that anyone can relate to. I would choose Judy Greer for Sarah, she currently plays Ashton Kutcher's ex-wife in Two and a Half Men. My choice for Paul is a bloke named Aaron McCusker, he has been a bar owner on the original, British Shameless for years. In my opinion the best television show in the world. He also has dreamy eyes like my husband.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I wish I could take credit for this but a reader, Janis in Oregon wrote the perfect description on my novel, "This novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads."

What inspired you to write your book and how long did it take you to write it?

I have always loved to travel. Ever since I was a little girl my favorite hobby was reading novels about far away places, on a hot summer day I would be Mary Queen of Scots locked in the chilly London Tower. When I was in college I studied in Mexico for a semester and after that there was no holding me down. There is a German word for that feeling -- torschlusskpanik the fear of missing the boat. In my case, literally.

While in Boston 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 wonders of Venice, the fjords of Norway, and the Northern Lights in Leningrad but on the downside I also watched glaciers melt at an alarming rate in Alaska, snorkeled to coral reefs killed by pollution in the Caribbean, and witnessed the devastation as the Amazon burned. It was the best education I could ever have had. Taking advantage of every opportunity to be a tour guide, I soaked in as much history as I could.

Since I had studied writing at Emerson I knew that when I went to sea I would write about my experiences. Every night spent in the crew bar I chalked up to research. I learned so much about my fellow crewmembers that I just wanted to tell our tales. The fact that my novel turned into a love story surprised me most of all.

I left ships with a handsome Scotsman who became my husband. We moved to Palm Springs and got a job in the casino industry and it is here that we wrote our novel. It is based on our true story only the names have been changed to protect us! So the very long answer is that it took years!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I don't know if I can compare my book to any other but I do think I like to play romance a bit like Nick Hornby. Men seem to be able to really relate to the characters. But I feel like our travel writing is unique to Ray and I.

To further the chain I will introduce you the Revita Horowitz the author of Daughter's of Iraq, a wonderful story about a family who immigrated to Israel from Iraq. Her new novel Hope to See You Soon, deals with the immigrant experience in the U.S. But just follow this link and she can tell you all about it.
Click here to visit Revita's blog about The Next Big Thing

And if you want to learn more about time travel -
Here is the link to Georgina's blog Nerd- Girls Romantics and Time Travelers

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!

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

About the author:

Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships

Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany

Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click to find at Barnes and Noble
Ray and Cara have also produced the number one guide on walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The Desert Woman calls it inspiring.
Click the link to find the DVD Camino de Santiago a Walkers Guide at Amazon

Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany

TAKE A WALK THROUGH SPAIN - READ ABOUT THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO - GET IN THE KNOW - GET IN THE HOT SPOT

Do you remember the song, it mainly rains on the plains in Spain? Well I am here to tell you it rains all over Spain. I know because I walked the Camino de Santiago, one of the most famous medieval pilgrimages in the world. My husband and I walked five hundred miles across northern starting near the French border and ending at Santiago a beautiful city.

We have written a guest blog about our walk for Get in the Hot Spot, a very popular Australian travel blog. I love this blog because Australia is a place I visited many times over the years when I worked for Princess Cruises. The people are extremely open and very funny. It is great to read travel stories with a little different perspective than we get here in America.

So please visit our post and find out all about Get in the Hot Spot.

Click this link to read about the Camino at Get in the Hot Spot

Cara and Ray in Santiago

The Camino changed our lives in so many ways that are hard to express in words. We have made a video of our journey and would be pleased to tell you about it.
Please go to www.caminovideo.com to find our movie 'Camino de Santiago a walkers guide' or
Click here to find our movie at Amazon

Please check out our novel Cruise Quarters A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships about our decade working on luxury cruise ships:

About the author:

Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships

Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click to find at Barnes and Noble

THE LINK TO ANNE MARIE'S WHEEL CHAIR COVERS

I HAVE A GREAT IDEA - FROM IDEA TO INVENTION

I have a great idea. How many times have we said that today it is easier than ever to see an idea come to life? With websites like Quirky and Kickstarter, it is also easier to get feedback and potential financing for your idea. Today I will share a story about a woman who took that idea all the way from idea to invention.

As an inspiration today I am thrilled to present Anne Marie Daniels, inventor of wheel chair covers that are manufactured for Sure Fit. I met Anne Marie when she was leading tour groups on the cruise ships that I worked for. We reconnected after she read my novel 'Cruise Quarters'. She is a cheerful, resourceful person with a tremendous amount of patience. My mother-in- law was in a wheelchair when Anne Marie told me about her idea. I immediately saw the need for her product. Besides being an inventor, she is an independent contractor, working in corporate events: meetings, incentive programs and individual events out of Boston. Now I will let Anne Marie tell her story of taking her invention from an idea to a product.

What was the inspiration for your invention.

The covers started with my mother, she was my muse! She fell and broke her hip, and subsequently ended up in a nursing home, and in a wheelchair. It was kind of jarring seeing her in that chrome and vinyl contraption. The nursing home also kept rotating wheelchairs, which were different widths. I wanted to find a way to mark one chair that fit her well, so she would not end up in uncomfortable, too-narrow chairs. Hence, the concept of the wheelchair slipcover was born! But only when I had scoured the internet and visited several medical supply stores and found out (at that time) that there was no such thing.

After you decided it was a good idea what was the next step?

I started designing various pieces to cover the seat, the back; added a skirt - eventually figured I out how to cover the arms and then I had my final product!

What were the obstacles that you faced. What is the patent process?

I was fortunate that a patent search yielded no other cover like mine had already been submitted or approved for patenting. An inventor can submit a provisional patent fairly simply, which protects his design for a year. I did that then moved forward with a utility patent to protect the features of my cover. A design patent only protects the look of your invention. The biggest obstacle for me was the cost. Patent attorney fees vary from firm to firm, so it's best to shop around. It is a very costly process, with no guarantee that your application will be appoved for patenting.

Did you get encouragement or did people think that you were crazy?

I can honestly say that even my four brothers, who would be most critical, never said it was a stupid idea. They were very supportive. I never had any negative feedback, which is probably very unusual for a new product design. Most people 'got it' and wondered why no one had thought of covering wheelchairs before.

How did you find out about the contest.

I was googling around one day and found an inventor's association here in Boston - Inventors Association of New England (IANE) -which meets monthly at MIT. It serves as a networking tool but most importantly has a featured speaker at each meeting. One night our speaker was Louis Foreman, publisher of Inventor's Digest magazine and CEO of Edison Nation, a product development company. I had never heard of Edison Nation! They produce Everyday Edisons on PBS. Another one of EN's functions is to partner with companies in search of new products to bring to market. I submitted my covers to the search sponsored by SureFit slipcovers, which was looking for new solutions in coverings. My invention was vetted through a 7-step process, investigating my intellectual property, marketability, etc. before the decision was made to present to SureFit. The rest is history!

What are your plans now.

Well, I still haven't given up my day job! I have another idea, but still working on the details.

Since your mother was your inspiration, and she is now deceased what do you think she would say to you.

I think she would be pleased with how far her slipcover has come. She used to teach slipcovering and upholstery and really appreciated the ones I made for her. I think Mom and Dad have both been giving the project a heavenly nudge along....

I want this piece to inspire anyone that has a good idea but is scared to try it out.

Associations like IANE, here in Boston, are located all over the country. For any inventor looking for some support or inspiration it's a great resource. There's no need to reveal your invention to receive help. Attendees are a mix of inventors from those in the thought process to accomplished licensees.

Since This article was first posted Annemarie has some news to share with us.

Well, pigs have flown and SureFit's version of my slipcovers has finally hit the big time! It debuted around Father's Day, on QVC's "Sunday Mornings with Carolyn & Dan."
Also now available on Costco's website, among others -

Click the link below for the actual TV segment - A little iffy on the issue of sizing, but hey, I'm not complaining!

http://www.qvc.com/Sure-Fit-Quilted-Wheel-Chair-Cover-Slipcovers-Decorative-Accents-For-the-Home.product.H199429.html?sc=H199429-User&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-6-_-H199429&catentryImage=http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/h/29/h199429.001?$uslarge$

About the author:
Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships

Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany