High Stakes

By Chad Strong

It’s the end of May, 1877, and Curt Prescott returns home to the growing harbor city of Victoria, British Columbia after a three-month poker circuit on the mainland. A new “Moral Action Committee” has sprung up in his absence. Headed by the wife of the new preacher, the committee threatens to cast out all soiled doves and gamblers from the city.

Curt meets the new preacher, “Bud” Andrews, Bud’s shrewish wife, Sarah, and their idealistic daughter, Mary. Bud seeks to convert Curt while Curt plans to destroy the committee. Pressures mount for Curt as he tries to help his young constable friend keep the peace with a notorious lowlife, while at the same time trying to ease his jealous girlfriend’s insecurities. As Curt falls in love with Mary, the battle for his lifestyle becomes a battle of life and death, and of love lost and found.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Musa Publishing
• Release date: May 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781619372535

Chad Strong

Chad Strong is a Canadian author to whom the "Three R's" means: Readin', Writin', and Ridin'- his greatest passions.Chad discovered the power of books at a young age and has been enjoying and learning through the written word ever since. His main interests lie in westerns, fantasy, history, mythology, and literary classics. As with his reading preferences, Chad's writing doesn't stick to any one particular genre. He writes the stories that hassle him, demanding to be told, be they western, fantasy, supernatural, suspense, young adult — historical or contemporary — or any combination thereof.Chad's first novel, High Stakes, made it to the Finals for both a Peacemaker Award by the Western Fictioneers in the category of Best First Western Novel, and for a RONE Award by InD'Tale Magazine in the American Historical category.High Stakes appeals to both male and female audiences with its Western grit, Historical interest, and Romantic elements. Set in Victoria, BC of 1877, the novel has received favourable reviews, including one from noted Victoria historian, Norman K. Archer.A dedicated horseman as well, Chad's time and energy have always been divided by his two greatest passions – horses and books. If there wasn’t a pair of reins or a manure fork in his hands, there’d likely be a novel, or a pen and notebook.Accomplishments to Date:HIGH STAKES (Western Novel)1) FINALIST — The Peacemaker Award for Best First Western Novel by the Western Fictioneers2) FINALIST — The RONE Awards in the American Historical category, by InD'Tale Magazine.3) 5-STAR REVIEW - Silver Badge - The Reader's Favorite Book Reviews!Also, a few short stories were chosen as Reader's Favorites:1) THE CAMAS FAIRY - Voted Best Short Story in the January 2012 issue of Bards & Sages Quarterly2) THE TRACKER - Voted Best Short Story in the May 2014 issue of Frontier Tales3) THE CHURCHYARD INCIDENT - Voted Best Short Story in the October 2014 issue of Bards & Sages QuarterlyAfter several readers asked, Chad was pleased to gather eight of his published short stories into a single volume called Mixed Grazing - A Collection of Short Stories. He plans to release a second volume once he has enough stories to fill it.