Synopsis
Blacklisted newsman Matt Riser is recruited for seven figures to draft a fantasy baseball team. Hard to believe, right? Matt doubts the offer's legitimacy but a hefty cash advance and season tickets behind home plate convinces him to travel to Las Vegas to at least meet the man seeking his fantasy expertise. Big mistake. Mystery man turns out to be pharmaceuticals tycoon Kyle Stark who also co-owns a real Major League Baseball franchise. He and fellow owners of real MLB teams compete for a $2 billion pot in an illegal, underground fantasy league. Matt takes the assignment, figuring he has nothing to lose. After all, he had already lost his career-track news job and Veronica, the love of his life. To cope, Matt obsesses over fantasy baseball and online dating. Taking part in the illicit fantasy draft leads to a chance to not only win Veronica back but also resuscitate his journalism career. What Matt doesn’t realize: the assignment reveals a dark past that triggers a murder-for-hire plot. Matt could very well be the target. Worse yet, Veronica and her teenage son could also be marked for murder. Written by former journalist John Nunes, this thriller toys with three trends: (1) The rapid rise of high stakes fantasy sports. (2) The increasingly incestuous relationship between fantasy sports and gambling. (3) The continued use of steroids and other PEDs by pro and amateur athletes of all ages.
About the Author
Former journalist John L. Nunes has published two novels, High Stakes Fantasy--An Alternative Reality Sports Thriller and DreamCatcher Games. Book three not yet in the oven, but pre-heating at fiery hot. He loves watching baseball. Has taken in games at eight Major League and a dozen minor league ballparks. Obsessed over fantasy baseball and intrigued with gambling trends (see above novels and my blog: FantasyBasebalLosersUnite.com). Obsessive compulsive writer (what writer isn't). Winner of national and local awards for coverage of one of the nation's deadliest airline disasters. Thousands of bylines as a staff reporter and freelancer for L.A. Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Sport Magazine, Elysian Fields Quarterly, San Diego Magazine, San Diego Tribune, Associated Press, others. As a news reporter, covered police, courts, politics, sports, entertainment, business, labor, government, education, technology, travel, health care, you name it. Also was in-house PR director for three major San Diego universities and one of the largest community colleges in the nation.
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