Favorite Handbag and Book with author Cara Bertoia - Do You Have a Handbag You Cherish? and her book, Casino Queen

 About the Handbag:

The story of my handbag is really a story about my husband. I met  Ray when we both worked for Princess Cruises. He jumped ship, left before his contract was over, to move with me to America, and we got married two weeks later. People said it was too soon, it wouldn’t last. We got jobs as blackjack dealers at a Native American casino in Palm Springs, California. I never was much good at relationships when I was single, but it turned out I was great at being married.

Ray is Scottish, and he always jokes about being canny with his money. We both know that the stereotype was popularized by a Scottish comedian, Harry Lauder, as a joke, but Ray likes to play into it. On the road to Los Angeles, there was an outlet mall, with a Gucci store in it. The manager of that store played on my husband’s blackjack table. I had never bought a designer handbag in my life. One of the first holidays we spent together imagine my surprise when I woke up to this beautiful Gucci bag. I will always cherish this bag because I know how it hurt him to buy it for me, but he did it to show me how much he loved me.

I love this classic style because it is immediately identifiable as a Gucci bag. The style is classic handbag, the material is leather, and the color is a cross between brown and burgundy. I  only carry it on special occasions. After twenty years the bag still looks new. It is in excellent condition. Every time I look at this bag, I am reminded that marrying Ray was the best decision of my life.  Thank you for listening to my story!

About the Book:

Gamble like your life depends on it…

Caroline Fleming, 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?

About the Author:

Cara Bertoia. Growing up in a strait-laced Southern family, I was always fascinated with

casinos. In my twenties I drove to California and became a dealer at Caesars in Lake Tahoe. 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. I returned from ships with a very special souvenir, my Scottish husband, Ray. We went to work at a Native American casino in Palm Springs. We now live in Hollywood, Florida, where I write about my casino years while gazing out at the ocean.

Answer these questions:

Red, White or Blue?     red

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter?  fall

Cake or Pie? cake

Coffee, Tea, or Champagne? tea

Country music or Michael Buble? Country music

Pencil or Pen? pen

Find the Book at:

Book title at:  Amazon

Cara Bertoia at: Blogsite

Nice Interview on 4/1 at: The Big Thrill Online Magazine 

Nice Review at: Review