definition for: #HighStakes

Western Historical Romance Novel by Chad Strong, set in Victoria, BC, Canada

Young gambler Curt Prescott plays better poker than men twice his age. His skill raised him from a life of degradation on the streets to a comfortable living with his girl, saloon songstress, Del, in Victoria, BC. In the spring of 1877, a new preacher, his wife, and daughter, Mary, arrive. The preacher hopes to save the souls of Victoria’s “misguided”. His wife forms a committee to eradicate them. Curt must fight back with everything he has – including a plan to seduce Mary and shame the family. As a notorious criminal, and Del’s jealous rages, threaten them all, Curt’s battle for his lifestyle becomes one of right and wrong, life and death, and love lost and found. Chock-full of western grit, romantic allure, and courage of the heart, High Stakes is an adventure for men and women alike.

Chad Strong has lived a large portion of his life in the countryside surrounding Victoria, BC. Many of his written works reflect his reverence for the area. High Stakes is his first novel, uniting his love of western stories and Victoria’s history.

A Canadian writer, Chad has had the privilege of living in different parts of this vast and varied country: from the west coast, to the prairies, to southern Ontario. He grew up reading fiction and non-fiction of all sorts, from westerns to fantasies, from adventures to history. His writing has followed suit across multiple genres and his works have appeared in publications including Bards & Sages Quarterly, Mysterical-E, Rawhide’n Roses - a Western Anthology, and Frontier Tales. His first novel, High Stakes, is a western historical romance set in Victoria, BC, and made the finals for two distinct awards: Best First Western Novel of 2012 in the Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Awards, and in the American Historical category of the RONE Awards.