May 12, 2003 For more information: Frank Scatoni 619-807-1887 frank@ventureliterary.com "No Kill Date" Venture Literary Sells 3-Book Jake Morgan Mystery Series to ECW Press On May 12, 2003, Greg Dinkin of Venture Literary sold the world rights to three books in Rick Gadziola’s Jake Morgan mystery series to Jack David of ECW Press. The books are set in and around Las Vegas, in places scattered with the bodies of gamblers, grifters, and gangsters. Jake Morgan is a thirty-nine-year-old ex-cop from Boston who will wager on anything—anytime, anywhere—even past his last dime. He ran into trouble while working for the Boston PD, and he’s been running ever since. Living in Las Vegas allows him to eke out a living as a blackjack dealer at the Oasis Hotel and Casino, but it also may be the worst place for a compulsive gambler to be fighting his demons. In the first book, Raw Deal, Jake finds himself caught in the middle of Vegas’ most controversial murder since Bugsy Siegel’s. When Christian Valentine, a conceited, middle-aged Lothario with no class is found face down in his penthouse suite Jacuzzi with an arrow in his back, Jake is forced to find the killer—in order to save his own life and Rachel’s, the showgirl he’s been pining for. The two of them get drawn into the seedy side of the entertainment business: first the flashy one with neon lights on the Strip, and then the fleshy one that goes on where it’s much darker. Jake digs deep into Vegas’ back rooms and boardrooms until he has a story to tell—if anyone will take him serious enough to listen. Canadian author Rick Gadziola is a semi-professional blackjack, backgammon, and poker player who combines his knowledge of the industry and the underworld of Las Vegas to spin a compelling mystery. His short story "Life’s Little Pleasure" placed second in the Toronto Short Story Contest, a contest that attracted more than 8,000 entries from around the world. To learn more about Venture Literary, visit www.ventureliterary.com To learn more about ECW Press, visit www.ecw.com