Never Play Fair
by Leah Cupps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Mystery Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Can Sydney find her boyfriend in time, or will they both sink to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea?
Instagram Influencer Sydney Evans finds herself entangled in a criminal operation, orchestrated by the Department of Defense in order to bring down an online casino crime ring.
But she only has one motivation: find her FBI boyfriend Alex before he becomes collateral damage.
Sydney must navigate her way through an exclusive Casino yacht party in the middle of the Caribbean sea put on by none other than the notorious Costa Rican gangster, Vincente Estavez.
Never Play Fair is a fast-paced standalone thriller. If you like real-world issues, lavish socialite parties, and electrifying twists and turns, then you’ll love Leah Cupps’ provocative cozy mystery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: The book is on sale for only $0.99.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Another rope was tethered to the cleat alongside the massive yacht. A crew member reached for Sydney’s hand.
She stepped back.
“He can go first,” she said.
“But—” he protested.
“No, you’re hurt,” she said, trying not to say his name. “I’m right behind you.”
She moved back further, giving him no choice. He stepped gingerly down onto the speed boat. A few men on board helped him find his footing as he moved onboard.
Sydney moved back towards the speed boat, aiming to board behind him.
The next few moments seemed to slow down to a crawl. Her right leg was suspended mid-air when a loud noise rumbled the entire area around her. The yacht seemed to heave upward, then crash back down. There was a succession of loud cracks along with the sound of ropes snapping. The boat she was about to board careened away from her.
As the concussions continued to reverberate around her, Sydney felt herself falling toward the water. Her eyes cast out toward the speed boat, but it was moving in the opposite direction. She hit the water with a force, its inky black tentacles curling up around her body. First, she went down and then popped up, the life jacket she was wearing pulling her back to the surface.
She gasped for air, feeling it being sucked from her lungs. Her ears throbbed with a ringing noise. There was one last explosion behind her, and she had to shut her eyes to shield it from a fiery blast that had now engulfed the boat behind her. She felt the heat pulsing through the water.
Something loosened in the jacket around her, and suddenly it felt like the life jacket she was wearing was slipping off her.
Shit!
Sydney reached for it as it drifted away from her, and water washed down her throat. She gagged and spit, trying to find something to hold onto. She treaded water with every ounce of energy she had left.
The life jacket was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Interview
1. What would you consider to be your Kryptonite as an author?
Distractions
2. If you could tell your younger writing self, anything, what would it be?
Believe in yourself!
3. What book do you feel is under-appreciated? How about overrated?
Hmm, I’m
not sure!
4. Favorite childhood memory involving books?
Reading fairytales in my bedroom.
5. If you could dine with any literary character, who would it be and why?
Robert Langdon
6. What fantastical fictional world would you want to live in (if any) given
the chance?
Harry Potter
7. Did you want to be an author when you grew up?
No
8. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Ambitious, fun, adventurous
9. What is your most unusual writing quirk?
I don’t have on that I can think
of!
10. What’s one movie you like recommending to others?
Rudy
11. If you could own any animal as a pet, what would it be?
I will stick with
dogs
12. Have you ever met anyone famous?
Just a handful of people, no one too
famous.
13. What is the first book that made you cry?
Where the Red Fern Grows.
14. How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
Five months for a
first draft.
15. How do you select the names of your characters?
Whatever pops in my head.
Usually the neighbors—LOL.
16. What creature do you consider your "spirit animal" to be?
Cat
17. What are your top 5 favorite movies?
Indiana Jones, Star Wars, James Bond,
Harry Potter—that’s more than five all together!
18. If you were the last person on Earth, what would you do?
Read. Create.
Paint.
19. What fictional character would you want to be friends with in real life?
Robert Langdon
20. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Don’t be afraid to get your
idea on paper.
21. What book do you wish you had written?
The Davinci Code
22. Tell us 10 fun facts about yourself!
Here’s five: I am a serial
entrepreneur and have built and sold five companies, I have a collection of
Indiana Jones whips in my office. I collected Star Wars memorabilia, I have a
player piano, I watch my husband play polo on a horse every Friday, I love
cooking shows.
23. If you could live in any time period, what would it be and why?
This one!
24. What is your favorite genre to read?
Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Leah Cupps is an entrepreneur and author. She writes Middle Grade Mystery Adventure Books as well as Thriller, Mystery, Suspense for Adults.
Leah’s novels are fast-paced mysteries that will keep you up at night as you can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter.
Leah lives in Indiana with her husband, three young children and three dogs. When she isn’t losing sleep writing her next novel or scaling her next business, she enjoys reading, golfing working out and spending time with her family.
Connect with Leah Online:
http://www.facebook.com/leahcuppsauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17178076.Leah_Cupps
Sign up for Leah’s VIP email list, and you'll automatically be notified as soon as her next book is released:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Leah Cupps will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteGreat interview
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteAn intriguing cover, synopsis and excerpt, Never Play Fair sounds like a thrilling read and I am looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing the author's info and book details
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very intriguing. Great cover!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good book!
ReplyDeleteInteresting interview, Leah, Never Play Fair sounds like a thrilling, edge of my seat read and I am looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing it with me and have an amazing weekend!