Before pagers and cell phones, and before Facebook and YouTube even existed, five strangers in Chicago meet in a car on the ride of their life. Vi is a songwriter on the verge of moving to Nashville, and Tom is her silent admirer. Sean is a drunken Irish boy ogling every skirt in the bar, and Sarah is a young, rich socialite trying to avoid Sean's gaze. The four strangers leave Baker's Tap in William's Towncar, caught up in his weekly superstitious quest for purchasing lottery tickets at an old country diner.On their journey, Tom will try to stop Sean from making obnoxious passes at Sarah while he keeps one eye on Vi. Vi will try not to think of Tom romantically because she has her future planned out and no one can stop her quest as a singer. Sarah will try to stay aloof to everyone beneath her, and William will try to get to the diner by midnight so that he can buy his lottery tickets in time. Between arguments and revelations, each of their stories will connect as they privately sort out their pasts. Each of their defenses are lowered long enough for introspection, and if they are lucky, a future that includes a jackpot.
About the Author: Born in Chicago in 1971 to a carpenter and housewife, Anita loved writing at a young age. Growing up in a Chicago suburb with her five siblings was a loud and adventurous time, and Anita was often found at the library reading her new favorite, or writing a poem or short story. Her high school English teacher presented the challenge of writing a novel, and that opened a door that would never close. Anita has written many novels in the past twenty years. After high school, Anita joined the United States Air Force and worked as a cargo aircraft mechanic. Years later, she would use some of that knowledge to write "The Gage". While in the service, Anita received an Associates Degree in Business Administration from Western Oklahoma State College, and an Associates Degree in Aircraft Technology from the Community College of the Air Force, both completed in 1992. Following her years in the Air Force, Anita earned her Bachelor's Degree in Communications at Northern Illinois University in 1995. Anita's day job since then has been in the Audio Visual industry. Anita writes books and songs, and in 2001, she moved to Nashville for a year to pursue songwriting. Anita lives west of Chicago with her husband and her young daughter. In the dark hours of the night, while her family sleeps, Anita can be found perched in front of her laptop writing her next adventure. Anita is currently working on the Avalon Hall young adult fiction series, which presents a new challenge to a writer who loves a good character study.