FAIRPORT HARBOR, Ohio, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Former FBI Informant Richard Stern entices casino magnate Palmino Franco to look east and build a hotel and casino in Ohio -- that way Franco would be the first casino owner in the state. Ohio's about to pass the casino issue to allow casino gambling -- or will they? Franco doesn't care -- he has a backup if the issue fails.

In his new novel "Skipper: Part One" (published by iUniverse), author Richard Ondo sets his story in Fairport Harbor, population 4,000, which comes alive when a kidnapping goes awry. FBI Agent and former bodyguard Monica Micovich is drawn into the casino issue when she steps on some political toes. She's also carrying Stern's baby, the result of a careless one-night affair. Meanwhile, Monica finds her boyfriend, agent Bill Wright, is cheating on her. This brings together combustible emotions. The plot thickens when agent Micovich finds out the Mafia may be after Richard Stern or her newborn son.

In this thriller/love story that shows that greed is an evil that can ruin good men, three forces come to play hardball. The politicians in Ohio don't want casino gambling -- they have a state-run lottery. The Chicago mob doesn't want casino gambling in Ohio unless they rule the game. And Palmino Franco wants to open the first Ohio casino, but big cities want the first casino. These forces collide at separate times. Ultimately, Ohio voters will decide.

About the Author

Richard Ondo was born and raised in Painesville, Ohio, and was captain of the Fairport Harbor Skippers football team. He now is a high school sports official. Always competitive in athletics, he also was interested in drawing, as well as science and history. He entered trade schools to learn electronics and electricity, and completed a four-year stint in the Navy. He owned and operated his own businesses in TV and electronics service. One of his greatest achievements has been jumping out of an airplane at 3,000 feet. He is divorced with three grown children and he's always "traveled the story." He's already working on part two of "Skipper" and a second version of his first novel, "Terror by Invasion," a border security trilogy.

"Skipper"

Available from: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, and http://www.amazon.com

iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books. The company utilizes print-on-demand technology, and is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the U.S. iUniverse is based in Bloomington, Indiana.

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SOURCE iUniverse