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The Only American to Break the Bank at Monte Carlo
This is a historical fiction book based on the life of the author's grandfather, William Nelson Darnborough, who went from baseball player in rural Illinois in 1889 to becoming a world-famous roulette player.
From the mid-west to the wild-west, Gilded Age New York, Belle Epoque Paris, and Monte Carlo to country estates in Edwardian England, this is a story of daring to make life-changing decisions.
Reference
Bill Darnborough and his future wife are referenced as characters in the ‘film within the film’ in Downton Abbey – A New Era, released by Universal Pictures UK and Focus Features USA in April 2022. Dominic West and Laura Haddock play ‘Bill’ and ‘Miss Erskine,’ and this is their story.
Extract
Bill, at thirty-five, exudes an air of quiet refinement. His chiseled features, accentuated by a clean-shaven face and impeccably combed-back dark hair, lend an aura of sophistication. Behind this suave façade lies a story etched in the lines around his eyes, a tale of clandestine affairs, shadowy encounters, and hidden secrets. Once innocent and hopeful, his eyes now bear the scars of a life lived on the edge as he watches the ball drop.
Bio
James is originally from London and has lived in Los Angeles since 2014. He has thirty years of experience in the media business and as a magazine publisher in South Africa, Australia, and California. His research for this project has taken him all over the USA, Mexico, London, and Paris, and he met with the casino directors at Monte Carlo who are understandably thrilled to see this book.
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