ABOUT THE BOOK Story One: FOR YOUR PLEASURE John is a foolish and troubled man in the grip of depression brought on by unemployment, and by surrounding declining economic fortunes. His wife, Margaret, and he have a toddler to raise, but the future from John's standpoint looks grim. While he is meant to be shopping for groceries, John convinces himself that a visit to the hotel bar couldn't hurt, and while there, a visit to the Gaming Room, despite Margaret's warning, perchance to win a few extra dollars. In the Gaming Room he discovers a poker machine which is only visible to himself. The machine turns out to be a cunning, almost sentient artefact of unknown origin, quick to play upon John's weaknesses, leading him ever deeper into peril with the lure of riches enough to change his fortunes. What harm? he decided. What did he have to lose? Story Two: QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOUR A pair of small-time crooks find themselves indebted to Eddie (Nails) Madden, the would be crime boss of the area. Morris and Spider get by in life by any means necessary, although it is Morris who acts as the brains and the conscience guiding their exploits. Spider, his loyal companion, is very much under Morris's wing, both a trusted and trusting companion for whom Morris feels obligated to watch out for. Their narcotics addiction and debt to their supplier, Eddie (Nails) Madden, sees them manipulated into having to do a favour for Madden, a favour the boys are not at all happy about, but which will, at least, rid them of their debt. As the true nature of things are revealed during the commission of their task, there is a fundamental shift in thinking which causes the pair to aim for a more meaningful existence, but if that was going to be achieved, it would take a degree of intelligence and cunning to extricate themselves from the trap they had made for themselves. ABOUT THE AUTHOR T H O M A S J A M E S T A Y L O R , born 1st December, 1954. South Australia. Raised on a farm South of Adelaide. Spent the early years chasing adventure and life experience. Married in 1995. Put music aside, took up writing and settled in Christies Beach South Australia. "Taylor's work is amazingly diverse" - US Review of Books.