Shum devised the plot based on his own experiences as a dealer and on the stories told to him by a fellow pit dealer, who in 1984 dealt one of the most impressive hands of faro in the 20th century. Shum writes with precision, but it is his power of observation that transforms Queen of Spades into…

Thank you to Literary Hub for publishing one of my favorite chapters from Queen of Spades, “Lottery,” as their Daily Fiction for November 2, 2017: Barbara was late to the meeting, and she rushed to it directly from her job at the call center. It was only after she settled down in her metal folding…

Phinney Books (New Book of the Week): The book wears everything lightly: the fateful turns of cards, the odd presence of magic, the setting in Snoqualmie in the aerobicized ’80s, and a cast of characters who each spring immediately from the page into life. It reminds me of another enjoyable and strangely compelling favorite, The…

Interview with Christi Craig: “One of my goals in writing the novel was to enchant the experience of gambling, a topic that is often disenchanted when it comes to fiction (think gritty tales of realism that describe down on their luck protagonists getting more and more in the hole…). I wanted to do the opposite with…

October 2 – Knoxville, Tennessee – University of Tennessee October 11 – Portland, OR – Powell’s City of Books October 13 – Corvallis, Oregon – Oregon State University October 20 – Spokane, Washington – Auntie’s

Thanks to Powell’s Books Blog for publishing my new essay, “Better Living Through Gambling.” Most of us can hear the most jarring notes of luck — narrowly avoiding a catastrophe, say, or bumping into a friend long lost — how can we not? To willingly ignore these signs seems folly — yet few can detect…

Library Journal (Starred Review): It’s rare to encounter high seriousness and humor under one cover, but the author’s layered grasp of gambling and its contingencies, its potential to dominate players emotionally, charges the narrative with thrills and danger. Perhaps the real triumph, though, is an unflinching (yet humane) glimpse into the lives of several characters…

30 years on after high school, I finally made it into the Armonk Daily Voice! Here’s an excerpt of my interview with Sam Barron: Growing up in Armonk, Shum said he was inspired by his English teacher Bud Pollack. Pollack helped Shum discover the talent he had for writing and helped him learn how to…

Foreword Reviews: With quirky yet compelling intelligence, Queen of Spades creates its own small, interconnected universe, including those who want to escape the seductive lure of gambling, those who think they can outsmart Lady Luck, or those who simply put on a name tag and uniform and offer casino chips, cards, and drinks. (Meg Nola)…

Queen of Spades will officially come out in October. I will be making a few personal appearances around that time in support of the novel and would love to see you! More dates coming soon. Monday, October 2, Knoxville, TN — University of Tennessee, Hodges Library’s Lindsay Young Auditorium–7:00 pm Sunday, October 8, Portland, OR —…