Local Writers Publish Sports-Mystery Conspiracy Novel

Three local writers have collaborated to publish Game Changers, a sports-mystery conspiracy novel that takes place at the intersection of a corrupt government, big business, sports, and gambling.

The book is available from Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2GFGS1C

Co-authored by Tim Wesley and Tom Bickert (of Ellwood City), and edited by Jim Pane, Game Changers is an intriguing glimpse into a fictional sports conspiracy started by a low-level government employee.  The tale includes a corrupt businessman, a mobster, and a reporter digging for the facts.

From left: Tom Bickert, Jim Pane, Tim Wesley

“Our story is captivating and the characters are classics,” Wesley said.  “There’s Sherman Shipton, the oversexed underachiever who birthed a game-changing scam. Theodore Winston III, a con artist who stole Shipton’s idea and scored big. Little Tony, a mobster who tips the scale at a cannoli shy of 350 pounds, has a hunger for the truth. While Cal Matthews, a hard-nosed reporter with a soft spot for his lovely wife, might give his last full measure to uncover the story. And then there’s Hassan and Viktor, a dastardly, greed-driven father-son duo taking advantage of America’s twin infatuations with sports and gambling.”

Bickert said the story, some of which is true, begins in the 1920s.

“Under cover of the notoriously corrupt Harding administration, Winston began betting government cash on sporting events—while also using the fed’s money and muscle to fix the outcomes,” he said.  “Winston ‘skim-scammed’ for thirty years before the government canned him and kicked the habit. Or did it? Let’s just say that in the current climate of government shenanigans, conspiracy theories, and sports-betting scandals, our characters and their actions meet the moment.”

Tim, Tom, and Jim aren’t gamblers, but they are former sportswriters and longtime avid sports fans who believe that money and greed form a powerful and corruptive lineup. They have a combined 125 years of award-winning writing in journalism and corporate communications, informed by a natural curiosity for the truth, a healthy dose of skepticism, and the love of a good story.

Tim, originally from Harrisburg and now living in Cranberry Township, won awards in journalism and corporate communications and self-published a memoire, My Boxes, in 2016. His hobbies include playing ice hockey.

Tom is a Pittsburgh native living in Ellwood City, who won awards for writing and editing in his newspaper career. He is active in community theater, in which he has participated in more than 120 shows.

Also a Pittsburgh guy and living in Cranberry Township, Jim had an award-winning journalism career and has edited more than a dozen published books. His activities now include putzing around the house.