Ace

Ralph Bland's fourth novel, ACE, follows the flights, fancies, and comic pratfalls of John (Ace) Hardaway as he navigates eight months of life in 2005 Nashville, Tennessee. Ace, former baseball pitching phenomenon and athlete extraordinaire, is 55 years old and attempting to weather the midlife crisis threatening to envelop him: sexual temptations, ghostly visitations, Burmese pythons laying in wait beneath his porch, even a mysterious stalker who wants him dead. But through it all, Ace, oft-poetic and unflappable, continues seeking answers for the overwhelming questions swirling about him while also learning a few things about baseball, women, and why a fellow's talents sometimes refuse to stay buried in the ground. Ralph Bland's three previous novels are Once In Love With Amy, Where Or When, and Past Perfect.