When the nines roll over and other stories

the long version

"The stories of When the Nines Roll Over explore the sometimes thrilling, sometimes pathetic emotional lives of a diverse set of characters. Over the course of eight stories, often with a touch of the surreal, we are introduced to a record company man searching for a rock star, an inexperienced Russian soldier trapped between his murderous comrades and a clever old woman, a faded football star recalling his lost chance at love, an actress who has a shot at a role that will free her from a lifetime of waiting tables, a young man who kidnaps his ex-girlfriend's father's ashes, and other young people on the cusp of discovery, jubilation, or loss."--BOOK JACKET.