Contenders A Novel

by Krouse, Erika

• ISBN13: 9781940207636
• ISBN10: 1940207630
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-03-31
• Publisher: Rare Bird Books, A Vireo Book

Summary

“Nina was a thief, technically, although she never defined herself that way. Stealing was sponsorship. Fighting was the passion.”

Street-fighter Nina Black lives by her fists in Denver, stealing wallets and taking advantage of men who try to take advantage of her. This symbiosis is upended when one of her marks, a cop and MMA comeback contender, wants his wallet—and his dignity—back. Avoiding retribution is difficult enough alone, but it becomes impossible once Nina gets unexpected custody of an orphaned eight-year-old niece she didn’t know existed, accompanied by her long-lost (and ever-vigilant) childhood flame, Isaac. When the situation implodes, only one person can help Nina earn back her life, and prepare her for the fight that might end it.

Author Biography

Erika Krouse has published fiction in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Esquire.com, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, Story, Shenandoah, and other publications. Her collection of short stories, Come Up and See Me Sometime (Scribner), was the winner of the Paterson Fiction Award, was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of the year and has been translated into six languages. Krouse is currently working on a novel and a short story collection, teaching at the Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, and working part-time as a private investigator. She lives in Boulder, CO.