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December 24, 2004/Tevet 12 5765, Vol. 57, No. 17
Author makes his 'money shot'
STEPHANIE N. HENSCHEL
Staff Writer
The lights dim as Alan "Nick" Nichols steps to the three-point line, $1 million at stake.
A hush falls over the crowd. Will he make it? Won't he? The suspense is thick in the air.
Which is exactly what Brian Rouff wants.
No, this isn't the most recent promotion by another soda company to publicize the NCAA tournament - well, not in reality anyway. It's the setting for Rouff's new novel, "Money Shot" (Hardway Press, $14.95 paperback).
The book centers on the life of Nichols, a middle-aged, burnt-out Las Vegas advertising executive who wins a chance to make a $1 million three-point shot at the NCAA regional finals in Phoenix.
As with all exploits that center in Sin City, it's hard to tell if it's good luck or bad that Nichols has fallen into.
Without giving away the ending - and boy, is it a doozy - Nichols turns his life upside down for four weeks preparing for the big event.
Rouff says Nichols is somewhat autobiographical; he is a self-described middle-aged, burnt-out ad exec.
To Rouff, who "always wanted to write novels but didn't get a chance until mid-life," the idea of a million-dollar shot is "intriguing."
"As a sports fan, I've seen all these different promotion things," he said. "It can be life-changing."
The "reformed Jew" said he got the idea while hanging out at his local gym. He was playing basketball - "a nice mid-range jumper, but no ball handling skills" - and got to know some of the regulars. From there, the characters of the book emerged.
Though the book will definitely hit a cord with men approaching the mid-stage of life, Rouff said he has received numerous compliments from women who have read the book.
"There's a universal appeal," he said.
Rouff's aim, as with his first novel, "Dice Angel," is to show readers the "other" side of Vegas, the real side.
Sure enough, critics think he has done just that.
"Rouff has a chance to be to Vegas what Carl Hiaasen is to Florida," said Tod Goldberg, author of "Living Dead Girl."
So whether for the middle-aged sports fan, or the middle-aged sports fan's wife, the book is sure to make its "Money Shot."
For more information on the author, visit www.brianrouff.com.
Contact the writer here
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