Lord Help Us All — Stephanie McAfee

Still mad. Still fat. Ace Jones is back! On a personal level, Ace Jones isn't doing so good. She knows that the time in her life has arrived to start taking care of herself, but as the fruits and vegetables rot in her fridge, she continues her long-term love affair with cold beer and pepperoni pizza. She despises the gym worse than ever but has to keep going because even her "fat pants" have grown snug. As for her teaching career, Ace doesn't really like most of her coworkers, but understands that she must abide by the daily tradition of exchanging phony smiles and lame greetings, regardless. And her love life, as usual, leaves much to be desired. Ace desperately needs a break from her life, but the only entertainment she can afford is to go junking every Saturday morning. So now, with a collection of souvenir spoons from places she's never been, along with a horde of touristy trinkets from other people's vacations, her aging two bedroom house has morphed into a five-star mess. But Ace is about to have to put aside her personal problems as there is, once again, trouble brewing in Bugtussle, Mississippi. When a foe from the past tries to usurp the mayoral throne of her hometown, Ace Jones and her friends aren't having it. But when a great divide forms amidst the conflicting ideas of right and wrong, Ace finds herself standing opposite a few good friends… and alongside few sworn enemies. Armed with a pair of antique binoculars and a second-hand copy of Buddha in Daily Life, Ace sets sail once again upon the stormy waters of small town politics and religious hypocrisy. Will Ace's hometown survive another fervent battle between the "good" people and the people who are good? Can she find peace and balance in her life despite the momentum of a downhill slide? And in her time of loneliness, will Ace be able to resist the warm temptation of an old flame?