FACT: On July 22, 2007, a first base coach within the Colorado Rockies' minor league system, died after being hit by a line drive baseball. As a result, batting helmets have now been mandated for all major and minor league baseball coaches. Almost daily, baseball players and fans alike are physically threatened by hard driven balls or pieces of broken bats. But what measures have been taken to protect them, whether on the field, in the dugout or sitting in the stands?



This is the same question Ashley Edgar asks in Then & Now, even before she witnessed the gruesome death of her fiancé. Introduced to the game at a very young age, Ashley can't seem to find a guy who appreciates her knowledge of The Game. Until Zack Tonali, a scout with the Detroit Tigers, comes along, confessing to his boss that "I finally found a gal who knows as much about the game as I do."



Bound and determined not to have anyone else witness a horrific injury or death, Ashley creates a foundation to erect safety nets in every ball park in the country. Additionally, in the wake of The Mitchell Report and multiple scandals in professional sports, Ashley now helps the team bypass some of the rules. She also attends a charity event for The Boys & Girls Club where she is made painfully aware of a pact between a player and Zack shortly before his death which will effect the rest of her life.

L.J. Lucas is a 50-something legal assistant and mother of a 19-year old son, who currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Born and raised in Michigan, she has been chastised and faulted for years for her alliance with the north-of-the-border baseball team. No amount of criticism has derailed her in her loyalty to the Tigers, even through the lean and rebuilding years.



Although Ms. Lucas has been writing fiction for at least ten years, this is her first published novel. She is currently working on finalizing three other manuscripts.


If you would like to contact her, you may do so at Linda44119@yahoo.com.