Suppose life had dealt you a bad hand a time or two, you've been kicked around a bit, and you longed for a better, easier life? Now suppose you discovered you had a unique talent for forging the signature of Ernest Hemingway and a few other literary greats and you could make a ton of money in the process, would you do it? Would you become that modern-day pirate with swashbuckling ink?

Meet Thomas Rayne, a 30-something adjunct professor whose life is spiraling out of control until he discovers this new-found talent and who also discovers that when it comes to the art of the steal, when you're in for a penny you may also be in for a pounding.