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Bestselling author and Alabama native Ace Atkins will be honored this month by the Prattville Creative and Performing Arts Council.

Atkins, a native of Troy, who played football for Auburn University, will be honored on Saturday, April 29 at the Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville. The event is part of the annual Fountain City Arts Festival.

Atkins' father, the late Billy Atkins, served as the head football coach at Troy State University from 1966-71. Ace Atkins was a defensive end on the 1993 undefeated Auburn team. His game-changing sack was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Unlike his father, Ace Atkins made a career out of writing rather than football. He worked as a reporter at the Tampa Tribune and began writing novels at night. Atkins published his first novel, "Crossroad Blues," at the age of 27 in 1998.

Since then, Atkins has published 18 more novels, several of which made the Top 10 New York Times Bestsellers' List. His 19th novel," Little White Lies,' will be released in May. His 20th novel, "The Fallen," hits stores in July.

Over his career, Atkins, who now lives in Oxford, Miss., has been nominated for several awards including three times for the Edgar for mystery writers.

One of Atkins' historical novels, "Wicked City," is about the downfall and redemption of Phenix City in the 1950s. At the time, the Alabama city was called "the wickedest city in America" by the U.S. Secretary of War.

His novels also include the Mississippi-based series about Quinn Colson, a former Army Ranger turned small town sheriff, and the iconic Spenser detective series, which Atkins started writing after famed novelist Robert B. Parker's death in 2010.

Atkins will be honored at a reception and dinner beginning at 6 p.m. on April 29. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Atkins during the reception and silent auction. The dinner will begin at 7 p.m.

Past honorees include singer Wilson Pickett, artist Charlie "Tin Man" Lucas, author Daniel Wallace, actress Tonea Stewart, guitarist Braxton Schufert, Debbie Bond and the Alabama Blues Project, the Swampers from Muscle Shoals and the artist Nall.

Tickets are $45 each and include the reception, silent auction, dinner and more.

For information call the Special Events Office at 334-595-0854 or visit the city of Prattville website.