Python Guessing Game

import random
import string
def guess(start=1, stop=100, tries=6):
    randNum = random.randrange(start, stop)
    count = 0
    print("I've picked a number between ",start," and ",stop)
    print("You have",tries,"tries to guess.")
    print("Can you guess it?")
    while count != tries:
        count = count+1
        guessNum = input('Guess: ')
        if str.lower(guessNum) in string.ascii_lowercase:
            count = count-1
            print("That's not a number, don't worry, it doesn't count!")
        elif int(guessNum) not in range(start, stop+1):
            count = count-1
            print("You guessed a number out of range, don't worry, it doesn't count!")
        elif int(guessNum) > randNum and int(guessNum) in range(start, stop):
            print("Guess Lower!")
        elif int(guessNum) < randNum and int(guessNum) in range(start, stop):
            print("Guess Higher!")
        else:
            print("Congrats! You guessed it in",count,"tries!")
            break