He only pretended to be until my real date showed up.To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.Before he left, he slipped me a ticket to a hockey game a few blocks away, in case things didn’t work out on my actual date.I tossed the ticket into my purse and went about trying to enjoy the man I was supposed to meet.But my real blind date and I had no connection.So on my way home, I decided to take a chance and stop by the game.When I arrived, the seat next to me was empty.Disappointed again, I decided to leave at the end of the period.Just before the buzzer, one of the teams scored, and the entire arena went crazy.A player’s face flashed up on the Jumbotron. He was wearing a helmet, but I froze when he smiled.You guessed it: Dimples.Apparently, my fake blind date hadn’t invited me to watch hockey with him, he’d invited me to watch him play.And so began my adventure with Max Yearwood.He was everything I needed at the time—fun, sexy, up for anything, and only around for a few months since he’d signed with a new team three-thousand miles away.Max proposed we spend the summer helping me forget my ex. It sounded like a good plan. Things couldn’t get too serious when we had an expiration date. Right? Though, you know what they say about the best-laid plans.

    What more could a gay NHL player want?If it weren't for Anton Hayes, my life would be perfect.Not that he affects my life in any way. At all. That would imply I care what the winger from Philly thinks of me.Which I don't.Not even a one-night stand with him can thaw his misplaced animosity toward me.He says I'm the one with the ego, but he can talk. He rivals me for most egotistical puck boy in the league.I hate him as much as he hates me. Even if I crave a repeat.ANTONWhen it comes to hockey, I'm all about the game.I've worked for years to be one of the best in the league, and l've done it without splashing my orientation all over the tabloids.My hockey image is one I've carefully cultivated, and after one night with Ezra Palaszczuk, I risk it all.He's cocky, obnoxious, and has an ego bigger than Massachusetts. And okay, maybe he's the sexiest man I've ever known.We'll never get along. Not when we sleep together. Not even when my possessive streak awakens.That doesn't stop us from falling into bed together over and over again.

    Star quarterback for the Boston Tomcats. Two-time Super Bowl MVP...a decade ago. Nickname: Decker the Panty Wrecker. I get tackled for a living by men who are built like rhinos. I could take the wings off a fly with a football from 30 yards away. (I wouldn’t, but I could.) Being a veteran quarterback means I’m a mentally alert, fine-tuned athletic machine who can make split-second decisions. It’s my job to anticipate what’s going to happen next and adapt. But I couldn’t have anticipated the death of our beloved team owner. His estranged daughter Hannah Strong is a finance nerd from New York. She knows less than nothing about football. Know what she didn’t anticipate? Inheriting the Boston Tomcats. She’s stubborn, uptight, infuriating, and wrong about absolutely everything—from pizza to how to run my team. And I don’t want to talk about how good she looks in a skirt. Or daydream about how good she’d look out of it.Really, I don’t. I’m not Decker the Panty Wrecker anymore—I’ve changed. I can’t stop arguing with her. Or thinking about her. I thought I had a winning play.But Hannah Strong changed everything.

    I want nothing to do with the ones who play on the same team as my brothers, and I certainly avoid the ones who spend more time in strip clubs than kids’ clubs.So why do I suddenly find myself faking a relationship with Ben Olson, the bad boy tight end who fits every descriptor on my naughty list?He’s in a tight spot, and I’m intrigued by the illicit under the dinner table action that proved to me he’s nothing but trouble. He’s hot and I’m bored. He doesn’t do relationships, and I’m just looking for some fun.Except fun is taking a quick turn into real feelings, and now I’m in a tight spot of my own.

    As part of the defending Cup champion Arizona Vengeance, I was living my dream until one split second decision destroyed it all. Instead of lacing up my skates and hitting the ice, I’ve spent my days in rehab and physical therapy just so I could walk again. When a coaching opportunity with the Pittsburgh Titans is presented to me, I find myself with a career I had never considered but which allows me to continue being part of the sport that I love.While my injuries are physical, the same can’t be said for the woman I rescued. Suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, Sophie Winters has withdrawn from the world in fear and guilt. I didn’t know Sophie before that fateful night and have only met her once since, but I refuse to let her face her demons alone. Determined to be a friend, I support Sophie in the only way I know how… by simply being there.Through our shared trauma, Sophie and I begin to find peace within one another. As we grow closer, what started as friendship becomes more intimate until our broken pieces become one. But can a love born of anguish endure, or will the pain of our past prove too much to overcome?

    And in walks a deliciously charming local football hero -- Harlan Taylor. Yes, I’ll take another drink in the form of a one-night stand with this hunk of a man. In the morning, he asks if I want to get together again. More rebound nookie? Yes please!But then I learn his football team just hired my yoga studio to teach downward facing dog to their star player, making my O-delivering hottie officially off limits. Trouble is, the more time I spend working with the sexy single dad who dotes on his daughter, the more I’m feeling all the things far too soon.There’s no way this can end well, but tell that to my runaway heart…A Wild Card Kiss is a sexy, flirty sports romance featuring a charming, pie-baking, single dad who's never forgotten the red-hot kiss he planted on the feisty, sassy blonde one night years ago and a jilted bride heroine determined to move on from heartbreak. This story contains sexy times that can cure getting-left-at-the-altar blues, and heart-tugging swoony romance that’ll melt the most jaded hearts.

    Everyone loves him—judges, fans, coaches.I hate him.Now he’s invaded my training center, and I have to see him every day as we prepare for the Olympics. I’m going to win gold if it’s the last thing I do. I’m going to beat him.But the strangest thing is happening. I’m peeking under his happy-go-lucky exterior and discovering there’s more to Theo than I imagined.This is a mistake. I can’t trust him.I can’t be falling in love.TheoMy mom’s convinced training with Henry Sakaguchi will distract me heading into the Olympics. No way—Henry’s epically boring and cold. He might as well be carved from ice.But when I need help, he’s there. He tries to keep me at arm’s length, but it’s no use. He’s too kind. Too generous. He’s caring and gorgeous and hot, and I’ve never wanted anyone like this.I might want Henry more than a gold medal.Am I falling in love?Kiss and Cry by Keira Andrews is a steamy gay sports romance featuring grumpy/sunshine opposites attracting, secretly soft-hearted boys, hurt/comfort, and of course a happy ending.

    I was in love. School was going great. I managed to hide the pain, to push it down, but it all came flooding back. The grief was almost blinding, but I saw Eli’s broken heart with perfect clarity the day I drove away from him. This was my year to be selfish. Falling in love with my best friend's brother wasn't part of my plan, but sometimes the best things in life are unpredictable. And the end of Eli’s senior year was anything but expected. EliMy priorities completely flipped when my brother's best friend moved to town. Everything I never knew I needed came in the form of a redhead from California with a heart too big for her own good.But Logan drove away from me, leaving me broken-hearted and alone.With my senior season winding down, it's my last chance to get called up to the NHL, and my dreams are within reach— it's everything I always wanted. But that was before I met her. How much do I need to sacrifice to prove to her that she's my dream too?If she asked me to, I'd selflessly give it all up for her.

    But it’s just a little less terrifying when a big, strong equipment manager for the Brooklyn Bruisers saves the day.That’s how I meet James “Jimbo” Carozza. When I’m alone and frightened, he gets me the help I need, and delivers me safely to the emergency room.Too bad I didn’t even get his number.

    As one of the greatest NHL players of all time, he reflects on his 2005-06 rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. From a Canadian phenom dubbed "the next Gretzky" to an 18-year-old carrying the burden of a struggling franchise, he talks candidly about the intense pressure he was under, the surreal experience of lacing up alongside his childhood idol Mario Lemieux and the truth about his rivalry with Alex Ovechkin. Sidney Crosby, with the help of his family, coaches and former teammates, gives listeners an all-access pass to one of the most scrutinized and tumultuous rookie seasons in the history of professional hockey. Hosted by Pittsburgh native and Penguins fan Joe Manganiello.

    Unlike his fame-starved father, Trenton 'King of the Air' King, or his two attention-grabbing older brothers, Terry doesn't compete for fame, money, or power. He's got much more ambitious goals than that.Terry has his sights set on reuniting his dysfunctional family and finally landing his forever crush: Richie Brown. A six-foot-four, anxiety-riddled, ginger teddy bear who writes heart-melting poetry. Also, the one and only person who's ever truly seen Terry.Richie grew up next door to the King brothers in the sleepy coastal town of Airlie Beach, Australia. His childhood was marred by a tragedy that continues to invade every corner of his life twenty years later. Richie gave up on love a long time ago...until something unexpected happened the night of Terry's victory last season.Richie knows better than anyone why Terry King is strictly off-limits. They grew up together. They're practically family. Richie's seven years older. Terry is his best mate's younger brother... But then there's the biggest reason of all. A closely guarded secret Richie's never revealed to a single soul.Terry is determined to defend his world title and turn his dreams into reality. But when life throws a spanner into his season, and with the King family remaining as stubbornly dysfunctional as ever––will Terry be able to get Richie to see him as more than just the kid he grew up with?Kings of Airlie is an exhilarating, action-packed MM sports romance trilogy about love, brotherhood, and resilience––with a powerful message that dreams don't die, they just sometimes change.Each book in the series features a new couple and a happily ever after. With continuing family and competition plots, the books do need to be read in order.

    And when I unexpectedly inherit the Nashville Devils, his hockey team, all eyes are on me--waiting for me to fail.My eyes?They're on Lincoln Dallas, team captain and star right winger.Who could blame me? That body. Those eyes. The way he moves on and off the ice. And when he gives me even the slightest touch, I find myself giving in.But he's completely forbidden.Not only would dating destroy both our careers, but our history left a bruise on my heart, and I never want to make that mistake again. Especially when it would compromise everything I've worked for.He says he's willing to break the rules and risk it all.Am I?Forbidden Devil is a laugh-out-loud, steamy, second chance, forbidden romance with a dirty talking alpha hero that has it bad for his tight skirt wearing boss. This book is a stand-alone within a series and, as always, comes with a happy ending.

    Through unprecedented access to Krzyzewski’s best friends, closest advisers, fiercest adversaries, and generations of his players and assistants, three-time New York Times bestselling author Ian O’Connor takes you behind the Blue Devil curtain with a penetrating examination of the great, but flawed leader as he closes out his iconic career.   Krzyzewski  built a staggering basketball empire that has endured for more than four decades, placing him among the all-time titans of American sport, and yet there has never been a defining portrait of the coach and his program. Until now. O’Connor uses scores of interviews with those who know Krzyzewski best  to deliver previously untold stories about the relationships that define the venerable Coach K, including the one with his volcanic mentor, Bob Knight, that died a premature death. Krzyzewski was always driven by an inner rage fueled by his tough Chicago upbringing, and by the blue-collar Polish-American parents who raised him to fight for a better life. As the retiring Coach K makes his final stand, vying for one more ring during the 2021-2022 season before saying goodbye at age 75, O’Connor shows you sides of the man and his methods that will surprise even the most dedicated Duke fan.

    The only thing missing? A national championship. Something he intends to rectify. With his kicker laid up and the university’s home opener in three weeks, he’s not above poaching talent from the women’s soccer team. Or recruiting a sassy, STEM-loving brunette who wants nothing to do with football or him.Kennedy Carter is no jersey chaser. Hell, she doesn’t even like football players. They’re all swagger and no substance. Guys who like to play games on and off the field? Hard pass. She knows exactly how those stories end. But when Waverly’s sexy quarterback dangles the prospect of a full scholarship under her nose, it’s game on.Sparks fly and the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to fight the sizzling attraction. Austin’s always done what’s expected of him, but when the clock runs out, he’ll have to decide what’s more important: fulfilling his legacy or following his heart.This is a full-length, standalone enemies-to-lovers sports romance with a sizzling, swoonworthy HEA.

    They said “not so fast” when she picked up hockey skates instead of figure skates. They said “just a minute” when she tried out for the boy's team. They told her “you're not enough” so often that she started to believe it. But Kendall had a passion and a dream, so instead of slowing down, she sped up, going on to win Olympic gold and a place at the NHL’s All-Star weekend.As Fast as Her explores how Kendall held on to her dream, overcame her insecurities and naysayers, and pushed herself past barriers to achieve her goals—and how you can too! Inside, Kendall shares:stories that illustrate the lessons she's learned and how to apply them for successencouragement to help young people know they are good enough—to fit in, to find their “why,” and to create lasting change for othersher personal trials and triumphs, inspiring readers to discover what excites and exhausts them—and help them to be as relentless in achieving their own goalsbehind-the-scenes and personal photos in a full-color 8-page insert In addition, As Fast as Her is perfect for:readers 13 and up looking for an uplifting true storyfans of the NHL, NWHL, Olympic hockey, and women's sportsbirthday, Christmas, and holiday gifts for teens and young adults

    He also has an infant daughter-one he didn't know existed. Summer Crawford isn't a fan of the cocky playmaker/heartbreaker she remembers from years ago. And working as his daughter's nanny? Not a chance. But after Gabe makes Summer an offer she can't refuse, they find themselves living under the same roof while fighting a forbidden attraction. *SummerI know better than to fall for Gabe Carter, notorious NHL playboy. Not only has he broken innumerable hearts during his 7 years living in LA, he's my boss-even if he does have a smile that leaves me weak in the knees, a body built for sin, and enough charm to render me permanently panty-less.So what if I swoon a little over the way he sings Everly to sleep every night he's not on the road? So what if he's deliciously protective over me and flips into alpha-male mode whenever the paparazzi get too close? It doesn't mean anything... does it?I told myself this was just a job, but between the stolen kisses and blurry lines, playing house with him is starting to feel a little too real. *GabeSummer Crawford loves nothing more than putting me in my place. She's five feet, five inches of sweet southern sass-and she's temptation living under my roof.When all the rules go out the window one night, everything between us changes. And after knowing what Summer sounds like when I'm buried deep inside her, there's no way I can go back to pretending we're just friends.There's just one small problem: Summer is Everly's nanny. Ev needs her, and she's completely off-limits. Or at least she should be... but I've never been good at following the rules.Turns out, I need Summer too. Now I'm playing for keeps. And I always win.*

    It’ll be fun, they said.And then Thierry shows up and Pietro realizes his mistake. Because he knows Thierry. A little too well.Thierry is the man who told his ex to leave him.Thierry is the man who punched Pietro and ran.Thierry... is his ex-boyfriend’s best friend.But Pietro also knows the man needs a job. An injury destroyed his former career and Pietro is nothing if not a bleeding heart. Besides, he doesn’t have time to search for a new chef, not with the World Series looming and his team ready to go all the way.Life gets more complicated, though, when he and Thierry cross a line one night after a lot of wine and several bad jokes. And while hooking up is one thing, Pietro knows the last thing in the world he needs is for his heart to get involved.Too bad it tends to make decisions without him. Switch-Hitter is the first book in a fictional MLB series featuring a lonely baseball player with a chip on his shoulder and hope in his heart, a team ready to win no matter what it takes, a grumpy French chef who will defend escargot to the death, and a few bottles of dry red wine leading to the sweetest happily ever after. Each book in the Hit and Run Series stands alone, contains no cheating, and has a happily ever after.

    Something has to go wrong here.Then one day I see a text message not meant for me and it all suddenly makes sense.But at least I know what Abel’s end game is now.

    1 college hockey star in the country falls in love—with a man?Nick Johnson, a top prospect for a pro hockey team, has a secret: he’s gay. Tired of living in the closet for the sport he loves, he sees no way out.Jacob Meyer’s string of bad boyfriends left him cynical about love. Instead, he focuses on his studies as a third-year law student. With a new job waiting for him, he’s eager to graduate and move on.On a school-sponsored trip, Nick and Jacob meet in a most unexpected way. When Nick tells Jacob his secret, they decide to hang out, just as friends. But their attraction is too strong to ignore, and they soon begin dating.Since Nick is a big man on campus, it doesn’t take long for people to notice his attachment to Jacob. All hell breaks loose when the relationship gets out. As the national media descends, university officials try to figure out how to solve their “problem.” Their efforts divide Nick’s team, inflame fans, and put Nick and Jacob’s futures in jeopardy. Will the men be able to survive a plot to destroy them without derailing both their careers?Nice Catching You is an out-for-you romance featuring a lot of love, exciting hockey, and a beautiful holiday. There’s also plenty of steam and a very happy ending.

    Captain of my NHL team, I'm the leader of this ragtag pack. Coming off the back of the most embarrassing season ever, I've only got one thing on my mind... Prove this club is worthy of its place amongst the elite.That is, until, a pretty blonde appears out of nowhere.The season started out as a mission to drag our sorry asses to glory, now it's about more than a game. Now it's about winning the biggest trophy of all. Her heart.AnnaMy aim in life? To remember to breathe. I'm a broken soul coming off the back of the worst year of my life, ready to start living again and my best friend is bound and determined to help me get there. So I move across the ocean to be with her.Little did I know she's about to lead me into the arms of the man who's going to bring me out of the dark and into the light.Am I strong enough to let him, though?Alpha Wolf is a full-length sports romance with a HEA and is book one in the Wolves hockey series. Can be read as a stand-alone.

    Kobe-ologists will devour this book, reveling in the anecdotes about his intensity & the engaging game recaps." —Associated Press“Every superhero needs an origin story.” –Jeff PearlmanThe inside look at one of the most captivating and consequential figures in our culture—with never-before-heard interviews.Kobe Bryant’s death in January 2020 did more than rattle the worlds of sports and celebrity. The tragedy of that helicopter crash, which also took the life of his daughter Gianna, unveiled the full breadth and depth of his influence on our culture, and by tracing and telling the oft-forgotten and lesser-known story of his early life, The Rise promises to provide an insight into Kobe that no other analysis has.In The Rise, readers will travel from the neighborhood streets of Southwest Philadelphia—where Kobe’s father, Joe, became a local basketball standout—to the Bryant family’s isolation in Italy, where Kobe spent his formative years, to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe’s legend was born. The story will trace his career and life at Lower Merion—he led the Aces to the 1995-96 Pennsylvania state championship, a dramatic underdog run for a team with just one star player—and the run-up to the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe’s dream of playing pro basketball culminated in his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers.In researching and writing The Rise, Mike Sielski had a terrific advantage over other writers who have attempted to chronicle Kobe’s life: access to a series of never-before-released interviews with him during his senior season and early days in the NBA. For a quarter century, these tapes and transcripts preserved Kobe’s thoughts, dreams, and goals from his teenage years, and they contained insights into and told stories about him that have never been revealed before.This is more than a basketball book. This is an exploration of the identity and making of an icon and the effect of his development on those around him—the essence of the man before he truly became a man.

    I'm talking about Gravity--the greatest ball player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.Gravity is the new kid on the Hillside Projects basketball team, the Eagles. He once jumped so high that his teammates went out for ice cream before he came back down. With Gravity on their side, the Eagles feel unstoppable. They’re ready to win “The Best of the Best,” Milwaukee’s biggest and baddest pick-up basketball tournament. But when they face-off with the Flyers in the final round, the winningest team in the whole city, they realize that it may take a little more than Gravity to bring them to victory.

    It will be fun, they said. Too bad I'm terrible at my job. Until the rookie defenseman offers to help...

    That is—until her boyfriend, Owen Malone, steps up to the challenge. Wanting to maintain her relationship with her boyfriend, Jules is torn. But while Owen is in her heart, football is in her blood.Once the idea takes root to quit her championship volleyball team and join the leagues of Iron Valley’s toughest teenage boys, there’s no stopping Jules from pursuing her dream. In her mind, expectations that the position will go to a male player have gone on long enough, and, even as her decision creates controversy among the booster parents, school coaches, family members, and team members themselves, Jules holds strong in her beliefs.Which is good—because when parents hear that Jules plans to participate in overnight pre-season camp with a staff of male coaches and eighty high school boys, her tryout is threatened more than ever before. Yet, nobody can deny Jules’ skills. As the youngest sister of three former high school quarterbacks, Jules knows the game. She knows what it takes to outsmart opponents, and she’s not about to let anyone count her out for being a girl.But as the competition intensifies, Jules must choose what she wants more—to embrace girl power and lead her team on the field, or be a girlfriend on the sidelines.Gridiron Girl will inspire you to follow your vision, instead of those dictated by others. Perfect for fans of Better than Perfect by Simone Elkeles and On the Fence by Kasie West.

    I’ve never been good at much, though I’ll give anything the old college try.Well, except for actual college. I’m not trying that at all. Not yet.So here I am, taking a gap year after high school, which I hear is a totally acceptable practice in many countries. In my high school filled with over-achievers, I’m the odd one out.Working my summer job and feeling my lowest, I accept an invitation to sub in on a roller derby team. I own skates and am okay at it, so why not? I never expected to love the feeling of racing the track. Of pushing my way to victory. For once in my life, I might actually be good at something.I even have a new guy to crush on—Rob, who I met at a derby match. Only it turns out, he’s affiliated with our rival team-slash-sworn enemies. The team split in two last year from a big blowout between the captains.And worse, Rob is the brother of our rival’s captain. Maybe worse than that, I kinda took a solemn vow when I joined the team that I’d never associate with any of them.The team means everything to me, but Rob is finding a place in my heart too. Just when I thought I’d figured out my life, I fall back down again.Free Wheeling Summer is a young adult secret dating romance and the fourth book in the Love on Summer Break series. It can be read as a stand-alone story.lone or part of the series.

    But he’s never been happy… he’s never really been anything other than bored to tears in the world’s most fabulous locations. it takes one night to change everything for him. Forever. When Quinn gets the phone call that his grandfather has died and left him the controlling shares of Sparta, he’s shocked. Quinn does the only thing he knows to do. He goes home to Seattle. What he finds there is a fight to be respected, which he deserves, and a gorgeous resentful enemy that he never knew he had — ex tennis pro turned businessman Porter Davis, his grandfather’s prickly uptight next in command. Quinn hates Porter. Until he doesn’t. Porter hates Quinn. Until he doesn’t. It’s starting to look like they’re destined to be in each other’s lives, but as what? Enemies? Business partners? Or maybe much, much, more? **This is a second edition. Originally published as Game Point **

    So when the boys tell her she can't play football, there's only one thing to do: join their team and show them what she's got.But the training is rougher than she thought—and so are the other guys, who aren't thrilled about having a girl on their team.Middle school isn't so easy, either. Misty wants to fit in with the popular kids, but they think a girl playing football is "weird." Even her best friend doesn't get it.Can Misty find a way to score points with her teammates, make new friends, and show everyone—including herself—what it means to play like a girl?

    

    He endured terrible racism, both from fans and his fellow teammates. Despite this, he became a unifying force on and off the field, and went on to become a seven-time All Star. Illustrated with Cannaday Chapman’s bold, stylized illustrations, this exceptional biography tells the story of an unsung hero who not only opened doors for those behind him, but set amazing records during his Hall of Fame career. More significantly, it examines the long fight to overcome racism in sports and our culture at large, a fight that is far from over.

    My dad has anger issues, and my mom drinks too much. When I’m at home, I spend most of my time locked in my room, trying to avoid the toxic environment.I have two things that help me escape. My art, and Colt— our college basketball teams best shooting guard and my best friend with the emotional depth of a tree. He cares for nothing but basketball, his dad…and me.We’ve been best friends for years. If he’s not climbing through my bedroom window at night, I’m climbing through his. It’s a habit that started the day his mom died, and we haven’t spent a night apart since.But we’re just friends. Nothing more.Our dating relationships are equally disastrous. Colt’s tendency to say inappropriate things, and my inability to trust makes dating other people hard and exhausting.The truth is there’s only one person I trust, one person I’m comfortable with. And that’s Colt. No one else. He’s been my first everything.My first friend. My first hug. My first date. My first kiss.But then the lines blur and we become more than friends. Will I find my happily ever after…or will I lose my best friend?

    She picks a path and stays on it but when everything in her life goes flying off course she's left floundering in the world. Now, it seems her career driven attitude actually cost her what she wants most. In a desperate attempt she takes a job with the one person that she last wanted to spend time with...Roscoe.Roscoe Langston is the definition of a free spirit. He doesn't take anything seriously. Rosoe is more than happy to sit back and let the cards fall as they may. The only thing he has in his life is Mushu, his orange Tabby cat. Kosi has always gotten under his skin though not because she's gorgeous, which she is, but because her need to control everything annoys him. What happens when they a forced together day in and day out? Can Roscoe show Kosi there is more to life than work? Can Kosi make Roscoe see what's been right in front of him for years?

    She is still looking for that special thing that would complete her existence. When she meets one of her favorite professional hockey players, she is not impressed. He is arrogant, and she doesn’t play that way. But now he’s inserted himself into her life and doesn’t want to go away.Van Boyd is licking his wounds during the off season. He’s got a bum knee and everyone, himself included, thinks it might just be the end of his career. When he first meets Chloe, he thinks she’s a puck bunny. Until he meets a real puck bunny, and he needs Chloe’s help to extract himself from a possibly uncomfortable situation. And now, he wants to keep her.***This story has heart, humor and lots of heat that's intended for readers who are 18 or older***

    

    Yet an aura of negativity trailed him his entire career.His style was iconic, and vintage ‘80s: aviator goggles, Jheri curls, neck roll, boxy pads.Eric Dickerson is the greatest player in Los Angeles Rams history and the NFL’s single season record holder for most rushing yards. In 2019, Dickerson was named to the National Football League’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. With an elegant upright running style that produced some of football’s most-watched highlights, it was said he was so smooth you couldn’t hear his pads clack as he glided past you.But during his Hall of Fame career, his greatness was often overshadowed by his contentious disputes with Rams management about his contract. In the pre-free agency era, tensions over his exploitative contract often overshadowed his accomplishments. What’s his problem? went the familiar refrain from the media. Can’t he just shut up and run?It’s time to reexamine how Eric Dickerson was portrayed. For the first time, he’s telling his story. And he’s not holding anything back.

    A swanky night club in the team’s fancy hotel is the perfect place to do that. When he catches sight of a beautiful bombshell who seems just as interested in him, it seems he might be able to score for the second time tonight.Finally doing life on her own terms, Lacy Hawkins is ready to take a break from the college books and have a night of sexy fun. Being able to let her hair down and act on her impulses is all she’s ever wanted, so it’s a no brainer to approach the huge, sexy man that’s caught her eye.All Lacy and Tucker are looking for is one night together. One night to scratch an itch.As their attraction sparks and their chemistry ignites, they’ll soon find out they’re playing with fire….Playing with Fire is a 9,000 word introduction to how Tucker and Lacy met. It leads into Under Fire, set five years later when their paths cross again…

    Later, when he pivoted to marketing, he found himself thrust into a startling world of profit-driven college basketball programs. He realized that the NCAA's amateurism rules could be used to exploit young athletes, and athletes of color in particular. Now, for the first time, Code will share his side of the explosive story of college basketball's dark reality—a system that begins with young talent in AAU programs and culminates at the highest levels of the NBA. Propulsive, urgent, and eye-opening, Black Market exposes the truth to offer a more just way forward for both colleges and athletes.

    Still struggling with the weight of her parents’ messy divorce, Alaina refuses to commit to anything other than her small start-up company and her tight circle of friends and family. It’s not until she meets Grayson, a handsome racing driver full of youthful optimism and high spirits, that she’s tempted to let someone new in for the first time in years. With his sweet smile and kind demeanor, he’s everything Alaina ever wished for. She is falling hard, but will she be able to put the ghosts of her past to bed and begin a new adventure? Or will she choose to close her heart off and remain hidden from the world?It’s a road full of landmines, and the path becomes even more treacherous when an unexpected and horrifying series of events shakes Alaina’s foundation and forces her to lean on those closest to her in ways she never imagined. Downforce pulls you out of the grandstands and into the driver’s seat for a funny, raw, and honest look at the life of a young woman whose journey to forgiveness and acceptance leads her down a path she never anticipated.

    The Dallas Maverick’s legend revolutionized the sport, redefining the role of the big man in the modern game. Dirk moved differently: flexible and fast, confident and in control. He thought differently, too. On the court, his shots were masterful—none more venerated than his signature one-legged flamingo fadeaway, a move that lives on in the repertoire of today’s most skilled NBA players.How did this lanky kid from the German suburbs become an all-time top ten scorer and NBA champion? How can a superstar stay so humble? Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger spent over seven years traveling with Nowitzki. He witnessed Dirk’s summer workouts, involving fingertip pushups and the study of the physics, and spent days discussing literature and philosophy with Holger Geschwindner, Dirk’s enigmatic mentor and coach. Watching Nowitzki in empty gyms and in packed arenas with 30,000 fans, Pletzinger began to understand how Dirk and Holger’s philosophical insights on performance, creativity, and freedom enabled his success and longevity.The Great Nowitzki tells Dirk’s dramatic story like never before. Pletzinger describes Dirk’s youth in small-town Germany, follows the steep learning curve of Dirk’s early seasons, the devastating Finals loss to the Miami Heat, and the triumphant championship five years later. Traveling with Dirk in his final seasons, Pletzinger immerses himself in the community of people impacted by Nowitzki’s game, interviewing everyone from average fans in Dallas and security guards at the arena to front office executives and Hall of Fame teammates, who reflect on what Dirk’s career means to the next generation of ballplayers. And to the game itself.A masterpiece of sports writing that reads like a novel, The Great Nowitzki brims with a fan’s passion. Pletzinger shows how strongly basketball influences our imagination and the extraordinary journey an icon like Dirk Nowitzki must take to reach the pinnacle of the game.

    She never saw the legendary powerhouse as anything but her dad. She didn’t yet grasp the impact he’d had on the sport—and on America. To understand his historic role in the integration of college football, witness his influence on generations that followed, and fully appreciate his legacy, Maya had a lot of catching up to do.Maya retraces her father’s journey from the segregated south to Michigan State during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and his journey as an NFL pioneer after the 1967 draft. She reflects on how her father’s childhood—and the racism he faced—shaped her upbringing and influenced his expectations of her. She also discovers how unbreakable the emotional bond between teammates can be. But above all, Maya and her father get to know each other. As their own bond deepens, so does Maya’s connection to the sport that changed the trajectory of her father’s life…and hers.

    Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow) shows readers how to take the best practices in elite running and adopt them within the limits of their own ability, lifestyle, and budget.

    He won two First Division titles with Arsenal and was one of the finest players of his generation. But for thirty years Paul Merson has also been an addict. Alcohol, drugs, gambling: a desperately unenviable cocktail of addictions and depression which has plagued his entire adult life and driven him to the verge of suicide. Until recently the drinking and gambling were still raging. 'I wanted to kill myself. I couldn't go on anymore. I just couldn't see a way out.' Then something clicked. 'One day, I was walking home from the pub late on a Sunday evening, and I thought to myself: I've had enough of feeling like this, every day of my life. I rang up Alcoholics Anonymous the next day, and since then I haven't had a drink.'One Day at a Time is Paul Merson's wonderfully moving and brutally honest memoir of battling addiction for three decades. Viscerally and searingly, it charts his addiction journey. It is absolutely unflinching in detailing his emotional and psychological troughs and in raking over the painful embers of an adult life blighted by such debilitating issues. One Day at a Time will start a conversation about addiction, depression and the damage they wreak. 'Addiction is the loneliest of places. You're a slave to insecurity and ego. But it has to be you that wants things to change. Never be afraid to talk: the more you talk about the addictions the more it takes the power out of them. You're never alone.'

    In the United States alone, NASCAR has over 75 million fans and counting. It's also the most scientifically demanding sport on Earth, requiring a combination of peak physical and mental skill, world-class engineers and a constant drive for technological innovation.Racing Green explores the science that has been translated from racing to the road, from the early 19th century through to innovations such as electric cars and autonomous vehicles. The history of motor racing, both its glories and its tragedies, led to some of the most important modern developments we see in car design today. Just as the heartbreaking death of Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500 led NASCAR to introduce a new raceway barrier method, ideas pioneered during races – such as crush zones to crash helmets – have been incorporated into race car and track designs around the world. Cleaner technologies first trialed and improved in modern racing are also shaping our communities beyond the track, from the hidden aerodynamics in everything from your grocery aisle to Apple's new $5 billion headquarters to a Porsche made from flax and tires made from dandelions. Through exclusive interviews with NASCAR's Research and Development Center, Formula 1 insiders, engineers, scientists and drivers, lifelong motorsport fan Kit Chapman goes behind the scenes of the current breakthroughs to show where motorsport is likely to take us in the future, picking up extraordinary tales along the way, such as the Ohio State University's experimental electric car, the Buckeye Bullet, which broke the electric land speed record on the salt flats in Utah, hitting an astounding 340 mph, and the untold story of how motorsport used its unparalleled mechanical expertise to help during the COVID-19 pandemic.Racing Green is a mix of travelogue and historical retrospective, combining visits to the experts and discussing the science with retellings of real-life incidents that represent milestones in shaping the modern world.

    Two years later, the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association became the city’s third major professional sports franchise. In 1972 the National Hockey League granted the Flames expansion franchise to the city, making Atlanta the first southern city with teams in all four of the big leagues. The excitement surrounding the arrival of four professional franchises in Atlanta in a six-year period soon gave way to widespread frustration and, eventually, widespread apathy toward its home teams. All four of Atlanta’s franchises struggled in the standings and struggled to draw fans to their games. Atlantans’ indifference to their new teams took place amid the social and political fracturing that had resulted from a new Black majority in Atlanta and a predominately white suburban exodus. Sports could never quite bridge the divergence between the two.Loserville examines the pursuit, arrival, and response to professional sports in Atlanta during its first decade as a major league city (1966–75). It scrutinizes the origins of what remains the primary model for acquiring professional sports franchises: offers of municipal financing for new stadiums. Other Sunbelt cities like San Diego, Phoenix, and Tampa that aspired to big league stature adopted Atlanta’s approach. Like the teams in Atlanta, the franchises in these cities have had mixed results—both in terms of on-field success and financial stability.

    

    Jay Glazer—a top NFL insider on Fox NFL Sunday, an MMA trainer, actor, and a veteran advocate and founder of MVP (Merging Vets and Players)—offers hard-as-nails advice and insights gleaned from his successful journalism career in the NFL as well as his work with military vets struggling with PTSD; the result is a relentless, unapologetic, and no-nonsense approach to overcoming your self-doubts, fears, and excuses…with the goal of becoming Unbreakable.