They all grew up dreaming of skating in the big league as stars. Then one day, a coach tells them the only way to make it is to drop the gloves. And every guy says the same thing: I'll do whatever it takes to play in the NHL.Not Stu Grimson, though. When he was offered a contract to patrol the ice for the Calgary Flames, he said no thanks, and went to university instead. And that's the way Grimson has approached his career and his life: on his own terms. He stared down the toughest players on the planet for seventeen years, while working on his first university degree. He retired on his own terms, and went on to practice law, including a stint as in-house counsel for the NHLPA.This has put him in a unique position when it comes to commenting on the game. He's seen it from the trenches, and he's seen it from the courtroom. This puts him in the eye of the storm surrounding fighting and concussions. And he handles that the way he does everything: on his own terms. When Don Cherry called him out on televison, it was the seemingly indominable Cherry who backed down. Hockey fans will be fascinated by his data-driven defence of fighting.But in the end, this is not a book about fighting and locker-room stories. It's the story of a young man who ultimately took on the toughest role in pro sports and came out the other side. Where many others have not.

    This book can be read as a stand-alone or as book one in the Laketown Hockey Series.

    . . colorful descriptions make this a fun read." -Los Angeles Times "One of the best sports books of the year." -Booklist Ken Baker wanted nothing more than to play ice hockey with the pros-until a brain tumor cut his dreams short while in college. After surgery and several years of rehab, Baker, who in high school was a top prospect for the U.S. Olympic team, put his successful journalism career on hold to attempt the seemingly impossible: a comeback. He moved away from his family to become the third-string goalie for the Bakersfield Condors, an AA-level minor-league team in the dusty oil town of Bakersfield, California. At the age of thirty-one, Baker became the oldest rookie in all of pro-hockey, facing 100-m.p.h. slap shots and long bus rides, hostile fans and cheap motel rooms, body bruises, and battle-worn teammates. From his visit to an NHL training camp to his first nerve-rattled minutes as a pro, Baker joins the rookies who still dream of making it to the Show, the veterans long past their prime, and the obsessive fans who keep them going. When the season is over, Baker's pro-hockey adventure ends up teaching him nearly everything he will ever need to know about life.

    He has the body and the winning streak to prove it. He trains like a mad man, with more discipline than a monk. But even he can't keep his attention in the ring when a brunette distraction shows up in his boxing gym.Ava Young had it all. The fancy house on a hill, a successful businessman father, an adorably decorated dorm room, and a group of fun-loving college friends. That is, until her father's company is exposed for embezzling. She has no place to turn but her childhood best friend's couch and a new, strange life filled with underground fighters. Including the intimidatingly sexy, Rhett Jaggar.These two opposites may come to find that they have more in common than they realize...but will it be a harmless attraction or a dangerous addiction?

    Not girls. But then again, Ava wasn’t girls. She was only one. One girl with eyes the color of sweetness and a personality that spun the same. My life was about school and my friends. Not boys. But then again, Bishop wasn’t just any boy. He was my solid ground. When forcing out smiles and hiding secrets is no longer possible, Bishop’s the unlikely force there to steady me. She wasn’t supposed to uproot my life. I wasn’t supposed to like it. He wasn’t supposed to be my strength. I wasn’t supposed to need any. It’s rare when opposites attract. He’s quiet and broody. I’m outgoing and bubbly. But when we come together, we fall. Over and over again. And nothing is ever the same… The Rarity of Falling is a sensitive and unputdownable coming of age love story by Leeann M. Shane.

     A miracle like getting town sweetheart, and everybody’s go-to girl, Elizabeth Rogers to help him polish his tarnished reputation. Problem is, Elizabeth and Sam grew up together, and she’s not even a little impressed by Sam. But she’s also the girl who—try as she might—can’t say no… If Elizabeth and Sam can learn to play nice with each other, what will happen to all those sparks?

    She had been through hell the last year. After losing something she never knew she had, then almost losing her life, things were finally looking up. Desperately wanting to move on, Trina and her dog Toby decided the beach was where they wanted to go. Maybe they would stay here and call this home.****The east coast was as far away from home as Sam was going to get. He was still reeling from a losing season riddled with injuries. He was emotionally and physically exhausted. He needed to clear his head before he embarked on a summer of make believe, dress up and baby dolls, with his niece, Morgan.Sam never counted on meeting her. The beautiful blonde with the edgy look and amazing voice, she blindsided him. Before he knew what had happened, he had fallen hard and fast for her. After only a few short days he couldn't imagine going back to the west coast without her.Trina didn't see romance coming until it was too late. She had demons in her past that he didn't yet understand, and she wasn't sure she was ready to let Sam in. Could only a few days with him change the rest of her life?

    On the anniversary of the most tragic event of his life, Randall “The Rocket” Reese must face down paparazzi outside his house, a big sister who won’t stay out of his personal life, and a coffee date with an “old classmate” from high school whom he barely remembers. His plan is to wallow in solitude, but Fate has plans of its own. 'Just Lunch' Randall “The Rocket” Reese is beginning to reclaim his life both professionally and personally, with a new outlook, and a new woman, Dani Erlinger, by his side. Rand and Dani are in a comfortable groove that suits them both, but an unexpected invitation ‘just for lunch’ and a calamitous weekend excursion have them questioning whether they’ve become much too comfortable, much too soon. 'Table for Two' After taking a high-profile position, Rand Reese’s visibility is once again on the rise; but returning to the public eye also means revisiting some of the uglier parts of his past. That past has Dani questioning whether anyone can make a relationship work under the glare of fame and notoriety. Even two people committed to making it work. 'À la Carte' A ‘Coffee Date’ BONUS Drop-In An unexpected visitor up-ends the rhythm of the new life Rand and Dani are building together, reminding them of the consequences of Rand’s difficult past, and raising even tougher questions about their future.

    A way to give her the meeting her boss requested, but still say ‘no’ to her pitch.Look, I’ve never wanted the extras that come with an NHL career.Sponsorships, sure.Reality television? Hard no.Except—now that I’ve met the pixie redhead—I find myself agreeing...with one stipulation.She gets to be part of the show in whatever way that allows me to see her again.Twenty female “contestants” be damned.

    The improbable hockey career of Jonsey started in 1992, when he was with the Washington Capitals. After a brief stint in Colorado, Keith was traded to Philadelphia, where is hard work, dirty play and colorful personality made him one of the more popular players in recent history. Jonsey is the story of Keith s career in the league as well as all of the interesting stories he accumulated over the course of his career, playing with some of the leagues best players in the last 15 years, including Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Mark Recchi and Eric Lindros. The book will include a forward written by Hall of Fame defense-man Ray Bourque.

    who sets my blood on fire.When my twin brother defects from Moscow to play hockey in America, a merciless gang sets their sights on me as part of an extortion plot.The leader of a rival operation offers to keep me safe…for a price. In exchange for their protection, he wants my body. And as badly as I want to say no, body over life seems like a better deal.But as I slip deeper into his world, he demands more from me. Now he wants the only thing I'm unwilling to give him.My heart.SAINTS is the heart-stopping first novel in USA TODAY Bestselling Author Sophia Henry's sizzling Saints and Sinners suspense series.

    On and off the ice. I fell for him once back in college… I played right into his hands and fell right into his bed. He took my virginity and then demolished my heart all in the same day. Seeing him again after all these years is torture. I’ll never forgive him, and I’ll certainly never forget the pain he caused me—No matter how rich he is, no matter how handsome he is, no matter how great a father he is. Graham Rising to the top of Professional Hockey has been a challenge, but nothing compares to being a single father to two daughters. And it’s only getting harder as they get older. Now I need an au pair to help balance my professional life and take care of my girls when I take them on the road. But the damn nanny agency decided to play a cruel f*cking joke. They sent me a candidate that is perfect on paper, and my daughters love her… but she’s the one I ruined… the only true regret I carry with me to this day. Whitney Morgan. I’ve been a bastard and a heartbreaker, it’s true. But I always get what I want in the end. I’ll make this right. Pucking Beast is a full-length contemporary new adult sports romance novel clocking in at over 80,000+ words. HEA, No Cliff. This book contains sexually explicit content and adult language, 18+.

    It’s hard, but with Elyse, I’m playing for keeps.

    So it’s no surprise that when she meets a large, handsome man with a broken nose she doesn’t recognize him as a key player for the Vancouver Canucks. Jack likes the idea of getting to know a woman who is interested in him, instead of his fame. Sparks begin to fly the moment they touch, but when they clash over the hot-button topic of violence in hockey, the flames are in danger of burning out as quickly as they were ignited.