sports fiction

Once an inseparable trio, whether in their little band or on the football field, Justin, Tony, and Miles have drifted apart in middle school (Justin to band and his old friends to sports); now, after a summer of jamming, Justin decides to try out the football team with his old friends--but he finds little encouragement from them, and he misses the new friends he made in the school band.

High school football and mystery overlap as private detective Pete Hamilton is called upon to investigate the disappearance of a student at Permian High School. As Pete digs into the case, he delves deeper into Odessa's underbelly, eventually unearthing connections to the highest levels of Odessa's establishment--both in and out of football. Will he put his life on the line to stop the corruption in Odessa? Odessa is from Texas Fridays, an EPIC Press series.

Bobby Dupree is a backup quarterback and has always been a backup kind of guy--both when it came to seeing the field, and also with girls. But when the starting quarterback goes down with a knee injury, things change for Bobby. He is thrust into the starting role, and the hopes of Trinity High School rest on his shoulders. Will the spotlight be too bright for him to handle? Dallas is from Texas Fridays, an EPIC Press series.

It's always been Stevie McCrae's goal to play running back at University of Texas-Austin. Stevie was born and raised in Austin, and if it were up to him, he wouldn't leave his hometown until the NFL came calling. But because of his size, Stevie never gets recognition from recruiters. Despite stellar numbers and state rushing records, his only scholarship offers have come from out-of-state Division Two schools. But if Stevie can lead his team to a state title, his dream of attending the University of Texas might be within reach.

Ashley Rivera's single mom can't afford to buy her new basketball shoes - she doesn't even have enough for the registration fee when Ashley makes the city basketball team. So Ashley takes on extra work to make the money she needs to play basketball. Soon Ashley's overloaded schedule makes her too tired for school and her friends, and she can't take it when the popular girl on her team suddenly starts teasing her about her ragged sneakers. Does Ashley even want to keep playing? With the help of friends old and new, and with surprising support from her brother, Ashley figures out how to afford the price of play.

KaLeah has just moved from Halifax to the small town of Trail, B.C. KaLeah's a natural at baseball, and it's what she loves to do most. But she is excluded and bullied by Nikki and her clique, the popular Valley Girls, because she is black and because she is better at softball than Nikki. She decides she wants to play baseball with the Trail Boys, the best players her age. Except it's an all-boys baseball team. But first KaLeah has to prove herself to the boys and the parents who don't want her to upstage their kids.

The inner-city Blues baseball team is having a lousy year. Shortstop Nash and the Blues can't seem to win. They especially hate losing to their archrivals, the rich kids of the Parkhill Pirates. When all-star player Jock joins the team, it looks like the Blues might be able to turn the season around. The only problem? When the Pirates find out that Jock is gay, they ambush Nash and Jock, and Nash has to decide if he wants to stand by his teammate.

Nine-year old Jo-Jo?s father loves everything about Muhammad Ali. His sports room, filled to the brim with Ali memorabilia, is his pride and joy. But when an impromptu game of catch with his sister causes Jo-Jo to accidentally damage his dad's favorite Muhammad Ali autographed picture, he knows he must do something to make everything right. But what? Jo-Jo suddenly begins believing in miracles again when he manages to score tickets to an Ali event in Harlem. As Jo-Jo and his dad board a train bound for New York City, his father shares entertaining stories about Muhammad Ali. Now more than ever, Jo-Jo cannot wait to meet the greatest boxer of all time--the Champ. As Jo-Jo and his father join the more than two hundred fans that line up outside the bookstore, Jo-Jo has no idea he is about to receive the surprise of a lifetime.

"When Coach Gordon suddenly retires, Quinn Brown has to prove to a new coach that he deserves to remain the Spartans' starting quarterback. But Coach Miller's style seems to be throwing Quinn off his game, and big-mouthed second-string Luke is gunning for Quinn's position"--Back cover.

"One of the Trojans' assistant coaches is giving a few players special attention. That includes a (maybe illegal) personal nutrition program. Will the players go along in order to get an edge?"--Provided by the publisher.