{"title":"Carl Deuker","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-carl-deuker-collection-4-book-boxed-set","title":"The Carl Deuker Collection 4-Book Boxed Set","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFor the first time ever, comes a paperback boxed set containing \u003ci\u003eGym Candy, Payback Time, Night Hoops, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eRunner, \u003c\/i\u003efour books from award-winning sportswriter Carl Deuker.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom award-winning sportswriter Carl Deuker, comes this paperback boxed set of \u003ci\u003eGym Candy, Payback Time, Night Hoops, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eRunner,\u003c\/i\u003e four riveting, action-packed sportsbooks all together now for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eGym Candy,\u003c\/i\u003e self-acceptance, peer pressure, and a heart-wrenching story about high school football take center field as running back Mick Johnson struggles for success under the always glaring—and often unforgiving—stadium lights, even if it costs him everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003ePayback Time, \u003c\/i\u003ea thrilling mystery lurks beneath the backdrop of high school football and the criminal underworld as high school journalist Mitch True uncovers the secret past of the football team’s new cornerback.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eNight Hoops, \u003c\/i\u003eloyalty, friendship, and family are tested when an unlikely friendship forms between two boys who seem to have nothing in common but basketball.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eRunner,\u003c\/i\u003e a high school runner finds himself at the center of a sinister conspiracy when he takes up a gig picking up strange packages on a daily route and delivering them to a mysterious man at the marina.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis collection delivers four acclaimed novels that combine gripping sports action with the tough choices teens face:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHigh-Stakes Choices:\u003c\/b\u003e Each novel puts a teen athlete at a crossroads where one decision could change everything—from a journalist uncovering a crime to a runner caught in a conspiracy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Dark Side of Sports:\u003c\/b\u003e In \u003ci\u003eGym Candy\u003c\/i\u003e, running back Mick Johnson discovers that the pressure to succeed can lead down a dangerous path, forcing him to question the true cost of victory.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGripping Suspense:\u003c\/b\u003e These aren’t just game stories. Carl Deuker weaves thrilling mysteries into the action, making each book an edge-of-your-seat page-turner.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAuthentic Action:\u003c\/b\u003e Written by an award-winning sportswriter, the on-field football, basketball, and running scenes are intense, realistic, and will keep sports fans hooked until the final whistle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53139370049827,"sku":"9780358577355","price":28.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780358577355.jpg?v=1741113546"},{"product_id":"runner","title":"Runner","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen a new job falls his way, Chance jumps at the opportunity, becoming a runner who picks up strange packages on a daily route and delivers them to a shady man at the marina. Chase knows how much he will earn—what he doesn’t know is how much he will pay.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSuspenseful, fast-paced, and poignant, this novel avoids easy answers as it examines issues of terrorism and patriotism, fear and courage, and the lives of privilege and poverty.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor a kid desperate to escape poverty, the job seems perfect. But what’s really inside the packages he runs?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA High-Stakes Thriller:\u003c\/b\u003e Seventeen-year-old Chance is a runner, but this daily route involves more than just exercise—it involves mysterious packages, a shady deal, and dangers he can’t comprehend.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMoral Dilemma:\u003c\/b\u003e The cash is good, a lifeline for him and his alcoholic father. But when Chance suspects he’s a pawn in a much larger, deadlier game, he has to decide how much his integrity is worth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePoverty and Privilege:\u003c\/b\u003e A gritty look at life on the margins, contrasting a teen living on a broken-down sailboat with the seemingly perfect lives of his classmates.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Patriotic Question:\u003c\/b\u003e In a world shaped by terrorism, Chance is forced to confront what patriotism really means and where his loyalties truly lie.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53143991124259,"sku":"9780618735051","price":12.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780618735051.jpg?v=1741128540"},{"product_id":"payback-time","title":"Payback Time","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrough the eyes of an inspiring young journalist—an overweight high school reporter named Mitch—veteran sports novelist Deuker reveals the surprising truth behind a mysterious football player named Angel. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e When Angel shows up Lincoln High, he seems to have no past—or at least not one he is willing to discuss. Though Mitch gets a glimpse of Angel’s incredible talent off the field, Angel rarely allows himself to shine on the field. Is he an undercover cop? wonders Mitch. Or an ineligible player? In pursuit of a killer story, Mitch decides to find out just who this player is and what he’s done. In the end, the truth surprises everyone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53144937496867,"sku":"9780547577333","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780547577333.jpg?v=1741131487"},{"product_id":"night-hoops","title":"Night Hoops","description":"\u003cp\u003eNick Abbott and Trent Dawson have nothing in common but basketball. Or so it seems. But as the basketball season progresses, their lives become unexpectedly intertwined. In this story of an unlikely bond, award-winning author Carl Deuker explores that dark and confusing place between loneliness and friendship, between faithfulness and betrayal. Filled with gripping game play, the novel will leave readers wondering how much they themselves would reach out to a kid like Trent.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53148986179875,"sku":"9780547248912","price":12.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780547248912.jpg?v=1741144288"},{"product_id":"gym-candy","title":"Gym Candy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom award-winning novelist Carl Deuker comes a gritty, heart-wrenching story about high school football, self-acceptance, and the pressures that come with being the best at any cost.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “Look, Mick,” he said, “you’re going to find out from somebody in the gym, so you might as well find out from me. Those supplements you’re taking? They might get you a little bigger, but just a little. If you’re after serious results, there’s other stuff that produces better results much faster, stuff that a lot of guys in the gym use.” “What other stuff?” “You know what I’m talking about—gym candy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Running back Mick Johnson has dreams: dreams of cutting back, finding the hole, breaking into the open, and running free with nothing but green grass ahead. He has dreams of winning and of being the best. But football is a cruel sport. It requires power, grace, speed, quickness, and knowledge of the game. It takes luck, too. One crazy bounce can turn a likely victory into sudden defeat. What elite athlete wouldn’t look for an edge? A way to make him bigger, stronger, faster?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This novel explores the dark corners of the heart of a young football player as he struggles for success under the always glaring—and often unforgiving—stadium lights.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53152354304291,"sku":"9780547076317","price":12.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780547076317.jpg?v=1741155184"},{"product_id":"high-heat","title":"High Heat","description":"\u003cp\u003eLike the game of baseball, life is quirky and unpredictable, as Shane Hunter discovers in the spring of his sophomore year. Suddenly and without warning his life of privilege is turned upside down. And just as suddenly, life begins to seem utterly without fairness or purpose to him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExciting, well-written sports scenes transport readers right into the stands while complex issues engage their hearts and minds. For here is a novel of loss, of morality, and of the rare, redemptive power of baseball. Can speaking the truth really determine lives? Just how does one accept, move on, and begin doing the right thing?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA High School Sports Drama:\u003c\/b\u003e Star pitcher Shane Hunter has it all—until his father is arrested in the middle of a game, shattering his world in front of everyone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Powerful Father-Son Story:\u003c\/b\u003e Forced to confront the truth about the man he idolized, Shane must navigate a new reality without the father who taught him everything he knows about the game.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDealing With Grief and Loss:\u003c\/b\u003e A poignant exploration of what happens after a tragedy, as a teen grapples with his father’s suicide and the public fallout that follows.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Story of Redemption:\u003c\/b\u003e On and off the diamond, Shane searches for a way to move on, do the right thing, and rediscover the purpose he lost when his perfect life fell apart.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53152771178787,"sku":"9780544439559","price":12.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780544439559.jpg?v=1741156654"},{"product_id":"golden-arm","title":"Golden Arm","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this riveting story about baseball and brotherhood, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks finds himself pitching his way out of poverty—one strike at a time. 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Just like he can’t bring himself to stand up for his friend Richie Fang, who has been targeted by the quarterback, known for his bullying. As events spiral out of control, Brock is faced with a true test of character. Can he find the courage to step up and do what is right?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHigh School Football Story:\u003c\/b\u003e Brock has the hands and speed to be a star wide receiver, but his fear of getting hit is holding him back from the varsity team.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn Anti-Bullying Message:\u003c\/b\u003e When star quarterback Hunter Gates targets new kid Richie Fang, the bullying quickly spirals from taunts and cyberbullying into something much more dangerous.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOvercoming Fear:\u003c\/b\u003e Brock knows he should stand up for Richie, but he’s terrified of becoming the next target. 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He plays because it’s what his family expects. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen Lucas Cawley moves in across the street. Lucas isn’t like any of Nate’s sports friends—he’s poor, his parents are mostly absent, and he’s devoted to his sister, Megan, who has a learning disability. Lucas may be an outcast at school, but he and Nate find common ground in their fierce games of one-on-one basketball. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt’s not long before Nate realizes that basketball is his sport. But Nate has an ax to grind with star players Colin and Bo, who have disrespected him for years. Nate believes that outplaying those two is the most important thing . . . until he learns that life is about more than getting ready for the next game. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Powerful Coming of Age Story:\u003c\/b\u003e Forced to choose between his family’s dream of a soccer scholarship and his own passion, Nate discovers who he is through the game he truly loves—basketball.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHigh School Rivalry:\u003c\/b\u003e Nate’s path to the top is blocked by star players Colin and Bo. He believes outplaying them is everything, but the real challenge lies off the court.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eComplex Characters and Friendships:\u003c\/b\u003e From his unexpected bond with Lucas Cawley, the outcast from across the street, to navigating the complicated world of team dynamics, this is a deeply character-driven novel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eMore Than Just a Game:\u003c\/b\u003e When a sudden tragedy changes everything, Nate is forced to confront difficult questions about loyalty, guilt, and what it truly means to be a friend.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":53160541323555,"sku":"9780063376342","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780063376342.jpg?v=1741181202"},{"product_id":"painting-the-black","title":"Painting the Black","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn his senior year of high school, late bloomer Ryan Ward has just begun to feel the magic of baseball—the thrill of catching a wicked slider, of throwing a runner out, of training hard and playing hard. His friend Josh, the star of the team, has helped Ryan push his limits. But when Josh clearly pushes the limits too far, Ryan is faced with a heartbreaking dilemma: he must choose between his love for the game and his sense of integrity.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53161872884003,"sku":"9780544541153","price":12.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780544541153.jpg?v=1741185499"},{"product_id":"swagger","title":"Swagger","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLevi was simple, like a child. It was the best thing about him, and it was the worst, too.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen high school senior Jonas moves to Seattle, he is glad to meet Levi, a nice, soft-spoken guy and fellow basketball player. Suspense builds like a slow drumbeat as readers start to smell a rat in Ryan Hartwell, a charismatic basketball coach and sexual predator. When Levi reluctantly tells Jonas that Hartwell abused him, Jonas has to decide whether he should risk his future career to report the coach. Pitch-perfect basketball plays, well-developed characters, and fine storytelling make this psychological sports novel a slam dunk.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Carl Deuker","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53166892613923,"sku":"9780544336193","price":10.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/2258\/5123\/files\/9780544336193.jpg?v=1741201285"}],"url":"https:\/\/epicreads.com\/collections\/carl-deuker.oembed","provider":"Epic Reads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}