September 1953-
Dancer Stonemason is three days from his major league debut. With his wife and son cheering him on, he pitches the greatest game of his life. And then loses everything.
Told against the backdrop of America's postwar challenges from Little Rock to the Bay of Pigs to Viet Nam, American Past Time is the story of what happens to a man and his family after the cheering stops.

LOVE, LOYALTY & BETRAYAL

WHEN HIS BOYHOOD FRIEND VANISHES, A MAN WHO HAS COASTED THROUGH LIFE ON THE FADING MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL HEROICS, RISKS EVERYTHING TO SAVE HIM.

The FBI? What had Billy done now? And why did they think I was involved? I had to take a breath and replay in my head what she had just said. The FBI wanted to talk to Billy. That was really bad. But if they couldn't have Billy, then The Federal Bureau of Investigation wanted me. Darwin Burr was wanted by the FBI. That was a hundred times worse than bad. When I got stopped by a small town cop for speeding a couple years ago I was so nervous it took me five minutes to find my car registration. There was no way I could talk to a real FBI agent.

They had a parade for Darwin Burr years ago when his team won the state title.He's coasted through life on that memory. Still lives in Claxton, Illinois -- but the bucolic farm town now simmers with racial tension. He has a cushy job working for his wheeler-dealer, boyhood friend, Billy Rourke. He has a country house, a healthy 401K, and still drinks for free at Clarkie's Bar. His wife Daina, who escaped from Latvia and never looked back, disdains Darwin's lack of ambition. She's consumed by her job helping Claxton's underclass and has little time for Darwin or their daughter, Astra.

When Billy arranges for Darwin to assist Astra's high school basketball coach --the mysterious and flirtatious Fariba Pahlavi -- Darwin stops coasting. He discovers a passion for coaching. And Fariba.

Just as Darwin is getting back in the game, Billy vanishes, the FBI wants Darwin's help to find him, and Darwin learns his wife's secret past has put her life in jeopardy.Darwin knows Billy's guilty, but he can't betray his friend, and he's falling in love with Fariba, but can't abandon his wife.
He has no good choices, no winning shot, and in this world heroes don't get parades.

"The moral and ethical questions raised by his own actions, and by the actions of those closest to him, are part of what keep these pages turning: the reader is keenly interested in finding out what choices Darwin will make. A great read by a writer who just keeps getting better and better."--,Sands Hall. Author of the memoir, FLUNK. START. Reclaiming My Decade Lost in Scientology, and of the novel, Catching Heaven"

Len Joy knows men, and as a woman reader, I like getting inside men's heads. Strange as they are, they have troubles and desires and they make mistakes, oh boy, and when they figure that out, they have feelings, too. No fancy stuff. No mumble jumble interiority. This is Do Something, Find Out What Happens, Deal With It...Len Joy is ... solid Americana."--Sandra Scofield - National Book Award Nominee

"Len Joy combines lyrical language, unflinching insight, and a kind of rough-edged masculinity to unique effect. His work is a nuanced study of small town life and the deceptive allure of the American dream."--Abby Geni, Author of the novels, THE WILDLANDS and THE LIGHTKEEPERS

Baseball was the only thing Jet Brine was ever good at. Well, baseball and slot machines. Except when his moment came, bottom of the ninth, game seven of the World Series, Jet struck out without swinging.

Now, years later, he’s stuck in a cubicle, haunted by the ghosts of a marriage cut short, and dragging around the remains of his baseball career in a beat-up duffle bag.

Then he meets Linda and it seems things might be turning around at last. But old habits die hard and old fears fuel new failures. After a string of tough losses, a solemn promise may be the only thing that can convince Jet to step up and swing away one more time.

The Backwards K is the latest inspirational novel from bestselling author J.J. Hebert. Featuring relatable characters facing heartfelt struggles, The Backwards K is for anyone who believes winning begins with having the courage to take a swing.

PRAISE FOR THE BACKWARDS K

“J.J. Hebert’s inspirational sports-themed novel, The Backwards K, follows the efforts of aging baseball great, Jet Brine, as he tries to get past [the] awful defining moment of his baseball career and reclaim his life. Hebert’s story examines the concepts of forgiving oneself for the past and finding the courage to start fresh and new… The Backwards K is an uplifting and inspiring tale that is most highly recommended.” —Readers' Favorite (5 Stars)

“The Backwards K was an excellent read which I found wholly entertaining and enjoyable. Author J.J. Hebert is a well-honed storyteller, who did a superb job of creating a narrative that instantly draws the reader into the emotion-ridden world of Jet Brine. This narrative proved to be an engaging, evocative, insightful and inspirational read … Will draw a tear, as well as make you cheer. I enthusiastically recommend this book as it is well worth the read.” —Pacific Book Review (Starred Review)

“[Hebert’s] supporting characters come across as particularly credible. More than merely stock players, they feel like real flesh and blood inhabitants of Jet’s world. Hebert keeps his prose straightforward and devoid of lyricism. In addition to sounding like it’s actually coming from the mouth of a real ex-ballplayer, it also enhances intimacy with, and empathy for his protagonist whose continued use of rationalization reveals an individual under the influence of addiction. Jet’s history of lessons learned too late, promises broken too often, and resolve compromised too easily, makes him not just flawed but human. In fact, it is the author’s exploration of the human qualities of transgression, forgiveness, and redemption, that raises this tale above the level of mere sports yarn.” —The US Review of Books

Life is a diamond and on it miracles happen.

Dean "DeBaz" Bazner is a Professional Surfer, private about his past and quiet about his future. Like any famous professional athlete he's got the talent and sponsors, but he hasn't clinched a World Title since his rookie year. Now in his thirties, with a career clock ticking, he's pushing his limits to get to number one again. When a travel writer named Azure Thomas is assigned to observe his journey between events, what seems like a dangerous diversion, both in and out of the water, forces him to accept that there's more missing from his life than another trophy.

She doesn't know anything about surfing. She doesn't drool over his celebrity. And she sure as hell doesn't ask others to haul her crap around. Azure Thomas has been taking care of herself for most of her thirty years, and this is just another assignment in the changing world of freelance journalism. What she doesn't expect is an athlete who relates to her profound loss and has sacrificed everything except his soul to get to the top of his sport. Dean is more than the hot surfer splashed across magazines and surfing is more than a hobby. Is it possible that what she can't live without is chasing the next big swell?

London Book Festival Honorable Mention
In the blink of an eye, the idyllic world that Claudine Bellamy knew, brutally turns upside down. While her family struggles with tragedy and permanent loss, their professional wrestling business is publicly exposed. Acutely vulnerable, is Claudine resilient enough to resist being exploited by corrupt vultures of the celebrity world and protect her precious family?

THE HOOK: After three years away, Dana, a globe-trotting journalist, reluctantly returns to her foggy coastal hometown, Half Moon Bay. She’s been running away all of her adult life, from the mental illness and chaos that defined her childhood. Now her junkie brother, a former surf star, is tangled up with a brutal meth dealer and he’s in the hospital.

Dana and Shane bonded over surfing as teenagers, frequenting local breaks, including THE HOOK, to escape their violent and damaged family. Dana’s father and brother walked away from Shane years ago, unwilling to deal with his volatility and drug use. But she just won’t give up on him.

As Dana turns to her friends and the tight-knit surfing community for help she confronts her brother’s illegal activities and nearly homeless existence. But that’s just the beginning … a drug kingpin is chasing Shane and then Dana, the FBI are involved, a gang war is building, and a new family crisis is brewing. Meanwhile Dana’s gut-wrenching and frightening journey forces her to face her ruinous childhood, her inability to sustain relationships and her struggle to move on with her life.

“GP Hutchinson’s inventive romp cleverly pairs a shrewd police detective with a wronged sumo champion who must prove himself as sure-footed outside the ring as in—or perish trying.” —Barry Lancet, bestselling author of JAPANTOWN and TOKYO KILL Yokozuna: the best of the best, the highest possible ranking in Japan’s national sport of sumo. To be awarded this title, you need to go above and beyond, showing strength, agility, and plenty of discipline. The only remaining Japanese individual with this title is Tatsuyama, who shares the honored rank with two foreign wrestlers. The mild-mannered fighter is suddenly suspended from competition, however, after he steps in to subdue an obnoxious drunk who is harassing a performer from an all-girl J-Pop ensemble. Despite his best intentions, he ends up with assault charges and a trip to the slammer. As it turns out, the concert creep may have connections in high places. In the struggle to clear his own name and protect those he cares for Tatsuyama then finds himself in the crosshairs of Yamada Hideyoshi and the Yamada clan, who are looking to exact complete control over Japan’s national sport—and they will stop at nothing to bring down the sumo champion. This action-packed, international adventure follows the affable fighter as he works with young detective Kobayashi Kobi in an attempt to ward off the corrupt individuals and enemies lurking in unexpected places who are threatening him and those closest to him, however not everyone is who or what they seem. A page-turner from start to finish, you’ll find yourself rooting for the instantly likable Tatsuyama the entire way—but can he stop Yamada and the corruption that is threatening to end him before it is too late?