Along the way, somebody invented the jump shot and the crossover dribble and added a three-point line. Times changed, the game was integrated, players grew taller and more wildly athletic. That evolution is chronicled in Glory Days, as 50 of the state's best high school basketball players from the past five decades sit down to chat with longtime prep basketball scribe Taylor Bell. Every last one of the featured players was an all-state selection. Some led their teams to state titles; others were chosen as Illinois' Mr. Basketball; many were named McDonald's All-Americans.Glory Days pulls its roster from all regions of the state: from southern Illinois (Edwardsville, Centralia, Mount Vernon) to the state's waist (Galesburg, Peoria, Decatur) to north of I-80 (Rockford, Evanston, and many Chicago schools).Each player on the roster relives his time on the high school hardwood, but also reveals what happened after he walked down the aisle in his cap and gown. Bell catches up with greats like Mannie Jackson, Dave Downey, Jay Shidler, Jack Sikma, Rashard Griffith, Cazzie Russell, Kiwane Garris, Cuonzo Martin, and Billy Ridley, and discovers what happened to these legends later in life, after their hops deserted them. Their Chuck Taylors may be a distant memory, but for each of these former stars, basketball has continued to hold a special place in their heart.

In the early 1970s, the United States was much the same as in the radical '60s; Americans dying in Vietnam, anti-war demonstrations on college campuses, conflict between blacks and whites in most major cities. In predominantly white Dolton, a south Chicago suburb, busing had come to Thornridge High School. Black students from nearby Phoenix now attended school with whites from Dolton and South Holland. They were not warmly received. Then, the Thornridge basketball team started winning Fans in black and white communities came together as Thornridge captured consecutive Illinois championships. Led by the national high school athlete of the year, Quinn Buckner, the Falcons stormed to a perfect season in 1972. No team even came close. This is their story told in their own words. THORNRIDGE is about prejudice and acceptance, adversity and triumph, and a team that changed attitudes while the players were having the time of their lives.

Celia's quiet life ends when her mother, a famed London courtesan, dies, leaving her a small house in town-and a darkly handsome, reputedly dangerous tenant. Watch a Video

In urban and rural high schools throughout Illinois, basketball is a Friday night ritual. Local games are often the biggest thing happening all week, and the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and state tournaments attract fanatical fans by the thousands. Far from the jaded professionals, the stories in Taylor Bell's Sweet Charlie, Dike, Cazzie, and Bobby Joe are of hungry young men playing their hearts out, where high-tops and high hopes inspire "hoop dreams" from Peoria to Pinckneyville, and Champaign to Chicago. Bell, a life-long fan and authority on high school basketball in Illinois, brings together for the first time the stories of the great players, teams, and coaches from the 1940s through the 1990s. The book is titled for four players who reflect the unique quality of high school basketball, and whose first names are enough to trigger memories in fans who love the sport -- Sweet Charlie Brown, Dike Eddleman, Cazzie Russell, and Bobby Joe Mason. Bell offers exciting accounts of their exploits, told with a journalistic flair. Beyond a lifetime spent covering the sport, Bell's research includes three hundred and fifty personal interviews with coaches, administrators, family members, and fans. He has attended the Elite Eight finals of every boys' state basketball tournament since 1958, and met and written about many of the most outstanding teams, coaches, and players who helped to make Illinois one of the most exciting arenas for high school basketball in the United States. Sixty photographs add depth to the accounts. By a fan, for the fans, Sweet Charlie, Dike, Cazzie, and Bobby Joe is the authoritative book on high school basketball in Illinois, and will elate anyone who has thrilled to the poignant highs and shattering lows of high school sports.

The toughest lessons aren't always taught in the classroom… Maya is ready to put the fabulous back into her life—and that means getting her manipulative cousin, Viviana, out of it. Bad enough that Viviana is living under the same roof and tried to claim Maya's boyfriend, Misalo, for herself. Now she's going to Maya's high school and she's part of the quiz team competing on a TV show…alongside Maya, Keysha and Misalo. Maya has no sympathy when Viviana finally starts to feel the pressure of fitting in to her new world. That's until her cousin does something drastic…and dangerous. Maybe Viviana isn't as tough as everyone thought. Maya could be the only person who can help bring her back safely. Question is…does she want to?

Mikka and Nyx have known they were hyena mates for years. Due to circumstance they could never claim each other. When Mikka comes up missing, Nyx does everything he can to find his mate only to come up empty every time. When Mikka is returned, can Nyx get Mikka to believe that he still loves him and is still the alpha Nyx always knew him to be or will Mikka turn him away and leave him forever?

Lady Athena Thompson’s family is notorious, and definitely not in a good way. Some say there is magic in their bloodline, and only through witchcraft can they lure gentlemen of good breeding into marriage. Roman James, the Earl of Kendal, has returned home from war, injured, and determined to live his life as he pleases. He doesn’t need to be charmed, but he’s more than willing to be led astray. Especially when a woman as lovely as Athena is involved. ​​​​Athena and Roman are surprised by the depth of their feelings, yet rumors have a way of ruining even the purest of affections. They face difficult decisions—and may not find their choices to their liking