Luka follows a hockey player navigating the aftermath of a traumatic injury who crosses paths with a woman who forces him to power through his pain and enter the world of community outreach. What made you write a romance story within this setting?
Who doesn’t love a romance with a damaged hero and a feisty heroine LOL!
When we were writing “Lincoln”, the first book in the series, we’d set Luka up as a ridiculously handsome, happy-go-lucky playboy who spoke several languages. He was so endearing and charming that even the women he broke up with had nothing but nice things to say about him. That kind of perfect life had to come with a price tag eventually. Reading about a few players in real life who had suffered injuries from skate blades, it seemed like the obvious source for Luka’s downfall. But was he so vain that having his perfect face marred would be enough to send him off the rails? It also raised the question of could someone really have had such a perfect life, or was there something he’d been hiding even from his teammates? Those are the questions we want readers to be asking themselves.
We’d set up how active the Quakes organization is in the community, including a charity gala event where they raised money for the Quakes Foundation in “Lincoln”. Before the accident, Luka even tells they guys he’s excited to be helping out with a reading program since Spanish is one of the languages he speaks fluently. We wanted to carry through with that idea of what if he backs out of it. How would a struggling non-profit react? It made for a great, conflict ridden beginning of their story. We also wanted to reflect the real life commitment to their city our actual NHL team has shown throughout the years.
We also wanted to shine a light on two very real tragedies in the hockey world and raise awareness of ways to prevent them. One was the tragic death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, whose neck was fatally cut in a game in London and subsequently died on the ice. Since then, cut-resistant gear has been given more attention but there’s still a lot that can be done to make the game safer. The other is head trauma, which is a concern not just in hockey but other sports as well. There is developing new technology that reduces impact and has sensors to monitor the impact and send real time alerts to the training staff.
What comes first for you–the plot or the characters–and why?
With our hockey books, characters come first and then we figure out how they meet and their story. That’s the fun of writing a series like this is riffing about future storylines in the process of writing one book. We had no idea Luka would end up where he did in his book when we first introduced him, but as crazy as it sounds, we had to get to know him better to know where his story would take him.
Which of the characters do you relate to the most and why?
That’s the great thing about two main characters – there’s something for everyone! On one hand, we relate to Liliana. She takes no prisoners and is protective of her kids. Lily wants to do more with her life by making a difference.
On the other hand, we’re also drawn to Luka. We all have wounds, internal and external, that change our perspective on who we are at once point in our lives. How we handle them is the thing and the fact that Luka falls down in that department from time to time makes him relatable to a lot of people.
You didn’t really think we were going to choose one of our children over the other, did you? LOL.
Where will the third book in this series take readers? When can fans look forward to seeing it released?
Yes! Matthew, our very angry D-man on the Quakes blue line, is next up. Without giving anything away, readers will literally get to see there are two sides to every story and Matt’s is both emotional and hilarious. At the very least, we use a plot device that we can honestly say we haven’t seen in any other hockey romances. His book releases on July 15th, 2025 in both eBook and paperback at your favorite online retailer.
As the hottest left-winger in the league, I was the handsome golden boy for the L.A. Quakes. But after suffering horrific injuries during a game, my life is on a breakaway to disaster. My biggest fear is a darkness from my past is about to repeat itself. All I want to do is hide from the world, but fate has another plan.
Feisty beauty Liliana Alvarez doesn’t suffer fools lightly, especially when it comes to her kids in her new non-profit outreach. She’ll drag me, kicking and screaming, if necessary, from the hole I’ve crawled into if it’s the last thing she does. For some reason, she is patient enough to wait for me to heal and something sparks between us, wounds, and all. But her abusive ex-boyfriend threatens to shatter our hopes of a happily ever after.
Can enemies-turned-lovers help save each other or is the ice tilted against us?
Luka: Hockey Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Beauty & The Beast, Tortured Hero, Curvy Heroine Different Cultures, Stalker Ex-Boyfriend
Luka is a gut-punch of a sports romance wrapped in raw emotion and resilience. It follows Luka Ribic, a star hockey player whose life takes a brutal turn after a devastating injury. His face and his sense of self are permanently scarred when a skate blade slashes across his temple during a game. What follows is a slow-burn, tension-filled journey as Luka grapples with his trauma, drowns his pain in whiskey, and isolates himself from the people who care about him. Then, there’s Liliana Alvarez, a fiercely determined woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone. She calls Luka out on his broken promises and drags him (sometimes literally) into her world of community outreach, where his past, his fears, and his future collide in ways he never saw coming.
Luka’s character is layered and heartbreakingly real. The opening scene slams us straight into his nightmare, his body hitting the ice, the crack of his head, the searing pain of the blade. The injury isn’t just physical, it’s mental. His panic attacks, his self-loathing, the way he pushes his friends away, it all feels painfully authentic. One moment that sticks out is when a little kid in a grocery store takes one look at Luka’s scarred face and runs away in fear. That hit hard. It’s a reminder that his struggles aren’t just in his head, his reality has shifted, and the world sees him differently now.
Then there’s Liliana. If Luka is fire, she’s an explosion. She storms into his life, calling him an “arrogant shit” to his face, and honestly? He needs it. Their first interaction is hilarious. She’s furious that he bailed on a reading event for underprivileged kids, and she doesn’t care that he’s a pro athlete with a sob story. But as the book unfolds, their chemistry goes from sharp and combative to something deeper. One of the most satisfying moments is when she calls him out on his self-pity, but later, she’s the one to defend him when she learns about his injury. The way their relationship shifts from enemies to reluctant allies to something more is so well done that you don’t even realize when you start rooting for them.
The writing is sharp, the emotions hit hard, and the banter is top-tier. There’s humor in the darkness. Luka’s dry wit, the way his teammates refuse to let him spiral too far, Liliana’s family roasting her for not realizing she was about to meet a hockey legend. The book does a fantastic job of balancing heavy themes like trauma, self-worth, addiction with the lightness of friendship, love, and redemption.
Luka is perfect for fans of sports romances with grit, heart, and plenty of heat. If you love a broken-but-badass hero, a heroine who doesn’t take any nonsense, and a love story that burns slow but explodes when it counts, this one’s for you. And if you’re into hockey? Even better.
In High and Out, a professional hockey player facing the end of his career fights to overcome addiction and the personal demons threatening to destroy him. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My oldest son had just turned six, the age I decided I was going to be a professional hockey player when I grew up. Addiction and personal demons were a part of the ending to my amateur hockey career ten years ago. I’ve had a rough relationship with hockey since then but my Mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer late last year and I wanted to write something for her that she could read during her treatment and recovery. Unfortunately she passed away before she was able to finish reading it but she loved it and even cried when I showed her the book trailer and she wasn’t a cryer.
Did you include anything from your own life in Jason’s experiences?
Mostly all of his experiences were either from my life or from my childhood dreams. I really wanted to be Jason and for a long time I thought I could and would be him. I somehow ended up more like a mix of Carl and Dr. Sutton though.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Love, change, family, and forgiveness. Without those themes, we are doomed and stand no chance. Ultimately it’s about fate too, I suppose.
What is the next book you are working on? When can fans expect to see it released?
After my hockey career ended, I spent the next ten years in financial services, selling insurance and retirement plans, so I’ve started a fun drama in that space that I’d like to have released within the next year. I’ve also got some western ideas and a couple historical fictions I’d like to write. Then we may also have to check back in on Jason from time to time and see how he’s doing… and I may have already started on that as well.
An intimate look behind the scenes and into the life of a professional athlete: Jason Wagner has worked his whole entire life to have a chance at getting his name etched on the Stanley Cup. Being a hockey player is all he knows, it’s all he’s ever wanted to be, and for as long as he can remember, it’s all he’s been. Fast-forward to now: He’s almost thirty, has just finished his last season on his NHL contract, and has yet to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. His fear of being forced into an earlier than anticipated retirement briefly subsides when he signs a two-year, multimillion-dollar deal with a real contender. The events that follow take him in different directions that ultimately put him onto a new path of discovering who he really is and what he actually wants to be in life. It’s a tough and gritty love story about change, family, and forgiveness.
Jason Wagner, a renowned pro hockey player, faces a crisis both on and off the ice. As he grapples with the possibility of his career ending, he clashes with his agent and fights to secure a new contract. With his dream of lifting the Stanley Cup slipping away, Jason must confront the harsh realities of his sport and the demons that haunt him. Alongside his professional challenges, Jason contends with personal struggles, including an estranged brother, a new love interest with a troubled past, and a dangerous addiction that threatens to destroy him. Will he achieve his dreams and find happiness, or will the pressures of his sport and personal struggles prove too much to overcome?
In High and Out, author Justin Weber crafts a captivating slice of life and sports fiction novel that masterfully explores the highs and lows of a professional hockey player’s journey. Initially, the book’s laid-back tone may suggest a leisurely pace, but it soon reveals a poignant and unflinching portrayal of the struggles athletes face, both on and off the field. The sports industry’s toxic underbelly is laid bare, and Jason’s heart-wrenching struggles will leave readers emotionally invested and eager to see him overcome the odds. Weber demonstrates remarkable skill in crafting vivid descriptions of ice hockey gameplay. The action is so detailed and immersive that lovers of the sport will be engrossed in the glorified action. The book’s emotional rollercoaster is expertly woven, oscillating between moments of joy and sorrow, creating a deep sense of empathy in readers. Weber’s writing is both sensitive and courageous, refusing to shy away from the harsh realities of Jason’s journey.
High and Out is a gripping novel that delves deep into the life of a professional hockey player navigating the tumultuous waters of his career and personal life. Justin Weber’s storytelling is both poignant and vivid, offering readers an authentic glimpse into the highs and lows of the sports world. Through Jason Wagner’s journey, the novel explores themes of ambition, resilience, and the search for redemption. It is a must-read for sports enthusiasts and anyone who appreciates a well-crafted tale of personal struggle and triumph.
LITERARY TITAN 