Praise for Finishing Kick!
"Paul Duffau knows cross country inside and out, and he knows how to tell a story. I can't imagine a high school runner--or any runner for that matter--who won't keep eagerly turning pages to find out if the charming and enigmatic Callie can find a way to dethrone the haughty know-it-alls from Fairchild Academy. This is a wonderful coming of age tale as well as an exciting sports story. Highly recommended!" - John L. Parker, Jr, Once a Runner
"Finishing Kick describes a fictional year of a girl's high school cross country team. Duffau . . . knows running and accurately describes summer training, team workouts and inspiring racing scenes as the team heads to state championships." - Running Times, July 2014
Callie plans on a smooth senior cross country season - then finds herself holding the keys to the nut-house when she agrees to be team captain.
Her coach expects her to blend the girls into a championship-caliber team to take on perennial champs, Fairchild Academy. Callie escapes into her running as the pressures of high school grow while she struggles to manage the team. Adding more complications to her senior year, Mark, the boy's captain, just might be boyfriend material.
Callie never backs off a challenge but can she pull them together with the State meet just around the corner?
A humorous peek inside one girl's dream to guide her team to the winner's podium, Finishing Kick takes an inspirational look into girls cross country.
Available in Paperback and Kindle
Trail of Second Chances
A high-octane adventure on a wild Montana mountain as one girl finds herself racing for her life against a malignant fire.
It should have been the highlight of the summer, a training camp for elite runners in the mountains of Montana. Coached by her father, and frustrated by his efforts to hold her back, Becca Hawthorne dreams of competing in the Olympics. She earned her chance to test herself against the best runners in the Pacific Northwest. But now she faces a tougher opponent than even the fastest girl.
An action-filled roller coaster ride that keeps you turning the pages as the fire creeps closer.