Photos of Craig Leener | Craig Leener

Photos

: Tim Riley prepares to take on the final book of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy.

: Avid reader and youth basketball player Elliot L of Los Angeles summed up All Roads Lead to Lawrence thusly: “All the kids in the book just seemed like real people to me.”

: Even though young Remi is only a few days old, her literary path has already been set by her doting grandparents.

: Cindy Goldberg, pictured here with an unnamed stuffed mouse and the family pet, Méliès, has a lot more time to read since recently retiring.

: Bella Book Club co-founder Jill Ann Mack settles in for the night with Book 3 of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy.

: Avid reader and friend Steven G. Smith was the first on his block to secure the complete Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy collection.

: Nolan and Olive (right) appear to be grappling over dibs on the author’s new book, the final installment of the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy.

: Steve Aronson chose his kitchen as the place to crack open the first chapter of “This Was Always About Basketball.”

: Ted Dayton, a professional photographer and longtime friend of the author, practices the art of the selfie with Book 3 as a prop.

: Avid reader and youth basketball player Max Bunnin is taking on “This Was Never About Basketball” for a school reading assignment.

: The view from the secret lair of Todd Gilmore, who, along with Michael Gentemann in 1988, created the 35-foot banner sitting high atop Allen Fieldhouse that reads PAY HEED, ALL WHO ENTER: BEWARE OF “THE PHOG.”

: Steven Hertzog, Publisher of the Lawrence Business Magazine, interviews Craig Leener (right) at radio station KLWN 1320 AM in Lawrence, Kansas, on Feb. 13, 2020.

: The author hangs out with Michael Gentemann and Todd Gilmore (and friends), creators of the “Beware of the Phog” banner that sits high atop the rafters in Allen Fieldhouse. (Feb. 15, 2020)

: Kaye McIntyre, host of Weekend Edition Saturday on Kansas Public Radio, interviewed the author at KPR’s studios in Lawrence, Kansas, for an upcoming podcast to be aired during March Madness 2020. (Feb. 13, 2020)

: Craig Leener breaks down the storylines of his YA novels with KPR host Kaye McIntyre. (Feb. 13, 2020)

: The author stops by the Dr. James Naismith statue, located at 7th Dimension headquarters near the DeBruce Center and Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas on the morning of Feb. 15, 2020. Later that day, the Jayhawks men’s basketball team upended the University of Oklahoma, 87-70.

: Ace post-production tech and Steel City native Tim Riley secured his copy of Book 2 of the Zeke Archer basketball trilogy.

: Avid reader and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball fan Chandler Goodson puts the vice-grip on his autographed copy of “All Roads Lead to Lawrence.”

: Video operations maven Tad Marburg, seen here at a deli in Los Angeles putting the iron grip of death on his signed copy of “All Roads Lead to Lawrence.”

: Photographer Ted Dayton pauses during a photo shoot in La Quinta, Calif., to take in a few chapters of the author’s sequel.

: Friend and independent filmmaker Dan Koontz took a selfie while the author inked Koontz’s copy of “All Roads Lead to Lawrence.” Koontz is on tap to direct the miniseries after Book 3 of the trilogy is published in 2021.

: Avid reader and youth basketball player Violet W, seen here testing out the time-honored axiom that possession is nine-tenths of the law, while younger brother, Taylor (left), maintains an opposing view.

: Friend and former high school teammate Ric Garcia (left) stopped by the author’s book-release fundraiser at the North Valley Family YMCA in Northridge on Oct. 19, 2019. Garcia scored a signed copy of the sequel.

: The author’s two YA novels enjoy favorable shelf placement and are clearly in good company at the New Camaldoli Hermitage in Big Sur, California. Seems the monks there know what’s up.

: Jill and David Moreno (center) scored a signed copy of the sequel to “This Was Never About Basketball.”

: Dawn Walock’s best basketball-themed garment was on display at the author’s YMCA fundraiser.

: The author hangs out with his book producer Marco Pavia (right) at the 4th annual High Desert Book Festival at Hesperia Civic Plaza Park on Oct. 12, 2019.

: Nolan (right) and Olive balance their time between taking in the sequel and hanging out together doing sister-type stuff.

: Steve “Junior” Aronson was recently paid a visit by an agent of the federal government.

: Entertainment industry executive Steven G. Smith, a longtime friend of the author, was the first on his block to pick up a paperback copy of “All Roads Lead to Lawrence.”

: Avid reader and entertainment industry honcho Kurt Kusenko was spotted poolside at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas beating the heat and hunkering down with some primo YA reading material on Sept. 13, 2019.

: A representative from the Madison Reading Project in Wisconsin cracks open a box of autographed copies of “This Was Never About Basketball,” donated to the organization by the author. Kids need to read!

: The book found a new home on July 5, 2019 — the Itty Bitty Library in Ventura, California.

: The author traveled to KJAG Radio in Hutchinson, Kansas, for an on-air appearance with James Lowe (aka Jiggy Jaguar, center) and his crew, (left to right) DJ Spauhn, Dallas “lilleebone.a.saint” Wilson and Jae Byrd Wells on January 20, 2019.

: The author visits with Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life at the University of Kansas just prior to the Jayhawks taking the floor vs. Iowa State at Allen Fieldhouse on January 21, 2019. KU won it in a thriller, 80-76.

: Jill Ann Mack, co-founder of the East Amherst, New York-based Bella Book Club, hangs out with the author at stately Gluck Manor in Studio City, Calif., on Jan. 17, 2019.

: Members of the Bella Book Club in East Amherst, New York, gather together on Dec. 11, 2018 for a festive holiday party and rigorous discussion of the book’s merits.

: Shirley Strickland (left), author of “The Awakening of La Muse,” exchanges books with Craig Leener at a midtown Los Angeles restaurant on Sept. 23, 2018.

: Craig Leener spent quality time in Los Angeles with his New York-based editor Judy Gitenstein, who traveled west to attend a conference and celebrate a milestone birthday.

: Future high school point guard, North Carolina State basketball fan and avid reader Drew W. proudly displays his autographed copy of the book, complete with limited edition TWNAB bookmark.

: The author hangs out at the DeBruce Center cafeteria with legendary Kansas City Star sportswriters Gary Bedore (left) and Jesse Newell (right).

: The author was a guest on KLWN’s Rock Chalk Sports Talk with host Nick Schwerdt.

: The author takes a seat next to a bronze statue of Dr. James Naismith outside the DeBruce Center. The status was created by longtime KU professor Elden Tefft and his son, Kim.

: Craig Leener is on the air on KLWN during the Lawrence Business Magazine radio program on Nov. 9, 2017.

: Ever wonder why you never see these guys at a party together?

: The author signs a book for a family at the DeBruce Center gift shop, just a few paces down the hall from Dr. James Naismith’s Original Rules of Basketball.

: The author signs a book for Louise Allen on Nov. 10 at the DeBruce Center, adjacent to Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas, where the Original Rules of Basketball are on display. Louise Allen is the wife of the grandson of Forrest Clare “Phog” Allen, who is Allen Fieldhouse’s namesake and is considered to be the “Father of Basketball Coaching.”

: DeBruce Center gift shop staffer Fauzia handled retail chores during the author’s book-signing event.

: KLWN engineer Eric Holcomb (left) poses for a photo following Lawrence Business Magazine Publisher Steve Hertzog’s interview with the author (right) at the radio station in Lawrence, Kansas, on Nov. 9, 2017.

: Curtis Marsh, the Director of KU Info and the DeBruce Center, arranged for the author’s Nov. 10, 2017 book signing.

: The novel finds a place of honor on the bookshelf at the DeBruce Center gift shop on the campus of the University of Kansas.

: Craig Leener talks about the process of writing a novel with students at Bishop Seabury Academy who were participating in National Novel Writing Month.

: Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills (center) steps away from a personal appearance in Lawrence, Kansas, to take this photo with TWNAB flagship teen beta reader Sam Hertzog (left) and the author.

: Audiobook production gets underway as voice actor Josh Powers reads from the manuscript at Bathtub Spin Studios in Hollywood.

: The author signs books for young campers at the annual Cougar Basketball Camp at College of the Canyons on Aug. 3, 2017.

: Coast to Coast AM radio icon George Noory (right) discusses the inter-dimensional energy being known as the “7th Dimension” with the author.

: The author chops it up with radio legend and Coast to Coast AM host George Noory (left) in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on July 11, 2017.

: Here’s a brilliant interpretation of TWNAB’s front cover by Violet W. of Los Angeles.

: It’s an undignified ending for this basketball rig on a suburban Los Angeles front lawn, spotted by the author while walking Beau, the family dog.

: Howard Fisher (right), head coach of the Youth Men’s Basketball Team for Team USA, made the road trip to the North Valley Family YMCA to support the author.

: Craig Leener demonstrates the art and science of free throw shooting, nailing one from the line as campers at Cougar Basketball Summer Camp bear witness.

: Award-winning independent filmmaker Dan Koontz snaps off a coveted selfie with author Craig Leener at the YMCA book signing.

: The author signs books at the North Valley Family YMCA on June 6, 2017.

: Harvard University freshman forward Henry Welsh (left) shows off his copy alongside compadre Henry Hawley.

: Tad Marburg, a long-time friend of the author, proudly displays his copy.

: Olive (left) and Nolan grapple for dibs on their new copy of the book.

: Sam Hertzog’s cat, Alex, carefully examines the book’s front cover.

: Author Craig Leener (right) is in studio at KHTS AM 1220 in Santa Clarita, Calif., to discuss This Was Never About Basketball with Coaches’ Corner co-hosts Ron Tunick (left) and Greg Herrick on April 10, 2017.

: Craig Leener takes a selfie prior to the start of his radio interview at KHTS AM 1220.