Set against the backdrop of glasnost and rising Cold War tensions, Offsides imagines an audacious confrontation: the Soviet Union challenges the Denver Broncos to a football game on July 4th, 1987. What begins as unprecedented athletic competition becomes ground zero for a conspiracy to derail détente and reignite global conflict. When Denver Post reporter Mike Larsen and his mysterious girlfriend uncover the plot, they must risk everything to preserve world peace.

"Charles Trimble and I wrote this as a screenplay in 1987, right in the middle of glasnost," says Gorman. "We landed an L.A. agent, but the film was never made. Nearly four decades later, with geopolitical tensions feeling like the Cold War all over again, the story feels more urgent than ever. The geographical adversaries remain the same, even if the names have changed."

Gorman brings decades of storytelling experience to his debut thriller. His award-winning memoirs Into Trouble and Running Down a Dream have earned critical acclaim for their unflinching honesty and vivid prose. Into Trouble chronicles his 1969 incarceration in Franco's Spain as a draft dodger during the height of the Vietnam War, while Running Down a Dream documents his journey creating the documentary film Ride the Sky.

The novel weaves together multiple storylines: Soviet coach Valery Medved's mission to build an American-style football team from scratch, Polish quarterback Jozef Czarnetski's struggle for redemption, and the shadowy forces determined to reignite the Cold War. From the Kremlin's halls of power to Mile High Stadium, Offsides explores what happens when sports become a proxy for war.

"I grew up in the 1950s doing air raid drills, hiding under my desk at school," Gorman reflects. "We lived with the constant fear of nuclear annihilation. When Gorbachev came to power and glasnost began, it felt like we might finally move past that fear. This story asks: what if powerful people didn't want peace? What if they had too much invested in keeping us enemies?"

The presale launch comes as tensions between global superpowers once again dominate headlines, lending the 1987-set thriller unexpected contemporary resonance. Offsides will be available in ebook format for $2.99 during presale and launch week, rising to $4.99 thereafter. The paperback edition will retail for $12.99, with promotional pricing planned around Super Bowl LX in February 2026.

"This isn't just a sports thriller or a spy novel," Gorman adds. "It's about ordinary people caught between superpowers, trying to do the right thing when the stakes couldn't be higher. It's about hope—the fragile belief that we can choose cooperation over conflict, even when forces much larger than ourselves push us toward war."

For more information about Offsides or to arrange interviews with Paul Gorman, please contact raincitycinema@gmail.com

Paul Gorman is a multi-award-winning author and documentary filmmaker whose work explores the intersection of personal courage and historical consequence.

Details

Offsides by Paul Gorman

Publisher: Rain City Cinema

Release Date: January 9, 2026

Formats: Ebook, Paperback (Audiobook TBD)

Presale Price: $2.99 (ebook), $12.99 (paperback)

Categories: Thriller/Espionage

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/4q7x5cU