Exclusive Excerpt from HEADSPACE by T.E. Hodden! #PNR #Romance

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO

HEADSPACE!

HeadSpace

by T.E. Hodden

Release Date: September 17, 2018

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Keywords: Romance, sweet, clean, psychological, surreal, Novella Niblets

Any last thoughts?

A few seconds ago I was pushed down some stairs.

A heartbeat ago my head struck cold stone.

Somewhere out there, I am fighting for my life.

But I'm stuck in here, the echo chamber of my thoughts, fighting to hold on, fighting my way back through my memories, my friendships, and my mistakes.

Because, somewhere out there is a woman I should have said three words to, and I have no intention of letting go until she hears the truth.

Dying is easy. Are you ready to live?

PURCHASE LINKS

~~~oOo~~~

EXCERPT:

I walked her home. We bought take away coffees, and walked slowly, sipping our drinks, talking about... I don't know what, because all I could hear in my head was the endless loop of, Oh God, Oh God, what do I do when she works out I'm an idiot?

We had been walking for fifteen minutes before she stared at her coffee and then at me, her expression sagging.

“Oh bugger a nun!Er...” She cleared her throat. “I just remembered I'm lactose intolerant.”

“You forgot?” I tried to hide my panic under a smile. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She threw the coffee in the trash. “I'm going to have deadly wind and a crawling stomach, but I'm probably not going to throw up.”

“Probably?” I asked.

“I'm nervous too,” she complained, breaking into a laugh. “Sorry.”

“Are you okay?” I blathered, in a bit of a panic. I grabbed her hand tight, as though I might suddenly be able to sense her illness through a healing touch. She did not seem to mind. “Did I buy the wrong coffee? I didn't mean to poison you.”

“No. I wasn't thinking and I just forgot.”

“How?”

Her smile turned coy and knowing, in a way people didn't smile at me. She put a hand on my cheek and guided me to kiss her lips. It was my first, so it was awkward and clumsy, but...apparently not awkward or clumsy enough to scare her off.

I saw her every night that week. Our first real date was to the seaside, so she could play the arcade games. Her driving lesson had not gone well, and she took out her frustrations on the digital enemies with button mashing and swearing.

“Bloody Hell!” I chuckled.

“Die! You cold sore riddled, festering foreskin!”

“What did they do to you?”

“They are invaders from another world, they deserve to feel my wrath!” She snarled. “Well, mostly because that stupid git who almost hit me on the roundabout can't! And my Dad!” Her knuckles went white as she punched the fire button. “If I could zap Dad I would, that feckless little runt! But, I can't, so these little alien buggers will pay! Argh! You bloody peggers!”

The screen flashed red. Game Over.

Purged of her anger, she curled into my arms, her cheek red hot against mine.

We sat on the beach, watched the waves crash in, and listened to music on shared headphones.

She considered the finger with which I stroked her wrists. “You know you are shaking?”

“I am?”

“Yeah.” She placed my hands on her side. “Do I make you that nervous?”

I didn't answer.

“Let me guess...I'm so much more beautiful than all the other girls?”

“You are beautiful,” I agreed, “and there are no other girls.”

“I know.” She shrank back. “Why would you want anybody else?”

“I meant...” I could feel my words turning to a confession. “There haven't been any others.”

“Oh.” She shifted so we lay back, and she could rest her head on my chest. “Really?”

“You couldn't tell?”

She chuckled.

“And...”

“And?” She asked.

“And... I'm afraid to let this happen, when...” I closed my eyes. “You know that in a few weeks I'm not going to be around much?”

“Oh.” She smiled. “So, you are playing for keeps?”

That she had to ask, unsettled me. I drew back and mumbled an apology. She put her fingers over my lips.

“Are those the only reasons you are so scared?” she whispered.

“Well, that and any moment now you are going to realise I'm a dork, and—”

She giggled and put my hand on her cheek. “It's the good kind of scared right?”

It was.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

T. E. Hodden trained in engineering, and works in the rail industry. He writes as a hobby, when he is not walking the Kent coast, looking for forgotten nooks and crannies of history and folklore.

LINKS:

www.Facebook.com/TEHodden

Exclusive Excerpt from TRUTH a new #NA #Romance from Avery Woods!

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO

TRUTH!

Truth

Life of Secrets 2

by Avery Woods

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: September 3, 2018

Keywords: Romance, contemporary, new adult, secrets, friendship

Sometimes you shouldn't ask questions you aren't prepared to hear the answers to...

Cori Winters life seems to be going according to the plan. While completing her PhD in Chemistry, Cori is offered a Research Fellowship, by one of the most accomplished Chemists in the Country. In addition, Cori has finally agreed to marry her long term boyfriend, Erik.

Abandoned at a young age, Cori has been told growing up that her biological mother has been MIA due to a severe illness. After a visit with her father, Cori discovers her dad sending a large amount of cash to an unknown woman. Cori decides to take matters into her own hands where she finally seek answers regarding her mother. However, sometimes secrets are better kept hidden.

After a childhood incident ruined any shot of Jesse having a relationship with his parents, he is finally glad to be living on his own, where he isn't constantly reminded of what happened. That is, until his seventeen-year old step sister, Bethany, confides in him that she's pregnant. Jesse vows to help Bethany, but what is the right choice to make when she wants to keep her pregnancy a secret? The truth is bound to come out.

Cori and Jesse grow closer, when Cori's fiancée attends a wedding in Italy. Cori and Jesse relate to one another, when each confides secrets of their own. However, when each reveal their secrets, will the other be able to handle the truth?

PURCHASE LINKS

~~~oOo~~~

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT!!

The situation with Bethany was worse than I thought. The last thing I thought she would tell me was that she is pregnant. This is definitely a problem I can't fix for her. Bethany is definitely not ready to be a mom. I grimace reflecting on how the other night went.

"Bethany? Is that you?" I whisper-yell to a black hooded figure sitting on rock. It's dark outside, and I can barely see, so I am hoping it's her.

"Yes, it's me." She turns around, and I can see her blonde hair sticking out under her hood. I sit down next to her on the rock. "What's going on?"

"I screwed up." She says it so quietly I almost don't hear her.

"I know you told me that, but I promise whatever it is we can figure it out. You know you can trust me."

Bethany starts silently crying, and I don't know how to comfort her because she hasn't told me what's going on. "I know I can trust you. I just don't want you to be mad at me."

I sigh. "I could never be mad at you. Have I ever been mad at you?"

Bethany hiccups. "No."

"So why would this time be any different?"

"Because this mistake isn't like all those other times. It's worse."

"Try me."

Bethany uses the arms of her sweatshirt to wipe away her tears. "I'm pregnant."

What? That was not what I was expecting. There is no way. Those were the absolute last words I expected to come out of her mouth.

"How?"

Bethany gives me the 'really?' look.

I shake my head. "I mean I know how, but I thought you weren't sexually active. How do you know for sure that you are pregnant? Did you go to the doctor's? Did you take a test?"

Bethany is silent for a few beats, and I know she is trying to keep her emotions in check. "I took six pregnancy tests and they all came back positive. I used different brands and even took them on different days, but they all came back positive."

"Does your dad or my mom know?"

"That's the problem. I can't tell them. They'll be furious."

"Well you won't be able to hide it from them for that much longer."

Bethany starts crying again. "I know that. Why do you think I am freaking out?"

I realize I am lecturing her like a parent, and I know that's not why she confiding in me. If she wanted a lecture she would have told her dad. However, the disappointment I feel is probably close to how a parent would feel.

Bethany is my step sister. I am nine years older than her, so in some ways I feel I have to look out for her. She is seventeen and still in high school.... 

~~~oOo~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Avery Woods lives in beautiful, but sometimes rainy Vancouver, BC, Canada. In addition to writing, Avery Woods works as a full time Registered Nurse. When she's not writing or working as a nurse you can find her consuming books by the minute. Trust is her first book.

LINKS:

Website: https://authoraverywoods.jimdo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoraverywoods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Avery_Woods_339

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/73924804-avery-woods

Top Two List: Favorite #Romance Movies from the ONE SULTRY DAY #Anthology Authors! @RoanePublishing

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO
ONE SULTRY DAY!

One Sultry Day

A Sweet Romance Anthology

by Various Authors

Release Date: August 6, 2018

Keywords: Sweet, Romance, Contemporary, Anthology, Second Chances, Beach Read, Ghosts, Summer, New Adult, Cancer Survivor

Escorts for Hire - Heartaches for Free by Deryn Pittar

University drop-out and current barista, Sandi Fletcher-Bain is offered a position as a quality controller for a new agency, established by her friend Jess and designed to provide escorts for discerning women.

Anything has to be better than driving an espresso machine and despite her shattered ego after a disastrous romance Sandi accepts the position providing she can trial it for a month. 

Sandi’s first assessment subject is Jeremy Miller, tall, blonde and rather dishy. She takes him home for the day under the pretence of viewing the estate’s gardens, pretending she’s never been there before. Aunt Freda dispels that lie and after an evening meal Sandi manages to offend Jeremy to the extent that instead of staying the night he leaves to catch the last train back to the city. While their relationship fizzed and cooled during the day she has to admit he has all the qualities required to be an escort. It were her faults that caused the problems.

With Nicholas, her second assessment, she is honest from the beginning and their visit to her parent’s home is an enjoyable day out, ruined only by an accidental meeting with her ex-fiancé Simon. This destroys her confidence and she gives up being a quality controller, it’s no fun at all, and returns to cafe work.

Jeremy finds her and asks to begin their friendship afresh; admitting that the good wine had something to do with his previous reactions.

Meanwhile Jess says Simon has applied to be an escort and Sandi is forced to explain why she broke off their engagement and why Jess shouldn’t hire him.

And why is Jeremy no longer available Jess wants to know?

Ghosts of Summers Past by T.E. Hodden

For five years Bunny has never once felt alone. He has been haunted by the tragedy that stole Hanna, his first true love from him, and has always felt her presence on one shoulder, and blame on the other.

Now Alice, a minor star from the show he writes, is on the verge of becoming more than just a friend, and the sun baked palm beaches are almost feeling like home.

Can Bunny face the ghosts of his past? Or is history about to repeat itself in the most terrible of ways?

Love Unexpected by Sharon Hughson

Grad student Ivory Konner relishes a summer of guiding rafts on the Wenatchee River for from the expectations of her parents and the reminders of her recent dumping. She isn’t looking for romance when a thin guy and his dog nearly send her plummeting off the trail.

Cancer survivor Prescott Colyer drops out of college, escapes to his uncle’s photo gallery in Leavenworth, WA, and quietly pursues his art. But when his collision on a hiking trail exposes him to physical contact without pain, he risks everything for a girl who’s not interested in romance, not even for the summer.

Once Ivory connects with Prescott’s art, she offers to help him build a business. As they spend time together, her heart takes on its own mission.

Can their unexpected encounter urge Prescott out of isolation? Will Ivory include love in her long-term plan?

Second Chance Summer by Lily Carlyle

Twenty years ago, Summer and Jason’s summer romance seemed destined to last. Until Summer abruptly broke it off, with little explanation. Heartbroken, Jason leaves the Outer Banks—indeed, the entire East Coast—waiting two decades to return. When he comes home to settle his great-aunt’s estate, one of the first people he sees is Summer.

She’s ready to tell him the truth about that summer. But is he ready to listen?

PURCHASE LINKS

~~~oOo~~~

Top Two Favorite Romance Movies from the One Sultry Day authors!

Deryn Pittar: Dr. Zhivago and The Greatest Showman

Sharon Hughson: I love romantic comedies. My favorite of all time is “Pretty Woman” starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. It’s the perfect “Cinderella” story. The idea of a prostitute softening the heart of a jaded but extremely wealthy businessman is so much better than Prince Charming and the glass slipper. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Nicolas Sparks novels (read one, you’ve read them all IMHO), I do adore the film rendering of “The Notebook.” The real love story is this old man trying to win back his beloved wife’s memory of him. What better way to do it than through the story of their romance? This movie reinforces the power of story and demonstrates that true love is about so much more than physical intimacy.

Tom Hodden: #1 A Matter Of Life And Death: This film was originally war time propaganda, designed to encourage support for the US joining the allies in world war two, but it is also a simply beautiful piece of cinema. From the heart wrenching scene of a pilot from bomber command talking to the woman who thinks will be the last voice he hears over the radio, and refusing to let his stiff upper lip slip, to the surreal court room scenes, via lavish (oil painted) fantasy settings of Heaven, and astounding fairy tale images, this is Romance on a grand scale, with a heavy dose of fantasy, brilliantly realised, and told with an all too human touch.

#2 Your Starter For Ten: Thanks, in no small part, to an incredible cast, the film squeezes every last drop of wit and charm from the original book, and imbues it with a feel good glow. James Macavoy may be the lead, but this is a truly brilliant ensemble piece, with Benedict Cumberbatch’s intense and obsessive quiz veteran who chews the scenery and steals the scenes. Yes, on screen it is painfully obvious where Macavoy should be looking for love, and when he is marching blindly to a fall, but every painful embarrassment and faux pas, touches the funny bone, and the messages of friendship, of first love, and nostalgia are all pushed to the foreground.

Exclusive Excerpt from MUST HAVE FAITH by Deborah Garland #Contemporary #Romance #SecondChance

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO
MUST HAVE FAITH!

Must Have Faith

A Darling Cove Novel

by Deborah Garland

Release Date: June 4, 2018

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Keywords: Contemporary Romance, Novel, Series, Small Town, Family Drama, Runaway Bride, Reunion, Second Chance, Police, London

Greg Mallory isn’t the kind of man to wallow just because he was left at the altar. Not when there are plenty of women to help him forget his heartbreak. But as the only Mallory son he has an obligation to carry on the family name. When Greg’s runaway bride returns, his head tells him to keep his distance, but his body and heart are both begging for a second chance. 
 
Faith Copeland bolted out of Darling Cove with a shameful secret and stayed away for ten years thinking Greg Mallory would never forgive her. Coming home means facing her past and Greg. She just didn’t think he still had the power to make her melt after all this time. 
 
One moment alone proves their attraction is stronger than ever. Are they brave enough to start fresh? Or will past secrets destroy their second chance at happy-ever-after once and for all?

PURCHASE LINKS

GUEST POST:

Greg sat in his truck after Faith’s train pulled away.

For more than an hour. He tipped his head back listening to AM Radio. At ten to midnight, he drove to the police station to start his shift. The locker room’s perpetual winter chill unnerved him every other night, but he was so charged up from being with Faith, he didn’t feel it.

“Hey Mallory, I saw your name in the bulletin,” Dennis Carlin said stepping through the locker room. “I didn’t know you’ve been on for twenty years.”

Greg removed his jeans. “Yep. You should have listened to me when we were kids.”

They’d worked the beach concession stand together one summer. Greg had kept Carlin out of trouble, since he’d ogled every girl in a bikini who came in for a soda, including Skye. It was that summer Greg had seen Faith for the first time. She was ten years old. At fifteen he didn’t look at her as anything more than a redheaded blur standing next to Gwen.

“You’re not kidding.” Carlin prodded him out of his thoughts. “Still, it’s rare these days that guys start so young.”

“With my dad here, it made sense for me to join.” Greg pulled his shirt off and folded it. A trace of Faith’s perfume still clung to the fabric, setting off a tightening in his chest. The way she could so easily affect him after all this time was unsettling.

Carlin rambled on, oblivious to Greg just standing there holding his shirt and smelling it. “And now you can leave this shit-hole and go do something else.”

He shook his head and yanked his cargo pants on. “What the hell else would I do?”

“Plenty. Go work for an insurance company as an investigator. Go to the city and work for the Feds. School security.” Carlin stepped closer. “That’s the sweetest gig. Summers off. Holidays. Snow days.”

“Shaking down kids isn’t very exciting.” He continued to mindlessly get dressed.

Twenty years of putting on the same damn uniform, he could do it in his sleep. Carlin touched a nerve when he mentioned working for the Feds, though. That was something he’d be interested in. But as long as his father was staying on the force, Greg felt he needed to as well. Martin’s shooting last year had shaken Greg up. It could have been him.

Greg buttoned his uniform shirt. He liked his job. Darling Cove PD was one of the few village forces on the North Fork of Long Island. And like his dad, he loved the idea of patrolling his own neighborhood. Twenty years of full time pay, night differential, overtime and the absence of any major expenses except his house and truck, piled up a very nice nest egg.

He could leave the force and do nothing. If he wanted to.

He took his gun belt and secured it around his waist. Methodically he filled it with his Glock, taser, mace, a radio and handcuffs. His nightstick was the last to be secured to the belt. Most calls, however, were aided assist cases for the fire department’s ambulance team.

While dragging his bomber jacket across his shoulders, he stepped out into the lobby to stand at the front desk for roll call. He kept his head down, but a whiff of perfume lifted his head. He gave a smile to Laura, Darling Cove’s only female officer.

After roll call, Greg zipped up his jacket to go warm up his patrol car.

“Hey Greg.” Laura slapped him on the back. “Who was that girl you were helping at the winery the other night?”

He spun around. “Were you at the winery?”

“No!” She waved her hands like he asked if she’d been to a rodeo. “It’s a small town, Greg.”

“That it is.” He turned to continue walking to his car.

“You didn’t answer me.” She crossed her arms smirking.

Laura was a mother of five and married to a Corrections Officer. She was a damn good cop, and he treated her like any other officer. If she was asking him about a girl, she had a genuine, friendly interest. Most of Greg’s friends were either married or had moved away. In a way, his only close friend now was…Andrew.

Greg exhaled. “That was Faith.”

Laura’s eyes opened wide. “The Faith.”

“The one and only.”

“Darling Cove’s runaway bride?” She wiggled her hips. “I think it’s so cool we have one. It’s like a tourist attraction.”

Greg jammed his eyes closed while Laura hooted with laughter as she walked to the back of the precinct, where she ran the surveillance desk. He considered for the very first time what leaving had done to Faith. What it had made her.

A damned tourist attraction?

“We’ll see about that,” he muttered getting into his car and escaping the cold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deborah Garland is a former computer and sports journalist, turned romance and women’s fiction author. She likes to write about love and the struggles of complicated relationships. Her heroines are strong, and the heroes fall hard for them. She lives on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband and when she’s not writing, she’s either in the gym, or reading, cuddled up with their two pugs, Zoe and Harley.

LINKS

Website: www.deborahgarlandauthor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011036172839

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deborah_garland

New #Sweet #Romance #Anthology from @RoanePublishing!

Happy book birthday to the authors of
One Sweet Morning!

One Sweet Morning

A Sweet Romance Anthology

by Various Authors

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: April 9 2018

Spring Water

by Claire Davon

When Riley finds a way to meet the cute swan boat driver she
has been admiring on the banks of a pond in the Boston Common she does it
knowing it would be temporary. Her plans had always been to leave the city at
the end of the summer and even the cutest guy she has seen in forever wasn’t
going to derail that. However she quickly finds that Graham calls to her as no
other guy has ever done. She also finds that that he has a secret just as she
does—he’s afraid of water.

Riley, a lifelong rower, is shocked by the revelation but it
does not dim her attraction. After all, she is leaving so what difference does
it make? However, as they get closer she finds it harder and harder to imagine
leaving both the city and the man at the end of the summer. What seemed so far
away at the beginning of spring now looms in front of her and the reality of
leaving everything she loves tears at her. When near tragedy forces both of
them to face their deepest secret will the truth pull them together or tear
them apart once and for all?

Sparkage

by Kim Strattford

Chris and Kirk have always had chemistry, but he was with
someone, and then Chris moved across the country for a better position in the
company they both work for. Five years later, she's happy in her job and
recently single, having broken up with someone rather than be in a relationship
without any kind of spark. She's resigned to waiting for the right guy rather
than settling.

Enter Kirk, recently transferred and also recently broken up
with his girlfriend. He's interested in Chris, and she's interested back, but
his break with his girlfriend was sudden and his move across the country even
more so. He may say it's over, but his ex didn't get the memo, and Chris suspects
Kirk may need closure before he can move on.

She wants to believe in him—he's always been honest with
Chris and faithful to his girlfriend—and in what they could have together.
Their chemistry is still there but it's not just desire: she really likes
this guy. But is she a fool to wait for something that may never be? Especially
when her big sister is urging her to give the man she broke up with another
chance before he finds someone else.

Only the Heart Knows

by Suzi MacDonald

One dark spring morning, the man that Maddie loved was swept
away in a tragic accident that left her alone and pregnant on their wedding
day.

Exactly three years later she has built a new life with Troy,
her best friend from childhood, and the sun is shining as she sets off down the
aisle for a second chance at happiness.

But before she reaches the altar her plans and her heart are
thrown into disarray by Jack’s well-timed return, re-igniting all the feelings
she thought were dead and gone. Like him.

Can she forgive Jack for the lies that left her broken three
years before? Or should she trust Troy and his promises, when he may not have
been entirely honest with her either?

Only her heart knows the truth.

Spring into Action

by Theresa Kemble

Tamara Goode lives a privileged life, always trying to please
others. Her fiancé is like her father—well-meaning but controlling, and Tamara
soon realizes she needs her independence. Escaping to a new life, she becomes a
personal assistant to the handsome TV reality show star, Joe Campo. Fighting
her attraction for him is a losing battle, for how could such a man possibly
fall in love with a Rubenesque woman when model-types fall at his feet?

As a celebrity, Joe Campo has money and beautiful women
clamoring for his attention, but he secretly fears losing himself to a shallow
existence. Enter his new, competent assistant who seems to read his soul and
understand his struggle to become a better person.

Joe’s attraction for Tamara grows and he hopes love will
spring into action, but will her shyness and insecurity keep her from
recognizing the connection between them?

PURCHASE LINKS

Guest Post: Inspiration behind EYE ON THE BALL by Francine Beaton #Romance #Rugby

New from Francine Beaton!

Eye on the Ball

Playing for Glory #1

by Francine Beaton

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Contemporary Romance Novel

Release Date: March 19, 2018

What would prove stronger? Love or Loyalty?

Top professional rugby player Jakes du Plessis desperately wants to keep his team's vow of celibacy in order to win the new International Rugby Club Competition, but he didn’t count on meeting ethereal artist Angie Summers.  Even a promise to his friends and teammates, demons from his past, and a distance of more than 9000 miles, could not stop Jakes from falling in love with Ange.  In the end, it took teamwork, perseverance and a whole lot of grovelling from Jakes’ side for them to overcome these obstacles, and find their Happily Ever After.

PURCHASE LINKS

~~~oOo~~~

GUEST POST:

The inspiration behind Eye on the Ball

by Francine Beaton

Maybe years of following rugby and the increasing popularity of the game, had been the inspiration behind, or the reason for the series, Playing for Glory, of which Eye on the Ball is the first book to be published.

When you meet a fellow rugby enthusiast on a boat cruise on the Hudson during the Fourth of July celebrations, there had to be a reason why such a meeting made an impression. It was only on the long flight from New York to Johannesburg that the idea of the series started to form. Before then, I never considered writing about my beloved sport, not even romances. For the eight months since that New York trip, I plotted and wrote the first six books in the series and outlines of several other books. None of them was Eye on the Ball.

The first scene of Eye on the Ball came while watching a Six Nation’s Rugby Match on television. I got up, went to my study to type it up. When I was finished, I had the names of the two characters, Jakes and Ange, and I had the first scene of the book, but that was it.

When I plotted the series approximately eight months before, I created a team list. I planned the first six books, and built the team around the characters in those books, which I’ve written in that eight months. The only character that I had on my team list who might have been Jakes was the eighth man, JJ du Plessis, who didn’t have a story. He was just a number in the team. After I wrote that first scene, I thought it was going to be a Christmassy kind of story and called it, Under the Mistletoe.

After writing that first scene, Jakes kept on popping in my head and I spent more time thinking about him than I did the manuscript I’ve been working on. A few days after I’ve written that scene, the rugby world was shocked by the passing away of the Wallaby Dan Vickerman. There were many panel discussions and articles about his passing, but a discussion on a New Zealand talk show about Dan’s death and the struggles of professional sportsmen and women, really caught my attention. One panellist said that it was not uncommon that men in a macho environment don’t talk about their emotions and fears as they don’t want to appear weak. That phrase caught my attention and stuck.

I thought about it constantly. The only research before I continued writing was what could cause men in macho environments to fear that they were weak—or any man for that matter. I had my story in a matter of minutes.

The following morning I woke up at four, went to sit at the computer and started writing. It was amazing. It just flowed. The rest of the research I had to do along the way or afterwards. When I finished with the first draft barely a week after I’ve started, I had more than 130000 words.

After writing Eye on the Ball, I realized that this was not going to be the typical sports romance I envisioned when I planned the series. Jakes was the catalyst, I guess. Although Jakes had the looks, the physicality, macho male image, the intelligence and other attributes to make him an alpha male, Jakes wanted to highlight important issues that had nothing to do with his looks. I had no choice other than to comply.
Eye on the Ball is about a man who struggles to keep his focus on what he felt was important—his teammates, his team and their end goal. It is also about a woman who is strong enough to deal with Jakes’ fears and insecurities, although it may not sound like it. It sounds like Jakes’ story and it mostly is but Ange is one of those women who doesn’t need the limelight. It doesn’t make her weak.

~~~oOo~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and brought up in Pretoria, South Africa, Francine had no choice but to fall in love with rugby at a young age. With three older, rugby-playing brothers and a father who was a fanatic supporter of the local team and the Springboks, Francine adopted the motto, If you can’t beat them, join them. After trying to play one game, Francine gave up the idea to play rugby. She opted to watch the boys from the side.

At the tender age of ten, she discovered the romance section in the local library and that was it. She was a fan. By fourteen, she had read all the ones in the Afrikaans section and switched to the English section. There was a time when Francine briefly abandoned her favourite genre to lose herself in crime novels, but as they say: you never forget your first love.

Rugby, romance and writing is not all that keep Francine busy. If she does not spent time with her Scottish husband and teenage daughter either at home or travelling, Francine loves to read, or dabbles in photography and painting.

She is a member of the Romance Writers Association of South Africa (ROSA).

LINKS:

Website: https://www.francinebeaton.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrancineBeatonWriter