Coast to Coast Sneak Preview

Just a few more weeks until Coast to Coast hits the electronic bookshelves—the book launches on October 19th. I am so excited for you to read all about the cross-continental love story that is Lily and Gabriel.

But in the meantime, here’s the first chapter.

1. Lost in Lund

These cobblestone paths and stone buildings are quaint and adorable, but what I really want is a good old-fashioned street sign. Or a map app that works.

This is supposed to be the first day of the best semester of my whole life. I begged to go on exchange in Sweden, over my mom’s protests that I’m too scattered and disorganized to cross a street alone, let alone a continent and an ocean. I battled and now here I am—all by myself in the middle of the Lund University campus.

And I’m completely lost. I have no freaking clue how to get to my first class. The map I got from the exchange office is either wrong or unreadable. Oh, and legible signs on the buildings would be a nice touch, people.

Well, lost is not a problem, right? My Swedish sucks, but everyone here speaks English, so all I have to do is ask someone for directions.

My first target is this guy who is tall, dark, and gorgeous. Just because I’m lost doesn’t mean I’ve lost my senses. I smile and try to catch his eye. But he motors past me before I can even get a word out.

Okay, I’m going to have to be faster. Target number two is also tall and gorgeous. Honestly, this place must be ground zero for model recruiters. Guys and girls all look incredible. Since I’m tall, I appreciate being able to look people in the eye instead of seeing the tops of their heads. I’ve seen more crooked parts than Christoph Waltz.

This time, I’m sure the guy sees me, but he looks away and veers away onto the grassy lawn. He’s walking so fast that I can feel the breeze of him passing.

Maybe I’m scaring off the guys for some reason. I look normal by Vancouver standards: denim mini, cardigan, and a floral print top. But here I’m the only one wearing colour in the middle of Club Neutral. And everyone—male and female—is wearing a uniform of ridiculously skinny jeans, t-shirts, and cotton scarves, even though it’s August. Despite my blonde hair and half-Swedish genes, I look foreign.

Two women walk by and I say hi, but they ignore me completely. Ditto a woman on a bicycle who suddenly goes all Tour de France when I raise a hand to stop her. Remind me to check to see if an open palm means something disgusting here.

An entire group of guys pass by me like I’m a statue. Even an older man, who’s probably a prof, averts his eyes when I smile at him. What the hell is going on?

Standing in the middle of the path, I notice that people are detouring around me. I’m in a plague bubble. They are deliberately avoiding me. Why on earth would they do that?

I check my phone. If I don’t figure out something soon, I’m going to be late for my very first class, then the prof will hate me and fail me. My mother will get to say she told me so. I’ll have to go to university for an extra year, and I’ll graduate in a recession and never get a good job and end up living on the street. My whole horrible future flashes before me, and tears well up in my eyes. I open them wide so I don’t cry. I can’t remember if I wore waterproof mascara this morning, and adding black smears to my face won’t help me look sane. I have an overwhelming urge to call my dad. I’m not sure exactly what he could do since he never went to university here, but at least he’s Swedish. Hearing his voice would calm me down and comfort me which is exactly what I need right now.

Buck up, Lily. I look down at the stupid map again. It doesn’t make any more sense when it’s blurry. I sigh in frustration but it comes out more like a sob.

“Do you want me?”

The voice is right beside me. Someone has penetrated my plague bubble! I turn and look up.

He’s sort of cute. Mature cute, with dark blond hair, a trimmed beard, and pale blue eyes. His face is long and slightly freckled. But he looks stern and his brow is creased. His words sound like a lame pick-up line, but it’s only a lost-in-translation thing. If he were interested, he’d at least smile.

Do you want me? Oh yes, I want you. Lust and relief rush through my body, but relief wins out. I’m grinning maniacally, and words start tumbling out of my mouth.

“Thank you so much for stopping. I thought I had cooties or something. I’m looking for the Lux building.”

“Which one?”

Aargh. There’s more than one? I fumble with my schedule until he takes pity on me and removes it from my shaking hands.

“Ja, Building C. I go there as well.” He tilts his head slightly and begins to walk down the path. I take this to mean I should follow him.

My knight-in-shining armour is apparently the strong, silent type, but my verbal diarrhea continues.

“Ugh. Does the fact I can’t even find my first class mean that my whole semester is going to be a disaster?”

“You should say termin.”

“Excuse me?”

He continues without a sideways glance. “Semester is like holiday here. Your termin will be a disaster.”

Thank you for that prediction, Mr. Dictionary. Still, he’s the only person to even offer to help me, so I’m determined to make this friendship work.

“Right, one terminal termin coming up. If I can even find my classes.”

“Lund campus is not large.”

“Well, it’s big enough for me to get lost on my very first day. I’m Lily, by the way.”

“Gabriel Olsson.” He finally stops and looks directly at me. And then he extends his hand, and we shake because we’re suddenly on Planet Old Business Guys. This feels both awkward and hot. His hands are warm, calloused, and large—and we all know what that means, ladies. I stop myself from verifying that fact by checking out his tight jeans. The warmth of his flesh is triggering something inside me, a zing of attraction. But it’s a one-way street, because he’s giving me zero back. Given the many attractive people around here, I won’t be winning the Miss Lund crown any time soon, but I’m cute. And since I’m definitely attracted to him, you’d think he’d get the vibes I’m sending his way.

We resume walking at Olympic speed. Being late is no longer a worry. His strides are so long that I have to trot-walk to keep up. I’m tall, but he’s taller. Tall is something I like.

Although there’s apparently a tax on words here, I keep trying. “I’m from Canada. Vancouver. I’m only here for the semester, I mean, termin.”

“I know.”

“You know? How could you know I was from Canada?” So far, everyone I’ve met assumes I’m American.

Gabriel points to the tiny Canadian flag that my sister pinned to my backpack before I left.

“Oh. Duh. You must think I’m a total idiot, right?”

No response. There must be a tax on smiles too. This conversation has become a challenge. I love challenges. I’m going to make him converse with me.

“Well, Gabriel, you’re the first Swedish person I’ve met in five days. I’m in residence, so I’ve only met other exchange students so far. I have to ask you: am I doing something wrong? It seems like whenever I try to talk to someone, they avoid me. Maybe it’s just my imagination. I mean, they don’t even know me. And I look harmless, don’t I?”

He sneaks a look at me. “Nej, er, yes.”

I take this to mean I look normal. “So, what am I doing wrong?”

There’s a long pause before he replies. “We do not like to talk to strangers.”

“What? That’s crazy. How do you make new friends then?”

He shrugs. He seems proud of this fact, as if only pushy countries need normal social interactions.

Now representing the extroverts of Canada, Lily Larson. “Well, when you’re plunked into a new place like me, if you didn’t talk to strangers, you’d die of loneliness. Everyone is a stranger. You must be from around here, Gabriel.”

“Ja. Lund.”

“You’re so lucky,” I say. Not only have I loved Sweden my whole life, but now that I’m not lost anymore, Lund has regained its picturesque charms. It’s straight from a fairy tale. “I’ll have to get advice from you on all the good stores and restaurants.”

He struggles to come up with retail advice, which lets me stare at his face. He’s not conventionally hot; his eyes are a bit small, his nose is too long, and his mouth is very wide. But everything put together looks great. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s tall and built: his long arms are sinewy with muscle and, thanks to his tight jeans, I can see his bulging thighs. I’m starting to appreciate this particular fashion trend.

Finally he mumbles a couple of names that I can’t understand at all.

“Maybe you can write them out for me,” I suggest.

“Do you not speak any Swedish?” Finally, a question. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a conversation.

“A little,” I say. “My dad’s from Malmö. We used to visit his family in the summer and my farmor made me practice my Swedish. But being able to ask my grandmother for cookies isn’t going to help me at university.”

The corners of his mouth turn up a little. More success.

“Why did he move to Vancouver?” This is a topic I want to avoid, but Swedes always wonder why anyone ever leaves their land of gender equality and social democracy. However, this exchange is my chance to get away from the huge shadow cast by my famous father. Or maybe it’s more of a chance to figure out who I really am. Whatever, it’s a fresh start.

“For work,” I reply vaguely. Luckily, he doesn’t ask anything else. Gabriel is a good listener.

“We are here,” he announces. We’re at a building that combines steel and glass in the front with ancient red brick in the back.

“Oh great.” I fumble for my battered schedule, but Gabriel is miles ahead of me. Well, kilometres ahead actually.

“You go in here. Your classroom is that way.” He points, to ensure I won’t get lost now that he’s gotten me ninety percent of the way here.

“Thank you so, so much for your help.”

He ducks his head and turns away. But before he can set a new speed-walking record, I grab his arm; there’s solid muscle under his sleeve.

“Wait. Gabriel, you’re the nicest person I’ve met today. Would you like to go out for fika after school?” I’m pulling out all the friendliness stops here, by offering the one thing I know Swedes love the most: a coffee break.

Again he looks at me with zero interest, like I’m a bug on the sidewalk. I’m rethinking the whole gender equality thing, as I get ready to be shot down.

Then he speaks, “Ja, okay.”

“Good, good. We can meet here. I’m done at 3:00—I mean 15:00.” I beam up at him. “This day is turning out great!”

“You are very cheerful.” He smiles, and the smile changes his face completely. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and his full lips part to reveal straight white teeth. I lost my breath. Gabe is so delectable that I’m ready to skip coffee and move right into a delicious dinner—featuring Swedish meatballs.

---

To find out what’s happens next, get Coast to Coast, available at Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.
books2read.com/u/3L0nx7

Listening to hockey

Good hockey romance writing takes a lot of research. And I don’t mean stalking players, but rather learning about the sport in depth. I know a lot about hockey from a fan’s perspective. But writing the Vancouver Vice series means learning about coaching and managing teams. I've been expanding my horizons beyond local hockey coverage.

One painless way to research is listening to hockey podcasts. It’s something I can do while commuting to work—finally a way to make Vancouver’s infamous traffic jams fun. Here are some of my favourite hockey podcasts:

1. The Hockey PDOcast

I’ve been struggling to understand hockey analytics for years. Last Christmas I even received an analytics book, but it’s so confusing and poorly written that I'm no further ahead.  So I have no clue what PDO is, but this analytics podcast is my number one listen.

Dimitri Filopovic is a smart and likeable host, and his guests are knowledgeable and opinionated. He covers the whole league, with the occasional deep dive into one team. Some episodes are concepts like rating the television play-by-play teams for every team in the league, or redoing the drafts with 20:20 hindsight.

Listening to the PDOcast made me realize that my hometown Canucks are such a bad team that “changing up the power play” or any of the other tweaks that the local sports media guys suggest are like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. And I find that oddly comforting because now my expectations are realistic.

The PDOcast offers everything I enjoy in hockey analysis: intelligent discussion, respectful debate, occasional laughs, and fact-based analysis.

2. The Pulp Hockey Show

Now let’s go to the other end of scale, a podcast featuring an ex-player who excels at the "eye-test." I first heard Ray Ferraro on the local sports radio station where he was interviewed daily by a couple of idiots. You know the kind I mean, they have a list of questions and they go from one to another without listening to the answers or each other. A good host would be smart enough to segue neatly or even challenge an answer. But however inane the questions, Ray’s answers were always expert and honest and I became a big fan.

This podcast is hosted by Steve Matthes, a motocross analyst who freely admits he’s not a hockey expert. He and Ray are friends, but Steve is smart enough to start Ray off and not interrupt. (Although I could do with less of Matthes' Maple Leaf fandom.) Ferraro brings his expertise as both a veteran player and a television colour man to his analysis of current hockey issues. I really enjoy his forthright opinions, self-deprecating humour, and insights into player life. His honesty is refreshing—I believe any criticism he makes he would also make to the face of the player or coach. Sometimes his point of view will be the opposite of the PDOcast, but to me that reflects the two sides of the league. One bonus: Ferraro is married to Cami Granato and freely admits that she has the best hockey hardware in their home. No sexism here.

3. Biscuits: A Hockey Podcast

I just found this podcast during the playoffs, but so far I’ve enjoyed the few episodes I’ve listened to. Hosts Dave Lozo and Sean McIndoe (Down Goes Brown) both write for Vice Sports. McIndoe is a Leafs fan, but not an obnoxious one, and they’re both pretty funny. They riff on details that only extreme hockey fans would remember, and that’s hilarious. The podcasts deal with what's happened in hockey the preceding week.

A related podcast is Puck Soup, hosted by Dave Lozo (again) and Greg Wyshynski from Puck Daddy. I’m not as keen on this podcast because there’s a lot of entertainment talk (mainly about movies and television shows that I don't watch.) And Wyshynski giggles incessantly. But the hockey parts are interesting and often funny. They explore the personal side of hockey too. They discussed the identity of Amy Schumer’s mystery hockey player—but according to a similar discussion in my knowledgeable Facebook reader group, they were wrong! And they did an interview with a puck bunny! Unfortunately, they tried so hard to be politically correct that episode was almost boring. A woman host would have rocked that interview!

Where are the women hockey podcast hosts, by the way? I’ve only listened to one female hockey podcast, and it was in dire need of editing. The sign of great podcast is editing out the filler.

4. Keeping Karlsson

Okay, my final podcast is an acquired taste and you’re probably going to hate it. I can’t even explain my interest in a podcast that’s aimed at people in hockey pools. I know even less about hockey pools than analytics.

I found this podcast in the spring when I was following the Ottawa Senators’ playoff success and was trying to find a team podcast. (I still haven’t found one!) But it has zero to do with the Sens. All this podcast does is forecast player performance. But since money is on the line, the predictions have to be good. It’s an interesting companion to analytics podcasts. They look at a player’s stats, but they go beyond: relationships with coaches, player mindset, linemate chemistry, etc. And injuries. They think a lot about injury history.

The host of the podcast are adorably nerdy. Brian Kom and Elan Dubrofsky talk faster (and higher) than Loralei Gilmore and argue a lot. It’s like a glimpse into a whole other hockey world.

And that’s what’s currently on my podcast playlist for now. If you know a good hockey podcast, let me know, and I’ll take it out for a spin.

Cover Me

Did you know I write a whole other blog about author graphics? I'm no expert, but I wanted to help other people with graphics. If you need to make graphics for work or play, you might find some helpful suggestions. And I try to make it amusing too! You can check my graphics blog out here. Today, I'm doing a cross-post with my graphics blog because I thought my readers might find the design process interesting and there are giveaways to be had!

Okay, on to today's topic: book covers. I don't do my own covers. Covers are too important to sales for me to fool around with them, so I hire a designer. However, smart authors save money when they can, so I do design my own covers when it comes to freebies.

If you've signed up for my mailing list, you receive a free short story entitled Sunny Side. It's part of the Vancouver Vice hockey series and the cover looks like this:

The impetus for this cover was finding the perfect photo. I've already gone off about having to find mixed race people in stock photos, so I'll get off that soapbox. I needed a geeky half-Chinese guy and a blonde woman. Close enough. Download that sucker. I experimented with a colour version, but went with the black and white so I could pop the graphic text.

If I was smart, I would have done a cover that looks like the rest of the Vancouver Vice series. But I don't have the title font that my designer uses, and she does complicated things with bokeh backgrounds that I can't handle. I did maintain a similar font for my author name. Knowing your limitations means I make the best covers I can with my skill set. This is the smart thinking that keeps me from doing whatever new physical thing my friends suggest. Zip-lining, nope. 10K, ha. Afternoon tea, let's do it.

Recently, I discovered that I hadn't done new covers for the free short stories which connect my trilogy, Hockey Is My Boyfriend. And you know what that means? Mel gets to make new covers!

This is one of the existing covers for the short stories. In fact, this is what all my covers looked like before I started using a cover designer, except not always with cake. Sometimes I used flowers, cookies, or shocker: a cat. Perhaps it looks more like a cookbook, but there is hockey stick wallpaper! Early self-publishing Mel had much to learn. Although early self-publishing Mel made money on the first sale as she had zero expenses to earn out.

You know my drill already. Go to Deposit Photos to look for appropriate photos. Curse at the paucity of half-Asian models. Find photos. In this case, hit the gold mine of time saving and find two photos from the same photo shoot. My characters are the same in both stories, so they can look the same. Woo hoo. Do celebration dance. Cats join in.

Put photos into Canva. Now what I do is fool around a lot with the photos and their placement. Here is the original photo. Hot, right? Is it just me or does this guy look like Carey Price?

Covers have set proportions and you have to stretch your image to meet those proportions, and then you can move them around. Ideally, you want to have blank areas where you can put your title and author name. In this case, the sheets made a nice blank space, but I'm not too keen on the distracting side boob. So, I went in closer. I usually alternate adding text and moving the photo around. In addition, try to make your text mimic the photo in some way. The word "Kelly" is on the same angle as her spaghetti strap. Now the text really emphasizes the kiss. Phew, my Carey Price fantasies are in overdrive right now. But he's a cowboy and I'm a city girl, so it can't work. Not to mention his lovely wife and my lovely husband.

My other cover is the same process, except this time the photo I wanted was in colour, so I transformed it to black and white. To be honest, I can see that an original black and white photo is better than one that I converted with the Street filter, but having a colour photo around will be nice for making teasers... or just for a Carey Price screensaver. 

And, voila... new covers for the freebies.

Hey, what about those freebies, Mel?

Okay, if you'd like to read about a half-Chinese guy who works at a tech start-up, a blonde hockey fan, and a dating app—you can sign up for my newsletter here and get Sunny Side free. Talk about multi-tasking. 

And if you've already read the Hockey Is My Boyfriend series, and you're thinking, "WTF, Mel, where have you been hiding these connecting stories?" here's the down-low. My box set, Hockey Is My Boyfriend, The Complete Series, has all the books including the short stories. So if you're on Kindle Unlimited, you can read them now and I'll get paid. Lovely. Off you go. 

When I was writing the HIMB books, it took a long time. Way longer than I thought, which happens every freaking book. Readers were emailing me to ask when the next book was coming, so in the meantime I sent out the connecting stories to everyone on my mailing list. But I never published them. Here's the order of the series—now with short stories!

1. Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part One
2. French Kiss (It's Kelly and Phil! In Montréal!) 
3. Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part Two
4. Happy Birthday, Kelly (Kelly gets two very unexpected birthday gifts.)
5. Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part Three

If you're not on KU and you'd like to read the short stories too, just hit the titles above and you'll get a free download. With love, from me.

Comments? Questions? Write them below!

Tough Heroines

On a recent trip to Seattle, I found myself in the coolest movie theatre. Instead of regular seats, there were velvet couches scattered around the room. It was like sitting in the living room of an eccentric rich lady. I slouched comfortably and got ready to watch a movie I’d been anticipating for months: Atomic Blonde.

I am someone who can watch movie trailers for hours. It’s one of my many procrastination superpowers! But as soon as I saw Charlize Theron destroying multiple bad guys while maintaining her blonde bob and icy demeanour, I was counting down the days to the movie’s premiere.

As the British spy Lorraine Broughton, Theron is the epitome of coolness. She’s kicking ass, out-smarting three governments, and avoiding emotion, all while wearing graphic retro outfits and heels. There may have been some teeny plot issues, but nothing big enough to take away from my popcorn escapism. And the velvet couches made the experience even better. I want to watch all my thrillers on comfy couches from now on. Oh wait, I usually do, thanks to Netflix.

I have a definite weakness for these tough heroines. One of my favourite films is the very noir The Last Seduction. This movie stars Linda Fiorentino as a fascinating amoral heroine who outsmarts every man who gets in her way. Since I’m someone who won’t even park in the wrong zone, it’s clear that I get a vicarious thrill from watching women break all the rules.

In my own books, I love to subvert the male/female rules. For one book—The Tao of Hockey—I set out to write my very own kick-ass heroine, Josie Ray. She’s unemotional, confident, a stunt woman, and a motorcycle rider. Not just any motorcycle, but a red Ducati Panigale. I finally saw one in Bologna, Italy and it was a thing of beauty. Originally, I tried to write the book with alternating POVs, but it turns out that writing a woman of mystery is pretty tough. Once I got inside Josies’s head, she became a woman as full of insecurities and doubts as any other, which detracted from her mystery and toughness. So I kept the POV in Eric’s head. He is also attracted to kick-ass women.

What do I like about tough heroines?

• Their hard as nails exterior. Sometimes she has a marshmallow center, but often there’s a hard as nail interior too.
• How they flout the rules. They have their goals and go for them.
• They don’t need men or relationships to define themselves. They do enjoy sex though.
• They wear the best clothes!

If you’d like to see it, Atomic Blonde is still in theatres, or if you’re in Seattle, you can catch it from the comfort of a plush couch.

Talking 'bout Girlfriends (and a great big excerpt!)

Girlfriends

One of my great pleasures is writing friendships between women characters. In my own life, girlfriends have been a source of support, honest opinions, and laughter. Even though my best friend lives across the country, when we get together—as we did last week—things are exactly the same. We even claim that we still look the same!

In Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part One, April Lachance is the sophisticated woman of the world, even though she’s only 18. And Kelly Tanaka needs all the advice on guys that she can get. I have one beta reader who tells me regularly that April is her favourite character. I think it’s her sarcasm.

In How The Cookie Crumbles, girlfriends come in threes. Frankie, Bianca, and Chloë were high school besties who kept the friendship going through university. Each one is very different but they complement each other. And they have the shared history of every embarrassing thing they did together during high school!

In my upcoming book, Second Round, the girlfriends are now in their forties and the friendship is mature and hilarious. Jackie Wagner and her best friend, Sharon Zennaro have bigger responsibilities. Both are single moms raising their kids and navigating the dating scene at the same time. Jackie is a sweetheart and Sharon is a straight-shooter with a ton of swagger.

Once a lovely reader told me that she aspired to be as confident as my heroines—who make mistakes, but maintain a sense of self. Jackie Wagner is the least confident of all my heroines. When her husband left, she suffered a huge emotional blow that filled her with doubt. She’s worried about her kids, unsure of her job prospects, and really nervous about dating. But luckily, she has Sharon around for a good kick in the butt.

Here’s an excerpt from the book. After Jackie accidentally runs into the new coach of the Vancouver Vice hockey team, she flees to Sharon’s house to discuss everything:

---

I parked in front of Sharon’s house. Like the shoemaker’s children, her place was always in the midst of some renovation. Right now the front steps were missing, so I climbed up the cement blocks that were a substitute. I knocked and walked right in.

“It’s me. Not a burglar or anything. Shouldn’t you be locking the door?” Sharon was in the living room with her feet up and a glass of wine beside her.

“You think whenever you leave the safety of West Van, you’re entering a war zone.” She shook her head. “Soooo, what the fuck’s up with this coach?”

“Oh God. I went to his place to finish up the kitchen and hang the curtains in the little girl’s room. I thought he was on a road trip, but it turns out that’s next weekend—”

“Get to the good stuff.” Sharon handed me my own glass of wine and then relaxed against the cushions.

“He walked into the kitchen while I was there and scared me.”

Sharon frowned. “Is that it?”

“No, he had just taken a shower, and he was only wearing a towel. He has this amazing body, with muscles here and here.” I motioned to my chest and arms. “And there were little beads of water on his skin. He looked so hot.”

I paused and closed my eyes, remembering everything about how he looked. “He’s good-looking too. Not in a conventional way, but he has these sharp angles in his face. His cheekbones, his eyebrows, his mouth... everything.”

“So far you’re only giving me an inventory of facial parts.”

“Oh, sorry.” I snapped out of my daze. “I saw his business too!”

“His business? For fuck’s sake, Jackie, how old are you? You mean his penis, right?”

I nodded vigourously. “Through the towel. It was um, impressive. And you know what? My mouth actually fell open, and he laughed at me and said something suggestive.”

“Seeing that he was half-naked and you were drooling, I’m surprised that nothing happened. Nothing happened, did it?”

“No.” My lower lip turned down. “Not tonight anyway. He asked me out.”

“Fuck, yes! You’re finally going on a date. It’s about time.”

“I’ve been on dates,” I protested.

“Yes, innocent, polite little coffee dates. Not evening dates with the possibility of sex.”

I swallowed hard. Could a date with Leo end up in sex? I was willing to make whatever ritual sacrifices were necessary to make this happen. “He’s the first man I’ve been attracted to since Brent. And it’s huge.”

“Are we talking about his dick again?”

“No! I mean the way I’m attracted to him. It’s almost overwhelming. I hardly know him, and I wanted to have sex with him, right there in the kitchen.”

“Mmmm, I am so happy to hear you say this. You’ve been strangely asexual for months.”

I shook my head. “What’s it like? Having sex with someone new. The last time I took my clothes off with a new person, I had a fabulous twenty-something body. All firm parts and flawless skin.”

“Yeah, but did you know that then? In our twenties we all agonized about tiny food babies or a single zit. Now if I get up and nothing new sags, I’m throwing a fucking party.”

“You’re right. I felt like I was getting more confidence as I got older, until....” Until Brent left. My life these days could be divided into two parts: Before Brent Left and After Brent Left. But when Leo had touched me, it wakened all my buried senses. If he could do that by touching my hands and hair, imagine what his hands on my body could do. But taking off my clothes in front of a stranger was still daunting. Things had changed while I was married. Even naked bodies were different these days.

“Can we talk about shaving?” I asked.

Sharon’s hand flew to her upper lip. “Fuck. Am I turning into my Nonna? Why didn’t you tell me before?”

I giggled. “Not you. I mean me. Do guys expect women to have full Brazilians these days? I’ve never done that stuff.” I trimmed because otherwise Brent complained about going down on me. But that hadn’t been necessary lately.

“You’re in luck. I heard that the bush is back.” She had a big sip of her wine. “You know that guys shave now too, right?”

I winced. Hairless made me think of Greek statues, not real men. “I heard about that, but I thought it was only young guys.”

She nodded. “Yeah, most guys our age won’t go near their balls with a razor. However, if it makes their dicks look bigger, sometimes they’ll take the risk.”

“In fairness, women go through a lot of pain to make themselves look good. Still, why bother? Once I’m naked with a man, it’s not like I’m going to change my mind because of some optical illusion that his penis is larger.”

Sharon giggled. “Have you not learned that when it comes to penises, guys don’t do a ton of logical thinking?”

---

Second Round comes out on August 9th. Preorder the ebook here.

The Bad Guys

Writing guidelines suggest that you should have a villain to counter your hero's moves in every novel. For me, that's always been difficult because I don't see characters in black and white terms. In fact, there's nothing I like more than flipping a "bad guy." For example, when we meet Cynthia and Robert, Josie's siblings, in The Tao of Hockey, they're both extremely rude to Eric. Robert threatens him with a lawsuit and Cynthia doubts Josie would even date him. But as Tao unfolds, it becomes clear that they're only trying to protect Josie—she's the youngest and they have no mother and a harsh father. And when Cynthia pops up again in An Irresistible Force, we learn that under her sophisticated and bossy veneer, she's as full of insecurity and doubt as any normal person.

But as a reader, I do like to see justice: bad things happening to bad people. Laura, the captain of the hockey team in Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part One, bullies teammates then sees her scheme completely backfire when she sends Kelly to humiliate herself with Nicklas—and he ends up asking her out. Maybe Riley, the creepy stalker in HIMB, Part Two, doesn't suffer enough, but in my imagination, Jimmy went on to make sure that Riley got blacklisted for any hockey work in New Brunswick. And Kelly's awful boss, Brendan Williams, from HIMB, Part Three does get fired in an alternate universe.

Readers of The Tao of Hockey may be wondering where is the justice is for Coach Bob Pankowski and Daniel Ramsey? Daniel is the captain of the team and supposedly a leader. But he tries to sabotage Eric's tryout in every possible way, because Eric is competition. Coach Panner is an old-fashioned screamer whose management style was possibly modelled on a failed Vancouver Canucks coach. The only time he seems happy is when he's cutting Eric from the team. And we see both these characters again in An Irresistible Force. Daniel is in full suck-up mode with Chris. Coach Panner resists the efforts of Amanda and Chris to improve the team. Yet neither one has suffered any comeuppance...yet!

Well, in Second Round you'll find out exactly what happens to Coach Panner. And perhaps even end up feeling sorry for him, once you know his history. Coach Panner plays an important role in this book because it's all about coaching and the arrival of a new coach to the team. This new coach is pretty much the polar opposite of Coach Panner—young, innovative, educated, and hot. Not that hot is an important quality for a good hockey coach, but it certainly helps the hero of a hockey romance. 

Second Round will be released one month from today! You can preorder it here.

How to read my books

Spoiler Alert: This post contains information about the ending of Hockey Is My Boyfriend. The perfect time to read it would be after Chapter 23 of HIMB, Part Three. Or after you've read the whole series.

I want my readers to have the best possible experience with my books. Naturally when I get feedback from readers that they hated something about a book, that sucks. And while most responses to my trilogy, Hockey Is My Boyfriend, are positive, there have been a few complaints about the ending. So, I wanted to explain how the books came to be.

Way back, I started out as a fanfic author, specifically hockey fanfic. Yes, it exists and is still flourishing on Wattpad. I was in a big group of hockey fiction readers and writers on Blogger. We would post, read, and comment on each other's work. For my first serial, I posted a chapter each day at 7:00pm, and my readership grew from two (a friend and one other writer) to hundreds. That story, which took the good part of a year became the basis for Hockey Is My Boyfriend. I had always wanted to write a book where the heroine had two possible heroes for her happy ending. I hated love triangles where one guy was a jerk and the other a saint. A heroine needed a real choice! But I ignored what every other author of a love triangle has realized: if you give people two valid choices, some people are going to choose X and others Y.

In the original online story, Kelly makes her decision at the end of the book, and chooses... drum roll, Phil. Many things were different in that story, but her decision is based both on love and her decision that she loves Vancouver (like me!) and feels that her life will be more balanced and fulfilling by staying in Canada with Phil. The more glamorous, exciting life that Jimmy offers her would take her away from her own career and self-actualization, but she loves him too. The fascinating thing about posting a story live and getting comments is that the readers feel a real stake in the story. The commenters took two sides: Team K-Phil and Team Jelly. The Jellies were not too happy with the ending and said so pointedly. Ouch! Even then, I hated disappointing readers. 

Once I entered the world of self-publishing (encouraged by my online support crew!) I never considered using HIMB as source material. It was too long to be one book. Then I had a brainstorm: technology would allow me to write up two ending and let the reader choose her own ending. The series would fall perfectly into three books: Option A, Option B, Choose Your Own Option. I've always loved movies with alternate realities like Sliding Doors or the complicated Memento. The idea of two simultaneous endings was enough to spur me to the brutal rewrite involved in creating HIMB. I really enjoyed figuring out what would have to happen to Kelly and her boyfriends to make each relationship work out. 

And I'll admit that the fury of the Jellies spurred me on. Writers are supersensitive and having bunch of readers attack me (albeit nicely) after the first ending was not a pleasant experience. Finally, a way to make everyone happy. This idea probably says more about my personality—people pleaser much?—than the book itself. But I was wrong again. Now I get reviews that say that: I cheated the reader, I'm lazy, they hated one of the endings, I need to make up my mind, etc. I admire the passion that spurs these reviews because they mean the reader is emotionally invested in the books. But it still stings.

So, in the interest of having the best possible experience reading the Hockey Is My Boyfriend trilogy, here are my suggestions: 

1. The happiest readers seem to be the ones who choose one ending and read only that one. Yes, it's making you "work" and make a decision, but isn't there fun in that? Why are Choose Your Own Adventure books in the first place? To involve the reader more actively. As someone who is unable to resist temptation in any form, I really admire these readers.
2. The most unhappy readers are the ones who are Team Jelly, but read the K-Phil ending anyway. (Not that I blame you, I would too.) The endings are significantly different. I would never write the same ending twice and just switch up the names. Kelly and Jimmy have over-the-top physical attraction, but both of them are young and immature. They need to have more life experiences before they can really make a relationship work. The K-Phil ending shows you what happens when Kelly and Jimmy decide to commit too early. 
3. There are readers who read both endings—as I would—and enjoy both worlds. These readers are into the journey more than the fictional reality. Events like April and Ben's Christmas party occur in both worlds but you see completely different outcomes. I love the idea that making one decision changes the kaleidoscope of our lives and alters the future forever.

Even though the series is a love triangle, the story is really about Kelly. We meet her in high school and see how through hard work and a kind heart, she matures to be a strong young woman ready to meet the challenges of life. And in both endings, Kelly ends up happy and accomplished.

The Latest (and Greatest?)

Phew! This book took a loooooong time. In fact, this was the first book I imagined when I began writing the Vancouver Vice series, but I wanted to set up the series with a player first, and then set the building blocks for improvement.

However everything comes in time, and Second Round is here now.

Second Round is the story of Jackie Wagner. She's a single mom with two kids, and she's at a crossroads. Her home is being sold out from under her and she needs a job. Then she gets a chance to furnish the home of the new coach of the Vancouver Vice.

Leo Gauthier is a rising star in the coaching world. Being the head coach of the AHL's Vancouver Vice is not only a promotion for him, but the perfect stepping stone to becoming an NHL head coach. He's made personal sacrifices for his career, but it's all paying off.

When these two meet—with Leo clad only in a towel—sparks really fly. Their attraction is off the charts even though their personalities are so opposite. But with so many differences, how can it all work?

Second Round is probably the most personal book I've written. For starters, both are older characters and out of the new adult range. So many things about Jackie, her personality, her love of art, and need to create a real home are very much like me. And that each time I tried to put myself in Jackie's head when her husband left unexpectedly, I began crying. To imagine a marriage that was safe and loving suddenly exploding was very tough for me. Hopefully all this emoting on my part has resulted in a more sensitive romance for you.

Not to say that it's all emotional. One of my beta readers loved the wisecracking friendship between Jackie and her bff, Sharon Zennaro. Throw in parenting and a couple of cats (as always) and Second Round is probably the funniest book I've written.

Here's the preorder link. If you need any more motivation, I'll leave you with a line of dialogue from Sharon that my copy editor, Amy J. Duli, described as, "This is my favorite line. Ever. In the history of words."

“If you can handle a vibrator, you can handle a power tool."

Counting to four

So, if you're a writer, do you have to be good at math as well? My latest novella, Mr. November, is subtitled, Vancouver Vice 4. And careful readers of the series may be wondering, "Hey, Mel, what happened to Book Number 3?"

All the books in the series so far are freestanding. They can be read by themselves and in any order. However, most people do like to read chronologically. If you would like to read the books in chronological order, this is how they go:

1. The Tao of Hockey

2. Sunny Side (Free short story when you sign up for my newsletter)

3. An Irresistible Force

4. Second Round

5. Mr. November 

Wait, Mel. Second Round? What is that? Second Round is the book I've been writing for almost a year now. Right now, it's going through its second and last major edit. After all this time, you can bet it's going to be good. It's funny and poignant and sexy. It's about a single mom in her forties who's trying to move on after her divorce. And it's about the new coach of the Vancouver Vice. And it's about what happens when these two meet, and one of them is only wearing a towel. 

Mr. November was written for inclusion in the Crazy Cat Lady box set. Since I got the rights back in late January, I decided to release it anyway. I was just leaving on an extended vacation, so I sent that hot little novella out into the world. You can't keep cats caged, or cat stories either. In that book, we are introduced to the new coach, but the new book is where you'll really meet him. Soon, I promise!

Reading & Giving

In my book, An Irresistible Force, both the hero and heroine are in the lucky one percent. Chris Luczak has money due to his big NHL contracts and his cheapskate nature. Amanda Richardson was born into wealth, even if her father ascribed to billionaire Warren Buffet's idea that it's better to live modestly and raise your children as normally as possible. If you don't know much about Warren Buffet—or like Brenda you confuse him with Jimmy Buffet—his life and investing philosophies are worth checking out. You don't have to be a billionaire to practice frugal living and common sense investing. But maybe you can become richer by doing so!

Back in the fiction world, both Chris and Amanda give back by donating their time and money to various charities. In fact, one of the climactic scenes takes place at a charity ball. Amanda's mother Jeannie volunteers and donates to many charities, but her main focus is on the disease that took the life of her husband Vince: heart and stroke. And Chris volunteers at a children's hospice which his former NHL team has a relationship with.

If you read the fine print at the back of the book, you may have noticed that I pledged to donate $200 from the proceeds of An Irresistible Force in keeping with the book's theme. Although I am not in the happy one percent, I am glad to donate as well. In December 2016, just in time for a tax receipt, I donated $200 to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and $100 to Canuck Place Children's Hospice. These charities mirror the fictional ones used in the book.

But really, the thanks go to my readers who bought the books and enabled these donations. Thank you. You were giving while reading!

Who's a crazy cat lady?

You are, Mel. 

When I heard about the Crazy Cat Lady box set, I really wanted to be a part of it. After all, if there’s one thing that my books have in common—besides hockey, feisty heroines, and clinical sex scenes—it’s cats. There’s a cat in every single book and novella. In fact, once when my editor suggested that I remove a cat character, I explained that cats are my thing. So instead, I increased the role of the cat to make her important.

The Crazy Cat lady box set is filled with romances where cats play a major role. I’ve read and enjoyed all nine novellas. Some stories feature big cats like lions and panther shifters, while others feature domestic cats, usually in multiples. The romances range from sweet to sweaty.

My contribution is called Mr. November. It’s about Vancouver Vice tough guy, Marty Devonshire. We met Marty in The Tao of Hockey where he was the only player who offered genuine friendship to Eric Fairburn. Now it’s big Marty’s turn to fall, and he falls hard for petite Elaine Salang. They meet at a cat shelter where the Vice are shooting a charity calendar. But poor Marty, who’s not too experienced with women, blows his chance with Elaine. Luckily, his new teammates have his back and give him advice on how to win over women. The advice ranges from sensible to hilarious. And does all this advice work? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out.

How many women have even seen the cat? Other than me

Other books in the box set are:

The Vet & the Geek by Sidney Bristol

When veterinarian Raul is reunited with his long lost cat he gets a lot more than he bargained for in Miranda, the curvy, sassy woman who can wipe the floor with his subpar gaming skills. But Miranda doesn’t know if Raul is flirting with her, or if he’s the stalker she’s lived in fear of for years. Is he the crazy cat guy of her dreams, or is he the man who wants her—dead or alive?

Cat Scratch Fever by L.C. Alleyne

Inspector Rafael Montigue detects the scent of a potential mate during a delegate meeting. Kristin Wallin is working undercover to bring down the Brazilian Minister’s drug ring. When terrorists attack, Rafe exposes his panther shifter identity in order to protect Kristin, but she surprises him with secrets of her own that make him look like an innocent kitty cat.

 Decker & Joy: A North Pole Unlimited Romance by Elle Rush

Jaded P.I. Decker Harkness must track down a missing Christmas prototype if he wants a shot at a corporate security contract. Sexy cat shelter manager Joy McCall needs help figuring out who broke into Kitten Caboodle and made off with her foster kittens. If they work together, everyone may get a happily-ever-after.

Cats in the Cradle by Jerri Drennen

Being accused of murder by red-haired beauty Beatrice Dailey, a woman known to be the crazy cat lady in the neighborhood, somehow kick-starts Sam Littman’s floundering career. Soon he finds himself writing her as the main character in his novel—but as fact & fiction start to blur, Sam & Beatrice tumble headfirst into something most unexpected.

Forgive Me by Lori Whyte

When a neighbor’s cat deposits a severed finger on Rachel Connor’s doorstep, the last thing she expects is that it’ll bring Grady Randall back into her life. He shattered her heart when they were teenagers, but she finds herself turning to him when a menacing stranger shows up at her door. Can their reunion & reignited attraction survive the night or will the murderer strike again?

Sanctuary by Sukie Chapin

When Indiana finds her life is in shambles & her exotic cat sanctuary on the verge of bankruptcy, her only hope rests in the capable hands of a tall, dark, & bearded stranger. Jake’s on the hunt for the only good thing left in his life, his lost lion Loki, but he never expected his search to lead him to beautiful, anguished Indy & her dilapidated refuge. As their attraction grows fiercer than the lions they love, Indy & Jake must decide if they can overcome old wounds & fears to find sanctuary in each other’s arms.

Mr. Hot Stuff by Abby Cheshire

After eight awful & all too memorable blind dates in a row, all Lily wants is to stay home with a good book & her five cats. But when her latest rescue cat Captain Kitt goes klepto & steals a set of keys that belong to the hunky fireman in the neighborhood – Lily may be closer to a perfect match than she ever imagined.

Dress Blues by Lisa Carlisle 

When Vivi Parker volunteers at a fundraiser for a cat shelter, she’s stunned to run into Jack Conroy, the one man she couldn’t have, but never forgot. While they served in the Marines, any relationship between them was off-limits. Years later in Boston, the rules have changed. But so have they.

This purrfect box set releases on October 11 and costs only 99¢. Bargoon! You can buy it on presale here: Amazon iBooks Nook Kobo

An Irresistible Force is coming soon!

It's finally here! I've been writing away, and now I've completed not one, but two books. One is a novella that comes out in October, but the other is the second book in the Vancouver Vice series. And it launches on July 22nd.

When Amanda Richardson was a teenager, she had a huge crush on hockey superstar, Chris Luczak. Now over a decade later, she walks into a boardroom and there he is—looking as hunky and confident as ever. But working with Chris is the least of her problems, since her family’s hockey team is in crisis mode.

Chris Luczak hated retiring from his one true love: hockey. He’s been going through the motions at head office, but now he’s been offered a real challenge. All he has to do is persuade the ownership of the Vancouver Vice that—given their current problems—their best option is to sell the team.

At first, all they do is argue. Amanda has a million reasons not to trust Chris, beginning with his reputation as a womanizing playboy. But she needs all the hockey knowledge inside that sculpted muscular body—not that she’s noticed, of course. And Chris realizes that the longer he puts off this deal, the more time he’ll get to spend with this fiery woman.

Can they work together to save the Vancouver Vice?

Sunny Side

Are you on my mailing list? If you have been on it since the beginning, you've already received three short stories, three deleted scenes, and notice of hundreds of free books (not all mine, of course!)

You can still get the latest freebie. When you sign up, you get a copy of my new novella, Sunny Side. It's Vancouver Vice 1.5, and takes place after The Tao of Hockey.

It's the story of an optimistic hockey fan named Rosie, a tech genius named Peter, and the dating app that brings them together. Sign up on the sidebar on the right. 

I just wanted to add that the research for this book has resulted in my receiving ads to meet nice men in my area every time I go on the internet. Oh well, better than the email offers I get to meet Russian women.

Finally, if you're not already sold—did I mention free?—here's an excerpt:

Number 12 skated behind the net to make a pass to the next player and gave Louise a full view of his face.

    “Oh. My. God.”

    I smirked. “Told you so.”

    “He’s gorgeous. Like Chris Hemsworth hot. Those eyes, those cheekbones, those lips—everything. I can only see his neck, but it looks like he’s really built too.”

    “He is. I Googled him, and there’s a photo of him in a t-shirt and shorts at training camp and everything looks… amazing. And he’s got a huge package.”

    “What?” Louise dropped the binoculars and stared at me.

    I laughed. “Just kidding. You can’t tell that from a photo.” Unless his legs were positioned in just the right way and the shorts fabric was clingy, which they hadn’t been. 

Find your Spirit Animal

One thing I’ve learned to love about writing is research. If I get an idea for a character who is out of my personal experience—like being a 23 year-old guy—I have to do research. And if this 23 year-old is a zen winger who is completely in touch with his spiritual side, then I have to do a ton of research.

In The Tao of Hockey, Eric Fairburn sorts out the important people in his life by deciding what their spirit animal would be. It’s his way of determining the essence of someone’s nature.

Here's Eric explaining spirit animals to Josie:

“Okay, let’s talk about what your spirit animal would be.”

“My what?”

“Your spirit animal. We all have animal guides who appear to help with the problems or opportunities in our lives.”

“How do we find them?” Josie leaned forward and looked interested for the first time all night.

“Well, the best way would be for you to do some kind of physical journey, like a long meditation or a vision quest. An animal might appear to you in a dream.

“But the most important thing is being conscious of what’s around you—like animals reappearing in your life. Take a lion, for example. You might see a lion photo on the side of the bus, or when you turn on the TV an African nature show might be on.”

“I don’t have a TV,” she said.

“On your laptop. Whatever. Notice what’s around you and be sensitive to the signs.”

Josie cracked a new breadstick in two. “There is one thing that keeps appearing in my life repeatedly and unexpectedly.”

“Really, what?”

She pointed the breadstick at me. I laughed, and Josie smiled.

“If I had to guess, I would say your spirit animal is an owl,” I told her.

“An owl? I think I’m more the lion type.”

“A spirit animal doesn’t mean an animal you identify with. It’s your guide animal.”

“What does an owl say about me—that I stay up all night?”

“No, it says that you’re smart and knowledgeable, but you’re watchful. You like to look around and take stock of things before you act. Maybe a little detached.”

What do you think your spirit animal would be? If you don't want to do a vision quest in the desert, there is an easier way to find out. 

Here are two quizzes to determine your spirit animal. I took them both, and I’m an owl. Just like Josie, except minus the hot 23 year-old boyfriend.

http://www.spiritanimal.info/spirit-animal-quiz/

http://www.jerismithready.com/quiz/

Do you agree with the spirit animal you got? Is that your personality type?

The Launch of Tao

The Tao of Hockey is on sale today. Cue the brass band.

Man, it’s been torture having the book done for three weeks, but not getting to hear what readers think of it. When I finish writing a book, I’m so hyped that I want to run up to people and shove the book in their face and say, “Read my new book!” Then watch them until they finish and then ask what they thought. But given that would be super creepy and weird, I’ll have to settle for hearing from my readers—via reviews, emails, and facebook. I’m pretty damn excited about this!

However, the best way for me to calm down is to keep busy. And I wanted to tell you about what I’m writing right now. I’m creating a short story about the Vancouver Vice—the team you’ll meet in The Tao of Hockey.

This story involves a faithful hockey fan, a new dating app, and a geeky guy. The title is Sunny Side, and it will be free. However, the only way to get this tale is to be on my mailing list. So make sure you’re signed up, right here.

And if you read The Tao of Hockey, I’d love to hear what you think of it.

Goodbye and hello

Three cat stories

This week I took my very first book, Fresh Air, off the market. I published this novella back in October 2012, and it was an experiment. I had to learn formatting, editing, and marketing all at once, so I wanted to start with something small. I was hugely excited when I made my first sale—to a reader in Florida who had followed my writing online and was looking for the book before I even knew it was on sale!

Recently Fresh Air had become a bit of an orphan. When I redid all my covers, I skipped doing that novella because its sales were so low. In addition, I re-edited all my books in the past year—except that one. I kind of ignored it, meaning to take it down in the new year once Tao was published. A negative review last month reminded me that people were still reading the book, and it might not be the best introduction to my work. I am happy—as I’m sure you are—that my writing has improved over the past three years. While the innocent tale of a couple bonding over an orphaned cat was one of my favourite stories, it might not be one of my best. 

I do have plans for Fresh Air though. In 2016, I am writing a new novella for a box set of Crazy Cat Lady stories. Yes! Can you imagine something more perfect for me, someone who is always inserting cats into her books? I have started the novella already and it stars Marty Devonshire, a big, hulking player who you will meet in The Tao of Hockey.

It's going to be my first inclusion in a box set, and I'm really excited about being in a project with some different and exciting authors.

So, once I get that story back, I’m thinking about creating a trilogy of cat/hockey stories: Marty’s story, a revised Fresh Air, and one new novella. Yes, I am cornering the market on combined cat and hockey tales. This project will be not realized be until 2016, but it’s exciting to think about, because as one era ends, a new one is beginning.

Tao has launched!

The Tao of Hockey is the first book in my new series about an AHL team called the Vancouver Vice. 

Here's my elevator pitch: Eric Fairburn has one last shot at an NHL career, so distraction—in the form of a beautiful woman—is the last thing he needs.

The early reviews are in:

“…these characters are resilient and spunky, yet have a sweet, vulnerable side.”

Chelsy

“I loved this couple!!! this is not your typical book where the heroine is sweet, loving and quiet... nope Josie is as bad ass as you can think of!!” 

Logan

“I never read a book about a Yogi-health-nut-hockey player with a pretty sordid past before and I thought what kind of seduction techniques would this guy even have????” 

Amanda

“…different from most other romance books out there.” Jessica

You can find the book here .

Coming soon...

The Tao of Hockey is now available for pre-order. Find it here on Amazon.com. And here's a sneak peek:

Cover Reveal for The Tao of Hockey

Finally, my evil plan is coming together. Okay, perhaps it’s not evil or a plan—but my next book is coming together. The Tao of Hockey is getting closer. The first draft has been completed and beta-read. The feedback from the beta reads has been whipped into the second draft. The second draft is currently at the editor. 

The book is the first one in a series I'm writing about a fictional AHL team, the Vancouver Vice. Here’s what Tao is about:

After being selected in the first-round of the NHL draft, Eric Fairburn was in a car accident that destroyed his career. Now, five years later, he’s getting one last chance. If he can make the Vancouver Vice of the AHL, it could be the first step to making his hockey dreams come true. There are only two things standing in his way—the coach from hell and his own self-destructive ways.

The one talent he hasn’t lost is his way with women. So he’s surprised to be shot down by a mysterious woman he meets in a bar. Eric finds himself pursuing her when he should be focusing on hockey. Yet he’s drawn to her confidence and independence, believing that might be the key to fixing his own on-ice issues.

And meantime, the cover is finally done. My poor cover designer went through the wringer on this one. It was a tough balance because while the book is full of the usual hockey drama, but the hero is a zen philosopher. Finally, I think she tired of my nitpicking and went full tilt make-Mel-happy. She changed the colour to purple and added bokeh lights which I love.  I would put those little light circles on the whole world if I could. So, here we are. What do you think?

I am really excited about this book. What’s not to like? It’s got an attractive hero, a kick-ass heroine, a fast-paced plot, and lots of hockey goodness. The launch date will be December 26th. I can hardly wait for you to read it.

Of Cookies and Men

If my books were a house, I’ve been renovating them one room at a time. First I did all the bedrooms, one for Kelly, one for Jimmy, and one for Phil. Wouldn’t that be a fun place to live? Now I’ve gotten to the kitchen and what a lovely room it is. New Subzero fridge and Wolf cooktop where Frankie loves to cook up dinner for Jake.

That analogy will make sense only if you’ve read all my books. What I’m trying to say is that I have been redoing my covers one by one. Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Parts One, Two, and Three all got new covers. And now for the last one—How The Cookie Crumbles! My designer came up with this great cover, which perfectly communicates the laughter and eating that make up Frankie and Jake’s relationship. Because we’re not putting sex on the cover.

A few people have asked me whether there will ever be a sequel to this book. The answer is a resounding maybe. I have something written in rough, but it’s kind of a downer, so I’m putting it away until I can figure out how to solve the book’s problems. Sadly, that may or may not happen.

And meanwhile I’m proceeding on my new series… more about that next post!