Harlequin Junkie Spotlight

Here's an interview you might like to read that appeared on Harlequin Junkie. This site has a large amount of traffic, and I really enjoyed the comments I got on the post. We talked about whether we were good fashion advisors or if we needed help with fashion for ourselves. There were only a few people who felt confident about their fashion sense.

I was not one of them! LOL

Being a Belle

Another stop on the blog tour for me. This time I'm at Contemporary Romance Cafe. I have always loved contemporary romances. I tend to gravitate toward the light-hearted ones that take me to a generally happy place. I usually like to have fun when I read. (Although lately I've been listening to and very much enjoying Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King, which is definitely not a happy read.)

Their topic of the month was "The Road to Publication," which is why I wrote about how the In the Zone series came to be. I hope you enjoy the post.

Fresh Fiction: The Silly Side of Hockey

Stop 2 on my mini blog hop is Fresh Fiction. I asked them if I could write about hockey pranks, since pranks are so prominent in my books and they were nice enough to host me again.

So, check it out. There is a short video of some Blackhawks playing a prank, which I found hilarious, and an excerpt from Across the Line in which Calder and Mac initiate certainly the most elaborate prank in the In the Zone series to date.

There's also a giveaway in which you can choose which In the Zone book you would like to win!

Risky Business

Guess who got invited to appear on the Harlequin Blog?

That's right! Little old me. What a great opportunity to reach new readers. I assume people are short of time, like me, so as always I tried to keep it short. I talked very little about the book and instead reviewed a terrific movie that had something in common with Across the Line.

Here's a link to the blog. Check it out!

The Big Day for Across the Line

It's Release Day for Across the Line, book two of my In the Zone hockey romance series! It's been so encouraging to see the book being pre-ordered. It makes me grateful for that anonymous back cover copy writer at Carina and the artist who gave me this sexier than sin cover. I am so excited.

Here are snippets from some early reviews:

"Willoughby's second In the Zone contemporary sports romance (after On the Surface) is a real charmer."

-Publishers Weekly

"With this second book in the series, this author just made my "auto-buy author" list!!" 

5 stars, Christi of Smitten With Reading

"As long as Kate Willoughby keeps writing, I will keep reading her wonderful books."

- 4.5 stars, Steffi from Swept Away by Romance.

"Kate Willoughby's writing is fantastic, her story is fast paced, fun and throws in a few laughs. I find myself not wanting the story to end..."

-4 stars, Jac of For Love and Books

"I enjoyed the book so much that I have gone back and purchased the first book in the series..."

-5 stars, Christine Mize

All you readers who pre-ordered, you should have already received the book. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting I would tell you a good story. (Is the bird thing a stretch? Sorry. LOL)

Today, Tim Hollander will no longer be the only Barracuda swimming in the literary seas. (Sorry for the horrible metaphor. I'm a little tired from trying to make my deadline for book three.) He has a brother standing beside him. My plan is to keep writing hockey romances as long as it's fun and I have new stories to tell. (Here are four guys from the LA Kings who are/were like brothers: Mike Richards, Drew Doughty, Dustin Penner who sadly is no longer a King, and Jeff Carter, recently married.)

In the pipeline is Alex Sullivan's story, OUT OF THE GAME, book 3 of my In the Zone series. After that, I have ideas jotted down about Jason Locke's story, and a few thousand words written about Dustin DeVries.

In the meantime, check out Calder Griffin and see how he makes it work (any Tim Gunn fans out there?) with Becca Chen. She's an Asian restauranteur. He's an NHL player returning to the ice after being injured. Committed to their jobs and with thousands of miles between them, they don't stand a chance.

Photo credit: Tatiana Gerus and Prayitno via Wikimedia Commons