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

Dear Author and Smart Bitches Talk About the In the Zone Series

I continue to be amazed and excited that Jane from Dear Author likes my books. Recently, she mentioned me on the 100th episode of the DBSA Romance Fiction Podcast. If you're like me and have never listened to a podcast before, they're in the iTunes store. I am at minute 11:30 in the podcast.

Most of their conversation revolves around the term "beta" in regard to romance heroes. Jane doesn't like the term and feels it categorizes these non-Alpha heroes as less than Alphas. Sarah didn't agree, but her husband did.

Here are the highlights of what they say about me:

Jane: I think Kate Willoughby writes heroes that are nice and caring while still being manly...I just really like her heroes. They're very...entertaining, funny, they kind of know what they want, they're not afraid of relationships...

Sarah: You mean one bad break-up hasn't sworn them off of women forever and ever????

Jane: No.

Sarah: Yay!

Rugby Player Coming In Hot!

I'm excited to be revealing the new book cover for my pal, Kat Latham. Kat writes the most delicious rugby romances and she makes it easy to enjoy her books without knowing a thing about rugby, which I don't! Her books always have exotic settings, and she also occasionally tweets sexy pictures and videos of rugby players. I like that about writer pals like Kat--they're always willing to share the smexy stuff with me.

Anyway, the third book in her London Legends series is called Tempting the Player and it sounds so good. Please enjoy the book cover and the back cover copy and then enter the contest to win a $15 eGift Card and a London Legends totebag.

Book three of the London Legends Best friends make the best lovers. Libby Hart and Matt Ogden are perfect for each other—as friends. They’ve known each other for ages. They act as each other’s plus-ones. They even share custody of a dog. And if there’s always been a little spark between them, so what? It’s never been worth jeopardizing their friendship. Professional rugby player Matt is fighting for a starter position with the London Legends—and that’s not the only thing he’s fighting. A crippling fear of flying means he’s struggling to get his career off the ground. He has no time for a relationship, even if Libby does make him ache. As an airline pilot, Libby’s looking for a stay-at-home husband so she can have a family without sacrificing her high-flying career. Matt’s certainly not that man. But just because they don’t have a future together doesn’t mean they can’t have a right now. When Matt asks Libby for help overcoming his fear, they agree to take a vacation from their platonic relationship—whenever they fly together, they can have sex. It’s the perfect way to resolve all that built-up tension. As long as they can avoid getting a little too comfortable… Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mLF6k1 Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1mx8Rpj Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1mLG9jX Books a Million: http://bit.ly/W0j7ML Kobo: http://bit.ly/1mYzZyP Google Play: http://bit.ly/1jEMsHq

About Kat

Kat Latham is a California girl who moved to Europe the day after graduating from UCLA, ditching her tank tops for raincoats. She taught English in Prague and worked as an editor in London before she and her British husband moved to the Netherlands. Kat’s other career involves writing and editing for charities, and she’s traveled to Kenya, Ethiopia and India to meet heroic people helping their communities survive disasters. Find out more on her website:katlatham.com. Follow Kat: Site: http://katlatham.com/ Blog: http://katlatham.com/blog/ Newsletter: http://katlatham.com/newsletter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatLathamRomance Twitter: https://twitter.com/katrinalatham Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KatLatham1/

Cover Reveal Giveaway Win a $15 eGift Card + London Legends Tote Bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway