Across the Line Publishers Weekly Review

For those of you who aren't familiar with the publication, Publisher's Weekly is a well-known, respected publication. Here's how they describe themselves:

Publishers Weekly, familiarly known in the book world as PW and “the bible of the book business,” is a weekly news magazine focused on the international book publishing business... Its best known service is pre-publication book reviews, publishing some 8,000 per year.

Recently, they reviewed Across the Line, book 2 from my In the Zone hockey romance series! This is a huge deal. Never in a million years did I expect to see a review of my book in PW. Now, because I don't subscribe, the amazing Shannon Stacey sent me a scanned PDF of it, but here's what they said.

Willoughby's second In the Zone contemporary sports romance (after On the Surface) is a real charmer. Pro hockey player Calder Griffin is aboard a nonstop flight from San Diego to New York when he encounters Rebecca "Becca" Chen, owner of Cups, a popular cafe in his hometown of Ithaca, N.Y. He dubbed her "Braceface Becca" in elementary school, but as adults the two are immediately drawn to one another. Despite the distance, the two start a passionate relationship--and after tragedy strikes in Ithaca, Becca moves to San Diego. But will that move draw Calder closer, or push him away? Meanwhile, when Calder's estranged brother, Hart, joins Calder's hockey team, he drops a bombshell that will change the brothers' relationship forever. Willoughby skillfully seeds the story with compelling secondary characters as she leads Calder and Becca toward a happy ending.

Booksellers, librarians, literary agents are going to see this. I am still in shock that my little hockey romance caught their eye. Wow.

Across the Surface is available for pre-order at Carina Press and Amazon. Do it and the book will be yours on August 11.

Holy Cat Claws! I've been Cattified!

Jody Wallace has a naughty kitty who likes to mess around with romance authors. Today she has done a number on the book cover and back cover copy of On the Surface. I'm cracking up at this. If you want to see how she rewrote the blurb, go here!

Pure Bliss

The Los Angeles Kings, 2014 Stanley Cup Champions

'Nuff said.

Three Musical Tributes to the Kings

Last spring, I rewrote the lyrics to "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music, adapting it to the Kings' situation in the Playoffs. I had a lot of fun writing it. When I tweeted "My Favorite Kings," Patrick O'Neal, color man for Kings Live for Fox Sports West, liked it and told me he sang it. I was thrilled!

My Favorite Kings

 (To be sung to the tune from the Sound of Music)

Shots stopped and gloves dropped and sweet empty netters

Stanley Cup patches on LA Kings’ sweaters

Brownie our Captain, a cunning Right Wing

These are a few of my favorite things.

Both Jons in goal on the road to the Playoffs

Richards and Stolly both winning the face-offs

Jake in the box for a hit with some sting

These are a few of my favorite things.

When the Shark bites

When the Hawk strikes

When it’s looks like war

I simply remember my favorite Kings

Will capture the Cup once more!

Foxy and Evans, O’Neal and Miller

Shorthanded goals made by penalty killers

Number eleven, that nimble Slovene

These are a few of my favorite things.

Pucks cleared and Pens' beard and multiple hat tricks

Power plays gained off of somebody’s high stick

Nolan and Clifford both taking a swing

These are a few of my favorite things

When you lose teeth

When your team’s beat

When it’s looks like war

I simply remember my favorite Kings

Will capture the Cup once more!

Men in black jerseys who kick ass and take names

Road trips that finish a series in four games

Carts on a break’way: my heart starts to sing

These are a few of my favorite things

Lewy and Dewy, a match made in heaven

Clogging the lanes we see “old” number seven

Days with Lord Stanley and Tiffany rings

These are a few of my favorite things

When your skull cracks

When your knee’s whacked

When it’s looks like war

I simply remember my favorite Kings

Will capture the Cup once more!

I wrote a second song this spring about the San Jose Sharks, to the tune of "When You're a Jet" from Westside Story. I liked the upbeat tempo, compared to the sort of melancholy tone of the first tune. This song was strong and masculine with an in your face attitude.

A Sharky version of "When You’re a Jet" Westside Story

When you’re a Shark

And the Kings come to town

Gonna choke, gonna fall,

Goin’ all the way down.

When you’re a Shark

You are destined to lose

It’s no walk in the park

You’ll be payin' your dues.

You're hardly a threat,

Your shots will be deflected.

You're weak in the net:

When the Cup’s given out,

You'll be neglected!

Then you’ll be done

With a capital D,

Say hello to the greens.

Put your ball on the tee.

When you're a Shark,

You stay a Shark!

I didn't get much of a response to that. I'm thinking, as a woman in her fifties, my taste in musicals is too old and few of my followers had even heard of that song/movie/play.

This time, I decided to choose a song from Grease, which is somewhat newer. Anyway, here's what's going on in the Stanley Cup Final right this moment, in song. If you know the tune "Summer Nights," I hope you'll enjoy it. If you don't know the song, you should probably just skip this. LOL

The Run for the Cup

(sing to the tune of “Summer Nights” from Grease)

It’s the Playoffs, had us a blast.

Yeah, the Playoffs, happened so fast.

First to beat…San Jose Sharks

But they’re tough. No walk in the park.

San Jose, determined to win,

Saying we should all “fear the fin.”

Well-a, well-a well-a, huh.

Did they choke? Did they choke? Did they lose to the Kings?

Did they choke? Did they choke? Lose their chance for a ring?

Sharks played hard, they took the lead.

Won three games, were poised to succeed.

Then the Kings turned on the jets

Crushed ‘em hard. Put the pucks in the net.

Shamed them all so they’ll never stand tall,

But uh-oh, next up is the Ducks.

Wella, wella wella, huh.

Tell me more, tell me more, did the Ducks show their “might?”

Tell me more, tell me more, did they put up a fight?

Teemu tried, tried real hard

To beat Quickie, get past his guard.

Getzy, Perry, Koivu did too,

But they failed and couldn’t break through.

Playoff drive kept us alive

But uh-oh, the Blackhawks are next.

Wella, wella wella, huh.

‘Hawks are rough, ‘Hawks are tough. Can the Kings beat that team?

Is the Cup in ’14 nothing but a pipe dream?

Saad and Shaw, Toewsy and Kane

Brought Kings players nothing but pain

Tied with three games, only one more…

Kings prevail! Martinez scores!

Four more games, the Cup to reclaim

But the Rangers are ready to fight.

Wella, wella wella, huh.

“They’re so great! They’re so quick! They’re Original Six.”

We don’t care. We’re LA! Really don’t give a shit.

(slower)

Here we are, three games to none.

We’re determined to finish the run.

Thinking back, it’s hard to conceive

We could win, if we all just BELIEVE!

With the Cup,

once just isn’t enough.

This is it, Stanley needs to come

(deep breath for the big finish)

Hooooommmmeee!

Time to score, time to score, time to scooooooore!!!

Life Imitates Art, Part 2

I recently posted how real life events mirrored what I wrote in my first hockey romance, On the Surface. A Chicago Blackhawk got sick of the crap a fan was giving him in the penalty box, so he squirted some water at him. In my book, Tim was a Blackhawk who got angry at a heckler and threw a water bottle at him. Isn't it weird? I wrote that scene over a year ago and here, it happens in real life.

I decided to share the scene with those who haven't bought or read the book yet. This is from Chapter 2.

Tim shouldn’t have been surprised when no one recognized him during breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Hockey wasn’t venerated on the West Coast as much as it was in the east and in Canada, and San Diego loved their Padres and Chargers. He didn’t mind. It was actually a refreshing change. In Chicago, the Blackhawks were like royalty. It was rare that Tim went out in public without being recognized. He’d never really minded that much, but he had to admit it was nice to be able to finish a meal in a restaurant without being asked for an autograph.

After tipping generously, he left the Marriott and grabbed a taxi. The seats were torn and taped, and despite the little air freshener that hung from the rearview mirror, it had that distinctive taxi smell—musty leather, stale food, spilled coffee, cheap cologne and a side of body odor.

“Where to?” the cabby said, turning on the meter. Tim noted the name on the ID card, Umberto Garcia.

“The Cadillac dealership off 163. Here’s the address.” Tim handed him a MapQuest printout. Their destination was about half an hour away. Today he was getting himself a fully loaded Escalade SUV.

Garcia studied the printout. “No problem.” The cabby pulled out into traffic. “Late night last night?” the cabby asked.

Catching a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror, Tim winced. His eyes were redder than the glass of V-8 he’d downed earlier. He’d had so much on his mind, sleep had eluded him until the early morning hours. He had so much to prove and not nearly as much confidence as he would have liked. Usually the extreme physicality of his job wore him out, but training camp didn’t start for two months. The workout on the stationary bike yesterday hadn’t been nearly hard enough to knock him out at bedtime. He also had a personal appearance today, his first as a Barracuda, and he was nervous. And angry that he was nervous. What mattered was how well he played hockey, not how many fans wanted to meet him.

“No. I just didn’t sleep well,” Tim answered.The cabby accelerated as they got onto the freeway. "I thought the Marriott had good beds."

“It’s not the bed. I just have a lot on my plate.”

“Don’t we all. Me, I got a thirteen-year-old daughter who thinks she’s seventeen. Looks like it too, when she puts on makeup.”

Tim nodded. “Makes you want to go buy a shotgun, huh?”

“You got that right.” Garcia met his eye in the rearview mirror. “What’s your biggest problem, man?”

Tim chuckled. “Where do I start?” He propped an ankle on his knee. “I got…transferred here from Chicago. So I’m one of the new guys on the block.”

“But there’s more than one new guy.”

“Yes. A good buddy of mine came here too, actually.”

“So that doesn’t sound like that big of a problemo. Next?”

“Management took a chance on me and are expecting a lot.”

“Can you do what they’re expecting?”

Tim shrugged. “I’m not as young as I used to be.” Garcia's eyes flicked to the mirror. "What are you? Thirty? Jesus. Cut yourself a break."

“Thirty-three. But in my line of work, thirty is practically over the hill.”

As they passed by Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo, Garcia asked the forty thousand dollar question. “What’s your line of work?”

“I play hockey.”

Garcia twisted his head to glance back. “No shit! Pro hockey, of course. That explains the Barracuda hat.”

“Are you a fan?”

“Sorry. No. Baseball’s my game.”

Figured.

“Yeah.” Tim touched the brim of his cap. “I’m a Barracuda.”

Garcia chuckled as he tapped the steering wheel with his thumb. “No shit. You’re a pro. So when you said transferred, you really meant traded.”

“Yes.”

“What’s your name, man? People sometimes ask what famous people I’ve driven and I’d like to add your name to the list.”

“Tim Hollander. I play right wing. I’m a forward.”

“That’s offense, right?”

Tim laughed. So did Garcia.

“Hell, I told you baseball’s my game.”

“Yeah, forwards are offense.”

They continued on the 163 through a large interchange. The signs said they were in Mission Valley now.Tim relaxed,knowing this guy wasn't going to hassle him about his performance last season or ask about Bottlegate. They talked some more. Garcia was easy to talk to. Part of the job, Tim figured. Cabbies were probably a lot like bartenders, but with wheels. Oddly, the more they talked, the more Tim felt like unloading and he ended up telling Garcia about Bottlegate anyway.

“Wait a second,” Garcia said. “Let me get this straight. The guy actually said that your daughter was better off dead than having a father like you?”

“Yes,” Tim said. The Philly fan had actually said much more than that while Tim had sat in the penalty box. He hadn’t shut up for a full minute, criticizing Tim’s play, or lack thereof, and eventually getting personal.

“What an asshole.”

“Thing is, my daughter had died only a few weeks before that.”

Silence.

“She died?”

“Yeah. Leukemia.”

“Shit, man.” Garcia met Tim’s gaze briefly in the rearview mirror. “I’m sorry to hear that. Really sorry. That’s fucked.”

“Thanks.” Tim gave him the tight-lipped smile he always did when people offered their sympathy.

A few moments passed. “You know what, man? I admire your restraint. I probably would have done a lot more than hit him with a water bottle. I’d probably have killed the guy.”

“I wanted to. Believe me.”

By this time, they were exiting the freeway.

“Well, Tim—can I call you Tim?”

Tim waved a hand.

“Tim, I have feeling things are going to turn around for you,” Garcia said. “I think you’re a determined guy and whatever you put your mind to, you’re gonna do. When’s the season start?”

“Regular season starts in early September.”

“Well, tell you what. You train like hell and you do whatever you have to do to become part of that team, because I’ll be watching that first game. You’re gonna hit a grand slam, or whatever it is in hockey.”

“A hat trick. That’s three goals in one game.”

“A hat trick, then. I’ll be rooting for you.” They pulled up in front of the dealership.

Tim pulled a hundred out of his wallet to pay the fifty-three dollar charge. He also made note of the cab number for later. “Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence. It means a lot. Keep the change.”

Photo credit: Theron W. Henderson