Kate Willoughby | Welcome to the Secret World Of Men

Some language in following excerpt may be uncomfortable.

On April 14, Carina Press is publishing six brand-new sports romances. Today Kate Willoughby is here to tell us about her hockey novel, ON THE SURFACE.

Wow, I'm so excited to be here today! How many of you are hockey fans? *looks around* Okay, not too many. Wait. There's a Canadian contingent over there with their hands raised. Awesome.

When I decided to write a hockey romance a couple of years ago, I was inspired by Rachel Gibson's SEE JANE SCORE. Great book, a classic. I recommend it. One of the things I loved most about her book was seeing her players uncensored in the locker room, on the team charter, wherever.

Now, if you're any type of sports fan, you've seen players being interviewed. They are usually composed and thoughtful, but sometimes they're wooden. Their answers can feel scripted. If you're like me, you've wondered what they're like when they're not on camera. What kinds of things do they say off the record? What goes on in that locker room when the reporters aren't there?

That's the type of stuff I've tried to show in my In the Zone hockey romance series, because as a woman, I want a backstage pass to the Secret World of Men, and not just your ordinary men—professional hockey players. Yum. These guys are intense, dedicated, and so full of testosterone that, as one of my heroines says, if you licked their skin, you'd probably sprout a moustache.

Here's a scene from chapter one in which the hero, Tim Hollander, is working out with his teammates. Tim just got traded to San Diego and he wants to treat this as a fresh new start. While trying to help Tim find a new jersey number, the three friends got sidetracked talking about how old they were when they lost their virginity.

Jason got onto the stationary bike. "You know, I appreciate a stroll down Memory Fucking Lane as much as the next guy, but I thought we were trying to find Tim a new number."

"I do want a new number," Tim replied. "I told you, I don't want anything from last season to haunt me now and that includes my number."

"Wait a second," Alex said, grabbing the handles of the machine and starting to work. "Let me get this straight. You're getting rid of that butt-ugly polka-dot tie?"

Tim scowled. Like a lot of players, Tim had a preference for particular items of game day clothing. "First of all, it wasn't butt-ugly, and yes, I got rid of it." He looked at Jason. "Did you think it was ugly?"

"Hell, yes."

Tim scoffed. "Well, let me know the next time someone nominates either one of you fuckers for a fashion award."

They all chuckled.

"So, what about the number twenty?" Alex asked. "You have good memories of your first fuck, right?"

Tim nodded, increasing the resistance on his bike. "Sure I do. Twenty would be okay."

"Unfortunately," Jason said, "the pussy inaugural number twenty is out. That's Carpenter's number."

"Shit." Tim looked at Alex. "Does your number have a special significance?"

"That's how long my dick is."

Jason laughed. Alex wore the number eleven.

That Alex. He's quite a character.

If you liked this snippet of manly banter and would like to read more, I happen to be offering a free electronic copy of ON THE SURFACE, book one of the In the Zone series. Just leave a comment and your email address below and you're automatically entered.

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