Breaking News! I am now posting pictures from the RT Booklovers' Convention on my travel blog, Aloha On My Mind, at this link.
Melissa Cutler is celebrating the release of GAME CHANGER, Book Three from her Bomb Squad series with military heroes. From her bio,
Melissa Cutler knows she has the best job in the world writing sexy contemporary romances and romantic suspense for a variety of publishers, including Macmillan, Berkley, Kensington Books, and Harlequin. She was struck at an early age by an unrelenting travel bug and is probably planning her next vacation as you read this. When she's not globetrotting, she's enjoying Southern California's flip-flop wearing weather and wrangling two rambunctious kids. She loves hearing from readers at melissa@melissacutler.net, or on Facebook (facebook.com/MelissaCutlerBooks) and Twitter (@m_cutler). Visit melissacutler.net to learn more about Melissa and her books and don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter (link).
Melissa joins us for a cozy chat ...
Kim: San Diego! What is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of "America's Finest City"?
Melissa: I love living in San Diego, though I grew up 100 miles north of it, in Orange County. My favorite part of living here in SD is the atmosphere. San Diego is an amazing cross-section of cultures. It’s got a California laid back vibe blended with the vibrancy and complexity of having a huge military community here, as well as many top-notch colleges and universities. Also, the close proximity to Mexico enriches our city with a wonderfully diverse element. My husband and I vacation in Mexico a lot, so having the border be only a 30 minute drive from our house is convenient.
Kim: What's your favorite lines/scenes from Bull Durham and Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Mine from FB is Ben Stein's Anyone? Anyone?
Melissa: I love every scene in Bull Durham! One of my favorite funny scenes is when the team gathers around the pitcher’s mound to discuss their problems. And Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon’s first love scene set the bar for the love scenes that I write in my books.
As for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I adore Cameron. So much. So pretty much every scene that he features prominently in is a favorite of mine. “Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero” is one of my favorite lines.
Kim: Who or what helped you along the path to publishing?
Melissa: I’ve had a lot of help along my publishing journey, from published author mentors and editors who gave me my first big breaks to my husband and mom watching the kids so I have time to write. I also credit Romance Writers of America for being an invaluable resource and gathering place. When I joined that organization, I felt like I was home, for the first time in my life. I’d found my people.
Kim: Tell us about the Bomb Squad Hockey Series and your new release GAME CHANGER - what inspired them?
Melissa: My original inspiration for the Bomb Squad Hockey Series was former Marine Alex Minsky, who became a fitness model after losing his leg while on deployment. I love his message and his openness about the ups and downs of his journey since becoming an amputee. That’s how I decided to write about a group of combat wounded veterans
Around the same time that Alex Misky’s fame was blossoming, the winter Olympics were on. I was so inspired by the Paralympic ice hockey teams that I asked “What if there was a wounded warrior ice hockey team?” Within a few minutes of research, I found out that there already are real life wounded soldier ice hockey teams all around the world. And so my fictional team, Bomb Squad, was born.
What’s neat about GAME CHANGER, my third book in the series, is that it’s the storyline that originally inspired me: a story about a former soldier who lost his leg in combat, then becomes a fitness model and is on a trajectory to fame, and who has the goal to uplift other wounded veterans. I wanted to give him an epic love story, and I do believe I accomplished that with this book.
Kim: What's next for Melissa Cutler?
Melissa: What’s next for me is a return to cowboys! In the spring of next year, I’m launching a new contemporary romance series about the employees of a luxury resort in Central Texas based on the world I created in my 2014 novella THE MISTLETOE EFFECT. I can’t wait!
Mahalo, Melissa, for joining us today! And congratulations on GAME CHANGER:
Welcome to Destiny Falls, New York, home of Bomb Squad--an ice hockey team full of rugged military heroes. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has the team captain packing his bags for greener pastures, but saying good-bye to the woman who'd captured his heart is easier said than done...
After being wounded in combat, Brandon Theroux lives every day like it's his last. He never could have imagined that the sleek mechanics of his prosthetic leg would open so many doors, including minor celebrity status as a fitness model and a well-earned reputation as a rakish playboy. The only door it hasn't opened is the one to Harper Johnson's bedroom.
Harper has too much self-respect to join the ranks of Brandon's "carpe diem" conquests, but when a health scare catapults her onto a journey of a lifetime, she turns to the one person who knows what it means to seize the day, find your bliss, and never look back. But a bond forged between friends who can't keep their hands off each other has the potential to be a whole lot hotter than either of them is prepared to handle...
Books in the Bomb Squad hockey series:
Risky Business (Bomb Squad #1)- August 2014
Undefeated (Bomb Squad #2) - November 2014
Game Changer (Bomb Squad #3) - May 2015
GAME CHANGER is now available:
Amazon
Melissa is giving away copies of UNDEFEATED to two randomly selected commenters. To enter the giveaway,
1. Leave a comment about the Marine Corps, hockey teams, and/or New York. I can sing the USMC's hymn, The Halls of Montezuma. I don't follow hockey. I am looking forward to visiting New York this summer.
2. Comments are open through Sunday, May 31, 10 pm in Baltimore.
3. I'll post the winner on Monday, June 1.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
