This weekend, we are rooting for the Meade Mustangs as they challenge the Suitland Rams in the Maryland State High School semifinals. The Mustangs hail from Fort Meade ... and several players have deployed parents. One such player is named Will ... and that's the name of the hero in Tracy Solheim's football romance, FOOLISH GAMES. Tracy joins me for a cozy chat as part of her blog tour. I asked her a few questions about her website bio (link).
Kim: We are nosy here at SOS Aloha - what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell of Georgia?
Tracy: Great question! Georgia is one of those diverse states with the ocean, farmland and mountains all within its borders. My favorite sight is probably the huge Ferris wheel along the Atlanta skyline. It’s a distinct accent for the city to have. The sound I like the best would be the hoof beats against the sand at the farm where my daughter rides her horse. It’s a peaceful sound that relaxes me. I’m going to be cliché and say my favorite smell is of fresh peaches in the summertime. (My South Carolina family would argue that the peaches are better in their state and they might be right!)
Kim: As I write this, we are going on Day 7 of the government shutdown. I'm sure your work with Congress (and masters in Legislative Affairs) gave you a peek into challenge of politics. Any tidbit you can share (no names) that demonstrates fact is stranger than fiction?
Tracy: Oh the things I could tell you! For the most part, most of the staffers working in Congress and for the government are intelligent, hardworking people. Unfortunately a few do represent the pervasive stereotype, however. One elected official used to show up to hearings and promptly fall asleep. It was as if he had narcolepsy because when it was his turn to ask questions, his staffer would prod him awake and he’d carry on the conversation without missing a beat!
Kim: This past summer, my kids and I visited hubby in Korea and we spent a week in Seoul. Loved it! Do you have a special memory from your brief stint at the Seoul Olympics?
Tracy: I love Seoul! My parents lived there for three years. Great shopping and the Korean people are wonderful! Working at the Olympics was definitely my dream job. I’d always wanted to work in sports broadcasting. I think my favorite memory was the night we snuck out of the International Broadcast Center and went to the swimming finals. I sat next to Janet Evans’ parents as she won two of her three Olympic gold medals. The American team dominated that night and it was fun to watch it in person rather than from the studio.
Kim: Given you wide range of experience, from Congress to Olympics, what inspired you to write about football? Who is your favorite team and favorite player?
Tracy: I guess you could say I’m a frustrated sports writer at heart, but I love writing—and reading—books centered around sports. I can thank my dad for that. He introduced me to Dick Francis novels when I was a teenager and I was hooked. I’m also a big fan of the happily ever after endings of romance novels, so it was only natural that I combined the two elements. I’m a big hockey and baseball fan, but living in the heart of SEC country, football tends to trump all sports. Plus, I think it’s a sport that—even if people don’t follow it closely—they know the basics about it. The game is an integral part of our society.
Being a graduate of the University of Tennessee, it goes without saying that my favorite player is Peyton Manning. I cheer for the home team, the Atlanta Falcons, but my Redskin roots are buried pretty deeply.
Kim: What's next for Tracy Solheim?
Tracy: I just finished a novella that will be the prequel to my May, 2014 release, Risky Game (Brody’s story). Numbers Game is the story of a CPA who encounters an old college flame when she comes to Baltimore to audit the Blaze’s books before the team’s new owner takes over. The football player who broke her heart a decade ago has recently traded his helmet for a coach’s headset. It was a bit of a challenge to write a complete story with such a short word count, but I think the reader will be satisfied. As with the entire Out of Bounds series, there are characters from previous books featured in the novella. Look for it sometime in March or April.
To find out more about Tracy Solheim, visit her at:
Website: tracysolheim.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TracySolheimBooks
Twitter: twitter.com/TracyKSolheim
Goodreads: link
About Foolish Games:
SOMETIMES THE BEST DEFENSE IS A STRONG OFFENSE….
Bridal gown designer, Julianne Marchione knows better than to lose her head at a client’s wedding. But much to her embarrassment, a mix of migraine medication and a smoking hot football player lead to a steamy one night stand resulting in a surprise pregnancy. Julianne has every intention of leaving her NFL hookup far in the past until her son, Owen, is born with a life-threatening blood disorder that requires a transfusion—and Julianne is not a match.
Will “William the Conqueror” Connelly grew up tough shouldering the stigma of being a bastard child born on the wrong side of the tracks. He refuses to let any child face the same discrimination. When he finds out about Owen, he’s furious that Julianne kept his son a secret. But when he sees her again at the hospital, he realizes that his feelings for her go far beyond anger.
Will insists that Owen recuperate at his home in North Carolina, and he’s adamant that Julianne become his wife—even if it’s only a temporary marriage in name only. But will their simmering attraction ever lead to a real connection? Or are they just playing foolish games?
Buy links:
Amazon link
Tracy is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card and signed copies of GAME ON and FOOLISH GAMES to one random winner.
December 8- Eclectic Passions
December 10- The Book Queen’s Palace
Let's show some love for Tracy - a military brat herself - with a special giveaway! I am offering a military tote bag plus Korean book mark to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
1. Who is your favorite football team and/or player? It can be American football ... or the other football played around the world!
2. This giveaway is open to all readers.
3. Comments are open through Saturday, November 30, 10 pm in Korea. I'll post the winner on Sunday, December 1.
Mahalo,
Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City
.png)
