Diane’s Book Blog: Game Changer by Collette West: Interview & Giveaway

Game Changer

Collette West

Released July 25^th, 2014

Self-Published

Blurb

Young, rich, and unaware of how seriously hot he is, Brooks Davison is tearing it up as the latest shortstop for the New York Kings, despite his tendency to blush whenever girls scream his name.

When a health scare forces his best friend, Kyle Roberts, off the team, no one can stomach the thought of replacing him, especially so close to the playoffs.

Until Kyle's sister, Sasha, steps in, convincing management to let her take his place. The idea of signing the first female player in Major League history proves too tempting for the Kings to resist.

Nevertheless, Brooks doesn't want any part of it. Sasha is Kyle's little sister, not some sideshow.

Yet when Kyle takes a turn for the worse, Brooks promises to do everything in his power to help Sasha win a championship for him. Because there's no way he's letting either of them down. Not now, not ever.

Available at:

Amazon| B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Smashwords

Author Info

Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball's biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette's impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.

Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she's not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com

She is the author of NIGHT GAMES and GAME CHANGER.

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Interview:

Please welcome Game Changer auther Collette West to Diane's Book Blog.

What is your favorite part of the story, Game Changer?

It actually doesn't have anything to do with baseball.

It's when Sasha and Brooks go to Landry's ranch, and they get to hang out and reconnect with each other away from the spotlight.

Brooks takes Sasha for a ride on the back of a four-wheeler and things quickly get hot and heavy when they end up all muddy back at Landry's cabana. I love how they get a chance to be two normal people, falling in love.

The following scene on the dance floor of the honky tonk is also one of my favorites.

If you were stranded on a desert island which of your characters do you want by your side?

I'd take Jilly because he's the kind of guy who would give me my space and wouldn't be chattering away the whole time. Jilly's a man of few words, but I think he'd be super chill to hang out with. Plus he's easy on the eyes with all those muscles and tattoos, assuming he's gonna be shirtless most of the time :)

If you could be best friends with one of your characters, who would it be?

This might sound crazy, but I think I'd go with the Kings' manager, Tony Liotta. I know not many girls would wanna be friends with "the old dude" but I'd love to pick his brain over a couple of beers. He's seen everything there is to see in the game of baseball and dealt with every kind of personality under the sun. I think he gives some pretty awesome advice, too. He's old school. He's unpredictable. He tells it like it is, yet he's a people person through and through.

What is your favorite thing about sports romances?

I love turning jocks into die-hard romantics. I think in the real world athletes are pretty single-minded when it comes to their laser sharp focus. Their main goal is to win, no matter what sport they're competing in. When love is thrown into the equation, sometimes they bring that level of intensity into the bedroom, and that can be super hot, or they do an about face and show their softer, more vulnerable side to the woman they love.

I also like the team dynamic and how different guys handle love differently. It's a great way to show the full spectrum of male emotions and how guys tend to rib each other, and compete—even in the locker room.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I'm dying to share the blurb from GAME ON (Jilly's story) coming October 17, 2014.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22883350-game-on

Pitching phenom Bruce "Jilly" Gillette has a hard time talking to women. His hulking presence of tattoos and muscles is what makes him an intimidating closer on the mound, yet off the field, he's painfully shy, uncomfortable in his own skin.

Desperate to revamp his loner image, the New York Kings hold a dream date contest, granting the lucky winner a night on the town with their surly reliever, doing whatever it takes to force Jilly out of his comfort zone.

Hailey Halpert enters the contest on a whim, looking for answers as to why her high school relationship with Jilly hit the skids. Now she’s a popular romance author writing under a pen name, and her reappearance in Jilly's life is no accident. It turns out that her novels are all about the sexy players on the Kings, and Jilly has no clue that he's about to become her new leading man.