Cross Crease
Elizabeth Hartey
(On the Edge, #3)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: August 20th 2019
Genres: Adult, New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Heaven
I was fourteen the first time I laid eyes on the smoking hot, silver-eyed, goalie. Damon Wolfe was the most gorgeous boy I’d ever seen. All it took was one glance, one sentence and my heart was his. But I was too young and he was too broken.
Seven years later, he’s the biggest off the ice player in the NHL and I’m his virginal best friend.
Of course, I have the perfect solution to that particular problem, but Damon keeps on refusing to be the one to vanquish my chastity. He claims he doesn’t want to ruin our friendship, that he’s not good enough for me. Yet, somehow his eyes say something different whenever he looks at me.
Just one night, that’s all I’m asking.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Wolfe
I was mesmerized by Heaven Andersen the first time I looked into her sparkling turquoise eyes. She was a teenage kid with a mouth full of braces and bruised knees, but she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen—like a fairy-tale princess. With one look, she sent all my inner demons running. But she was just a kid and I was too damaged.
Seven years later, she’s my best friend. My best friend with a single-minded mission—to get laid.
She wants me to take her virginity and teach her about sex. But she’s an off-limits, flawless diamond girl, and so far out of the realm of anything my blackened heart is looking for or deserves it’s laughable.
So, how come I’m not laughing? How come my best friend is the first thing I think about in the morning and last thing I think about at night? More importantly, what am I going to do to protect her—from me?
Author Bio:
As a lover of the northeast US, my husband and I moved to the Poconos several years ago to open a Chiropractic Clinic. Four children and a menagerie of animals later, I have finally found time to fulfill my lifelong dream of writing novels. A dreamer at heart, romance is---of course---the genre I spend most of my time writing and reading into the wee hours of the morning. However, if it's a good book, any genre can keep me immersed in the story for hours.
When I'm not juggling work responsibilities and writing, I enjoy baking, knitting, traveling, hiking the beautiful hills and woods around my home and spending time with my family.
Interview
Please welcome Cross Crease author Elizabeth Hartey to Diane’s Book Blog.
What was your favorite part of the book, Cross Crease?
This may make me seem like a meany but my favorite part of the book is the angsty crescendo when the characters just can’t stay together. It’s usually because of some lack of communication misunderstanding. Sometimes it’s because of a more serious obstacle. But whatever the reason, as a reader, I love yelling at the characters to work it out because they belong together. And as a writer I love trying to figure out what I’m going to do to remove the problematic impediment so the characters can get to their HEAs.
How long did it take to write the On the Edge series?
I started writing Cross Stroke, the first book in the series, in 2017. It was published on January 2018 and Cross Drop, the second book, was released in June 2018. It took me a little longer to write Cross Crease. Wolfe’s story was a little more challenging. I’m just starting to write Batt’s story, the fourth and final book in the series. I’m kind of just figuring out where this one is going so we’ll see. I’m definitely not a fast writer. I know some authors who write two and three books a year. Definitely not me. I don’t outline my books ahead of time. I just sit down and start writing and see where my characters want to go. It takes longer but it’s the only way I know to let the story unfold.
Which character would I be best friends with?
Definitely Nikki. I just love how independent and strong she is while still being a lovey dovey. She’s a tough cookie, super athlete and a loyal, devoted friend. She’s also a bit on the quirky, fun side and owns an Alpaca farm! What more do you need in a best friend?
Who or what inspired you to be a writer?
I honestly have no idea. I was always a voracious reader. I think it was my way to find adventure because, although I had a great childhood, my family didn’t have a lot of money to take vacations or go on adventures so I used books to go on journeys and meet all kinds of interesting people. I started writing short stories about the same time I learned how to read and write. I would make up escapades involving my dolls where they would be faced with some harrowing situation they had to overcome. LOL. Then when I graduated to Ken and Barbie dolls my stories took a more romantic turn. (Insert blushing emoji.) Of course, they were nowhere near the steam level of my current romance stories. ;)
As a student, I had one foot on the creative arts side of the fence and the other on the scientific side. I loved Biology, Anatomy and Chemistry. Both sides of my brain were constantly battling. Somehow, the science side won out and I went on to get my Doctor of Chiropractic degree and the writing took a backseat for many years. A few years ago, I decided it was time to get back into my writing and I pulled out a manuscript I had started writing when I was in my teens. It’s a women’s fiction/romance/ fantasy, Reel Love. The rest is history and here we are.
What is your favorite book turned movie?
Oh my gosh. I’m a classic movie lover so I could spend days answering this question. My secret dream is to be a guest host on Turner Classic Movies to analyze some movies scripted from books. Look at all the fabulous adaptations of Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, J.R.R Tolkien, Tennessee Williams, Mark Twain, the Bronte sisters, C.S. Lewis, Ernest Hemingway. I could go on and on. But if I have to pick just one I think it would be Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. That movie had me hooked the first time I saw the 1939 Lawrence Olivier, Merle Oberon version. I can remember being alone in a neighbor’s house when I was about twelve or thirteen and watching it after the two small children I was babysitting for went to bed. It scared the bejesus out of me. Haha. Since then there’s been a ton of adaptations but the 2009 Tom Hardy mini-series is by far my favorite. It has all the feels: intense love, hate, horror, hope and since it’s spread out over several episodes it has time to follow the novel more closely.
But since you opened the floodgates when you asked me about books made into movies I have to give a shout out to Dicken’s Christmas Carol. There’s been about a million versions of this movie from a book (which is actually more like a novella) and I’ve seen and loved every single one of them. I mean how can you go wrong with ghosts in 17th century England. But call me crazy, my absolute favorite are the two musical versions, Albert Finney’s 1970 adaptation, Scrooge and Kelsey Grammer’s 2004 version. Maybe the beautiful music and lyrics wasn’t exactly what Dickens had in mind when he wrote the book, but it works for me.
Who is your favorite author?
It depends on the genre. Since I love reading many different genres I could never pick just one favorite author. As I mentioned in the movie question, I love the old classics, Dickens, the Brontes, also Edgar Allen Poe. They all write about that dark suspenseful intense side of humanity that grips you and pulls you to the edge of your seat when you’re reading it. Tennessee Williams’ writing is chuck full of human angst. He’s someone I would love to have had a chance to talk to about writing. On the more contemporary side, L. J. Shen is one of my favorite New Adult romance authors. Her books have a literary quality that you don’t find in many romance novels and although her characters always reach their HEAs, they go through hell getting there. As you may have noticed, I’m a sucker for the torment and anguish. My favorite Historical Romance author is Elizabeth Hoyt. She has to be an old soul because she writes about 1700’s England like she lived there. Her books are fun and raucous, with elements of dark treachery just as you’d imagine that period could be on the streets of London. The fact that her books all have the swoony, wealthy, alpha Lord or Duke or alpha heroine doesn’t hurt.
What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebook?
I prefer reading paperback for all the physical reasons: the touch, the smell, the look of the cover. To me it’s a much more personal way to read. Having said that, my e-reader is a godsend. I have about a hundred books on my TBR list and it’s very convenient to have them all saved in my Kindle. But the main reason I love my e-reader is because my favorite place to read is under the covers in bed at night. My husband can’t sleep with any kind of light in the room and since I can read ‘just one more chapter’ into the wee hours of the morning the e-reader is my way of doing it without disturbing him. Don’t want to offend my alpha hero while reading about someone else’s. LOL.
What is your favorite thing about sports romances?
Sports of all kinds have always had a big place in my family we’re avid : soccer, football, baseball, figure skating fans. So it was an easy decision to write about them. Of course, the macho guys and strong female athletes make it perfect fodder for romance novels. However, much to my husband’s dismay, I’m also a devoted hockey fan. The problem is hockey season starts around the same time football season starts. And my husband is all about football. So, there are major deals and compromises going on in my house during the fall and winter months.
What do you love most about hockey?
I love the speed and intensity of the sport. It’s organized chaos. The athleticism it requires to maneuver the puck with such strategy while gliding on a razor-sharp blade and having other 200 pound something men come at you from all angles, blows my mind. To add to that (and most importantly) the gorgeous guys decked out in hockey pads competing against each other with such power and passion is a romance novel waiting to happen.
Who is your favorite real life hockey team?
Again, much to my husband’s dismay, it’s the Dallas Stars. Coming from Philadelphia, my husband supports all the Philadelphia teams like he’s their owner. Once, when we attended a Stars/Flyers game in Philadelphia and I wore a Stars jersey he was both horrified and mortified and wanted me to keep my jacket on so no one in Philly would see my jersey. But I didn’t. Since we were sitting right next to the Star’s bench, I rocked my number 91 jersey proudly. Oh, and if you’re wondering why the Dallas Stars since I’m from New York state. Well…Tyler Seguin, #91. Enough said.
What was your favorite part of the book, Cross Crease?
This may make me seem like a meany but my favorite part of the book is the angsty crescendo when the characters just can’t stay together. It’s usually because of some lack of communication misunderstanding. Sometimes it’s because of a more serious obstacle. But whatever the reason, as a reader, I love yelling at the characters to work it out because they belong together. And as a writer I love trying to figure out what I’m going to do to remove the problematic impediment so the characters can get to their HEAs.
How long did it take to write the On the Edge series?
I started writing Cross Stroke, the first book in the series, in 2017. It was published on January 2018 and Cross Drop, the second book, was released in June 2018. It took me a little longer to write Cross Crease. Wolfe’s story was a little more challenging. I’m just starting to write Batt’s story, the fourth and final book in the series. I’m kind of just figuring out where this one is going so we’ll see. I’m definitely not a fast writer. I know some authors who write two and three books a year. Definitely not me. I don’t outline my books ahead of time. I just sit down and start writing and see where my characters want to go. It takes longer but it’s the only way I know to let the story unfold.
Which character would I be best friends with?
Definitely Nikki. I just love how independent and strong she is while still being a lovey dovey. She’s a tough cookie, super athlete and a loyal, devoted friend. She’s also a bit on the quirky, fun side and owns an Alpaca farm! What more do you need in a best friend?
Who or what inspired you to be a writer?
I honestly have no idea. I was always a voracious reader. I think it was my way to find adventure because, although I had a great childhood, my family didn’t have a lot of money to take vacations or go on adventures so I used books to go on journeys and meet all kinds of interesting people. I started writing short stories about the same time I learned how to read and write. I would make up escapades involving my dolls where they would be faced with some harrowing situation they had to overcome. LOL. Then when I graduated to Ken and Barbie dolls my stories took a more romantic turn. (Insert blushing emoji.) Of course, they were nowhere near the steam level of my current romance stories. ;)
As a student, I had one foot on the creative arts side of the fence and the other on the scientific side. I loved Biology, Anatomy and Chemistry. Both sides of my brain were constantly battling. Somehow, the science side won out and I went on to get my Doctor of Chiropractic degree and the writing took a backseat for many years. A few years ago, I decided it was time to get back into my writing and I pulled out a manuscript I had started writing when I was in my teens. It’s a women’s fiction/romance/ fantasy, Reel Love. The rest is history and here we are.
What is your favorite book turned movie?
Oh my gosh. I’m a classic movie lover so I could spend days answering this question. My secret dream is to be a guest host on Turner Classic Movies to analyze some movies scripted from books. Look at all the fabulous adaptations of Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, J.R.R Tolkien, Tennessee Williams, Mark Twain, the Bronte sisters, C.S. Lewis, Ernest Hemingway. I could go on and on. But if I have to pick just one I think it would be Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. That movie had me hooked the first time I saw the 1939 Lawrence Olivier, Merle Oberon version. I can remember being alone in a neighbor’s house when I was about twelve or thirteen and watching it after the two small children I was babysitting for went to bed. It scared the bejesus out of me. Haha. Since then there’s been a ton of adaptations but the 2009 Tom Hardy mini-series is by far my favorite. It has all the feels: intense love, hate, horror, hope and since it’s spread out over several episodes it has time to follow the novel more closely.
But since you opened the floodgates when you asked me about books made into movies I have to give a shout out to Dicken’s Christmas Carol. There’s been about a million versions of this movie from a book (which is actually more like a novella) and I’ve seen and loved every single one of them. I mean how can you go wrong with ghosts in 17th century England. But call me crazy, my absolute favorite are the two musical versions, Albert Finney’s 1970 adaptation, Scrooge and Kelsey Grammer’s 2004 version. Maybe the beautiful music and lyrics wasn’t exactly what Dickens had in mind when he wrote the book, but it works for me.
Who is your favorite author?
It depends on the genre. Since I love reading many different genres I could never pick just one favorite author. As I mentioned in the movie question, I love the old classics, Dickens, the Brontes, also Edgar Allen Poe. They all write about that dark suspenseful intense side of humanity that grips you and pulls you to the edge of your seat when you’re reading it. Tennessee Williams’ writing is chuck full of human angst. He’s someone I would love to have had a chance to talk to about writing. On the more contemporary side, L. J. Shen is one of my favorite New Adult romance authors. Her books have a literary quality that you don’t find in many romance novels and although her characters always reach their HEAs, they go through hell getting there. As you may have noticed, I’m a sucker for the torment and anguish. My favorite Historical Romance author is Elizabeth Hoyt. She has to be an old soul because she writes about 1700’s England like she lived there. Her books are fun and raucous, with elements of dark treachery just as you’d imagine that period could be on the streets of London. The fact that her books all have the swoony, wealthy, alpha Lord or Duke or alpha heroine doesn’t hurt.
What do you prefer paperback, hardcover, or ebook?
I prefer reading paperback for all the physical reasons: the touch, the smell, the look of the cover. To me it’s a much more personal way to read. Having said that, my e-reader is a godsend. I have about a hundred books on my TBR list and it’s very convenient to have them all saved in my Kindle. But the main reason I love my e-reader is because my favorite place to read is under the covers in bed at night. My husband can’t sleep with any kind of light in the room and since I can read ‘just one more chapter’ into the wee hours of the morning the e-reader is my way of doing it without disturbing him. Don’t want to offend my alpha hero while reading about someone else’s. LOL.
What is your favorite thing about sports romances?
Sports of all kinds have always had a big place in my family we’re avid : soccer, football, baseball, figure skating fans. So it was an easy decision to write about them. Of course, the macho guys and strong female athletes make it perfect fodder for romance novels. However, much to my husband’s dismay, I’m also a devoted hockey fan. The problem is hockey season starts around the same time football season starts. And my husband is all about football. So, there are major deals and compromises going on in my house during the fall and winter months.
What do you love most about hockey?
I love the speed and intensity of the sport. It’s organized chaos. The athleticism it requires to maneuver the puck with such strategy while gliding on a razor-sharp blade and having other 200 pound something men come at you from all angles, blows my mind. To add to that (and most importantly) the gorgeous guys decked out in hockey pads competing against each other with such power and passion is a romance novel waiting to happen.
Who is your favorite real life hockey team?
Again, much to my husband’s dismay, it’s the Dallas Stars. Coming from Philadelphia, my husband supports all the Philadelphia teams like he’s their owner. Once, when we attended a Stars/Flyers game in Philadelphia and I wore a Stars jersey he was both horrified and mortified and wanted me to keep my jacket on so no one in Philly would see my jersey. But I didn’t. Since we were sitting right next to the Star’s bench, I rocked my number 91 jersey proudly. Oh, and if you’re wondering why the Dallas Stars since I’m from New York state. Well…Tyler Seguin, #91. Enough said.
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Thanks so much Diane!!
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