Former pro football player and coach Duncan "Hatch" Hatcher fumbled his career and marriage. Now divorced and ready to tackle his future, he has an opportunity to redeem himself as coach of his college alma mater's football team. But how can he turn the team's losing streak around and keep the secret of his downfall buried when the school agrees to a documentary that will allow a lovely journalist to dig her way into his past...and into his heart?
Olivia
Grant's ex-husband almost wrecked her journalism career while he definitely did
a number on her self-esteem. The documentary on Duncan Hatcher is the perfect
way to rebuild both. As a freshman in college, she'd had a crush on the senior
football hero, but he hadn't known she existed. She never expects the sparks
that fly between them as they work on the project nor the struggles they must
face if they both want to win.
Wild Women Authors welcomes author Liz Crowe as she and her writing partner, Desiree Holt, celebrate the release of Numbers Game, a contemporary romance for the Scarlet Rose line of the Wild Rose Press. Up first is former pro quarterback and now college coach, Duncan Jerome “Hatch” Hatcher. As always our feature character will go first.
Good morning, Coach, thanks
for taking time away from your busy schedule to talk with us. Let’s start with
where you’re from. I
was born and raised in Avon, Michigan.
Tell
us a bit about Numbers Game. This
is a book co-written by Liz Crowe & Desiree Holt. It’s about how I get to
redeem myself after screwing my life up royally, basically. I’m back in Avon,
head coach of my alma mater’s football team where I got my start, Lakeview U.
and I’ve agreed to let a journalist and her crew follow me and my team around
for the first season so she can make a documentary about me. But I’m here to
tell you that the moment I laid eyes on her…oh, wait, that’s in the next question,
sorry!
What
did you think the first time you saw Olivia Grant? It’s probably not fit for family consumption if you
know what I mean. But let’s just say I was immediately obsessed by the thought
of everything about her.
Works for us. And your second thought? Ha, okay I see what you did there. Let’s see…my second thought about Olivia was that I wondered if she liked sleeping on the left or the right side of the bed.
So, was
it love at first sight? No, I don’t
believe in that. I’ve been married. I’ve seen those puppet strings. What it
was? A very strong physical attraction and one that we acted on, uh, pretty
quickly I guess. But it turned into something else, something even better.
What
do you like most about her? I love
her legs a lot. But I also adore her attitude, her courage, and her willingness
to put up with me.
How
would you describe Olivia? Sexy,
smart, sassy, a bit of a smart ass in a way I appreciate, an amazing cook, a
fun date, and she loves sports. I think I hit the jackpot this time around,
really.
How
would she describe you? Caveat: we
had an argument this morning about me wanting to get a dog and her not wanting
that responsibility so TODAY she might describe me as mule-headed and a giant
pain in the ass who has a hard time hitting the laundry basket with his dirty
drawers. But overall I think she’d call me devoted to my team and the kids and coaches
I work with, a great kisser, a decent fix-it guy, and a man devoted to her
happiness.
Awwww.
But we digress. What made you choose football coaching for a career? I’ve played football from the moment I was old enough
to figure out what it was. I don’t know life without it. And I really love coaching.
The x’s and o’s really drive me. And while I was nervous at first about being
in charge of and responsible for so many young men and futures, whether it
involves more football or just graduating from college, I really love it now.
What
is your biggest fear? Not being able
to get that dog I want, dang it. Seriously though, I do fear all the dangers
inherent in this game. I won’t pretend that it’s 100% safe. I know too many of
my fellow pro players who’ve retired with injuries including concussions. My
biggest fear would be anything involving a debilitating injury for one of my
players.
How
do you relax? I watch baseball. It’s
boring on one level, but also a statistical challenge on the other. And it’s one
of Olivia’s favorite sports to watch. So we relax together.
Who
is your favorite fictional character? I’m
a huge fan of Jack Reacher. Love that guy.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received? From my high school coach: Don’t take this too seriously. It’s game. But you’re only as good at as you want to be so put in the time and control what you can control.
Thanks
for this, Hatch. Now we’re going to switch and chat with Liz for a moment.
How
did it come to be that you and Desiree came together to write Numbers Game? I helped with a huge fundraiser for my kids’ school
(Pioneer High) which is located across the street from The Big House, where
Michigan plays football. Desiree is a Michigan alum and a fan of their football
team. We invited the (then new) coach Jim Harbaugh and his brother John (my
favorite NFL coach) to attend a Pioneer Hall of Fame Induction dinner and auction—John
actually graduated from Pioneer and played on their football team. We had these
cool commemorative footballs made and signed by both coaches so I made sure to
get one for Desiree. I sent it to her as a total surprise which was my first
lob over the net to get her to write a book with me!
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? This is my first book with The Wild Rose Press.
Desiree has been with them awhile so we are thrilled that they agreed to publish
it.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Right now, I’m judging books in the Orange County RWA contest so I have
4 books to read for them, but other than that, I’ve got “You Had Me at Hello”
by Mhairi McFarlane ready to go, as well Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan, and the
sequel to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
Lastly, what's up next and
when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I’ve got a new, second chance romance releasing in July, Backup
Offer. It’s the final book in a long-running, super popular Stewart Realty
series but is 100% stand along since it’s a “ten years later” look at a
relationship between a pair of teens that fell apart. They’ve drifted apart as
much as possible considering their families are so close but are destined to be
together! Also, I’ll have a duet of chick lit novels coming from The Wild Rose
Press in the fall PLUS a new installment of my Detroit Sports Network series: G.O.A.T.
Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the
University of Louisville living in Central Illinois. She's spent her time as a
three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery
owner and bar manager, and is currently a social media consultant and humane
society development director, in addition to being an award-winning author.
With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch,
inside fictional television stations and successful real estate offices, and
even in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are compelling and told
with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking
complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will
delight, at times frustrate, and always linger in the imagination long after
the book is finished.
https://twitter.com/LizCroweAuthor
http://www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor
https://www.instagram.com/lizcroweauthor/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-crowe
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4350864.Liz_Crowe
https://www.amazon.com/Liz-Crowe/e/B00573TC7M
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r2a2q5
A bit about Desiree Holt:
USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from
romantic suspense and contemporary on a variety of heat levels up to erotic, a
genre in which she is the oldest living author. She has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic
romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic
Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The
Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA
Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other
national and international publications.
www.facebook.com/desireeholtauthor
www.facebook.com/desiree01holt
TWITTER @desireeholt
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=Desiree+Holt
https://desireeholt.com/newsletter/
Love the character interview. Sounds like a fun story with a lot of character conflict.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great story! Best on it!
ReplyDeleteThanks to the hosts for having us and to you all for the great comments.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the book! Such a cute title!
ReplyDelete