New York Yankees’ Record: 69-61

Contemporary Romance, Reality TV Show

Blurb:

In New York City, seven writers compete for a hundred thousand dollars, a publishing contract with Bright House, and the title of the next bestseller. One is Felicity James. One is Victor Guzman.

Drama, plagiarism, and trash talk play out to enthralled audiences across the country as all seven contestants compete against each other in a range of heated challenges, with tensions reaching breaking point. As Felicity and Victor start up a show‐mance, their relationship burns up the ratings.

Will this sizzling fling escalate into a vicious battle for money and fame, or will these two authors manage to write their own happy ending?


Excerpt:

“A head-hop is a sudden point of view switch.”

“What?” Felicity glanced up from the book she was reading — one of Nicole Roberts’s. She’d actually packed it, having no foresight whatsoever that the woman she’d long admired was going to be judging her.

Victor sat on the edge of her bed, turning his body just enough to face her where she was propped against the headboard. “Like, if you are in Mookie’s point of view and you’re telling us how Mookie feels … that Mookie desires Dookie with a fierce passion he’s never felt before and then you suddenly switch over and tell us what Dookie is feeling … you’re switching POV. It can be jarring to a reader. Some publishers allow it. Some don’t. It’s something to watch for in your genre of writing.” He watched her intently as though waiting for her response.

Her book discarded in her lap, Felicity didn’t know what to say. She was unnerved by his sudden kindness and also by the fact he was on her bed, next to her, and he looked good enough to … no, no.

He blinked at her and apparently assumed she didn’t comprehend, because he continued, “Mookie and Dookie are … are eating sandwiches. Mookie is thinking his salami tastes too peppery and doesn’t Dookie look funny with her hair all messed up? And then suddenly Dookie is thinking Mookie looks like he’s tasted something bad. Basically, you have to choose one point of view, Mookie’s or Dookie’s, and stick with it. Say you choose Mookie. If Mookie can’t see it, hear it, taste it, feel it, touch it, he can’t tell us about it.”

Throughout his explanation, his hands moved animatedly, pantomiming different things: eating a sandwich, having messy hair, the act of hearing, but Felicity couldn’t get past one thing.

“Where the hell do you come up with your character names?” She chortled with laughter. Her insides hurt she laughed so hard, and her spirits lifted. Tears ran down her face. He looked bewildered momentarily and soon joined in, his dimples flashing.

“I mean, those names are sooo unromantic. I have no words,” she finally gasped out when she got control of her wits.

“Well, I don’t know. I’m a guy.” He spread his hands out, palms up.

Felicity turned serious, thinking about what he’d said. “So, the five senses? Like, if I’m narrating a scene and you don’t convey something, I can’t know what you’re thinking, unless you say it aloud or something in your body language tells me. I have to hear it or see it myself to tell the reader about it.”

“Exactly.” And suddenly, before she could react, he reached out and tenderly touched her cheek, brushing away an escaped tear.

Felicity held her breath. His touched burned a trail on her face. She fought the urge to close her eyes and just savor it, this second of … of … whatever was between her and this guy. If she could capture the moment and bottle it, she would. She’d dab the feeling all over her body every day.

She cleared her throat as his finger left her face. “Why are you helping me?”

“I don’t know.” His voice was strained, tired. His expression was one of bewilderment. What was going on behind the brown depths of his gaze? “But I’m not in cahoots with Tiffani. I want to just get that out of your pretty head right now.”

He thinks I’m pretty? Aloud, she said, “Then what was that about? Yesterday? What Tiffani said?” She crossed her arms over her chest, the only barrier she had at the moment, but what was she protecting? Her pride? Her heart?

He sighed and stared at the floor next to her bed. “I was a fool and ended up hurting myself more than you. The extent of our corroboration is switching beds. I thought my nearness — yes, arrogant ass, I know — would throw you off your game, ’cause, frankly, I see you as the biggest threat.”

“Um…” He’d managed to insult her and compliment her at the same time. Felicity couldn’t stop the wrinkle marring her brow. “Okay, well, ‘thank you’ and ‘what the fuck’ both come to mind.” She released an uncomfortable laugh and fingered the pages of her novel. They’d all be dog-eared by the time she was done. Hopefully, Ms. Roberts wouldn’t see it.

He offered a sheepish grin.

“So you thought my game could be thrown off as easily as that? I’m not some high school girl. I’m a grown-ass thirty-year-old woman, and I’m not easily sidetracked.” Well … she bit her lips to stop the smile that threatened to emerge.

His t-shirt pulled against taut muscles as he pushed himself off the bed. The urge to reach out and grab him, to pull him down until his long body covered hers almost overwhelmed her. Hot fire built in her lower belly, and she was grateful for her dark skin. If she’d been a pale woman, the heat and desire within her would be evident as it burned through her flesh.

“I realize that now.” His voice was low and husky. He had his hands in his pockets as he turned away from her bed.

“Wait,” she called after him. “How did you end up hurting yourself?”

“You snore,” he said over his shoulder. “I can’t sleep a wink with all that racket.”

“What?” Felicity gaped at his retreating back and before he got too far away, she hefted her pillow and threw it in his direction. It landed on the floor next to him, and he laughed all the way out of the room, great, shoulder-moving gusts of laughter.

Tara Chevrestt is a deaf woman, former aviation mechanic, dog mom, writer, and editor. You’ll never see her without her Kindle or a book within reach. As a child, she would often take a flashlight under the covers to finish the recent Nancy Drew novel when she was supposed to be sleeping.

Tara is addicted to Law & Order: SVU, has a crush on Cary Grant, laughs at her own jokes, and is constantly modifying recipes and experimenting in the kitchen. Her theme is Strong is Sexy. She writes about strong women facing obstacles—in the military, with their handicaps, or just learning to accept themselves. Her heroines can stand alone and take care of themselves, but they often find love in the process.


~You can connect with her on Facebook or follow her blog.

It’s been well noted that the Yankees have had to deal with injury after injury the first half of the season. It’s almost the All-Star break and I think all of the players that were out at the start of the season are still on the DL today. But this weekend Yankee fans got to see their Captain on the field again. No, it wasn't at Yankee Stadium taking on the Orioles. Saturday, Derek Jeter took the field for the first time in nine months, playing for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.  In five innings he went 0- for -2 with a walk. Sunday he recorded his first hit for the 2013 season, going 1- for -2 with 2 walks. The Yankee organization is saying he will be back after the All-Star game. I know I can’t wait to see him back out there again. I mean, come on, isn't he just the cutest thing ever?

The three walks Jeter got this weekend makes me wonder what the younger pitchers are thinking when they are facing a future hall of famer. Are they determined to strike him out, proving, if only to themselves that they are good enough to play at a high level? Or are they left just as satisfied when someone like Jeter gets a hit off of them, because they consider themselves lucky to play on the same field as that person? Sometimes when I’m watching Mariano Rivera pitch I ask myself that question, except it’s aimed at the batter. As a fan of baseball I would take the broken bat any day if it came as a result of Mo’s cutter. So that’s my question to you this week. What would be going through your mind if you were a young pitcher, and had to face Derek Jeter? Or what about having to stand 60 feet, 6 inches away from Mo? I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. :)

~ Be sure to hop on over to my fellow author friend, Eden Connor's blog. I'm sure she's going to brag on her Braves a little, and maybe share another chapter from Guarding the Line.

I’m changing it up this week. Instead of talking about my Yankees I’m going to switch it over to talking about my six year old daughter’s amazing All-Star team. I hope you don’t mind while a proud mama brags about her kid.

Out of about twenty players, these twelve six and seven year old girls were picked to represent their softball league. These girls are young in age, but very driven and strong when it comes to their talent. A lot of that talent comes from the parents who take the time to work with them, and from the wonderful coaches who spend anywhere between two and three afternoons a week practicing with them...and that’s not even counting the games. In fact, my daughter’s regular season coach would schedule individual practices just to make sure each girl got enough attention. You wouldn't think so, but even in this age group, there are coaches out there who are obsessed with winning and could care less about a young kid’s feelings, or you might be stuck with a coach who is only out there for his/her child. I have to admit, for the most part, we've gotten lucky. This past season was so much fun. 

But while this game was taught to these girls, it’s their love for it that plays a big role in them being talented. They played in the heat, and some played sick. And on top of all that, most of them had to learn to play positions they’d never played before in a short amount of time.

In the distract they came in 2nd place. And even though they didn't win a game during the state tournament, I couldn't be more proud of the heart they showed out of the field every day.

Congratulations West Cheatham All-Stars!

Be sure to stop by Eden Connor's blog. There's no telling what she has in store for you this week. :)

It has been a crazy couple of weeks for me, as I'm trying to get Trusting Patience ready for release. Before being published, I would hear other authors talk about deadlines and spending days locked away in their offices when they were finishing up edits. I couldn't wait until that was me. I wanted to look like a crazy person who hadn't gotten out of their pj's in a couple days, and walked around the house talking to themselves and cursing when a thought popped in their head, but for the life of them couldn't find a pen. 

Now that my dream has come true - looking like a crazy person, and all - I've learned it's a lot more stressful than I thought. But in the middle of all this stress, I try to remember how cool my job is. I mean, I get to do what I love every day.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm so sorry I missed last week's Monday Night Bleacher Report. I haven't been able to watch as many games as usual, because of my crazy schedule, but I do try to catch an inning here and there. And I have to say the west coast hasn't been too nice to the Yanks. First they were swept by the A's, and then lost the first two games to the Angels. 

But in the middle of all this, second baseman, Robinson Cano was named the AL Captain for the Home Run Derby at this year's All-Star Game. Don't get me wrong, I love Robbie Cano. I think he's the best second baseman in the league, has the sweetest swing in baseball, and all that jazz, but I find this news shocking. 

After winning the 2011 Home Run Derby, Cano was named the AL Captain for last year's All-Star Game. The fans in Kansas City weren't forgiving when he didn't pick their Billy Butler for the AL team, and they made sure he knew it. It was awful to watch, especially with Cano's dad throwing bp to him. And to make matters worse, he didn't hit not one home run.

But this is a new year, and I hope Robbie kicks some butt. I'm curious as to who he will pick. And do you think his dad will pitch to him again? Since he has the most home runs in the AL, I'm thinking he might pick the O's, Chris Davis. And I hope his dad is there with him for the third time. When Cano won it in 2011, it was such a memorable moment with him and his dad. *Brought a tear to my eye* 

Don't forget to stop by Eden Connor's blog for another chapter in Guarding the Line. 

We’ve been away for the past two weeks, but the Baseball Babes are back! I honestly can’t believe it’s already June. The Yankees have been having one heck of a season. When you take in account all the injuries of some big time players it can be a little surprising at well we've been doing. But that’s baseball for ya. Sometimes it just doesn’t make a lick of sense. 

The beginning of last week the Yankees went up against the NY Mets. Now, before the Mets and Yankees stepped on the field together the Mets had an 18-29 record—indicating that they’ve had their share of struggles. Even the Mets’ COO in so many words said his team wouldn’t be making it to the playoffs. The Yankees’ record was 30-20. Now, who do you think took that series based on those numbers? The Yankees, right? So, you can understand my dropped jaw when the freaking Mets swept my Yanks. So, I will say it again, “that’s baseball for ya”. 

After leaving NY, the Mets went to Miami to play the Marlins. The Marlins are one of the worst teams in baseball right now. And what happens, you might ask? The Marlins sweep the Mets! How in the heck did that happen? I have no idea. Again, “that’s baseball for ya”.

I guess that keeps the game interesting and completely unpredictable. Sometimes there is a pitching ace on the mound who just doesn’t have their best stuff that day. Or maybe for some reason the bats have gone quiet on a potent offensive team. Hell, it could be because a squirrel ran across the field…lol. Fans just never know what’s in store when their team takes the field. It can drive us crazy…but we love it. 

The Yankees' record - 31-25

My question for you: what’s the biggest surprise for you this season? Is your team playing well?

Make sure to check in with Eden Connor and her Braves. 

It's hard to believe that the month of April is almost over. Baseball season is long, but when you love it as much as me, Eden, and Kathleen do, it can't be long enough. 

My Yankees struggled the first week of April, but I'm happy to say that we've now found our groove. They are known as a home run hitting team, and since a lot of our home run hitters are on the DL, everyone said the Yankees were going to have to learn how to manufacture runs. I think they have done that in some ways, but with the addition of Hafner, Wells, and Youkilis they are still hitting them out of the park. You add Cano in the mix, who is always a BIG bat in the lineup, and we still are known for the long ball. We are only second in all of baseball in home run totals. I believe Eden's Braves are first. See, I can praise another team for their accomplishments...sometimes. :) 

You will have to wait till next Monday to catch up on Kathleen's Dbacks, as she is on vacation this week, but for the next chapter in Guarding the Line, please jump over to Eden Connor's blog. Are you loving that story as much as I am? 

How did your team do this month? Who leads the team in home runs?

I have to admit that I was on edge Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday because my Yankees were taking on Kathleen’s Diamondbacks. I would probably have to quit all social media outlets and stop the Baseball Babes blog, because I knew if the Yankees didn't do well Kathleen and Eden were going to let me know about it every chance they got. Don’t ever let those sweet Babes fool you. They're lethal when it comes to a Yankee fan. 

Lucky for me, the Yankees won the series 2-1. Game one, with Robinson Cano hitting a 3 run homerun, the Yankees won 4-2. The next night (game 2), with our ace C.C Sabathia on the mound and once longtime Cleveland Indian’s player Travis Hafner making a pitch hitting appearance in the eighth, the Yankee beat the Diamondbacks with a score of 4-3. Unfortunately, in extra innings, the Dbacks beat the Yankees Thursday (game 3) with a 6-2 score. Overall I’m very happy with how my guys preformed. It was an exciting series.

This past weekend the Yankees traveled to Canada to face the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays spent a lot of money in the off-season and were expected to be the leader of the AL East. After watching the Miami Marlins, who were expected to make a big splash last year, but failed to do so, I never determine a team by what’s on paper anymore. Players get injured and sometimes a team just doesn't mesh. We’ll see how it works out in the end. The Yankees also took this series 2-1. :) 

Make sure you stop by Eden and Kathleen's blogs. What about you? Did your team make you proud this week?

How did your team do this past week? I want to know. 

If you haven't already done so, jump over to Kathleen Grieve and Eden Connor's blogs-my fellow baseball babes. :)

I know I write romance, and one of books features a hero who is a former major league baseball player, and at least two of my heroines in the Patience Series love the sport, but sometimes during this season I will just put the writing on the back burner and just talk baseball. This is one of those weeks. I hope you don’t mind.

New York Yankees record after week one – 2-4

So, there is no sugar coating the Yankees first week of ball—it stunk. *I don’t want to hear it, Kathleen and Eden* Yep, I’m admitting it. I was going back and forth with another Yankee fan on Facebook this week, and we concluded it just didn’t look like our team out there on the field. I can name all the players, and have seen them play on other teams, but the everyday players we (fans) are accustomed to watching have either moved on or injured.

Let’s take the Captain, Derek Jeter. I mean, come on, Opening Day didn’t feel right without him in the line-up. If I can recall, I think this is only the second time since Jeter was brought up that he didn’t play on Opening Day. Then, on top of our everyday short-stop being hurt and rehabbing in Tampa, our centerfielder, third baseman, first baseman, and back up short-stop are all on the DL.  On a good note—two additions to the team, Vernon Wells and Kevin Youkilis have made a big impact. Yeah, I can’t believe I’m thankful for a damn ex Red Sox player at the moment either. 

Yesterday they played the Detroit Tigers, and went up against Justin Verlander of all pitchers. He’s considered to be one of the best, if not the best, pitcher in all of baseball right now. The Yankees had, C.C. Sabathia, their ace on the mound. They won the game 7-0. To see a lot of these bench players and newcomers step up was a bright spot in this miserable week.

How about you guys…how did your teams do this week?

If you haven't already done so, jump over to Kathleen Grieve and Eden Connor's blogs-my fellow baseball babes. :)