Play by Piper Lawson (Review)

A book that shot up my 2016 favorite books list is this month’s recommendation. Read on for all the details, my book review, and how to enter for a chance to win a magic 8 ball and also get to name a secondary character in the follow up of PLAY!

This tour was brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours.

PLAY
Piper Lawson
Publication date: August 15th 2016
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

I’m Payton Blake. A successful, balanced twenty-something living the dream.

OK. So it’s a big, shiny-ass lie.I could be all of those things. If I had friends outside of work. And if I didn’t mainline watermelon slushies like they were a food group. It wouldn’t hurt if I’d had sex in the last year, either. (My best friend insists Jorge the Nightstand Boyfriend doesn’t count.)

But when you know where you’re headed, who needs to enjoy the ride? Even if part of me longed for a little between-the-sheets adventure, Max Donovan would be the last guy I’d call.Sure, he made the indie video game that broke the internet. His eyebrow piercing’s sexy, in an ‘are-you-in-a-band?’ kind of way, and fighting with him gets me off faster than Jorge on bezerker mode. But he’s arrogant. Presumptuous. Colder than a cactus and twice as prickly. And I’m not talking about his face, because the guy’s barely old enough to shave.None of it changes the fact that I crave Max Donovan like a watermelon slushy on a hot summer day.

I should ignore him. But I can’t, because he just became my biggest client. And whether he’ll admit it or not, he needs me even more than I need him.

So what happens when the girl who lives to work goes head-to-head with the guy who was born to PLAY?

Game on, Max Donovan.PLAY is a sassy standalone romantic comedy about life, love, and video games. For 18+ due to language and Kindle-incinerating steamy scenes.

Goodreads / Amazon

My Review

The one thing I love in romance novels is the one thing I rarely find. Relatable characters. And by that I don’t mean characters with a couple of traits that simply make them fall into a category with a neon sign screaming “a-hole bad boy” or “dominant CEO” or even “brooding hermit”. I mean 3-D real people with complex stories that make their reactions hard to predict. Heroes that don’t make you roll your eyes.

That’s where Piper Lawson delivers in spades. Max and Payton became my friends overnight. He’s way more complex than a sexy gaming genius geek. She’s way more interesting than a bank junior associate missing dates over balance sheets. And their relationship is way more plausible than your standard insta-attraction that goes wrong.

There’s scorching sexual tension, enough false-starts to want you to eat your Kindle but when these two do hook-up it’s the fourth of July. And it’s not just the build-up and the hot sex. It’s that by the time it happens, you’ll know both of them so well you won’t want to let go.

That’s the recipe for a book you won’t easily forget.

Author Bio:

Join my Insiders list now for a steamy exclusive excerpt! ➜ http://eepurl.com/bNQmYT

I love reading and writing about sassy, sexy, smart women and the guys who fall hard for them. Schooled is the introduction to my Travesty series about ambitious girls who chase their dreams of a fashion label from California to New York and back again.

My main household expenditures include books, coffee and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. Coffee = life (and I’ll defend it accordingly). I have two business degrees, neither of which I’ve leveraged into a fashion label.

Home is Canada plus occasional sunny winter escapes. Come find me on the tennis court, at the beach, on the web at http://www.piperlawsonbooks.com or on twitter @piperjlawson.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talon (The Uncompromising Series, Book 1)

by Sybil Bartel
Purchase Link: Amazon

 

I’ve been expecting Talon‘s book since Impossible Promise, where his “nothin’ doin'” drawl and surfer good looks completely at odds with his precision military-style moves captivated me. I wasn’t disappointed. Sybil Bartel‘s choice to write a full-length novel solely from the male protagonist’s point of view was risky but it paid off. Talon has a multi-layered personality, he can be tough as nails, sugar sensitive, sexy as hell. Here he surprises himself with his crippling need to also be protective and keep a woman by his side. And not just any woman. Nicole is tangled in such a complex web of sins and crimes, the last thing she’d expect was for a hit-and-run lover like Talon to take her under his wing. But he’s not alone. He’s got his team of hardcore ex-military men, who’d put their life on the line for him come hell or high water. Talon would take high water any time of the day, but it’s pure hell for him and Nicole. Yet, he’s the only man who can show her what heaven feels like.

Non-stop high octane action, tough love but also heart-rending emotion that literally had me in tears at one point. I didn’t want this book to end, and I can’t wait for Neil’s story.

About the Author

Sybil grew up in Northern California with her head in a book and her feet in the sand. She used to dream of becoming a painter but the heady scent of libraries with their shelves full of books about wistful summer days and first loves drew her into the world of storytelling. Her true literary love is the New Adult genre but really, any story about a love so desperately wrong and impossibly beautiful, makes her swoon.

Sybil now resides in Southern Florida and while she doesn’t get to read as much as she likes, she still buries her toes in the sand. If she’s not writing or fighting to contain the banana plantation in her backyard, you can find her spending time with her handsomely tattooed husband, her brilliantly practical son and a mischievous miniature boxer who stole her heart.

Connect with the Author

Site

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

 

Summer Lovin’ – 14 romances by 14 best-selling authors

Not one, not two, try fourteen contemporary fomances full of love and summer by best-selling authors. Summer Lovin’ is just what the doctor ordered for this summer. Also, the awesome Facebook party is today! Scroll down for the link. Don’t miss out!

14 Full-length Novels & Novellas

Available as a boxed set for a limited time

On sale now for only .99!

Regular Price $6.99

Buy Links

Amazon: http://indi.uno/1JlFwr0

iTunes: http://indi.uno/1DgZbre

Kobo: http://indi.uno/1NS3rPq

Google: http://indi.uno/1GlC7tG

B&N: http://indi.uno/1JtFltd

A savings of more than 75% if the books were purchased separately

Summer is heating up with 14 traditional romances from USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors, brought to you by Book Boyfriends Cafe. Foreword by USA Today bestselling author, Leanne Banks.

Cora Rules by Mel Curtis, USA Today Bestselling Author. NBA coach Trent Parker is a stickler for the rules, until he meets Cora Rule, the biggest rulebreaker of the Rule clan.

Surrender to Love by Raine English, USA Today Bestselling Author. When Tara Spencer agrees to spend the summer caring for her ailing grandmother, she has no idea how her life will be changed by the handsome stranger next door.

The Merry-Go-Round by Author Donna Fasano, USA Today Bestselling Author. When Lauren divorces her husband, her life quickly turns into a 3-ring circus. Will she step off the merry-go-round–or reach out and grab the brass ring?

Twist of Fate by Patti Forsythe, USA Today Bestselling author. Rebecca Perris is on a dangerous quest to find her sister, but when she meets Aaron al-Rashid again, it’s her heart that’s at risk.

Her French Count by Mona Risk, USA Today Bestselling Author. A Da Vinci Code in a French Chateau. The lovely American architect has turned his life upside down, but are his chateau and a missing statue worth endangering her life?

Love Me Forever by Ari Thatcher, USA Today Bestselling Author. Escaping to Maui to get over her divorce, Jen runs into her first love, who blew her off at the end of her vacation. Matt had given up hope of ever finding her again. Can he convince her to give him a second chance?

Playing the Rookie by Rachelle Ayala, National Bestselling Author. A rookie pitcher and a sports intern on the rebound connect to get over their exes. Will their fling turn into true love or destroy both of their careers?

Duke of Devonwood by Carly Carson, National Bestselling Author Sparks fly as Miranda plots to gain control of her inheritance from a modern day Duke who tries his best to resist her wiles. Can both of them win?

True North by Kelly Collins, National Bestselling Author. Alexa leaves Los Angeles with a scarred heart, a beat up car and a secret. She’s fleeing her hopelessness to find her future. Can a sexy stranger mend her heart and be her compass?

Fashion Victim by Suz deMello, best-selling, award-winning author: Hot isn’t a hot enough word to describe corporate raider Fletcher Wolf, but since he’s suing couturier Cara Fletcher for, oh, a gazillion dollars, she figures she shouldn’t hit on him…at least not too hard.

Season, Unforgettable by Keta Diablo, National Bestselling Author. He promised his mother he’d wrap up the Pine Bay project, and he would have if not for a nature lover who can’t be bought at any price. Now he’s fighting for the other side, fighting to recapture his abandoned dreams, and fighting to win her heart.

Most Likely to Turn up the Heat by Cheryl Harper. Sue Walker’s “no soldiers, no cops, no coworkers” policy doesn’t stand a chance against injured cop turned high school security guard Max Holt. His mission to return to Dallas and danger could be the deal breaker.

My Favorite What If by Lyssa Layne, National Bestselling Author. Jacob “Smitty” Smith and Sloan Talbott have both have been hurt. Neither is looking for love. Will one week in paradise be a fling to remember or could it possibly lead to something more?

Relay For Love by Susan Ann Wall, National Bestselling Author. A cancer survivor who celebrates in silence…a widow who remembers the man she lost…a fight back where two hearts battle to be together.

Facebook Party

Don’t miss out on the fabulous Facebook party on May 19!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/378702042312928/

Pumkin: A Cinderama Story by Ines Johnson

A fairytale-flavored romance by Ines Johnson is on the menu today. Read on for all the book details plus a tasty excerpt.

Pumkin: A Cinderama Story

by Ines Johnson

Released: March 10, 2015

Purchase Link: Amazon

Blurb

Single mother Malika “Pumpkin” Tavares lost faith in fairytales after she fell for a toad. Now she believes she’s not cut from the storybook, heroine cloth and searches for Mr. Good Enough amongst the sidekicks and supporting men of the town.

Love at first sight isn’t a cliche for town royalty Armand “Manny” Charmayne. For generations the Charmaynes have spotted their soulmates by seeing a golden aura the first time they laid eyes on The One.

When Manny meets Pumpkin he sees…nothing, but sparks fly off the richter scale. The more he gets to know her the more he considers defying fate, if only he can convince her to take a chance on love again.

Purchase Links

Amazon Purchase Link

Goodreads

Excerpt

The Grand Gesture

The Mistress of Ceremonies hurried through her introductions and then the microphone was in Manny’s hand, but he didn’t take out the notes of his prepared speech.

“Many of you knew my mother,” he began. There was a murmur of nostalgic assent throughout the crowd.

“You may not know that after her diagnosis, she spent most of her days watching romantic comedies. She believed she could laugh the illness out of her body. Her favorite moments in these films were something called the Grand Gesture. That scene just after all hope is lost because one of the lovers, normally the guy, has done something stupid that’s led to the end of the relationship. So he thinks up this bold, romantic move to get the woman back.”

A glance around the room told Manny that he held the largely female crowd in rapt attention.

“An example of a grand gesture would be a guy telling his estranged wife that she completes him in the midst of an angry mob of women. Or rescuing her underwear from the class geek and returning it to her at her sister’s wedding. Or holding a boom box over his head, in front of her bedroom window, early in the morning, while blasting the song that was playing as he deflowered her.”

A different wave of nostalgia swept through the crowd this time as they remembered these treasured moments of Hollywood cinema.

“In the real world, some people might call these behaviors creepy, or stalker-ish. But not my mother. She loved them. She believed in love, believed that when you loved someone you said it loud, you showed it often, and you never gave up.”

Manny paused here, partly for effect, mostly to collect himself as visions of his mother’s joyous face played in his head. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his chest.

“The national divorce rate is 50 percent.”

There was no surprise in the room, where most of the men were older and the women on their arms were younger.

“There’s never been a divorce in the Charmayne family. Not one recorded anywhere in our family line.”

The sparkle of young women’s eyes threatened to blind Manny from where he stood on the stage.

“What that means is when a Charmayne gives you their pledge, they are committed.”

The decision was a split second one, but once Manny made it he stuck with it. He stepped around the podium, mic in hand and dropped to one knee. The gasp of every woman in the room was near deafening.

“To earn your vote, I will do whatever I have to, including blast Peter Gabriel in the streets. Charmaynes don’t quit. I’m committed to this, to the people of this town. I hope that I can count on your vote.”

The room erupted in thunderous applause, and the women’s eyes sparkled even brighter.

Author Bio

Ines writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandalous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you’ll love her books!

Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she’s contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations.

Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast.

Connect with the author

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ineswrites

Twitter

https://twitter.com/ineswrites

Website

https://inesjohnson.wordpress.com/

Publisher

http://heartspell.com/

Finding Us by Debra Presley (Cover Reveal)

A cover reveal today. Finding Us is a Contemporary Romance with a music-star theme set to be released in March. What’s interesting here is that the heroine is the pop star, and her love interest is her bodyguard. Check it out.

Title: Finding Us (A Nucci Securities Novel) by Debra Presley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 2015

BookTrailer http://youtu.be/MlxN5_Wnd2U

Playlist http://bit.ly/1KLJydZ

Add the book to Goodreads  http://bit.ly/1v5DUJw

Synopsis:

Pop star Abby Murphy has fame and fortune and handsome boyfriend and guitarist, Sean. That changes the night she finds him in the arms of another woman. But Sean won’t accept the breakup, and she soon finds out he’s working with her mother, who’s also her manager, to keep him in her good graces.

As Sean ratchets up his threats against her, Abby turns to her bodyguard, Danny Nucci, who will do everything in his power to keep her safe.

But when Abby realizes her feelings for Danny run much deeper than she’d like, she pushes him away as much to keep her own independence as to protect him from Sean’s machinations.

When Abby finally finds the strength to confront all that is wrong with her life, she seeks refuge with Danny, but is it too late? Has she pushed him away one too many times for him to trust her now? Or can he put his own demons aside to help repair them both?

Meet The Author

Debra is a native New Yorker who made her escape to the suburbs. She often visits her hometown to enjoy a bagel with butter from her favorite deli, because there’s no better bagel than a New York bagel. When not in search of bagels, Debra spends her time running Book Enthusiast Promotions, an online promotions company that helps indie authors spread the word about their books. She’s also the owner of The Book Enthusiast blog.

She started writing lyrics in her wall-to-wall NKOTB bedroom at the tender age of thirteen while dreaming of the day she’d become Mrs. Jordan Knight. That dream never came to fruition, but she has continued to write. Now she’s working on her first novel.

Social Links

StreetTeam: http://on.fb.me/1AlC2Sk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebraPresley?ref=hl

TSU: https://www.tsu.co/TheBookEnthusiast

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7778350.Debra_Presley

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebraPresleyAut
Website: http://authordebrapresley.com
Blog: http://thebookenthusiast.net/
Tumblr: http://thebookenthusiast1.tumblr.com/
Google +: http://bit.ly/1B0SOGz
YouTube: http://bit.ly/1xVkzAF
Newsletter:  http://on.fb.me/ZjeuPH
Pinterest:  http://bit.ly/149Wav2

Secrets: A Sapphire Springs novel by Savannah Morgan

An adult contemporary romance that delves into the dark world of organized crime and government covert ops is today’s suggestion. Add lots of steamy sexiness, and you got yourself a winner!

Title: Secrets (A Sapphire Springs novel)
Author: Savannah Morgan
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Purchase Link: Amazon (Free with Kindle Unlimited)

Blurb

Enter a world of danger, lust, intrigue and love. Enter the world of Sapphire Springs, Montana where the suspense will have you on the edge of your seat and the sexy romances will have your panties melting and your heart pounding.

There is a world of Secrets out there. A world where nothing is as it seems. A world of the Italian Mafia, Eurasian Crime Organizations and Government Black Ops.

Tia Mitchel has lived a dual life from a young age. Now as an adult, with desires and needs of her own, she fights for her right to live the life she wants rather than the one mapped out for her since birth.

Cole Lawson quit The Unit after being betrayed and left in enemy hands. Now he is being pulled back in for one final mission. Destroy the woman he loves and he gains his freedom forever.

Come take a harrowing journey with Tia and Cole as they fight insurmountable odds against each other, two Mafia factions, the US Government, and the lies and secrets that have kept them apart. Will trusting one another be more deadly than the secrets they keep?

Author’s Note: For audience 18+; Adult content. Although Secrets is a standalone book, I would highly recommend you read Dreams: A Sapphire Springs Novel, book 1, first. The Sapphire Springs series is a connected series in that the characters are reoccurring and are connected through deep familial ties and friendships.

Don’t miss Dreams: A Sapphire Springs Novel, Book 1 in the Sapphire Springs series. Great Amazon reviews!

About the Author

Savannah lives in the Deep South with her husband and their 2 rescued dogs. She loves animals and has a small wacky wild kingdom at her home. Many of the neighbor hood animals come to visit frequently. Savannah and her husband have also lived and traveled throughout the US and parts of Europe during their 25 year marriage.
Savannah is a new author and is currently working on several titles to include more in the Sapphire Springs series. Please visit her at any of the online locations below.

Connect with Savannah

Website     Amazon     Authorgraph     Goodreads      Youtube     Facebook     Facebook 2     Google+     Twitter     Pinterest     ARe    Ello     TSU

Switching Leads by Mia Downing (m/m erotic romance)

A fresh m/m novella with an equestrian theme is today’s suggestion. The blurb is perfection. Check out Switching Leads (Campus Cravings: Higher Learning series) by Mia Downing.

Switching Leads
Author: Mia Downing
Genre: M/M Erotic Romance
Length: 28,000

 
 

Blurb

Coach John Graham needs a new assistant coach for Cathia U’s equestrian team. The last person he expects to get the job walks into the barn and stops his heart. How is he supposed to focus on the team when his ex-lover—sexy horse trainer Finn Parker—wants back into his life?

Finn has had a hell of a bad year, ending with a horrible riding accident. Instead of looking forward to winter in sunny Florida training horses for the show circuit, he ends up going home to snowy Cathia, NY to heal, physically and emotionally. He’ll endure John’s frosty reception if it means he’ll get what he wants most. He’s used to taking the reins…for love will he switch leads?

 
Excerpt from Switching Leads (Campus Cravings: Higher Learning series)
 

A soft knock rattled the door. John pushed away just as it opened and Finn shoved his head in.

“Oh, hey,” Finn said. “Can I talk to you?”

“Busy,” John managed, his throat tight, choking down any other words that wanted to come out. Of course, it had to be Finn. He strode over to the desk and shuffled papers through his trembling hands, hoping it all looked natural. Just close the door and go away.

“You okay?” Finn slid through the small gap and shut the door behind him.

Was he? His hand froze on the note Rob had left him earlier, reminding him about Finn starting today, knowing John rarely checked email on the weekend. “Fine.”

“You have to talk to me at some point.” Finn cocked his head. “It’s just a matter of time.”

John whirled and leaned against the desk, his heart racing. Talking wasn’t good. If he was already seeking Finn’s approval, how long would it be before Finn coaxed him into bed? March? February? Hell, next week? Did he have that much will power? How long before his heart would be trampled again?

_____________________

Available now!

Purchase Links:

Amazon

B&N

Kobo

ARE

Smashwords

Add to your wish list on Goodreads.

 

Also check out, Mia Downing’s other m/m release, Just Ask.

More About Mia Downing…

Mia Downing started creating heroes at age four, but her heroes back then rode ponies to rescue the princess and only kissed her on the cheek. Today, Mia’s heroes still rescue those in need, but the price of their toys and the expertise of their seduction leads to a lot more than a peck on the cheek. When Mia isn’t busy creating new stories for her readers she fills in as an underwear model for a prestigious lingerie company. She also lives in New England with her family and enjoys horses and knitting.

Fun facts: Mia can juggle (poorly,) create balloon animals and face paint. She was the hit entertainment of two family parties. No clown suits were involved.

Find Mia on the Web! 

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon

Twitter

Pinterest

Website

Website

Let Me Love You by Iris Blobel

A sweet cover with the perfect color palette for a sports romance is today’s suggestion. Here’s Let me love you, Book Two of the Australian Sports Stars series by Iris Blobel.

Blurb:

Oliver Dempsey, pitcher for a Melbourne baseball club, loves the women, and they love him…

But he keeps them at an arm’s length, and when he meets Tamara, he’s unprepared for the attraction he feels for her.  Told by his coach that she’s off limits, only draws him in more.

Tamara Amis moved to Melbourne to find some distance between her past and herself…

With the help of her uncle, the coach of a Melbourne baseball club, she quickly finds a job, and a place to live. Yet, one meeting with the handsome pitcher stirs unexpected emotions that threaten to overwhelm her.

It’s Oliver’s injury that brings them together, but as they find out about each other’s pasts, how can they be ready to share a future?

Buy Links:

Publisher: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/product/let-me-love-you/

Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1Aq2J7r

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1AzCCf

Author:

Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent some time living in Scotland, London, as well as Canada where she met her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper only emerged a few years back, but now her laptop is a constant companion. Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her beautiful two daughters as well as their dog. Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.

Connect with Iris:

Blog: www.iris-b.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/irisblobel

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_Iris_B

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/iblobel/

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/107759085454255573026/posts

Excerpt:

Sweat ran down Oliver’s back, soaking his shirt. He’d been on the field for a couple of hours, but frustration grew in him with every ball he missed. He placed his hands on his knees and took a deep breath, fixing his stare at the ground. For Pete’s sake, he was a pitcher, not a hitter, and well known for his fastballs as well as his perfect curveballs. Alas, he had neglected his hitting. Today, his swing was below average, and, unable to focus, he walked over to the bench where he spotted Coach Becker shaking his head towards him.

Pointing his finger back towards the field, the coach said, “Head right back out there, Oliver. You need to improve your hand-eye coordination. I want to see more, and better.”

Oliver cursed under his breath. “It’s not going to happen. My shoulder’s killing me. It’s been a long day.”

Coach Erik Becker rubbed his face.

“It’s not gonna happen today,” Oliver persisted.

With a grimace on his face, his coach nodded.

“Righteo, call it a day. But I want you back out there again in the morning, though.”

Oliver eased off his gloves and shoved them into his back pocket, before removing his helmet.

The coach gave him a gentle slap on his back. “I need you to concentrate more tomorrow. Remember what I told you. You need to focus on your proper stance as well as swinging the bat. Keep your eye on the ball as it comes towards you. Try to connect the bat with the ball, preferably at the fat of the bat. We have a game coming up soon. Go and deal with the shoulder issue. Check in for a massage.”

Oliver wiped his forehead with his arm when he noticed a woman standing in the coach’s shadow. Raising his eyebrows, he nodded towards her as to ask who she was.

Erik turned slightly. “Oliver, this is my niece, Tamara. She’s moved here from Perth. Tamara, this is Oliver.”

Oliver extended his hand towards her. “Nice meeting you.”

She ignored his hand and took a step back. Taken aback by her reaction, Oliver instinctively checked his hand for dirt or sweat. Questioningly, he looked at his coach.

Erik ignored the situation and simply said, “Have your shower and see me before you head off to discuss your training schedule.”

Nodding, Oliver took another quick look at Tamara. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and he was puzzled by her expression. It seemed as if her intense blue eyes were trying to hide something. The distant look in them was almost mysterious, and combined with her body language, he couldn’t help but get the impression something was wrong. She was very guarded.

With one last look towards Tamara, Oliver turned and left.

As soon as he got to the locker room, he peeled off his t-shirt. Pain shot through him the instant he lifted his right shoulder. He’d been ignoring the twinge during the training session, but knew he had to have it looked at. The fucking skateboard rider had nearly knocked him over the previous day when he came out of nowhere. Oliver hadn’t had a chance to move out of the way fast enough and slammed his shoulder into a post.

He slowly stripped out of his track pants before grabbing a can of Coke out of his bag. Leaning against the wall, he chugged half of the drink while enjoying the quietness around him. Everyone else was still out on the field trying to please Coach Becker. He choked a laugh, hoping his mates would put Erik in a better mood than he had. They had a few important games over the next few weeks before the season ended, and for the first time in years, the club was doing well.

As he walked to the showers, he thought about his training session and wondered whether his shoulder was to blame for the bad hits, or his lack of training. But who was he kidding, he always liked to throw everything he had at people, yet was hopeless in receiving anything thrown at him. That applied in baseball and in life. When he’d been to see his first baseball game as a kid in Los Angeles, he’d known he was born to pitch.

_____________________

Here’s Love Will Find You (Australian Sports Star Series Book 1)
Book #1 in the Australian Sports Stars series. Another awesome cover.