Man of the Year is about a baseball pitcher—are you a big baseball fan?
Ive been a fan of my local team—the Baltimore Orioles for the past seven years and before them, the Seattle Mariners. I follow the standings all summer. Just dont ask me to quote statistics—Im terrible with numbers! What I really enjoy about baseball is the intelligence of the game. The players have to be fast and strong, but they also have to be smart to play well—pitchers especially. Baseball players make great romance heroes because of that intelligence. I loved creating Jarrett: he combines the best of brains with physical perfection and strength. What woman wouldnt be attracted to that combination?
Did you draw on any real-life heroes to create the sexy and self-assured Jarrett Corliss?
I actually got the idea for this story from watching Little League and wondering what happened to those young boys when they grew up. Jarretts swagger and self-assurance grew out of the playground antics I observed. At the time I wrote the book, Randy Johnson was pitching for the Mariners and Ken Griffey Junior played centerfield. Both men had a presence and strength on and off the field that was very attractive. Players like Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez and others were also inspirations for Jarrett.
What about the heroine, Samantha James? She believes that she cant have both a successful career and love, something many women struggle with. Why did you want to pursue this theme in the book?
I think every woman has to choose what—and who—matters most and what makes her the most happy. Life requires making choices. I also believe that with a good partner, you can succeed far better than you can alone. Love supports your dreams and buffers failure.
Samantha has, like so many successful women, compartmentalized her life into I can do this and this, but not that. But by doing so, she is giving up her strength. She has to realize that with Jarrett she is stronger than she is alone. Its interesting that she learns that lesson from him—he knows they are better together than apart, but she has to work toward that truth.
Family is also a big theme in the story. How does that come through?
For me, family isnt just blood relationships. Its every person you care for in your life. I wanted to show the emotional bonds we form with people on a multitude of levels. Samantha feels as responsible for her employees as she does for her brother, and they in turn support her. You could almost see them as her children or her younger siblings. Samanthas assistant Brenda is her best friend—they are sisters in all but name. Even Jarretts team is a large family. When he calls on them, they respond like the band of brothers I think every good team becomes.
The hero and heroine first meet in a steamy scene. What was your strategy to keep the sparks flying between them?
Samantha and Jarrett both are strong-willed, stubborn and certain that they each know the correct path to take. The wonder is that I could bring them together at all! I love that first scene, and its the only one that stayed the same from first edit to last. There is such power in their attraction to each other, that no matter how much they fight against it, they cant deny the need they have for one another.
This is your first book for Harlequin. Tell us a bit about your journey.
That is a story itself, mostly because it took so long. I had never written much more than a letter when I decided to write Man of the Year way back in 1994. I knew a few writers—some struggling, some successful—and had an I can do that moment because of them. I submitted the manuscript to a couple of publishers and an agent, but I had a big problem: there just wasnt a market then for sports-themed romance. I did get some great comments on the characters and writing style, though. So, I stuck it in the proverbial magic drawer where it could await its future debut.
The positive reception of my first book didnt spur me to try to get published immediately. I knew I loved writing, but I also knew I needed to learn more about the process and develop my skills as a writer. Shortly after that, my husband and I sailed our thirty-seven foot boat from Seattle and around the Caribbean via the Panama Canal—a five-year trip. While we sailed, I spent time writing a lot of travel essays. I have a couple of partially complete novels from those days that still languish, unfinished for lack of a clear plot line, though I did finish one manuscript. More than anything, it was a wonderful time to learn my craft.
When we came back to land, writing took a backseat to a new business and land-life. Still reading romance novels, I began to notice more and more all kinds of athletes as heroes. In 2006, I pulled Man of the Year out of the drawer, edited it and sent it to two agents. One of them, Mary Sue Seymour, took me as a client and placed the book with Harlequin American Romance. A year later, after one re-write, they agreed to publish and here I am!
How would you describe your writing style to readers?
I like writing that is crisp and straight-forward, with a dash of wit. I try to keep the pace quick, with dialog and action that lets the characters tell their story. I hope the reader will laugh at some of the aggravating situations I throw Samantha and Jarrett into. I imagine those aggravations will turn out to be some of the funniest stories Samantha will tell her grandchildren.
Do you have another book coming out soon?
I was thrilled when, three days before Christmas, Harlequin told me they wanted to buy my second book. That was a wonderful present for me! It is the first of three linked books set on Chesapeake Bay involving a big Italian family, boats and lots of babies. The first one will be out sometime in 2009.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Just that Im excited to be a part of Harlequin. All those years ago, when I first wrote Man of the Year, getting published by Harlequin American Romance was my goal. Im so happy that this dream came true. Sometimes, when Im sitting at the computer in the morning, I still have to pinch myself.