Howdy ARCsters,

It's been a couple weeks since Savannah and Justin burst into the world in a blaze of cinnamon roll and big peen glory. The reception for this book has been incredible. I can't believe how much readers are relating to Justin's empathy, and Savannah's high anxiety. It's been really eye opening to get such deep feedback from my readers and I love it so much.

We still have a lot of people outstanding on the spreadsheet. Many downloaded the book, but didn't review it and didn't let us know that they weren't going to be able to participate either.

I fully understand that sometimes things come up, but please do try to keep us in the loop.

If you haven't been able to review for whatever reason, but still wish to remain on the team, please let Savannah know at sjmedinapa@gmail.com. Savannah is my ARC team coordinator, so anything ARC related needs to go directly to her please and thank you!

If you've already read and reviewed, here's the form you must complete to help keep our records up to date.

Pulling the Goalie - book two in my UCR Raccoons, has been an all out crotch ache from the get go. I got the edits back from my editor and I cried at her cover letter. And not the good kind of cry, either. This has been my most technically painful, and deeply edited book to date, and I'm still slogging through it. It hurts, it's hard AF, and I'm starting to hate this cocky reformed playboy with a passion.

More than that, Teagan Hunter announced today that her next release date will be the exact same day I had planned for Ares's release. Again. Since it's next to impossible for a little fish like me to be seen when Teagan's book is EVERYWHERE on release week, I'm hoping to bring Ares and Eloise to life a week or so earlier than planned. (Taylor Swift and Adele albums, anyone??)

Anyway, I figured I'd give you a little glimpse into our goaltender's psyche. Hopefully he'll be nicer to y'all than he is to me...

Pulling the Goalie

Ares

(Prologue)

“Gooood morning, Cedar Rapids! This is Marshall Bryant and you’re listening to Rock 108. Summer’s almost over which means we’re on the slippery slope into the new college hockey season and Coach Bales is putting together an interesting roster of Raccoons over at the University of Cedar Rapids.

Speaking of the Trash Pandas, I lured one of them onto the show. You know I like to have interesting guests on the show from time to time, so joining us this morning for a quick Q&A is rookie UCR goaltender, Ares de la Peña. No stranger to the limelight, the youngest of four siblings, Ares already has twin older brothers on the team and he’s suiting up to play between the pipes in the fall. Thanks for joining us today, Ares.”

I shift in my seat. No one can see me since I’m in my apartment on an online call with Marshall, but nervous energy still courses through me. “Thanks for having me, Marshall.”

I hate interviews. Interviewers always go for the jugular, and I always know exactly what they’re going to ask. They know I’m a recovering addict, a stripper, and they want aaaaall the juicy gossip.

When did you first realize you were an addict?

How did you get drugs and alcohol so young?

Are you cured?

What were you drugs of choice?

Did you really break that guy’s orbital socket with your foot?

What do your family think of the fact you’re a stripper?

What made you give up drugs and go clean?

How often do you dance at the strip club?

What was rehab like?

Why are you so blasé about the fact you’re an addict?

It got to the point that I made a list of answers ahead of time, and I just read them off like a damn robot. If Oprah were to call me up right now, I’d have a first class performance ready to go.

Lots of people don’t believe I’m a recovering addict because at only eighteen years old, I’m pretty young. But I’ve been an addict since I was fourteen years old. I started with alcohol and weed, then escalated to Percocet, Vicodin, and eventually cocaine, perico. I might have been young when I started, but I was also rich, and learned quickly that money really can buy just about anything. Including silence.

I always thought the only one being harmed by my addiction was me, but I started to hurt other people, too. Even I got tired of hearing people make excuses for me. Even so, it wasn’t a fear of ending up in jail or the morgue that stopped me, but a fear of not playing the game.

It takes an average of seventeen attempts for someone to find sobriety and someone dies from an opioid overdose every twenty minutes. So I was never optimistic that rehab would save me, or even help me. As far as I was concerned, I was beyond help, but, at the behest of Mamá, Papá’s money bought me access to the best treatment programs available.

And when I got out Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, AlAnon— a support group for the families and friends of alcoholics, especially those of members of Alcoholics Anonymous., and Reddit’s Redditors in Recovery forum got me through.

Ultimately, though, it was hockey that saved me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was old enough to walk and the thought I might never be able to play again by my own doing? It was too much.

Did I play while high?

Sure, I did. And for a while I was even convinced I could do it forever. Full of false confidence, I thought I was the best hockey player to ever skate on ice. But the more I moved away from prescription meds to coke, the more things unraveled.

My heart rate spiked, and stayed there any time I was on the ice. I was out of breath all the fucking time, and my feet wouldn’t work as quickly as my brain.

Shuddering at the recollection, I clear my throat, ready for the onslaught from Mr. Marshall over in Hiawatha. Since this one’s my first interview as a Raccoon, I imagine there’ll be something in there about committing to my team and to the game and to my sobriety.

“First question, Ares. What feels better on your thighs? Goalie pads or dollar bills?”

I can’t help the snort that bursts out of me. “Nothing comes close to the soft flutter of Benjamins against the skin, Marshall.”

“That’s what I thought. So tell me, which one of the de la Peña brothers have scored the most?”

Ha. I like this guy already. Maybe this interview won’t be so bad after all.

Eloise

Ugh. What. An. Arrogant. Butthead.

Pulling the Goalie - coming May 11th 2023

Thank you for all you do,

Have you joined my reader group yet? If not, then head over to: Margaritas, Men and Mischief with Lasairiona. As the name suggests, it's a place for my readers to chat about all things romance - with a healthy dose of sarcasm, sharp wit, conversations comprised entirely of GIFs, sneak peeks, giveaways and a plethora of memes. It's one of my absolute favorite places on the internet and I'm really enjoying getting to know readers that bit better over there. Don't be shy - we don't bite... much! Come on over!

Bookish. Bold. Beautiful. And entirely out of his league.

On paper, all-American boy next door, Lincoln Scott, has it all. But behind his slap shots, straight-A report card, and easy going charm, Linc hides a secret only his best friend knows.

When he attempts to return a misplaced bra, a wrong number gets him way more than the hook-up he bargained for. No one has ever looked beyond the star hockey player, until the mysterious woman he can’t stop texting sees him for who he really is.

Does Linc have the skills off the ice to keep up with her? Will he follow in his father’s footsteps? Or will he step out from the shadows and chase his dreams?

If you’re pucking obsessed with Helena Hunting, Pippa Grant, and Elle Kennedy, you’ll love this hilarious, hot-as-puck, secret identity, opposites attract, curvy girl sports romance. Two for Interference is a full length standalone with no cheating, cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Welcome to the Minnesota Snow Pirates, where skilled and sexy mother puckers’ lives get turned upside down by strong and badass heroines. Curl up with your next book boyfriend today.