Today I am so pleased to welcome Alex Washoe to Joyfully Jay. Alex has come to talk to us about their latest release, Diamond Heat. They have also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Alex a big welcome!
When I wrote Simply Connected, I never thought of it as the first book in a series. But I enjoyed writing it so much, and the response from readers was so strong, that I decided to expand it into an LGBTQ sports romance series. I started wracking my brain for ideas, sports I was interested enough to write about and that I thought would make an interesting backdrop. I considered running (because I’m a runner), rugby (because I find it fascinating to watch even though I can’t grok the rules at all), and mixed martial arts (because what writer doesn’t want to do a Rocky story). I started mapping these ideas out a little, thinking about how characters could cross-over and develop, and eventually I talked to my best friend and roommate – who is my first reader and biggest booster – about the plan.
The first thing he said was, “So the next book will be about baseball.”
Baseball. Duh. The one sport I’ve actually followed all my life. The sport I know the most about. How had that not occurred to me?
But as soon as he said it, I knew I was going to do a baseball romance. It took over my imagination and I started writing it (even though I had another book to write that was coming out sooner – I created a bit of deadline drama for myself that way). My idea was to write a baseball romance that was also a great baseball story, following in the footsteps of books that I loved, like Michael Shaara’s For the Love of the Game (a title I stole for the title of my series), or Bernard Malamud’s The Natural, or W.P. Kinsella’s Shoeless Joe. (Yes, they’ve all been made into movies, two out of three starring Kevin Costner. Throw in Bull Durham and you’ve got a diamond trifecta.)
The challenge was to capture the game as beautifully as these writers did (or at least as beautifully as my talents allow) and at the same time tell an engaging love story about two LGBTQ+ athletes – one defiantly out and one still in the closet.
Readers will have to decide how well I did. I know writing the book was immensely satisfying. I hope reading it is equally enjoyable.
Blurb
Daisy Flowers is a one-time college pitching phenom whose career was sidelined by misogyny and transphobia. For over a decade she’s toiled away in the minor leagues, doing any job she can to stay in the game she loves. But her heart has grown bitter, and every fastball she throws is fueled by rage. When the Majors finally give her the call, she has only one dream left: to take on the entire baseball world and leave it scorched and ruined in her wake.
Jonas Sutton, in his third season in the Majors, is a talented player who has never quite lived up to his potential. Struggling to break through, but thwarted by the secret he can never reveal.
Daisy’s arrival, in the midst of a pennant race, with everything on the line and the bright glare of the spotlight burning all the time, ignites tempers and passion. She’s prepared to fight every inch of the way for the glory she deserves, and Jonas desperately wants to stand by her side.
But no matter how powerfully he’s attracted, Jonas knows Daisy is the fuse on the explosion that could blow his world apart.
Series Blurb: The thrill of high-level professional sports and the magic of LGBTQ+ romance collide — with sparks and heat aplenty.
Buy Links:
- Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091SFM6S2
- Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B091SFM6S2
- Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B091SFM6S2
Bio
Alex Washoe is a nonbinary writer and game designer living in Seattle, Washington. In previous incarnations, they have been a bookseller, an amateur stand-up comedian, a public speaker, a dog walker at a companion animal shelter, a wildlife rehab care assistant, and many other less interesting things.
Alex lives with their best friend and one (and a half) cats. They enjoy reading and writing romance, cozy mysteries, westerns and speculative fiction, all with an LGBTQ+ twist.
- Author Website: https://www.alexwashoe.com
- Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/Alex-Washoe-Author-Page-351907692814938
- Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Washoe/e/B06XC351MC/
Giveaway
Alex is giving away an Amazon gift card with this tour:
- By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
- By entering you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions set out by Rafflecopter for entries.
- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize. In order to facilitate prize distribution, the winner name’s and email may be provided to a third party awarding the prize.
- By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
- Void where prohibited by law.
Welcome, Alex, and congratulations on the release of your new book. Best wishes for its success. I have to admit to some curiosity over that half cat….
My cat originally lived with another cat, who belongs to a friend. However, they did not get along — mostly because my cat is evil — so he came to live here. But occasionally the other cat visits for extended stays — so I say one-and-a-half cats.