Spotlight & Giveaway: Flag on the Play by Kay Gordon

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kay Gordon to HJ!

Hi Kay and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Flag on the Play!

Tell us about the book with this fun little challenge using the title of the book:

F is for football, the sport Carson plays.
L is for love, because how could it not be in a romance novel?!
A is for Abby, our heroine!
G is for Gloria, someone who inadvertently helps Carson and Abby’s romance bloom.

O is for One night that changes everything.
N is for New Dad and all of Carson’s transformations with the new title.

T is for Trevor, Carson’s best friend and teammate and Abby’s big brother.
H is for our Hero, Carson!
E is for Elizabeth, the pint sized human that changes everything.

P is for photography, Abby’s job and passion.
L is for the Lines that get crossed in a best friend’s sibling romance.
A is for All the hurdles Carson and Abby jump to be together.
Y is for how You’re going to love these two (and the baby!)

Please share the opening lines of this book:

I placed the weights I was lifting down on the ground and looked at my friend, absolutely confused.
“What?”
Trevor smiled from where he was leaning against another weight machine. “It’s true. I was as shocked as you are.”

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book.

Carson is a professional quarterback in the NFL and when you think of that, especially in our romance world, you think of arrogant playboy. Carson is NOT either of those things, though. In fact, he’s a down to earth guy who loves his family, is insanely protective of his little sister, and just wants to appreciate life. He also does his best to appreciate his best friend’s little sister as subtly as possible…

Abby is a photographer who has had her fair share of adventures around the world. She loved the freedom that her profession gave her and appreciates the time she had with her best friend, but she enjoys that her new job gives her a bit more stability. Abby is ready to settle down and make her mark on the world in a different way. She just has to get over the crush she has on her brother’s best friend first!

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• A fun fact about this book is that I actually meant for Trevor, our hero’s best friend, to get his own book- not Carson. When I was doing the planning, however, Carson (loudly) started demanding that he get his book first. I’m glad he did because what I had planned for Trevor has changed and the pieces all fit together so nicely for Carson and Abby!
• As much fun as I had writing Abby and Carson, I also REALLY enjoyed writing about Carson’s parents. For me, they were one of the highlights in this book. They still love each other so much after all of these years and they aren’t afraid for that to be done (much to the disgust of their children!)
• Also, if you’re a football plan, you’re probably familiar with the phrase “Flag on the play!” It signals that there was a penalty committed during the play and that the referees are assessing what that penalty was. I felt like that was a good way to describe Carson and Abby’s journey- a series of flags thrown up that changed everything!

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Carson has had eyes on Abby for years, although he never let anyone see that. It isn’t just the fact that he finds her breathtaking, either. Her big personality– which leads her to make friends with everyone– and the way she can catch entire stories with her camera have always attracted him to her.

Abby’s had a silly crush on Carson for a long time. She loves that he doesn’t let the fame of football go to his head and still remains a down-to-earth person. He makes her laugh and always makes her feel like a part of the team. Maybe he makes her feel a bit too much like a part of the team, leaving her friend-zoned, though!
 

The First Kiss…

Carson and Abby’s romance has a bit of a slow burn, especially since they were friends first. Abby jumps in to help Carson when he really needed her to and they spend a lot of time growing even closer.
Their first kiss is a culmination of all of their pent up feelings and tension finally exploding and it does so in a way that still makes me smile to think about it. Carson and Abby go from 0 – 100 in a matter of moments!

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

There is a scene where Abby is at Carson’s house to spend time with him and his newborn baby that he just learned existed. In this scene, we start to see just how quickly Abby is falling in love with the baby, too. It includes the classic camaraderie between Carson and Abby but also allows us a peek into her expanding feelings!

I helped him clean up the kitchen and then we sat on the couch so I could show him the things I bought. When I pulled the stuffed chicken out of the bag, he immediately laughed.
“A chicken?”
I nodded and ran the soft fabric along Beth’s cheek. She was too little to care or to even reach for it, but I didn’t care.
“You’re the one with the weird nickname for her. I thought it fit.”
He laughed again, the sound so joyous that I couldn’t help but join in. When it finally subsided, Carson gazed at me with a small smile on his lips.
“Thanks, Abs. I’m glad we have you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I murmured, shifting my focus to the baby.
I was glad I had them both, too. I only wished that they were really mine.

If your hero had a sexy-times play list, what song(s) would have to be on it?

Carson might be smooth on the football field but he’s not that smooth really! His playlist would probably be a lot of old school music hip-hop music. Hey Lover by LL COOL J would probably be the first on the list! Abby would be torn between appreciating it and laughing at him!

If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what – would it be and why?

I would tell them to put themselves ahead of everyone else for once. Stop thinking about the rules, other people’s feelings, and what they think should or should not be done. Put their happiness first and go after what they want!

What are you currently working on? What are your up-coming releases?*

I’m currently working on the second book in my hockey series, the Sacramento Ravage. The second book, Defend the Zone, is a second chance romance that features two people who absolutely love each other but were torn apart for three years when the hero is called up to the professional hockey league. I’m so excited to write this book and I’m hoping to have it out by the end of the summer.

The first book in the series, Shutout, came out a couple of months ago and that’s where we actually met Carson for the first time. His little sister, Parker, is the heroine in Shutout and Carson appears a few times to make sure his little sister is being taken care of!
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A $10 Amazon giftcard plus a direct to kindle copy of any of my previous books!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What would you do if the person you were in love with was forbidden to you?

 
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Excerpt from Flag on the Play:

“Here.”
“Thanks, Abs.” He offered her the bottle, patiently coaxing her when she didn’t take it at first. When she finally did, her cries cut off instantly.
“Oh, wow.” Carson breathed with a huge exhale of breath. “I forgot what silence was like.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I teased gently, sitting down next to him. “Babies are rarely quiet, but you’ll get used to it.”
“What exactly happened?” Trevor asked from the armchair he was sitting in across from us. “This is about as random as it can get, isn’t it?”
Carson nodded and stared down at his eating daughter with apparent affection in his gaze.
“Completely.”
He launched into a story, telling us about how Karrie had come by earlier and given him the shock of his life. The story was insane, and I was completely disgusted by the time he was done telling it.
I’d never liked Karrie, simply because she always seemed annoyed if the attention wasn’t on her. She especially didn’t like anytime Carson spoke to someone of the opposite sex, and she especially disliked me. I wasn’t sad when they split up, and now that I knew what she’d done with her own daughter, I absolutely loathed the woman.
“So, you’re going to keep her?” Trevor sounded unsure, and Carson nodded while looking up at his best friend.
“She’s my kid. Wouldn’t you if you were in my shoes?”
“I think so?”
“You would,” I corrected my brother. “I know you would.” I reached over and touched her soft little fist, glad to see it was relaxed at her side. “Once the shock wears off, this will all make a bit more sense, and the pieces will fall into place.”
“What are you going to do with her when the season starts, though?” Trevor’s look of concern was almost laughable.
Carson shrugged as the baby started to wiggle. “Hire a nanny, I guess? I have no idea.”
“It’ll work out,” I said again when the baby spit out the bottle and let out a whimper. “She ate that like a champ.”
“And I remember what comes next after the champs eat.” Carson shook his head and moved her into a position so he could burp her. “This was the point where I usually handed the baby back to the parents.”
I laughed softly and then searched the bag for a burp cloth. “You’re the parent now.”
Carson was a champion burper, and he pulled some big belches from the baby with very little return. When she fussed again, he gently laid her down on a receiving blanket to change her, a little hesitant.
“Been a bit since I changed diapers.”
But he handled it like an expert. I was impressed with his natural baby abilities, and I knew he would easily adapt to being a parent.
As he attempted to swaddle her, I gently pulled off the tiny cap on her head and marveled at the soft strands of blonde hair on her tiny head. She also smelled amazing, like soap and something that only babies smelled like.
“She’s beautiful.”
Carson nodded and stared down at the little girl. “She really is.”
He fumbled through swaddling her, and I helped him figure out how to get the blanket nice and tight. Once she was tucked in like a little burrito, he stood and began swaying on his feet with her until she was fast asleep in his arms. He looked around the living room and frowned.
“I don’t even have anywhere to put her.”
“You definitely need some stuff,” I agreed as I looked at my brother. “I think we need to make a Target run.”
Carson’s head snapped up. “Don’t leave me alone.”
It would’ve been hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic.
“He’s right.” Trevor stood from his chair. “Make me a list and I’ll go get it. You stay here with him, short stuff.”
“Okay. You just need a few basics, and then anything else can wait for now.” I grabbed my phone and got on the internet to take screenshots of a few things. “A bassinet or playpen is top on the list so she can have a place to sleep. Some more diapers and wipes, formula.”
I rambled on until my brother walked out the door, and I knew that he’d be calling me the second he got to the store with a need for clarification.
When he was gone, I turned back to look at Carson. “So, what’s her name?”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Carson Ward’s life might seem glamorous but he’s a simple guy. He loves football, his family, and spending time with his friends. His biggest flaw might just be the fact that he has a secret crush on his best friend’s little sister and has for years.

Abby Lauder is a free spirit and loves seeing life through the lens of her camera. As the photographer for a professional football team, she’s used to being just one of the guys. Whether she’s taking pictures of nature or pictures of football players, she never fails to catch the perfect image. So what if her camera lingers on her brother’s best friend a bit longer than others?

When Carson’s ex-girlfriend drops a newborn baby off on his doorstep, he’s caught completely unaware. He never dreamed that he would go from star quarterback to a single dad in an instant. Luckily, he has help from those around him- including Abby. But, taking care of a newborn baby isn’t easy and it’ll require the quarterback and the photographer to spend even more time together.

Amidst the diaper changes and late night feedings, hiding their feelings from each other will be harder than they think. Besides, their relationship is taboo in far too many ways for things to really go anywhere between them…right?

Or maybe Carson and Abby will realize that sometimes love is worth the risk.

Flag on the Play is part of the Single Dad’s Romance series, a multi-author series of standalone novels. Seven single dads, all from different walks of life and doing the best they can to raise their children – are ready to make you fall in love.
Book Links: Amazon |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Kay Gordon is a married, mother of two living near the west coast. She spends her days teaching young, impressionable minds in public school and evenings typing away furiously once her children are in bed. She loves to take her characters on a journey, making that happy ending even better!
Her favorite genre to read is Contemporary Romance but won’t hesitate to try anything with promise. One of her favorite past times is to read the book and then go see the movie while forcing her husband to listen to her point out all of the differences in real time. She’s still not over what Harry did to the Elder Wand in DH2.
When she’s not teaching or writing, Kay loves to spend time with her family and friends, although she doesn’t ever say no to a good nap. She’s an avid lover of hockey and can be seen cheering for her beloved Nashville Predators- no matter how much they frustrate her.

Kay always welcomes feedback and comments (or even just a healthy argument about why Backstreet Boys are better than *Nsync) so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
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