In The Zone Series

07.28.2014 Dear Author, In The Zone Series, Podcast, Smart Bitches Trashy Books

Dear Author and Smart Bitches Talk About the In the Zone Series

I continue to be amazed and excited that Jane from Dear Author likes my books. Recently, she mentioned me on the 100th episode of the DBSA Romance Fiction Podcast. If you’re like me and have never listened to a podcast before, they’re in the iTunes store. I am at minute 11:30 in the podcast.

Most of their conversation revolves around the term “beta” in regard to romance heroes. Jane doesn’t like the term and feels it categorizes these non-Alpha heroes as less than Alphas. Sarah didn’t agree, but her husband did.

Here are the highlights of what they say about me:

Jane: I think Kate Willoughby writes heroes that are nice and caring while still being manly…I just really like her heroes. They’re very…entertaining, funny, they kind of know what they want, they’re not afraid of relationships…

Sarah: You mean one bad break-up hasn’t sworn them off of women forever and ever????

Jane: No.

Sarah: Yay!

07.04.2014 Across the Line, In The Zone Series, Reviews

Across the Line Publishers Weekly Review

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the publication, Publisher’s Weekly is a well-known, respected publication. Here’s how they describe themselves:

Publishers Weekly, familiarly known in the book world as PW and “the bible of the book business,” is a weekly news magazine focused on the international book publishing business… Its best known service is pre-publication book reviews, publishing some 8,000 per year.

Recently, they reviewed Across the Line, book 2 from my In the Zone hockey romance series! This is a huge deal. Never in a million years did I expect to see a review of my book in PW. Now, because I don’t subscribe, the amazing Shannon Stacey sent me a scanned PDF of it, but here’s what they said.

Willoughby’s second In the Zone contemporary sports romance (after On the Surface) is a real charmer. Pro hockey player Calder Griffin is aboard a nonstop flight from San Diego to New York when he encounters Rebecca “Becca” Chen, owner of Cups, a popular cafe in his hometown of Ithaca, N.Y. He dubbed her “Braceface Becca” in elementary school, but as adults the two are immediately drawn to one another. Despite the distance, the two start a passionate relationship–and after tragedy strikes in Ithaca, Becca moves to San Diego. But will that move draw Calder closer, or push him away? Meanwhile, when Calder’s estranged brother, Hart, joins Calder’s hockey team, he drops a bombshell that will change the brothers’ relationship forever. Willoughby skillfully seeds the story with compelling secondary characters as she leads Calder and Becca toward a happy ending.

Booksellers, librarians, literary agents are going to see this. I am still in shock that my little hockey romance caught their eye. Wow.

Across the Surface is available for pre-order at Carina Press and Amazon. Do it and the book will be yours on August 11.

05.29.2014 Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Hockey, In The Zone Series, Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, NHL, On The Surface

A Real Life Bottlegate!

Look at the bottom left of the photo

I’m taking recent events in the NHL as a sign from God that I’m on the right track. My first hockey novel, On the Surface, features a former Blackhawk who is traded to the San Diego Barracudas because of an incident with a fan involving a water bottle.

Now, keep that in mind as I tell you that this spring, the water bottle has been the weapon of choice for NHL players.

Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks sprayed water into the glove of one of “My Guys”, Jeff Carter.

Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins sprayed the visor of Montreal Canadien PK Subban.

And finally Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers gave Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby a little mid-game shower.

It’s like an epidemic. It’s harmless really. It doesn’t hurt anyone (except wimps, as you’ll see below). It’s just annoying. However, so far the hydro-taunting has been player vs. player. A few days ago, that changed.

Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks got fed up with a heckler–JUST LIKE IN MY BOOK–and sprayed water into the face of the heckler–JUST LIKE IN MY BOOK!

Well, that last part isn’t quite accurate. The back cover copy, over which I had only minimal input, says Tim threw the water bottle at a fan. In reality, I never fully describe what Tim Hollander does to the fan with his water bottle.

But still!

What are the chances that real life incidents almost completely mirror what I wrote a year ago? Like I said, I take it as a sign from God that my time has come and I’m on the right track. I also bask in the knowledge that what I wrote is utterly believable and possible in the real NHL.

It feels pretty damn good.

The LA fan (yes, he was rooting for LA. ) claims his eyes were irritated by the saliva backwash–from the type of bottle that squirts from a spout. He’s filed a police report. What do you think about that? Feel free to comment.

Photo credit: Paul Sakuma, AP

04.15.2014 In The Zone Series, On The Surface, Reviews

FIVE STARS from Happily Ever After-Reads

I’ll admit it. This review made me get teary. It’s not just that she loved the book. It’s that she GOT the story. She picked out all the same things that make this book my favorite so far.

Here is a quote from the review:

This is one of the best, most satisfying romances I’ve read in a long time…Tim, Erin and their romance was so well done, I couldn’t get enough. Theirs is the type of romance that was easy to fall into because they’re both so likeable, so easy to root for and if On The Surface is a sign of what’s to come in this new series by Kate Willougby, I can’t wait for more.

If you’re a writer, you’ll understand why reviews like this can stir up the emotions. If you’re a parent, it’s as if your child did something and people are coming up to you and saying, “Wow! That was amazing.” It’s heady stuff. The only thing that tops it are perhaps fan letters. Those are super cool too.