A Look At Alison Packard & 'Catching Heat' ~ Mid Week Tease ~ @Alleyfics @CarinaPress #Romance #sports #MWTease

Today we have author Alison Packard visiting. Since she's sharing an excerpt from her story, I figured it'd make a good Mid Week Tease, too. :) Welcome, Alison!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

* I’m originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and now live in Southern Nevada. Even though I’ve been here for ten years, I’m still getting used to the scorching summers and the slot machines in every grocery and drug store.
* When I’m not working at the day job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over my head, and supports my book and junk food habits, I spend most of my free time writing. But when I take a break, I enjoy reading, watching movies, and spending time with my family and friends.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
* My current release, Catching Heat, is part of my Feeling the Heat series with Carina Press. Although I believe you can read the books out of order and not get confused, the actual order is: Love in the Afternoon, The Winning Season, A Christmas for Carrie (a holiday novella) and Catching Heat.

How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
* I’ve been a fan of marriage of convenience stories for a long time and as I was writing my second book, The Winning Season, I decided that the secondary characters of Angie and J.T. would be the perfect candidates for that particular trope.

Describe the hero in five words.
* Drop dead gorgeous, honest, caring and athletic.

Describe the heroine in five words.
* Responsible, wary, creative and an excellent baker.

Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
* That’s a tough one. I like all the characters in the book, even the not so nice ones. LOL. But if I have to choose one, I’d have to say Angie. For a very good reason, she has a certain mindset regarding men, especially professional athletes. Seeing her evolve over the course of the book was extremely satisfying.

What's your favorite line in the story?
* “But now that you mention it, I’ve tasted your muffin and I wouldn’t mind tasting it again.”

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Life has taught Angie DeMarco that all baseball players are womanizers, and her incredible one-night stand with sexy San Francisco Blaze back-up catcher J.T. Sawyer seemed to prove it. Determined not to give in to their sizzling chemistry a second time, she’s kept her distance ever since, focusing on her accounting job with the team. But now she’s laid off…and pregnant.
* J.T. was hurt by Angie’s rejection, but with one more year with the Blaze, he has no time for love. He needs to spend the off season training hard so he can negotiate a better contract with a new team at the end of the year. But when Angie shows up on his doorstep, he‘s overwhelmed by wanting to not just do right by her but pursue a relationship with her. Hoping for a second chance, he proposes.
* Angie agrees to marry J.T. on one condition: the marriage will be purely a business arrangement. But as Angie spends time with him and his family, and J.T. neglects his training to spend time with her, what begins as a union in name only slowly grows into something more—something that looks a whole lot like love and friendship.
~ Excerpt ~ * “What are you doing here?” he asked, more harshly than he’d intended. A twinge of guilt hit him but he quickly got over it. They’d had a one night stand—end of story.
* Angie loosened her arms from over her chest to push her hair back. Something she did quite frequently. “I—I need to talk to you.” She paused, bit her lower lip and continued, “It’s important. May I come inside? I don’t want to talk about it in the hall.”
* “Why not?” He fished for his keys in the pocket of his jeans. “This should be interesting,” he muttered as he unlocked the door and hit the light switch by the door as he moved inside. “Sorry about the mess. I’m packing up to head home.” He waved a hand toward the boxes still strewn around the room. Some of them were packed and taped up, but a few were still waiting to be filled.
* “When are you leaving?”
* “Sunday morning.” He closed the door to find Angie standing with her back to him, surveying the disaster that was his living room. It was the perfect opportunity to check out her ass, showcased to perfection in the snug black pants she wore. When she turned, he forced his gaze upward to meet hers. She had the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen—a startling blue that reminded him of the aquamarine gemstones that glittered in the necklace his mother wore on special occasions.
* “Sacramento, right?” Angie fidgeted with the strap of her purse on her shoulder, then clasped her hands together in front of her. She seemed nervous. Why?
* “Yes.” J.T. set his keys on the table next to the entry. “So why are you here?”
* “Now that I’m here, I’m not quite sure how to say it.” She paused and took a deep breath before exhaling. Her face had turned pale and there were dark shadows underneath her eyes. Whatever she had to say seemed to be weighing heavily on her. But what could it be? Was she sorry for avoiding him for weeks? Was she sorry she’d gotten engaged?
* Angie let out another breath. “I’m pregnant.”

Buy Catching Heat here...
Carina Press | Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Find Alison Packard here...
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Thank you for joining us here today, Alison Packard! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

What is Mid Week Tease? Mid Week Tease is an event hosted by the wonderful Sandra Bunino where authors spotlight a few lines or a paragraph or two from their stories. Readers, you get to sample some delicious snippets and be teased, titillated and tantalized into the weekend!

Visit these other wonderful authors for more MWT goodness!