Getting Knocked for a Loop with Heidi Betts

This week's guest blogger at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut is bestselling author Heidi Betts!

Bestselling, award-winning author Heidi Betts began her love affair with the romance genre in junior high school, where she used to sneak romance novels into study hall when she should have been doing her homework. It didn't take long to decide she wanted to write a few romances of her own, so she set out to do just that.

Her first book was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the contemporary arena by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and recently she signed with St. Martin's Press to begin writing funny, sexy single titles.

With each new book, Heidi asks herself how she can bring to life endearing heroes and heroines whom readers will believe are meant for each other. And with each new novel to hit the stands, readers and reviewers alike declare she knows how to create a story that sizzles, charms, and delights from the first page to the last. Her first title for Silhouette Desire landed at #1 on the Waldenbooks/Borders Series Romance Bestseller List, where her books have continued to make an appearance ever since.

Heidi loves to read, write, watch movies (and just a little too much television), and surround herself with furry, four-legged friends in her home in the beautiful hills of Central Pennsylvania.

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Getting Knocked for a Loop with Heidi Betts

Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today at AuthorIsland.

After a very long, not-so-patient wait (at least on my part *g*), I am happy to report that the third book in my sexy, funny “Chicks with Sticks” knitting trilogy is finally be here! And although it wasn’t easy to get the hero and heroine of KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP into the same room together—those of you who have read TANGLED UP IN LOVE and LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT know what I’m talking about ;)—I managed to arrange a short interview with the stars of our story.

First, a little background information:

Grace Fisher is the lovely and talented host of one of Cleveland's most popular daytime talk shows, Amazing Grace. And judging by her accomplishments both on and off the air, she truly is amazing. From (allegedly) knitting her own wedding gown to changing the spark plugs in her former fiance's Hummer, Grace can do it all...and wants to show you how to do it all, too.

Zack "Hot Legs" Hoolihan is one of the NHL's most popular hockey stars. As goalie for the Cleveland Rockets, Zack has let his team to the Playoffs and helped to bring home the Stanley Cup for the past three years in a row, proving beyond a doubt that legs are not the only thing about this guy that are hot, hot, hot!

Bruiser Hoolihan is Zack's beloved Saint Bernard. Rescued from a local animal shelter, he's been living the good life ever since. He's got his own corner in Zack's spacious apartment, complete with a blue and red Rockets blanket, and more chew toys than he can find the time to...well, chew. (Of course, he kind of prefers his daddy's big, leather couch, but he pretends to like the blanket best.) And he can eat whatever he wants...pizza, spaghetti, Cheetos, even the occasional beer.

Yes, life was good. Until daddy got in trouble with Bruiser's almost-mommy, and she took him from his daddy's big, messy apartment with its basketball hoop on the door and foosball table in the middle of the room to her own much neater apartment with its white carpeting and furniture he wasn't allowed to sleep on. Then she took him to the vet. And put him on a diet. And started dressing him in fuzzy pink sweaters she knit just for him. And, yes, painting his nails. Now, Bruiser just kind of wishes his daddy and almost-mommy would patch things up so he could get back to lying around on that leather sofa and snitching pizza straight from the box.

Together, Grace Fisher and Zack Hoolihan are one of the East Coast's most talked-about couples.

Apart... Well, you'll have to read the book to find out about that. ;)

And now for the interview:

What's your favorite pastime?

Grace: Knitting.

Zack: Hockey, of course.

Grace: [with a snort] Yeah, because you're obviously so very good at it.

Zack: [scowling] Hey, I am good at it. Star goalie, remember? Stanley Cup three years in a row, thankyouverymuch.

Grace: Well, now that you've messed up your knee, the only cup you'll be scoring this season is a Big Gulp from the local Seven-Eleven.

Favorite sport?

Zack: [still scowling] Hockey.

Grace: [smirking] Baseball.

Favorite song?

Grace: "He Had it Comin'" from the Broadway musical Chicago. "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks—the long version, of course. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" by Funky Divas. Oh, and "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood.

Zack: [crossing his arms over his chest and slumping in his seat, muttering] “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.

Tell us about Bruiser, the adorable Saint Bernard you rescued from a local animal shelter.

Grace: Actually, it's Muffin now.

Zack: Oh, no, it's not. His name is Bruiser.

Grace: [with a smile] It's Muffin. Really.

Zack: His name is Bruiser, not Muffin. No male dog of mine is going to walk around with a name like Muffin, for God's sake.

Grace: Good thing he's not your dog anymore, then, hm?

Okay, okay, I see that's a touchy subject. Let's move on.

Grace, you mentioned that you like to knit. When did you learn, and what are you working on at the moment?

Grace: My grandmother taught me after I came to live with her. I was probably eleven or twelve. And I'm not working on much of anything at the moment. More like... [shifts uncomfortably] unraveling a project I started a while back.

Zack, we hear a couple of your male friends have recently learned to knit. Have you ever given the yarn and needles a shot?

Zack: No.

Really? Not even—

Zack: No. Next question.

I know this is another sensitive topic, but after a very public and longstanding romance, the two of you recently broke up. Can you tell us why?

Zack: It's kind of personal and complicated, but—

Grace: It's not complicated. It's actually quite simple. He's a cheating bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants, but did think I'd never find out as long as he stuck to screwing puck bunnies while the Rockets were on the road.

Zack: [grinding his teeth] I've told you a million times, I did not sleep with that woman.

Grace: Right. She was naked in your bed because that's what hotels leave on the pillows these days instead of mints.

Um... Is there any chance you'll be getting back together?

Zack and Grace: [together, emphatically] No.

All right. Well. That was very...enlightening. Will you stick around for a while to answer some questions from readers?

Grace: Of course.

Zack: [with a shrug] Whatever.

All right, guys! Now that we’ve got them on the ice, so to speak, slap shot a few questions our way. We’re all happy to chat about KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP, the other two books/couples in the “Chicks with Sticks” series, or…well, just about anything. :D

Oh, and I’ll happily give away copies TANGLED UP IN LOVE and LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT at the end of the week---one each to two different commentors!

Happy chatting!
Heidi
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