TRUE-TO-LIFE FOOTBALL ACTION! IS THIS REAL NFL OR GRIFF MONTGOMERY, QUARTERBACK? #NFL #QUARTERBACK

Here's the scenario:

 The ground was soft and slippery from the rain three days earlier. He hated playing in muddy conditions, but it was part of the game. He won the toss and elected to kick off now and receive in the second half. He paced and watched from the area around the bench.

They were playing the Delaware Demons, and he wanted to see if he could learn anything from their quarterback, Mark Davis. Davis was good. He had won the Super Bowl in his rookie year.

The Kings defense was in top form, and Griff was on the field before long. He called the first play. Buddy got free, and Griff threw a bullet right to his favorite receiver, who caught it and took it for a fifteen yard gain and a first down.

The next play, the Kings’ offensive line screwed up. Griff ran a few yards then had to slide to avoid a tackle. A fumble recovered by the Demons meant a turnover, and the Kings lost the ball. Davis came back with a long pass that enabled them to score.

The Kings bounced back with impressive blocking from the offensive line. Griff completed a pass to Homer Calloway, who ran it in for a touchdown. The score seesawed back and forth. It was tied then the Demons inched ahead with a field goal. Griff and the Kings leapfrogged over that score with a touchdown.

It was close at half time. Coach Bass tried to buck up the men in the locker room, as the Kings were behind by three. When they got back on the field, they redoubled their efforts and squeaked ahead. The defense fought to hold the Demons back, but they eked out a field goal to tie the game.

A rough tackle sent Homer to the showers. The pressure was on Griff. One more field goal for the Demons meant that only a touchdown could win the game. Griff nodded. It was a signal that indicated the quarterback was about to fake to another receiver and shoot the pass out to Buddy.

It's GRIFF MONTGOMERY, QUARTERBACK. But it could be real life football. This book has such realistic scenes you'll think you're reading about a current NFL team, not a fictional one. Football + romance = a great reading experience!

To find out how this scene ends, you'll have to buy the book. Now available in ebook, paperback, and audio, too!)

Two people, two tragedies, two deep, devastating secrets….  Griff Montgomery is the headline-making, heart-breaking star quarterback of the Kings – a  6’4”, 33 year old womanizer. Lauren Farraday is a beautiful young interior designer, bitterly scarred by divorce, whose life is falling apart. Though they violently oppose one another in court over her beloved pug (she thinks he’s arrogant and  conceited, and he thinks she’s a bitch on wheels), something happens....

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Tuesday Tales - Purple - #NFL, #football #romance

Welcome! The word prompt this week is "purple". I continue with Trunk and Carla's story from "Overtime" -- last book in the First & Ten Series. 

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“You know what they said, Ma?” Carla repeated the story her siblings told. Then she laughed. “What? What does he owe?” There was a moment of silence as Carla listened to her mother. “How much? Figures.”

She took off her purple apron and hung it on the hook on the wall, glanced up at Trunk and threw him a smile.

“Thanks, Ma. I knew you’d understand. Have a great time in Florida. Did you get my letter? Yeah. As Pop would say, don’t spend it all in one place.”

Carla hung up the phone. She leaned back and rested her feet on another stool.

“So? Don’t keep me hangin’ here.”

“Ma’s fine. In fact, she’s going on vacation, driving to Florida with my dad. They’ll be gone for two weeks. With most of the kids out of the house, they saved a little money.”

“On vacation? Doesn’t sound like she’s dying.”

Carla took his hand. “She’s fine. I sent her fifty bucks. She’s keeping that to get a mani-pedi or her hair done. I send her a little money from time to time. Whenever I can spare it.”

“You never told me that.”

She shrugged. “It never came up.”

“So what’s your brother’s problem?”

“He lost some money gambling and his wife’s gonna kill him. Gina wants new clothes. Thought they’d take a ride over here and shake me down.”

Trunk laughed as he shook his head. “Relatives.”

“Yeah.  Ma knows about our wedding. She was sad for a bit, but said she understood.”

“You had a rough time growing up?”

“It wasn’t exactly a piece of cake. Ma’s always felt bad so much landed on me. So she cuts me a lot more slack than she does the others.”

“Can I give you some money to send to her?”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Maybe we could bring them here for Christmas or something?”

“They’d like that.” She grinned. “Once I told Ma what kind of man I was marrying, she got that I didn’t want to wait. Some other girl might take you away.”

Trunk lifted his wife into his lap. “No other woman in the world could take me away. You’re the best, baby.”

“Goes double for you, big guy.” 

Thanks for coming

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TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "HUG" - FROM THE BOOK-TO-COME "OVERTIME"

“Al Mahoney here, are you two from the Herald?”

“Nope. I’m Mario Ricci and this is Gina. We’re Carla’s brother and sister,” he said, shaking Trunk’s hand.

“Relatives? Great! Welcome. Sit down. Can I get you something to drink?”

Carla shot him a hostile glance and shook her head. “They’re not staying.”

“How inhospitable of you, dear sister,” Mario sneered.  “I’ll have a beer. What have you got on tap?” He took the seat next to Gina.

“I’ll have a Margarita,” Gina said. “And don’t be stingy with the tequila.”

Carla put her hand on Trunk’s forearm. “I said they’re not staying.” She shot a warning glance at her husband and then turned hostile eyes on her brother. “What do you want?”

“Why do you think we want something?”

“Because that’s the only time you come around.”

“Don’t be bitter.”

“Really? You’ve got some nerve, Mario.”

“Oh, you mean that little incident with the car?”

“Leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere, by myself at midnight with a broken down car? Yeah, that, for starters.”

“So you have a list of grievances?”

“Enough to fill a roll of toilet paper.”

Trunk’s eyebrows shot up.

“What the fuck?” Gina said, swiveling to face her sister. “What’s your problem? You got out. Got your own business. Looks like you’re doing great.”

“I am. But it wasn’t easy. And when I needed help? Where were you? Nowhere to be found. You didn’t give a shit about me, why should I care about you?”

“Because we’re family.”

Carla opened a bottle of water. “Family? Who changed your diapers? I did. Who walked you to school? I did. Who picked you up? I did. Who helped with your homework, chased the bullies away, braided your hair and taught you how to dance? Huh? Huh? I did. And when I needed five hundred bucks to make it through the winter? Where were you? Off on some fucking vacation in Puerto Rico.”  She hugged herself.

“I didn’t have any money, Carla,” Gina said, her tone whiny.

“Really? Enough to buy new clothes and take a big trip.”

Gina picked at a cuticle.

“Yeah. That’s what I thought. It got pretty cold in here when I couldn’t afford oil for heat.”

“You have a fireplace,” Mario put in.

“Oh, yeah? Thanks a lot. Firewood costs money, too. And it doesn’t heat this place. One measly, stinkin’ little fireplace for this whole joint and the apartment upstairs? Fuck that.”

“Mama wouldn’t like those words.”

“Get out.” Carla turned her back on them.

Thank you for coming. 

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PICTURE PROMPT! 300 WORDS, MAX.

This week, we go back to Trunk Mahoney and Carla from the First & Ten series. This is from the book I'm writing now, "Overtime", the last book in the series that will tie up all the stories of the men playing for the Connecticut Kings. 

Thank you for coming. Scroll down for the link to return to Tuesday Tales. 

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From "Overtime":

Carla pulled the hot pasta dish from the oven. She stuck her head outside and hollered.

“Al! Dinner! Come and get it!”

She set the table, putting the main course on a dish towel. She checked her watch again. It wasn’t like him to be late for a meal. She smiled as she recalled the many compliments he lavished on her cooking. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked out back. When she glanced at the barn, she was surprised to find the door closed. Smoke was seeping out from under, and through cracks where the old wooden windows no longer met the frames.

Panic seized her.

“Al!” She cried, taking off at a gallop for the barn.

Her pulse thudded in her ears, her breathing was rapid as her body went into crisis mode. Carla shook her head. Can’t panic now! She pulled on the door, but it was stuck. She took a deep breath and marshaled all her strength, yanking on the old piece of wood. It flew open knocking her to the ground. She jumped to her feet, only to be hit in the face by a tornado of black smoke. She started choking immediately. Turning away, she cleared her lungs. She heard someone coughing.

“Al? Al?”

“Here,” came a weak voice.

“I’m coming.”

With one hand, she felt in her pockets for her phone, with the other she fanned smoke away, clearing a path as she searched for her husband.

Her fingers dialed 911.

“Help! The barn is burning and Al’s trapped inside!.”

She gave the address. “Hurry, my husband’s in here, but

I can’t find him.”

Just as she dropped her phone into the apron pocket, she tripped over Trunk, and fell, bruising her ribs, forcing the air out of her lungs. 

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