Book Tour: Power Play by Avon Gale

Author: Avon Gale

Title: Power Play

Series: Scoring Chances

Book: Three (This book can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: May 9, 2016

Length: 240 pages

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29361143

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

A freak accident during the Stanley Cup Playoffs put an end to Max Ashford’s hockey career. Despite everything, Max gets back into the game he loves—only this time, behind the bench as an assistant coach of the Spartanburg Spitfires, the worst team in the entire league. But nothing prepares him for the shock when he learns the new head coach is Misha Samarin, the man who caused Max’s accident.

After spending guilt-ridden years for his part in Max’s accident, Russian native Misha Samarin has no idea what to do when he’s confronted with Max’s presence. Max’s optimism plays havoc with Misha’s equilibrium—as does the fierce attraction that springs up between them.

Not only must they navigate Misha’s remorse and a past he’s spent a lifetime to forget, but also a sleazy GM determined to use their history as a marketing hook. But when an unwelcome visitor targets the team, Misha revisits his darkest days, which might cost him and Max the beginning they’ve worked so hard to build.

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iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/power-play/id1109203148?mt=11

“I’d never watched this, you know.”

“The YouTube video?” Misha had seen that too. It was filed with angry commenters yelling that he should be deported back to Russia.

“The hit.”

Misha blinked. “You’ve seen the commercial, though. Yes?”

“Yeah, I wish I could say I haven’t seen that. But I meant, I didn’t watch this until a few months ago. They played that game on the NHL channel, so I watched it.”

It never occurred to Misha that Max wouldn’t have seen it, but then he remembered that Max was the hero, not the villain of the story. Misha watched the hit play out on the screen. What must that feel like, to watch the moment it all ended? When Max hit the ice, did he know that game was his last? Did Misha know it was his? How had he felt? He couldn’t remember.

The scene switched to the replay. Misha watched dispassionately, retreated into the blinding pain of his migraine, and told himself that it was all right to suffer, that he should, that he deserved it.

Max paused the video. “Look. See what I have there?”

Misha blinked. He had not expected questions. “I—what?”

“The puck, Misha. The puck. Your hit wasn’t late.”

Oh. “Yes. I know.”

Max stared at him. On the television screen, their younger selves were suspended at the moment everything changed.

Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon and yelling at hockey. She’s a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and when she’s not writing you can find her at the salon, making her clients look and feel fabulous. She never gets tired of people and their stories — either real or the ones she makes up in her head.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avongalewrites

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Today I’m welcoming Avon Gale to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Power Play.

What inspired you to write this story?

I wanted to write about an underdog, so that’s why I focused on the worst team in my fictional league. I also wanted to write about the coaches, and I loved the idea of them having a history so I made them part of my favorite rivalry, Bruins/Habs.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

Max and I share a sunny, optimistic outlook on life and a sort of “roll with the punches” mentality.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Well, let’s just say I got so invested in the Spitfires season that it was hard to make the outcome of it realistic and not Cinderella-story perfect…this time 😉

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

Misha and Max have a history, in that Misha threw a hit on Max that indirectly led to a career-ending injury. Misha feels horribly guilty, and Max is determined to move on and has, over the past five years, come to terms with it. One of my favorite scenes is where Max gets fed up with Misha feeling guilty and drags him to his apartment to make him watch the YouTube video of the hit, so they can finally talk about it and get it out in the open.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

The fourth Scoring Chances book focuses on the same team, and is about Spitfires’ goalie and captain Isaac Drake. Drake sort of snuck in there and became one of my favorite characters so I really enjoyed writing his book. It’s currently in edits and should be out in the fall. I’m working on another book in the same series, a novella about a small bourbon distillery in Kentucky, and plotting out a ballet company series that I’m super excited about.

Word Sprints!