MUSE MONDAY: What the Puck?

How often are we told to write what we love as authors? But sometimes, I wonder if we wouldn't be better off writing what we love. When I first read textnovel author Christy Finn's work at textnovel, I was smitten by her voice and her knowledge of hockey. As I got to know Christy, it turned out that hockey was one of the driving passions in her life. No wonder her story sings! :)

Today, I'm passing the podium over to today's honorary textnovel diva, Christy Finn:

My first love was the game of hockey; my second was the men who played it. I was just thirteen – the age when most girls turned boy crazy and talked nonstop about one subject. For many, this meant clippings of boys from “teeny-bopper” magazines were taped to the inside of lockers, VCR’s were set to record when whenever a boy band was scheduled to appear on LIVE! With Regis and Kathie Lee, and teens begged their parents to buy their latest memorabilia. It was kind of like the Twilight craze, but before glittery vampires trumped boy bands.

Instead of wallpapering my room with Bop posters, I had full-length posters of Team Canada and of individual hockey players. I kept newspaper clippings of every Mighty Ducks’ game from the 1996-1997 season in a makeshift scrapbook (that I still have). That year, I collected hockey trading cards and meticulously wrote down the names, positions and jersey numbers of each Mighty Duck. I also checked out library books on the rules of the game and read them cover to cover.

Yes, I was obsessed with the game.

Then, a few years passed, and I discovered the guys weren’t too bad looking either. In fact, most of them are kind of hot (so long as they remembered to put their teeth in, you know). A crooked nose added character to a face. Behind every scar, there was a story to be told. Every tooth lost during a fight on the ice signified sacrifice. And underneath every hockey player’s tough exterior, there was a man rippling with power and grit and sex appeal.

Not unlike the heroes in the romance novels I aspired to write!

Then it seemed only natural for me to combine my love of hockey with my interest in writing romance. The traits players exude on the ice – dedication, hard work, and loyalty to their team – are all admirable traits that also belong to many romance heroes. Why, then, shouldn’t hockey players make excellent romantic heroes?

My Dorchester/Textnovel contest entry, Tossing the Gloves: How To Love a Hockey Player, gave me the opportunity to do just that – feature a hunky hockey playing hero and explore crossing a chick lit voice with a traditional romance plot. Nathan Deschanel is a beta hero with alpha tendencies on the ice while Sarah Kent is a made-over geek attempting to successfully navigate the mysterious course of true love according to guidelines she’s made up. Before she knows it, she’s in over her head and hopelessly in love with a man who doesn’t play by her rules.

And, hey, if I was being completely honest, I’d tell you that writing about a hockey hero gives me (and anyone else interested) the chance to fantasize about what it might be like to be to date a professional athlete!

Definitely fun.

Be sure to check out Christy's novel, Tossing the Gloves, here (you'll have to register to read it!)