Football musings and character interview of Devon Drake Cornerback by @JeanJoachim

I used to hate—I mean HATE—football growing up because my dad would glue himself to the TV, especially on Sundays. It was so unfair! Then I married another football aficionado. I was doomed.

My worst fears played out when my husband got transferred to the US Air Force Academy to be a math professor. One August day during our first semester there, he came bouncing home from work brandishing not one but two envelopes of season tickets. "C'mon!" he said. "It'll be fun!" he said.

"Yeah, right," I said.

Much to my astonishment, it was fun. The math department (the largest at USAFA) has a long tradition of throwing the most awesome tailgate parties, my husband took the time to explain to me what I was watching on the field, and Air Force had an extremely good team in those days (the mid-1980s team that boasted ex-Cowboy Chad Hennings and Heisman Trophy candidate Dee Dowis).

I won't go as far as to say that I love football now, but… well. I have developed a killer method of recording play-by-play offensive stats, and I still have the files containing the Westfield (VA) high school stats of NFL wide receiver Eddie Royal (now with the Bears as of this season) and ex-Redskin Evan Royster, among others.

And to be frank, those tight pants do look mighty good on my favorite players. :D

So when the opportunity arose to host a spot for Devon Drake Cornerback by Jean Joachim, I leaped on him—er, it. :D :D :D

Oh and for the record, Devon dear, I do know what a cornerback is. I thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule (apparently, very busy :D) to answer a few of my questions!

KH: What is your proudest accomplishment?

DD: Are you kidding? Making the NFL, then getting picked to play in the Pro Bowl –that’s the NFL’s all star team game, in case you didn’t know. Then becoming top pick for cornerbacks two years in a row by the press. I always loved to run but never dreamed I’d get the chance to do it for a living.

KH: What is your most embarrassing moment?

DD: Laughs. There are so many, it’s hard for me to pick just one. Let’s see, in high school it would be getting shoved out of the locker room naked after the cheerleading practice. As an adult? There are several I can’t mention because they’re “x-rated”. (Chuckles) How about calling a movie star for a date and having her think you were Griff Montgomery, our star quarterback? Yeah, and she didn’t even know what a cornerback was. She thought I’d said hunchback and hung up on me. From the book, having my old girlfriend show up just as I’m about to go on a date with my new girlfriend.

KH: What is your greatest dream?

DD: I have three. Is that okay?

KH: Sure; go for it!

DD: First, to play in the NFL until I’m forty with no serious injuries. Second, to have a loyal wife and a couple of healthy kids. Third, to have a son who also plays in the NFL, so I can keep pro football in my life.

KH: Very admirable—and ambitious. What is your most troubling fear?

DD: Any NFL player will have the same fear –injury. Getting injured bad enough so that you can’t play or your lose your edge, that’s my worst fear. Football is my life. There isn’t anything else I want to do. Next would be losing my wife or a kid to an accident or disease. I don’t think I could handle that. But since I’m not there yet, I don’t worry too much about it.

Thank you, Devon, for sharing with us today. And do please take your time getting dressed! But be forewarned: Stormy will get her say next week on The Maze. I hope you haven't said anything that will get you into trouble with her. :D

BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Devon Drake - Cornerback
SERIES – First & Ten Series
AUTHOR – Jean Joachim
GENRE – Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

BOOK SYNOPSIS
Devon Drake, star cornerback, has it all: hot super model girlfriend and pro football career, or does he? A childhood friend wanders back into his life, upsetting his ideal existence. Is it finally time to tell her the truth about what happened fifteen years ago?

Stormy Gregory is on the run from an abusive man. Her best friend offers her a safe place at the shelter for abused women and children. Grateful to be out of harm’s way, Stormy helps with a charitable event, not expecting to run into Devon Drake, her friend’s brother. Will she run again rather than face rejection?

Cracks in his perfect world threaten the cornerback’s starting lineup status. An unwelcome surprise short-circuits Stormy’s attempt to build a new life. Can they pull together or will the secret that separates the former friends keep them on a downward spiral?

BUY & TBR LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US – KOBO – BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – ITUNES

EXCERPT
The cornerback changed his clothes, slammed his locker shut, and turned toward the workout room. The loud bang stopped all conversation. The men shut up and stared. “What? What? What are you looking at? I didn’t lay a finger on that girl.” He yanked the door to the weight room open.

“We know, Dev. We know,” Griff Montgomery put in.

Devon heaved a sigh, stretched his shoulders, nodded to the quarterback, and went to work out his problems on the machines. Stormy. Perfect name. She’s like a tornado in my life. Damned annoying. But if I don’t help her, who will? Where’s Jackie? Living it up on the West Coast. She could confirm I’m not violent. Women.

AUTHOR BIO
Jean Joachim is a best-selling romance fiction author, with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. The Renovated Heart won Best Novel of the Year from Love Romances Café. Lovers & Liars was a RomCon finalist in 2013. And The Marriage List tied for third place as Best Contemporary Romance from the Gulf Coast RWA. She was chosen Author of the Year in 2012 by the New York City chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Married and the mother of two sons, Jean lives in New York City. Early in the morning, you’ll find her at her computer, writing, with a cup of tea, her rescued pug, Homer, by her side and a secret stash of black licorice.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE  – BLOG –  FACEBOOK – TWITTER – GOOGLE+ – PINTEREST – GOODREADS –

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