Stormy from Devon Drake Cornerback by @JeanJoachim gets her say #football romance

Welcome back to the second character interview from Devon Drake Cornerback by Jean Joachim. This time I'm pleased to feature the heroine, Stormy Gregory!

KH: Welcome, Stormy. Devon has already shared a bit about himself. What is your proudest accomplishment?

SG: I’d have to say striking out on my own, moving to a new city, Bolton, IL, getting a job and supporting myself. No one in my family thought I’d amount to much. But I finished school on scholarship with a degree in nutrition and found a job. My parents don’t think much of what I do. They call it “glorified cook”, but I know it’s a lot more than that. My work with seniors helps them to live longer, healthier lives.

KH: I say that counts as a proud accomplishment, and I'm sorry your parents don't think so. What is your most embarrassing moment?

SG: Embarrassing or humiliating? I’ve had many in my life. The most important one is in the book and Jean won’t allow me to tell you about it. She thinks you should read the book if you want to know.

KH: Fair enough!

SG: Actually there are two there. Don’t ask me about the striptease. (Laughs) That’s in there, too.

KH: Ah, yes. I see Jean has outed you Big Time on that one. :D
What about any events that happened before the book starts?

SG: I’d have to say when one of the seniors, Mr. Magilicuddy fell to his knees and proposed to me in the lunchroom at the senior center. He was eighty-nine years old and didn’t want to take “no” for an answer. I tried to explain to him that I wasn’t Megan Fox, but he was confused and didn’t understand.

KH:  (Laughs) I should like to have seen that episode! On a more serious note, what is your most troubling fear?

SG: Now don’t laugh –

KH: I won't, I promise.

SG: I’m terrified of storms. Yes, that’s how I got my nickname. My real first name is Allison. But nobody calls me that. I don’t know why or how I became so afraid of storms, but when it starts to thunder outside, I start to tremble. I used to crawl into bed with my big sister when I was a kid, maybe four years old. Thunder rattled me and lightning? Forget about it. I was terrified. That’s when she gave me the nickname Stormy. And it stuck.

At first I was mad when it stuck. But I grew to like it. Nobody had the same name. When I got older, I loved it. Guys think it’s cool, sexy. I have made a little progress with my fear of storms. I can handle small ones, but big blows, hurricanes and such –well, I still want to crawl under the bed.

KH: And what is your greatest dream?

SG: Is Jean looking?

KH: No, I think she's busy checking the other tour stops! (Whispers) Go ahead; I won't tell her. :)

SG: Okay, here goes. My greatest dream since I was a kid was to marry my childhood crush, Devon Drake. I’d save my allowance and buy a bride magazine and imagine myself in each dress, walking down the aisle to Devon. I’m not supposed to tell about that because it’s in the book, but hey, you asked and I like to give honest answers.

KH: And I do appreciate your honesty very much.

SG: Of course that dream was shattered when I was fourteen, but it was always my greatest dream.

KH: What an awful thing to have happen to a teen. I do hope you get your happily-ever-after with the man of your dreams; it sounds like you deserve it!

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
But the last thing Stormy wanted was to hang around Devon Drake any longer than necessary. He had filled out since high school with pure muscle. Like Chutes and Ladders, Devon Drake had taken the big ladder from handsome to gorgeous. Hanging around might mean the revival of old feelings, leaving her vulnerable to rejection again. It was destined to happen, since he had a hot, high-powered girlfriend. Stormy needed to watch her step. He wasn’t available, but nobody had told her heart that.

He sat up, his gaze glued to her. She hummed the tune “The Stripper” as she unzipped and peeled off her jacket. The man slid his chair closer to the window. She began to dance slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see people on the sidewalk had stopped moving. She took a deep breath and eased her sweater up as slowly as possible.

Now, the man in the headphones was gesturing and talking. The others in the room turned to stare. Stormy kept humming and dancing. She was getting into it. Ignoring the cold, she pulled her sweater over her head, twirled it around, and flung it at a man standing nearby. He caught it and applauded.

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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