Rebecca Talley: Falling Leaves Giveaway Sponsored by eBookbetty

Rebecca Talley: Falling Leaves Giveaway Sponsored by eBookbetty:  Accent on Romance and eBookbetty are hosting a fantastic giveaway. You can go here to learn more about it . There are way cool prizes (Kind...

Sports Romance Book GiveAway

Sports Romance Book Giveaway Fun

Looking for a new Sports Romance? It’s the last week in August. For some, that means Back-to-School, while others hope to grasp the last month of Summer. Everyone may want to read a new Sports Romance! Over twenty fantastic authors will give away a huge collection of Sports Romance novels to two lucky winners. The Grand Prize winner also receives a sparkling new eReader! Everyone who enters can select FREE books from a bonus collection provided by participating authors. 

You could win my brand-new Clearing the Ice Boxset, which contains three complete novels—This Piece of My Heart, This Piece of My Soul, and This Piece of Our Being. You’ll also find books offered by many of my favorite Sports Romance authors, such as Kate Willoughby, Lisa B. Kamps, Mignon Mykel, and Jami Davenport. Simply enter the giveaway by clicking here: http://bit.ly/sportsromances-aug18 

The Sports Romance Book Giveaway ends September 5—but, don’t put off entering! You can select your free bonus reads today! BookSweeps hosts this fabulous Sports Romance Book giveaway.

About Robyn M. Ryan Chicago born, honorary Atlanta native, Parisienne at heart. Proud 60’s Flower Child. “Fearless” barrier-breaker for female sports journalists and minor league “batpersons.” While at UGA, scored PR internship with Atlanta Flames NHL team, during its first season. Interviewed future MLB and NHL Hall of Fame members, published in a variety of print media. Wife, mom, PR professional, and finally, 35 years later, published author. Two Westie grand-dogs pretty much run the household.

Follow Robyn on Amazon and BookBub. Sign up for Robyn’s Chicks Dig Sports Romance newsletter for the latest news on upcoming releases, exclusive text from works in progress, giveaways, and more!

Author Donna Fasano, In All Directions: Free and #99cent eBooks PLUS a chance at Gift Card...

Author Donna Fasano, In All Directions: Free and #99cent eBooks PLUS a chance at Gift Card...: Kick the sand out of your sandals and cool off with a fabulous array of Free & $0.99 books that will keep you entertained into the Dog D...

#TBT Confessions of a Minor League Batperson

It may be hard to believe, but not that long ago—at least in my perspective!—writing sports was strictly for the guys. No way could a girl know enough about professional sports to conduct an interview or write intelligently. How in the world could a woman know the difference between a fastball and a slider; offside and icing; first downs and pass interference? And even if she could carry on an intelligent conversation about the Montreal Canadiens’ chances in the Stanley Cup Play-Offs, no female could—or would—or should actually write about it. Back in the early ’70’s, however, women began to tear down that brick wall and overcome the stereotypes that had kept them away from sports. They actually dared to write about sports, interview players, demand access to the locker room (horrors!), just like the guys.

In those days, while in college, my best friend and I covered sports—particularly baseball and hockey—for the local paper, the school paper, and occasionally an Atlanta-wide publication, Creative Loafing. We were among the few women who dared to enter that “Men’s Club.”

Undeterred (and a bit naive), we scored interviews with legends such as Johnny Bench, Ferguson Jenkins, Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, Jacques Richard, and Tommy Lysiak. We even managed a trip to the 1973 Stanley Cup Final, in Montreal, cheered for the visiting Chicago Black Hawks—and survived to write about it. (But that’s a story for another day!)

Many years later, the clippings have yellowed, the stars long retired, but the dream lives on, only in a different genre as a romance author. Occasionally I’ll post some of these long-forgotten articles—hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed our times as “groundbreakers” in the world of sportswriting.

The following recounts the day we broke the barrier that prevented women from stepping onto the baseball field as a “member” of the team. We were “Batpersons” for the Savannah Braves, the then-Double-A Atlanta Braves’ minor league team.

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Confessions of a Minor League Batperson

It’s a generally accepted fact that if you’re going to make it to the Major Leagues, you’ll first need to put some time in the minor league system. This doesn’t apply only to the players. Managers, coaches, front office personnel, and even umpires have to work their way up through the minors. It’s only the rare individual who actually launches a professional career in the majors, but that’s what makes superstars anyway.

Knowing this basic axiom of baseball—and knowing that we weren’t likely to be superstars—and having as our goal becoming baseball’s first feminine batpersons, neither of us was particularly displeased at the thought of starting our career somewhere in the minor leagues. Actually, we considered ourselves quite lucky—we were making our debut at the AA level, bypassing the Rookie and Class A leagues. We were starting in an organization we’d long dreamed of joining—Savannah’s version of the Atlanta Braves.

Surely the Savannah Braves‘ General Manager was only half-serious when he invited us to be honorary batpersons at a late-season doubleheader against the Columbus Astros—or he felt sorry for us spending a month in Savannah organizing a Telethon and felt we deserved some excitement. Either way, we said “Yes!” before he had time to realize what he’d gotten himself into.

Knowing he’d been hooked, he decided to make the best of it. He got us genuine team jerseys, right off the backs of two of Savannah’s stars, took us down to the dugout, introduced us to a couple of the players, then left us to navigate the basics of the bat trade ourselves.

Batperson Dilemmas…

No sooner had he had left the dugout, the skies opened and a deluge descended on Grayson Stadium. Our debut was about to be washed down the drain, along with the muddy streams flowing down the dugout steps. Worse, we were trapped, not wanting to get soaked or risk walking through a clubhouse full of possibly partially clad players. As it was, we had to contend with the questioning stares of each Savannah Brave as he entered the dugout and saw us sitting (unobtrusively, we hoped) on the bench.

“Hey, what are you doing with my jersey on?” catcher Biff Pocoroba demanded as he caught sight of Jenny’s number 12 jersey.

“That’s the new catcher,” someone informed him.

“Oh, and I suppose you’re the new pitcher?” another added sarcastically with a glance at me.

We explained that we’d been recruited as batpersons for the doubleheader, and the conversation immediately switched to whether or not one of us would have to fetch bats for the visiting club.

“No way—let them find their own batgirls,” one player answered.

“Batperson,” I corrected softly.

“Huh?”

“Batperson,” I repeated. “As in a person who carries the bat.”

“Like a batboy?”

“Batperson.”

By this time the rain had let up and it was time for the players to start warming up. Deciding to be nice to us, two players invited us to play catch. It kind of surprised them at first to see that we knew which hand the gloves went on and that we could throw the ball to them without bouncing it first (usually), but pretty soon they got used to us and even began to offer “helpful” hints.

“You’re letting the ball go too soon,” my coach advised. “Try throwing it this way.” Trying it this way caused the next throw to go into the dirt, but he assured me it would be better once I got used to it.

Jenny, meanwhile, had decided she’d rather be a pitcher than a catcher and received instructions on how to throw curve balls, knuckleballs, sliders, and spitballs.

It was nearing game time, so we reluctantly ended our games of catch and instruction to meet with the regular batperson to learn our duties.

“You can do what you want,” he informed us. “I’m going to work for the other team tonight.”

“You mean you won’t be helping us?” We panicked.

“Aw, you can handle it,” he assured us with a disdainful wave of his hand. “One of you can be in charge of the bats and the other can take care of the helmets. It’s easy. You get the bats off the field between batters and put the helmets back on the roof. What could be easier?”

Indeed, What Could Be Easier for a Batperson?

“I call helmets,” I whispered quickly. Jenny flashed one of those looks that could kill and would have retorted something fairly unbecoming a batperson had Manager Tommie Aaron not chosen that moment to enter the dugout.

“You’re the kids they sent from Greenwood?” he demanded incredulously.

“Sure!”

“You can play third base?”

“Sure.”

“And you can play first?” We nodded agreeably. “And you can hit third?” He took a pencil from his pocket and prepared to fill in the line-up card. “Now, what are your names?”

“We’re the batgirls,” Jenny said quickly.

“Batpersons,” I hissed.

“Oh.” Manager Aaron seemed genuinely disappointed we weren’t the kids from Greenwood, but he completed the line-up card and started up the dugout steps toward home plate. “Come on along,” he invited Jenny.

Feeling a little insecure alone in the dugout, I wandered to the top of the stairs and pretended to see something truly fascinating out in left field. But compelling as the left field grass appeared in thesetting sun, I couldn’t help but hear the entry of another player to the dugout, preceded by a string of profanities put together in a way I’d never quite heard before.

“And that goes for you, Asslestine!” he growled, not two feet behind me. I turned to see what had prompted this outburst just in time to see a player turn pale and gasp in shock. “You’re not Asslestine.”

“No,” I assured him.

“But you’ve got his jersey on,” he protested, pale skin quickly becoming crimson. “I thought you were Brian…”

“Well, our hair is the same color,” I tried to reassure him.

By this time Manager Aaron had returned from the meeting at home plate and he sternly warned his team to “mind your mouths” in our presence.

“Want a chew?” he offered, holding a bag of tobacco before us.

“No thanks, not right now,” Jenny declined politely.

Next time: Part two: The Game Begins… Show Time!

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Robyn M. Ryan Chicago born, honorary Atlanta native, Parisienne at heart. Proud 60’s Flower Child. “Fearless” barrier-breaker for female sports journalists and minor league “batpersons.” While at UGA, scored PR internship with Atlanta Flames NHL team, during its first season. Interviewed future MLB and NHL Hall of Fame members, published in a variety of print media. Wife, mom, PR professional, and finally, 35 years later, published author. Two Westie grand-dogs pretty much run our household.

June Promo Opportunities:

Buzz Books’ June FREE and Exclusive deals

BookCave Summer Romance Mega Giveaway (FREE to .99 books)

Kobo $2.99 Sports Romance Supersale

Summer Reads...Get Them Right Here!

by Robyn M. Ryan | May 19, 2018 

I’ll confess. Kittens, puppies, and Summer beach reads just do it for me! Why not adopt a kitten and/or a puppy if you can? The shelters overflow with these sweet innocent fur-balls this time of year!

Summer’s always on my mind! From the moment our last WARM beach trip ends—usually in balmy October—I’m watching temperatures, hoping they reach at least the high 70’s. Sometimes when we’re lucky, i.e., as early as March—but definitely by May, my Summer reappears. So far, this year’s gifted two Summer-like-beach get-aways, which means my iPad and Kindle overflow with books of many genres. Many of these books came free via an author’s promotion or through a giveaway organized by various groups of authors. Others are those one-click buys from favorite authors.

With the long Memorial Day weekend approaching, check out two promotions that could deliver enough books to last you through the Summer. (And maybe win a prize or two!)

First, visit the Sweet, Spicy and Red Hot Sports Romance

and eBook Giveaway! 

May 15-31

Forty-six Awesome Romance Authors offer you great summer reads—complete novels or extended previews—at no cost! You’ll find all heat levels—sweet, spicy, and smoking hot! Football, tennis, baseball, hockey, rugby, and golf are just a few of the sports featured in these romance books! (BTW, I’m having a great time loading new books on my iPad!!) Please keep in mind that the authors hope you will sign up for their newsletter. It’s a great way to express appreciation to an author. (It’s not a lifetime commitment—you can unsubscribe at any time—but hopefully, you’ll enjoy the content.)

**Due to the varying heat levels in these books, this promotion is for Adults Only.

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Next Head over to the Spring Fling Giveaway sponsored by 40 authors and The Kindle Book Review! 

May 15-31

Not only will you find amazing free and bargain books at this site, but also the opportunity to win one of a slew of Amazon products worth $400—including a 10″ Kindle Fire, One-Year Amazon Prime, a Kid’s Kindle pack (see above!), and Amazon eGift Cards. Just click the link and enter the Spring Fling Reader Giveaway. 

**This is a multi-genre promotion, so this gives you a chance to try a new genre or two.

Again, Adults Only, please.

The BookCave's Summer Romance Giveaway.
May 28-June 17
(Bookmark This link!)

Book Cave offers a fabulous Romance Mega Giveaway May 28-June 17. 

Look for FREE and 99-cent romance books—PLUS, you can enter to win $400 in prizes! 

Bookmark this link so you can visit the site once the giveaway begins!

You may end up with enough books to fill two e-readers! 

Good luck to those entering the giveaways and Good Reading! Enjoy! 

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Celebrating Summer, from Me to You—A Rafflecopter Giveaway! May 17-24

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finally, if those puppies tempted you to buy This Piece of My Heart, the first book in the Clearing the Ice Trilogy, it’s on sale for just $.99 for a limited time. Available on your favorite e-store now.

The emotional conclusion to the Clearing the Ice trilogy.

This Piece of Our Being
Buy Links

She no longer believes that love conquers all. 

He questions his convictions. 

Alone, each faces an uncertain future.

Fate, however,  has other ideas.

Just as Fate placed their lives on a collision course five years ago, Andrew and Caryn Chadwick’s paths cross once again in Toronto after a four-month separation. Despite Andrew’s assurances that he wants to repair their marriage, Caryn is wary, not certain she can trust him and struggles with doubts and questions about his relationship with a member of his Rehab Team. Wracked with guilt, Andrew questions his determination to return to the Tampa Suns hockey team, and he seeks to convince Caryn their marriage will survive.

Fate intervenes with a gift at the worst possible moment.

Caryn can hide this secret for only a short time, but is Andrew capable of pushing his needs aside when he discovers the truth? Can she risk her heart and soul once again? This Piece of Our Being follows Andrew’s and Caryn’s journeys through a fragile reconciliation. Both vow to place honesty at the center of their future. But, will the secrets revealed heal their marriage or drive them further apart?

The conclusion to the Clearing the Ice trilogy, This Piece of Our Being delivers Andrew and Caryn’s Happily Ever After, but the path to reconciliation is rocky and missteps prove costly.

April Showers...Blizzards(?) Bring.....

       

Spring!

 

Don't know about you, but I am done with Winter. Actually, I was done before it even started, but this Southern girl expects March and April to be sunny, warm, with maybe some severe weather occasionally. Not Freeze Warnings! And certainly not highs in the 40°s on our Florida beach in April. Enough!

 

The only good thing about the weather, it keeps me inside and working on the box set for the Clearing the Ice trilogy—AND getting the plot percolating for the new Tampa Suns Hockey Series. You'll recognize some characters from the trilogy, and Lauren's got her eye on her next bad boy. The next book's working title ~ Healthy Scratch. Anyone wish to guess the Suns player who captures Lauren's heart? Comment below and I'll choose a random winner and gift the complete paperback set in the Clearing the Ice trilogy~This Piece of My Heart, This Piece of My Soul, and This Piece of My Being.

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April DOES bring FREE and DISCOUNTED books!

 

April Promotions

And do we have some great book deals for you! For the first time ever, you can grab a copy of This Piece of My Heart for FREE. This offer ends April 22, please get your copy now! Even if you already have a copy, it's a good time to re-download it—updated content. :-) Also, Google Play and Amazon both decided to offer This Piece of Our Being for just $2.51. Don't ask me where that price originated. If you want to take advantage, act quickly. I don't know how long this pop-up sale will last!

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BuzzBooks Crazy in Love Giveaway

 Check out the Crazy in Love specials sponsored by Buzz Books! There's an outstanding selection of books in various romance genres—free previews, free books, discounted books. New books added frequently, so this is a great site to bookmark. You'll definitely find books that will warm these cold April days!

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Accent on Romance Giveaway + Free or .99 Books

Find Your Books and Enter the Rafflecopter Here!

    Stock up on your beach reads April 18-22 during the Accent on Romance Spring promotion. You'll find books of every genre, including one of the 100 Indie Books You Should Read Before You Die —Jackie Weger's Finding Home. Enter the Rafflecopter to win Amazon Gift Cards while you're grabbing these great book deals!                     

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow me on BookBub and Amazon Author Page for pre-release notification of the upcoming new series!

Sign up for Robyn M. Ryan's Newsletter

Welcome Spring! Mega Giveaway & Free/.99 eBooks!

Mega Giveaway

Just wait until you see this Mega Basket Full of Incredible Prizes! Sponsored by eBookBetty.com and eNovel Authors, these amazing gifts could land in your Easter Basket, along with free and $0.99 books from many genres. Now, when we say a basketful of goodies, we're talking:

- $100 Amazon Gift Card 

- BONUS GIFT: Zoomer Meowezies "Tiger", an interactive Kitten with lights, sounds, and sensors 

- Amazon Echo Dot - Autographed Hardback Book, John Grisham (Sycamore Row) 

- Harry Potter Inspired Kindle Paperwhite Book Cover - Book of Spells 

- Autographed Hardback Book, Janet Evanovich (To the Nines) - Book Mouse Book Mark - Autographed Hardback Book, Nora Roberts (Blue Smoke) 

- Kate Perry Purr Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 3.4 Ounce 

- Autographed Hardback Book, Lee Child (Worth Dying For) 

- The Ebb Tote Bag + The Ebb eBook 

- Autographed Hardback Book, David Baldacci (Last Man Standing) 

- Panda Planner, Quarterly (Orange) 

- $25 Amazon Gift Card 

- Amazon Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, Black

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Mega Book Bonanza!

There's something for everyone in the Mega Free/.99 Book Bonanza. Take a look. Discover new authors. Fill your e-reader with Spring Reads!

Only Twenty Five (Free) Jennifer McCoy Blaske

  "Unfailingly honest and awkward, this novella painfully describes Meg Caldwell’s journey through androgenetic alopecia. Young, single Meg hilariously tries to hide her condition from her observant middle school students and her new boyfriend."

~ Amazon Review

Only Twenty-Five~A millennial love story you don’t want to miss.

~ Amazon Review

Amazon    Amazon UK

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No Perfect Fate (Free)  Jackie Weger

"I just finished reading this book and the chapter before the last I was crying like crazy. It was a beautiful story with a beautiful message from Katie."

~Erika Delgado on Amazon.

"Amazing writing and story. Pulls all the emotions of each character right into your hearts." 

~ Harvey on Amazon

Amazon    Amazon UK  

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The Amulet 99c ($0.99)   Effrosyni Moschoudi

"What a wonderful imagination the author has, I felt as if I was living in the book and found it hard to put it down."

~Jean Symonds, Amazon.co.uk reviewer

"Her descriptions are so vivid that you can feel the wind in your hair, the sunshine on your face, and the sand beneath your feet. I felt as if I walked into a painting that came alive."

~Rita E. Watson, Amazon reviewer

Amazon       Amazon UK

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Creatus (Free)   Carmen DeSousa

"This story is completely unique and is definitely not generic sex and vampires. In fact, I think Creatus will redefine the paranormal genre. Creatus has intrigue, suspense, romance, and tremendous depth."

~ Top #500 Amazon Reviewer Vine Voice

Amazon  Amazon UK   iTunes   B&N 

Kobo   Google Play

 

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The Egg Basket 99c ($0.99)   Cait London

"...one of the most fabulous series I have ever read! I adore them. There was so much raw emotion placed in these books that I cried, laughed, was mad, and wanted to protect everyone also."

~ Amazon Review

"Lynn Wallberg is a Mother on the run. She's found the strength...to divorce and escape her abusive wealthy ex-husband Rich in order to protect their son from Rich's violent tendencies."

~ Amazon Review

Amazon   Amazon UK   iTunes   B&N    Kobo

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The Job Blower ($0.99)   Melinda De Ross  

   

"Another book that I simply could not put down. De Ross owes me a good night's sleep."

~ Louis Romano, bestselling author

"Melinda has some kind of effect on me that her books always keep me turning the pages."

~   Ana Koljanin, book reviewer

Amazon   Amazon UK    iBooks    B&N

Kobo     Google Play   Smashwords

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Ruse & Romance ($0.99)   Suzanne G. Rogers 

2015 RONE Award Nominee!

"The portrayal of scenes and characters will have one mentally hanging on the edge of one's seat in this showstopper as the story flows seamlessly from one of intrigue to one of page-turning baited breath in an effort to see if romance can bloom."

~ InD'Tale Magazine

Amazon       Amazon UK

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This Piece of My Soul ($0.99)  Robyn M. Ryan

 

"There are a lot of emotions flowing throughout this book that made me want to cry, scream, laugh, and smile! It’s not often I find myself so emotional during a read and not one that has my emotions jumping all over the place. This book touches on a lot of topics including love, romance, friendship, hope, regret, heartache, courage, healing, overcoming obstacles, second chances, and fresh starts."

~ Amazon Review

Buy Links

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a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Good luck and enjoy!

Spring Rush Romance Giveaway

Spring’s on the way!

No matter if March came roaring in with another Bomb Cyclone or as a balmy day’s surprise, a group of romance writers across all genres offer you all the books you’ll need to survive Winter’s Last Stand and welcome Spring! Sponsored by Buzz Books, the Spring Rush Romance Giveaway provides books and book previews, as well as a vast selection of discounted reads.

Have you met Bex Dane’s Men of Siege, an exciting new five-star military/suspense romance series, featuring swoon-worthy heroes? Download a sample of the first three books in the series ~ Rogan, Tessa,and Violet. (Warning—You’ll find yourself flipping pages late into the night.)

Marika Ray’s Beach Squad Series will quench your beach cravings with previews of Sweet Dreams and Beach B!tch and offers special sale pricing through the Spring Rush Romance Giveaway.

Have my eyes on Nicole French’s A Bad Idea series and just downloaded the free Prequel, Broken Arrow.

If you enjoy sports romance, you can sample previews of each book in my Clearing the Ice hockey trilogy. You’ll also find special .99 pricing for This Piece of My Soul. (If you are new to the trilogy, you can jump right in even though it’s book two.)

Surely you’ll find more than a few romances to add to your Spring Reading List! The Spring Rush Romance Giveaway continues through March 31. Discover new authors or new books from favorites. Try new genres. Meet some new book boyfriends and happy reading! What better way to welcome Spring?