The Grand Finale for Covering Home’s Virtual Tour

What do you hope readers take with them when they read your book?

The nicest thing a reader can say to an author is, “I just could not put your book down.” When someone tells me that, I’m overjoyed. So I hope readers turn the last page with a contented sigh, yet wish they had just a little more time with the characters. On a deeper level, I hope readers recognize that I write from a Christian world view and God is a God of second chances, who can redeem us from hard seasons.

Initially, I saw a call for submissions from a publisher for a story set in Tokyo, Japan that featured a bat, a bell, and an angel. For the non-writers out there, a call for submissions is something writers pay attention to because it’s the publisher’s way of telling writers what they are looking for. This particular publisher wanted a novella, which is about 25,000 words or so. As soon as I dropped Britt Bowen and Caleb Scott in the lobby of that hotel, I knew I had something special going on. Once the characters came to life on the page, I couldn’t stop at a novella. It was sooo much fun to write.

Which baseball stadium is your favorite?
It’s hard to choose a favorite. Each one has unique characteristics and it depends on if you’re playing there or just enjoying a game with your family and friends. As a player, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia will always be special to me, since we won the World Series there.

In Covering Home, Caleb Scott tries to rebuild his pitching career in the Japan’s professional baseball league. The cultural differences between the United States and Japan are significant, both in this story and in reality. Here are ten fun facts about baseball in Japan and how they contrast with the way the game is both played and watched in the USA.

In professional baseball, players often have a ‘walk-up’ song that is played in the stadium when they’re … wait for it … walking up to the batter’s box. Hence the name, walk-up song. I’ve checked out a few lists and players have chosen everything from Ellie Goulding to Rage Against the Machine. It’s a big part of baseball culture and also helps the batter mentally prepare to step up to the plate and get the job done.

I’m a voracious reader. A great story captures my attention, draws me in right alongside the characters, and keeps the pages turning long past my bedtime. There aren’t enough hours in the day to write well and read everything in my To-Be-Read pile, but here are the most anticipated books (for me) this spring.

I truly enjoyed this sweet, romantic story. Readers who enjoy romantic stories with a little sports action thrown in are sure to enjoy Covering Home.

In Covering Home, the heroine, Britt Bowen is a television personality turned sportscaster. While it is her dream job, she faces a few challenges, which also happen to impact her personal life. Based on the research I conducted to write this novel, here are five reasons why I feel it would be a difficult profession.

On a date, would you prefer an adrenaline-fueled adventure or a romantic candlelit dinner?
Oh, tough question. I love the adrenaline rush of a new adventure. But since it’s a date, I’d enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner.

He turned back from the window, the lights mounted on the frame of the Ferris wheel illuminating half of his face. Even in the semi-darkness, those dark chocolate eyes studied her.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

They cruised upward, each incremental turn of the wheel taking them higher and higher above the lights of Tokyo. Caleb raked a hand through his hair and released a slow breath.

“I’m thinking about how I’m on the most romantic Ferris wheel ride of my life, with a beautiful woman who leaves town in a couple of days and lives on the other side of the world.”

I am such a sucker for baseball stories. Especially baseball and romance. . . . This is a good story, easy to read.

I especially appreciated how both Britt and Caleb grew as characters throughout the novel, and I enjoyed watching them forge a relationship. Fans of contemporary romance, especially those who like sports, will enjoy this novel.

Movies about baseball, however, are available 24/7. I could watch The Natural again and again. I enjoy most movies with a sports-related theme, particularly if there is an uplifting, inspirational message.

Here are my favorite movies with a strong sports theme that evoked a strong emotional response: laughter, tears, a compulsion to root for the underdog(s).

I couldn’t help but to root for them, even though the odds were stacked against them. There were a few events that took me by surprise and I love being surprised. It’s labeled as an inspirational read, but I didn’t feel that religion played a big part.