Celebrate One Last Shot at Christmas, a clean hockey romance set in small-town Alaska featuring second chances and found family.
I’m so excited to celebrate the release of One Last Shot at Christmas, the third book in my Opportunity, Alaska series!
Writing these feel-good, small-town romance books has brought me so much joy. The publishing world doesn’t always move at the pace I would prefer, and yet when a book launches I’m always reminded that God’s timing is far better than mine. A huge shout out to Shana, my editor at Love Inspired, for suggesting weaving hockey into this story. It was such a fun addition, and it ended up being the perfect fit for Wyatt Morgan. Ever since Wyatt appeared in the opening chapter of the first book in the series, Her Alaskan Family, I knew he needed a story of his own. Sometimes a character arrives in my imagination and refuses to be ignored, and sometimes they wait patiently until I’m ready for them to take center stage. I’m so happy I finally got to give him his shot at being a hero.
Tropes You’ll Find in This Clean Hockey Romance
At Love Inspired, we want to give our readers a satisfying, feel-good story. So it’s my goal to include tropes and hooks in my stories many of my readers enjoy. For example, a baby or young child finding his or her forever family. There’s something so deeply emotional and heartwarming about watching a family come together, and that thread felt especially meaningful in this story.
Another element I often explore is the geographic tug-of-war. Will the big-city hero or heroine return to life in the Lower 48, or will Alaska capture their sometimes reluctant heart for good? That push and pull creates a delicious dynamic, especially as the romance deepens. Alaska has a way of becoming more than just a setting…it becomes a character just like the fictional humans.
How My Rural Alaskan Childhood Influenced This Feel-Good Story
I enjoy watching hockey either from the cheap seats at the arena or from the comfort of my cozy sofa. Here in North Carolina, we’re still celebrating the Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup.
My own history with the sport goes back to childhood in rural Alaska, when I briefly attempted to play on the school team. Since we lived in a small community, we had to travel to play other teams. I was only about six or seven years old. My older sister was probably along because she played hockey for years, but even though she was around, I did not enjoy being away from home. Add in temperatures of 25 to 35 below zero, and I can confidently say I was not having a great time.
I did keep ice skating at recess for a while, until a significant concussion brought that chapter to an end. After that, my parents decided I needed to wear a very big, very blue helmet whenever I was at the rink. As you might imagine, I was not impressed. In my opinion, it was decidedly not cool. I had plenty of big opinions even as a fourth grader! You’d think I would have been more grateful that they were trying to protect my noggin.
By sixth grade, I had moved to Valdez, where ice skating wasn’t really part of my life anymore. I happily switched to indoor sports like basketball and volleyball. Goodbye, helmet!
Let me be clear: I’m grateful for my unconventional childhood. Hockey is an amazing sport and I’ll be a life-long spectator for sure.
This One is for the Coaches
All joking aside, I truly don’t think I would be the person I am today without the coaches and volunteers who made it possible for us to play sports. Winter in Alaska is an obstacle all by itself. Adding in the logistics of competitive sports on top of teaching full time is a big responsibility. We often spent every other Friday traveling by bus (and sometimes planes and ferries) to get to our opponent. Then we had to play a game, eat, sleep in the school, get up and eat again then play again and eat one more time before traveling home. What an adventure! Finding volunteers to feed those teams, run concession stands at games, hire and organize officials…it’s a huge commitment. I was probably not super appreciative for all they did, but I am grateful now, which is why I dedicated One Last Shot at Christmas to my childhood coaches.
Clean Hockey Romance Available Now
If you love small-town romance, family-centered stories, a touch of hockey, and the magic of Alaska at Christmastime, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of One Last Shot at Christmas.
Get your copy today in e-Book, paperback or audiobook (beautifully narrated by Courtney Patterson). However you love to read, I’d be honored for this story to be part of your holiday reading season.
