More Than Teammates

 Oh my God, I'm writing a post! Why?? Because my book More Than Teammates is coming out in LESS THAN A MONTH and I'm kind of freaking out. I really want this book to do well because I love it so fucking much. What's it about? Well, you could read the blurb (I'll paste it in at the end) but I think my blog is the perfect place for the story of how this book came to be...

I published the first Teammates book (On Ice) back in 2020. It was the first book I'd ever completed. I went on to write two more in the series. I also penned a romance series under the name Natalie Falkenwrath. I have lots of blog posts about this already, so I won't elaborate other than to say that through this process I fell in love with my Teammates characters and found a lot of joy in writing romance. So why not smash them together? The Teammates series had a romantic plot arc, but it was only one thread in the larger story and it wasn't written to be as steamy as my romance novels, sadly.

While I worked on those books, I wrote a TON of material that didn't make it into the series, either because it was too steamy or because it just didn't fit in. I daydreamed of making a Super Special Edition of the series in which I added in all my little bonus stories. I did put some online, but most of them I kept to myself. Then Heated Rivalry BLEW UP the hockey romance world and oh my God, y'all, I was totally swept up. But as much as I love Shane and Ilya, I really prefer women. I prefer *my* women. And I decided they deserved a little more love. 

So I got to work writing Tessa's story as a stand-alone novel, focusing on her sexual awakening and romantic plot. It was the most fun I've ever had writing a book. I love sweet little Tessa so damn much. She grows a ton over the course of the story. If the readers get even a tiny fraction of the satisfaction her story gave me, I think they'll love her too. If you've read Teammates, you'll know where the story is going, but in More Than Teammates you'll experience those first three seasons of the Darts in a whole new way, with new depth and a lot more spice. 

So here's the link to order it: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-teammates-alison-sommer/1150850312

And here's the blurb:

Tessa White is an engineer and a hockey player, she is not a romantic. She doesn't want a boyfriend or husband; all she needs is an engaging career and a solid hockey team. Unfortunately both her workplace and team are toxic AF. When her favorite teammate Patricia "Fitz" Anderson proposes they start a brand-new team, the Darts, Tessa jumps at the chance to build something incredible. As the Darts navigate the ups and downs of their inaugural season, Tessa suddenly comes face-to-face with an unexpected truth: that she's fallen for Fitz. The realization is as unwanted as it is undeniable. To make matters worse, Fitz is trapped in a marriage to a man so controlling and manipulative, he's earned the nickname "Douchey McAssface" among their teammates. As she comes to terms with her feelings, Tessa faces an impossible choice: stand idly by and watch the woman she loves suffer under a man who never deserved her, or risk exposing her secret which could ruin their friendship and throw the Darts into chaos.

I hope readers enjoy it half as much as I do (or more! lol). But even if it were to flop (pssht, unlikely), I would still be glad that I wrote it. I seriously cannot wait until Lessa Lamb gets her hands on it so that I can experience it all over again as an audio book. And if all goes well, maybe it'll even get its own sequel (which I may or may not already be writing hehe). Cheers, bitches!

PS: I totally did the cover art and even though it took countless hours (getting their hair right was so damn hard) I am really glad that I did it, because it makes me so happy and more than a little proud.