THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - THE SARASOTA SHARKS Series by Kristin Lee

 

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Sarasota Sharks Series

 

Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Kristin Lee's Sarasota Sharks Series!

***Synopis***

The Sarasota Sharks is a Triple-A professional baseball team, owned by baseball royalty, who also own the MLB team—Chicago Kodiaks. The MMC’s either play for the Sharks or own the Sharks.

The books are driven by trauma, none of which occurs on page but is in the character’s back story. Each book is different with varying degrees of trauma and obstacles to overcome. I pride myself on building a world that the reader feels they know the characters personally or can feel the same emotions as the characters.

If you like men who are patient and will help break down your walls but also take you up against one, you’ll love the Sarasota Sharks.

 

 

What is the sub-genre and trope?  Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?

I knew baseball would be the backdrop of the series. What I didn’t know is how big of role baseball would play. It varies throughout the series.

Stealing A Second Chance: Brother’s Best Friend, Second Chance, Forced Proximity

Sliding Headfirst: Friends to lovers, Fake Dating, Single Parent

Scoring the Boss: Forbidden Office Romance, Friends to lovers

Swinging for Love: Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity, New Adult

 

Are you more character or plot driven?

Definitely character driven.

 

With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind?  Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?

When I only had one series, I remembered everything in my head. 

Now that two series are complete, there are too many characters to keep them straight. I have a notebook with all the characters names, how they are related, physical characteristics and personality traits.

 

I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own.  Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?

Yes. Most of my characters take on a life of their own. The biggest example in this series is Patrick. In Stealing A Second Chance, Patrick originally was supposed to be a guy that Kenni was interested in before Wils walked in her office.

Patrick ended up being so integral to the survival of Wils and Kenni’s relationship that beta readers begged me to give him book 2, Sliding Headfirst. I went away from my plan and moved Tackett. I’m so glad I did because I believe Patrick’s love story was beautiful and emotional but in different ways than Wils and Kenni.

I let the stories dictate who will be next, if that deviates from my plan then so be it because I want the pages to come alive and to feel real to the reader.

So, Tackett, ended up waiting in the wings. I think he had a little stage fright. Tackett and Talynn’s story ends the series on a lighter note. They’re younger, fresh and don’t have quite as much baggage as the rest of the main characters. Life has been a little easier on them.

 

Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?

No, but soon, I will be writing a book for my brother who passed away two years ago. 

I will be giving him the happily ever after that he didn’t receive in life. It will be loosely based on his struggles with diabetes, transplants and not wanting to put a girlfriend or wife through his life struggles.

Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?

No.

 

Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?

It’s probably a tie between two scenes, one in each of writing Stealing A Second Chance and Sliding Headfirst.

Stealing A Second Chance was when Wils is at Kenni’s childhood home. ( I won’t say what’s going on but this is their break-up.) Wils says to Kenni, 

“I won’t come back from this, Kenni. When I made love to you, it was forever. I was promising to love and adore you—to value and respect you. To remember our past but embrace our future. Just know, this time, my heart will never mend.”

I literally couldn’t see through my tears to write.

In Sliding Headfirst, it was the scene when Avery, Wils and Kenni make him feel less than. Here is some narration: 

I push the women’s door open and call her name. I hear her crying so when a redhead exits, I stand against the door. Waiting for Avery to quit crying, or to say something. It sucks competing with a ghost and I have nowhere to turn, no one to talk to. Wilson and Kenni would say I’m being ridiculous. They want Avery and I together, but they want Jack to take up the room in her heart. I don’t blame them and know it’s subconscious. But damn.

It was a turning point for Patrick and he had to figure out his worth.

 

What is your favorite book in the series? 

That’s a hard one. I just took a poll with my ARC reading team after Scoring the Boss came out. It was basically a three-way tie between all three books. I think Sliding Headfirst may have had one more vote than the other two.

Most days Stealing A Second Chance because it was gut-wrenching, heart shattering love story. I’ve never read a brother’s best friend, second chance romance like this one.

 

I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?

MMC – Wils because who doesn’t love a man that asks for a trade and doesn’t care if he loses 7.9 million dollars a year. He’s patient and grand gesture should be his middle name.

FMC -Megan because she’s kickass. She should have folded under the trauma she endured but instead she pulled herself out of her situation. Plus, she color-codes which may be a little something from me.

 

Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?

Favorite couple is probably Patrick and Avery. Who doesn’t love a man that takes on the father role without hesitation? Avery was a fun, professional single mom and Patrick would have given up baseball in a second for her.

How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?

In Swinging for Love, Tackett and Talynn are young so I didn’t want to get too far ahead in the future. But I knew where I wanted them to end up so I could also end the series the way I had envisioned. 

Their HEA ended with the word sausage which echoed the tone of most of the book. Their spunk and their banter made the book, in my opinion. They are fun-loving and sexy. I can’t wait for people to read it.

 

What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you?  Why?

In Swinging for Love the scene where Tackett “goes for it.” 

In the beginning of the book we see them as friends sharing suggestive innuendos and witty banter but Tackett wouldn’t pull the trigger. 

He had this boyish charm, so when he says, “I’m a man, Tay.” The weight of her body leans back against me and my length swells at the proximity. “You can’t expect me not to notice. Not to want you.” You see Tackett going from boy to man. It's a huge pivot point in their love story.

 

Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?

Sliding Headfirst. Not because it was hard, I already loved Patrick, but because Stealing A Second Chance was so emotional that I hung onto the characters. 

I gave myself a break and wrote the rest of another book (Come On Baby) and came back to Sliding Headfirst in order to give Patrick the love story that he deserved.

 

This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book.  It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series.  I feel that it gives the story further depth.  Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple POV outline?

Not right now. I try to make you love my side characters through their dialogue and actions. That is a compliment that I hear most often.

 

How long did it take you to write this book/series?

It took me nine months from start to finish for the series.

 

How did you come up with the title for your book and series?

The Series name is because my mother in law lives near Sarasota. I know the area and my sons always loved finding Shark teeth in the ocean.

Stealing A Second Chance because he was going to have to steal her, and it was a second chance romance.

Sliding Headfirst was because Patrick was all in. He was sliding headfirst into this love and life.

Scoring the Boss was easy. I really didn’t even think about that one. I just knew.

Swinging for Love was the hardest. My beta readers and I batted around a few ideas but we thought this title would be an uplifting ending and suited the couple.

If you met these characters in real life would you get along?

Yes, I love these characters. This friend group is amazing. When I was younger and lived in different cities away from my hometown, it’s friends that get you through the tough times.

Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?

I knew it was going to be a series, but it was supposed to be Wils, Tackett then Archer but Patrick stole a piece of my heart and everyone else’s and so I couldn’t deny him book 2.

If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?

Wils – I have never found anyone worthy but there is a baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays, Kevin Kiermaier that comes close to Wilson Shepherd’s physical appearance.

Kenni – a young Scarlett Johannsen

Archer – Henry Cavill

I’ll have to think on the rest.

 

Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next?  Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series?  Can you share a small tease?

Up next is a spin-off series. Archer’s twin siblings, Hagan & Harper will have books 1 & 2 of the Campus Stallions series. They had a few lines in Scoring the Boss but a major role in Swinging for Love.

Hagan’s story will be enemies to lovers. Baseball player/Gymnast

Harper’s story will be bad boy, Starting QB/Anxiety ridden, good girl

This series will have multiple sports including, football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, hockey, soccer, and tennis. I wish I could write them all in a month but I’ll have to be patient, like the men of the Sarasota Sharks.

 

Check out all my interviews/reviews for Kristin Lee!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-at-glance-kristin-lee.html#more

BIO:

Kristin Lee writes romance novels that include the four S’s:
Steamy * Sexy * Sometimes Sweet * Swoon-worthy Book Boyfriends

Her books feature Forbidden, Second Chance, Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Age Gap, Brother’s Best Friend and Forced Proximity.

She is married with two sons, born twelve years apart. Kristin wanted to be a sports caster growing up but ended up managing a Recruiting firm in Chicago, before moving back to Kentucky and starting a business with her husband. She also taught pre-school until she left to pursue her passion.

If she isn’t writing or reading, you’ll find her streaming her favorite shows, or attending sporting events. Did I mention she loves having a Bourbon cocktail while at the horse races?

If you haven’t found your match, don’t worry, you will.  But for now, take a romantic journey in one of her romance novels, where you are sure to meet a swoon worthy book boyfriend.

Connect with Kristin:

Email:
kristinleebooks@gmail.com

Website:
www.kristinleebooks.com

Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3KE4LeT

GoodReads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21952299.Kristin_Lee

BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kristin-lee-4c6f735f-d17e-4fac-99b5-7fc4ad8ccc6b

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kristinleewritesromance

Facebook Group (Kristin’s Kisses):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/607678337344619 

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kristinleewritesromance

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STEALING A SECOND

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BLURB:

One crack of the bat drove us apart...
And it also binds us together—forever.
The silence and rejection stings.
But, at some point, I have to quit fighting for her—for us.

Wils
I’ve been pretending for so long, it’s become normal.
To the average person, I have it all…a multi-million-dollar contract to play baseball, four homes, and if I choose—my pick of any gorgeous woman on my arm.

The only problem?
The one woman I want—no, need—in my life completely erased me from her memory when we were only teens.
I’d give everything up for a second chance with Kenni Davis, my best friend’s little sister.

A tragic event that should have brought the two of us closer together, ripped us at the seams. She blames me for all of it.

Kenni
When a ghost from my past is traded to the Sarasota Sharks—where I’m the Public Relations Director—I’m hit with the realization that I cannot keep running from my past, no matter how desperately I want to.

The moment our eyes meet, I know he still loves me…
And I can’t deny that I still love him, too. But betraying my brother isn’t an option.

It’s been eight, long years since I’ve seen my soul mate. Wils thrusts himself back into my life and makes me second-guess everything. And honestly, I’m tired of running. Being near him again, after all this time, still brings me to my knees.

The only question that remains is if I’ll allow myself to get lost in Wilson Shepherd again.

And if I do…Will we both get our hearts broken all over again?

SLIDING HEADFIRST

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BLURB:

FACT: Fake dating can be harmful to your heart.

Patrick:
Can you imagine a World Series champion not having a date to his high school reunion?
Pathetic, huh?

Insert weekend trip and fake date with a single mom.

I didn’t become a professional athlete by chance. I took command of every aspect of my life. But now I can’t control my feelings about my gorgeous fake girlfriend—especially when she’s standing there wearing nothing but my college t-shirt, telling off my ex, or being mom of the year to the coolest kid I know.

I’m a man that needs control and right now—I have none.

Avery:
Engagement—Off.
Dating—On.

So now, I’m making good on the date I bought and paid for with a major league baseball player and quasi-friend. All is well until I feel the need to save him from his ex and jump at the chance to be his fake-girlfriend for a weekend getaway.

It’s there, sparks turn into a full-blown fire as we blur the lines between fantasy and reality.

But when he's playing baseball with my son, pesky little butterflies flutter inside my soul. I need a reminder that he may love my son, but we are just friends—pretending to be more.

Reality sucks—the lingering ghosts that shattered our hearts threaten to keep us apart.

Will we hit a home run or strike out—looking?

 SCORING THE BOSS

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BLURB:

He negotiates contracts. She runs numbers. But when they're left alone, will late nights in the office ignite forbidden flames?

Archer

In three years, I've poured my heart and soul into the Sarasota Sharks. My goal? To make them winners in all respects of the word. Now my mission's accomplished, the team and staff respect me, and not because my father owns the team.

Sounds great, right? But what do I do now? I have no personal life, and after my last horrifically failed relationship, I am not looking to strike-out. My hearts only got one last chance at swinging for love and I'm not ready to miss.

But then SHE walked in.

She struck me straight in the heart the moment I saw her. For the first time I am feeling things I thought I'd never feel again, she stirs passion deep in me and more. She reads me like a pitcher just waiting to make me walk. Her glances, her sarcasm, all her spark and moxie. It's enough to drive a man to madness.

The problem? She came in for an interview and now she works for me. And like an idiot, I made the rule - no boss/employee relationships. Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Managing a professional baseball organization is a piece of cake. But controlling my feelings for her is proving to be the most difficult task on my to-do list.

Playing by the rules has always been my mantra, but what am I to do?

Play by the rules and lose out on my last chance at bat.

Or do I risk it all and go for that home run to love?

SWINGING FOR LOVE

Series Spotlight coming July 31st!

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BLURB:

Disaster strikes. Now the youngest, fastest baseball player on the Sharks is my roommate. It’s fine. He’ll be gone all the time, right? But I’ve already seen him in his boxer briefs and believe me, I can’t quit thinking about it.

Oh, good Lord, he just came out of the bathroom with my beach towel wrapped around his muscular hips. Did I mention the beach towel says, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?”

Yeah. I’m sharing a space with a gorgeous baseball player that sees me only as a friend. I’m in a new place and need new friends, but surely I can contain myself. But what if I want more?

Do I take the safe bet—take the walk or do I swing for love?