The Cutting Edge meets Friday Night Lights in a sizzling new hockey romance from bestselling authors Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush!

Title: In the Penalty Box

Authors: Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release Date: January 5, 2021

Entangled Teen!

Rating: 5/5

Amazon/B&N

Summary: 

Willow: Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. But one unlucky injury and now I’m down…but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab—a boatload of rehab—and who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team? Of course, the infuriatingly hot captain of the team seems to think I’m nothing but sequins and twirls. What’s a girl to do but put him in his place? Game on.

Brodie:  Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships—hopefully in front of major college scouts, too—so what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie? Of course, the distractingly sexy skater thinks I’m nothing but a testosterone-laced competitive streak. And surely she’s only biding her time to heal, then she’s gone. Game over.

 

*I received this book from YA Bound Tours for my honest review*

From page 1, I couldn’t put this book down. I fell in love with Brodie and Willow and was rooting for them all the way through this books. I don’t skate, but I felt that the authors both did a lot of research on figure skating and hockey. I also found Brodie and Willow family situation and backstory to not feel generic and it helped move the plot, their characterization, and affect the way they acted. All the secondary characters didn’t feel like backdrops, but actually moved in and out of the scene with purpose.

I really like Brodie and found him to be a sweetheart. Both of their reasons for why they don’t want to be a couple in the beginning made sense, and I felt as if I was in high school dealing with the drama of that age all over again :P. The characters were believable and I felt connected to my younger self. The trials they both go through, and how they come out on the other side, is very inspiring. It is great to have characters that are caring and grow from challenges.

All in all, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves YA romance! Rush and Blount did a fantastic job!

~Dani

INSPIRATION BEHIND WRITING THIS BOOK AND YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS: 

Welcome to the IN THE PENALTY BOX release festivities! I’m so excited to be here today and grateful for the chance to talk to you about the sweet YA romance novel I co-wrote with Kelly Anne Blount! We love blog tours! Have you been hitting all the tour stops? Be sure to, because there are lots of fun prizes to try for and adventures to be had.

Lynn Rush here. In case you don’t know me, I’m one of the writers of IN THE PENALTY BOX. Kelly Anne and I met through our agent, Nicole, at The Seymour Agency. We clicked right away and one day, Kelly said, “Hey, we should write a book together.”

I was all about that. I really enjoyed Kelly’s writing and her personality. She’s pretty freaking awesome, so yeah, I agreed right away. Kelly and I had been involved in high school and college sports, so it felt pretty natural to go that route with a book we would write together.

Normally I’m a seat of the pants type writer, but when we started planning out what we might write about, it was evident we’d need to do some plotting, so that was a fun experience. Now I kind of like plotting books out. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the rush of staring at a blank word document with no idea what I’m going to write out. I don’t think I’ll ever lose that, but I’ll keep that more to what I write on my own.

Since the first trilogy I’d ever released was written from the male point of view, first person, it seemed fitting that I write that POV in our novel. And since Kelly enjoyed writing the female point of view, we had a starting point to get our first novel up and running.

While I normally write demons, vampires and scientifically modified humans, we decided this one would be a small town, contemporary high school sports romance. And no, the star hockey player couldn’t be a vampire.  🙂

We went on to write over 100,000 words in about four months. The story just seemed to flow. Oh, and it was so much fun. I love writing, absolutely love getting lost in different worlds, so this was just plain awesome.

Writing Brodie, a kid who seemingly has it all: he’s good looking, has amazing hockey talent, and is rich…he was really fun to write. Even though making him a vampire wasn’t an option, I enjoyed creating and delving into his family dynamics and the dysfunction of it. Showing his vulnerabilities along with his fears, strengths, and convictions.

One thing about Brodie that inspired me was his loyalty. To his friend Preach and his other, more difficult to love friend, Pax. The brotherhood and commitment to his family of hockey players…it makes me smile.

I hope you find Brodie as intriguing as I did, and I thank you all so much for your support and your participation in the IN THE PENALTY BOX release festivities.

Thank you again for having me and featuring IN THE PENALTY BOX!

Much love,

Lynn Rush

WHAT MUSIC IS ON WILLOW AND BRODIES’ PLAYLIST? 

Hi! We’re so excited to be here with you today! Thank you so much for featuring IN THE PENALTY BOX and allowing us to chat with you about our character’s favorite songs!

Music lovers unite! 

Hey everyone, Lynn Rush here. I LOVE talking music because it plays a pretty big role in my life, specifically my athletics. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m big into athletics and exercise. I played tennis in high school and then in college. After that, I jumped into competitive inline speed skating, mountain biking and now I’m into endurance running. Specifically ultra trail running.

Music has followed me through all my sports. Most specifically on my trail running. I’ve been known to be out there for four or five hours, so I need tons of songs. Especially amazing pump me up songs that’ll get me up to that 12,000-foot summit or through that 30-mile run. It’s amazing how a good song can really change a mood.

Kelly Anne Blount, my co-author, and I incorporated that into our characters, too. I wrote Brodie’s point of view, so we came up with an eclectic playlist that would keep him motivated during his training sessions yet show a little insight into his personality.

I’ve got them listed below. And we even made a Spotify list, so head over there and give it a like.  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7wKzF0Iyv6CbIxnVRj6bJb 

Here are a few from that list: 

Let’s Go Crazy by Prince. Hey, I used to live in MN, how can I not put Prince on my list?

Stand in the Fire by Mickey Thomas: Youngblood theme-song because it’s the best hockey movie out there per Brodie. It’s old, but it’s good!

Thunder by Imagine Dragons

Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm

Fireworks by The Tragically Hip

What are some of your favorite songs? Maybe Brodie will add a few to his list…

Willow’s musical tastes definitely vary! She loves everything from old school hip hop and rap to country music. Willow has a nice selection of music to get her pumped for ice domination and a few songs that hit at the core of her feelings for Brodie. Check out Willow’s playlist over on Spotify and give it some love! Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0sx42wkN7sfVpLSvq6oUMd 

WILLOW’S TOP FIVE MUSIC LIST:

1. Fight For Your Right – Beastie Boys
2. Just a Friend – Biz Markie
3. We Are the Champions – Queen
4. We Will Rock You – Queen
5. The Champion – Carrie Underwood

Thank you again to for featuring us and to all of you amazing readers for stopping by today. Go grab your copy of IN THE PENALTY BOX today and be sure to let us know what you thought of it by posting a review.

Happy Reading!

Much love,

Lynn & Kelly Anne

YOUR DREAMCAST FOR AN IN THE PENALTY BOX FILM. 

Hi, Everyone! Thank you so much for having us as guests on your blog! We are so excited to talk about our dream cast for a film or TV adaptation of IN THE PENALTY BOX! Eek! One thing many authors dream of is having their book made into a movie or a television show! Coupled with that dream, is the cast that we’ve built up in our head to play our main and secondary characters!

Check out our dream cast for IN THE PENALTY BOX below and let us know what you think of our choices!

WILLOW COVINGTON:
Actress: Abigail Cowen

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6792464

BRODIE ‘WIND’ WINDOM:

Actor: Luke Eisner 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8591267

PREACH ARMSTRONG:
Actor: Michael Barbieri
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7503336

JESSA REYNOLDS:
Actress: Angourie Rice

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3886028

GRAMPS (Willow’s Grandfather):
Actor: D. David Morin
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0605514

CALEB WINDOM (Brodie’s brother):
Actor: Jett Klyne
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4810527

KENNETH WINDOM (Brodie’s Dad):
Actor: Peter Billingsley
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082526

Thank you so much for having us as guests on your blog!

Thank you again for having us! We had a blast! Do you have casting suggestions for IN THE PENALTY BOX? Share them with us on social media (@LynnRushWrites and @KellyAnneBlount)  and we’ll be sure to share!

DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE AUTHORS

Hiya! Kelly Anne Blount here! I’m so excited to be featured here  today! Thank you so much for inviting Lynn and me to talk about a Day in the Life of the Authors.

Over the past two years, my author life has changed quite a bit. Mainly thanks to this little cutie, Bella Rose!

Lately, I’ve been trying to get up an hour or two before Bells gets up. This allows me to have some breakfast and get some writing done. Once my little one is up, it’s all hands on deck, LOL! We spend our morning reading books, listening to Dolly Parton, and running around the house. There’s lots of running!

After Bells lays down for her nap, I get to work! Lynn and I usually touch base every morning to talk about what we’re going to work on that day. It’s a great way to stay on track and it’s really motivating!

As far as output, I try to write at least one chapter while she’s sleeping and/or accomplish a task or two on a list. Sometimes I get more done and other times I get next to nothing done! Ha ha! The rest of the day is spent hanging with Bells, making dinner, and making notes on my phone. When I can’t have my laptop handy, I love to make notes, small edits, or even write scenes on my cell.

Depending on how much I got done during the day, I may or may not get some more work done after dinner and once Bella Rose is asleep for the night.

When the work is done, I kick back with my husband and our fur children (four kitties and a dog). One of our favorite things to do is watch Coronation Street, which just so happens to be the world’s longest-running television soap opera. It’s a British show that’s been filming since the 1960s and it is truly addicting. The storylines they come up with are so intense! It’s definitely a guilty pleasure as well as a good show to watch for writing inspiration. If there’s time, I love to read or listen to an audiobook before I go to bed. The two I’m listening to right now are RENT A BOYFRIEND by Gloria Chao and WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT by Isabel Ibañez.

Even though I’m a night owl, I try not to stay up until the wee hours of the morning. That just sets me up for a really long day the next day, LOL!

While it’s not always the most exciting and the pandemic has cut down on our regular outings, it’s a schedule that allows me to write, hang out with my family, and still have some “me time.”

What does your daily schedule look like? Has it been difficult to adjust to during the pandemic? Do you set aside time to read and/or write? Also, if anyone has any tips on falling asleep (especially quickly), let me know in a comment below!

Before I go, I’d be honored if you’d check out IN THE PENALTY BOX (blurb, cover, etc. are all below)! Lynn and I are so proud of this sweet YA romance book!

Lastly, thank you again for featuring Lynn and me on your blog! We are so grateful!

Kelly Anne xoxo 

Hey, my book-loving friends, Lynn Rush here. How are you guys? Everyone staying well? Thanks so much for swinging by here today. I hope you’re enjoying the IN THE PENALTY BOX release week festivities. Today we’re talking “day in the life…”

One thing I’ve learned when I started writing ten years ago, every author has their own routine, and that’s cool. My day almost always starts out with some form of exercise. I’m a trail runner so usually I’m out hopping rattlesnakes and scorpions in the early morning.

I spend that time milling over my stories, characters, and sometimes working through plot problems. It’s a great time to zone out, listen to music and let the creative juices flow. By the time I get home, I’m usually ready to write, write, write. Sometimes I can’t even wait until I’m home so I’m talking a note into my iPhone so I don’t forget my ideas/thoughts.

Since I work at home, writing full time, I have to make an effort to keep it business like. So I still shower up and get dressed as if I’m going to a job somewhere, but then I just go into my “Office.”  I put that word in quotes, because my writing space changes frequently. It could be my desk, or my patio, or a comfy chair in my bedroom. Just depends on my mood.

Since COVID, I don’t go to coffee shops as much as I used to. I love writing in coffee shops, it’s inspiring. I get to people watch and hang out, sometimes meet up with readers and chat books. It’s great.

I usually write, edit or work on marketing for at least six to eight hours each day. Taking breaks is important, too. My breaks look like this:  I literally will lay on the floor and just close my eyes and do some deep breathing, or I’ll go for a walk, or I’ll veg out and listen to music or watch a movie. Again, it just depends on my mood and my stress level.

I try and shut things down between 5-7pm in the evening, then put my phone on Do Not Disturb while I chill out with my sweet hubby and have dinner and family time.

So there you have it. Nothing too spectacular, but it works for me-for the most part. There are glitches sometimes, unexpected obstacles. They happen to all of us and sometimes throw a kink in our plans. But I just take each one as they come and work through them.

Thanks again for stopping by. Thanks for all your support, and we hope you love reading IN THE PENALTY BOX as much as we loved writing it!

Much love, 

Lynn Rush

Author Bio: 

KELLY ANNE BLOUNT is a USA Today bestselling author who loves writing addictive young adult novels. Her YA psychological thriller, CAPTURED (19 million reads on Wattpad), has been optioned and is being produced by Sony Pictures Television and Komixx Entertainment (The Kissing Booth).

In addition to writing addictive YA stories, she contributes text style stories to Hooked, Chapters, and Tap, where her stories have been “tapped” over 50 million times. She’s also a writer and reviewer for SpoilerTV. When she’s not writing, Kelly loves spending time with her sweet husband and their adorable little girl, cuddling with their fur babies, hanging with her friends, and hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Find Kelly on social media @KellyAnneBlount and be sure to sign up to my newsletter (https://bit.ly/KellyAnneBlountNewsletter) for exclusive content, giveaways, and more!

Website: https://www.kellyanneblount.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyAnneBlount

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

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, LYNN RUSH, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner, living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattlesnakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, she can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop over a scorpion. When she’s not running, writing, or reading, she and her Ironman husband are watching movies that fuel her undying love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. Find her on social media: @LynnRushWrites Sign-up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/LRNewsletter

Website: https://www.LynnRush.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lynnrushwrites 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnRushWrites

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