right happy ever after.
High Balls
Back to the Balls!
Hi! I’m Tara Lain and I’m so happy to be here today to celebrate the release of High Balls, the first entirely new book in my Balls to the Wall series since 2013! Of course, I’ve been delighted to be able to revise and add to the first five books in the series as they’ve been re-released throughout this year. For Snow Balls fans, that book is coming in December, and there will be another NEW Balls book called Bleu Balls in January, 2018. But today I’m focused on High Balls.
When I wrote the first book in this series, it was in answer to a call for novellas to be part of a multi-author series of beach romance. I called the book Volley Balls because two of the love interests are volleyball players, the book was published, it sold well and for a bit, that was that. But a character I created for that book, Rodney Mansfield, the least likely romantic hero of all time, cried out for his own story. I decided to write it. Rodney’s a little fireball, so that became the title, Fire Balls, and to pay it off, I had Rod fall in love with a firefighter. That book turned out to be one of the top selling MM romances of 2012, and of course, attracted a lot of people to the world of Balls! Beach Balls came next and then Snow Balls, which was also one of the best selling gay romances of 2012.
One of readers’ favorite characters from the series was Jerry Wallender, the surfer dude first introduced in Fire Balls. So in 2013, I went back and wrote Jerry’s story in FAST Balls, another firefighter romance, and that was the last of the original series. But great Balls never die and when Dreamspinner wanted to republish the series in 2017, I decided it was time to add some new romances to the original Laguna guys collection. That’s how High Balls was created. If you’ve read any of the series, or really any of my books, you know I love to bring together very unlikely couples. High Balls is firmly planted in that tradition! My hero, Theodore, is an aspiring PhD candidate and college professor who falls in love with a tattooed, pierced, motorcycle-riding bartender. I had an absolute blast creating this story that I think is a bit surprising all the way through and including most of the guys from the previous books in at least small roles in this one. I hope you’ll love going Balls to the Wall in a brand new story!
Dad?”
Snake whispered, “Showtime.” He stood.
Teddy looked up and rose.
Andy rubbed his eyes and his nose. “How come you guys are on the floor?”
Teddy smiled and picked up Andy. “I was just surprised and unhappy when Snake told me what your grandparents did.”
“Yeah.” He snuffled and snuggled into his dad’s shoulder.
Teddy sat on the couch and settled Andy on his lap. Snake started to sit in the chair across from them, but Andy looked up. “Snake? Will you sit by me?”
“Sure, buddy.” He glanced at Teddy, who looked up quickly and then away. Snake sat beside Teddy, who held Andy in his arms. Snake took Andy’s feet.
Teddy started to rock him. “So you know about babies coming from mommies, right?”
“Sure.”
“Moms might have different possible dads around before their baby is born, but after the baby is born, the mom might choose a dad.” He looked at Snake, pleading in his eyes.
Snake picked up the thread. “It could be that the dad the mom chooses isn’t the same dad that actually caused the baby in the first place. But that doesn’t matter.”
“Right.” Teddy kissed Andy’s hair. “You mom chose me, and we got married right away, and I was there the whole time you were in her tummy, and I saw you get born and loved you when you were barely an idea.”
Snake blinked hard. “That guy who came to talk to you might have caused the baby, but then he was gone, and he never married your mom or helped her or saw you born or raised you—or loved you. So guess who your dad is?”
Andy tightened his grip on Teddy. “Daddy is my dad.”
“Ding, ding, ding, ding. Give the prize to Andy Walters!”
Andy was quiet for a minute. “But that guy caused me?”
Teddy’s chest rose and fell. “He might have, sweetheart.”
Andy sat back and stared at Teddy with his brows scrunched over his nose. “You didn’t cause me ’cause you don’t like girls, right?”
Snake bit the inside of his cheek.
Teddy smiled. “Kind of. I actually loved your mom a lot. She was my best friend. And when she told me she was going to have a baby, I said maybe I could be the dad. She loved that idea, and we had such a good time raising you.”
“Wish I remembered her better.”
Snake had to look away or Andy might see the tears pushing out of his eyes.
“She loved you so much. Just like I do.” Teddy hugged him tight.
Bk #3
Thank you so much for having me and the boys on the blog! HUGS! : )
Love this series, and I’m always happy to meet new Tara guys!
Can’t wait to read this one. I’ve really enjoyed this series 🙂
I love that cover! He has to have an HEA…expecially with ‘Snake’ and the opposite to himself. I love stories where there is so much at stake!
sounds like a great read 🙂
LOVE Tara’s books.
Awesome – thanks for sharing!