Audio Tour, Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Nice Catching You
By Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Narrated by Nick J. Russo
- Nice Catching You was the first hockey romance you wrote. What inspired the story?
Josh: We’ve always loved hockey, and the first books we wrote—though they weren’t hockey romances—always had hockey in the story. One couple got engaged at a hockey game, for example, and one of the main characters in another book had been a hockey player in college.
Ryan: For a long time, we’ve looked forward to seeing the first openly gay player in the NHL. We wrote Nice Catching You as a first step toward showing that in our books, since it wasn’t happening in real life. Character Nick Johnson is the top college hockey star in the country, and when he comes out, he faces many difficulties.
Josh: We knew that, once we got Nick through the book to set up a storyline, we’d write more books portraying what could happen in the NHL as openly gay men become players.
Ryan: It still hasn’t happened, by the way. There are no openly gay NHL players. A lot of young men who have been drafted and are currently playing for NCAA or junior hockey teams have come out, so it shouldn’t be too much longer before one plays for the NHL. But as of the day we write this, there are none.
- Often, real people inspire characters in books. Did you have any inspiration for Nick and Jacob?
Ryan: Jacob Meyer was inspired by numerous people whom Josh and I have known throughout our lives. We based the central elements of his personality on a guy we knew when we were all in law school together. He fell in love with a wrestler who was closeted, and while they didn’t go through the same things Nick and Jacob do in Nice Catching You, they certainly faced challenges. To “John Doe,” who knows who he is—thanks, man. You helped us come up with a superb character.
Josh: Unique aspects of Nick Johnson’s personality were also inspired by numerous people. I had a close friend in college who played soccer, and he was brilliant. Ryan was a collegiate swimmer, and I pulled some of the warm, protective elements of Nick’s personality from Ryan.
Ryan: You did?
Josh: Yes, I did. I didn’t tell you then because I didn’t want you to be self-conscious about it. Another important aspect of Nick’s personality is that he’s a brilliant hockey player, and aside from an old boyfriend of mine—
Ryan: Let’s not go there!
Josh: (Rolls his eyes.) As I was saying, aside from an old boyfriend, we based Nick’s hockey skills and playing style on several real-life players.
- When did you know you wanted to turn Nice Catching You into an audiobook? Was this something that began back when you first wrote the book in 2020, or was it a more recent development?
Ryan: I don’t think we thought about it—or at least I didn’t—when we wrote the book originally. But by the middle of 2021, we were toying with the idea of turning our hockey series into audiobooks. We hesitated to pull the trigger because audiobooks are a big investment, and you can lose your shirt if the books don’t do well.
Josh: We talked with several people about it, off and on, and got conflicting advice. Some said don’t do it and pointed out the possibility that the audio versions might not do well and we’d lose a lot of money. Others were very positive, talking either about how much they liked audiobooks or how putting them out had helped new readers and listeners become acquainted with their work.
Ryan: It was our editor, Anita, who encouraged us to do it at just the right time. Josh and I discussed it and decided that if we were going to go for it, we wanted the best narrator we could get. Anyone who listens to audiobooks knows Nick J. Russo’s one of the best guys out there, and we were thrilled when he was interested in the project.
- How do you feel about hearing Nick and Jacob’s story now that it is in audiobook?
Josh: We are incredibly happy. We couldn’t be more pleased with how Nick Russo interpreted the book, and we fell in love with his depiction of our characters and their lives.
Ryan: Not to sound strange, but hearing the recording has also given us more confidence in our writing. Nice Catching You is a great book with many important things to say. Readers have enjoyed it as a regular book, and we hope listeners have a great experience, too.
- Do you have any plans to bring your other hockey romances to life?
Ryan: Absolutely. We’re glad to announce that Nick Russo is recording our book Fire in the Ice now, which will hopefully be available to listeners in March.
Josh: We plan to release the other existing hockey books in audio format as well, and if they do well, we’ll probably release future books as audiobooks too.
Publisher: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Release Date: 2/9/2022
Length: 8 hours and 43 minutes
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Gay Romance, Sports Romance
Tropes: Hockey, Jock/Nerd, Friends-to-Lovers, Out-for-You
What happens when the number-one college hockey star in the country falls in love – with a man?
Nick Johnson, a top prospect for a pro hockey team, has a secret: He’s gay. Tired of living in the closet for the sport he loves, he sees no way out
Jacob Meyer’s string of bad boyfriends left him cynical about love. Instead, he focuses on his studies as a third-year law student. With a new job waiting for him, he’s eager to graduate and move on.
On a school-sponsored trip, Nick and Jacob meet in a most unexpected way. When Nick tells Jacob his secret, they decide to hang out, just as friends. But their attraction is too strong to ignore, and they soon begin dating.
Since Nick is a big man on campus, it doesn’t take long for people to notice his attachment to Jacob. All hell breaks loose when the relationship gets out. As the national media descends, university officials try to figure out how to solve their “problem”.
Their efforts divide Nick’s team, inflame fans, and put Nick and Jacob’s futures in jeopardy. Will the men be able to survive a plot to destroy them without derailing both their careers?
Nice Catching You is an out-for-you romance featuring a lot of love, exciting hockey, and a beautiful holiday. There’s also plenty of steam and a very happy ending..
Universal Purchase Link
Audible US
Audible UK
Goodreads
I had worked myself into a proper tizzy. Even after trying on half the things in my closet, I couldn’t decide what to wear. It was ridiculous. I was twenty-four years old, and I’ve been out since I was sixteen, so how could I get so worked up? We were having tacos and a night in the law library, so my usual sweater and jeans would be fine. Besides, Nick was just a guy, so what was the big deal?
The big deal, Jacob, is that Nick is the hottest guy you’ve ever touched. Besides which, he makes your insides turn somersaults, and you’ve never felt like such a dizzy queen in your life.
After what had to be dangerous heart palpitations, I finally chose an outfit. I barely managed to pull on the ivory sweater and faded jeans, brush my teeth, and spray on a little cologne before the doorbell rang. Another five seconds looking in the mirror and fanning my face with my hands, and I ran for the living room.
Holy. Fucking. Hell. I was frozen in place. Blond Nordic god. Jeans and a Bulldog hoodie under a leather jacket. Body to fight a war over. Grin that would melt a polar icecap. All this and more was standing at my door, and I couldn’t speak.
“Jacob!” He raked his eyes over me. “You look great.”
I was still having trouble drawing a breath, but I managed to smile. “Are you really the Nick Johnson?” I put a hand on my hip and gave him my best dubious expression. “If you are, why are you at this law geek’s door?”
“Let me in there!” He came barreling through, grabbed me, twirled me around, and set me back on the floor. His grin was wider than ever while he glanced around the apartment. “Wow, this is a great place.”
“You have any trouble finding it?”
He had made it to the far wall to look at my bookcase, and it took him a moment to turn. He folded his arms over his chest. “I just dropped you off here last night. Even a dumb jock can remember something that long.”
Somehow dinner and studying seemed less important than they had a few minutes earlier, notwithstanding the many cases I needed to review when we got to the library. “You want to sit down? I’ve got beer.”
He shook his head. “I don’t drink much during the season. It slows me feel free.”
Nick’s heady scent—woodsy, with a hint of musk—was spreading through the room, and I felt a little lightheaded. “Water? Soda?”
“Nah. I’ll get something to drink with dinner.” He covered the distance to me in three giant steps. Cocking his head, he put his hands on my shoulders and drew little circles with his fingers. “Damn, you are one fine-looking man, Jacob Meyer. You sure you don’t have a boyfriend hidden around here somewhere?”
I stared at the floor and gave a little snort. “No. The kind of guys I like don’t stick around long with a skinny dude who keeps his nose stuck in a casebook.”
“Idiots.” A few beats went by. “Jacob?”
The sound of his voice had me lifting my head. “Yes?”
A peach blush blossomed in his cheeks, and his voice was breathy. “What kind of men do you like?”
I put my hands in my pockets and pressed my knees together, feeling like I was having a hot flash. “Bigger than me, muscular. Confident guys. You know, sort of… in charge. Nice guys.” I snickered and looked into his eyes. “Blond guys.”
He slid his hands down to cradle my elbows and watched me blow out a shaky breath. After he turned his lips up into a cute grin, he winked at me. Good to know. I’ll be on the lookout for you.”
©2020 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood (P)2022 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
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Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Ryan also loves to swim, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. The romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men. You can contact them through their website at https://www.ryanandjoshth.com/
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