FIRST WORD
Ice Devils
By Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood
I will give you a word and you must say the first thing that comes to mind. (Feel free to include any discussion it brings up)
Travel
“Our thing.”
Ryan: We began traveling together not long after we met. When we became a couple, we made it a goal to see the world. We haven’t counted the countries we’ve been to together in a while, but we’ve been to four continents.
Josh: With any kind of luck, we hope to finally make a long-anticipated trip to Australia this summer.
Language
“Life.”
Josh: Without language, we couldn’t communicate, which would doom the world. Without communication, we wouldn’t be able to cooperate and work together to make things happen and try to prevent disasters.
Ryan: Likewise, without language and communication, relationships are doomed. That’s why, when there’s a misunderstanding between our characters, we make sure they talk it out and move on to firmer ground.
Hockey
“Magnificent.”
Josh: I’ve loved hockey since the first time I saw a game. The men who play it are superb athletes, and many if not most of them are smart and funny.
Ryan: Very smart. They fly around the ice under immense pressure, making critical decisions in a fraction of a second. You can’t do that without intelligence.
Josh: Hockey’s the only sport I really like, and I think it’s because it’s an elegant game. Skating well is an art, quickly thinking through complex strategy is a finely crafted skill, and operating under intense physical and mental strain requires the height of conditioning.
Date
“Movie.”
Ryan: One of our first dates included going to a movie. It was an exceptional time, and by the end of the evening, I knew Josh was the most amazing man I’d ever met.
Josh: In retrospect, I think I began falling in love with Ryan that night.
Laundry
“Drudgery.”
Ryan: It’s an awful chore, and I hate doing it.
Josh: I dislike the folding, ironing, and putting away, but using the washer and dryer isn’t so bad. But I want everyone to know that as much as Ryan hates laundry, he does his full share of it. He doesn’t put it all on me.
Relax
“Beach.”
Josh: We go to beaches to relax. We have a fantastic time when we visit cities, but we stay so busy you could hardly call it relaxing.
Ryan: Neither of us likes hot weather, though, so we’re partial to islands instead of mainland beaches. There’s always a nice breeze in the islands.
Flower
“Unique.”
Ryan: Josh is the master of all things gardening in our house. I love looking at flowers and plants, but it’s a death sentence for the poor things if I try to take care of them.
Josh: Flowers are amazing because each one is unique. No two roses are the same, and you can’t even compare a rose and a daisy. They’re like people—find the special beauty in each one and nurture it, and you’ll never be bored.
Music
“Thrilling.”
Josh: In a former life before law school, I was a musician. I’ve loved music all my life, and studying it in college seemed as natural as breathing. Music is still very special to me, and I enjoy it every day. Nothing beats the thrill of a gorgeous piece of music performed masterfully, with lots of emotion.
Ryan: Yes, one thing does—watching Josh enjoy it and listening to him play and sing. I’ve always loved music too, and played in orchestra through college. Music is one of our greatest gifts.
Summer
“Heaven or hell.”
Ryan: Hot weather makes Josh and I both miserable, and we’ve agreed that we define hot as anything above 80 Fahrenheit. There’s no escaping it unless you refrigerate yourself indoors.
Josh: The summer does bring wonderful things, though. Gardens, sitting outside in the afternoon, open windows—and I love all that. But I’m with Ryan, none of that is enjoyable if it’s too hot. In the winter, you can put more clothes on, but in the summer, there’s only so much you can take off. Eventually, you’re down to nothing.
Museum
“Fascinating.”
Ryan: We love going to museums. Whether they have fine art or garden tools through the ages, there’s so much to learn and see.
Josh: I especially love art, and Ryan does too. We can go to a museum and agree to spend “two hours” or “the afternoon,” but it never works. We’re usually there until the place closes.
Drive
“Traffic” and “Adventure.”
Ryan: We live in a large city, so traffic is the first thought that comes to my mind. DC is renowned for having some of the worst traffic in the nation, and one positive thing about the last couple of years has been the opportunity to work from home many days. It makes all the difference in the world not to have to crawl through rush hour twice a day.
Josh: Driving is also adventurous. Ryan and I often go for drives in the country around DC, and since we live in a beautiful part of the country, there’s always a lot to see. We love to stop when something catches our eye and see where it leads.
Porch
“Summer” and “Sea.”
Josh: I grew up in the South, so sitting on the porch in the summertime was part of life. It was a fun way to watch the world go by.
Ryan: Mom lives at the shore, and there’s a big deck on the back of the house from where you can see, smell, and hear the ocean. It’s always fun to sit there, and if you stretch out, it can quickly lead to a good nap.
Camera
“Ryan.”
Josh: Ryan’s an avid—and wonderful—photographer. When I first knew him, we could hardly go anywhere without him taking along a camera. He still carries one sometimes, but since the cameras in our phones have gotten so good, he doesn’t feel the need to carry a separate one with him most of the time.
Ryan: When I was growing up, I loved taking pictures, especially when our family traveled. It was a way of solidifying my memories, so they didn’t fade. Things are still much the same, except now I love taking pictures of anything.
Josh: (Gives Ryan a contrived glare.) Like me drinking iced tea and trying to revise some disaster of a chapter you’ve written?
Ryan: And you didn’t just take a picture of me sitting outside, fast asleep, with my mouth open?
Piano
“Josh.”
Ryan: No one plays the piano like Josh. He’s really good, and there’s so much emotion in everything he plays. I can listen and figure out what kind of mood he’s in not just by what he plays, but how he plays it.
Josh: I do love to play, but I don’t know about everything Ryan just said. He is a good audience, though. He’d sit and listen to me play for hours if I’d do it.
Title: Ice Devils
Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Publisher: Wainscott Press
Release Date: 03-25-2022
Length: 220 pages
Genre: Romance, mm hockey romance, sports romance, new adult romance
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Synopsis
How can Blake and Sako get past mutual contempt and old wounds to find their perfect happy ending?
When winger Blake Conti signs with the national champion Bethesda Barracudas, he isn’t looking to get involved with anyone. Still bruised from an old relationship, his focus is on playing hockey. But when one of his new teammates turns out to be the hottest man he’s ever met, Blake wonders if he should reconsider his aversion to romance.
Mark Sakamoto—Sako—one of the Barracudas’ rising young stars, is immediately smitten with Blake. Deeply closeted because he fears revealing his sexuality to his family, Sako resists his attraction by using scorn and insults to push Blake away. Hurt by Sako’s behavior, Blake reacts in kind, and the two men are soon at war.
Just as their fighting threatens to disrupt the team, the unexpected happens, and Sako and Blake bond over a silly prank. Their newfound camaraderie soon develops into a relationship, and the men become inseparable. With “ice in public, heat in private” as their motto, they keep things secret, but as they fall for each other, Sako knows he has to tell his family the truth. He dreads their reaction, but it’s the only way he and Blake can live happily ever after.
Ice Devils is an enemies-to-lovers romance featuring scorching athletes, light-hearted comedy, riveting hockey, sweet-steamy romance, and a beautiful HEA.
Excerpt from Ice Devils
By Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Blake
The locker room was empty when I got back there, and I dressed quickly. I was standing in front of my stall, buttoning my shirt, when someone called my name. Looking around, I was surprised to see Sako standing in the doorway. His hair was a mess, his face was sweaty, and his eyes were wide. The tank top he had on was soaked, and the way it stuck to his torso emphasized the hard muscle underneath.
I looked away, determined not to stare. “I didn’t know you were still here. Been in the gym?” I slipped on my loafers.
“Yeah.” His voice was low and husky. “I needed to ride the bike and clear my head.”
“Did it work?” Unable to resist, I turned my gaze back on him.
“No.” His hands were at his sides, and he opened and closed them repeatedly while his eyes darted around the room. “Anybody else still here?”
“No. You all right, Mark?”
Instead of answering, he rushed toward me and grabbed my hand. “Come here.”
He tugged, but I stayed put. “What?”
“Come with me.” He tugged harder, almost pulling me off my feet. I was too shocked to say anything as he dragged me into a small room used to store spare equipment and closed the door. Meager light filtered in through ventilation panels, and after he turned to face me, I looked into dangerous dark eyes while his thick musk filled the air.
He licked his lips and smiled. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
“You are?”
“Yes.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine before backing his head away to look at me again.
I was too shocked to move. “Mark?”
“I’m really glad you’re still here.” He caressed my cheek and smiled again.
“What’s going on?” I whispered.
He wrapped his arms around me, and my legs turned to jelly. “What the hell are you doing? This isn’t—”
He shut me up by pressing his mouth against mine. I wanted to tear away, to yell at him to go to hell, but I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back instead. I didn’t understand what the fuck I was doing. Sako and I weren’t even friends. In fact, we were probably enemies. We certainly weren’t the kind of people who kissed each other.
Pulling away from my lips, he licked the corners of my mouth. Even as my brain cried foul, I hugged him tighter, not wanting the moment to end. He kissed me again, but when his tongue probed against my lips, I pressed them together. I didn’t want Sako’s tongue in my mouth. But if that was true, why did I relax enough for him to sneak inside? I may have hated the bastard, but the thrill of him possessing me that way shook my world.
I deepened the kiss, and my tongue dueled his until I found my way inside. His smell, sweaty and sharp with need, ignited an explosion of desire, and I shoved him into a wall of boxes stacked against the storage lockers. Trapping his hands, I probed every corner of his mouth while he moaned. Time stood still until he grunted and jerked his hands free. He swiveled me around like a rag doll until I was the one pinned against the boxes with my hands clamped under his. Fire shot through me when he moved his hips against mine and our cocks ground together.
“Stop!” I yelled. “I hate you!” Just as quickly, I called out again, “Don’t stop! Please!” He didn’t react at all, and I realized the voice had been in my head. We were locked in a kiss that had my mind doing somersaults, and I wondered if we’d keep playing bump-and-grind until we both came in our pants.
ICE DEVILS: Copyright © 2022 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. All rights reserved.
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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 love to travel, and hockey is practically a religion in their house. Ryan also enjoys swimming, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. They began writing to celebrate the romance they were so lucky to find with each other, and the sharing soon developed into a passion for telling stories about love between out and proud men. Ryan and Josh love to hear from readers anytime.
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