Patricia Sargeant introduces Regina Hart

hosted by Donna MacMeans

It gives me great pleasure to re-introduce my good friend, Patricia Sargeant. We've known each other from our pre-published days. Patricia is a true sweetheart and I know you're going to love her as well.

Donna, thanks a million for letting me return to your gullar sahir community. I had a blast last time. I’m excited to return to introduce my alter ego, Regina Hart.

This month, June 2011, my first contemporary romance as Regina Hart hits the shelves. Fast Break is the first book in my professional basketball contemporary romance trilogy, which features the Brooklyn Monarchs. Fast Break introduces the team’s owner, Jaclyn Jones, and its rookie head

coach, DeMarcus Guinn. To save the Monarchs franchise, Jaclyn and DeMarcus have to work together to take their Cinderella team from worst to first in the league.

Romance and sports. That’s a mouthwatering combination, my friends. Some of my favorites include Susan Elizabeth Phillips (golf and her

Chicago Stars football series, of course), Kate Angell’s Richmond Rogues baseball series, Farrah Rochon’s New York Sabers football series and Lori Foster’s SBC fighter series.

And then there are the romance movies with sports themes. Of course

I have to list Jerry Maguire with Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger. Three of the movies greatest lines are staples of our lexicon.

• “You had me at hello.”
• “You complete me.”
• “Show me the money.”

One of my newest favorites is Just Wright with Queen Latifa and Common. Just Wright has a cornucopia of my favorite story ingredients.

It starts with the sports appetizer, a Cinderella-themed entrée and a riches-to-rags-to-riches dessert. It’s like Rocky Road ice cream with all of this super deliciousness in one scoop.

What are some of your favorite sports romances, either book, movie or both? What do you enjoy about sports romances?

And, as a way of saying “thank you,” I’d like to offer one commenter a copy of Heated Rivalry, written as Patricia Sargeant, and a second commenter a copy of Fast Break, both are contemporary romances featuring former athletes.

Thank you again for letting me visit with you. If you have a little time, you’re welcome to visit my Patricia Sargeant website, www.PatriciaSargeant.com, or my Regina Hart website, www.AuthorReginaHart.com.

Movies With Game

by Beth

I came across a list of the Best Sports Movies of All Time (you can check it out here on Moviefone) which got me thinking of all my favorite Sports Movies. To narrow it down a bit, I thought I'd name only the movies about sports that my kids have played.

Baseball (softball for my daughters) - Three immediately come to my mind: League of Their Own, Bad News Bears (when I was young, there was even a Bad News Bears TV show *g*) and...Angels in the Outfield (my son must've watched that movie a hundred times when he was little!)

Soccer - Bend it Like Beckham! This was the first movie I ever saw Keira Knightly in *g*

Football - Rudy (of course *g*) and Little Giants (yet another movie my son watched over and over *g*)

Track and Field - Chariots of Fire. It has to be this movie as it's the only one I can think of about this sport :-)

Hockey - Miracle and yes, The Mighty Ducks *g* When our son goes to play hockey, my husband always tells him to hit the 'knuckle puck'...which, of course, makes our son roll his eyes and mutter under his breath about un-cool we are (so not true! we are very cool!)

Basketball - Hoosiers! I could watch this movie over and over again! We caught part of it on TV the other night and got to watch Ollie sink his free throws to win the game. I love that scene because he shot underhand just like my father-in-law did back when he played in high school :-)

My son has also ran cross country and my daughters play volleyball but I don't think I've seen any movies about either of those sports. I'll have to do some research *g*

As for favorite Sports Movies, in our house Rocky, Caddy Shack and Remember The Titans are all on our list *g*

What are your favorite Sports Movies? Favorite scenes in those movies? What sports have you played? And if you checked out the Moviefone link above, how many of their 25 picks have you seen?

The Race For Gold

by Beth

Though I live in a Northwestern Pennsylvania, I don't like cold weather. Or snow. Or most activities taking place outside (in the cold *g*) or having to do with snow.

The one time I went downhill skiing many, MANY years ago, I had such a horrible time, I swore I'd never go again (a promise I've gladly kept). I enjoy sled-riding but only to a point - that point usually being the same time all that cold snow blows into my face, down my coat collar and soaks through my mittens. Then I'm more than happy to head back inside and wait another year before getting back on a sled.

Another thing I've never cared for is watching the Olympics. I know, it sounds sort of...well...un-American to say it out loud like that, but it's true. I've always found the Olympics boring.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I realized last night that I've quickly become addicted to watching the Winter Olympics. Heck, Sunday night I was even yelling at the T.V. while an American battled it out for first place in the cross country ski race. (He ended up with the silver medal. Do you think he could hear me cheering him on?)

I haven't caught all the events but I've watched speed skating, the luge, cross country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding. I'm not sure what has me hooked this year. The speed? The danger? (I've seen quite a few crashes on the slopes). Or maybe it's the realization that these athletes have trained their entire lives for the chance to win a medal. How heartbreaking it must be when they get so close only to lose their chance on a last second spill. Maybe that's why I always feel so glad for all the winners and bad when an athlete performs badly, no matter what country they're from.

Anyone else watching the winter games? What's your favorite event? Who are your favorite Olympic athletes? Which event do you wish you could participate in? Want to ride down the luge track? Or maybe catch some air on the halfpipe?