He Said, She Said – Hearing Voices: Belle of the Ball Game; How This Female Fan Snagged One of Baseball’s Hottest Commodities – A Glimpse Inside The Locker Room.

Hello, I’d like to introduce myself to all you fangirls out there.

My official title here at TheQueenOfDiamonds.com is The Lady in Waiting. But honestly? I’ll answer to Hey Lady, Lady Wait or anything close. I’m not about adhering to formalities. I’m used to screaming my brains out from the cheap seats.

That’s why I’m super excited to be the newest contributor to a site that targets such an important demographic – the female fanbase of the greatest baseball team in the world – the New York Kings. Let me tell you I’ve been a reader of the Queen’s site for a long time now so I know exactly what it is you’re looking for – the inside scoop on anything and everything going on with the team. And trust me, I can’t wait to give it to you.

In terms of full disclosure, I should let you in on a little secret. I am the significant other of one of the players. But don’t ask which one because I’m not gonna tell! Just know that because of my exclusive access to the guys I’ll be able to tell you what’s really going on inside their heads before they step up to the plate.

Rest assured, I’m not some clueless piece of arm candy. I’ve been watching the Kings since I was a little kid. My dad schooled me on every aspect of the game as we sat next to each other in front of the TV and listened to Andy Rader call games night after night. Every year, my family made our annual pilgrimage to the stadium, and my sister and I even got on the Jumbotron once. Let’s just say the Kings are in my blood – always have, always will be. Do I have to pinch myself at times to know that the man in my life dons the uniform for a living? Hell yeah, every day!

I know I’m extremely blessed and fortunate to be living my dream. That’s why I’m on a mission to give back to every lovely lady out there who just so happens to be a diehard baseball fan. We may have ponytails sticking out of our caps, but that doesn’t mean we take the game any less seriously than the guys do. I’m not here to spin some fluff. My reports will be peppered with stats along with my detailed analysis of the team’s performance. But what I hope sets my posts apart is their human angle. Those little personal tidbits that add background and color to any story. How rookies are coping with their first year in the majors. How veteran players keep order in the clubhouse. How injured players maintain their focus while rehabbing an injury. Those juicy details we salivate over, but other media outlets ignore. That’s what I plan on giving you – all the good stuff.

Let me kick things off with what’s going on in spring training. The major roster spots are pretty much locked down. The only question mark is whether or not shortstop Chase Whitfield will be a hundred percent by Opening Day. So far, he’s looking good, slapping pitches to all corners of the ballpark. He’s seeing the ball well, and there’s that pop to his bat that we missed in the lineup last year. The fans are certainly glad to see him back since Chase has been greeted with a standing ovation at nearly every game. Just wait until the crowd in New York welcomes him home. It’s bound to be electric.

I asked Chase how he feels about the reaction he’s received so far, and in typical Chase fashion he tried to downplay it. He doesn’t think he deserves the cheers – not yet. To him, these are only exhibition games that don’t count in the standings. But he did admit that he was happy to come out of the gate strong because he really doesn’t want to disappoint anyone. He knows that expectations are high and the Kings are predicted to win it all this year. Their lineup is stacked with patient hitters who take pitches and work the count. Their starting rotation is strong from top to bottom, and their bullpen is on track to have the lowest ERA in the majors. Barring any further injuries, we should be looking at some exciting baseball come October.

I know Chase is psyched about the team’s potential, and he had this to say to his fans, “Last season, I faced so many setbacks. My knee never felt right. I doubted myself and my ability to play the game. It was tough. I had a lot of dark moments, but what got me through it was knowing that people believed in me. Without that kind of support, I would never be where I am today – back on the field and ready to win.”

Girls, buy your tickets now because Chase is looking better than ever. You’re going to want to witness his heroic comeback in person. I guarantee it’s going to be epic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collette West’s Bio:

Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball’s biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette’s impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.

Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she’s not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers.

Collette West’s Web Tracks:

Collette West on All The Things Inbetween:

Tongue Wagger – Night Games by Collette West

Collette West’s Books:

Night Games Synopsis:

The moment Grey Kelleher locks eyes with All-Star shortstop Chase Whitfield, she’s a goner. For years, she’s watched him play on TV, and now she’s gazing at his hard, lean body across a bar in her hometown.

Grey’s crush on Chase goes all the way back to his rookie season. So when she approaches him for an autograph, she’s startled by what a jerk he can be.

Chase is no mood to humor his fans, even one as alluring as Grey. He’s in the last year of his contract and stuck having to prove himself on a minor league team. He’s only there to rehab an injury, nothing more.

But when Grey tells him off, Chase realizes her fiery spirit may be just the distraction he needs to take his mind off not being in the majors. His heart is safe. No one’s going to break his streak as baseball’s most eligible bachelor. Not even someone as irresistible as Grey.

Purchase Night Games:

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are an Indie author and you would like to be part of the All The Things Inbetween Weekly Indie Word Slinger Project 2014 I’d love to hear from you! Contact me via email after reading the requirements and details on the Just The Facts, Ma’am post. All dates are scheduled on a first collected, first claimed basis. Get your packet into me early to claim your slot to be a Word Slinger!

(Follow all the updates for this blog by visiting and liking the All The Things Inbetween Facebook page.)