He Said, She Said – Gabfest and Gossip: Jaymee Jacobs

Okay, this is the last post of the Substitute Reviewer aka Melanie Ting. I feel that my hijacking of Ali’s blog may be causing her get better faster. She’s gasping, “Must get out of bed before that crazy author alienates all my readers.” And then dragging herself to the laptop and collapsing while dozens of cats lick her face and meow in sympathy. Meantime, here I am again.

I’m sure you have already committed my earlier review of Play The Man to memory. What? You haven’t? So, it’s only my mother who clips all my writing and pins it to the fridge? Darn. Well, here’s the 411 on Jaymee’s book:

Web Play The Man Synopsis:

Jenna couldn’t be more thrilled; after eight years of dating, she finally gets to marry her college sweetheart and dream man, Chicago Blackhawks Captain Ryan Linsenbigler. While Ryan loves his fiancée more than he can say, he’s in no rush to get to the altar. As they struggle with their differing attitudes toward their upcoming wedding, Ryan’s teammate Nick battles with his newfound, taboo feelings of infatuation for Jenna. Emotions run high, and soon Jenna, Ryan, and Nick each find themselves having to make very difficult decisions regarding what they want in love—and life—and what they’re willing to do in order to get it.

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Purchase Play The Man:

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Last post, I wrote about Jaymee Jacobs and her hockey novel, Play the Man. Here’s more about Jaymee:

Jaymee Jacobs is southwestern Pennsylvania born and raised. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in English literature and a psychology minor.

Jay has always had an interest in people and their stories. After graduating, she turned that interest into crafting her own stories featuring her own characters. With some encouragement from friends and readers, Jay decided to take the plunge and began to self-publish her novels. Play the Man came first, published in March 2013. Shots on Net followed in October 2013. In 2014, Jay released Game On.

Hockey plays a major role in these stories because she’s a die-hard fan of the sport. Jay faithfully cheers for her hometown team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. She plays fantasy hockey as the only female owner in a male-dominated league and routinely ranks in the top half of owners.

Now for our fabulous author interview with Jaymee Jacobs! I know you were all waiting breathlessly for this part, so now you can breathe again. I try to be funny, but as you’ll see in this interview, Jaymee is authentically hilar. And there’s a game you can play too! So let’s do it.

Q: Love triangles. No, I don’t mean I get hot for isosceles angles, I mean that whole drama when one person has to choose between two people. I love love-triangles. In fact, I’m endlessly editing one right now. I enjoy the idea of being so desirable that I would get two great guys to choose from. And yes, Jaymee, there is a question coming. For Play the Man, what intrigued you about the relationship dynamics of a love triangle? Do you structure the plots of all your books around relationship dynamics?

A: Um, what woman wouldn’t want two men competing for her love and affection? It sounds awesome!
And that’s the idea that helped sparked the idea for the book. I figured that it might actually suck to have to choose between two great guys. I know, I know. Hear me out first.
If you’re in a true love triangle, then both of the guys have to be equally amazing. If not, then the choice is an easy one and there’s no dilemma. So I tried to create two men who were great in their own ways. Originally, I had some readers tell me who they were cheering for, and it was incredibly interesting to hear their reasons why. And their opinions sometimes would change from chapter to chapter! Nick would do X, and that won him some fans. Or Ryan said Y, and that made readers frustrated with him. That aspect of the relationship dynamic was the most intriguing for me.
I think that relationships are a driving factor in our lives—and not just romantic relationships, but friendships and familial relationships as well. We are social creatures, and we’re constantly interacting with other people throughout our days. For that reason, it’s impossible for a plot to not be structured around relationship dynamics. Interactions with friends, frenemies, nemeses, coworkers, bosses, family, neighbors, and even the grocery bagger at the store all demonstrate the main characters’ personalities.
I’m fascinated by people. Their relationships are part of who they are. For me, it goes hand-in-hand.
So, yes. The answer to your second question is yes.

Q: I know you’re a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens’ captain, Sidney Crosby, could be described as the best hockey player in the world. However in the hockey hottie world, he could also be described as the most eligible bachelor in an ice-covered universe. So I figure you must be quite familiar with puck bunnies. Can you define for us what a puck bunny is? If we were at a Penguins game, how would we be able to identify a puck bunny?

A: Puck Bunny [puhk BUHN-ee]
Noun, plural puck bunnies
1. A girl whose only goal in life is to sleep with a hockey player. Has no hockey knowledge whatsoever. May be seen at hockey games wearing skimpy outfits trying to impress players, especially rich ones.
2. The female version of male oglers who watch women’s volleyball.
3. The scourge of a hockey fan base.
NOTE: Not to be confused with with women who are primarily fans of hockey but who also just so happen to find one or several hockey players attractive.
Spotting a puck bunny in its native habitat is pretty easy! You don’t even need binoculars. Just look down around the rink during warm-ups, and chances are you’ll see several clusters. (As expected, puck bunnies travel in herds.) They wear inappropriate outfits for the cold environment, like skirts and t-shirts, which have most likely been altered to show off as much as possible. Also, they probably have signs that ask the player(s) of their choice to marry them, go to prom with them, etc., or perhaps have a sexual innuendo on them.
Still not sure if that girl is a certified puck bunny? Ask her if she can explain what icing is.

Q: Okay, here on The Substitute Book Reviewer, we like to finish with a game. I believe that who you root for in a love triangle reveals a lot about your own personality and desires. And after that psychological threat, I’m going to name some famous love triangles and you tell me who you’d choose. You can give me reasons if you like, or just be all thumbs up or down.

A: Will you give me the results of the psychological test after I answer the questions?

Q: Yes. But first, let’s play the game. And I’m asking the questions here.

You’re Bella: Jacob or Edward?

Jacob. I have a personal preference for werewolves. Plus, he can’t really say anything when I turn into a monster once a month, right?

You’re Katniss: Gale or Peeta?

Gale. I never understood the big deal about Peeta.

You’re Archie: Betty or Veronica?

Just because I have a preference for brown heads. Veronica. Archie needs to make up his damn mind already.

You’re Jane Eyre: Rochester or St. John?

Rochester, all the way. Oh wait, he had that woman in the attic. St. John. Ugh, but he was a jerk too. I’m bucking convention: neither!

You’re Buffy: Angel or Spike?

Angel.

You’re Seth: Summer or Anna?

Who?

You’re Rory: Dean or Jess?

Sorry, not a Gilmore Girls fan. Um. Jess?

You’re Veronica: Duncan, Logan, or Piz? I know it’s a love quadrangle, but what the heck.

Piz. He’s the only who didn’t betray Veronica in a totally horrible way!

Thank you, Jaymee, for being such a good sport. And where the heck were you when The OC was on? As far as your psychological profile goes, I would say that you are alarmingly normal and well-adjusted. Who chooses a nice guy (Piz) over a rich douchebag (Logan)? Not me.

In case you didn’t know, the Stanley Cup Finals are on right now. Everyone should watch the games and read a hockey romance! But not at the same time. Jaymee has three books about hockey and relationships, which you can find through her website or on any of the major ebook sites. In reverse order, they are: Game On, Shots on Net, and Play The Man. She also has a story in the hockey anthology for charity, Seduced By The Game.

Jaymee Jacobs’ Web Tracks:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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Jaymee Jacobs on All The Things Inbetween:

Sin Bin – Play The Man by Jaymee Jacobs

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Meet Your Reviewer: Melanie Ting

“I’m Mel, and I don’t want you to read my book. Hmmm, maybe I should rephrase that a little: I don’t want you to read my book unless you are sure it’s exactly the kind of book you would like.”

Errrm… Yes well, that is the introduction Mel originally sent me and why I became her fairy godmother; her PR sucks. Mel doesn’t know that while being sick all I do is click through books like they are channels on book TV and I’ve started Fresh Air. It’s really pretty damn great. She’s a great storyteller and from the reviews and interviews she’s contributed to All The Things Inbetween she’s once more underestimating her own talents.

Hailing from the Great White North, where people are nice, say ‘aboot’ and ‘eh’, have the fabulous luxury of Timmy Ho’s–Mel receives free healthcare and returns the favors afforded to her by writing about the national sport of Canada: Hockey. She blends humor and sports with a good amount of practical romance to give her readers the romance you might have with an athlete rather than that you would see in Hollywood (Toe Pick! Will anyone get that reference?).

Mel, this is how you sell yourself.

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A Note From Mel:

That’s it for my stint as the Substitute Book Reviewer! I hope you’ve enjoyed these interviews and reviews and will consider checking out a hockey romance or two. They’re the hottest thing on ice! Yup, I just made that up and before you ask, I did work in advertising. Well, the mailroom is part of an ad agency, right?

Anyhoo, the next time you see my name around here, Ali will be reviewing my book. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty nervous excited about that. It’s going to be my first book blog review. And who isn’t excited about their first time? But meantime, if you’d like to know more about me, me, me, you can find me at my blog, or find my books on Amazon.

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Melanie Ting’s Web Tracks:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

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If you are interested in becoming a book reviewer or helping me with All The Things Inbetween contact me at Ali is Amazekittens and I will have my cats talk to your people. There are wicked, wondrous benefits to such arrangements as the ones we would have. I am awesome at not replying to mail timely, not getting to my to-do-list, and forgetting to eat. I pay in pics of kittens.

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