The Final Move
Series: Hometown Players #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Victoria Denault
Release Date: December 8, 2015

Hockey legend Devin Garrison thought he blew his shot. But his relationship with Callie Caplan just went into overtime.

Sexy, rich, and one of the biggest stars in the NHL, Devin Garrison has always been the one who had it all. That is until his marriage falls apart and he realizes he has to start over. If he’s honest, there has only been one woman who ever really excited him-Callie Caplan. They shared a night that was hotter than the late-summer sun, but in an instant-Callie was gone, pretending it never happened.

Callie Caplan isn’t the wild child people think she is. It’s true she’s avoided relationships, but only because she’s seen how crazy love can be. And her messy, imperfect life is crazy enough without opening her heart to a man-even one as picture perfect as Devin. But when fate brings them back together-just as they need each other most-Devin is determined to convince Callie that what she’s feeling is real. And this final play may be their chance at forever . . . 

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I’m so excited to have Victoria Denault on DGR today and she’ll be answering all my questions about her Hometown Players series, The Final Move and what’s to come next!

Hi Victoria! Thanks so much for stopping by DGR today!

DGR: Can we start by having you introduce yourself?

Victoria: Hi! I’m Victoria Denault very happy to chat with you. I’m the author of the Hometown Players series. I’m Canadian but I live in Los Angeles with my husband and our two chubby Chihuahuas who like to try and lie on my laptop while I write. LOL

DGR: Now can you introduce your Hometown Players series to those that may not have read it yet?

Victoria:  Hometown Players started off as an idea about three essentially orphaned sisters who, in their twenties, have to go back to the small town in Maine when the cold-hearted grandmother who raised them passes away. Heading back to Silver Bay has them reconnecting with their childhood best friends – the Garrison brothers and their friend Luc Richard and it reignites a whole lot of unresolved feelings towards these boys (now men).

DGR: Was One More Shot your debut novel? And what inspired you to write it?

Victoria: Yes, One More Shot was my debut. I wrote it several years before I tried to have it published. I have always dabbled in creative writing, and was an avid romance reader. I’ve also always been a hockey fan. Those passions collided when I watched the first HBO Road to the Winter Classic series. It was the first time I saw an in-depth glimpse of hockey players lives off the ice – the small towns they came from, their families’ sacrifices and commitment, etc. – and I thought, this kind of lifestyle would make a great background for a romantic story. That’s when Jordan and Jessie’s story started to grow in my head.

DGR: You write about some sinfully hot hockey players, is it safe to assume you’re a fan of the sport?

Victoria: I adore hockey. I was born and raised in Montreal where hockey is a religion and so I’ve been a fan since I was young. But I don’t have loyalty to one specific team. I have favorite players I follow and they are on a variety of teams so I cheer all of them. For example Jeff Carter (LA Kings), Kris Letang (Pittsburg Penguins), Carey Price (Canadiens), Alex Burrows (Canucks), Jordan Staal (Carolina Hurricanes). When they play each other it’s kind of like a game of Survivor in my head and I have to vote one of them off (temporarily). It annoys people that I cheer multiple teams, but oh well.

DGR: Did you have a favorite book to write in the Hometown Players series?

Victoria: Each one was my favorite until I wrote the next and then that was my favorite. The Final Move was the easiest to write. Callie’s boldness and snarky attitude came easily. 🙂

DGR: If you had to pick your favorite scene out of any of the three books, which would it be?

Victoria: Oh boy… just one scene? I have favorites in all the books but if I had to pick just one it would be Callie kicking out Devin’s random hook-up. I like the humor in it, when the hook-up assumes she’s the wife, and I love the passionate fight between Devin and Callie and, of course, the resulting shower scene.

DGR: You write some delicious angst, but I think that Devin Garrison’s book was probably the angstiest for me. Was his book difficult for you to write?

Victoria: It was. I wanted to make sure Devin took time to really move on from Ashleigh, emotionally. I didn’t want him to just jump to Callie because I didn’t want anyone to see her as a rebound. But at the same time, it’s a book with only so many pages, and I needed to get them together, I mean that’s the point? LOL. I struggled a little with that balance – letting him move on without rushing it but still keeping the story moving.

DGR: If you had to describe Devin in 5 words, what would they be?

Victoria: Driven. Proud. Passionate. Loyal. Sexy.

DGR: Callie Caplan is one tough cookie. Out of the three Caplan sisters she’s always come across as the toughest. But she also has some inner demons that she tries desperately to hide, doesn’t she?

Victoria: Oh yeah! Of the three sisters Callie is the one who latched onto the worst possible coping mechanism to deal their childhood trauma. She put a protective shell around herself and tried to be a protective shell for her sisters. She honestly feels that she can never open her heart up because she can’t risk being hurt because her sisters have risked it – and one of them needs to keep their heart in once piece. The idea of letting someone in after all the people who have abandoned her in the past is more terrifying than death for Callie.

DGR: Did you always know that you’d have Devin and Callie end up together?

Victoria: Honestly, no. I thought One More Shot was a one-off novel and that Callie, Rose, Luc and Devin were just supporting characters. But halfway through One More Shot, I realized Rose and Luc’s story needed to be told. And as soon as I started their story I knew that a book about Callie had to happen – ripping down her defenses would be so much fun. I didn’t want to introduce a new person for Callie and Devin was the only Hometown boy who would have the strength to knock down her walls. Plus, I could give him an issue (his wife cheating/marriage ending) that Callie could help him through because Callie lives for helping/protecting her loved ones.

DGR: What was the most difficult part for you to write in The Final Move?

Victoria: Writing the end of Devin’s marriage. Even though Ashleigh cheated I wanted the real reason the marriage fell apart to be about more than that. I don’t know how the hockey lifestyle, with the extended absences and raising kids essentially alone, affects a marriage first hand so I did a lot of research on that. There are blogs and articles written by hockey wives that talk about it which were helpful.

DGR: And how about the most favorite?

Victoria: Any scene with Devin and Conner. I don’t have kids and I didn’t think I would really enjoy writing a child but I loved writing scenes between Devin and Conner, like when Devin tries to explain how Callie will live with them now.

DGR: Now that the Caplan girls are all paired up, and the Garrison brothers all seem to be settled, what’s up next? Any chance the sexy Sebastian may be getting a book?

Victoria: Sebastian should get a book, shouldn’t he? He’s so much fun! I can’t confirm anything yet, but there may be more Hometown Player books coming in 2016.

DGR: Anything you’d like to leave the readers with?

Victoria: A giant heartfelt thank you. I am so happy with the reaction to this series! It’s been a dream come true. And I fully intend to give you some more angsty, hockey romance so stay tuned…

Victoria Denault loves long walks on the beach, cinnamon dolce lattes and writing angst-filled romance. She lives in LA but grew up in Montreal, which is why she is fluent in English, French and hockey.