Today on the blog, we have Julie Branagh guest posting to celebrate her new release by AVON, Rushing Amy
I write
football romances. It’s not necessary to know a thing about football to read my
books, though. I hope they’re enjoyable for football fans, and for women who
prefer to find something else to do while her boyfriend or husband is losing
his mind over sudden death overtime for the third time this week. At the same
time, why let the men have all the fun every Sunday, Monday, Thursday and some
Saturdays from September until February each year?
I saw a
blog post a week or so ago by a woman telling other women the best way to watch
the Super Bowl. It was full of the usual – what to eat, what to wear, and you
don’t need to understand the game to have fun. To say it was frustrating is an
understatement. I understand there are women who don’t care for sports, and
specifically, football. The last accounting of TV viewers for the Super Bowl
broadcast (Go Hawks!) was over 100 million people – in other words, one-third
of the United States was watching the game. Even if you’d rather spend your
time reading or on Pinterest, it’s always good to know a few of the basics in
case you find yourself in a crowd of football fans.
I refuse
to relinquish my love for a sport I’ll never play to the guys. I don’t need to
wear a pink jersey or to have my husband pat me on the head and send me to the
kitchen to get him another beer instead of enjoying the game. It’s not just short pants and big sweaty
guys. It’s strategy and struggle. It’s a game of inches. It’s endless
discussions over rules and officiating decisions, and huge community
celebrations when your favorite team wins it all. Give it a try, and you might
love it, too!
Football:
The two teams form a line facing each other on the field. Offense (guys with
the ball): Trying to score. Defense: Trying to stop the guys with the ball from
advancing it. The guys with the ball have four chances (otherwise known as
“downs”) to advance the ball ten yards to get another four chances to advance
the ball. They’re headed to the end zone, where they will score six points if
they get there by running or passing. The guy who scores may do an elaborate
dance or spike the ball. There it is.
A
simple overview of football can be had at http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/beginnersguidetofootball. If you grasp the basics, you
can ask the people watching with you questions, but it’s always a good policy
to wait for the commercial.
The
NFL rules book is gigantic. I have been watching football for quite some time
now. I don’t know all the rules, especially when the rules are constantly
changing as well. Neither do most of the guys you’re watching with. Don’t worry
if you don’t know everything.
4
It
doesn’t matter what you wear. Well, let me amend that: If your significant
other is a football fan and loves the 49ers, it might be advisable to wear
something other than a Seahawks t-shirt. Same goes for Jets/Giants, Cowboys and
anyone else, Patriots and anyone else. The safest to wear: Green Bay. Everyone
loves Green Bay. Well, everyone that’s not the Colts or the Bears. Or the
Seahawks.
Food
is important, but you are not the only person capable of making sure it’s
present or prepared. Order a pizza or send the football fan to the grocery
store for ready-made stuff. If you’re having a Super Bowl party, ask people to
bring stuff. Being stuck in the kitchen all day is not fun. Being in the midst
of the excitement – fun!
If
you’re really, really uninterested in the game, there are compelling (and fascinating) human interest stories on every team. I’m a little biased,
but my Seattle Seahawks are full of them. Check out guys like Russell Wilson,
Michael Robinson, Derrick Coleman, and Kam Chancellor. You might find yourself
rooting for them to succeed, just like I do.
Amy, the
heroine of RUSHING AMY, loves football almost as much as her ex-NFL player hero,
Matt. Did you ever date a football nut? How did you handle it?
Rushing
Amy
A
Love and Football Novel
By: Julie Brannagh
Releasing Feb 11th, 2014
Blurb
Julie Brannagh's sparkling and
romantic Love and Football series continues!
For Amy
Hamilton, only three Fs matter: Family, Football, and Flowers. It might be nice
to find someone to share Forever with, too, but right now she's working double
overtime while she gets her flower shop off the ground. The last thing she
needs or wants is a distraction … or help, for that matter.
Especially in the
form of gorgeous and aggravatingly arrogant ex-NFL star Matt Stephens.
Matt lives
by a playbook—his playbook. He never thought his toughest opponent would come
in the form of a stunning florist with a stubborn streak to match his own.
Since meeting her in the bar after her sister's wedding, he's known there's
something between them. After she refuses—again and again—to go out with him,
Matt will do anything to win her heart … But will Amy, who has everything to
lose, let the clock run out on the one-yard line?
Buy Links
Author Info
Julie
Brannagh has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She lives
in a small town near Seattle, where she once served as a city council member
and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with a wonderful husband, two
uncivilized Maine Coons and a rambunctious chocolate Lab.
Julie hasn't quite achieved the goal of owning a pro football team, so she created a fictional one: The Seattle Sharks. When she's not writing, she's reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart finalist and the author of four contemporary sports romances.
Julie hasn't quite achieved the goal of owning a pro football team, so she created a fictional one: The Seattle Sharks. When she's not writing, she's reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL team from the comfort of the family room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart finalist and the author of four contemporary sports romances.
Author Links
Win TWO COPIES OF BLITZING EMILY
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