PITCH PERFECT by LuAnn McLane
A Cricket Creek Novel
Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, shopping, and cuisine. But tough times are crushing tourism - until a hard-swinging baseball team and three hometown heroes begins to revitalize the community one inning at a time….
Determined to prove her independence, Mia Monroe
is no longer Daddy’s little rich girl. Buying an old car with the last of her money, she sets out for who knows where… until her clunker clunks out in Cricket Creek. With no plan and no credit cards, Mia has to find more resilience than she’s ever never needed before. And a little help from an attractive new acquaintance wouldn’t hurt…As first baseman for the Cricket Creek Cougars, Cameron Patrick has two jobs: win games and stay out of trouble. If he can do both, he might just make it back to the minor leagues. He knows Mia is trouble from the moment she catches his eye - but he can’t stop looking. And maybe her kind of trouble is exactly what he needs.
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LuAnn McLane writes southern bent romantic comedy for NAL and is currently penning her third novel in her Cricket Creek book series. Her books have appeared on best selling lists including Barnes and Noble, Rhapsody and Doubleday Book clubs.
She recently collaborated with country superstar Wynonna Judd with the novel Restless Heart.
When she isn’t writing… she enjoys family, friends, cooking, reading, music, travel and University of Kentucky basketball.
WEBSITE *** FACEBOOK *** TWITTER *** FAN CLUB
WIN - Leave LuAnn a question today at her Cyber Launch Party and your name goes in the hat for signed copies of the first two Cricket Creek books and also a copy of Restless Heart, her book with Wynonna Judd. Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are today's winner - Good Luck!
** Be sure to check out LuAnn's new contest - Winner will receive a baseball signed by James Denton (Mike the plumber on Desperate Housewives!) details on her website (under the Extras tab) and follow her on TWITTER!
Good morning LuAnn! Happy Labor Day and Happy Release Day!! I read the excerpt and noticed you mention Labor Day - so how fiting is that!
ReplyDeleteTell us all about the new book and for those not familiar with your Cricket Creek Series, can you tell us more about it and how the books fit together?
Tell us about the great contest you have going on over on your website too! What a great prize!
Enjoy your cyber launch party today (has anyone seen the book on the shelves yet??) and I hope PITCH PERFECT is a huge bestseller for you!
Have fun!
Hi LuAnn,
ReplyDeleteThis book looks so good and it is going on my wishlist! What are you working on now? Is there more to come in this series?
Happy Release Day!
Susan
susanmplatt AT Hotmail DOT com
Thanks so much Susan! I just turned in Whisper's Edge, the next Cricket Creek novel, which will be out in May. Next up is a Christmas novella. I really love Christmas love stories so I'm chomping at the bit to start writing this one!
DeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteYes there are three more books after Pitch Perfect, so a total of 6 so far... but I would love to continue. Pitch Perfect is the last of the baseball themed stories and then I go in a bit of a different direction with Whispers Edge, the May 2013 release. I've enjoyed being able to bring in old characters throughout the series.
DeNita, the contest on my website had the very cool prize of a baseball signed by James Denton of Desperate Housewives fame. I was at a charity event with him and he was kind enough to sign a baseball for me and since this is the last of the baseball themed books I thought it would be a fun prize. I will include other swag in the prize too!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook too. I post almost every day and I love to do giveaways. My Twitter account is @writerlu.
ReplyDeleteThe Cricket Creek series is about a small town set on the banks of the Ohio River... the town has fallen on hard times due to the a tough economy until former baseball hero comes home to save the day! The first three books are centered around baseball and then I take another twist for the final three.
ReplyDeleteI love your Cricket Creek books and I love baseball too, and small towns so it is a Home run... Can't wait to read Pefect Pitch...
ReplyDeleteI hope there are more to come..
Thanks so much! I've had such a fun time writing the series. I was thrilled when they decided to extend the series to 6 books. The hard part is keeping the characters and timeline straight...
DeleteThanks Kathleen! Yeah I miss seeing my Cincinnati Reds play. Hopefully they will make it to the playoffs.
Deleteforgot to leave my emaail address...
Deletesuperauntkx9_(at)live(dot)ca
Hello LuAnn, love your name btw, and congratulations on your new release. I was raised in WV, so I think I'd love your little town story. Kentucky is not that different ;)
ReplyDeleteHow much of the story is about baseball? Do you have to be a fan to enjoy/understand the book?
My son is a coal mining engineer and he interned in Logan WV. I visited him there and yep not much different than living in KY! Very quaint small town. No, baseball is only the backdrop for the series, although I am a big fan :-)
DeleteCongratulations on the book! It sounds good. Is baseball your favorite sport?
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
The University of KY Wildcats basketball is my favorite but I raised 3 boys and I learned a lot about all sports! Baseball comes in a close second. I follow the Cincinnati Reds.
DeleteCongrats on the book, you are a new author to me, so I look forward to reading your books, they sound great, love reading stories of small towns and their characters.
ReplyDeleteskpetal at hotmail dot com
Thanks Jean! I really enjoy the small town setting. I love getting to bring characters back into the stories.
DeleteThanks for all of the comments! Be sure to enter my contest and visit my Facebook page. I post daily and I love to become FB friends with readers!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add that I am on Pinterest too... I have some fun boards for Cricket Creek.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your new book! Congratulations on your release! Your name looks so familiar but I can't figure out why, which is a shame because a lot of your book look so good, and they have some amazing covers.
ReplyDeleteWhat was your favorite book to write? Is there any genre that you haven't written yet that you'd like to?
Thank you so much for a chance to win something from you.
tiffanykrepps @ gmail . com
Tiffany, I really loved writing Dark Roots and Cowboy Boots since it was my first romantic comedy. I always had humor in my books but this really was a fun book to write. The Cricket Creek series has been a blast since I get to revisit characters from previous books. And Pitch Perfect has a really cute and sweet heroine, one of my favorites. This book is about second chances and I think we all need that in our lives...
DeleteAnother new author with a series for me to love! I checked out your website and it looks like you have a lot of romantic comedy. Is this series on the funny side too, or more mainstream?
ReplyDeleteTracey, it is funny...I love writing humor and making readers laugh while tugging at the heartstrings at the same time. I think love and laughter go together, don't you?
DeleteHappy Release Day!!
ReplyDeleteHow do you decide how many books will be in a series?
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
The series was only going to be 3 books but it has caught on and so it's been extended to 6. The first three have baseball as the backdrop but I go in a bit on a different direction for the last three... well and hopefully there will be more!
DeleteJust wanted to say Hi. Miss seeing you. Can't wait to read this book.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Judy! I sure miss seeing you too.
DeleteI just wanted to add that the first two books in the series are still on the shelves so if you want to read in order (and you don't have to) you can certainly do that. Playing for Keeps is the first and Catch of a Lifetime is the second.
ReplyDeleteYou know I am a proponent of older heroines so I love that you are going with that idea. And you know I love baseball so this is the perfect book...the Perfect Pitch!
ReplyDeleteAnd you all should know that apart from being a fantastic author, LuAnn is one of the sweetest ladies around, funny as all get-out and a very generous adviser to would-be authors! Love ya, girlfriend!
I know, Deb! I just love writing second chance stories especially when it is an older copy.
DeleteThis is a new author for me. I love series and going to be checking out these. The books look great.
ReplyDeleteWhich do you prefer to write series or stand-alones?
How many books in the series?
Which genre do you prefer to write? And read?
Thanks for the great giveaway.
christinebails at yahoo dot com
Hi Christine! I've had such fun writing a series since I get to revisit characters from previous books. There will be at least 6 books in the series, hopefully more! I really like to write contemproary romantic comedy with a southern kick... mostly small towns.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI love this series! Can't wait to pick this one up. Going out later to see if I can find it, if not, I'll order online and have it very soon!
ReplyDeletejlshadden @ mediacombb.net
Ah, LuAnn! I'm behind on this series, but that makes me happy because then I know I've got at least a couple awesome reads ahead! Congrats on the newest release!
ReplyDeleteDo you go see baseball games often? (For research purposes, of course! ;)) How neat that you had the chance to meet James Denton--he sounds very kind! Must go take a peek at your contest!
f dot chen at comcast dot net