Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.
This story has been with me for a long time. I first wrote Player in 1994 when I was a senior in high school. Back then, Player started as a story inspired by real life, specifically, my friend George. At the time, he was my boyfriend and he’s still one of my best friends. Some things never change though. He’s also still a little bit of a player, though these days be prefers juggling men. 😄 Check out our prom pic from 1993.
Like most of my writing, Player pulled from the world around me. A lot of the characters were inspired by classmates and memories from those years. I created the detective character the same day I had my senior portraits taken, and ended up giving him the last name of the guy standing in line in front of me.
📚 The Publishing Journey
Player almost hit bookshelves much earlier than it did. In 1997, I had an agent. Contracts were signed. The book was about a month away from going to print, and then the publisher went bankrupt. The book got tangled up in legal issues for years, and it was discouraging. I did keep writing, but my biggest struggle back then was finishing anything. I had so many ideas, probably 20 different books started, but none of them made it all the way to the end. Thankfully, that’s something I’ve learned to change. These days, I don’t start a book unless I know the beginning and the ending.
✍️ Bringing Player Into the Modern World
Fast forward a bit, Destiny became my first published book. Then, while I was pregnant with my youngest son Nicky, I hit a bit of a creative wall thanks to pregnancy brain fog. Instead of forcing new ideas, I decided to go back to Player and give it new life. That meant pulling it out of the ‘90s and giving it a serious update. I swapped out corded phones for cell phones, changed some lingo, and added in computers and digital cameras. I also had to retype everything since it was original written on a Brother Word Processor. But at its core, the story didn’t change. It’s still about a guy juggling four girlfriends. He gets caught, and when one of them ends up dead, everything spirals.
📖 From Traditional Publishing to Indie to Audio
When Player was finally published in 2012, it was through Free Focus Publishing, my cousin Andrew DiPalma was the cover model. Later, when that publisher went out of business, I made the decision to go independent. The current cover was created by my incredibly talented editor, Anne Hoelz, and it gave the book a fresh new look. Which brings us to today! Player’s newest chapter is audiobook form. The best part is that the narrator Jeremy, sounds so much like George. Out of all the twists this story has taken over the years, that might be my favorite.
This book has had a long, winding journey, from a high school idea to a near-miss publication, to a revival, to self-publishing, and now to audio. I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you in this new way.
🎧 You can listen now on Amazon and Audible: If you check it out, I’d love to hear what you think, especially now that it’s come full circle.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player. Available exclusively on Amazon.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player. Available exclusively on Amazon.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and
had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his
beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love.
As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player
days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not
only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation,
he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to
poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust,
but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be
a player.
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had
always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with
his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to
fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that
his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has
come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has
four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone
tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t
know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth
the price he’s paying to be a player.
Someone else came over to offer Nadine their congratulations, so Josh
said goodbye and went to his locker to get his backpack. He figured he
would meet up with Andrea and Rosa in the parking lot. He fumbled with
the combination before finally getting the door to swing open. Something
glittered on the top shelf and caught his eye. He reached for it, and a
small scrap of paper fluttered to the floor.
At first he wasn’t sure what he was holding. It was a pink plastic
tiara with some big gaudy plastic jewels. It was the type of thing he
had seen in dollar stores for little girls’ birthday parties. It was
practically broken in half, and the edges were sharp. Josh pricked his
finger on the jagged point, and a few drops of blood welled from the
small wound. He put his finger in his mouth as he bent to pick up the
paper that had fallen. When he read it, the broken crown suddenly made
sense and he wondered how he could have been so naïve. He should have
realized from the instant he saw it what it meant.
“Josh decided to play around
Now one of his girls is under the ground.
Another has a big bump on her head.
And by the end of the dance, the queen will be dead.”
Buy Links: Amazon
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her
husband and three children. She has been writing stories for as long as
she can remember. Old high school friends would tell you she was always
scratching in her notebook instead of paying attention in class and the
children she used to babysit for always loved to hear her scary stories
at bedtime. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole
author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active
member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for
close to eight years. She loves writing young adult novels, because it
keeps her young at heart. She is the author of three published works
including Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, and Phantom, and has several more
projects in the works. SiteTwitterFacebookGoodreads
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and
had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his
beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love.
As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player
days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not
only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation,
he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to
poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust,
but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be
a player.
For three days only, from 12/12 through 12/14, we are having a huge sale
on all three of my titles published through Bumble Book Press. Destiny,
Destiny Unveiled, and Player are available exclusively on Amazon for
only $.99! Whether you enjoy a little magic or prefer a contemporary
thriller, there's something for everyone.
Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember.
She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was
murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set
his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the
dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out
to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the
spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella.
Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way
more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty
rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds.
There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even
imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and
lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who
they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they
have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.
Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over
when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks
Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella
discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic
in the hands of the evil witches. Gabriella's coven sets out on a journey that
may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating
treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within
themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never
knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is
in her hands.
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and
had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his
beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love.
As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player
days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not
only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation,
he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to
poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust,
but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be
a player.
For three days only, from 9/30
through 10/2, we are having a huge sale on all three of my titles
published through Bumble Book Press. Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, and
Player are available exclusively on Amazon for only $.99! Whether you
enjoy a little magic or prefer a contemporary thriller, there's
something for everyone.
Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember.
She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was
murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set
his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the
dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out
to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the
spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella.
Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way
more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty
rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds.
There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even
imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and
lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who
they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they
have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.
Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over
when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks
Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella
discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic
in the hands of the evil witches. Gabriella's coven sets out on a journey that
may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating
treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within
themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never
knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is
in her hands.
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and
had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his
beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love.
As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player
days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not
only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation,
he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to
poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust,
but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be
a player.
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and
had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his
beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love.
As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player
days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not
only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation,
he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to
poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust,
but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be
a player.
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She
loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In
addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review
blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community,
and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include
Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.
One lucky winner is going to receive a prize pack that includes a signed copy of Player, incense, natural stone pendant, an leather key chain. This giveaway is open to the US Only and will end on 9/25/13. To enter, just fill out the rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and
had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his
beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love.
As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player
days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not
only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation,
he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to
poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust,
but one thing is certain. It definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be
a player.
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She
loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In
addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review
blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community,
and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include
Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.
Joshua Handover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic,
and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with
his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in
love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days
have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only
is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends
who are on a rampage. At first he doesn’t take their threats seriously, but
then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls
turns up dead. Josh doesn’t know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It
definitely isn’t worth the price he’s paying to be a player.
Someone else came over to offer Nadine their congratulations,
so Josh said goodbye and went to his locker to get his backpack. He figured he
would meet up with Andrea and Rosa in the parking lot. He fumbled with the
combination before finally getting the door to swing open. Something glittered
on the top shelf and caught his eye. He reached for it, and a small scrap of
paper fluttered to the floor.
At first he wasn’t
sure what he was holding. It was a pink plastic tiara with some big gaudy
plastic jewels. It was the type of thing he had seen in dollar stores for
little girls’ birthday parties. It was practically broken in half, and the
edges were sharp. Josh pricked his finger on the jagged point, and a few drops
of blood welled from the small wound. He put his finger in his mouth as he bent
to pick up the paper that had fallen. When he read it, the broken crown
suddenly made sense and he wondered how he could have been so naïve. He should
have realized from the instant he saw it what it meant.
“Josh decided to play
around
Now one of his girls
is under the ground.
Another has a big
bump on her head.
And by the end of the
dance, the queen will be dead.”
About the Author:
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with
her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre
because it keeps her young at heart.In
addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review
blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community,
and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.Her current works include Destiny, Destiny
Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan and Player.
Join us March 18-22 as we tour Player by author Laura DeLuca!
Make sure to enter the yummy giveaway!
Book Description
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had
always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with
his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to
fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that
his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has
come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has
four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't
take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone
tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't
know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth
the price he's paying to be a player.
Laura
“Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and
four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it
keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also
the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an
active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca
for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny
Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.
