Into the Time Machine back with Kate Willoughby to a Men’s Locker Room…

I’m thrilled to welcome Kate Willoughby to our Time Machine this week!

What’s the Time Machine about? As a historical romantic suspense author, I love all eras of history. You name an era, I can probably find some sort of trouble to go digging into.  So I thought it would be fun to check in with other authors and see what their favorite eras are and what they would do with just 24 hours to spend there.  Stay tuned to see where we’re headed to next…

If you could go back in time for just 24 hours, what era would you go to and where would you land?

I’m afraid I wouldn’t go back very far. On June 11, 2012, I was in Lake Tahoe on vacation with my family, enjoying the beauty of northern California. Our days had been pretty easy-going, with not much on the agenda, but that’s what vacations are for, right? Anyway, on June 11, there was one very important thing on my agenda, and that was to watch the last game of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils.

Long story short, the Kings won. (Winning the Stanley Cup is like winning the World Series or the Superbowl.) I screamed. I jumped up and down. I strutted around the living room of our villa like I was Queen of the World. MY TEAM had won the Cup!

So I’d love to time travel to that day and be in Los Angeles with the Kings.

You have 24 hours…what would you do with your short time?

Mostly, I would stand out of the way so I wouldn’t get kicked out! But seriously, I’d get there early in the morning, before anyone else was there. Just to walk around the locker room and up and down the corridors that I’d only ever seen before on TV would be amazing. If no one was watching, I might get a little nosy and peek into the cubbies of their stalls. I might try on a helmet or touch a set of shoulder pads. I’d take a lot of pictures for research. If there were staff people around, I’d probably pin them down for an interview or two, again for research.

When the players arrived much later, I’d become a fly on the wall, soaking up the intention, the determination that had to be flooding every corner of the Staples Center. How thrilling it would be to circulate amongst the team with the knowledge that they were going to win and win big.

You can personally see, visit, talk with (or whatever…) one historical figure in that time period. Who would it be and what would you do?

After all the post-game craziness on the ice, after the locker room champagne storm, I would like to get a few minutes alone with the captain of the team, the scraggly-bearded Dustin Brown. It would be close to dawn. Things would have settled down but the win would still be brilliant in his mind. We wouldn’t have to talk. All I’d want is to share a few moments with him as he absorbed the enormity of what he and his team had done. How he’d lead them to the penultimate achievement in hockey in such a spectacular way…

The first Stanley Cup in their franchise history. A 16-4 Playoff run. A 10-1 Playoff Road Record. The only 8-seed ever to beat the 1-, 2-, and 3-seeds. They were a Cinderella team going into the Playoffs and I think they took everyone by surprise by steamrolling their way to the Cup.

 You have your cell phone with you—someone sees it. How would you explain what it is?

I’d say, “Er, it’s my phone, Dustin. If you wouldn’t mind, can I take a selfie with you and the Cup?”

About Kate

Kate Willoughby happily writes her hockey romances in Southern California. She is married and has two sons, a dog, and a fish. When she’s not writing, she’s watching hockey. When it’s not hockey season, she whines a lot.

Find Kate on * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest * Website 

Book one of In the Zone

NHL player Tim Hollander lost his temper one time and threw a water bottle at an abusive fan. After “Bottlegate,” he’s traded to the San Diego Barracudas, where he’ll need to keep the bad publicity to a minimum while proving he can still compete with the younger guys on the ice.

Erin Collier is a pediatric nurse who’s never seen a hockey game, but gets in line for Tim’s autograph at a PR event in hopes of impressing the doctor she has a crush on. When an obnoxious fan gets pushy toward Erin, Tim rushes to defend the pretty stranger, throwing a punch in the process.

Grateful for the rescue, Erin agrees to stand by Tim during the resulting press conference and host him at a hospital charity event. Their chemistry is palpable, and soon their lives are intertwined. But Erin doubts a hockey player is capable of anything resembling a real relationship. And if Tim can’t get her to see beyond what’s on the surface, they’ll never last longer than a single season…

Find On the Surface at Amazon * Amazon UK * B&N * iTunes * Google Play * Goodreads

For a comprehensive video of the King’s Playoff run, click here.