Brittney Mulliner - Small Town Contemporary Hockey Romance

Brittney Mulliner - Small Town Contemporary Hockey Romance
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Brittney has been an avid reader since she can remember. Her parents' form of punishment for her growing up was taking away her books and making her go outside to play. She was born and raised in Southern California, with a brief hiatus in Arizona. She loves the beach, hockey, exercising, sleeping in, and gluten-free cookies. She and her husband currently reside in the Rocky Mountains, exploring and hiking as much as possible. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Face-Off.

Please give us a short introduction to what Face-Off is about.

Face Off is the final story in the Utah Fury Hockey series. Each book follows one player from the team as they fall in love. Face Off follows Mikey Dankowski and Holly Evans as they get off to a rough start, but are forced to spend time around one another since she now works for the team. She's also a single mother and makes her daughter her top priority and if there's one thing Mikey isn't used to, it's not being the center of attention. There are plenty of awkward moments and tension between the two as they get to know each other.

What inspired you to write about a struggling single mom?

I try to write about characters that inspire me and overcome realistic problems. Holly is a blend of friends I've had in similar situations that have had to learn to be vulnerable again and be willing to trust a man not only their hearts by their childrens' which is a whole lot harder.

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Tell us more about Mikey Dankowski. What makes him so special?

Mikey is a character that's been around in several books, but he was kind of a jerk. When he first appeared I didn't really like him but over the course of writing the other stories, I realized he was misunderstood and needed a chance to redeem himself to the readers. He comes across as cocky and aloof, but deep down all he's ever wanted was to find a place where he truly belonged.

Readers say that your characters are really loveable. How did you pull this off?

My characters are so real to me. Especially since I spent 14 books with them. They're flawed and confusing and unpredictable. I can try to force them in one direction but the story really unfolds as they see fit. There's no such thing as a perfect person, so I write imperfect characters and I think people can relate to that.

What, would you say, makes Mikey and Sadie such a great pair?

Sadie is Holly's daughter and while I planned for her to be part of the story, I didn't expect her to become such a central character, but the relationship she formed with Mikey happened so naturally and I fell in love with the two of them. She teaches him patience and unconditional love while he proves to her that she can count on him. I unintentionally modeled their sweet friendship after my brother and the way he acts with his daughters. They're the center of his world and have him completely wrapped around their fingers, exactly like Sadie and Mikey.

This is book 14 of a series. Can it be read as a standalone? How does it tie in with the other books in the series?

Since each book is about a different couple, they can all be read as standalone, but you see the characters from previous books throughout the series since they're all on the same team. Reader's have told me their favorite part of each book is seeing the other couples and how they're continuing to progress so I think people will get the most out of each book if they read the series.

Do you believe in true love in real life?

Ironically, I don't believe in soul mates or one true love even though I have a series based on those concepts. To me, the idea of there being one single person in the entire world that is right for you is kind of depressing. What about those that fall in love and their spouse dies? Do they not have the chance of ever finding something as wonderful and fulfilling? Or divorce, if they really believed at one time that their ex was their one person, then is there anything to look forward to? I 100% think there are people that are more compatible together, but as long as two people are willing to work together to create a happy, loving life together then that is what true love is.

When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?

When an idea starts to form I jot down notes on my phone as pieces come to me. Once it's really come to life I start the story outline, the broad picture of what will happen then work to fill in the gaps. Often, I'll have the details put together of the world-building and twists and turns of the plot but not the character's names or personalities. Those usually come last.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I keep a color-coded calendar with my word counts next to me on my desk at all times. For some reason, seeing the daily numbers is the motivation I need. On days I don't have a chance to write it drives me a little bit crazy because there are blank spots, so there's a bit of my OCD coming out. My days are fairly routine, which I absolutely need. I start with a workout, walk my dog, eat breakfast, get ready, do any business tasks like checking ads or social media, then for the rest of the day I do writing sprints until I hit my word count goal which is usually 4k words a day. Then I make dinner, watch a few shows or read, and go to bed. Then rinse and repeat!

What are you working on right now?

I'm editing the first book in my next series which is about a college hockey team. I'm having a lot of fun writing about younger characters that are facing a different group of problems while still holding on to my hockey roots.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Most of my books are available in Kindle Unlimited, and the complete list is on my website. I'm on facebook and Instagram and absolutely love hearing from readers!

https://www.amazon.com/Brittney-Mulliner/e/B00P46A2PS
https://brittneymulliner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/brittneymulliner
https://www.instagram.com/brittneymulliner

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