Today's Special - - Anna Sugden

It may have taken Anna Sugden a while to reach her dream of being a romance writer but I'm so glad she never gave up. After careers in global marketing and teaching, Anna - a Brit - finally turned her total focus to writing when her husband's job took them to New Jersey in 2002. They returned to England in 2008 but Anna kept writing and in 2012 she sold her first book and the New Jersey Ice Cats were born. Anna's love of sports - especially hockey - shines through in her books. She also loves classic films, cross-stitch, good food, wine, penguins and, especially, great shoes! 

Welcome back, Anna! It’s always a treat when you bring us a new Ice Cats love story. Please tell our readers what they should expect from A Perfect Compromise. 

Thanks so much, PJ. It’s great to be here. I love being able to hang out with you and all the lovely

readers at the Romance Dish.

This is the fourth book in the series and it moves away slightly from the Badolettis and the Jelineks -- although not too much since JB is like an adopted son/brother -- to feature reader favourite Jean Baptiste Larocque.

This is a story about coping with the curveballs that life throws at you (I know, wrong sport ). For both JB and Issy, they have their sights set on certain goals and what should be a fun vacation fling really ends up causing major problems for them both! It’s also about the idea that love takes work and compromise.

J.B. has a lot of growing up to do in this book before he can move from Mr. Right Now to Mr. Right. What was the most difficult part of writing this character? What do you want readers to understand about him?

Getting the balance right. JB is a player, both on and off the ice. He doesn’t like responsibility or commitment and he’s happy with a free and easy life. But, at the same time, he’s not a bad or mean or selfish person. He’s charming, fun, loyal and well-intentioned. A genuine guy, an honest guy, whose heart is in the right place. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in the other books, he gets caught up in bad situations. So, with all of that, it was important to ensure readers could see both the good and bad of JB.

J.B. and Issy are in two very different places in their lives when they first meet and must overcome some significant obstacles before they have a chance to make a relationship work. What is it about these two that convinced you they were meant to be together?

You know how sometimes you just know when two people will be perfect for each other? That’s what happened when Issy appeared in my head. She kept telling me how much JB couldn’t work for her and yet … J. I think it’s because they’re such different people with such different needs that they work. They bring out the best in each other. JB loosens up Issy and Issy shows JB that ties and commitment don’t have to be a noose around his neck.

J.B. is one hot hockey hero. Did you use a real-life inspiration for his physical characteristics or is he

solely a product of your imagination?

The character was originally inspired by a combination of former Devil, Johnny Oduya, and former Yankee, Derek Jeter. But the actual physical inspiration was Shemar Moore. Whenever I see him on Criminal Minds, I say - ‘There’s JB!’ .

After losing the Stanley Cup at the beginning of the book, J.B. and his teammate, Mad Dog take off for a getaway in Antigua. What location would be your favorite getaway?

Anywhere warm and sunny, with a beach or lake! I was lucky enough to be whisked away to Antigua for my 50^th birthday and it was the perfect spot to spend two weeks chilling out with my lovely hubby. If we can’t make it to the Caribbean, we love Italy and have a soft spot for Charleston, SC. Both places have everything we love -- good food, nice people, great weather, a laid-back atmosphere and the occasional fab shoe shop!

In the book, Issy fantasizes about chocolate brownies topped with hummus. What’s the weirdest food combination that makes your taste buds sparkle?

At least Issy can blame her craving on her pregnancy! LOL I don’t think my tastes are that weird. I love peanut butter and cream cheese omelettes. I also love peanut butter and banana. Marmalade and sharp cheddar is another fave. My lovely hubby makes an awesome lime curd which is also yummy with sharp cheddar.

Here's the recipe for another favorite from Issy:

Issy’s No Olive Seven Layer Dip Recipe

2 cups leftover or canned chili (vegetarians can use refried beans, crushed kidney beans or vegetarian chili)

1 cup guacamole

1 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1 cup corn

1 cup chopped tomatoes, spring onions (scallions)

In a large bowl (clear is better so you can show off the layers), layer the ingredients in the same order as above, starting with the chili. Serve with tortilla chips or strips.

At Issy’s first hockey game, J.B. scores the winning goal and gives her the game-winning puck. What’s your most prized sports memorabilia item?

Oh it’s so hard to choose. You should see my office walls - covered in all kinds of hockey memorabilia. Signed pictures, game-used sticks, pucks and jerseys. All, naturally, from my beloved Devils. J. If I had to pick one, I think it would be Brian Gionta’s game-worn jersey from the night they retired Scott Stevens’ number. It’s signed by both Brian - who scored in the game - and Scotty.

Will there be more Ice Cats books?

Definitely! I’m currently working on book 5, which is tentatively entitled A Perfect Plan. It features recently retired Ice Cats’ captain, Scott ‘Scotty’ Matthews, and Issy’s best friend from A Perfect Compromise, Sapphire Houlihan.

Where can readers find you online?

All the latest news is on my website www.annasugden.com. That is where I post my free short stories, as well, so it’s worth checking out!

I’m on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/AnnaSugden.RomanceAuthor and Twitter as @annasugden and I’m also on Pinterest https://pinterest.com/annasugden

What’s next?

I’m planning to write more holiday-themed short stories featuring some of the secondary characters from the team. I hope to offer A Perfect Bouquet, a Valentine-themed story on my website in February. And, in response to readers’ requests, I’m hoping to release A Perfect Selection - an anthology of the short stories - for sale in March.

Thanks, Anna! Would you like to ask our readers a question?

For those of you who’ve had children, did you get pregnancy cravings and if so, what were they? For the rest of you, what is your weirdest food combination favourite?


Anna has generously offered several giveaways so start posting those comments!

Giveaways include:
A signed copy of A Perfect Trade
A signed copy of A Perfect Catch
A signed copy of A Perfect Compromise
A signed set of the limited edition print version of the short stories