... Jennifer Iacopelli, Author ...

Losing at Love is LIVE!

2015-02-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

LOSING AT LOVE is alive and available

in both eBook and Paperback!

Grab it now for just $2.99 or less for a limited time!

(And GAME. SET. MATCH. is still $0.99! )

Amazon // Barnes and Noble // iBooks // Kobo // Google

Don't forget to check out the OBXers link above

for special giveaways just for my readers!

Losing at Love Cover Reveal!

2015-01-30T01:00:00.000-05:00

The long (I know, VERY LONG) awaited sequel to GSM, LOSING AT LOVE, is hitting shelves and e-readers in less than a month! Check out it's cover!

And with it, GSM is getting a cover redesign to celebrate it's release in print!

What do you think? I just can't get enough of the colors on the title treatments and I love that with these it's a lot more tennis-y and a lot less kissy. Not that there isn't a lot of kissing happening, but I think you'll all agree that tennis comes first for the OBX girls!

It's so exciting that my publisher decided to majorly discount the OBX books.

GAME. SET. MATCH. is $0.99 (just 99 pennies)!

AND

LOSING AT LOVE (pre-order) is $2.99!

*Release Date is February 24th*

That's two OBX books for the price of one.

While you're here, don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list on the sidebar.

That makes you an OBXer and OBXers get exclusive access to THREE MORE giveaways in conjunction with the cover reveal celebration giveaway below! Just sign up and then click the, "OBXers" link at the top of this page!

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Two Week Countdown!

2015-01-15T10:05:00.002-05:00

In just two weeks, the new cover designs for the Outer Banks Tennis Academy series will be released! To celebrate, I'm running a giveaway!

You can win an autographed copy of GAME. SET. MATCH.

Check it out!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Game. Set. Match.

by Jennifer Iacopelli

Giveaway ends January 30, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

It's almost here! Finally!

2015-01-06T09:15:00.001-05:00

Some of you have already heard, but for those of you who haven't. The day is near! The sequel to GAME. SET. MATCH. is coming in just a few weeks! It's called, LOSING AT LOVE and you can add it on Goodreads right now!

But the good news doesn't stop there! Not only will LOSING AT LOVE be released soon, but both GAME. SET. MATCH. and LOSING AT LOVE will be released in print as well as ebooks! That's right, very soon you can have the Outer Banks Tennis Academy series in your hands and on your book shelves.

In the coming weeks there's going to be all kinds of fun things going on, cover reveals for LOSING AT LOVE and for the new exclusive print covers for both books and a blog tour, not to mention the release of a new book (FINALLY!), so stay tuned!

A Long Expected Update!

2014-06-01T18:34:00.001-04:00

Hey there, remember me?

So, It's been a while. A long, long while and the reason for that is, well I've been writing (and deleting and writing and deleting) the second book in the Outerbanks Tennis Academy series! We'll be announcing the title of Book 2 soon, but for now, I just want to share with you that I'M DONE! Book 2 is officially with my editor and therefore it EXISTS. I know that sounds like a small thing, but any writer will tell you that getting your manuscript to the editor is the hardest mountain to climb. Everything after that is just, well it's part of the process of getting it in front of the readers!

I just wanted to share that with all of you because…

That's pretty much how I feel about this book and I can't wait until you guys can read it!

Stay tuned for updates soon!

xoxo,

Jen

GAME. SET. MATCH. is LIVE

2013-05-01T21:09:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone, In case you didn't know already,

GAME. SET. MATCH. is out there in the world and waiting for you!

You can buy it at:

Amazon.com // Barnes & Noble

Don't forget to check out the blog tour in the post below this one!

The Game. Set. Match. Blog Tour is Coming!

2013-04-10T09:20:00.001-04:00

Here we go, everyone! The Game. Set. Match. Blog Tour.

The tour will run from May 1st through May 15th, with some amazing giveaways, fun guest posts, exclusive excerpts and the very first Game. Set. Match. Reviews!

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5/1/2013 - Release Date & Book Blitz

Page Turners - Excerpt & Review

Bewitched Bookworms – What is New Adult? & Review
FicFare - Review

Fictionators - Review

Kate's Tales of Books and Bands - Review

Read and Reviewed - Review

Book Nerds Anon - Review

The Romance Bookie - Promo Post

Reading Geek - Review

YA Book Nerd - Promo Post

Book Loving Mom - Promo Post

Finding Bliss in Books - Promo Post

Every Free Chance - Review

Snuggling on the Sofa - Review

Pink Polka Dot Book Blog - Promo Post

Booking It With Hayley G. - Review
Alpha Reader - Review
Looking for the Panacea - Review
Reads and Thoughts - Promo Post
Fic Talk - Promo Post
Brianna Lee Book Reviews - Promo Post
Book Labyrinth - Promo Post
MommaSez... - Promo Post
The Cozy Reading Corner - Promo Post
Keely Dunn - Promo Post
Froggarita's Bookcase - Promo Post
The Book Connection - Promo Post
WeaklingNo14's Wondrous Reviews - Promo Post
Reads and Thoughts - Promo Post

Bookmarked Pages - Promo Post

Just Jeannie's Books & Bling - Promo Post

Paperback Princess - Promo Post
Kindle Obsessed - Review

5/2/2013
USA Today - Happily Ever After Blog

Confessions of a Bookaholic – Are you Team Penny, Indy or Jasmine? Quiz

The Reading Date - Review

Fictitious Delicious - Review
Mostly YA Lit - Review

5/3/2013

The Bookish Babe - Excerpt & Review
Cosmochicklitan - Review
Xpresso Reads - Review
Finding Bliss in Books - Review

My Guilty Obsession - Review

The Book Life - Review
Princess Bookie - Review
A Good Addiction - Review

5/6/2013

Shortie Says – Character Profile of Penny Harrison & Review

Always YA @ Heart – Character Profile of Alex Russell & Review

StuckInBooks - Review

5/7/2013

A Life Bound by Books – Character Profile of Indiana Gaffney

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf – Character Profile of Jack Harrison & Review

YA Book Addict - Review

5/8/2013

The Book Cellar -Excerpt
The Changeover - Review and Interview

5/9/2013

Katie's Book Blog – Excerpt & Review

Ex Libris – The Boys of GSM & Playlist

Ramblings of a Daydreamer - Review

5/10/2013

Reading Lark - Character Profile of Jasmine Randazzo

Me, My Shelf & I – Who is Your OBX Guy? Quiz
The Autumn Review - Review
Verb Vixen - Review

5/13/2013

Books Complete Me – Awesomely Hot Tennis Players & Review

Stuck in YA Books – Character Profile of Teddy Harrison
Burning Impossibly Bright - Review
Literally Jen - Review
A Reader's Adventure! - Review

5/14/2013

Icey Books - Excerpt
Herding Cats and Burning Soup - Why are Sports Heroes So Attractive? & Review

Lost in Lit - Review

5/15/2013

Hobbitsies – Author Interview & Review

The Girl in a Café - Review
Manga Maniac Cafe - Review
Story Bound Girl - Review

GAME. SET. MATCH. - The Cover

2013-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you will remember back, way back, to the Fall of 2011, when I was drafting GAME. SET. MATCH. and every once in a while, a new post would pop up here with a fun mock cover. It was one of my go-to procrastination tools and I felt like it was at least a little more productive than tooling around on twitter. After all, I was searching for inspiration by designing those covers.

After I signed with Coliloquy, I knew that someone else would be designing the actual cover for GSM and quite honestly, the thought terrified me. The idea of someone else having an artistic interpretation of my characters and me having NO CONTROL over what that interpretation would be, was just...yeah, not fun.

Except, that was obviously totally irrational of me. The wonderful people at Coliloquy wanted my input, took my ideas into account and, most importantly (because really, what the hell do I know about covers?!), hired a RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME cover designer to work on GSM.

If you haven't heard of her, Erin Fitzsimmons is a pretty big deal people. She designed the covers for Lauren Oliver's Delirium series. She is a BIG EFFIN' DEAL.

So I knew I was in good hands, I just didn't realize HOW good, until it showed up in my inbox...

Without any further ado, I give you, GAME. SET. MATCH.

....

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....

....

....

....

....

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I love how it focuses on the girl, because the girls are truly the heart of this series, plus the couple really looks like Penny and Alex. That's one of my pet peeves, when the models don't look anything like the characters! And of course, the kiss, because really, who doesn't a love a little kissing?! I adore the title treatment. The yellow brightening to the green brings out a fun tennis color scheme. So yes, lots of love from my end, but I fully admit, I may be a little biased.

To celebrate this amazing cover, I'm having a Giveaway!

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A new beginning

2013-02-02T13:36:00.000-05:00

Check it out everyone! I have an amazing new website designed by the fabulously talented, Hafsah of IceyDesigns.

I'm so excited because it totally represents what I'm about. A little girly and a little sporty all the same time!

Don't forget to comment and tell Hafsah what an incredible job she did!

P.S. Exciting news coming REALLY soon. I can't for you guys to see. Hint, it might have something to do with thecoverforGSM!

A Very Merry Unbirthday to You! Giveaway

2012-12-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

This week I'm celebrating my birthday. On Wednesday, December 5th, I'll be 28 years old, officially (read: depressingly) into my "late twenties." Regardless of that, I am really excited for my birthday this year and I want to celebrate!

As a kid my birthdays tended to be disgusting examples of what happens when a large family has only one child to spoil for nearly a decade. My second birthday was particularly offensive. According to family legend I got so tired of opening presents after an hour that I burst into tears and refused to open anymore.

So, taking the history of an overabundance of generosity in my direction, this year I've decided to adopt the Hobbit tradition of giving presents, rather than receiving and thus,a giveaway!

I'll be giving away TEN $10 giftcards to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or the Book Depository. The winners get to choose where they'd like their prizes from!

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Sports Sunday #6: I'm Baaaa-aaackkk

2012-12-02T14:13:00.001-05:00

So there hasn't been a Sports Sunday in a little while, but there's a really, really good excuse as to why. I've been revising. For those of you who don't know, revising isn't editing. Editing is making sure your periods and commas are in the right places and changing, "angry" to "furious" and things like that.

Revision is something totally different. It's the result of copious notes from your editor about plot and characterization and conflict and all the things about your book that don't work quite right.

Revision (unlike golf, which I covered in a previous Sports Sunday) is TOTALLY a sport. Hell, it's a contact sport, even if the only collision is between your forehead and the laptop keyboard.

That being said, today I sent the first round of revisions for Game. Set. Match. back to my editor.

So for those of you who are revising or will be revising at some point in the future, I bring you some Sports Sunday inspiration, even if it is fictional!

The 2013 Debut Author Challenge Goal Post

2012-11-16T13:12:00.001-05:00

In case you guys hadn't heard (though I doubt very much you'd be reading this if you hadn't), I have a book coming out next year (well three actually, but that's neither here nor there). It's not just any book however, it's my debut novel. My excitement is beyond words. As an author you only get one debut novel and I plan to enjoy the process as much as possible.

I've been stuck in my revision cave the last couple of weeks, working hard to make Game. Set. Match. the best book it can possibly be before it hits your Nooks, Kindles, iPads or Android Devices. While I've been revising, I've also been thinking about all the other debut authors out there going through exactly what I'm going through.The online writing community is a lot smaller than you'd think and many of us keep in contact on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads, so I know that my experience isn't unique to me. There are lots of nervous and excited 2013 Debut Authors. So keeping that in mind, I've decided to participate in the 2013 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by the wonderful Tara at The Hobbitsies book review blog.

My 2013 Debut Novels "To Be Read":

A Point So Delicate by Brandy Colbert

Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

The Reece Malcolm List by Amie Spaulding

Praefatio by Georgia McBride

The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Liddell

2013 Debuts I've already read through Advanced Reading Copies
Splintered by A.G. Howard (5 Stars)
Pivot Point by Kasie West (5 MINDBLOWING Stars)

That one time when the hurricane hit...

2012-11-06T11:01:00.000-05:00

*peaks her head out of the layers of blankets*

Hi everyone,

In case some of you were still unaware, Hurricane Sandy blasted the Northeastern United States early last week. I'm happy to report that me and mine are all safe and sound. I am, however, still without any electricity. So, no heat, no internet and no TV for going on 8 days now. My favorite books growing up were the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder and over the last week and a half, I've been given just a small taste of what life was like before we could plug anything in. I've become accustomed to carrying around an LED lantern powered by 8 D batteries from room to room so I don't trip over anything. I still hit the light switch whenever I walk in to a room. Force of habit, I suppose.

It's...an interesting experience. Schools were closed in my area for a full week and many still are and thus I didn't have to go to work. In that time I found myself rising with the sun and heading to bed just an hour or two after it set. I'm not a coffee drinker, so I've stuck with tea and I've made my way through a box of Apple Cinnamon Spice teabags after having it in my cabinet for several months. Obviously, the storm interfered with Halloween and while there were some brave Trick-OR-Treaters, I found myself with a glut of candy and have thus been eating more than my fair share of Kit Kats over the last few days. I've made a significant dent in my To-Be-Read pile, reverting back to my youth when I'd fool my parents into believing I was asleep by burrowing under the covers and reading by flashlight.

I'm also in the middle of a major revision of Game. Set. Match. I was about five chapters into it when the hurricane hit. I now have more than ten legal pad pages (yes, back and front) of handwritten revisions to be typed up once power is restored. Let's hope I can decipher my own handwriting when the time comes.

The men working in my neighborhood said that power would be restored last night. This morning they said this afternoon. We'll see, but until then, I'm leaving links of places you can go to help people who've been hit a lot harder by Sandy that I was. People have lost everything, so if you can give anything at all, even just a dollar or two, it would be very much appreciated.

Red Cross

Direct Relief

Salvation Army

Help Me Donate

And last, but never least, those of you in the United States and over 18, no matter your political affiliation, make sure you get out and vote today! Make your voice heard in the most important way you can

The "Happy Blogoversary To Me" Giveaway!

2012-10-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

On November 1st, it will be exactly one year since I started this blog!

At that time only parts of Game. Set. Match. existed. I'd written a prologue and a few prequel chapters that helped me establish the back stories for my characters. Now I have an agent who truly one of the best in the business, a three book contract with a fantastic publisher and most recently, an editor who kicks my ass in the best way possible.

But before I had all of those things, I had you guys! Your support and unbridled enthusiasm for my writing are what got me to this fantastic place. So really, this blogoversary is a celebration of YOU!

To properly commemorate the occasion, I've decided to do a giveaway.

One lucky winner will receive a $50 Giftcard to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or the Book Depository!

There are lots of ways to gain entry and many ways to improve your chances of winning!

Also, if there are more than 500 entries, I'll give away TWO gift cards!

Use this Rafflecopter to enter up to 21 times before the contest ends Friday, November 3rd.
(Remember, if you've already done these tasks, it still counts!)

CONGRATS TO LACEY AND LYNNE!

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GAME SET MATCH: Release Date!

2012-10-21T13:16:00.000-04:00

When I signed with my publisher, Coliloquy we set a tentative release date for the first book in the Outerbanks Tennis Academy series to be released next spring. One of the major advantages to working in digital-only publishing is the shorter turn-around from finished manuscript to published book. Basically, you don't have to wait around for a printer to print the books, so you can get it out pretty much as soon as its ready!

And Game. Set. Match. will be released on...

**drum roll**

May 1, 2013

Add it on Goodreads today!

If you do, you'll be one step closer to some awesome GSM swag as we get close to the release date.

*nudge nudge wink wink*

Sports Sunday #5: Derek Jeter Down

2012-10-15T07:54:00.001-04:00

There was no Sports Sunday this week and here's why:

I'm way too depressed with how the Yankees' postseason is going to write about anything sports related...

Alex Russell's Doppelgänger FOUND!

2012-10-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

And we have a winner! Coming in with a whopping 81% of the vote is...

*DRUM ROLL*

Chris Hemsworth!

So for your viewing pleasure, I bring you a photo spam!

A casual look and probably the closest to how Alex actually appears in my head...

Appearing clean shaven which is rare for both Chris and Alex.

And seriously, check out those eyes. No wonder a certain character of mine goes head over heels!
Plus a video, because while Chris is Australian and not British, it's close enough...

Sports Sunday #4: Let's Go Yankees

2012-10-07T10:44:00.002-04:00

No Sports Sunday today other than to say this:

LET'S GO YANKEES!

MISSION #28 STARTS TODAY!

Doppelgänger Search: Alex Russell

2012-10-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

If you couldn't tell over the last couple of weeks, I've been hit with a barrage of real life actors from some of my favorite TV shows who seem to fit the physical descriptions of the characters in GAME. SET. MATCH. perfectly.

The one character who that hasn't happened for is the one I think I'm most in love with - at least in this first book: Alex Russell, British tennis sensation and a total player - on and off the court - he's blonde, incredibly athletic with a magnetism unmatched by anyone a certain female OBX athlete has ever met before.

There have been a few people who come to mind in the effort to "cast" him, but I thought I'd leave it to you, dear readers, to choose his doppelgänger.

1. Chris Hemsworth

2. Alex Pettyfer

3. Zach Roerig

Sports Sunday #3: Golf is NOT a sport...

2012-09-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

An early (and quick) Sports Sunday post, because what I'm writing about actually takes place tomorrow. If I pique your interest, I don't want you to miss out!

Golf is not a sport. It's a position I've taken a firm stance on since I was old enough to understand what I was looking at. Golf is an activity, one that requires a tremendous amount of skill and patience, but it is distinctly not a sport. Baseball, soccer, football, hell - CURLING requires more physical activity than golf does. Plus it's the most bloody boring thing to watch in the history of all the things to watch.

There is one notable exception to this rule. Ryder Cup.

Every two years, the United States and Europe send their best to a golf course to compete against one another in an epic showdown. The highlight of these competitions is the four-some format. Two teams of two men play a round of golf, taking alternating shots and competing head to head, trying to gain a point for their country/continent.

The best thing about the Ryder Cup isn't the golf - it's the atmosphere and what it means to the players.

A quick overview:

So tomorrow morning, if you're so inclined, turn on NBC at Noon EST and watch the Americans and Europeans go at it just outside of Chicago. Golf is STILL not a sport, but the Ryder Cup is a lot of fun to watch!

THE BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT OF ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS EVER

2012-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:00

GAME. SET. MATCH.
IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!!!!!

I was thinking about starting this post of all poetically, leading with an analogy of some kind, but then the excitement totally overwhelmed me because GAME. SET. MATCH. IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!!!!

Okay, I think I've finally got that out of my system.

On to the second half of the really big announcement: It's a THREE BOOK DEAL. Yes, you read that right. Three books. That's just over 200,000 words of GSM goodness that you will be able to download to your Kindle, Nook, Android device or really any computer or mobile device if you download a free Kindle app. That's right, the deal is for digital rights. I'm signing with a publisher called Coliloquy. They are doing some super-cool techy things with storytelling (that you can read about here) and if you couldn't already tell, I'm beyond excited to be working with them!

So the major players here:

My amazing Super Agent, Michelle Wolfson (right). She kept me sane through this entire process. I'm so blessed to have Michelle in my corner - and not just on days like today when I have super exciting news to share! I know I'm a writer and I should be able to come up with words to describe just how amazing my agent is, but I really can't. Just trust me, she rocks. She beyond rocks. She rocks my multi-colored toe socks. There, does that help you all understand?

Lisa Rutherford (left) over at Coliloquy. Have you ever met a person and you're instantly struck with the idea that this is a person you just NEED to work with because they are beyond brilliant? That's Lisa. Her enthusiasm for what she does and for the little world I created in GSM blows me away. Plus, she has a real life Alex at home that she calls "husband." Seriously, folks, she wins at life.

Georgia McBride and the entire crew at YALitChat. It was through their Submissions Mailbox group that my manuscript caught the attention of both Michelle and Lisa, so obviously I will forever be in their debt.

My amazing critique partners: Jess, Kaelyn, Trish, Rachel and Megan. You guys were my ROCKS through this process. GSM would not be what it is today - or what it will be - without each of you. Thank you so much!

And last, but certainly not least, YOU. Yes, you reading this. I can't tell you how much the support of you all has meant to me. Most of you popped up on this blog long before there was even a completed manuscript. You all are amazing and I hope you stick with me because the journey doesn't end here! It's just the beginning!

So just to whet your appetite a bit, here's a short teaser trailer I put together for you all because GAME. SET. MATCH. IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED! (Yeah, that's never going to get old...)

*Credit for the lovely photo of Michelle goes to Erin Summerill

Doppelgängers, Ahoy! Part Deuce: A Gleek and a GSMer

2012-09-25T17:51:00.000-04:00

So I know I've been doing this a lot lately, but unlike what happened with the girls of The Vampire Diaries, this one slapped me across the face IMMEDIATELY.

I wasn't all that excited for the season premiere of Glee this year. The show hit a wall in the last few seasons, but as someone who was a singer in high school, it held a special place in my heart, so I decided to stick with it.

I'm glad I did, if only because apparently one of the main characters from Game. Set. Match. is actually IN IT. Okay, not really, but check this out:

I mean, they're even playing his song! Teddy is SUCH a ladies' man - a total womanizer - although one with a heart of gold buried deep. Plus, the actor. Hello, Jacob Artist aka Teddy's Harrison's doppelgänger.

I'm actually a little afraid to turn on the TV again...who's doppelgänger will turn up next?!

Also, that news I promised you guys...it's coming...I swear! *cough*endofthisweek*cough*

Sports Sunday #2: A Truly Wild 'Wild Card'

2012-09-23T08:47:00.003-04:00

Ask any baseball fan about the last day of last season. No matter which team they root for they'll use words like, "EPIC" or "FANTASTIC" or "BEST DAY OF BASEBALL EVER!!!11!one!elventy!" Those descriptions are not hyperbole (Side Note: you don't not want to know how long I pronounced that, hi-per-bowl, but I digress). Four teams, FOUR TEAMS entered the night still fighting for two playoff spots.

Entering the final day of the season the Red Sox needed to beat the Orioles. The Red Sox - after what could only be described as a pathetic month of September - also needed some help from their historical rivals the Yankees, who were playing the Rays.

The Atlanta Braves - who formerly held an 8.5 game lead for the NL wildcard spot, needed to beat the Phillies. The St. Louis Cardinals needed to beat the Astros and hope for a loss from the Braves.

Here's how it all went down:

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Major League Baseball loved it. They loved how hyped the fans were. They loved the momentum the league gained headed into the post season and most of all, they loved the advertising dollars that rolled in while people were tuning in to the games. They sought a way to reproduce those results every year. The result? Creating a second wildcard spot in each league and a one game playoff to determine which of those Wildcard teams gets the honor of facing down the team with the best record in the Divisional Round (aka the First Round) of the Playoffs.

So now it's September again, nearly a year removed from The Best Day of Baseball Ever and we are headed towards the same sort of craziness. Here's where all the "wild" will factor in:

American League East
1. New York Yankees 88-63
1. Baltimore Orioles 87-64 (1 game back)

American League Central
1. Chicago White Sox 81-70
2. Detroit Tigers 80 - 70 (.5 games back)

American League Wild Card
1. Baltimore Orioles 87-64 (tie)
1. Oakland Athletics 85-66 (tie)
3. Los Angeles Angels 83 - 69 (2.5 games back)

National League Wild Card
1. Atlanta Braves 87-65
2. St. Louis Cardinals 81-71
3. Milwalkee Brewers 78-73 (2.5 games back)
4. Los Angeles Dodgers 78-74 (2 games back)
5. Philadelphia Phillies 77-75 (4 games back)

Right now, not even counting the teams who've clinched - or nearly clinched - their playoff spots (Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds and the San Fransisco Giants) there are ELEVEN other teams that have a reasonable expectation to make the playoffs. ELEVEN. You guys, there are only THIRTY total teams in the Major Leagues. The season only has two weeks left to go and more than one entire third of the league might make the playoffs. Eleven teams fighting for the last seven spots.

If you're not a baseball fan, but you've always been curious about what draws people to the sport, now is the time to start paying attention. Pick a team - maybe one of the teams that wasn't supposed to be here like the Oakland A's or the Baltimore Orioles - or a team with a storied history and easy to follow like my fav, the New York Yankees or the Washington Nationals who haven't had a team make the playoffs since before World War II or the Atlanta Braves as their third baseman, Chipper Jones, looks to finish up his Hall of Fame career with one last World Series or even last year's defending World Series Champion, St. Louis Cardinals who are scraping and clawing to get back to the Promise Land. Pick a team and start cheering, it's going to be a WILD ride.

Sports Sunday #1: What to Expect

2012-09-16T19:06:00.002-04:00

I’m a bit of a walking contradiction. I’m a sports-obsessed librarian. On every job interview I’ve ever been on, the interviewer is generally more fascinated by my coaching experience than my plan to incorporate 21^st century learning into the school’s curriculum. So I thought if my love of sports bleeds so well into my professional life, it might be something that translates well onto this blog, especially since my first novel is sports themed…

So here we go, the first of my “Sports Sunday” posts…

I can’t imagine you’d be reading my blog unless you love a good story. I’ve met most of you because of our shared love of stories. That’s exactly what I love about sports. There is inherent narrative to all sports that pulls me in every time. I could be watching a game in which I have no rooting interest – say the Kansas City Royals are facing down the Minnesota Twins – and I would choose a team I want to win based on the score or a particular player or even if the starting pitcher’s wife just had a baby. There’s a story in every game and those stories create the overarching plot of a season.

Sports stories – the great ones – resonate with all audiences not just sports fans. Look at the success of A League of their Own, a movie telling the story of female baseball players during World War II:

Or one of the finest television shows to ever grace our airwaves, the story of the Dillon Panther’s football team in Friday Night Lights:

And so, I plan to bring you the best sports stories I can find, the real life kind, every week.

Sometimes we’ll talk about the the favorites, like my team,
the New York Yankees:

And sometimes we’ll talk about the underdogs, like my other team,

the New York Giants:

And sometimes we’ll talk about the quieter moments, like a love affair between a city and a player… In the 2001 World Series – made famous for far more than just this moment – the Yankees were losing 2-0 in the 9^th inning. Their right fielder, Paul O’Neill, a passionate fan favorite was likely going to retire at the end of the season. Regardless of the score Yankee fans wanted to show appreciation for a man who’d earned their respect for nearly a decade. For an entire half-inning the entire crowd stood on their feet and chanted his name over and over again.

So that’s my first Sports Sunday. What do you guys think?

Doppelgängers, Ahoy! Game. Set. Match. and The Vampire Diaries

2012-09-15T12:53:00.001-04:00

The C.W. show, The Vampire Diaries has been airing for three seasons, coming up on its fourth and up until two weeks ago, I'd never watched an episode.

I resisted for a REALLY long time. Everyone told me it was something I would enjoy, but I didn't believe them. I wasn't a huge fan of Twilight or True Blood. Never really got into Anne Rice at all. Vampires weren't my thing. I watched the first episode and I was totally unimpressed. Even more so because EVERYONE had said I would like it and I really am in the market for a new show to obsess over since Make It or Break It was cancelled and I can't stand most of what's on television now as it's just a constant reality TV loop and I'm not sure there's anything I hate more than reality TV. So with that thought in mind I gave The Vampire Diaries a second chance.

I watched the second episode, then the third, then the fourth. It improves DRASTICALLY after the first few episodes. I love the intrigue, I love the relationships between family, friends and *cough* more than friends. The guys are just ridiculously hot - especially Ian Somerhalder who makes being bad look so damn good, but I digress. My sister, who rec'd it in the first place has been I Told You So-ing for days and since she so rarely has the opportunity to do so, I'm allowing it. Now that I'm through all of Season 1 and blasting through Season 2 at what I'm sure is a record pace, I'm no longer in any way unimpressed. I'm totally hooked. Mostly, I was having a lot of fun watching it because it's so completely different from what I've been working on with my writing. It's very much an escape if you will.

Then I thought about it and I thought about it some more and I started REALLY paying attention and yeah, it was staring me right in the face the entire time:

Um, you see it now, right? Hello Penny, Jasmine and Indy...pretty much straight out of central casting. I mean I know it's not unusual these days to have a multicultural cast, but it's just so damn spot on. So yeah, a little less of an escape than I originally thought, but still. It's especially weird since there's a whole plot line in TVD about doppelgängers. I mean for frack's sake, Kat Graham, who plays Bonnie is a biracial actress with green eyes. Too perfect.

So, if you haven't watched Vampire Diaries, I highly recommend it - even if you're not a Vampire Freak - all three seasons are up on Netflix Instant right now.

And if you're still with me at the end of this post, stay tuned in the next couple of days...

*nudge nudge wink wink*

...I may have some news to share.