I love knights and ancient warriors. Isn’t that
what today’s football players are? Here’s a chance to get inside the head of Al
“Trunk” Mahoney defensive lineman. My guest,
author Jean Joachim sat down with the defensive lineman and asked some interesting
questions. Please welcome her Books, Chocolate and Wine.

1.   Blonde,
brunette or redhead?

I never discriminate. I like them all.

2.   Tall,
medium or short woman?

Again, no 
discrimination here.

3.   Favorite
meal?

Blue cheese burger and sweet potato fries. (wink,
wink)

4.   Favorite sport?

You’re kidding me, right? Football, of course. What
idiot thought up this question? Oops. Sorry, Jean.

5.   Favorite
color?

Red, the color of a certain woman’s lipstick.

6.   Hobby?

Gardening. No wisecracks!

7.   Dog or
cat?

Dog. Pug. Two to be exact.

8.   Dream
vacation spot?

Anywhere with a certain female.

9.   Dirty
little secret?

You think I’m gonna tell you, so you can post it on
Facebook? You’re crazy.

10.  Best
friend?

Bull Brodsky in the male department and a certain
brunette in the female.

11.  Ham or Turkey?

Both. Never met a meat I didn’t like. Hey! Watch your
mouth.

12.  Burger or fried chicken?

Best burger in the world at The Savage Beast, of
course. Wouldn’t throw a piece of fried chicken off my plate, though

13.  Swimming
or Skiing?

Swimming. Can’t break anything in the water.

14.  Greatest
fear?

A career-ending injury. And, before you ask, no. I’m
not going to give you anything more than that. This is for publication.
Besides, I need to keep it clean, right?

15.  Number 1
dislike in a woman?

Let’s see. Hard to pick only one thing. Whining and
money-hungry. That’s two? Okay, a whining money-mad woman. Heh heh. Yeah. Still
two. Deal with it.

16.  Number 1
like in a woman?

You want me to answer this question and keep it clean?
You’re joking, right?

17.  Bacon or sausage?

Both.

18.  Favorite
ice cream flavor?

This is tough. It’s a toss up between cookies and
cream and chocolate chip.

19.  Beer or
vodka?

Both. Beer with vodka chaser. But I don’t drink much
anymore, since I’ve been hanging out with a certain woman.

20.  Train or
Plane?

Both. Train if I have the time, which I never do.

Back Cover Copy for Al “Trunk” Mahoney Defensive Line:

When his wife walked out on him, Al
“Trunk” Mahoney’s plans for the family he’d never had went up in smoke. A
top-ranked defenseman in the NFL, Trunk’s success on the gridiron didn’t
translate to the rest of his life. Hooking up with women was easy for the sexy
lineman, but Trunk’s secret closed the door to marriage. Would the happiness he
yearned for always be just beyond his reach? 

Beautiful Carla Ricci, bar owner and
independent woman had her choice of men. A love-‘em and leave-‘em lady, she’d
made a decision that ruled out 99.9% of men for marriage. She didn’t care. Then
Trunk Mahoney came along. Carla resolved to remain true to herself. Could her
willpower hold indefinitely, or would she settle for an affair that would break
her heart?  

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Excerpt and Snippets from Al “Trunk” Mahoney Defensive Line:

Carla hoped Trunk
hadn’t noticed the flush she’d sensed in her face when he said he’d move in.
Thankfully, new customers arrived, giving her the chance to escape. She made
her way to the three tables, took their orders, and scurried back to the
kitchen to slap burgers on the grill.

The heat from the
cooking food was nothing compared to the heat in her body from Trunk’s news. He
was like a magnet, drawing her to him for the past two years. The way his shirt
pulled over his wide shoulders, his lean waist, powerful biceps, and what she
guessed were tight abs, invaded her dreams at night. Of course, he had a cute
butt, which she tried not to notice. A couple of times he’d caught her checking
him out. She always had a snappy retort that made him laugh. But she saw the
lusty light in his eyes, and it made her shiver.

She remembered the
first day he’d come in. She’d been joking with Griff Montgomery that he never
brought his good-looking teammates in for a beer. Then, Trunk Mahoney had
walked through the door, and Carla hadn’t been able to speak. Her mouth had
gotten dry while other parts had gotten damp. His powerful body, barely
concealed in tight jeans and T-shirt, coupled with his confident swagger, had
made her knees weak.

He’d flashed a sexy
grin and raked her body with a smoldering gaze from beautiful, light blue eyes.
If he had ripped the clothing from her, she couldn’t have felt more naked.
Trunk Mahoney was sex on wheels, and she’d wanted him, until she’d checked out
his left hand. There it had been, the colossal mood killer—his wedding ring.
So, Carla had locked up her feelings and swallowed the key. Her ‘no touch’
policy applied to all married men, no matter how attractive they were. And that
included Al Mahoney.

**********

In the locker room, Trunk noticed Griff slapping something on his face.

“You’re married. Still use that stuff?”

“Drives Lauren wild. Not that she’s in any condition to be wild, right
now,” Griff said, chuckling. “But she likes it, so I use it.”

“What’s it called?”

“Midnight for Men. Now that you’re single again, better get used to
using this shit. Women love it. Try it.” He passed it to Al.

Trunk finished shaving, wiped the shaving cream remnants from his face,
and opened the bottle. He took a whiff. “Nice. Okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Just stay away from my wife, will ya?” 

**********

     
Orphaned at thirteen, he had turned to football to deal with his anger
at his parents’ death. Shuffled from one relative to the next, he had learned
to stomach insecurity. He had succeeded at the sport, making a name for himself
in every town he called home at one time or another. Being a football star
meant a big welcome from each new school he’d attended.

Having nothing, Al had
gone to work young, doing odd jobs—raking leaves, mowing lawns, running
errands. Sports had anchored him. His coaches had helped him stay on a good
path, avoiding drugs and crime. Being a hero fed his heart, but he never
outgrew the yearning for someone to care about him. He thought he’d found it in
Mary, but he had been wrong.

First and Ten

About Jean Joachim:

Jean Joachim is a best-selling romance fiction author,
with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. She writes mostly
contemporary romance, which includes sports romance and romantic suspense.

Dangerous
Love Lost & Found, First Place
winner in the 2015 Oklahoma Romance Writers of America, International Digital
Award contest. The Renovated Heart
won Best Novel of the Year from Love Romances Café. Lovers & Liars was a RomCon finalist in 2013. And The Marriage List tied for third place
as Best Contemporary Romance from the Gulf Coast RWA. To Love or Not to Love
tied for second place in the 2014 New England Chapter of Romance Writers of
America Reader’s Choice contest. She was chosen Author of the Year in 2012 by
the New York City chapter of RWA.

Married and the mother of two sons, Jean
lives in New York City. Early in the morning, you’ll find her at her computer,
writing, with a cup of tea, her rescued pug, Homer, by her side and a secret
stash of black licorice.