Welcome Elaine Cantrel & the Clemons Tigers to the Football Blog Tour Stop!

CLEMSON TIGERS

Do you like football? I live in the South, and there aren’t many people in the South who don’t like football. Some Southerners like pro teams, and some like college teams. Some follow high school football, and some follow all three.

Personally, I first learned about football when I was in high school. I didn’t miss a single high school football game until my senior year. After I graduated from high school, I went off to college and became a Clemson Tiger. Then I got married, and my husband taught me to watch NFL football on TV.

So, why do we do it? Why do we devote sometimes an entire day to football when there are so many other things we could be doing? First, we do it because we like the game. We get a thrill out of watching the game and dissecting what everyone on the field should have done. And of course that includes the coach!

Second, we do it because there’s a social aspect to it. We get to see our friends and exchange news. One of the most important social aspects is tailgating. Have you ever done that? On the day of the football game we have a picnic out of our cars, vans or SUVs in the stadium parking lot. Some people pick up a bucket of KFC, but others bring their grills and cook steaks. If you can think of a menu, you can find it. Many local restaurants have picnic baskets that you can pick up on your way to the game.

You see paper plates, plastic dinnerware, and in a few cases nice china. Oh, and some people bring liquid refreshment.
Third, we get to live vicariously through the team and the cheerleaders. For a few hours we can pretend we’re a star.

And fourth, it gives us a sense of satisfaction and tradition to participate in a fall ritual that’s been going on for many years.
The team that I follow most closely is the Clemson Tigers. On the days when Clemson is playing we hang our tiger tail from the tailgate of our SUV, and we fly orange flags because orange and purple are Clemson’s colors. At the school where I work, we have a luncheon when Clemson plays their arch rival Carolina. Followers of each team decorates one side of the faculty lounge, and we all bring party foods which we have for lunch. It’s fun, and on that day lots of emails fly back and forth between followers of each team.

My last release is called A New Dream, and guess what job the hero has in the beginning of the book? He’s an NFL player for the Green Bay Packers. It just seemed like an obvious choice to me!

If you’ve never caught football fever, let me get you started. First of all, buy a team jersey. Then, pick up some hot wings, nachos, or whatever it is you like to snack on. Invite as many of your friends as you can accommodate in your home, and then sit back and enjoy yourself.


Blurb for A New Dream

Blurb: A New Dream

What do you do when you lose everything?
After an auto accident destroys his pro-football career, Matt McCallum struggles to find a new dream for his life, but nothing engages him the way football did. After a stint in rehab, he takes a job managing a grocery store where he meets Violet Emerson.

Violet works in the bakery department, but her dreams carry her far beyond the doors of Chef’s Pantry. As soon as she can save the money, she plans to open a catering business. And she thinks the new manager’s broad shoulders and blue eyes are simply divine.

Thrown together at work, Matt and Violet find a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?

Buy Link
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_30?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+new+dream+by+elaine+cantrell&sprefix=a+new+dream+by+elaine+cantrell

Reviews

Romance Junkies Read the full review at http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/contemporary/A_New_Dream.shtml

RJ gave A New Dream a 4.5 and said, A NEW DREAM is a wonderful contemporary romance with heartwarming characters and heartfelt moments. Elaine Cantrell creates a beautiful, believable relationship with old fashioned values that adds sweetness to the story. All of her characters were likable with emotions and reactions that one can relate to. My favorite though had to be the hero Matt, who had to face a very difficult reality. His growth and the way Ms. Cantrell portrayed his struggles with coming to terms with the changes in his life was nicely done. This is one of the best inspirational romances I’ve read in a while.

Romantic Times gave a New Dream 4 stars and said,
Readers will love this touching and inspirational story in which a former football player learns to live his life under new terms after a tragic accident. As he journeys toward a new dream he meets (Violet) and falls in love.