Hannah Wade’s heart might’ve once been touched by a rancher’s son, but her real passion has always been sports. Years later, when her sports career is cut short by injury, she jumps at the chance to be one of Calgary’s first female sports reporters. Trouble is, some of the old dinosaurs she works with think she’s only there to look good, add ratings, and stir controversy among the fiercely loyal hockey fans. She longs to prove herself, so when an opportunity comes along to interview newly traded defenseman Franklin James, she meets him. Or, more accurately, re-meets him. With disastrous effect.

Growing up with three sisters means Franklin thought he knew something about women, but nothing had ever prepared him for the sparkling firecracker that is Hannah. And yet her vibrant personality holds a sweetness and soft side, something that draws his interest and protectiveness when an interview goes south. And there’s something about her that’s vaguely familiar…

Can these two overcome prejudice and find a way forward? And what has faith – or the lack of – got to do with anything?

Fire and Ice is a second-chance, forbidden romance and the first book in the new Northwest Ice hockey romance series, a sweet and swoony, slightly sporty, Christian contemporary romance series, perfect for fans of Becky Wade, Courtney Walsh, and Susan May Warren.

Purchase Links: Amazon  |  Books2Read

Now for our interview with Hannah.

CC: I’m so excited to get to introduce you to my readers, Hannah. Would you mind telling them a little bit about yourself?

HW: Hi. I’m Hannah Wade, a sports reporter for one of Calgary’s TV stations. People tell me I’m strong, smart, and can be sassy, but I prefer to think of myself as assertive. Which you’d think would make me the perfect fit to interview Calgary’s newest handsome hockey recruit. Except, he’s the guy who years ago got away…

CC: Oh no!! That must make for one awkward interview. Umm. . . So you can you tell us about him? 

HW: Franklin James is – okay, I know it sounds corny – but he’s actually kind of dreamy. He’s tall, handsome, with blue eyes that seem to look straight through a person. But more than that, he’s a good guy. He’s decent, strong, got manners, he might have muscles to spare, but you can tell he’s from a loving family and that he’s been raised right. He’s a Christian, which probably has a lot to do with why he is so nice that nobody has a bad word to say about him. And as for his kisses…

CC: Oh my. Kisses??? Mmmm-hmmm. Definitely probably an awkward interview. And I imagine that wasn’t too helpful for your career. Being a sports interviewer in a male-dominated world must be hard. Who is your least favorite person to deal with?

HW: Gosh, some of the guys I work with seem to have forgotten it’s the twenty-first century. But while they may be dinosaurs, they’re not as creepy as some of Franklin James’s teammates, one of whom at least seems to think it’s okay to threaten a woman. As a female sports reporter, I’m used to guys belittling me, or reducing me to my looks (I know female sports reporters who have even had hot dogs thrown at them!), but this dude is on a whole other level of nasty.

CC: Yuck. That does not sound good. So let’s flip the questions and find out some of the good people in your life. Who is your favorite person to deal with?

HW: I have three favorite people: it may come as no surprise but one of my fave people is Franklin James (bc he’s just the archetype of a hero). Franklin’s sister Cassie (she runs her family’s ranch’s movie set!) is such a sweetheart and cheerleader of a friend. And another person I’ve come to know and love is Bree Vaughan, wife of Calgary’s hockey captain Mike Vaughan, and another all-round sweetheart and champion of women. I’d happily spend hours talking with any of them, as they all always build me up and remind me where I should be finding my hope and strength (hint: God, not me). I love them all to bits.

CC: It is so great to have those sorts of people in your life. But that doesn’t mean life can’t be hard. What are you biggest struggles? 

HW: I sometimes feel like I’m a fraud. People might see someone who can seem tough, but inside I feel a little broken sometimes, like I’m unloveable. I think my dad leaving and my mom’s focus on work only exacerbated this, and I’m not sure God loves me either. I’d love to feel like I can be strong and loved and maybe one day have a family like Franklin’s awesome parents and sisters, but it’s scary to think that means I need to become vulnerable. Or maybe I just scare guys off. It happened in the past.

CC: Hugs. I think we all feel like frauds and vulnerable at times. It’s a hard place to be, but I’m sure with the help of those favorite people throughout your story, we may get to see you become more confident in God’s love for you and who you are in Him. It sounds like your family life has been a rough one. So do you enjoy family gatherings?

HW: Ever since my dad left, it’s only been my mom and me, and now it seems like she barely notices me, as she’s so busy focusing on her university career. So while Mom and I try to get together, it’s more out of obligation than anything else. Don’t get me wrong: I love her. Just don’t always feel the love from her, if you know what I mean.

CC: My heart just breaks for you, Hannah. I look forward to reading your story and seeing how love finds its way into your life. For our last question, if there is one thing you could tell my readers, what would it be?

HW: I used to think that independence was the way to go, that I couldn’t rely on anyone else but myself because people always let me down. That meant I started being the first to cut ties so I didn’t get hurt and could feel like I was in control. And it worked – until my body let me down. Now I know that I need people, I need relationships, and I can’t do things on my own. And not just people. I need God. I long thought I had to have things together so people would be impressed enough to love me. Now I know that God loves me anyway – despite all my flaws and failures. So I guess if there’s anything I want people to know it’s that God loves you, just like He loves me. And when we start trusting Him with our lives He has a way of working things out for our good. I’ve seen it in my life, and I’ve seen it happen in other people’s lives too.

Such a powerful message. Thank you so much for joining us today, Hannah! Readers, I hope you’ll pop over to Amazon and pick up Fire and Ice to read Hannah’s full story.

About Carolyn Miller:

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer, and LM Montgomery, Carolyn loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her contemporary romance series includes the Original Six hockey romance series, Muskoka Romance series, and the Independence Islands series, and her historical series include the Regency Brides and Regency Wallflowers series.

Connect with Carolyn: Website  |  Newsletter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Amazon  |  BookBub  |  GoodReads

Readers, Fire and Ice has to do with a female reporter and hockey. What other books have you read with either one? Do sports books interest you? (I know I was pleasantly surprised.)