Congrats to @JenLaneBooks on the release of Blocked! #NewAdult #Sports #Romace

Congratulations to Jennifer Lane on the release of Blocked, a New Adult sports romace with political flair!  Just in time for election season. You can read my 5-star review of this fantastic story at Goodreads.  For release day, I have a guest post from Jennifer about the influences behind writing this story and her goals in telling it.  

Writing Blocked
by Jennifer Lane

Lucia opened the door. “They say not to discuss politics and religion on the first date.”



“Well, then.” I gave her a huge smile. “We’re screwed.”

~*~

Has a political opinion on social media ever made your blood boil? Have you struggled to tolerate friends’ opposing political views? There’s a bitter political divide in many countries, including the US, and those polarized philosophies inspired the story of Blocked.

Heroine Lucia Ramirez and hero Dane Monroe view the world in opposite ways but are thrown together as their parents compete for the US presidency. Underhanded national politics are hardly the place for a trusting relationship to begin, but can love bridge the gap of mistrust and hatred?

The theme of forbidden love intrigues me. Lucia’s conservative father, the Republican nominee for US President, would be horrified to learn of his daughter’s crush on his liberal opponent’s son Dane. Dane and his mother, the Democratic nominee for US President, believe that harsh conservative ideals thwart the American dream.

One lesson from my psychology career is that perception is reality. Democrats see the world quite differently from Republicans, and both groups are hell-bent on proving they’re right. Dane wants equality for all. Lucia stands for individual responsibility. Which philosophy is better? Which will persevere in the next election?

Sometimes, political discussion becomes heated. It gets ugly. In contrast, I tried my hardest to present each viewpoint fairly in this story. Readers and editors from both sides of the aisle critiqued the manuscript, and one reason I self-published the novel was to preserve a delicate balance of political views between Dane and Lucia.

Despite their political differences, Lucia and Dane share one thing in common: volleyball. Both are scholarship volleyball players at a top university, vying to earn a spot on the US national team one day. In addition to swimming, I played volleyball at a small college, and my love for this sport bleeds onto the pages. To smash a perfectly set volleyball down the opponent’s throat? There’s nothing more satisfying. And the closeness of a team is one of life’s special pleasures, experienced by Lucia and Dane.

I hope you enjoy the political and sport elements in Blocked.

Jennifer Lane is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card on her Facebook page for the release! You can enter HERE.