Guest Cassandra Carr!
I met Cassandra Carr on Twitter and it's my pleasure to introduce her to you here! Another 
warning. Her writing is HOT!
The concept behind the title "Head Games"
Siren Bookstrand just released book 1 of the Buffalo Intimidators series, Head Games. It's a contemporary M/F/M menage story featuring two NHL goaltenders. I thought it might be interesting to hear how I came up with the title.
So of my titles are more arbitrary than others, and I don't tend to come up with a list of ten or twenty possible titles and then pick one. I also title my works very shortly after I start them (or even before in the plotting stage), and – so far – I haven't had a title changed. Moving on…
I chose Head Games, strangely enough, because of the Foreigner song. I was listening to it one day before I started writing the book, back when I was still thinking about how I might open the first scene. I wanted to open with a hockey scene, and I pictured a goaltender being scored upon and yelling "I can't take it anymore!", which, if you're familiar with the Foreigner song, is a prominent line. I'm quite sure it was my subliminal brain knocking that day…
I considered never telling anyone how I arrived at Head Games or how the first line relates to the title, but then I thought, "Where's the fun in that?" Plus, book 2, which I just completed, is titled Cold As Ice, after another Foreigner song. See how both of those relate to hockey, too? Sneaky – that's me!
What other Foreigner songs are there? How many can I twist into relating to hockey? I'm planning between six and ten books in this series, I guess you'll all have to wait and see!
BLURB: Leo Laporte and Scott Schaeffer are teammates on the ice and roommates off it who also share women. They've been coming into Kelly Chase's bistro after games for months, and they know they want her. As the attraction grows, the men realize they want more than a one-night stand – they want forever.
Kelly's not so sure. Yes, she wants both men. But a permanent ménage relationship? That's taking giving her heart away to a whole new level, and a chance she's hesitant to take. Then Leo is injured and Scott's on the trading block, and she realizes this may be her only shot at true, everlasting love.
There are so many questions swirling around inside Kelly's head. Can she believe in Leo and Scott's love? And will her business and her reputation survive once people find out she's with two men?
OK so at this point, you realize why this book is sizzling! If you want an excerpt, it's after the JUMP!
EXCERPT:
"Hey guys. Good game, both of you."
"Thanks," they answered in unison, sliding onto stools.
"How about some apple pie?" Leo said, licking his lips already. An image of him nibbling pieces of it off of her flew into his head. Man, was he horny tonight…
Kelly put her hands on her hips. "You know better than that. I never let you have apple pie until after you eat a good meal."
Leo rolled his eyes. "Fine." Perusing the specials written on a chalkboard underneath the TV, he ordered shepherd's pie. Scott asked for a chicken souvlaki wrap, and they settled back to relax as Kelly went into the kitchen to make their food. "I love those T-shirts. I'd give up a mil of my salary just to be that T-shirt for a day."
"Don't I know it…" Since it was late, Kelly was waiting tables herself, in addition to cooking, and both of them tracked her as she bustled around behind the counter. Coming back over, she poured them both ice waters and plopped silverware in front of them before going into the back once again. There were still a few customers, but everyone gave the Intimidators their privacy here—it was one of the reasons Leo and Scott loved to come here so much. The primary reason, of course, was Kelly herself.
"Okay, so let's go over everything again—make sure we're on the same page here," Leo urged.
"All right. Can't hurt. We need to present a united front if we're gonna do this."
"Exactly. So both of us want her." They'd been attracted to Kelly since the moment they'd laid eyes on her, but had come to the realization a few months ago that their feelings ran deeper than simple lust.
Scott nodded, his eyes as determined and focused as Leo had ever seen them. "Yes, we both want her, and the only way that will work is if we share her. But we need to make it clear at some point, maybe not right up front, that we want her more than just sex."
"And we think tonight is the night?"
"She's definitely intrigued." Scott paused and Leo could practically see the wheels turning in his friend's head. "Even when we mentioned a threesome last week, she didn't run."
"Yeah, and did you see the expression on her face? She wants it."
"I think so, too. But don't forget. We can't push her too hard. And everything one of us does affects the other. We can't let her tear us apart, and if this thing starts to do that, we need to reconsider."
"Agreed," Leo answered. He held up his fist. "Even now, even with Kelly, bros over hos, man." The two men did a quick fist bump and Leo relaxed a little.
A few minutes later, Kelly backed out of the kitchen, her arms laden with plates, and both men paused to admire her in her tight chef's pants. She caught them staring and just shook her head, laughing.
Yes, they were done waiting for her to come around. It was time to put Operation Seduction into action.
BIO: Cassandra Carr is a multi-published erotic romance writer who lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. Head Games, Buffalo Intimidators book 1, released on November 2, 2011 from Siren Bookstrand, Caught will release December 13, 2011 from Loose Id, and Impact is coming in early 2012 from Ellora's Cave. For more information about Cassandra, check out her website , "like" her Facebook fan page, or follow her on Twitter.
