Lana Ferguson is the author of the new novel The Game Changer. Her other novels include The Nanny.
Q: What inspired you to write The Game Changer, and how did you create your characters Delilah and Ian?
A: I wanted to write a sports novel that involved an older player nearing the end of his career; I love a man in his 30s who doesn’t have his life entirely together (spoken from a woman in her 30s who doesn’t have her life entirely together).
I knew that I wanted Delilah to still be carrying a torch for Ian, and explore what it would be like to see him rediscover her as this adult and not the kid he always knew.
I think every teenager had an impossible crush growing up that they never expected to see come to fruition, so this book was definitely for them (and me, shoutout to you, David Bowie in the 1986 classic The Labyrinth).
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between the two?
A: Horny? No, seriously, these two are just…gone for each other. Delilah is the support system Ian has always needed, and in turn, he’s the one that lets her be her truest self. They’re just…sweet (no pun intended).
Q: Why did you decide to focus on hockey in the novel? Are you a big hockey fan?
A: I picked hockey because, well, big men on skates. It helps that they push each other around a little.
You know, I wasn’t a big hockey fan before this book (I am not much of a sports fan at all, truth be told) but after having written it, I’ve definitely developed a new appreciation for the sport, and am hoping to catch a game for the team more local to me (the Dallas Stars) soon!
Q: Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: I definitely listened to a lot of mic’d up coaches during taped practice sessions on YouTube trying to learn some of the language to write the more hockey-esque scenes. There was also a lot of badgering of my more hockey savvy friends involved for the correct terms.
Speaking of—did you know players refer to their hair as lettuce/cabbage? I am still mind boggled by this. (Also, apparently, they don’t get to push each other around as much as they used to. Sad face.)
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Right now I am working on a sequel to The Fake Mate! It’s going to be a little spicier than its predecessor—so do with that what you will, ha ha.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: A lot of readers have expressed a desire to see a book for Jack and Abby, and I just wanted to let them know that I definitely hear them. :)
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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