(Note: the title of the series has changed later this year to “Wild Cards” and this article – which was published in Feb 28, 2012 – and Simone’s answers are based on the previous title.)
Fullriders – a new captivating series in the making
Simone Elkeles (best known for her Perfect Chemistry Trilogy) revealed a few weeks ago that she has a new young adult series called ‘Fullriders’ coming out in the near future.
The series got its name because it’s about high school football players who seem to have gotten a “full ride” in life (but whose lives are more complex than they seem, finding love where they least expect it and managing personal challenges on and off the field).
Don’t worry, even though Fullriders seems to center around football players, it is not all about football. Elkeles explained that it’s about ‘brotherhood and loyalty and commitment to the other players on the team‘ and off course love.
There’s no firm publication date for the first book in the series (we don’t even know it’s name), but Simone said, in an interview, that she already has blurbs for four Fullriders books and also she gave some information about what to expect in this series:
Q: You’ve just announced that you’ll be writing about a diverse team of high school football players who seem to have it all, but that’s just on the surface. So we’ve got to ask, what inspired the idea?Now, what would I expect from this series?A: I’m from Chicago and football is in my blood. My grandfather was a 40-year season ticket holder for the Chicago Bears and took me to games when I was a kid. I love the game so much that I wanted to try out for my high school team, but none of my friends would do it with me and I didn’t want to be the only girl trying out so I didn’t do it. I always wanted to write a book about football players, because I think people have a perception of who these guys are and I want to break the stereotype and show a side of football players that people might not know … in addition to showing what it’s like when my characters fall in love!
Q: Can you share a scene or a moment that made you grin while you were writing?
A: I always love the first moment the hero and heroine meet each other. It’s so fun for me, because I know where they are is definitely not where they’re going to end up! I hate giving up scenes because so much will change from the draft I’m working on to the final book. All I can say is that the first meeting right now is at a hardware store, where the heroine works. The heroine is not pleasant to the hero because she thinks he’s someone from a rival high school buying spray paint in order to vandalize her school.
Q: What’s an element of this story that you are looking forward to — pardon our pun — “tackling”?
A: I I love the romantic scenes in books, and always look forward to writing those. In those scenes the hero and heroine have to put down whatever invisible walls they hold up and become real and vulnerable to the other person. The hero and heroine in the first Fullriders book will have a very romantic scene, but one of them is holding a secret and it’s not a good one. When the other person finds out, they will feel very betrayed! (Sorry for the cryptic language!)
The full interview can be found at rtbookreviews.com.
1. goodlooking football players that will leave us breathless;
2. some sweet on-field/off-field romances to make our heart stop;
3. hilarious scenes that will make our cheeks & tummies hurt from so much laughing.
What else can I say, I can’t wait to hear more about this new series!
If you haven’t read yet Simone’s books, pick them up as soon as you can – they are cute and funny and they will keep making you smile from the first page to the last one.
Later Edit:
The title& cover of the first book in the ‘Fullriders’ ‘Wild Cards’ series has been revealed:
Wild Cards
And this is the synopsis taken from GoodReads:
“Another year, another move—with a Dad in the military, starting a new school in the middle of the year doesn’t faze Derek. But moving with his new step-mother to live with the father and sister he hasn’t seen in seven years? Awkward. Even worse—his new step-aunt, Ashtyn, is seventeen, hot—and the kicker for the high school’s football team. A football prodigy, Derek has stayed as far as possible from the field since his mom’s death—and not even an infuriatingly sexy housemate who talks stats and dreams of a Division I scholarship can change his mind. But when Ashtyn’s quarterback boyfriend backs out of their road trip to a prestigious summer football camp run by top recruiters, Derek and his car become Ashtyn’s only route to making her dreams of playing college ball come true. Four nights. Multiple state lines. Football. Secrets. Sex. This is one road trip neither of them will forget.
In a steamy new series featuring a new, irresistible band of teammates, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles blends the romance and drama of Friday Night Lights with her signature explosive storytelling.”
Another Tiny Edit:
Read the book.
Loved the story.
Laughed out loud.
Review here.
PS: The author decided to change the name of the series to “Wild Cards“,
after the first book. I think I still prefer Fullriders, but it’s not my call to make.
This sounds so amazingly perfect! I love the football; the I-didn’t-like-you-when-we-first-met; that Simone Elkeles is writing it… I just hope that the writing is better than Chain Reaction. For me it felt so rushed and “blah”. But I’m all up for this one since Catching Jordan didn’t work out for me.
I guess there was a lot of pressure with Chain Reaction. For me it felt like she was writing it for an audience and not for her own pleasure. This time she is starting something new, and I have the feeling that the result will be a lot better 😉
Did you read Summer in the city? It’s about sports too, and it’s really cute 😉
I will LOVE this!
🙂 Me too.. I can’t wait to find out more details about this new series. Sounds great so far 😉