Bal Khabra | A Fun College Hockey, Opposites Attract, Romance

1–What is the title of your latest release?

COLLIDE

2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?

COLLIDE is a hockey romance that follows Summer Preston, an aspiring sports psychologist who is faced with an unexpected ultimatum from her professor, catapulting her into the world of college hockey. She must work closely with Aiden Crawford, the captain of the hockey team, to fulfill her sports psychology dream or veer far away from the god-awful sport. Aiden, on the other hand, is thrust into this research ordeal when a reckless mistake by his team jeopardizes their entire season. It’s the last thing he wants to do, especially since the girl leading the project looks like she would wield his skates as a weapon. Summer can’t stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other is what they do best. What will happen when they finally collide?

3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?

College hockey is very prominent in the east coast, so it made choosing the setting for Collide a no brainer. The setting also allows for other Ivy Leagues, well-rounded seasons, and an ideal college culture.

4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?

Definitely. I think Summer is a culmination of the personalities I love. She reminds me of my friends, myself and some of my favorite fictional characters. Of course, Aiden is reminiscent of all the hockey friends I grew up with, so he would be a fun time!

5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?

Summer: determined, guarded, and witty. Aiden: charming, genuine, and caring.

6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?

That sometimes things align when you least expect them to.

Whether it’s in the context of my own life, writing, or the characters themselves, this has always rung true.

7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?

I wait until it’s complete. I need to get everything out of my head before I even attempt to edit. Otherwise, the ideas will flow nonstop, and I wouldn’t be able to focus.

8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?

Sushi. I always find myself craving it.

9–Describe your writing space/office!

For the longest time, it was my bed, but recently I’ve decided to separate my work and life spaces. So, I’ve been writing on a little Ikea desk in my make-shift office.

10–Who is an author you admire?

Sandra Brown. She’s the first romance/thriller author I ever read, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Her writing is captivating and seamless.

11–Is there a book that changed your life?

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant.

12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.

A week after I self-published Collide, Jess—my now agent—sent me an email to see if I wanted to discuss representation to get traditionally published. It was surreal, and when we finalized on Berkley, I was over the moon. I’m still not totally sure if I’ve processed any of it.

13–What’s your favorite genre to read?

With no surprise to anyone, it’s romance!

14–What’s your favorite movie?

It’s so tough to choose just one, but I’ll have to say 10 Things I Hate About You.

15–What is your favorite season?

Autumn

16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

It depends on how I’m feeling. Either it’s a dinner with close friends, or a tropical vacation with my family.

17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?

Normal People. The book too!

18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?

Mexican.

19–What do you do when you have free time?

I love to read, of course. But I’m dabbling in a lot of new hobbies to have more of a work-life balance. So, it’s either ice skating (if the season permits), gardening or crocheting.

20–What can readers expect from you next?

A fun and humorous addition to the Off the Ice series follows Elias Westbrook, whom we met in Collide, and his new love interest: a ballerina and a hockey player who find themselves in a bit of a spiral when they seek each other’s help.

COLLIDE by Bal Khabra

Off the Ice #1

She’s an honors student with ambitious graduate school plans and he’s a jock with only hockey on his mind, but once their worlds collide, their connection is hot enough to melt an ice rink.

An ultimatum from Summer Preston’s thesis advisor thrusts her into an unexpected collision with the hockey team’s captain, Aiden Crawford. She’s caught between conflicting desires of fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a sport psychologist and staying as far away as possible from the god-awful sport. And once she meets Aiden—well, let’s just say he confirms all her worst assumptions about hockey players.

Being the captain of the college hockey team has its perks, except when a reckless mistake by Aiden’s team threatens to jeopardize their entire season. As punishment, Aiden’s coach nominates him as the subject of a student research project. Participating is the last thing he wants to do, especially since the girl leading the project looks like she could wield his skates as a weapon.

Summer can’t stand Aiden’s blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand why she’s twenty years old with a twenty-five-year plan. But their bickering soon turns to bantering—and once they let their guards down, there’s nothing to check their feelings.

New Adult | Romance Contemporary [Berkley, On Sale: May 14, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593818268 / ]