Inside the Mind of Ryan Sanderson By: Marie Force (and Ryan)

She’s given up on him and moved on…

Susannah finally has a peaceful, calm life and a no-surprises man. Marriage to football superstar Ryan Sanderson was a whirlwind of passion, heat, energy, and excitement, but Susannah got sick of playing second fiddle to his team, watching women throwing themselves at him, and living in terror of the hard hits he took on the field. With their divorce just days from being final, she’s already planning a wedding with her new fiance…

He’s finally figured out what’s really important to him. If only it’s not too late…

Ryan has just ten days to convince his soon-to-be ex-wife to give him a second chance. He has just brought home his third championship and his career is at its pinnacle, but during the year of their separation, Ryan’s come to realize it doesn’t mean anything at all without Susannah…

Thanks for having me today! I’m delighted to be here along with the hero of my debut novel, “Line of Scrimmage.” As you’ll soon see, Ryan has an awful lot to say, so I’m going to let him take it from here!

Hey, y’all, my name is Ryan Sanderson, and I’m the focus of Marie’s new book “Line of Scrimmage.” Since the book came out a couple of weeks ago, I’ve gotten a lot of really cool emails, phone calls, and letters from friends and fans who can’t believe I opened up my life—and my bedroom door—for public viewing. They want to know WHY I did it—and so does my wife. Well, if I’m being honest, I did it because I felt our story needed to be told.

You see, people think they know me. They see me on T.V. on Sunday afternoons from September to February throwing the ball, executing plays, and leading my team to victory—most of the time anyway—and think they have me figured out. They see me as the kind of guy who has a girl in every city and who loves to receive women’s panties in the mail. A word about the panties, ladies: it’s kind of gross, and I never even see them. The people in my office have to deal with them, and they go right into the circular file, so don’t waste your money sending them to me. Anyhow, I digress…

What most people outside of Denver don’t know about me is that I’ve been happily married for the entire decade I’ve played pro ball. Susannah and I got hitched two weeks after I graduated from Florida. She’s been with me every minute of this crazy ride in the NFL, and she keeps me from getting too full of myself—not an easy job I might add. Things were great between us for a lot of years until a few things happened that pushed us out of bounds. Most of it was my bad, but some of it was nobody’s fault. Things happen sometimes in life—even in the most charmed of lives—that rock us to the core, and all the love in the world isn’t enough to fix it. That’s what happened to Susie and me.

But you see, the thing is, she and I belong together. From the first minute I ever saw her she was IT for me. You know what I mean? Has that ever happened to you? You just know? That’s how it was for me anyway. She took a little convincing, but eventually she came around, and we’ve been together ever since. Except for the last year or so, that is. I couldn’t believe she actually filed for divorce! I thought we were taking a little break to figure things out, and the next thing I knew I was in divorce court and then she was announcing her engagement to her high school boyfriend, a guy named Henry who I can’t stand. Just as well, because he can’t stand me either.

So if you’re me and the love of your life is about to marry a guy who’s all wrong for her, wouldn’t you want to stop that divorce you never wanted in the first place and try to get her back? The way I see it, there’s no choice. I can’t live without her. I love my wife, and I want her back. A nerdy banker dude in a bowtie is no match for Ryan Sanderson. Or is he? I’m kind of nervous, to be honest with you. But I’m going for it anyway. This is the most important game of my life, and I have every intention of winning.

Got any thoughts about how I should tell her that?

About the Author
Marie Force has worked as a reporter, editor and writer for the last 20 years, serving most recently as the communications director for a national membership organization. A lifelong reader of romance, she lives with her husband and two children in her home state of Rhode Island and had to become a football fan when the muse delivered Ryan to her doorstep! This is her first novel. Despite its name, her second book, Same Time Sunday, coming in the spring of 2009 from Sourcebooks Casablanca, is not about football! For more information, please visit http://www.mariesullivanforce.com/.

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