What You Need To Know: Young Mr. Norris is 22 years old (23 at the end of April - but yes, we are all dirty old ladies) and a starting pitcher we picked up from the Toronto Blue Jays when we decided to trade former Tigers Meet Harlequin All-Star, David Price, during the dumpster fire that was last season. (The less said about that the better.)
At the time of this writing, it's unlikely that Norris will even make the Tigers roster out of spring training. But just look at this guy. Besides the fact that he's dreamy, his baggage is such great romance novel fodder that I don't care if he ends up starting the season in AAA Toldeo. Welcome to the big leagues Mr. Norris! Well, at least as far as this blog goes.
His Baggage: At the start of last season Norris was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. His doctors assured him he could delay treatment until the end of the season, which he did. The Tigers and Blue Jays were aware of his medical issues at the time of the trade, but made it happen anyway. In the off-season Norris successfully had surgery and is now cancer-free.
He is also the resident "free spirit" of the team. He spends the off-season traveling around the country in his 1978 Volkswagen camper van he's nicknamed "Shaggy." He's an amateur photographer, he surfs, he lives on very little money and possessions. He's a hippy with a hipster beard and he's in Detroit. God help us all.
The Proposed Category Romance Plot: He's pretty good at baseball, but the accolades have always made him uncomfortable. Everyone keeps telling him it's time to grow up, to act like a "big leaguer" - but that just ain't him. He's a rolling stone. He wants to see the country. And that's what he's done. Footloose, fancy-free, surfing his way along the west coast and spending time with a surfer girl who is just as much a free-spirit as he is. No ties, no attachments, just a good time. Until he finds out he has cancer and everything changes.
The Heroine: When her last boyfriend vacated her beach bungalow taking her vintage vinyl music collection and favorite board with him (out of nothing but spite - what a jerk!), she's vowed to stay away from men for a while. Obviously her judgement is severely impaired. She's going to spend the winter focusing on herself and surfing her troubles away. A plan that gets a wrench thrown in it thanks to a hunky nomad ballplayer who might be a bigger hippy than she is. The attraction to much to ignore, they decide it won't hurt to share some laughs, and more than kisses, for a brief fling. Besides, just because her last boyfriend was a jerk doesn't mean that a girl has to give up all fun. They part as friends and while she misses him, she knows it could only be temporary.Then she gets a call at the start of the baseball season. He has cancer and while he's soldiering on, he's scared. He wants her by his side even though they both agreed, "only a fling." And now she's scared and her whole world is turned upside down.
What Category Romance Line?: I envision flashbacks and given the medical conflict I'm thinking we need a longer word count. Harlequin SuperRomance here we come!
2 comments:
Oh my gosh. What a cutie!!
Nikki: I know, right? He trimmed back the beard considerable for Spring Training and sadly, is starting the season on the DL, then likely on to AAA to get stretched out. But I fully expect we'll see him with the big club sometime this season.
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