New Release from Kelly Jamieson: Gone With the Wine (POUR DECISIONS, Book Two)

Gone With the Wine

Kelly Jamieson

https://books2read.com/u/38NroZ

Where there’s a wine, there’s a way.

Jansen

I’m trying to start over after a soul-crushing end to my hockey career and my marriage—so I buy a winery. I have no idea what I’m doing, but at least I have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I hate asking for help, but when I meet the winemaker next door, I’m jacked to have an excuse to see her again. She’s gorgeous and full of life, with grape juice-stained hands, a sunburnt nose, and long legs in cut-off shorts. But Bianca’s not so eager to help a grumpy rich celebrity who thinks he can just buy a winery and become a winemaker.

Bianca

Holy crap, I’ve inherited part of the family winery. That should be a dream come true, but I left Napa to get away from my family baggage. I have no choice but to go home and help my sisters get through harvest season, but I’ll be making a quick exit back to my rising star wine career in Argentina. Meanwhile, our new neighbor is a tall, dark, and ripped temptation. He needs a winemaker, and I need a laboratory—so we make a business deal. But while we work together picking, crushing, and fermenting, the attraction between us is causing another chemical reaction. And with wine and with life, it’s not healthy to keep things bottled up…

OR BUY THE SERIES:

POUR DECISIONS

https://books2read.com/Pour-Decisions

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But these sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time.

Wine Wednesday: Mandola Chianti

 

So I had this wine while I was dining at Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood, Texas. The grapes are from Tuscany and the wine is made exclusively for the restaurant--or the chain, I guess. Apparently the Mandola family has several restaurants throughout Texas and Florida.  

The food was really good. The wine was too, but since the restaurant is located on the Duchman Family vineyard, I was hoping to try some of their wine, but that was a no-go. 

Anyway, this is the first time in a while that I've had an Italian wine. When I was growing up, my family had the traditional straw-covered bottle of chianti on the table almost every night, so this felt about right. 

The wine was a dark garnet color, very intense. The nose was full of violet, blackberry and pine forest notes. The taste was nothing like the reviews. It was not especially dry, nor was it sweet. It was just a nicely balanced, red table wine. It went beautifully with the mezzaluna I ordered. There were notes of dark cherry and hints of leather on the finish. Very enjoyable. 

For more about wine, check out the POUR DECISIONS series! Releasing this month!

https://books2read.com/Pour-Decisions

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

 

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

 

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But these sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ The Hard Part ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "What's the hardest part of writing for you?"

What a great question! The answer is super easy. All of it's hard! 

But seriously, it depends on so many things. Beginnings are difficult because unless I feel like I've nailed the opening, I can't move on. I just sit there re-writing the opening until it works enough to get me going. It feels like I'm in my car, ready to head out onto the road, but until I put it in gear (and turn on the engine) we're not going anywhere--no matter how hard I press on the accelerator. 

Endings are time consuming. They're definitely not as difficult as beginnings, but I HATE books that just stop, so I have to feel like the ending is complete or I can't put the book to bed. 

Middles are usually not that bad--because I'm a plotter. I can't imagine what hell pantsers must go through because the only time middles are hard is when I haven't prepped enough and don't know where I'm trying to go.

Caveat: It's not that middles are never difficult, but they're significantly less so--in general. 

Dialogue is occasionally difficult, but again that's mostly because I hate big blocks of dialogue, and mindless chatter, and it's not always easy to convey information through dialogue in an entertaining way. 

Sex scenes aren't hard, per se, but they are also time-consuming. They can get boring. And if they're boring to write, I figure they're going to be boring to read. Also, like dialogue, they have to mean something. And (once again) ALSO like dialogue, they can't just be words on a page, or voices floating in the ether. You need to work in movements and descriptions and that kind of writing can feel tedious.

Other than that, it's a piece of cake!

Now, hop on over to Leslie Hachtel's page to learn what part of writing she finds hard. And don't forget to check out her new book, Finding Me.

FINDING ME

Coming Soon!

Neasa MacKenzie wants to have an adventure. Living and working in the sixteenth century at Eilean Donan castle, she is lucky enough to meet Skye and Harper, both from the future. And they have a way for her to travel to their time. It is also a chance to check on Davina, a villainous woman who managed to go to the future and might pose a risk.

What she doesn't anticipate is meeting the love of her life and facing untold risks, as well as experiencing the present day through the eyes of one from hundreds of years ago. 

Facing tests of courage and strength, can she hold on to all she has found or will she be thrown back to a past that threatens?

IT'S RELEASE DAY!

Gone With the Wine

POUR DECISIONS, BOOK TWO

IS OUT NOW!!!

Check out the second book in this new, Multi-Author Series.

https://books2read.com/Pour-Decisions

Gone With the Wine

By Kelly Jamieson

Where there’s a wine, there’s a way.

 

Jansen

 

I’m trying to start over after a soul-crushing end to my hockey career and my marriage—so I buy a winery. I have no idea what I’m doing, but at least I have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I hate asking for help, but when I meet the winemaker next door, I’m jacked to have an excuse to see her again. She’s gorgeous and full of life, with grape juice-stained hands, a sunburnt nose, and long legs in cut-off shorts. But Bianca’s not so eager to help a grumpy rich celebrity who thinks he can just buy a winery and become a winemaker.

 

Bianca

 

Holy crap, I’ve inherited part of the family winery. That should be a dream come true, but I left Napa to get away from my family baggage. I have no choice but to go home and help my sisters get through harvest season, but I’ll be making a quick exit back to my rising star wine career in Argentina. Meanwhile, our new neighbor is a tall, dark, and ripped temptation. He needs a winemaker, and I need a laboratory—so we make a business deal. But while we work together picking, crushing, and fermenting, the attraction between us is causing another chemical reaction. And with wine and with life, it’s not healthy to keep things bottled up…

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

 

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

 

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But the sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time.

https://Books2Read.com/Pour-Decisions

Musical Monday: Kisses Sweeter than Wine (Peter, Paul and Mary featuring Andy Williams)

 

I don't think I've ever heard this particular version of this song. I went looking because I remembered it vaguely from my very much younger days and last week's song triggered those memories. 

It hits different now--all those grandchildren, and getting older business. 

It has nothing whatsoever to do with tomorrow's release, but buy the book anyway--it's great!

ONE DAY 'TIL RELEASE DAY!

Gone with the Wine

POUR DECISIONS, BOOK TWO

IS RELEASING TOMORROW!!!

Check out the second book in this new, Multi-Author Series.

Gone With the Wine

By Kelly Jamieson

Where there’s a wine, there’s a way.

Jansen

I’m trying to start over after a soul-crushing end to my hockey career and my marriage—so I buy a winery. I have no idea what I’m doing, but at least I have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I hate asking for help, but when I meet the winemaker next door, I’m jacked to have an excuse to see her again. She’s gorgeous and full of life, with grape juice-stained hands, a sunburnt nose, and long legs in cut-off shorts. But Bianca’s not so eager to help a grumpy rich celebrity who thinks he can just buy a winery and become a winemaker.

Bianca

Holy crap, I’ve inherited part of the family winery. That should be a dream come true, but I left Napa to get away from my family baggage. I have no choice but to go home and help my sisters get through harvest season, but I’ll be making a quick exit back to my rising star wine career in Argentina. Meanwhile, our new neighbor is a tall, dark, and ripped temptation. He needs a winemaker, and I need a laboratory—so we make a business deal. But while we work together picking, crushing, and fermenting, the attraction between us is causing another chemical reaction. And with wine and with life, it’s not healthy to keep things bottled up… 

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

 

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

 

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But the sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time.

https://Books2Read.com/Pour-Decisions

Wine Wednesday: Duchman Family Winery 2023 Roussanne

 

This gorgeous winery is very close to where I live, and yet this is the first time I've been there. There is also a fabulous Italian restaurant on the grounds and, IIRC, when we first moved here there was some sort of drama happening, and it either it was closed several days a week, or you could only get a tasting if you made a reservation. Whatever. There were other wineries in the area--and some amazing breweries, as well, so we didn't go. Until recently. 

NOW, or so I've been informed, they're open every day for wine tasting, so YAY!

I haven't done one yet, I simply enjoyed a glass of their lovely 2023 Roussanne while I was waiting to be seated for dinner at the restaurant. 

Interesting not-so-fun fact:  Whatever the drama was, the scars are obvious. You can't bring your wine with you from the winery grounds to the restaurant's terrace (have I mentioned that the two buildings are RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER?) and you can't order Duchman wines in the restaurant. Which is kind of nuts. 

But I digress...

I'm relatively unfamiliar with roussanne. I first tried it in Temecula, a few years ago...more than a few, I guess, at this point. And I remember that I really liked it. I liked this one, too, and I imagine I'll be buying a couple of bottles over the summer. 

The wine is a light gold (it also won a gold medal at the San Francisco International wine competition, so that fits, no?). The aroma reminds me of pear candy--not the first wine I've said that about. It's a very particular scent. Very Cavendish & Harvey-esque. But that's a story for another day. 

It's a very Spring-like wine. Definitely one that you'd want to drink outdoors...or that you'd drink indoors to make you think you're outdoors because sometimes the weather here--ugh! Not last summer, though. Last summer was perfect.

There's an herbal/floral note to the nose, as well. Maybe honeysuckle and hay? I think that needs exploring. The mouthfeel is creamy. There are hints of citrus and peach. And, yeah. I might be revisiting my assertion the Viognier is the best picnic wine. 

Oh! I should point out that the winery grounds are beautiful and they grow the grapes for their wine right there in front of you. Which is what I expect from a winery. And one of the things I love best about visiting. I love tasting wine in the place where the grapes are grown. This is the second such winery I've discovered in the last few weeks and I'm so, so happy about that. 

For more about wine, check out the POUR DECISIONS series! Releasing this month!

https://books2read.com/Pour-Decisions

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

 

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

 

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But these sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Meet Cute ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "What's one of your favorite "Meet Cute" moments? Can be your own book or one you've read."

Ooh. I love this question. My current work in progress, Que Será, Syrah, is a second chance romance, which means it actually has TWO meet cutes. The first occurs when Clay and Allegra meet as drunken teenagers at a party. The second one happens six years later when Clay--now a sheriff's deputy--stops Legs for speeding. 

The book comes out later this month and I'm crazy in love with the characters.

And now, hop on over to Jenna Da Sie's page to learn about her favorite Meet Cutes.

POUR DECISIONS

A New, Multi-Author Series Coming Soon!

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

 

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

 

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But the sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time.

https://books2read.com/Pour-Decisions

Musical Monday: Strawberry Wine (Deana Carter)

 

This song came out a few years ago and what I like most about it is the way that it reminds me of songs sixties and seventies...or maybe earlier. Fifties? Forties?  I'll be posting some of those songs, too, in the next few weeks as I highlight the POUR DECISIONS books. Both my story and Kate Davies' story (which released last week) are second chance romances with teenage love affairs as backstory. Check them out if you get the chance. And if you're so inclined...

No Way, Rosé

POUR DECISIONS, BOOK ONE

IS OUT NOW!!!

Check out the first book in this new, Multi-Author Series.

https://books2read.com/Pour-Decisions

No Way, Rosé

By Kate Davies

Could this be a second chance worth savoring?

Rosa

Don’t get me wrong - I’m thrilled that Nonna left her winery to my sisters and me, but I’m terrified, too. With Allegra and Bianca both out of the country, the responsibility falls totally on me - and what if I’m not up to the challenge? Now my ex, Jake Wright, is offering to help out, but that’s terrifying in a different way. Working side by side is bringing all those old feelings back to the surface, and I’m falling for him all over again. But does our partnership have a future, or is heartbreak on the horizon?

Jake

I’ve been away from our hometown for ten long years. Now I’m back, and working with Rosa is both the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to me. We’re saving her family winery one day at a time - and giving in to the heat between us one night at a time, too. But I’m afraid this pairing has an expiration date…

Meet the Martinelli sisters: Rosa, Bianca and Allegra. These partners in wine have just inherited a once-storied winery in the heart of Napa Valley. They’re living the dream, right?

 

Not so fast! Because, as it turns out, not everybody is happy for them. And that includes their Uncle Geno who’d assumed the property would come to him.

 

There are hoops to jump through, barrels to get over, and a mountain of regulations they'll have to scale. But the sisters are crushing it—and we don’t just mean the grapes. They’re making wine, falling in love, and working together to restore their inheritance to its former glory, one pour decision at a time.

https://Books2Read.com/Pour-Decisions