A Sight to Dream Of is book 2 in the Oberon series. And I'm making it free from now until September 20 (Mabon). This is Marsha and Sam's story. It's a somewhat sweet story about two very different people finding love where they least expect it: with one another. I mean...it's romantic suspense, so people die, people lie to each other, people overreact, get upset and act badly (looking at you, Nick!) and there is, in fact, a third act break-up, which is entirely necessary. And, ICYMI, Kelly Jamieson has written a blog post about that, which you can read here:
Just a reminder: I've made A Sight to Dream Of free for the next few weeks. The link is below.
There's a scene early in the book where Sam (who's staying in Celeste's cabin) stumbles across a photo of Marsha and is just captivated by her. This song has a lot of the same feel to it. (You can download that excerpt here:
So, today is another Stuff Your E-Reader Day! For one day only (maybe two--it depends on the venders) you can download over 1200 romance ebooks for FREE!
My contribution this time around is Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life--a book I absolutely love! Giada is one of my all time favorite characters.
Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life
Games We Play series 3/Whole Latte Love
life is more than just the lies we try and tell ourselves about what we’ve done and who we are.
I guess the truth is that I never stopped loving Ben. And I never stopped imagining how different my life might have been if he were only the person I needed him to be, instead of the person that he is. Which is silly, right? I mean, truly; it’s laughable. Because if he were someone else, he wouldn’t be him. And the world is already full of people like that. What good is one more gonna do me?
Besides, if I’m honest, Ben wasn’t ever the problem. That was me. I was never the person he believed me to be. Oh, I thought I was, in the beginning. I tried hard to be, and that worked for a while. Sort of. But eventually I reached the point where I had to make a choice between living life for myself, or for everyone else.
And when it came right down to that…how could I not choose me?
Previously released in the Love and Espresso anthology.
So, today is another Stuff Your E-Reader Day! For one day only (maybe two--it depends on the venders) you can download over 1200 romance ebooks for FREE!
My contribution this time around is Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life--a book I absolutely love! Giada is one of my all time favorite characters. And this song very much reminds me of her.
Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life
Games We Play series 3/Whole Latte Love
life is more than just the lies we try and tell ourselves about what we’ve done and who we are.
I guess the truth is that I never stopped loving Ben. And I never stopped imagining how different my life might have been if he were only the person I needed him to be, instead of the person that he is. Which is silly, right? I mean, truly; it’s laughable. Because if he were someone else, he wouldn’t be him. And the world is already full of people like that. What good is one more gonna do me?
Besides, if I’m honest, Ben wasn’t ever the problem. That was me. I was never the person he believed me to be. Oh, I thought I was, in the beginning. I tried hard to be, and that worked for a while. Sort of. But eventually I reached the point where I had to make a choice between living life for myself, or for everyone else.
And when it came right down to that…how could I not choose me?
Previously released in the Love and Espresso anthology.
Touch of a Vanished Hand is book 5 in the Oberon series. This is Sinead and Adam’s story. Touch is set six months after book 3, Sound of a Voice that is Still, which is Sinead’s twin sister, Siobhan’s story. That’s also the book where we’re first introduced to Adam. (And yes, both titles are lines from the Tennyson poem, Break, Break, Break).
I had a great deal of fun making them mirror or be opposites of each other. This book is also a total ode to summer and marks the halfway point in the series. When I started writing Touch, I was living in the house that provided the inspiration for Sinead’s farmhouse. I was also working a job that got me up VERY early, which gave me the opportunity to view A LOT of sunrises. Factors that you’ll probably appreciate more after reading the book. And it’s FREE! for the next week, so what are you waiting for?
Sinead Quinn has always been something of a drifter. But now, with her ex-husband trying to blackmail her, and her ex-boyfriend's widow trying to put her in jail, she has no choice but to go to ground. What better place to hide than with your family? After all, what are sisters for? Especially when you're a twin.
But the first rule of hiding out, is to keep a low profile. And that does not mean kissing your sister's boyfriend (even if he can't tell the two of you apart); rescuing a troubled teen; or taking a highly visible job as hostess of Oberon's most celebrated new inn.
Adam Sasso has always dreamed big. But big dreams beget big complications. First, his goal to turn the vineyard he inherited from his grandfather into a world-class winery is threatened by a mysterious saboteur. Next, his plan to run the finest bed & breakfast Oberon has ever seen, is broadsided by a hostess who wants to run him. Finally, it seems his fondest wish, of finding love-everlasting with the soul mate of his dreams, is about to go up in smoke when he can't convince her that they're destined to be together.
This summer, it's going to take all the wizardry in Oberon to craft a happy ending for the drifter and the dreamer.
p.s. Touch of a Vanished Hand was the first book I wrote that was set primarily at a winery. Since then, of course, I’ve gone on to write several books in the POUR DECISIONS series along with my friends and fellow authors Kate Davies and Kelly Jamieson. Learn more here: books2read.com/rl/PourDecisions
p.p.s. And, while I’m on the subject, Touch of a Vanished Hand also contains a very fun tequila drinking scene. And, as it happens, Kelly visited me in Napa while she was writing her LAST SHOT trilogy, which is set in a tequila bar. So, of course, we had to research that, as well. You can find that series here: https://www.kellyjamieson.com/last-shot-series
So, I'm posting this today because Touch of a Vanished Hand is free this week and this is a song I remember vividly from the time when I was writing this book. We were living in a house that was close enough to the local fairgrounds that you could hear the music as clearly as you could have if you were attending the concert live. Train (and this song in particular) was one of the bands we got to listen to in that way that summer.
Sinead Quinn has always been something of a drifter. But now, with her ex-husband trying to blackmail her, and her ex-boyfriend's widow trying to put her in jail, she has no choice but to go to ground. What better place to hide than with your family? After all, what are sisters for? Especially when you're a twin.
But the first rule of hiding out, is to keep a low profile. And that does not mean kissing your sister's boyfriend (even if he can't tell the two of you apart); rescuing a troubled teen; or taking a highly visible job as hostess of Oberon's most celebrated new inn.
Adam Sasso has always dreamed big. But big dreams beget big complications. First, his goal to turn the vineyard he inherited from his grandfather into a world-class winery is threatened by a mysterious saboteur. Next, his plan to run the finest bed & breakfast Oberon has ever seen, is broadsided by a hostess who wants to run him. Finally, it seems his fondest wish, of finding love-everlasting with the soul mate of his dreams, is about to go up in smoke when he can't convince her that they're destined to be together.
This summer, it's going to take all the wizardry in Oberon to craft a happy ending for the drifter and the dreamer.
So, I believe this Mandola wine was made using Texas grapes, but the company is a little cagey about its sources. The restaurant (the original restaurant, I believe) got its start in partnership with a local winery (in Driftwood, TX). But--because Driftwood (and the nearby towns of Wimberley and Dripping Springs) is/are very small and somewhat insular--I've heard that the partnership went sour due to personal reasons. And now, you can't enjoy the winery's wine at the restaurant that exists basically on its grounds.
People, am I right?
But to continue. This is the second Mandola wine I've tried. And I did get it at one of their restaurants, where I enjoyed it with a dish of cheese ravioli and tomato sauce. Because sometimes, what you really crave is something simple and basic (but still really, really good). I thought it was surprisingly soft bodied for a Cab. The color was garnet fading to rust. On the nose were scents of violet, cedar and black cherry. The flavor held hints of vanilla, smoked oak and red currant.
I only got a single glass with my lunch (okay, it was a 9 oz pour, but still!) and now I wish I'd bought a bottle because I've been craving more of it ever since.
If your algorithm is anything like mine, you've been seeing ALLLLL the astrology posts these last two weeks and have probably heard all you could ever want to hear about Barbault's Basket. And if not, look it up. It sounds awesome.
But what it reminds me of is this song from waaaay back in the day. I used to listen to this when I was writing In the Dark, because that's also (partially) set in the very late 1960s. Desert Rose quotes lyrics from it to a very cranky Conrad.
When you live forever, a few mistakes are bound to happen.
Vampire Conrad Quintano has been around for centuries -- long enough to know falling for a human is a terrible idea. Much less falling for adventure-seeking hippie Desert Rose and agreeing to raise her babies.
Raised in virtual isolation, Marc and Julie Fischer have never known their unique status in the world. But once they're in San Francisco, the family reunion is nothing like they anticipated and they're thrust into a world they're completely unprepared for.
