This Week's Free Read

Fun fact: This story originally had the title, The Irish Goodbye. When you read it, you'll understand why. But once I settled on the GAMES WE PLAY series title, all the books got game-themed names, which worked out much better and made this one of my favorite series to write. 

Book One, Truth or Dare was a story I'd been wanting to write for a long, long time. Book Two, Never Have I Ever is probably the most polarizing story I've written--people either love it or absolutely hate it. Two Truths and a Lie is the perfect end to the trilogy, pulling all the threads together...okay, the bouncing back and forth between time periods gets a little confusing, not to mention all the fake names, but overall, I loved the characters and their interaction. 

And it paves the way for all the sequels! I'm up to four right now, with at least one more to go.

Anyway, this freebie will Irish Goodbye on Friday, so get it while you can!

Two Truths and a Lie

Book 3 in the Games We Play series

All work and no play has been the story of Brenda Donovan's life these past few months. Her concern about the future of her family's inn has her tied up in knots—and not in a good way. Between searching for a buyer for the business, and keeping secrets from her cousins, she's had no time to pursue an actual relationship. But pretending to date sexy Max Murphy, the hotel scout who's there to assess the property? That's totally doable. Especially when games, role-playing, and light bondage are included in the package. Falling in love was never supposed to be part of their deal; but now her heart's in play and all bets are off.  

Max has no problem with hiding his true identity from Brenda's cousins. If that's the way she wants to play it, he's all in. But are Luke and Gwyn the only ones he's deceiving?  

It's game, set, and match this time around. And when all the scores have been tallied, and everyone's secrets are finally revealed, will the cousins lose the Wild Geese Inn? 

https://tinyurl.com/2Truths26

Musical Monday: Because You Loved Me (cover by Matt Bloyd)

 

Okay, so here's a small spoiler, although I guess it shouldn't be. Clay's mom will be at his wedding (along with several other members of his family. Shocking, I know!) and I think this song would be perfect for them to dance to. 

Wine Wednesday: 2024 Valravn Chardonnay

 

As I mentioned last week, I got to enjoy some different wines on my birthday--and the days surrounding it. I enjoyed this Chardonnay at dinner with some amazing potato leek soup. This is a medium pale straw color. The nose is bright and citrusy with notes of apricot and honeydew. The flavor is buttery and dry with hints of dried pineapple and toasted meringue. 

I think this wine would also pair well with roast chicken or quiche. 

Valravn is a small Sonoma winery. It's only been around for ten or so years. Its winemaker is a Napa native--and obviously, I love that! You can read more about it here: https://www.valravnwine.com/

Romance Writers Weekly ~Do Your Characters Surprise You? ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop we're asked, “Do your characters ever surprise you? Talk about plots you have fallen into by luck.”

OMG, do they ever! All the bloody time. I think the most egregious example is still Cara Matthews from the Oberon series. Cara first appears in book four. She's the ex-girlfriend of the hero and heroine's son--obviously a very minor character. IIRC, she's in all of one scene. 

She resurfaced briefly in book five as an example of her ex, Seth, falling back into bad company, and then assumes a bigger role (albeit still a supporting one) in book seven.

Book four was supposed to have been the end of it. Book seven absolutely should have been. In fact, I wrote a perfectly lovely scene where she and Seth (who were never destined to end up together) finally resolve their issues and part company.

And then...

The villain of book eight made an unscheduled appearance at the end of book seven. He took one look at Cara and decided on the spot that he wanted her as the heroine of "his" book. In hindsight, that was actually a good idea. However, as a result, book eight blew up into a huge, ungodly mess and I had to shoehorn Cara and Liam back into book nine in order to give them their HEA. Which, apparently, wasn't as EA as some readers wanted, so I brought them back yet again for a sequel novella, Sea Change. 

I was going to offer the Halloween novella, Hungry Heart, for free this week, because it has a forward penned by the aforesaid villain but the book is available through Kindle Unlimited, which means I can't give it away anywhere else. So I made the Forward available as an excerpt. You can read that here: 

https://www.PGForte.com/excerpt-forward-from-hungry-heart

Enjoy! And now, hop on over to Leslie Hachtel's page now to learn about how her characters have surprised her. And don't forget to check out her book, Come Back to Me

Come Back to Me

What would you do if you could go back in time to find your soulmate? For Skye Blaine, the answer is clear: she would do whatever it takes to be with the one she loves. Follow her as she travels through time in search of her heart's desire, finding that the path to true love is never easy, but always worth it. Will she find her happy ending? This page-turning story of love, sacrifice, and courage is sure to captivate and inspire. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey through time!

https://amzn.to/3thW8BR

The Celtic Legends Series

Steamy Historic Romantasy set in 19th century Ireland

 IRON

 When an immortal, shape-shifting fae, arrives on his doorstep, Gavin O’Malley knows he's in luck. Aislinn Deirbhile can give him everything he's been missing: A devoted-seeming wife in the image of his beloved Mairead, and children who are sure to outlive their father. And all he has to do is find a way to keep her—without losing his immortal soul in the process. 

OAK

 Twice each year, Aine Murphy ventures into the woods to hold ceremonies to honor the Oak King and the Holly King, never dreaming these Lords of the Forest could be anything more than myth. When the legends spring to life in front of her, how can she help but fall for the sexy demi-gods she's loved all her life?

https://www.PGForte.com/celtic-legends

Musical Monday: The 'I Feel Like I'm Fixing to Die' Rag (Country Joe and the Fish)

Well, I had a different song planned for today, but then Joe McDonald died. And honestly, given the state of the world, this probably fits better. I learned the words to this song on the playground of my elementary school. Yes, I am that old. 

Wine Wednesday: Duckhorn 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

So this is one of the wines I received for my birthday. It has a nice nose--blueberry compote, spiced fruits and hints of violet and cedar wood. It's a DARK burgundy color, medium tannins, not much in the way of legs. The taste is lush, with a lingering, peppery finish. It tastes of cocoa, currant and tart cherry. 

It's very good, but yet again, here's a wine that I'd rather drink on its own than pair with food. If I had to pick a meal to eat with it, I honestly think I'd go with a really good, char-broiled burger with goat cheese and bacon jam. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ How to Warm Up ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop the question we're asked is, “It's still cold. How do you warm up?”

Well, to be honest, it's not all that cold here, at the moment, but we did have a pretty intense cold spell a few weeks ago and mostly I just stayed inside. 

I coped with the cold by making soup, taking hot baths, and baking. Nothing warms you up like a cup of tea and a slice of Irish Soda Bread fresh from the oven. I curled up under my electric blanket and read. And I exercised. I have a stationary bike and a rebounder--they saw some action. I guess I could have indulged in some hot yoga, as well, but that would have required leaving the house. 

 Anyway, hop on over to Jill Haymaker's page now to find out how she keeps warm. And don't forget to check out her book, Montana Pines Spring Forward: Time Moves On!

Montana Pines Spring Forward: 

Time Moves On

A heartwarming romance that will leave you cheering for love to conquer all obstacles.

What Colby Harte didn’t ask for at Christmas was his wife to empty their bank accounts and leave him and his eight-year-old daughter, Emma, a few days before the holiday. At a loss as to how to move on, he takes a new teaching job in the tiny Montana mountain town of Pine Meadows. A new start may be just what they need.

Cheyenne Wilde loves her job at the Pine Meadows Resort in her hometown. The trouble is she’s just turned thirty and can feel her biological clock ticking away. She’s never met a man who made her want to settle down. That all changes when Colby Harte walks into her bar.

When their friendship, built on her desire to help Colby and his daughter adjust to a new environment, begins to turn into something more, the fact that he’s still not technically divorced looms over both of them. Can either of them feel safe acting on the passion that flares between them? Just when they decide to take a chance, the return of Colby’s missing wife threatens to bring it all crashing down. But sometimes love wins.

FIND YOUR HOME IN PINE MEADOWS, MONTANA WHERE EVERYONE FEELS LIKE FAMILY.

https://www.amazon.com/Montana-Pines-Spring-Forward-moves-ebook/dp/B0C4K

FREE DOWNLOAD

I'm celebrating my birthday by making Waiting for The Big One free this week. 

Get it while you can!

WAITING FOR THE BIG ONE

LA Love Lessons 1.0

One girl, two guys and a quest for ultimate satisfaction.

Aspiring actress Gabby Browne refuses to consider her best friend, and personal trainer, Derek Novello for the role of soul mate fearing sex will ruin their beautiful friendship. When she meets Zach, she's convinced that he could be The One. Too bad Derek isn't willing to share-leaving Gabby forced to choose between two sexy co-stars.

An early morning earthquake provides Gabby with the impetus she needs to stop waiting for the stars to align and finally cast her leading man.