A Winter Hearts Steampunk Novella
https://books2read.com/Winter-World-of-Love
December 24, 1871
Republic of New Texacali
Just one short year ago, Ophelia Leonides returned to New Texacali hoping to reconcile with her husband. And, for a while, it seemed that most, if not all, her dreams were coming true. But as the holiday season approaches, Ophelia can’t help but notice that Dario has begun to brood. He says it has nothing to do with her, but trust, once lost, is hard to regain.
Dario is frustrated by his inability to give Ophelia the life he knows she deserves. Now, as old ghosts from his past draw close, and the bright future he’s promised his wife grows increasingly dim, he’s on the brink of making a last, desperate gamble--one that might destroy everything they've been hoping to achieve.
Happily Ever After in Oberon
Omnibus Three: Books 7 - 9
https://books2read.com/Happily-Ever-After-in-Oberon
Visions Before Midnight
Dream Under the Hill
And Shadows Have Their Ending
Second Chances, Enemies to Lovers, Hurt-Comfort, Holiday Romance, Suspense.
Trigger Warning: These books are somewhat darker than the first six, with teens in peril.
Pale gold color. Nose--key lime and apricot, with hints of guava and pineapple. Very fruit forward--all the same flavors. Medium bodied, slightly sweeter than I expected from a Sauvi-B. It's enjoyable, but not at all what I was expecting. This wine feels very summery. Which fits with this week's re-release of And Shadows Have Their Ending, but is entirely wrong for Christmas week.
I think I was swayed by the name. Gott's Roadside is an institution in Napa--a classic burger joint right on the side of HWY 29. I think I was expecting a drier wine, one that could stand up to burgers and BBQ. This ain't it.
I think, if I were having a salad--mixed spring greens with Chèvre and dried cranberries; or maybe a Cajun fried chicken salad with buttermilk dressing and peppered pecans (I'm looking at you, Gumbo Pot) this would be a good choice. Other than that, I'm drawing a blank. It's nice on its own, however, so maybe that's all I need? Although, now that I'm thinking of it, I could really go for a salad.
Here's an excerpt from And Shadows Have Their Ending. Seth is having a similar problem...well, sort of.
The girls were giggling together like old friends when Seth arrived back at the inn that evening. Surprised and relieved, he followed the sound of their laughter to the lounge and abruptly lost his temper. “Jesus. Cara– Crap. What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded.
There was an open bottle of wine on the coffee table, once again, and each of the girls held a full glass in her hand. “I thought we talked about this last night? I thought you weren’t gonna do this anymore?”
“Oh, just chill!” Cara waved a hand at him dismissively. “What’s one bottle more gonna hurt? Anyway—check it—I figured out what we can do. I’m gonna tell Sinead that I took all the wine out of the cooler in the kitchen ‘cause I wanted to sort it. From light to dark—you know, like they do at the tastings? I’ll tell her I had all the bottles lined up on the floor when you came in with the dogs and startled me. I got up too quick and tripped, ’cause of my bad leg, and four of the bottles got broken.”
“Four?” There’d been two bottles last night, one now...what was he missing? His math skills weren’t that bad. And neither were hers.
“Or, however many,” Cara said with another negligent wave. “I’ll tell her she can take the cost of the wine out of my pay, she’ll probably say no, and that will be that. And, don’t worry, I’ll make sure she knows you didn’t drink any of them. You just have to back me up about the dogs, ’kay?”
“You mean you want me to lie to her?” he demanded, growing angrier by the second.
“Oh, like you weren’t gonna do that already?” Cara was quick to point out. “You were gonna let her think you drank them just to keep me from getting fired. How’s this any different, other than it’s a much better story and no one gets in any trouble?”
“I guess,” he muttered, annoyed with how relieved he felt. It was a better story and he didn’t want to get kicked out so soon. Still, this was an actual lie. It wasn’t just fudging the truth to protect a friend. And it laid the fault on his dogs—who already had enough shit talked about them!
“Do you need help with the cooking?” Deirdre asked, smiling sweetly.
Seth scowled. “No. Why don’t you two just…just set the table or something?”
He’d known too many girls who got turned on and horny after a couple of drinks. If Deirdre turned out to be one of those, he’d lose his mind for sure.
He went back to the kitchen and got rice started in the rice cooker. Then he went out to the terrace to fire up the grill. He’d bought strip steak and chicken tenderloins to go with the vegetables his uncle had given him: Japanese eggplants, zucchini, Portobello mushrooms, Visalia onions, teardrop tomatoes, along with four kinds of pepper and two types of Summer squash. Served with the rice and a Thai peanut dipping sauce that was just spicy enough to be interesting, he figured it would make a simple, festive meal.
When he went back to the kitchen to mix up the sauce he could hear the girls murmuring together in the dining room. He supposed he should be happy that they were getting along so well, but it was hard when he had the nasty suspicion that he was the topic of much of their whispered conversation.
The last two years have not been kind to Seth Cavanaugh. But, he's suffered and grown and he finally feels ready to put his troubled past behind him. So, doesn't it just figure that the girl who caused all the trouble in the first place should pick now to return and cause him even more torment?
Deirdre Delaney Shelton-Cooper has spent the past two years trying to forget the events that marked her first visit to Oberon, but can you ever really forget the memory of your first love, no matter how painful those memories are? It's just her luck the boy she put herself through hell for has turned out to be such a loser.
After a disastrous reunion, they'd both be content to have nothing more to do with each other, if only fate--and one very determined angel--were not conspiring against them.
There are some wounds that time can't heal. There are some dreams that won't come true. But, sometimes, if you're lucky, shadows have their ending. And the love you'd just about given up on returns.
The video, not so much.
The last two years have not been kind to Seth Cavanaugh. But, he's suffered and grown and he finally feels ready to put his troubled past behind him. So, doesn't it just figure that the girl who caused all the trouble in the first place should pick now to return and cause him even more torment?
Deirdre Delaney Shelton-Cooper has spent the past two years trying to forget the events that marked her first visit to Oberon, but can you ever really forget the memory of your first love, no matter how painful those memories are? It's just her luck the boy she put herself through hell for has turned out to be such a loser.
After a disastrous reunion, they'd both be content to have nothing more to do with each other, if only fate--and one very determined angel--were not conspiring against them.
There are some wounds that time can't heal. There are some dreams that won't come true. But, sometimes, if you're lucky, shadows have their ending. And the love you'd just about given up on returns.
In this sequel to the Oberon series, Cara and Liam are still trying to find their footing on the sometimes rocky road to happily ever after...
When the going gets tough...the tough go cruising?
Love is supposed to overcome any obstacles—that’s what Cara always thought. But when love alone is not enough to help her overcome the trauma in her past, she knows it’s time to get creative.
Surely a change of scenery would help. A week at sea—new faces, new places, a fresh start with no expectations—how could that be anything but fun? At least that’s what her boyfriend Liam thinks when he books them on a romantic cruise vacation along the California coast.
Cara’s not so sure. She thinks the trip is likely to be a lot of things—memorable, life altering, a turning point. Fun isn’t one of them.
But, with so much at stake, and a New Year fast approaching, there’s only one thing the two of them can agree on: they’re both willing to try just about anything to make love last.
In this gripping historical novel, set in 1723 England and the colonies, follow the tempestuous journey of a bold and cunning woman who risks everything to save her life.
Disguised as a humble cook, Adriana sneaks aboard a ship and sets her sights on the enigmatic captain, Robert Stuart. A forbidden romance ignites between them in the darkness of the night, but when dawn breaks, her true identity remains a mystery to him. As their worlds collide and secrets unravel, Adriana must navigate the treacherous waters of love, betrayal, and self-discovery.
Will she be able to reveal the truth and win the heart of the man she loves, or will the waves of deceit tear them apart forever? Immerse yourself in a whirlwind of passion, intrigue, and the power of a woman unafraid to seize her own destiny.
'Twas the night before Christmas and Scout Patterson was flying home to Oberon after a business trip to LA. But now, thanks to a chance, mid-air meeting with an angel, she's dreaming of a weird Christmas—one in which she sees what the town would have been like if she had never returned.
All Scout wanted this holiday season was to be home for Christmas. But when your home is in quirky, magical Oberon, California, things are rarely ever that simple!
***This short story takes place immediately before Spicy Nick***
An Oberon Christmas Story
Now only .99! or read for free in KU
https://books2read.com/Only-in-my-dreams
'Twas the night before Christmas and Scout Patterson was flying home to Oberon after a business trip to LA. But now, thanks to a chance, mid-air meeting with an angel, she's dreaming of a weird Christmas—one in which she sees what the town would have been like if she had never returned.
All Scout wanted this holiday season was to be home for Christmas. But when your home is in quirky, magical Oberon, California, things are rarely ever that simple!
***This short story takes place immediately before Spicy Nick***
EXCERPT:
Two days before Christmas…
It’s your typical late December day in the City of Angels where, despite the music blasting from the car’s speakers, it is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The sky is blue, the weather’s mild and the traffic is horrendous. As the musical marathon continues, one classic carol segueing seamlessly into the next, I feel a holiday headache coming on.“Isn’t there any other music we could listen to?” I finally groan.
Larry Mitchell, my agent and friend, shifts his attention away from the traffic clogging the 405 long enough to grin at me from beneath the brim of his seizure-inducing, red and green sequined ball cap, the one with the blinking LED lights that spell out HO-HO-HO! across the front. “C’mon, Scout,” he chides. “Where’s your holiday spirit?”
“What holiday spirit?” I’d like to know. “When have you ever known me to get all holly-jolly just because the calendar’s down to a single page?”
Larry sighs reluctantly. “Never.”
“Exactly.” It’s not that I’m anti-Christmas, but…well, no, actually. I guess I am. And, unlike the grinch, I do know the reason. Everyone’s expectations are too high this time of year. I was just a kid when I realized that “merry” was not a guarantee. It’s a wish, a prayer, and, far too often, a forlorn hope. The last few years have been wonderful, but I know how fast that can change. Christmas is the time of year that really hits home.
“I guess I hoped things would be different,” Larry says. “That moving to Oberon and finding your happily-ever-after would’ve made you…happy?”
“I’m happy!” I quickly protest. I mean, of course, I am. How could I not be? I’m living the dream! But there’s a reason Christmas Future was the spirit Scrooge feared most; happily ever after is a long shot at the best of times. “Look, just because I don’t dress up in silly outfits or sing along with every…” Shit. Too late, I notice the self-conscious look on Larry’s face. Does he think I mean him?
“Is that the time?” I ask in a desperate bid to change the subject. “Your clock didn’t stop, did it?”
“I don’t think so.” Larry casts a worried glance at the display screen, then his face clears. “Although, that would be funny, wouldn’t it?”
“No.” I glance uneasily at the traffic crawling far too slowly toward the airport. It’s two days before Christmas. If I don’t make my flight, there’s no guarantee I can get another. I promised my son that I’d be home in time to trim the tree. I can’t let Cole down. “Unless you think missing my flight would be funny?” It’s a pretty popular trope in those holiday romcoms he’s so addicted to, so maybe he does.
But Larry shakes his head. “No, Scout. It’s funny because it would be like George’s watch, you know?”
“No. Who’s George?”
“George Bailey?”
“Ah, right.” Larry’s obsession with It’s a Wonderful Life is the stuff of legends. The movie forms the centerpiece of all his Christmas parties—like the one I was forced to attend last night. “You realize the most likely reason his watch stopped was that it got wet when he jumped into the river to save Clarence, right?”
“Pffft. That’s just what George wanted to think. It was working fine once Clarence returned him to his own life.”
“Yeah, because it had dried out by then.”
“What about Zuzu’s petals?”
“What about ’em? It’s a movie, Larry. The petals were a plot device—that’s all.”
“It’s a film,” he insists. “A great film. And film is one of the lenses through which we view reality. Every detail is fraught with meaning.”
I’ve heard this before, and I’m not convinced. “The story is ludicrous.” Now, there’s a movie quote, if you like, from The Big Lebowski—a really great film. “Every person in the alternate Bedford Falls was living a sad, miserable existence just because George wasn’t there to prop them up? Who has that kind of power?”
“No man is an island, Scout. Every choice we make affects those around us.”
“Uh-huh. And you don’t find it strange that no one in the entire town could’ve chosen to be happy?”
“Old Man Potter was happy.”
“Yeah, and that’s another thing. Potter steals the deposit and gets away with it because everyone else sacrifices their life savings to make up the difference. They’re covering up a crime!”
“You’re totally missing the point of the story.”
“Am I? What’s the point then—that crime really does pay? I know what my husband—the cop—would have to say about that.”
“And what do you say about it, Princess?”
“The only thing any sensible person can say: Bah humbug.”
Salt Lick is predominantly a barbecue restaurant--it may be my current favorite BBQ stop, now that the one in downtown Kyle is gone. *Waaah!* So, as you might imagine, most of its wines go great with barbecue. I actually reviewed their BBQ White wine last summer. You can find that here, if you're interested.
https://rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com/2024/08/wine-wednesday-salt-lick-bbq-white.html
The two wines could not be more different. While the BBQ White hass a subtle sweetness, this wine is drier and more acidic. In fact, the taste reminds me of the flavor of Lemonade Berry, which I got to sample while volunteering at the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, California. (NOTE: the wine does not taste like lemonade. It has a taste reminiscent of Lemonade Berry tea). You can read more about that, here:
https://naturecollective.org/plant-guide/details/lemonade-berry/
This is a very drinkable wine. I can contest to this as I drank most of the bottle myself. There aren't a lot of other drinkers in the family. And they all live elsewhere, atm. We did not have a smoked turkey, but I think it would have paired particularly well with that. I felt that the taste was a little delicate when paired with roasted chicken, but still enjoyable.
There were notes of apricot, almond, and honey on the nose, as well as a faint hint of lemon chiffon--again with the almost lemon notes! The flavor is very bright and crisp. I tasted notes of oak and some decent minerality along with the cranberry-lemonade berry flavors noted above.
Only 99 cents for the holiday season!
It’s beginning to look a lot like NIX-mas!
Nick Greco is getting worried. His wife has never been a big fan of the holiday season, but this year she seems more distant than ever before. In fact, the last time that he can remember seeing her this distracted was right before their wedding—when she tried to back out of marrying him.
Can you get cold feet after the fact? Is Scout feeling overwhelmed by the holidays? Or underwhelmed by…gulp…him?
Whatever the cause, Nick has a plan. He’s going to spice up their marriage and put the heat back in the holidays. And when he’s done, Scout won’t be saying, “Bah Humbug!” She’ll be saying, “ho, ho…OH!”
