P.G. Forte's Blog, page 12

Musical Monday: Why Can't I? by Liz Phair

Here's an oldie but goodie. I listened to this song a lot while I was writing Waiting for the Big One (many, many years ago!) But it also totally fits the characters in my soon-to-be-revealed secret project novel. 
 

Wine Wednesday: Southold Farm & Cellar White Blend 'Don't Forget to Soar'

 So, I'm writing a book set in Wine Country in which one of my characters is bemoaning the fact that most wines don't have catchy names. What she actually says is this: 
       “I swear, beers, boats, and racehorses have the best names,” she observes. 
       “Not wines?”

“Sadly, no. I mean, there are a few that do; but it’s not common. I wish more wineries would get behind the cutesy, clever names. But I guess it’s just not part of the winemaking culture.”

So, of course, lo and behold! Today's wine has a cutsy name! In fact it's very racehorse-esque. And, surprisingly, I went out to lunch at a local (local-ish, anyway) Farm to Table restaurant that had many amusingly named wines.  

So maybe the culture is changing. Or maybe it's just wines in Texas that are starting to have more cute and catchy names. 

But to continue...

This wine is made from a blend of Roussanne and Grüner Veltliner grapes. It's fermented in concrete and blended in stainless steel. I think that might be why the flavors were as subtle as they were and why the minerality was enhanced.

The wine is a light gold color. The nose had notes of pear, starfruit, honey and meringue. The taste was a little off-dry, with hints of citrus and salinity. The finish was a bit acidic with notes of grapefruit rind. 

I drank this with a meal of lettuce wraps and salad (so. much. lettuce.) and I think it was really the perfect choice.  

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Book Boyfriends ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "Name a book boyfriend you wish you'd created."

Can I be honest? I can't really answer this question. Writing has ruined me for reading in a lot of ways, and this is definitely one of them. One of the main reasons I write at all is because I want to create my own characters. I haven't fallen in love with anyone else's characters for a very long time. 
That having been said, when I was just starting out--in the mid-to-late nineties, there were a few authors whose characters inspired me to create my own. Jennifer Crusie, Jayne Ann Krenz, Elizabeth Peters to name just a few. 
Now, hop on over to Leslie' Hachtel's page  to learn what book boyfriend she wishes she'd created. And don't forget to check out her book, Follow Me .

Harper Forbes embarks on a journey of a lifetime as she follows her friend to Scotland, only to discover that she, too, has been mysteriously transported back in time to the 1500s. In this unfamiliar and perilous world, Harper must navigate through dangers and challenges she never could have imagined. But amidst the chaos and uncertainty, she finds not only her friend but also a love that transcends time itself. What will fate have in store for her? Join Harper on an unforgettable adventure filled with romance, danger, and the timeless power of true love.

https://shorturl.at/DnYjN

Fall Giada Mazzi is Living her Best LifeA Games We Play/Whole Latte Love Story

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?​
https://books2read.com/GiadaMazzi

Musical Monday: You're Drunk Go Home (Kelsea Ballerini, Kelly Clarkson & Carly Pearce)

 

Have I mentioned that I'm writing a book that's based in Napa and centered around a winery? Well, I am. It's still something of a secret project, at the moment, but it has a playlist, and this song is on it. It's a cute song and a cute book (I hope).

This song is also on the playlist for FALL FOR YOU, which came out last month. 

Fall For You: Texas HeatHeartwood, Texas: Book One
Available for pre-order now:  FallForYou ​

Jocelyn Barnes couldn’t wait to leave Heartwood in her rearview mirror—even if it meant breaking two hearts in the process. Now, with her career on hiatus and her great-aunt in need of help as she recovers from concussion, Jo finds herself right back where she started, older but not much wiser, and about to make all the same mistakes all over again.

 

 Carter Donahue doesn’t believe in looking back. As the chef/manager of his family’s new farm-to-table restaurant, he’s got his hands full. With a goal of turning his legacy into a must-see, Hill Country destination, his focus is on the future. The past? He’d rather that stayed buried. The last thing he needs (or wants) is to dig up those old feelings or fall back in love with his ex—especially when she’s already got one foot out the door. Again.

​

Releasing January 30, 2025

Wine Wednesday Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay

 This was a lovely wine. Pale gold color, very bright nose. I smelled lemon merengue and almond blossoms with hints of candied apricots--all of which sounds very sweet. Obviously, the wine was not sweet, but the flavor was true to the scent all the same. There was a bright citrusy taste to it--very Meyer's Lemon-esque--along with dried apricot and just the faintest hint of bitter almond. 

I drank this with a meal of Clams Oreganata and Pasta al Limone, and it was pretty much perfect, IMO. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Tropes ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "Do you have any favorite or least favorite tropes?"

This is a question that I think we get asked a lot, in some form or another. I'm always reluctant to list my least favorite tropes because my muse is a wee bit contrary. As soon as I put it out there that I dislike a particular trope, or would never write a book like that, my muse gets to work creating an idea for JUST THAT TYPE OF STORY.
However, I do think I'm safe in saying I'll never write a dark mafia romance book, because my family is Sicilian, I grew up (in New Jersey--yes, right in the heart of The Sopranos' territory) hearing the horror stories. There's nothing romantic about that to me. 
But I digress. 
Among the tropes that I never thought I'd write--until I did--were amnesia and secret babies. 
My favorite tropes continue to be second-chance romance, snowed in, mistaken identity--boy do I overuse that one!--friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, and hurt-comfort.  These also tend to be the books I most enjoy reading...along with low-stakes, cozy mysteries. 
Still haven't managed to write a low-stakes, cozy mystery, but I keep trying. Oh! And time-travel. I'd love to write some time-travel stories. I have ideas, but the actual logistics are daunting.  
Now, hop on over to Brenda Margriet's page  to learn what tropes are her favorite/least favorite. And don't forget to check out her book, Richly Deserved .

To these two skeptics, true love is as phony as fool’s gold. But this improbable search for buried treasure could lead to their hearts’ hidden desires.

More than twenty years ago, Claudia Aronson escaped an abusive marriage. She built a secure, stable life, and is now only weeks away from realizing a long-held dream—opening her own art gallery. But her well-ordered world is threatened by the compelling, abrasive man essential to bringing her new venture into the spotlight.

Artist Titus Wilcox is reclusive, nomadic, and passionate. His solitary, drifting habits have fed his creative soul, but played hell with his love life. Soon after he meets the statuesque, seemingly-serene Claudia, however, he feels a compulsion to paint a new reality—with her.

When an antique painting reveals mysterious documents concealed behind its frame, Titus and Claudia unite in a hunt for lost riches—a pursuit that takes them into the remote hills surrounding the fabled gold rush town of Barkerville.

https://books2read.com/RichlyDeserved

Fall Giada Mazzi is Living her Best LifeA Games We Play/Whole Latte Love Story

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?​
https://books2read.com/GiadaMazzi

Musical Monday: Chasing Stars (Alesso, Marshmello, James Bay)

So this song is one of many (many, many) on the Whole Latte Love playlist. Book two in that collection, Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life came out last week. It was unexpected. I moved the release date up because life is very uncertain right now, and I didn't want to run the risk of not being able to release this book. 
Anyway, I really love this song and the first verse in particular totally fits the characters. 
 

Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life A Games We Play/Whole Latte Love Story

 

https://books2read.com/GiadaMazzi

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 that 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 it…how could I not choose me?

New from PG Forte: Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life

https://books2read.com/GiadaMazzi

Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life

A Games We Play/Whole Latte Love Story

 

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 that 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 it…how could I not choose me?

Wine Wednesday: Grape Creek Vineyards 2021 Bellissimo Texas Super Tuscan

 

So, I'm not extremely familiar with Super Tuscans. As I understand it, they're sort of like the Italian version of a Meritage. Super Tuscans are primarily made with Sangiovese grapes (basically the grapes that make Chianti) mixed with other grapes, typically Italian grapes. In the case of this wine, however, the grapes used are a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Merlot & Petit Verdot. 

The wine is a lovely garnet color, medium bodied, with a lot of cedar-y, toasted oak notes on the nose along with hints of vanilla. The flavor is pure Texas cookout (after dark, on the banks of a lazy river, with a bonfire burning). I taste smoke and leather, fresh basil and lemonade. There are hints of dark fruit, as well, but I can't quite identify what kind. Something juicy but not sweet. 

Maybe it's the Sangiovese talking to me, but I think I'd enjoy this wine with wood oven pizza or a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. 

Musical Monday: I wanna Be Sedated (The Ramones)

 Some days, there's nothing else to say.