P.G. Forte's Blog, page 21

Musical Monday: So High Above Me Tal Bachman

 

This has been one of those weird time periods where I'm working on several different books at once but, oddly enough, this song works for all of them.
It's one of those songs I listened to a lot while I was originally writing the Oberon series and (in some ways) it always fit Brandon's relationship with Jasmine very well. I'm also writing a follow up story to the LA Love Lessons story, Love, from A to Z and it fits Zach's feelings for April, as well.  

Now available for pre-order:The Spirit of the PlaceOberon Book 6.0
 

'Tis the season to be jolly, but Jasmine Quinn is far from happy about her mother's  latest folly: her upcoming wedding to former Wall Street financier, Sam Sterling.  Jasmine doesn't like her future stepfather, or his values.  Anybody with as much money as Sam, should be spreading it around, aiding worthy causes, making it count for something.  Instead, he seems intent on using his wealth to embarrass her mother by throwing a ridiculously lavish wedding.  But there's one thing about Sam that Jasmine can't help but admire, no matter how much she'd like to--the graduate student he's hired as an intern.

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 Brandon Ablemarle is also finding it hard to get into the holiday spirit.  Especially since his dream job has just become a nightmare, thanks in part to the fiery redhead with some of the goofiest ideas he's ever heard of.  But what else can you expect from the daughter of a self-proclaimed psychic?   Marsha Quinn has a lot to answer for.  Not only has she encouraged her daughter's esoteric craziness, she's also turned one of the most brilliant stock analysts Wall Street had ever seen into a nutcase as well.  One who actually appears to believe that the answers to the stock market can be found in the stars!

 

 It's a clash of ideologies when Jasmine and Brandon get together.  Can the spirit of the season, and the spirit of the place help them to see beyond their differences?

Wine Wednesday: Salt Lick BBQ White

 This wine has a lovely color. Light gold with a little tinge of green. Which goes with the honey dew melon and orange blossom nose. It doesn't taste as sweet as it smells, but it's still a little sweeter than what I'm used to. A little off-dry, perhaps?  The tasting notes that I've read claim it would pair well with a turkey plate, chicken, etc. But I assume it's called BBQ White for a reason, and if they're talking about Texas BBQ turkey, then I'd say hell no. Texas-style BBQ turkey is amazing, but it needs a nice, robust, DRY wine. I'm not actually sure what I'd pair this with. It's a pleasant drinking wine, but hmm. What would I eat with this. Actually, it's hatch chile season, at the moment, and I could see this pairing well with a hatch chili-lime pound cake. In fact, I have one on hand and that's what I'm drinking it with now. 
I mean, don't get me wrong, this is not a dessert wine. I think it would probably be great for a picnic. It might be brilliant with a chicken salad sandwich, or maybe some bean salad, macaroni salad, something along those lines. Or maybe brunch. 
Basically, you could drink this with anything that you would otherwise pair with a not-overly-dry-rosé. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Summer-themed Flash Fiction ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked to, "write a piece of flash fiction using the key words: lemonade, swimsuit, hammock."
I have a love/hate relationship with Flash Fiction. Writing short is NOT my strength. Add to that the fact that I always want to make everything short into something long and everything long into something longer... Well. Let's just say it's somewhat problematic.
Here's the funny part. I'm the one who suggested this topic. Shoot me now.
Anyway...here's a little thing I'm calling Summer Daze. It may or may not end up in one of two stories I'm working on for next year. Enjoy.

There are bees foraging among my grandmother’s rose bushes. I can hear the drone from where I am lying, stretched out in the hammock that has hung between these trees for as long as I’ve been alive. Longer, probably. Although I’m sure it’s not the same one.  It’s a little embarrassing that I can’t recall with any accuracy what the original (if it even was original) one looked like. When I was a teenager, I wouldn’t have been relaxing in the shade. I’d be toasting in the sun—or attempting to. Lying on a towel in my swimsuit, working on my tan, or trying to sun-bleach my hair with lemon juice. 

 

Given my Italian heritage, the hair lightening was a clear and obvious L. Unfortunately, so was the tanning. Also working against me was the fact that Nonna wasn’t a fan of me lying around in a state of undress when there were workers in the nearby fields. So, it’s not like I ever managed to give it a fair try. 

 

Ironically, Nonna did have a small point. I’m sure I’d have freaked tf out if I had attracted unwanted attention for real, but the idea of a sexy someone showing up unexpectedly and surprising me there was a persistent fantasy. 

 

The idea makes me hot even now…make that especially now that I can put a specific face to the fantasy. And I reach a hand down and search blindly for the bottle of Fentiman’s sparking Rose Lemonade that I’d brought out of the house with me.

 

I uncap the bottle and take a long, satisfying sip and then return it to the grass. The result of all these maneuvers is to set the hammock swinging gently. I sigh happily, wriggling a little to get even more comfortable, and am just contemplating whether or not to take a short nap when the sound of someone’s clearing their throat startles me.

 

I jump a little in surprise. Opening my eyes I find Colton standing at the edge of the drive. The heat in his gaze makes me wish I was wearing my swimsuit now—or even less. A sheer and filmy robe perhaps? Makes me yearn to invite him to share my hammock…even though I’m not convinced it would support both our weight.

 

“Hey,” I say, smiling at him. “What are you doing here?” 

 

But I know the answer to that, don’t I? The fact that he’s wearing his uniform, and a sheepish expression lets me know that this is an official visit. He’s here in his guise of Deputy Romero. Which can only mean one thing.

 

“Oh, you’re kidding,” I say as I swing my feet to the ground and sit up. “What obscure and ridiculous law have I run afoul of this time?”

Now, hop on over to Jill Haymaker's page  to read her flash fiction. And don't forget to check out her book, Return to Pine Meadows . 



Return to Pine Meadows
Pre-order your copy now. Release is just two weeks away.. A heartfelt romance about coming home, family, and an enemy who may just become so much more. Sometimes the last place you want to be, is where you belong.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBRJVBPC 





The Children of Night seriesPart One

Night has fallen. The Vampires are waking up. Welcome to the world of the Fischer-Quintano vampires–darkly delicious tales of undying love and vampire family values.

 https://books.bookfunnel.com/bookswithbite1/kb6qfgtd39 

Musical Monday: No Time by the Guess Who

Many, many, many, many years ago when I was finally old enough to buy my own record albums (but still as indecisive as I am today) I bought two albums for my "first ever" record album. One was by Three Dog Night and the other was by The Guess Who and contained the song, No Time.
 

So...why am I posting this now? Simple. As I was writing last week's newsletter,  and discussing the change of seasons and the fact that I wass having trouble finding time to do all the things I have to do, the line "seasons change and so do I" popped into my head. Upon reflection, there are many other lines from the lyrics to this song that were also apropos.  
Sometimes it's as simple as that. Now, back to crafting Flash Fiction...

Wine Wednesday: Daou "The Pessimist"

 As I'm sure I mentioned I lived in Paso Robles for a time and am currently a member of a couple of Facebook groups that focus on PR and the wine industry there. So I've been hearing a lot about Daou in recent years. I was never there (or rather, it wasn't there when I was!) but I've been curious about their wine.

So when I saw one listed on a menu recently, I had to try it. And it did not disappoint.The color is a dark, inky red--NOT purplish. It's mostly Petit Sirah, which I'm not all that familiar with, with a small amount of Zinfandel, which of course I love. Paso Robles Zinfandel is instant nostalgia for me. 
The nose has a lot of elusive notes--wild fennel, dried blueberry, something creamy...almost caramel-like, but without the buttery aspect.  It's smooth and while the tannins are obvious in the pronounced legs, but I don't taste the really BIG tannins that a PR Zinfandel can exhibit. 
When you taste it, you know right away that while it may look (and maybe even smell) like a cabernet, it doesn't taste like one. Here too, the flavor is elusive. You hear wine people talk about wine having layers, this is a wine that helps you understand what that word means. There's a juicy flavor that's hard to pin down. Maybe black cherry mixed with something more tart--pomegranate, or even cranberry. But I also taste lavender and maybe a tiny acerbic note of tobacco. That creamy scent is even harder to pin down in the taste. 
I can definitely understand the hype about this winery and I'm more anxious than ever to go there. I'm not sure what I'd pair this wine with ideally. Something simple and earthy--olives, cheese, good bread. I had it with a Bolognese pasta dish, and it was fine, but I don't think that pairing enhanced either one. 

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?"
That's a really good question! There are a lot of tropes I like--some that I like to read, some that I like to write, some that I like for both. Second Chance Romance is probably one of my favorites. But Friends to Lovers and Opposites Attract are two more that I really enjoy. I'm not sure what the official name is for stories where one of the main characters is under cover or lying about their true identity, but that's one I keep returning to. Also, Amnesia is a trope that I always hated--until I wrote one, and then another! It's so fun to write!
My upcoming re-release, The Spirit of the Place, is an Opposites Attract story. It's also a Christmas story--which is another of my absolute favorite tropes (if it can be considered a trope--I think it can) and a re-telling of a Christmas classic. In this case, one of my secondary characters is visited by three ghosts. 
Now, hop on over to Jill Haymaker's page and learn what tropes she likes. And don't forget to check out her book, Return to Pine Meadows . 

Pre-order now :) Book 5 in my Montana Pines Series, Return to Pine Meadows, is available for pre-order, release date August 28th. 

 

When Kara’s dad is no longer able to run their Montana ranch, Kara is forced to come home. The last person she wants to ask for help is Hawk Mitchell, her arrogant neighbor who tormented her in high school. Yet here she is. The more she gets to know him, the more she believes he may have changed, and she can’t fight the attraction that sizzles between them. Can her past become her future?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DBRJVBPC 





The Spirit of the PlaceOberon, Book 6.0

It's a clash of ideologies when Jasmine and Brandon get together.  Can the spirit of the season, and the spirit of the place help them to see beyond their differences?

Now Available for Pre-Order.

https://books2read.com/SpiritPlace

Musical Monday: Life Got in the Way by Sister Hazel

So this is a song that I listened to a lot while I wrote the later books in the Oberon series.  I'm working on annotating those books this year, so I've been listening to a lot of the songs I listened to then. 
But that's only one of the reasons I picked this song for this week, because one of the things that I've been focused on this past week, is my having had to drop out of one of the anthologies I'd been signed up for. Life got in the way and I couldn't finish the book in the way I wanted to. 
 

But, C'est La Vie! I'm sure it won't be the last time that happens. 

Wine Wednesday: Pedernales Cellar Viognier

 Today's wine is another Texas Viognier. This one's from Pedernales Cellar out of Stonewall, which is just outside Fredericksburg. It's on my list of wineries to visit when I'm out there next...without my grandson. Because wine tasting and six year olds don't exactly mesh all that well.

I've talked about how much I like Viognier, so we can skip that for now.
This is a very nice, very classic viognier. It's a light gold with a floral nose and a pronounced apricot aroma. It tastes of peaches and other stone fruits (which, as always, reminds me of Touch of a Vanished Hand) as well as candied pineapple. The tasting notes on the site suggest pairing this wine with pesto or Thai food, both favorites of mine, so...yeah. I can see that. Or a nice fruit tart. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Sub-genres ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "What sub-genres have you written in? Any particular challenges?"
As far as the first part...what sub-genres haven't I written in? I've written Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance, Historical Fantasy Romance, Steampunk Romance, Steampunk-adjacent, Alternate History Romance, Sci-Fi Futuristic Romance, Romantic Comedy, Small-Town Romance, Urban Fantasy Romance, Urban Fantasy-slash-Paranormal fiction that's (strictly speaking) NOT romance, although my publishers seem slow to get that message, Romantic Parodies, Vampire Romance, Shifter Romance, Angel Romance, Sapphic Sword and Sorcery Romance and also F/F, M/M and M/M/F...although, strictly speaking, those aren't actually sub-genres...and everything from NA to Seasoned Romance. And challenging? Oh, honey. It's all challenges.
Seriously though, the biggest problem I have is branding myself--due to all the aforementioned sub-genres. But hey, it keeps life interesting.

Now, hop on over to Brenda Margriet's page  and learn what sub-genres she writes in. And don't forget to check out her book, When Time Falls Still

Justice Cooper abandoned his professional hockey career to put family first. Now divorced with a young son, he has no time to indulge the chemistry sparking with a brainy and beautiful academic. Especially with a vicious stalker wreaking havoc on his campus.

Professor Charlotte Girardet is focused on one thing—earning tenure at a prestigious university. She’ll do anything to keep her career on track, which includes ignoring her unwanted attraction to the rough and rugged security guard who insists on protecting her.

Struggling to balance her ambitions and a growing passion, Charlotte trusts Justice with her deepest secret, and discovers she’s not the only one haunted by the past. But their uncertain future becomes even more precarious when the assailant strikes much too close to home.

https://books2read.com/WhenTimeFallsStill




Books with BiteGot Vampires?

If you like vampires, this is the promo for you!

All the books in this promo  feature vampires either as one (or more) of the main characters (ie hero, heroine or villain). Includes fantasy, horror and romance.

https://books.bookfunnel.com/bookswithbite1/kb6qfgtd39

Musical Monday: Christmas You and Me ~ Brian McKnight

 

This is a new-to-me song that I discovered while writing Last Room at the Inn (releasing later this year). It's a sequel (of sorts) to the LA Love Lessons story, Love, From A to Z. And it really fits the feel of the story. Other than the fact that there's no snow. lol 
This is also the latest in my Ugly Christmas Sweater series. Which has just been so much fun to write!

Last Room at the Inn

An LA Love Lessons/Ugly Christmas Sweater Story

All April and Zach had planned for Christmas was a quiet getaway...but even the best plans can go awry. Especially at Christmas time.

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This Ugly Christmas Sweater short story features the characters April and Zach from Love from A to Z (LA Love Lessons, book 2).

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Scheduled for release October 22, 2024, as part of the Let's Get Naughty 3 anthology.

Available for pre-order now: https://books2read.com/letsgetnaughty3