P.G. Forte's Blog, page 23

Newest Release! Touch of a Vanished Hand (PNR Romantic Suspense)

Touch of a Vanished Hand
Oberon Book 5.0PG ForteParanormal Romantic Suspensehttps://books2read.com/TouchHand
​ 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.

Wine Wednesday DaLuca Prosecco Rosé

So I was on vacation last week, and it was my anniversary, and when I checked in there was a bottle of DaLuca Prosecco Rosé waiting for me. 
I thought this was cool for several reasons, not the least of which was that the last book I worked on was all about the DiLuca family. But I guess I should be used to those weird synchronicities.
Rosé is something of an odd wine category and opening a bottle of rosé that you know nothing about is kind of a crap shoot. It could be amazing, the kind of wine that'll make your summer. Or it could be completely forgettable. 

This wine was pretty good. It smells like a summer fair--like raspberry cotton candy, dried straw, slightly herbaceous.  It's a very pale blush color, and is very slightly sweet. Very fruit forward. I taste strawberries...maybe freeze dried strawberries? Maybe strawberry leather, slightly jammy. It's very lightly carbonated. I think it would be good for a picnic, or to drink on the porch, or a boat on the lake. 

It feels like it would be a very versatile wine. I'd pair it with light cheeses, or a summery pasta dish--maybe Pasta al Limone, or Fettuccini Alfredo, or Cacio e Pepe. Maybe a very mild fish dish, lobster, or an omelette? Possibly a desert like strawberry shortcake, coconut cake, or creme brûlée

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Day Jobs ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "Do you write full time? If not, what is your day job?
Well, yes, writing does take up most of my time. And a lot of what's left over is taken up with helping to care for my grandson. I'm not sure anything I do qualifies as a day job, however. I haven't had one of those in a while. 
I've done a lot of different things over the course of my life, but I think my favorite was working in a kennel. Hard work, obscenely early start to the day, but I spent the whole time interacting with dogs and cats. It was a crazy time. I was driving my dream car, living in my dream house, working for minimum wage shoveling poop and  cleaning up messes. And staying up late every night writing. I don't think I've ever been happier. 
Of course, I was a lot younger then. It would probably kill me if I tried that now. 
But I have four books releasing (or re-releasing) this year that rely heavily on the experiences I had during that time of my life and  which feature dogs, dogs, dogs, and two very unusual cats. (side note: Yes, yes, I know. All cats are unusual).
Now, hop on over to   Jill Haymaker's page , And find out about her day job (or lack thereof). And don't forget to check out her book Colorado Summer Stars ! 

Colorado Summer Stars 

Ready for some summer romantic suspense? 

When Nicole’s life in San Francisco turns violent, she has nowhere to run except to her small hometown of Peakview, Colorado.Who knew that the nerdy kid she made fun of in high school would turn out to be so attractive? 

When the danger she left behind finds her, can he save her in time and win her heart as well?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TF1WZQ






Are you ready to get Snowed In? 
All-new Snowed-In Romances are coming your way! Filled with the heat you crave and all the forced proximity you can stand! Available for pre-order now, releasing in November and December: 

https://books.bookfunnel.com/SnowedInPreOrder/wakg3iz2jv

Musical Monday: Cuff It ~Beyoncé

 

I don't really listen to a lot ofBeyoncé's music but this song has been on my radar for the past several weeks, thanks to the several different videos of the Bridgerton cast taking the Cuff It challenge. 

Now, it's stuck in my head and I might never get it out. BUT I'm also in the process of writing a new book and there's a very sexy scene between two teens (they're both seventeen, so don't come at me) one of whom is dancing by herself. This was the perfect song to write that scene to. Because it's just after graduation, and they're both at loose ends, not sure what to do with their lives, and very much "in the mood to fuck something up."

So there you have it. The book is tentatively scheduled for next year and we're keeping most of the details secret for now. But one thing I can tell you is that it's shaping up to be the hottest book I've written in a while. 

Now, if I could only settle on the hero's name. I've been going back and forth between two different names for months and it's driving me crazy! 

Wine Wednesday: Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This is a nice wine. But, let's face it, the main reason I'm drinking a Cab from  Oberon Wines because of the name. Just like I get most of my leather goods and pewter jewelry from Oberon Designs (also in California). And right now, while I'm re-immersing myself in Oberon (my Oberon, that is) and even more specifically, while I'm in the midst of annotating book five--the wine book--seemed like a good time to open another bottle. 

Arguably Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite red wine. I mean, there are a few caveats. Paso Robles Zinfandels are impossible to beat, and here in Texas I'll generally pick a Tempranillo where one's available. I also have a sentimental attachment to Chianti, since that's the wine my parents drank. (Those straw-wrapped bottles of Chianti were a fixture on the dinner table every night.)

But overall, cabs are reliably drinkable.They're my go-to red wine, which is why I've reviewed so many of them. This wine is no exception. It's a very classic iteration. 

Black cherry and dried cassis are the primary scents, along with a whiff of cedar and something a little earthy, maybe leather? All in all, it smells like a private library--of wood and beeswax and old, leather bound books, with  maybe a touch of cherry-flavored pipe tobacco. It has a dark purple color, typically opaque and nothing to speak of in terms of legs. The taste is straightforward--dry, toasted oak, dark berries, a hint of spice. Good. Drinkable. Not surprising. I would definitely pair this with a steak, maybe with baked potatoes and roasted asparagus. I also think this seems like it would be a good wine to poach pears in. Random, I know. But there you have it.

I was actually thinking of making Sangria earlier today, but I don't think I'd waste this wine on that. It's a little too good for that. I would, on the other hand, wear a perfume that smells like this wine. 

And now, here's a vaguely wine-centric excerpt from Touch of a Vanished Hand:

Adam took a small sip of wine into his mouth, rolling the liquid around on his tongue as he studied its flavor.  It was still young, its tannins untamed, but the complexity was there; an exciting potential that was sure to improve with age.  “Yes,” he said, nodding slightly as he met Carlo’s eye.  “Yes.  Very good.”

The winemaker shrugged, his face impassive.  Adam sighed.  He could never tell what Carlo was thinking.  Had he just insulted the man?  Had it sounded as if he thought he was telling him something that he didn’t already know?  Or had he come across as an idiot--just stating what anyone could tell was obvious?  It was probably too much to hope that Carlo would take his words as a compliment, a testament to his skill as a winemaker.

A relic from his grandfather’s reign, Carlo Deguzman was generally grim faced and taciturn, and Adam was never quite sure where his true loyalty might lie.  He was certainly obsequious enough, at least when the occasion demanded it.  But there was something about his manner that made Adam uncomfortable.  On the other hand, he was a damn fine winemaker and Adam, still relatively new to the craft, was determined to make use of his expertise.  He needed people like Carlo if he were ever to make Lupa e Cervo a success.

He took another sip from his glass.  Like the wine itself, this place had potential.  He could sense it.  He was taking an enormous chance on this gamble, but the risks he was taking were outweighed by the possible rewards.  Or so he’d always believed.

Carlo cleared his throat, his eyes shifting toward the door, and Adam turned to follow his gaze.  

“Scout.”  Adam stared at his stepsister in chagrin.  Shit.  She’s not supposed to be here.  His glance shifted to her companion and he felt suddenly lightheaded--as though he’d had much more than two sips of immature wine.  “And…Ms. Quinn.  What are, ah...what a pleasant surprise.”  

What are you two doing here?  he’d nearly demanded, barely catching himself in time.  He thrust the glass he’d been holding into Carlo’s hand, and hurried towards the women; trying to keep his face and his movements calm and nonchalant, racking his brain for something intelligent to say.

He felt his anxiety recede the closer he got to them.  He kissed Scout’s cheek, and then allowed himself the luxury of transferring his glance to Sinead.  For just an instant, he thought he saw uncertainty in her gaze, but he blinked and it was gone again.  The smile she gave him was cool, professional--it steadied him somehow.  He smiled back, reaching out to take her hand, and then frowning as he realized she was already holding something.  “What’s that you’ve got there?” he asked.

“A lemon.  Here.”  Her laugh was like a cascade of tiny bells.  She pressed the fruit into his hand.  “It’s one of yours, I’m afraid.  I stole it on my way in.”

“A Lemon?”  Stolen?  Not hardly.  She could have all the lemons she wanted.  He’d give her the whole tree if--

“Mm.  From the tree by the stairs?”

Oh.  Okay, well, maybe not that tree.  Adam sniffed at the lemon, and was instantly transported back to his childhood.  How often had he climbed up into that very tree, to sit hidden among the branches and pretend he was a bird?  

No, not to pretend, but to dream of being a bird, so that he could fly away from this place.  To wish and to hope and to pray that it might be so.  To close his eyes and concentrate until he thought he almost could.  Until the whole world would drop away, and he would no longer hear the rustle of glossy, dry leaves touched by the breeze.  Or the hum of bees as they foraged among the sweet scented flowers.  Or feel the small procession of ants, back and forth across his hand.  Another moment, maybe two, and he could let go of the branch he was sitting on, and just… fall into the sky.  

But someone would always find him before then, and drag him back to earth.  And his grandfather would beat him for his trouble. 

Adam opened his eyes.  “Here, keep it,” he said, dropping the lemon back into Sinead’s hand.

Touch of a Vanished Hand

Oberon Book 5.0

 

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.

https://www.pgforte.com/

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Inspiration ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "What inspired your most recent book?"
See, that's a tricky question. My most recent release was A Taste of Honey, but I wrote that a long time ago. I remember what inspired the Oberon series as a whole--it was the first line of Book One, "Scout Patterson had been running away from home for twenty years." which popped into my head one Sunday afternoon. But A Taste of Honey? I'm not really sure.
I mean...I'd decided I wanted each title to mention one of the five senses--and then I went on from there. So, there was that. 
I knew I had to have the hero do something terrible enough that the heroine would need time away from him to come to terms with it...but not so terrible that it couldn't be forgiven. Lucy couldn't have forgiven Dan's cheating on her while they were together, and there's no way that I could have made Dan cheat on her anyway. Really, those are the two most stubborn, willful characters I've ever written. I couldn't make them do ANYTHING they didn't want to do, including wait their turn. I had to write their book out of order because they wouldn't let me do anything else. But I guess that's more explanation than inspiration. 
I based Lucy's honey business after Marshall's Farm in American Canyon, CA. And I based the beach hangout on a combination of places, including the beach behind Sea Breeze Market and Deli in Berkeley, AND the Marin Headlands Recreation Area . The cabin in the woods is based on one that used to house a Bird Rescue in Berkeley's Aquatic Park , but I think that's gone now.
Anyway, that's about it.
Now, hop on over to Brenda Margriet's page   to learn what inspired her most recent book. And don't forget to check out the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series

Start the Silverberry Seduction Seasoned Romance Series for free!

Two long-time friends…one impulsive seduction…zero percent chance their lives will ever be the same again.

The peace Helen Mansfield struggled to achieve after the death of her husband is threatened when she discovers a lump in her breast. Determined to keep the alarming news to herself until the biopsy results are revealed, she sets out to wring every drop of delight from her days.

Nathan Spieth stood by his wife while she fought and ultimately lost her battle with cancer. Since then, he's devoted his energy to rebuilding the career that he neglected during her final years, and all his hard work is about to pay off.

​As neighbours and friends, Helen and Nathan's lives have been woven together for more than twenty years. One impetuous, impassioned night might destroy everything they share—or prove to this fiercely independent woman and determinedly solitary man that love is always worth the risk.

(Helen and Nathan both 55)

https://books2read.com/SecretsUndertheCovers

Oberon Book 1:Scent of the Roses
For years, Scout Patterson has tried to run from the mistakes in her past.  Now, she's coming home—to face the ghosts she's never laid to rest, and the love she thought she'd lost forever.  Reawakening that love would be a dream come true.  Unfortunately, love is not the only emotion that can last forever. 

​

Memories and dreams are the only things that have gotten Nick Greco through the past twenty years.  Memories of the girl he loved and lost, and dreams of what his life would be like, if he could only find her again.   And if he can bring himself to believe that anything she tells him is true.

Can the star-crossed lovers put aside the hurt and distrust they still harbor toward each other? Or will the evil which already nearly destroyed them once, triumph yet again?

https://books2read.com/ScentRoses

Musical Monday: San Francisco Vanessa Carlton

 So, over on my Oberon Blog today , I got to talking about Florida. I ended up posting a music video of a song I listened to a lot while I was getting ready to move to Florida (and while I was living there) and I mentioned that when I left California to move there I cried when I crossed the state line out of California. 
I also cried when I moved back. We drove cross country--one van with the four of us, two cats and a dog when we moved to Florida,TWO cars (and a trailer) on the way back. I drove the jeep with my daughter and the two cats, pulling the trailer. My husband, son and our dog were in the SAAB.  The entire reason for that was that I didn't trust them not to let the cats out--accidentally, obviously, but still. The jeep didn't have enough power to pull the trailer AND run the AC at the same time. At least not when we were going uphill. Fun fact: driving East to West across North America seems to be uphill nearly all the way. At least until you get to the Continental Divide. 
Anyway...this was back when you could burn CDs and play them in your car's stereo. I'd put together a road trip CD for the drive. This was the song I put on just before we crossed back into California.** And yes, I cried then, too. 

**The video is almost completely unrelated to this story. It was the only "live" action video I could find for this song. And what's the point of a video, if all you're seeing is a single, static picture? OTOH, my daughter and I used to watch Charmed when it was on (well, I stopped after they killed off Prue because the plot line just got too stupid, after that point).  

Wine Wednesday: La Crema Pinot Noir

 

Today's wine is La Crema Pinot Noir, which is a wine I'd heard a lot about and tried several times to order without success. I did finally get a chance to try it, and here are my thoughts on it.

First of all, I ordered it at a steak restaurant and had very little expectation of anything due to the fact that when I asked our server what wines they had she told me, "We have red and white." Yeah, not quite what I meant. 

For the record, while I don't consider myself a wine snob, I can kind of see why some people might think otherwise. 

Eventually, I was able to get a partial list of wines and ordered the La Crema. The color is garnet. The wine had good legs. There was a lot of dark fruit on the nose. It's a dry wine with soft tannins and a slight oakiness--this is a textbook Pinot Noir. The predominant flavor notes are raspberry and something herbacious...rosemary, perhaps?

Very drinkable and, if you enjoy Pinot Noir, give it a try. I suffer from Reverse Sideways-effect Syndrome, meaning I have a chip on my shoulder when it comes to Pinot and tend to avoid it. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~It's Summer! ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "It's Summer. What are your plans?"
Well, as luck would have it, I'm currently on the first of several short, summer trips. We're currently in the Bahamas. Later this summer, we have trips to South Padre and Fredericksburg planned. 
On the writing front--because, let's face it, that's what most of my plans center around--I'll be working on getting the next couple of Oberon books (and a second Omnibus) re-released over the summer. I'm also working on a couple of Christmas stories, one of which is due in August. So, eep! Deadline!
Now, hop on over to   Leslie Hachtel's page  and learn about her plans for the summer.  And don't forget to check out her new 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.

Now Available!

https://shorturl.at/DnYjN




Oberon Book 4:A Taste of Honey
For Lucy Greco Cavanaugh, life is a dream come true.  She has it all. The perfect family. The perfect husband. The perfect marriage. What more could she wish for?  Other than the chance to do it all again. To experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams. To recapture the joy and uncertainty that comes with starting over.

​

As far as Dan Cavanaugh is concerned, his life has become a nightmare. His storybook marriage is on the line when Deirdre Shelton-Cooper, the runaway daughter of a former girlfriend arrives in Oberon intent on proving Dan is her father. Even though he's convinced the girl's claims are false, Dan decides his only chance to keep from losing everything lies in keeping her very existence a secret from his wife and family.

 

But, sometimes, what you don't know can hurt you--and those you love. When Deirdre, masquerading as a surfer girl named Monica, accidentally hooks up with their son, Seth, Lucy and Dan are left to wonder: has their perfect, fairy-tale romance, turned into a classic Greek tragedy?

Sometimes you get exactly what you wish for.  And it's more than you'd ever dreamed.

https://books2read.com/TasteOfHoney

Bonus Read: You can download a free prequel novella here:  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/5xxljdbblb

Such Fleeting Pleasures

An Oberon Prequel Novella

 

Love wasn't always strawberries and cream for Lucy and Dan Cavanaugh...or was it? In this Oberon prequel, we travel back in time to see how it all began. 

​

Most of the material in this prequel novella (set some eighteen years before the series begins) also appears as flashback scenes in A Taste of Honey.

Musical Monday: Last thing On My Mind Patty Loveless

 

This is an oldie that I listened to a lot while I was living in Paso Robles and writing the Oberon series.  We actually saw Patty Loveless in concert at the Mid State Fair, as well, which really cemented this song (and others) in my head as Oberon songs. 
I love the lyrics and the ironical way the title phrase, "He's the last thing on my mind," is used to mean two entirely different things. 
Here's an excerpt from A Taste of Honey that I feel is a good fit to this.

It was the relentless echo of his blood pounding against the surprisingly tender bones of his skull that woke Dan, very early the next morning.  His eyeballs felt parched, and even his tongue felt as though it had been pickled in brine.  But it was the realization that he was alone, that Lucy’s side of the bed was empty and cold, that got him to his feet.  She hadn’t come to bed?

In sixteen years of marriage, she’d never done that before.  Neither of them had.  No matter what, they had always at least gone to bed together.  Even when they’d been too rigid with anger to sleep, and had each clung to their opposite sides of the mattress, as tenaciously as shipwrecked mariners might cling to their only landfall.  More often than not, by morning they’d both have tumbled down into the soft trough in the middle of the bed.They’d awaken with their limbs tangled together, and reach for each other; eager to forget about whatever had come between them the night before, eager to merge and reconnect and rediscover one another.

So often, obstacles which seemed unyielding as icebergs in the night, appeared as insubstantial as a cold mist the following day.  Not this morning, though.  This morning, it felt as though the iceberg he’d smacked up against last night had maybe cracked his skull in two.

A Taste Of Honey

Oberon Book 4.0

​

For Lucy Greco Cavanaugh, life is a dream come true.  She has it all. The perfect family. The perfect husband. The perfect marriage. What more could she wish for?  Other than the chance to do it all again. To experience once more the agony and ecstasy of falling in love with the man of her dreams. To recapture the joy and uncertainty that comes with starting over.

​

As far as Dan Cavanaugh is concerned, his life has become a nightmare. His storybook marriage is on the line when Deirdre Shelton-Cooper, the runaway daughter of a former girlfriend arrives in Oberon intent on proving Dan is her father. Even though he's convinced the girl's claims are false, Dan decides his only chance to keep from losing everything lies in keeping her very existence a secret from his wife and family.

 

But, sometimes, what you don't know can hurt you--and those you love. When Deirdre, masquerading as a surfer girl named Monica, accidentally hooks up with their son, Seth, Lucy and Dan are left to wonder: has their perfect, fairy-tale romance, turned into a classic Greek tragedy?

 

Sometimes you get exactly what you wish for.  And it's more than you'd ever dreamed.

https://books2read.com/TasteOfHoney