July 21, 2015 by mariaemonteiro

Just a Kiss by Kate Kisset

I was lucky enough to meet Kate Kisset on Instagram. We quickly became friends and I started my count down for her amazing book to be released. When I got a copy of this witty, romantic, amazing book I was jumping off the walls. My wait was well worth it. Just a Kiss made me fall in love with the wine country, and with Sarah and Jamie. Actually, with every character in this book. Kate is a brilliant writer who will have you hooked in by the end of the first page. This story is the perfect read for this summer. Well enough of me talking now

Romance author Kate Kisset takes you on a tour of the “real” Wine Country locations in her new novel Just a Kiss.

I had so much fun writing Just a Kiss. It was the perfect excuse to tell a hot and sweet love story set and set the tale in my home town. Grounded in romance and vino, my characters live and work in Napa – Sonoma wine country, an hour north of San Francisco.

The Single Girls Wine Club series centers around three roommates who live in an historic villa in Sonoma called “Bella Villa.” In future books, each woman, will “star” in a toe-curling love affair they never saw coming.

There’s a reason I’m known as “The Real Wine Wife” on Twitter! Many of the book’s venues are a“real” wine country locations. I also use actual events and pour genuine wine whenever possible throughout my Single Girls Wine Club series.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into a few story scenes from my first book of the series, Just a Kiss.

Pour a glass of your favorite vino and let me show you around wine country…

*All of the photos are my own, taken with my phone cam

In Just a Kiss, Lulu Castelli is the landlord of “Bella Villa” but she’s more like a friend to the three women of The Single Girls Wine Club who live there. The actual building is an exact replica of the family home “Count,”Agoston Haraszthy built for his family in the 1800s. It’s now on the Bartholomew Winery property in Sonoma.

This is Sarah Dupont’s view in my wine country romance Just a Kiss. The original owner of the property, founded Buena Vista Winery. I remember the day I took this photo. I kept thinking…“What if someone still lived here? What if she had roommates? What if she met the love of her life…?”

In Just a Kiss, Lulu Castelli is the great granddaughter of a famous winemaker very similar to Agoston Haraszthy. Mr. Haraszthy, the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista,” created California’s first premium winery in Sonoma Valley in 1857.

Just a Kiss is the first of three stories planned in The Single Girls Wine Club series. The debut novel centers on the love story between Sarah Dupont and Jamie Santino.

The story begins when Sarah Dupont takes the advice of her best friend and moves to Sonoma Valley. She opens a café in the heart of town on the Sonoma Plaza.

There really is a bakery-café on The Plaza. I didn’t use the name because Sarah and Jamie do the kinds of things that get “real” people fired. 🙂 Sarah’s shop is called The Vine Café.

Do you notice the green awning in the photo above? Sebastiani Theatre is a California landmark and plays an integral role in the story because Jamie Santino is an actor. Sarah meets him when one of her roommates convinces her to give Jamie baking lessons for an upcoming movie role.

A much older crowd than Jamie Santino pulls in! I snapped this from the café next to the theatre. I think they were showing a documentary about eggs.

The six gorgeous Santino brothers appear throughout The Single Girls Wine Club stories. In Just a Kiss, although Jamie is the “star” of the story, you’ll meet all of the Santino brothers. Their family owns Napa Valley’s Santino Family Winery. So of course, I had to do some “research.”


Here I am hard at work at B.R. Cohn Winery…

Now, back to the tour…

The annual lighting of the Sonoma Plaza Christmas tree is mentioned in the book’s first scene. My family attends this magical event every year…

Collage of various photos of Sonoma and Napa events. Top left is the annual lighting of the Sonoma Plaza’s Christmas tree. I’m standing in front of the plaza, facing the crowd. It’s a not-to-be-missed event!


Vineyard Colors: There’s a moment in Just a Kiss when Sarah Dupont looks out her window and contemplates the future. This is what she sees.

I hope you enjoyed the mini-tour! If you’d like to see more of wine country and Just a Kiss story scenes, check out my photo gallery on www.KateKisset.com here.

Buy Just a Kiss on Amazon.

About Kate Kisset:

Former San Francisco radio disc jockey Kate Kisset has a passion for telling great stories. After playing thousands of Pop, Country, Rock and Oldies tunes, for her primarily female fan base, she changed her tune and became an author. Just a Kiss is the first book in her wine country romance series, The Single Girls Wine Club. She lives in Northern California and Santa Barbara with her family and rescue pup “editor” Luciana Parmigiana, where she hikes, reads, listens to music, and drinks wine.

Links:

www.katekisset.com

Like Kate’s Facebook Page

Kate Kisset Newsletter (Exclusive Content)

Twitter @therealwinewife

Kate Kisset’s Amazon Author Page

Make sure to pick up your copy of of Just a Kiss: http://www.amazon.com

February 5, 2015 by mariaemonteiro

Covers Reveal: For Always & And Always by Danielle Sibarium

To celebrate the upcoming release of And Always, the long awaited sequel to For Always by Danielle Sibarium, she is revealing two new covers. The first one is a new cover for: For Always, and the second cover is the reveal of the cover for And Always. I hope you love them as much as I do.

“There’s nothing you can’t do if you want it bad enough.”

I entered the world with a massive defect. I attracted death. Like a magnet. I could feel it all around me. It wrapped its icy fingers tight around my chest, leaving me no room for escape. That was my life before I met Jordan Brewer, the boy I became infatuated with. Obsessed with. The boy that became my everything.

I knew he wanted me, too. I saw it. I felt it. But he was older, and wouldn’t act on his feelings. I knew in time I’d make him mine. Just as he promised me a future together, his life was torn apart. He turned away from me and shut me out of his life. Could I convince him to let go of his past and hold on to me? Or would he continue to punish us both for something he couldn’t control?

Purchase links for For Always-
Amazon– http://www.amazon.com/Always-Danielle-Sibarium-ebook/dp/B006ACBCPO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
iBooks– https://www.draft2digital.com/book/70541
Nook– http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-always-danielle-sibarium/1106795575?ean=2940013748286
Kobo– http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/for-always-1

“Sometimes being with the one you love hurts more than being without them.”

“There’s nothing you can’t do if you want it bad enough.” This is the mantra Jordan Brewer drilled into my head since the day I met him. He convinced me nothing is out of my reach, not even him.

I love Jordan, and Jordan loves me, but something always gets in the way. I had to fight tooth and nail to convince him we belong together. Now he’s mine, but I’m not sure our love is strong enough to survive.

I’m away at school and Jordan’s playing drums for a local band. We hardly see each other, and when we do, he’s haunted by demons from his past. I’m struggling to fit in and he’s struggling with his ever-growing mountain of guilt. Will we be able to hold on to each other through the tough times, or will it all come tumbling down around us?

Here is the Goodreads link to add And Forever- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24284891-and-forever

Danielle Sibarium’s Links–
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/DanielleSibarium
Twitter- https://twitter.com/Sibarium
Tsu- https://www.tsu.co/DanielleSibarium
Website- http://www.daniellesibarium.com/

December 9, 2014 by mariaemonteiro

Teaser Tuesday

I can’t believe it’s already Tuesday again. The weeks seem to be flying by, and before we know it, it will 2015. Im excited for the brand new year, mostly because I’m releasing two new books. And here is a new tease from each one of these books. Enjoy!

A BEAUTIFUL MESS

BECAUSE OF ME

September 14, 2014 by mariaemonteiro

Cover Reveal: Kelly’s Quest by Jennifer Ann

The day is finally here for Kelly’s Quest by Jennifer Ann cover reveal. Kelly’s Quest is the second book from the NYC Love series. I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of this book and I fell deeply in love with this book. Make sure to put it on your TBR list. For now enjoy the cover and make sure to enter to win.

Synopsis:

Shunned by her family back home, she followed her best friend to New York with aspirations to start over. Now broke and homeless with two guys vying for her affection, she realizes she made a colossal mistake. If she gives in to her desires, will she only be breaking the rule she set for herself, or will she also be proving she’s the disappointment her family sees her as?

Kelly Cavenaugh is a lot of things: intelligent, sexy, vivacious, and a great friend. But the one thing she’s determined to prove to herself and others is that she’s not promiscuous. So why do a spoiled rich boy with a dark past and a former Marine with a high-powered job have to come along and try to break her resolve?

Theo Roberts and Erik Murphy only have two things in common: they’re both dangerously gorgeous, and have their sights set on Kelly. Everyone tells her Erik isn’t someone she wants to get involved with, however, and Theo seems to be the total package. If Kelly allows herself to be with one of them, the choice should be easy. But it’s complicated, and she’ll find herself struggling to separate passion from reality while trying to establish her new life.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22587369-kelly-s-quest
AUTHOR BIO:
When Jennifer Ann isn’t writing heart wrenching romance novels with hot scenes or chasing her children around southern Minnesota, she either has her nose stuck in someone else’s book, is curled up watching a movie, can be found taking pictures of other people (not in a creepy way), or is rocking out at a concert. Her debut novel ADAM’S LIST is set for release June 17, 2014.

Jennifer also writes YA paranormal under Jen Naumann.

Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8153868.Jennifer_Ann
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferAnn

http://www.authorjenniferann.blogspot.ca/

Tweets by AuthorJenniferA

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July 12, 2014 by mariaemonteiro

Because of You Character Interview

I had such a great time interviewing the Wreck Me characters I thought I’d interview Austin and Jade from Because of You. The best way to get to know characters is by using the questionnaire from the Actor’s Studio. Here is Austin and Jade.

1. What is your favorite word?

Jade: Honesty. It’s so hard these day to find someone who really is honest. And when you do find that person is truly honest with you, you have to hold on to them.

Austin: Beautiful. It’s the word that comes to me when I look at Jade.

2. What is your least favorite word?

Jade: Betrayal. It’s all I’ve ever seen in my life.

Austin: My name when it comes out of my father’s mouth. I know when he says my name the next word out of his mouth won’t be a good one.

3. What turns you on?

Jade: Austin’s dimples. They drive me crazy.

Austin: Anything Jade does. Even when she’s mad at me. She’s just so beautiful.

4. What turns you off?

Jade: Hurtful words. The wrong words could tear your heart apart.

Austin: Someone being unfaithful. There’s no way to forgive someone after you know they cheated on you.

5. What sound do you love?

Jade: The sound of the ocean waves hitting the shore.

Austin: Jade’s laughter. I love knowing I’m making her happy.

6. What sound do you hate?

Jade: My dad’s girlfriend’s voice. It’s like nails going down a chalkboard.

Austin: My father’s judgmental voice.

7. What is your favorite curse word?

Jade: Screw You. Enough said.

Austin: The famous fuck.

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Jade: I’m not really sure yet. Something to do with art.

Austin: A writer. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Jade: Anything that will have me trapped in a cubical all day long.

Austin: Becoming a lawyer like my father.

10. Tells us something no one knows about you?

Jade: I never stopped loving Austin. Even when he hurt me when we were kids I still loved him.

Austin: Even though Jade and I were not friends for years it didn’t stop me from keeping an eye on her. I will always regret hurting her when we were kids.

READ CHAPTER 1 HERE: https://mariamonteiro.net/2013/09/11/because-of-you-sneak-peek/

Because of You Available at:

iBooks

Gardners