For the past twenty years, give or take a year, my husband
and I have traveled to the Northern California coast for our anniversary. Its
rugged beauty draws us and we’ve stayed in many places, generally in Mendocino
or northern Sonoma County.
Our go-to spots are the Albion River Inn near Mendocino or a
vacation rental at Sea Ranch, right at the Sonoma/Mendocino County border. Our
anniversary falls on January 31 and both offer discounted rates during winter.
Mendocino is the inspiration for Santa Marta, a town
providing a partial setting for both A Pinot for Your Thoughts and an earlier
book in the series, A Touch of Chardonnay.
The headlands are walkable, the buildings are set back from the cliffs,
and sea caves abound. Many fine restaurants at all price points are available
there, but the Albion has an excellent restaurant on site and is a personal
favorite.
Sea Ranch vacation rentals are best if you want to cook in,
although we’ve ventured north to Gualala to dine at St. Orr’s.
Even though we cruised over five thousand miles in a small
boat in one year and saw most of the Eastern third of the country by way of
oceans, lakes, canals, and rivers, the Pacific Coast is still our favorite
vacation spot.
***
Title: A Pinot for Your Thoughts
Series
and Book #: Love in Wine Country Series
Author: Pamela Gibson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: Feb. 4, 2018
ASIN: BO078X9BWSZ
ISBN:978-0-9976885-4-2
Number of pages: 172
Word Count: 51,643
Blurb:
Can she trust a man who broke her heart?
Spunky Beth Sawyer is determined to save a debt-ridden
historic house she inherited from her grandmother. The Victorian mansion might
be spared foreclosure if she can get a handful of cranky boarders out in time
to open a bed and breakfast. Instead they’ve declared war and enlisted the aid
of a man who still holds a piece of her heart.
After a dangerous assignment nearly takes his life,
investigative reporter Aiden Reynoso limps home to Santa Marta to recover and
rethink his career. He craves peace. Instead he finds chaos and a sexy new
landlady, one he reluctantly left years ago after a brief fling.
The cliff-side mansion guards its secrets well, and so does
Beth. Her beloved grandmother had an obsession. If revealed, it will ruin her
reputation in a town that revere’s her memory. But the clock is ticking and
Beth needs an ally. Can she trust a man who once broke her heart or is she
destined to fight alone while her dreams turn as sour as spoiled wine.
Buy links:
Excerpt:
Aiden came down
the steps, towering above her. The cat stayed behind. “What is that thing?” He
pointed at the washer.
“It’s a power
washer. I’m cleaning stairs, then I’m going to stain them.”
“Yourself?”
She glared. “Of
course. Unless your cat wants to help.”
Aiden looked at
the cat, who’d come out on the landing, twitching his tail.
“He’s busy. But
if you show me what to do, I’m available.”
That was unexpected.
“This isn’t
going to take long, and then I’ll move to the back steps of the house. You can
get on with your concentration.”
“Fine.”
He turned
around and took the steps two at a time. She kept focus on his tight butt,
wondering why he was still living in Santa Marta. Oh, right...now she
remembered. His grandmother, the psychic, convinced him to go off on his own,
to spend some time at the beach. A seagull had snatched a rosebud out of her
hand, and she knew, she knew someone
at Rose Manor needed him.
She got that part right.
She’d needed
him desperately that first summer after her parents died, when she realized
she’d never see them again. Her grief had taken strange turns, and one led her
right into Aiden’s arms.
And I’m kidding myself if I think the
attraction is dead.
The minute she
saw Aiden Reynoso on her doorstep this morning, the old longing reared up and
nearly swallowed her. She’d wanted to fling herself into his arms and sob her
heart out. But with all the problems she faced, she couldn’t risk another
rejection.
He was still
hot, his hair the color of midnight, and dark chocolate eyes that saw right
into your soul. With that toned body, he looked like he belonged in a
commercial for Greek yogurt. Even the black-frame reading glasses he had on
when he bolted down the stairs worked.
He’s not for you. He made that loud and
clear years ago.
Beth could
handle the other tenants. They seemed docile and sweet, and she was actively
looking for a place to relocate them. But Aiden was a problem. Not only was he
bad for her libido, he was the one she couldn’t get rid of legally. And if she
didn’t get this house turned into a moneymaker fast, she was going to lose it
to the bank.
Author bio:
Author of nine novels and eight history books, Pamela Gibson
is a former City Manager who lives part time in Northern California’s wine country
and part time in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three years messing
about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip in a 32-foot
Nordic Tug with her patient spouse, she now spends most of her time indoors
happily reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of her
gran-cats, gran-dog, and gran-fish. Sadly, the gran-lizard went to his final
reward.
Author website and social media
links:
Website:
https://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her quarterly
newsletter.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/pamgibsonwrites
