Pregnant and alone, Sarah Ladina wants to regain her independence and
do what’s best for her soon-to-be-born baby, but buying a run-down Victorian
for an inn wasn’t her brightest idea. An inability to cook or fix a leaky
faucet will make the job even harder. When a friendly golden retriever,
disabled vet, and potential cook show up on the first day, she knows her life
is going to get a lot more complicated.
After returning from duty in the Middle East wounded in both body and
spirit, Hunter Evans is in search of employment and a home. Finding a job has
been tough and housing doesn’t come cheap in Costanoa, the town that he loves
most on the California Coast. His prosthetic leg allows him to run, but keeps
him from his childhood passion, surfing.
Spring is coming in Costanoa and love is in the air. With the help of
good friends, Sarah and Hunter may be able to get beyond the painful past and
complicated present to find the love and respect they want and deserve.
PRAISE FOR CALIFORNIA HOMECOMING
The story of Sarah and Hunter and if they can be together is what this
whole book is about, pretty much. I loved it from beginning to end. It read
like a proper romance should read. I found no mistakes in storyline, flow, or
emotion. I was happy, sad, excited, scared, all rolled into one. Great book!!! -Jaime Hoelle Buncie on Goodreads
The Greatest Adventure I've Ever Had
by Casey Dawes
I’ve had many great adventures in my life, so it’s difficult to pick
one! Do I discuss the stuff of travel--koalas, Eiffel Tower, buying Delft with
a good friend? Or the greatest adventure anyone can have--raising children? Or
should I pick the quiet adventure of a small deer crossing a swollen river?
For this post I’ll pick a series of adventures I had with my husband,
Ken, when we were first dating. For some insane reason, we decided we should
write a book about a historic wine region in California, the Santa Cruz
Mountains. Nothing had been done in a few decades and the region had exploded.
(There are now over seventy wineries nestled in the mountains to the west of
Silicon Valley.)
We knew a little about wine, a little more about writing and
photography, and nothing about self-publishing. Naivety is a wonderful thing,
so we plunged right in!
The most exciting part of that adventure, and the adventure of
articles and the book that followed it, was meeting the winemakers and
attending winemaking events. Many went
out of their way to extend hospitality. The most treacherous part was driving
the winding roads of the Central California coast to get to some of these
places.
While the Santa Cruz Mountains had been a grape-growing region in the
1800s, like Napa, it had a resurgence of winemakers in the 1970s. Several of
these folks were still around, like Kathryn Kennedy, a cult winemaker from
Saratoga, and Bob Mullen, who had resurrected one of the 1800s vineyards near
Woodside. We spent hours listening to
the tales the older generation told, often admonished, “You can’t put that in
the book.”
There are famous winemakers in the region. Randall Grahm, of Bonny
Doon fame, gave an honest picture of who he was and what he did and didn’t
bring to his winemaking. Paul Draper, of Ridge Vineyards, took us through the
barrel room, providing samples of wines in process by using a “wine thief.”
Two of the more interesting times were while we were doing the
Monterey County book, From the Highlands to the Sea. Gary Pisoni, of Pisoni
Vineyards & Winery (http://pisonivineyards.com/) insisted we come for our
interview on a Sunday so we could meet his extended family and friends. The bulk of the conversation took place in
Gary’s jeep as he spun us around the vineyards, showing us which blocks were
named for various girlfriends, and driving past a bathtub in the middle of the
property.
The bathtub, he informed us, was for use when he didn’t like
journalists. He’d strip to the nude, jump in the tub, and continue the
interview from there.
Fortunately, we weren’t treated to this demonstration.
The second was high in the Gabilan Mountains at a place called the
Pinnacles. (http://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htm). We’d made reservations at the
Inn at the Pinnacles (http://www.innatthepinnacles.com/). At that time we had a choice to bring our own
dinner (they supplied grills) or have the hosts cook. We chose to bring our
own.
When we got there, we had a message. The winemaker we were to
interview, Michael Michaud, had called to say he’d pick us up to go to his home
and winery and we’d all eat there. It’s a good thing he came to get us. We
would have gotten lost on the dead-end roads and airport roads that meander
through the wilderness in the Chalone area of the Gabilans.
We had steak. He’d brought salmon…and a case of wine of various ages.
After yet another wild vineyard ride, we feasted, drank amazing wine, and
watched the moon rise over the Pinacles.
This is the type of adventure that inspires the novels in my
California Romance series. (http://www.stories-about-love.com/california-romance-series)
Giveaway!
Comment here on or on Facebook for a chance to win an e-book edition of California Homecoming.
Enjoy an Excerpt
* * *
After he left his former home,
Hunter drove aimlessly south on Highway One.
Future inn. Ugh.
The thought of the future
innkeeper made him smile. Her wiry toughness was covered by a soft petite
frame, luminescent eyes, and gleaming chestnut hair. Boy, would he like to wrap
his hands in that hair and find out what kissing her would be like.
Eucalyptus trees whipping by the
side of the road made him glance at the speedometer. Immediately, he eased off
the gas. He wasn’t in the desert anymore; he actually had to obey the laws
instead of enforcing them with the military might of the U.S. Marines.
He had no right to be attracted
to another woman. He still hadn’t completed his penance for getting Lauren
killed. No matter what the shrink said, Hunter knew his inattention was to
blame for her death.
He pushed away all thoughts of
women—past and present.
The day gleamed in a way his soul
never would again. He should focus on the natural beauty of the bay. Ignoring
the camouflaged paintball store at the curve of the road by the Bennet Slough,
he concentrated on the egrets and herons stalking the wetlands.
His stomach grumbled. Moss
Landing, the small town up ahead, was a good place to stop for something to eat
and figure out his next moves. He needed a job and a place to live.
As he turned off the highway by
The Whole Enchilada, he caught a glimpse of otters in the cove and pulled over
to watch. The flop of their webbed feet as they rolled and dove in the water
whispered boyhood memories of carefree afternoons on the Santa Cruz shores.
Before his father had uprooted
them all and moved them to the chi-chi town of Sausalito. Before Hunter had
gone to war.
******
Casey Dawes lives and writes on the banks of the Clark Fork
River in Montana.
California Homecoming sounds like a great summer read. No where near a beach, so I'll just curl up in my cozy chair and drift away to California to meet Hunter and Sarah. Loved reading your adventures in the wine country, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Karen! I don't live near a beach anymore either, but hopefully my words will bring the salt and surf to your cozy chair.
DeleteThanks for hosting me, MK!
ReplyDeleteHello Casey! So nice to "meet" you on this blog. I am charmed by the title of your book, as that was my feeling, too, when I'd been gone from California for awhile. My hubby and I lived in Santa Cruz for about six years before we left...and we can't afford the real estate now after coming back. :-( But we visit every chance we get. And the Santa Cruz mountains are marvelous, aren't they? Actually, the whole Northern California coast is marvelous, and the redwoods are phenomenal. Our neighbor to the south of our house has one growing just on the other side of our fence! Anyway, all of this has nothing to do with your just released story, but I have found that California is home to lots of folks who've ended up here to heal from various wounds, both physical and mental. If you can afford a little of its real estate, it's a great state to live in. jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDelete