by Christi Barth, author of Up to Me (Carina Press)
A few years ago my husband and I went on a romantic getaway to New York’s Finger Lakes region. It is famous for wine, with more than sixty wineries around a single lake, which made it a no-brainer of a destination for us. The best part was that we got to stay in a castle. Seriously. With a turret and everything, right on the edge of the thirty-six mile long lake.
The castle had its own winery. Not to mention a gourmet restaurant that served us a romantic five course, wine-paired dinner by candlelight, right around the corner from a suit of armor and a fireplace taller than me. Clearly, it had all the right ingredients for romance.
Then when we climbed the stairs to our room, we discovered that the common area held wine spouts—red and white—accessible to castle guests day or night. Free-flowing (and just plain free!) wine. Yup. The mind boggles.
It was when I was in their spa getting a massage that an idea flashed through my brain. Or to be more precise, it actually slapped me upside the neurons. A woman standing in her turret room, staring at a shirtless man jogging past as the lake glinted in the background. That was it. Short. Simple. But it didn’t need to be any more than that. The building blocks of romance were already there in abundance—a castle, wine, a beautiful setting.
And then, as the masseuse poured aromatherapy oil into her hands, I envisioned a man and a woman surrounded by the scent of flowers, kissing, slick with oil. On the massage table. Then I had to stop thinking about it, because it was getting weird, what with me being massaged at the same time. But the idea stuck. I started asking my masseuse what she liked and hated about her job, because I knew my heroine would work in the spa.
Back in my room, I scribbled down notes. Took pictures of every aspect of the castle hotel. And picked up a brochure in the lobby for every attraction in the area. Don’t worry—I still paid plenty of attention to my husband. There were many wine-tastings, and many smooches to be had over that weekend. Oh, and then we hiked a state park just down the road that had nineteen waterfalls in just two miles…wait, that’s the start to my blog post of book two in the series, coming in February….
The point is that inspiration struck just that fast. Wine plus castles equals romance. I’m horrible at math, but I’m completely certain that’s a good formula! So tell me—what two things equal insta-romance to you?
About Up to Me:
Ella Mayhew’s always appreciated the beautiful view of Seneca Lake from the spa window of her family’s hotel. But the view improves dramatically when a hot stranger runs across the grounds—shirtless. He’s the first man to kickstart her hormones in the three years since she lost her parents, and she doesn’t even know his name.
Graydon Locke’s on his umpteenth undercover assignment. The routine’s always the same: assess a business, recommend it for closure, then roll out before anyone discovers his decisions impact hundreds of lives. He’s always believed nothing good comes out of small towns. Why would this one be different? Then he makes two classic rookie mistakes—falling for the sweet, s*xy girl who owns the very business he’s on the verge of axing. And letting the town’s residents get involved in both his life, and his relationship with Ella.
Ella’s the best thing to ever happen to Gray, but he’s lied to her from the start. If he pulls the plug on Mayhew Manor, the entire town may crumble. Ella couldn’t save her parents, but it’s up to her to save their hotel. Even if that means turning her back on true love.
Source:
http://harlequinblog.com/2014/06/wine-cast...
Posted By: How May I Help You NC
Friday, June 27th 2014 at 4:55PM
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