AUTHOR REGGI ALLDER BRINGS TOGETHER CALIFORNIA WINE GROWING, HARVEST MOONS, AND SUSPENSE

Reggi Allder writes suspense and contemporary romance novels, including the Her Country Heart Sierra Creek Series and the Dangerous Series. Her characters cope with life as each fight to discover a hidden strength and work toward a lifelong goal. Learn more about Reggi and her books at her website. 

Fall is a wonderful time of year. Here on the west coast, the large harvest moon lights the night and though the weather is still warm, with the cooler nights, the leaves have begun to change to glorious autumn colors.

 

As a writer of suspense, I sometimes see the night as a place of mystery and danger. But the amazing glow of a full moon can light nefarious activities usually hidden by darkness. So, the harvest moon might help track the villain or aide the hero/ heroine in a search for a mysterious stalker. And though it is almost Halloween, the real scary moments come from true to life characters who appear normal but plan to execute a diabolical crime for simple reasons such as greed, revenge, or jealousy.

 

In my romantic suspense novels, I have used vacation locations in California as counterpoints to danger, including Lake Tahoe and Carmel By the Sea, Lake Arrowhead. For my current romantic suspense, Dangerous Denial, I needed to find a retreat for my main character after she survives a traumatic experience. The heroine is an organic gardener who dreams of owning her own vineyard. So, Sonoma County was the ticket.

 

Though hard truths gnaw at her, the heroine is doing her best to forget the past and concentrate on her future. However, even if she denies being in danger, the full moon shows the reader she is being observed. Meanwhile, Sonoma Country offers an opportunity to contrast the beauty of the vineyards and the charming Pacific coast villages that dot the area, with the lurking danger pursuing her.

 

I enjoyed doing a bit of historic research while looking into the wine industry. Father Junipero Serra was the first to introduce wine grapes to California when he planted the vines, brought from Mexico, in 1769. Though many more people may have heard of Napa Valley wines, the vineyards of Sonoma Country were planted first. The Spanish Franciscan fathers laid the foundation for the wine industry in 1832 when Padre Jose Altimera planted several thousand grapevines at their northernmost mission, San Francisco Solano in Sonoma. Later, the grapevines were introduced to the Napa Valley.

 

At harvest time, the picking of grapes in Sonoma County is done in the late summer and autumn. The heat of the day often rises above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Night harvesting started in in the early1970s because the grape sugar levels were more stable in the lower evening temperatures. Some vineyards may still harvest using hand tools, including knives and/or shears, manual or electric. 

 

After the grapes are cut, they are placed in containers and taken to the winery. Afterward, the wine is often stored in wooden barrels in wine caves built into the hills of the area. No matter the outside temperature, inside the caves the air varies only about 5 degrees Fahrenheit, between 58 degrees and 63 degrees throughout the year.

 

A question I wanted answered: Do some of the wineries make sparkling wine and champagne? Yes.

 

If you would like to visit Sonoma, many places are still open: https://www.sonomacounty.com/coronavirusn

 

Wine cave tours:

https://www.sonomacounty.com/articles/guide-visiting-wine-caves-sonoma-wine-country

 

If you like the author Jack London, Call of the Wild and The Sea Wolf, visit the State Historic Park:

https://jacklondonpark.com/

 

Dangerous Denial

The Dangerous Series, Book 2

 

What would you do if you witnessed a murder and no one believed you?

 

Executive assistant Skye Turner thinks most people are good until her beloved boss is murdered. The police call his death a suicide. What is the truth? She needs help to uncover the circumstances leading to his death.

 

United States black ops member Jon Lancaster is restless while he recovers from injuries received during his last assignment. Pretty and diverting, Skye is probably mistaken about her boss’s death. Still, he decides to assist her in deciphering the events of the day the man died and also dig though the clues left for her.

 

Can Skye and Jon control their growing desire for each other? Are they ready for the lurking danger waiting for them?

 

Buy Link 

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS WITH ROMANCE AUTHOR REGGI ALLDER

Suspense and contemporary romance author Reggi Allder writes joins us today to talk about her family Christmas celebrations. Learn more about Reggi and her books here. 

I love Christmas, music, lights, food and decorations. Every year I’m thankful our family members are able to be together.

I’ve lived in large cities and small towns. Both places have their own appeal. Wherever I am, Christmas dinner is the same. Some family members like turkey, some prefer ham and a few are vegetarian, so faux turkey works for them. Dessert can be a challenge. One relative can’t eat anything with milk, others want to cut back on sugar. However, everyone agrees on my recipes for from-scratch almond cake, pumpkin pie, and apple pie. I don’t bake too often, but during the Christmas season, I like to do more.

Apple pie isn’t a traditional choice for Christmas, but it’s a family favorite. There are many varieties of apple available from around the world. The Granny Smith, Macintosh, or Golden Delicious work best for pie—not too sweet.

Traditional songs like Silent Night and Oh Holy Night are usually played in our home, but I heard a song that was more country. Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy is a song co-written by Buck Owens and Don Rich in 1965. The song has been covered by several country music artists, including Garth Brooks and Brad Paisley among others. This tune rings a bell for me because when the kids were young, my husband always dressed up in a Santa suit on Christmas Eve. He would knock on the front door carrying his bag of gifts and come in to hand them out. Later, he’d excuse himself by saying he still had many homes to visit. Afterward, he would return dressed as dad again.

One year, our youngest said he could tell it was Daddy because Santa wore the same glasses as dad did. The jig was up, but the kids still wanted him to wear the suit the next year. Now there is a three-year-old and a five-year-old in our extended family, so the Santa suit will be used again.

When I needed an idea for a farm in Her Country Heart Christmas Edition, an organic apple farm fit the criteria. No food acknowledges the conflict between a man and a woman better than the iconic apple. The fruit signifies the battle between males and females and the temptation of being drawn to someone who has opposite goals.

Her Country Heart Christmas Edition

Sierra Creek Series, Book 1

After being downsized and losing her apartment in the city, Amy Long hopes to find a fresh start in the small town of Sierra Creek. Though she has no experience farming, she returns to run her late grandmother’s organic apple farm.

Cowboy Wyatt Cameron has a vow to keep and knows Amy belongs in the city. She’s in the way of his plans and as executor of her grandmother’s will, he has the power prevent her from staying on the farm.

Will hearts break when opposites attract?

Buy Link 

FAVORITES, FAILURES & FRUSTRATIONS WITH GUEST AUTHOR REGGI ALLDER

Reggi Allder writes suspense and contemporary romance, including the Sierra Creek Series. Learn more about her and her books at her website. Today Reggi joins us to discuss Favorites, Failures & Frustrations as it relates to one of her books.

Frustration: When I lived in Los Angeles, my day consisted of sitting in my car on the freeway for about fifty minutes in the morning and another fifty minutes in the evening, longer if there was an accident or a breakdown on the road. My subcompact didn’t have air conditioning or heat and I burned in one hundred degree heat in the summer and was cold in the winter. To decrease my frustration while sitting in the gridlock, I used the time to think up stories. The idea of living off the land and being self-sufficient was my inspiration for Her Country Heart Christmas Edition. Don’t get me wrong. I love LA, just not the traffic. Though I no longer live there, I still have friends in the area.

Failure: Past failures are a motivator for my female character in Her Country Heart Christmas Edition. After her marriage fails, Amy Long struggles to support her young son. Then she is downsized and loses her apartment in San Francisco. In spite of her failures, she is determined to start fresh in Sierra Creek and succeed this time.

Favorites: I love apples. In the book when I had to decide what kind of a farm my character would have, an organic apple farm seemed right. I did research to find out what kind of apple she should grow. This included tasting apples from around the world that are now in local markets. I selected the Red Delicious and the Macintosh Apple.

As a tradition at Christmas my family often has apple pie as well as pumpkin pie for our dessert, sometimes adding cranberries with the apples to make it a colorful holiday red.

Things about the apple you may not know:

1. The Adam’s apple was named because in the bible Adam was tempted by Eve and took a bite from the apple she offered him. He choked and couldn’t swallow it. According to the myths, that’s why a man’s larynx is larger than a woman’s.

2. Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman (September 26, 1774 – March 18, 1845), was an American pioneer nursery man who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia (Wikipedia). Information about him is still taught in many schools, and there are movies and videos about his life.

3. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” According to research on the Internet, the saying came from Great Britain, a Pembrokeshire proverb c1866. “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” Other variations can be found from 1913 onward.

4. Apples have many vitamins including A, C, K and the B vitamins. One apple can supply much of the needed vitamins, so saying to eat an apple every day is close to the mark.

5. There are over 7,000 varieties of apples. By the way, the Crab Apple is from the US and the Macintosh Apple is from eastern Canada. Though there are many new varieties, the Red Delicious is still the most popular.

Her Country Heart Christmas Edition

Why is Amy Long attracted to the only man who can prevent her from achieving her dream?

Amy needs a home for Christmas. Hoping to find a fresh start, she returns to the small town of Sierra Creek to run her late grandmother’s farm.

Cowboy Wyatt Cameron knows Amy belongs in the city. She’s in the way of his plans and as executor of her grandmother’s will, he has the power prevent her from staying on the farm.

What can she offer to change his mind? Will sparks fly when opposites attract?

Buy Link 

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR REGGI ALLDER

Today we welcome back for an interview contemporary romance and romantic suspense author Reggi Allder who likes nothing better than tales of heroes and heroines who discover love and then wonder if they'll live long enough to enjoy it. Her main characters cope with longings, secrets, lies and betrayals. They control their panic and manage their passion as each fights to discover a hidden strength. It's a strain for them to remain motivated as the world offers temptations and puts them in untenable situations. Can they survive multiple ordeals and carry on to reach their goals and find a future together? Learn more about Reggi and her books at her website and blog.

 

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

Writing was something I wanted to do for as long as I can remember. Even as a child I fantasized about writing. My family worried I’d never make a living and suggested I do something practical like nursing or teaching. At UCLA I studied screen writing and creative writing. But later I worked as part of the support staff in a large city hospital. I also worked as a newsletter editor and as an advertising manager. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, my various career moves and life events now help me craft my books.

What was the best writing advice given to you?

Don’t worry; just write. You can always edit. 

  

 Where do you write?

 Though I am lucky enough to have an office in my house, my mind writes anywhere—in bed, in the shower, using the vacuum. I stop and make notes. Yesterday I was driving from the mall with one of my kids. A country song was playing and suddenly I had an idea for the title of my latest book, triggered by the song. With no way to write my idea down, no tablet, etc, my daughter found the only paper in the car, the sales slip from the shopping bag and she wrote my idea on it while I continued to drive.   

Is silence golden or do you need music to write by? What kind?

No not always, sometimes I have music. It ranges from classical, to boy bands, to country. It depends what I am writing at the moment.  I even have the news on if I’m writing about a current event.

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

The plots and characters are from my imagination. I try not to use real people in any way. On occasion a news event will be in my book such as a reporter returning from Afghanistan as in Money Power and Poison. But no real person or event is followed. As for my own life, I’ve lived in small towns and large cities so I can draw on those experiences. 

Describe the process for naming your character.

Often a name comes to me before I start a book. For males I like strong names like Brick or names that are not overused. For the females, I use names that are easy to remember and ones that fit the ethnicity of the character.  I have a file with names and look at it when starting a new book or when looking for a new character’s name.

Are the settings real or fictional towns?

Both, Money Power and Poison is about a software developer, so it seemed obvious to use the real Silicon Valley. But I set the book in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea/ Monterey, California, a real and very beautiful place. With my family I kayaked, swam and went sightseeing in Carmel. We enjoyed Point Lobos State Reserve, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Seventeen Mile Drive, just to mention a few of our favorites. Watching the waves on the beach during one of the visits, I realized the tranquil beauty and perfect beach weather of the area could be a counterpoint to a dark mystery punctuated by imminent danger.

Shattered Rules, also a romantic suspense, takes place in the area around Lake Tahoe.  Another great place for winter or summer vacations.

In my current contemporary book (working title Her Country Heart) I made up the town of Sierra Creek in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California’s gold country. I was able to give it the population and look I wanted. It also allowed me to fashion town situations that worked with the conflict in the couple’s relationship. This book will be out later this year on Amazon.

How do you find titles for your books?

Titles are hard for me. Some of my books have had multiple working titles.  It is easier to write a ninety-thousand word book than to find a good title. I have a great critique group who come up with ways to help me find titles and that’s helpful, but for some unknown reason it’s still like pulling my own teeth for me. So you can see why, even while driving, getting the title idea written down was so important.

What’s on the horizon for you?

Finish the contemporary novel Her Country Heart and then to make Sierra Creek a series of books continuing with the original characters in this book and following the other people in the small town. I also have plans for a series with the characters from Money Power and Poison as they search for answers in the continuing mystery of the heroine’s past.  

Shattered Rules

Is it true no good deed goes unpunished?

Looking for love Kelly Shaw made a terrible mistake. Now a killer and the FBI are searching for her. But she has a secret to keep. Can she trust Brick Larsen her sister’s ex-fiancé, to help? When she was a teenager she secretly loved Brick and would have put her life in his hands, but that was years ago.

Unknown to Kelly, Brick has been assigned to make contact and find out what she knows. A workaholic, he loves his job and doesn’t need personal relationships. And the last thing he wants is to get involved with Kelly. But it’s his job and he lets nothing and no one gets in the way. Soon an FBI agent is dead and Kelly and Brick are on the run. Can they survive when they have shattered the rules?

BuyLink

COOKING WITH CLORIS--CHOCOLATE MERINGUE COOKIES WITH GUEST AUTHOR REGGI ALLDER

Reggi Allder writes tales of love lost and then found and stories of heroes and heroines who discover love but wonder if they’ll live long enough to enjoy it. Learn more about Reggi and her books at her website and blog. Today she joins us to tell us about her latest release and share a recipe for Chocolate Meringue cookies.

In my book Money Power and Poison a catered birthday party is planned for a rich software developer. His wife Sheryl wants only the best with money no object. I wanted to have a dessert that a very thin, very rich wife would approve of. Hence, no fat Chocolate Meringue Cookies with free range chicken egg whites and highend Belgium or Dutch Coco ingredients. Though I decided to focus on the book’s romance and mystery rather than the food, I think Sheryl would approve of these cookies.

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Ingredients

3 egg whites

Pinch of salt or not

¾ cup sugar or sugar substitute

½ cup Dutch or other high quality cocoa

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat eggs until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar so the peaks stiffen or use a sugar substitute, I use Splenda. Sift cocoa over peaks and fold in.

Spoon mounds about 1” in diameter and about 1” apart onto baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until dry to the touch. Let cool completely before removing from baking sheet.

Money Power and Poison

A woman fights to stay alive long enough to prove she’s innocent of murder and find out why an obsessed killer has plans to make her his next victim. A mystery from the past and lies from the present could help a reporter make sense of it all before it’s too late and the woman dies.

In idyllic Carmel by the Sea, California, a billionaire software developer is poisoned at his fiftieth birthday party. A young caterer is about to be charged with his murder. Why would the police think she’d murder a man she only met once? Out of her depth, she’s desperate to have someone on her side.

TV journalist Holt Rand needs a scoop to revive his career. The exclusive on the murder will put him back on top of the ratings game. Nothing and no one will stop him from getting to the truth. But when he meets Kathryn his life is changed forever and he begins to question his goals.

Available as an Amazon Kindle Countdown deal for 99 cents April 8-11

Buy Link