That Moment When... you finally reveal your Napa Crush...

Buy Napa Crush for .99 cents! 

I'm crushing on designer Dar Albert's outstanding cover for book #2 in my Wine Country Romance Series, Napa Crush. 

I couldn't be any happier! 

Napa Crush officially launches July 20th. 

To celebrate my cover reveal day,  I've dropped the pre-order price to .99 cents! So, scoop it up beauties: 

Kate Kisset's Napa Crush

(Book #1 of my Wine Country Romance Series, Just a Kiss, is also on sale! Scroll down for the details!) 

Buy Napa Crush for .99 cents!

                                                                                                                                                                     
Napa Valley feature writer Danica Vargas’ serene, wine country life turns upside down when she lands in the hospital and meets the sexy baseball star who accidentally put her there. 

Unfortunately, she has no idea who he is. Unexpectedly, she’s caught between two of Napa’s Valley’s notorious Santino brothers, mistaking one man’s flirtation, for love, and another’s undying affection, for friendship. 

In school, Luca Santino’s best friend’s older sister Danica was a knockout. She batted his heart around like a ball… except when they were making out in her bedroom. 

Back in Napa Valley a decade later with his semi-pro baseball team, Luca rediscovers the girl he loved. As a woman, she's even more enticing than he remembered. Older and wiser, maybe this time they’ll realize what started long ago wasn’t a game.

                Thank you for all the book love & support!

Read the early reviews for Napa Crush on Kate Kisset's Goodreads page.

Where the Wild Ideas Are and How I turn them into Romance Novels.

Four years ago, while hiking behind Bartholomew Park Winery, (Bartpark to locals), in Sonoma Valley, a what if moment occurred. 

I was on a dusty incline where the trail bumps up against the Buena Vista Winery property, peering through blackberry bushes.

From that unusual vantage point, I had an amazing view of Bartholomew Winery and could imagine how the rolling acres of vineyards might have looked  in 1857, when Agoston Haraszthy purchased the property and dubbed it “Buena Vista.”

After the hike, I didn't go straight to my car and detoured to the villa, the replica of the beautiful home Count Haraszthy built for his family. I walked around the property and then sat on its front steps and looked out over the vineyards.

And then I wondered what if:

The property wasn't a winery and was still a home?
What if a relative of the original owner lived there?
What if the relative fell on hard times and needed to rent rooms to keep the villa running?
What if three single friends, lived in those rooms?
What if each of those women found their happily-ever-after in Sonoma Valley?
What if there was another family (of sexy, sweet, and smart brothers) in Napa Valley. What if they owned a winery?

... And that is how the story of Sarah Dupont, Danica Vargas, Juliet St. John and their landlord, Lulu Castelli came to be.  Count Harasthy's villa is called Bella Villa in my story. And the sexy men of Napa Valley Winery fame are called the Santino brothers. :-)   

Here's a snapshot of Just a Kiss, book #1 in my Wine Country Romance Series and the first book I've ever written. 

Just a Kiss

Three roommates
One wine country villa
Six Santino brothers

Reeling from the loss of her mother, Sarah Dupont catches her fiancé doing the nasty on top of her pastry table at their San Francisco Bakery. Devastated, she calls her best friend, reporter, Danica Vargas. Danica convinces Sarah to start fresh and move in with her at Bella Villa mansion in rural Sonoma Valley.

With two roommates who act like the sisters she never had and a feisty landlord to stand in as the grandmother she always wanted, Sarah’s opens a café on the Sonoma Plaza. 

Her life changes the moment the little bell on the door rings and the notoriously sexy actor Jamie Santino, swaggers in.
Jamie, one of the six wealthy Santino Brothers, of Napa Valley Winery fame, needs baking lessons for his new movie and Sarah is just the woman to teach him. Wine flows and their love seems undeniable until a femme fatale from Jamie's past enters the scene.

Can Sarah believe Jamie isn't acting, when everything he says sounds too good to be true?

Each book in the series is a standalone read. There are no cliffhangers.

Thank you so much for reading.
To learn more about me, visit my website:
www.katekisset.com

Until next time,

xo Kate





 

The Daily Kiss: This is NOT what you think it is.

This is NOT what you think it is.

On the surface, this might seem like a standard pitch, from an indie author, hoping to get the word out about her book. This assumption is only half correct. 

Sure, I'd love exposure for Napa Crush, a book that has taken me two years to release, but I'm also thanking everyone, (including you) who is following me on my journey.

This giveaway will not be advertised anywhere. I'm only posting this on my own social media sites, to the people who are already following, and reading me.

If you feel inclined to share the cover of Napa Crush on your blog, Facebook page, or where ever, just sign up to let me know, and you're in the drawing. 

https://goo.gl/forms/EPIQKTiN9ykRI5CW2

The cover is beautiful by the way!

Napa Crush Synopsis:

Napa Crush is a STANDALONE contemporary romance set in Napa Valley wine country. 

That moment when your first crush walks back into your life… and you’re kissing his brother. 

Danica Vargas just met the man of her dreams, but he's not who she thinks he is. She really should remember him, because he's never forgotten her.

Napa Valley feature writer Danica Vargas’ serene, wine country life turns upside down when she lands in the hospital and meets the sexy baseball star who accidentally put her there. Unfortunately, she has no idea who he is. Unexpectedly, she’s caught between two of Napa’s Valley’s notorious Santino brothers, mistaking one man’s flirtation, for love, and another’s undying affection, for friendship. 

In school, Luca Santino’s best friend’s older sister Danica was a knockout. She batted his heart around like a ball… except when they were making out in her bedroom. Back in Napa Valley a decade later with his semi-pro baseball team, Luca rediscovers the girl he loved. As a woman, she's even more enticing than he remembered.

Older and wiser, maybe this time they’ll realize what started long ago wasn’t a game.

Pre-Order: https://www.amazon.com/Napa-Crush-Single-Country-Romance-ebook/dp/B071JRSJ5X

Crushing on Napa Crush on the Fourth of July

Happy Almost Fourth of July! I have a new book coming out with the sweetest Fourth of July scene I thought you might enjoy.
The book is called #NapaCrush and will be available on Amazon July 20th. Although each book in my series is a standalone read, with no cliffhangers, Napa Crush, is book #2 of my Wine Country Romance Series.

Happy reading.


There are several twists in the story and I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll keep the set up brief.
In this scene, the heroine, reporter Danica Vargas, is recovering from a scorching and surprising kiss from her childhood sweetheart, the indie baseball star, Luca Santino. She, and a group from an earlier party, caught a ride from Luca to the river to watch the fireworks:

Pre-Order NAPA CRUSH: https://www.amazon.com/Napa-Crush-Single-Country-Romance-ebook

She’d lost sight of Luca after the group’s Frisbee game. Although the Santino clan, and practically everyone else from the gathering, played, Danica couldn’t bear the awkwardness of being around him, and stayed on the sidelines. Even if she had managed to corral enough courage to strike up a conversation with Luca, she couldn’t have pulled it off in front of Michael.

It didn’t matter, though. Luca hadn’t noticed her. She doubted he’d given her a second thought after helping her out of his truck.

Zzeeee-zzzzz. A test firecracker launched over the Napa River, illuminating the rapt crowd with red bursts of sparkle. As if on cue, Luca’s unmistakable silhouette popped up near the river’s edge, flanked by two female forms, one on each side. Danica shifted on her blanket for a better look. The figure on his right leaned, tilting her face up to his.

Remembering the taste of Luca’s kiss hours ago, she felt a hot blush sear her cheeks, and clutched the sweatshirt at her neck. Danica wriggled away from Juliet and leaned forward for a better look. What would he do now?

Luca adjusted his blanket so his cuddling companions were covered and protected from the cold breeze coming off the water. She’d have to wait for her own up-close view of him next week unless he cancelled their interview.

Even though they’d kissed, she changed her mind about finding another source for the baseball story. It wasn’t professional to kiss the subject of an interview, and god knows she shouldn’t have with Michael. But Luca? Her first kiss? They had too much history between them. She would talk to Mr. Harvey, and if she had to pass the story on to someone else, she would.

BOOM! A spray of red, white, and blue glittery light exploded over the park. A surge of excitement rushed through her. Luca Santino was back. Although she wasn’t sitting next to him, after all these years, they were together in the same place, looking at the same sky, seeing the same fireworks, at the same time.

I hope you have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Until next time,
Kate xo

Book #1 Wine Country Romance:https://www.amazon.com/Just-Kiss-Single-Country-Romance-ebook/dp/B00ZH4W0WU

Wine Country Romance author Kate Kisset joins Marina Adair's St. Helena Vineyard Kindle World

A few of my favorite things...

(St. Helena Vineyard Kindle World author Reina Torres interviewed me about my upcoming novella Two to Tango!)

  

Q: How did you first hear about St. Helena Vineyard Kindle World?

Kate Kisset:  First off, thank you so much for asking Reina. 

I met Marina Adair several years ago at a conference my local writer’s group puts on in Santa Rosa. I had just read Kissing Under the Mistletoe and was a die-hard fangirl.

Although a little star struck, I found the courage to introduce myself to her.  I shouldn’t have been nervous because Marina Adair is as sweet and funny as she writes! I was on cloud nine for weeks after meeting her and still have the business card she gave me all those years ago.   

About a year after our meeting, (the timing is a little fuzzy), Marina contacted me and invited me to write in her St. Helena Vineyard Kindle World. 

Although I was thrilled, the Kindle World concept was just launching, and I didn’t understand it completely. I was in the midst of writing my own Wine Country Romance Series and was worried some of my Santino brothers would accidentally run into her DeLuca brothers. In the Kindle World, that's a no-no.

After learning more about Kindle Worlds and enjoying last fall’s SHVKW launch, I reached out to Marina and am so happy I’m finally on board.

The series that started it all for me! Find Marina Adair's books on Amazon here.

Q: Based on the set of eight romance books created by Marina Adair, the SHVKW revisit the places and characters we know and love and give us some new to enjoy. Which Hero from her series is your book boyfriend? (And why?)

Kate Kisset: Gabe DeLuca would be my book boyfriend because we would be perfect together. :) I also lost a parent at a young age and am the oldest in my family. I related to his need to take care of his younger siblings and his love for his family. I so wanted Gabe to get that happily-ever-after.  Gabe is such a sexy, sexy man… Then, again, I also adored Trey… Let’s just say I’d never say no to a DeLuca…in my dreams.

Q: Which Heroine would be one of your besties?

Kate Kisset: Regan and Lexi would be my besties. I love those characters so much that I wrote them into my upcoming story.

Q: You’re going to be part of our mini-release for April 2017. Where did you get your inspiration for your story? What familiar characters and locations are likely to make an appearance in your novella?

Kate Kisset: Everything about Marina’s St. Helena Vineyard Kindle World inspires me.  I live in wine country, and my hubby and I spend a lot of time in that sweet town.

In my upcoming novella, I’m going full-immersion into the DeLuca clan.  I’m half-Italian, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch. ChiChi DeLuca was my ultimate inspiration and had a blast writing her. She’s one of the lead characters in my story, and most of the DeLuca's make appearances. There are also plenty of new characters that I can't tell you about yet. As I mentioned, Regan is my heroine’s best friend. Plan on a few surprises. :)

Q: Writing in a world created by someone else can be exciting and a little scary at times…  How are things going? Do you have any questions that need to be answered about the world or the process?

Kate Kisset:  Two to Tango is finished.  I waited so long to be a part of this world; I couldn’t wait to dive in. And I’m so excited about the story, I've decided to start a series! It's called Heart Strings and I’m writing the second novella now.

I wouldn’t say I was scared to write in Marina’s series, but I do feel a sense of responsibility to Marina, her characters and the vibrant world she created.  I want to make sure all the details and character’s mannerisms are correct.  I reached out to her several times along the way. As I mentioned before, Marina really is super supportive, and nice. I don’t think people get enough credit for being nice, but that’s another story. 

Marina is the only person (besides my editor) who knows about a secret aspect of my story, and she loves it.

Thank you so much for having me here today Reina!

Two to Tango, book #1 in the Family Ties series releases April 5th as an Amazon exclusive.

Sign-up for advanced copies of my latest releases and join my readers group here: 

Kate Kisset ARC READERS GROUP (Sign-Up) https://bit.ly/KateKissetReaders

Tag me on Social Media here:

Kate Kisset FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/KateKisset/

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Kate Kisset Website: http://www.katekisset.com/

  

Kate Kisset Books:

Kissing Mr. Mistletoe: Christmas in Napa

https://bit.ly/KissingMM-Kisset-Kindle

Just a Kiss: Wine Country Romance Book #1

Amazon US https://bit.ly/JAK-KISSET

Amazon Ca http://bit.ly/JAK-KISSET-Ca

Amazon UK http://bit.ly/JAKKissetUK

Add Kate Kisset to your Goodreads “Want to Read” List:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/13469395.Kate_Kisset

Christmas in Napa: Kissing Mr. Mistletoe (Wine Country Author Secrets)

(Portions of this post originally appeared as a guest post blog on Reading in Sarah's Corner. Thank you Sarah!)

Kissing Mr. Mistletoe is my first Christmas story. It’s a novella about a country music superstar named Trace Montgomery who comes home to Napa Valley to sell the family Christmas tree farm he inherited from his uncle. 

Although Trace doesn’t wear his grief on his sleeve, he's also  heartbroken over the loss of his parents.  While in wine country just long enough to settle the estate, Trace runs into his old flame Monique Jacobson.

Although fragments of this story had been simmering in the back of my brain for a while, I didn’t mean to write Kissing Mr. Mistletoe this year. On the surface, the tale seemed to just “come to me.” In reality, the story idea has many real-life connections:

Insider Secret #1: I lost my mother several years ago. My father died when I was fourteen.  

Insider Secret #2: Christmas is my favorite holiday. 

Insider Secret #3: I’m not a cool girl. I watch Hallmark Christmas movies whenever I can and enjoy them.

Insider Secret #4: Before I began writing professionally, I was disc jockey in San Francisco and spent many years on a country music station.  Anyone who knows me, knows I have a thing for country singers. I can’t remember one instance of a country singer being rude, or standoffish. Everyone I interviewed in my days on-the-air-was polite, extremely talented, and down-to-earth.  As bonus, most were gorgeous!  GRIN.  

Gingerbread house competition at Chateau St. Jean in Kenwood

Trace Montgomery, the protagonist of Kissing Mr. Mistletoe is a country music star. In my mind he’s a cross between Lee Brice, Alan Jackson and Luke Bryan. The idea of a superstar coming home to a small town for Christmas and longing for the past, is something close to my heart.  Although I’m not a singer or a superstar, I know what it feels like to miss the way things used to be at Christmas.

Insider Secret #4: I commute through vineyards.  I know just about every nook and cranny in wine country. From San Francisco to St. Helena, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Calistoga, Kenwood, if you can name a town, chances are, I’ve been there. 

Copyright: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/profile_zhukovsky'>zhukovsky / 123RF Stock Photo</a> Used for editorial purposes only.

Secret #5: There actually is a bunny that turns into Rudolph in wine country.  A few years ago a piece of art stopped me in my tracks. As I drove through Yountville, a spectacular, gleaming sculpture seemed to leap out of the vineyards.  Yes, Virginia, there really is a Bunny Foo Foo and he lives at Hall Vineyards. Read his story here.  

In Kissing Mr. Mistletoe, the statue is smaller, named Bunny Fru Fru, and my heroine is decorating him for Christmas. The sculpture opens my story:

Kissing Mr. Mistletoe Excerpt:

Monique Jacobson climbed another step above the rows of Santino cabernet vineyards. She reached out as far as she could without losing grip of the ladder. Stretching another half inch, her fingertips almost touched Bunny Fru Fru’s gleaming metal nose. Frustrated, she loudly exhaled a breath of air.

After allowing only thirty-five minutes of her packed schedule to turn the massive bunny sculpture into Rudolf for the party, Monique spent fifteen minutes she didn’t have finding a ladder. Then, she’d used another twenty finding someone to help her drag the clunky sixteen-footer to the vineyard and situate it under the landmark.  Panic started to set in. The annual Santino Winery holiday party that Monique was in charge of for the first time started in six hours.

“Is he ever going to turn into Rudolf, Mommy?” Adele’s voice chirped from below. With her pink cheeks glowing and surrounded by grapevines shimmering in the sun, her daughter looked like a wine country cherub.  “Of course he will. Bunny Fru Fru always turns into Rudolf at Christmas. We can do anything we set our minds to, baby. Just you watch.”

In a few pages Monique will run into Trace Montgomery and their story begins.

Thank you for spending a little time with me today.  No matter which holiday you celebrate, I hope the coming days will be merry, bright and filled with good health and love.

Until next time,
-Kate

To learn more about me, visit my website: http://www.katekisset.com/  

Kissing Mr. Mistletoe is available on Amazon and  Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2dD5Enm

Amazon Canada: http://amzn.to/2f6T9Er

Amazon Australia: http://amzn.to/2eaE1kQ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2fs2gRz

And add it to your Goodreads list here: http://bit.ly/2f6LKVG