Mug Shot: Tattoo Mug

 

I got this mug several years ago, shortly after I started writing a tattoo-themed series. I originally had a couple and I think I was planning on using them as promotional giveaways. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to finishing the series...yet. But I have characters, plots, and (because of course I do) covers! You can see them all here: https://www.pgforte.com/inked-in-oaktown

To be honest, since I move so much, I have periodic mug purges and this probably would have gone in one of the last two divestments since, like I said, I'm not currently working on this series.  But it had been packed away with my other promotional material and I only found it recently. So I'm going to keep it. At least for a while. Maybe it'll motivate me to work on that series...if I ever get the time. Right now I have books scheduled through 2027. Yikes. 

Anyway, it's a cute mug. It's big and bright and cheerful. And it hits all the Trad Tattoo markers, with swallows on either side and a heart with MOM written across it in the middle. 

My first fictional tattoo appears in the Oberon series. Ryan suggests Siobhan get one in Touch of a Vanished Hand and then we get to actually "see" the results in the next book, The Spirit of the Place--both of which are included in the second Oberon Omnibus, Return to Oberon. 

Here's the scene from Touch (I should point out, for those of you who don't know, that Siobhan and her sister Sinead are identical twins; and that Sinead, when she first met Ryan, fooled him into thinking she was Siobhan. As a result, he doesn't trust himself not to get them mixed up. Much to everyone else's amusement and/or irritation) : 

Siobhan had stopped at the winery’s office to get directions out to the farmhouse.  She was crossing the parking lot on her way back to her car when she saw Ryan lope down the stairs from the terrace, and head for his bike.  She paused to admire the athletic grace with which he moved, and to smile at the distracted frown he wore, the unaccustomed air of seriousness on his face.  No doubt about it, the man definitely takes my breath away.  

            “Well, fancy meeting you here,” she called, as she sauntered toward him.

         He turned to look at her, leaned back against the motorcycle, crossed one ankle over the other, crossed his arms.  Said nothing.  She felt her smile falter.  Her footsteps slowed.  An indefinable expression flickered in his eyes.  Part annoyance, and part...something else.  Something dark and inscrutable.  Something she couldn’t put a name to. 

          “Is there something I can do for you?” he asked at last, entirely too politely.

          “What’s wrong?” she asked, and in the same instant, understanding dawned.  Anger flashed through her.  “Oh, honestly!  Ryan, are you ever gonna learn to tell us apart?”

         Alarm widened his eyes for an instant, and then he frowned.  He straightened up again, uncrossed his arms, but still he scanned her face suspiciously as he asked, “Siobhan?  What are you doing here?”

      “I stopped by to see how Sinead was doing,” she said as she closed the distance between them.  “I thought I’d spend some time with her, maybe take her to lunch.  I have the day off, remember?”

        He nodded, brushed a quick kiss across her cheek.  “Yeah, I remember.”  He pulled back a little, his gaze still curious, doubtful, far too uncertain.  

  Siobhan sighed.  He’s still not sure, is he?  Even now?  It couldn’t be a good sign, his continuing inability to differentiate between her and her sister.  He was usually a lot more observant than this.  She shook her head.  “What’s it gonna take, huh?  Do I have to tattoo my name across my chest before you get it?”

        A spark of interest lit his eyes.  “I’ve got a better idea.”  He leaned back against the bike once more, half sitting on it as he took hold of her arm and drew her close.  “How about my name?” 

            What?  She gaped at him horrified by the eager smile stealing across his face.  “Ryan— Oh, come on, you’re notserious?”  

            “Sure, I am.  Why not?”  His fingers tugged at the neck of her blouse.  “It doesn’t have to be big, or anything.  Just…oh, I don’t know, maybe a cute little red heart?  With a yellow ribbon scrolling across it and my name in blue capped letters, right...about...here.”  He lowered his head, pressed the softest of kisses against the top of her breast.  

            Dear Lord.  A tattoo?  She felt her breathing stall and made a half-hearted effort to push him away.  I need help,she thought, nearly fainting from the shock when she realized the idea was actually beginning to appeal to her.  Are we both crazy?  Never in a million years. Desperate, she summoned up the anger she’d been feeling a moment earlier.  “Now, tell me, Ryan, why ever would I brand myself with the name of a man who doesn’t even know who I am?” 

            He raised his head, smiling wider, obviously amused at the absurdity of the statement.  Oh, God.  Bad move.  Definitely the wrong thing to say.  What had possessed her?  She had to know he’d choose to view such a remark as a challenge.

      His eyes turned dark, hot, intense.  “Oh, I know you, Siobhan,” he answered.  There was laughter in his voice and love and a certainty that made her blush to the roots of her hair.  

            Yes.  He did.  And very well, too.

Return to Oberon

Omnibus Two: Books 4 - 6

Return-to-Oberon

A Taste of Honey

Touch of a Vanished Hand

The Spirit of the Place 

 

Second Chances, Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, First Love, Holiday Magic, Suspense, Angels.

Mug Shot: Sweater Weather

A few weeks ago I posted the other half of my Rachel Dunn Fall mug duo. I bought these mugs a year or two ago and I absolutely love them. They're BIG, Gorgeous colors, smooth satiny finishes, cute sayings. AND they come with covers--lovely walnut discs that double as coasters and have a maple leaf design burned into the top of them. 

I have so many fun Fall stories out right now, like the Oberon Halloween duo that released last week, or Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life, which released as part of the Love and Espresso anthology 

I think Giada would definitely approve of these mugs.

 

Love and Espresso

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Espresso-Zakrzewski-Anthologies-Ashley-ebook/dp/B0CSKS814M/

 

This collection features meet-cutes that take place in a bookstore/coffee shop. The heroines are looking for their HEA but never expected it to happen while picking up a cup of coffee or picking out their next book boyfriend.

Includes my new Atlas Beach story, Giada Mazzi is Living her Best Life:

​

Blurb: 

"life is more than just the lies we try and tell ourselves about what we’ve done and who we are.

​

 I guess the truth is that I never stopped loving Ben. And I never stopped imagining how different my life might have been if he were only the person I needed him to be, instead of the person that he is. Which is silly, right? I mean, truly; it’s laughable. Because if he were someone else, he wouldn’t be him.  And the world is already full of people like that. What good is one more gonna do me?

​

Besides, if I’m honest, Ben wasn’t ever the problem. That was me. I was never the person he believed me to be. Oh, I thought I was, in the beginning. I tried hard to be, and that worked for a while. Sort of. But eventually I reached the point where I had to make a choice between living life for myself, or for everyone else.

​

And when it came right down to that…how could I not choose me?"

​

TWO New Releases: Visions Before Midnight and Hungry Heart

 

Visions Before Midnight

Oberon Book 7.0

Chay Johnson is a traditional man; and the educator, flute maker, apprentice shaman has a lot of traditions to uphold, especially when it comes to choosing a life mate.

 Erin Allridge is a modern woman, with modern ideas about relationships and a painful personal history she has no intention of repeating.

 

 When terror and tragedy strike the small town of Oberon, the pair are forced to re-think their visions for the future.

 

 In this world of form and spirit it can be hard to find balance and harmony, but  sometimes, particularly when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, love can find a way to bridge the gap.​

https://books2read.com/VisionMidnight

Hungry Heart

An Oberon Halloween Story  

​

Cara Matthews is trouble—with a capital T. That's one thing that pretty much everyone in Oberon can agree on—parents, teachers, other students, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Seth Cavanaugh. 

​

Well, if you give a dog a bad name they'll probably live up to it, right?

​

This Halloween, after one insult too many, Cara's hellbent on wreaking revenge—no matter who gets hurt in the process.

 

***Please note: This is a companion book to Visions Before Midnight. While it can stand on its own (and does contain scenes and material that does not appear in Visions) this is essentially Cara's version of events, which may or may not be accurate. Do you trust her?***

https://books2read.com/HungryHeartOberon

Mug Shot: Day of the Dead Travel Mug

 

El día de Los Muertos is one of my favorite holidays--which is not to say that I celebrate it in any kind of traditional way, because I definitely do not. I was first introduced to it when my daughter's third grade class went on a field trip to the Oakland Museum of California  which hosts events every year to celebrate the holiday. 

The holiday features prominently (if incorrectly) in Visions Before Midnight, which releases tomorrow!

EXCERPT:

Through all the hills and forests that surrounded Oberon spirits roamed the night.  The long dead, the newly dead, those who merely craved death, either for themselves, or for others; the energy in the area seemed to draw them all.

It was the ‘tween of the year.  The time when veils grow thin and worlds collide.  It was a night made for dark deeds, for desperate measures and dire undertakings.   There were rituals to enact, on nights like these, and sacrifices to be made.  

It was a good night to pray.  A good night to cast spells.  And, in a small corner of the local cemetery, it was a good night to party until dawn.  

The graves, and all the paths that led to them, had been strewn tonight with marigold petals; to help the spirits of the departed find their way back.  Booths, set up along the narrow roads, sold food and toys and flowers.  A Mariachi band was playing.  People danced and sang.  Families made picnics on the grass.  Children ran among the markers, laughing and shouting, chasing after each other.  And everywhere you looked, it was plain to see that, even in the face of death, life would always go on.   

For all those who celebrated the Day of the Dead as a joyous occasion––a family reunion, of sorts––tonight was a social event.  A chance to visit with those of their kin who’d moved on, as well as those who were still in body. 

“I can’t believe your brother is missing this,” Camille complained.  “I really expected to see him here tonight.”

I don’t know why, Chenoa thought; he hasn’t been in years.  El Dia de los Muertos was not a holiday Chay had ever really enjoyed.   She counted out change for a customer who’d just purchased a dozen churros for his family, and then turned to her aunt.  “I told you, Camille, Chay’s off on a vision quest.  He’s trying to sort things out.”  

“Sort things out?” Camille scoffed.  “What things does he have to sort out?  He has responsibilities right here, doesn’t he?  I would have thought that would be enough for him.”

Really?  I would have thought it was too much for him, myself, Chenoa thought to herself.  But, then again, what do I know?  “I think maybe it had something to do with the pipe.”   

Pipes were more than mere tools, even she knew that.   They were not just sacred objects to be used during ceremonies. They did more than carry prayers to Creator.  They were teachers.  And, one of the main things they taught, was discernment.  Insight.  Understanding.  The ability to see things as they really are.

That was something Chay could use a lesson in, all right.  Maybe a few lessons, in fact.  

Camille nodded thoughtfully.  “That may have been a mistake.”

“What was?  Giving him the pipe?”  Chenoa looked at her aunt in surprise.  “I thought that’s what Paco wanted?  I thought that was why he gave it to you?  To give to Chay.”

Camille shrugged.  “Well, I thought so, too.  But, it’s possible I was wrong.”  She smiled at her niece.  A surprisingly bland smile, Chenoa thought, considering the bombshell she’d just dropped.  She’d gifted Chay with the pipe by accident?  “Now, if you’ll excuse me dear,” Camille said, still smiling, “there are some people I have to see.”

Chenoa watched as her aunt disappeared into the crowd, struck dumb by a sudden revelation, something she’d never once stopped to consider.  She’d underestimated her aunt all these years.  Camille was every bit as Heyoka as her father had been.

VISIONS BEFORE MIDNIGHT

Oberon Book 7

 https://books2read.com/VisionMidnight

Chay Johnson is a traditional man; and the educator, flute maker, apprentice shaman has a lot of traditions to uphold, especially when it comes to choosing a life mate.

​

 Erin Allridge is a modern woman, with modern ideas about relationships and a painful personal history she has no intention of repeating.

 

 When terror and tragedy strike the small town of Oberon, the pair are forced to re-think their visions for the future.

 

 In this world of form and spirit it can be hard to find balance and harmony, but  sometimes, particularly when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, love can find a way to bridge the gap.

Mug Shot: Galveston Mug

 

I'm sure I mentioned this already, but I've been fascinated lately with all these partially glazed mugs. This one is from Galveston (duh). It looks super beachy and commemorates sea turtles--which are a big thing along the Texas coast. 

We took a trip here earlier this year with my grandson and my dog. We drove our Tesla, even though there are no super chargers on the island, making it necessary for us to stay some distance away, rather than within view of the beach. It was worth it, however, because one of my favorite features in the car is the range of environmental features--including one that allows you to leave your dog safely and comfortably in the car while you do other things. 

Always assuming your dog doesn't get severe separation anxiety. This particular dog actually LOVES staying in the car. 

In any case, I can't hear the name Galveston (or write posts like this, or use my really attractive mug, or even think about the town) without immediately having this song start playing in my mind. So here's an earworn to start your week. Sorry, Not Sorry. 

I personally consider this one of the best of the anti-war songs that came out in the mid-to-late 60s. It probably didn't hurt that it came out in the same year as the original True Grit (which starred Campbell). I mean how many times can we watch Glenn Campbell die heroically (or sing about it) without trying to stop it? 

New Release: Return to Oberon (Omnibus Two)

 

https://books2reead.com/Return-to-Oberon

Contains books 4 through 6:

 

A Taste of Honey

Touch of a Vanished Hand

The Spirit of the Place 

Second Chances, Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, First Love, Holiday Magic, Suspense, Angels.

Mug Shot: Austin Bat Mug

Now, at first glance, you might think I'm coming in early for Halloween. But, nope. This mug celebrates Austin's bat population. In fact the background photo is titled,  "The Nightly Bat Flight from the Congress Street Bridge in Austin, TX". 

Before I moved here, I didn't know that this was a thing. There's a similar phenomenon that happens in Sydney, Australia--which I've witnessed--but I had NO IDEA about Austin. But here's a link in case you're interested in learning more:

https://www.austintexas.org/things-to-do/outdoors/bat-watching/

And that's pretty much all I have to say about that. It's pretty much my grandson's favorite mug (because he thinks it's Halloween-themed, too) and it does have a handle, in case you were wondering, but I couldn't get the handle and AUSTIN in the same shot. 

I bought this mug at The Oasis on Lake Travis, just north of Austin (still technically Austin, I suppose) which is a great spot for brunch or (I guess) viewing the sunset...if you live out that way or don't mind being stuck in traffic on the way home.  Sorry, Not Sorry. I've grown to loathe traffic in recent years. 

Even though this is not--strictly speaking--a Halloween mug, it fits this week because I am annotating Visions Before Midnight, which is A. Set at Halloween and B. has A LOT to do with the Natural World (not to mention Biology and Botany and other Natural Sciences). One of the main characters works in a high school as a teaching assistant and the other runs a nature center that focuses on Native American history and culture--particularly how it applies to animals and plants. 

I don't think I have a scene with bats in it, but it would be totally appropriate if I did.