THE SECRET, the third
book in the Butler
Ranch series, is set on the Central Coast of California, one of my favorite
places on earth.
I started visiting this area with my mom when I was a little girl, and through
the years, it became my place. Regardless of who I took along with me,
we always stayed in one of the inns or motels on Moonstone Beach Road in
Cambria. In the first two books, THE PROMISE and THE TRUCE, the characters
Peyton and Alex live in Cambria, and its Main Street is the location for Stave.
Cambria is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, midway
between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California State Route 1. The name
Cambria, chosen in 1869, is the Latin name for Wales. The village is situated
amidst Monterey pines, in one of only three such native forests.
Every book in this series includes multiple scenes on the Moonstone Beach and
its boardwalk. Famous for its dramatic coastline and breathtaking views, this
one-mile-long section of oceanfront is a great place to view sea otters, whales
and dolphins, or simply soak up the sun, while sinking your toes in the sand.
Just fifteen miles north of Cambria on a rugged, windswept coastal point rests
the historic Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. Named for the large nearby white rocks
that sea captains used to guide them to shore, the Piedras Blancas Light Station
was first illuminated in 1875 to guide mariners along the rocky California
coast. In the first book, Brodie and Peyton toured the lighthouse and shared
their first kiss there.
The true star of the series, though, is the Paso Robles Wine Country, home to
over two-hundred wineries, including the fictitious Butler Ranch, Wolf Family
Vintners, Los Caballeros, Demetria Estate Wines, and Jenson Vineyards. There are
40,000 acres planted in this area best known for Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon
and Bordeaux-style blends, Rhône Blends including Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre,
as well as Viognier, "Cal-Italians" including Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera.
My husband and I chose Cambria and Paso Robles as the setting for our wedding
twenty years ago, and decided the absolute best weekend for it would be in
mid-May when Paso Robles wineries hold their annual festival. Our plan was to
spend our anniversary weekend there with all our friends, year after year. And
then we moved to Colorado, quashing those plans! Here's the good news, however,
I have to visit to book research, right?
Heather Slade's books are filled with things that bring her joy: music, wine,
skiing, families, artists, and cowboys. Not always in that order.
Slade grew up an east coast girl, and then spent half her life on the west
coast. Now she happily calls Colorado home.
Butler Ranch
#3
Can Naughton Butler risk letting Bradley Saint John into his heart, or
will his brother's secret ruin his one shot at love?
Naughton Butler is a loner, partially by choice, but also because the secret
his dead brother left with him could tear his life apart. When he and his
brother Maddox inherit four hundred acres of prime vineyard property, they must
decide how to manage Butler Ranch Winery, along with starting a new winery on
Demetria Estate.
The solution is to hire the new kick-ass, hotter-than-all-get-out, winemaker
who just landed on the Central Coast. When Naughton meets Bradley St. John, he's
expecting a man—and she is anything but. Thinking it's a joke, he refuses to
take her seriously. Bradley leaves, forcing him to follow and apologize. He
watches as she makes her way through the vineyards, she was born to them, just
like he was.
Getting a job with Butler Ranch Winery right out of college, is more than
Bradley could've dreamed of. When Maddox Butler interviews her for the position,
he warns her that Naughton could be difficult, but once he recognized her
abilities, he'd back off. The burning question now was, would she want him to?
Naughton can't stay away from her, even knowing being with her is impossible.
Romance Contemporary
[Author Self-Published, On Sale: October 16, 2017,
e-Book, / ]
Butler Ranch
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