New for October from Our Love Inspired Contemporary Authors

Jean C. Gordon here with three new must buys from our Love Inspired Contemporary authors. Just click on a cover to buy one. And to learn more about these talented ladies, click on their names.

An Alaskan Christmas
by Belle Calhoune 

HER CHRISTMAS MATCH
After inheriting a gift shop in Love, Alaska, single mom Maggie Richards is ready for a new beginning—while her little boy is ready for a new daddy! But Maggie has no time for love—she wants to open the shop in time for Christmas, something she'll do with help from childhood friend Finn O'Rourke. Finn's on board to help Maggie—but not with the romance rumors that swirl around them like snow. Like Maggie, he's hiding too many secrets to ever wed. So why do Maggie and her little boy make him dream of finding an unusual gift under the tree—a ready-made family?

Amish Christmas Twins
by Patricia Davids

THE WIDOWER'S CHRISTMAS WISH
With Christmas just around the corner, widow Willa Chase will do anything to retain custody of her twin girls and unborn baby—even if it means escaping to her childhood Amish home. After her grandfather turns her away, Willa finds herself stranded at the home of blacksmith John Miller. A widower, John buries himself in work—until Willa's vibrant twins become impossible to ignore. And before long, John is smitten with their beautiful mother, too. But when Willa's past secrets are revealed, will they prevent John's Christmas wish for a happily-ever-after from coming true?

The Rancher's Mistletoe Bride
by Jill Kemerer

COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Wedding planner Lexi Harrington needs a manager for her inherited Wyoming ranch. Clint Romine is the perfect man for the job, but the ruggedly handsome cowboy soon presents a new dilemma—distraction. Lexi can't fall for a small-town rancher when she's planning to return to her big-city career after the holidays. Home has always been elusive for former foster kid Clint. Working alongside Lexi at Rock Step Ranch feels too cozy—and too risky. Opening up to her means revealing a secret about his past that could jeopardize everything he holds dear. This Christmas, can Clint learn to trust Lexi with the truth…and with his heart?

Make it work...by Allie Pleiter

One of the themes that keeps showing up in my books is resilience. The ability to find a “Plan B” when our first plan gets scuttled. It’s my personal believe that God shows His providence and imagination on our Plan B’s. I can recall many times where His plan (because it’s really only Plan B from my perspective, isn’t it?) turned out far better than what I had in mind.

The same is true for Tess Buckton. She’s come home to the Blue Thorn Ranch thinking everything has fallen apart, only to learn things are falling into place. Cooper Pine is struggling to put things right in his world for his daughter. Like all great love stories, they have to go through a lot to realize how much they need each other. But it all works out in the end, and The Texas Rancher's New Family wraps up the series with heartwarming perfection.

Us authors have to show a bit of resilience, too.  If you remember from the post on August 29, Belle Calhoune and I went through a mix up of our own. Belle received the large print copies of my book while I received the large print copies of hers. When we discovered the issue, we were happy to realize that a “swap” could solve the problem. But why leave it there? Let’s have fun with it, and each give away the other’s book.

So that’s what we’re doing. In August Belle gave away a copy of my book. So now, I’m giving away a copy of hers. Leave a comment along with your email and I’ll put your name in a drawing for a copy of Belle’s His Secret Alaskan Heiress.

Turn our predicament into your prize!

Baked Alaska recipe from Teri Wilson, author of LI Alaska series

Hi, everyone! 

This is a post I've been meaning to do for a while. You know how it is...there's always something you plan on doing, and somehow it just gets put off. Right?

A few years ago, when I was busy slaving away on ALASKAN HEARTS (which would later become my very first book with Love Inspired), I remember saying to my critique partners, "If I ever sell this book to Harlequin, I'm going to celebrate by making Baked Alaska." I mean, how appropriate! 

Fast forward to the present. My Alaska series for LI is now 5 books strong, and have I made that Baked Alaska yet? Um...no. Not exactly. There's something little intimidating about taking on an ice cream cake that you eventually set on fire. 

How does it not turn into a melted mess? Better yet, how do I manage to not set my kitchen fire?

But right here, right now, I'm taking the first step. I found a recipe! (Don't laugh. You have to start somewhere.) 

I'm including the recipe below. This particular recipe does not require actual flames. But the total preparation time is a whopping eight hours and 30 minutes. Egad. Never fear, though. Only one hour of that time is active. (I can only assume the rest of the time is spent wondering what you've gotten yourself into.) And look how pretty it is! Just like Alaska, only with sugar. 

Does anyone care to join me in this little culinary adventure? Better yet, has anyone actually made Baked Alaska before??

Do tell. Please. 

Ingredients

Ice Cream Dome

2

cups (1 pint) peppermint ice cream, softened

6

cups (1.5 quarts) mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened

6

cups (1.5 quarts) vanilla ice cream, softened 

Brownie Base

1

cup butter

8

oz bittersweet chocolate

4

eggs

2

cups sugar

2

teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4

cup all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon salt

Merinque

8

egg whites, room temperature

1/4

teaspoon cream of tartar

1

cup sugar

Directions

Directions 

• Line a 3-quart bowl with plastic wrap. Fill base of bowl with peppermint ice cream; layer with mint chocolate chip ice cream, then finish with a layer of vanilla ice cream. Cover surface with plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is very hard, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in advance.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place butter and chocolate in a medium glass bowl over a saucepan of hot water (or a double boiler) and stir the butter and chocolate until melted. This can also be done in a microwave by placing butter and chocolate in microwave-safe medium glass bowl and microwaving on High for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Set aside to cool
• In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until well combined. In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the flour to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into cake pan. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• When the brownie is completely cool, about 1 hour. Turn brownie out onto a large flat, ovenproof plate. Unmold the ice cream dome on top of the brownie layer. Place back in the freezer. 
• With electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Increase the speed to high and add the sugar in a slow stream until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Remove ice cream dome from freezer. Remove plastic wrap. Cover the ice cream dome with the meringue, covering it completely, using the back of spoon to make swirly peaks. Freeze for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
• Heat the oven to 500°F. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until the peaks start to turn a golden brown color. For easier slicing, let cake stand for 30 minutes. Slice and serve. 

Come visit Teri's world of Aurora, Alaska, in her latest book for Love Inspired - ALASKAN HOMECOMING. 

Ballet dancer Posy Sutton is only back in her hometown of Aurora, Alaska, until her injury heals. It's a decision that'd be easier to stick to if she didn't keep bumping into her charming ex-boyfriend, Liam Blake. After six years, she should be over him—but instead all she can see is the mistake she made when she left him. She's not sure she can handle choosing between Liam and ballet a second time…if Liam is even willing to risk his heart again. When her time in Alaska is up, will she and Liam be part of the sweetest dance of all?

Recipe from Betty Crocker.

Ballerinas and Bears! ALASKAN HOMECOMING by Teri Wilson

 

Hi everyone! I'm Teri Wilson, and today is my day on the blog. I write for Love Inspired, and my most recent book is ALASKAN HOMECOMING, which came out in March.

ALASKAN HOMECOMING is the 4th book in my series of Alaskan romances for LI, so it's full of fun Alaskan things, like snow, ice skating, naughty reindeer, gigantic dogs, snowball fights, romance (of course!) and bears. Lots of bears! But I can't say anymore about that without giving things away. No spoilers!

One of the things I like best about ALASKAN HOMECOMING is my heroine, Posy. She's a ballerina. I love ballet, and I've wanted to write a ballet-themed book for a long time. (I just had to figure out how to bring ballet to Alaska.) So, in celebration of my heroine, Posy Sutton, here are seven fun facts about ballet:

1. A male dancer lifts over one and a half tons (!) worth of ballerinas during a single ballet performance.

2. Most ballerinas wear out 2-3 pair of pointe shoes per week. 

3. One tutu costs up to $2,000 to make. 

4. The same tutu requires 60-90 hours of labor and over 100 yards of ruffle.

5. The amount of energy needed to perform a ballet is about the same as playing two full football matches or running 18 miles. 

6. Pointe shoes never have the ribbons sewn on when you buy them. Dancers sew their own ribbons into their shoes, so they can customize exactly where they're placed. They usually sew elastic onto the shoes as well. The amount of time that ballet dancers spend with a needle in their hands is a lot.

7. A prima ballerina can complete 32 fouette turns, while staying in the same exact spot on the floor. After the turns, the tip of her pointe shoe is hot to the touch. 

Surprised? There's a lot to ballet besides pretty pink satin and ballerina buns! Want to learn more? Check out ALASKAN HOMECOMING!

Ballet dancer Posy Sutton is only back in her hometown of Aurora, Alaska, until her injury heals. It's a decision that'd be easier to stick to if she didn't keep bumping into her charming ex-boyfriend, Liam Blake. After six years, she should be over him—but instead all she can see is the mistake she made when she left him. She's not sure she can handle choosing between Liam and ballet a second time…if Liam is even willing to risk his heart again. When her time in Alaska is up, will she and Liam be part of the sweetest dance of all?

Alaskan Homecoming, my grandpa and Peter & the Wolf!

Hi everyone! It's Teri Wilson, and this month I'm celebrating the release of the newest book in my Alaska series for Love Inspired. Here's a little bit about Alaskan Homecoming.

Ballet dancer Posy Sutton is only back in her hometown of Aurora, Alaska, until her injury heals. It's a decision that'd be easier to stick to if she didn't keep bumping into her charming ex-boyfriend, Liam Blake. After six years, she should be over him—but instead all she can see is the mistake she made when she left him. She's not sure she can handle choosing between Liam and ballet a second time…if Liam is even willing to risk his heart again. When her time in Alaska is up, will she and Liam be part of the sweetest dance of all?

Will they? I'll never tell! *wink*

This was a book that I've been wanting to write for a very long time. I love ballet. I take dance lessons, and I've always wanted to write a ballerina heroine. I think most writers will tell you that we always leave pieces of ourselves behind in every book we write. My passion for ballet and romance are just a few of the pieces of myself in Alaskan Homecoming. I've also included a very special musical arrangement.

My heroine, Posy, uses a classical recording of Peter & the Wolf to teach ballet lessons at the church youth group. I chose this piece of music because it's something that my grandfather played for me all the time when I was a little girl. My grandpa was a classical music buff. He loved to listen to John Phillips Sousa marches and Pavarotti librettos. He would turn the music up so loud that the walls in his little apartment would shake. I spent a lot of time with my grandpa, and I'm so proud to say that a love for classical music is one of his passions that he passed along to me. And it all started with Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf, narrated by Boris Karloff. It was a story set to music. The most magnificent thing I'd ever heard. 

My grandpa played it every time he babysat for me. I remember sitting at his kitchen table, eating raisin toast with butter and listening to the lilting tune of Peter early on Saturday mornings. It's how I learned what different instruments sounded like. It's how I learned to love music. It's how I learned who my grandpa was. I loved him very much, and that's why my heroine dances to Peter & the Wolf in Alaskan Homecoming.  

Click here to listen to Peter & the Wolf in its entirety. It's about 26 minutes long, but I hope you give it a listen, even if just for a minute or two. Enjoy! 

And if you happen to pick up a copy of Alaskan Homecoming, happy reading! 

Love and blessings, 

Teri xo

Visit me at www.teriwilson.net!
Click here to purchase ALASKAN HOMECOMING

Knit Brock's Hero Hat from Alaskan Hero!

Happy Monday, everyone! Alaskan Hero, my latest book for Love Inspired, is on the shelves now. In addition to being chock full of snow, romance, avalanche search-and-rescue dogs and goofy grizzly bear costumes, this book also features one of my favorite hobbies - knitting!

I learned how to knit last year as one of my New Year's resolutions, so I couldn't resist putting my heroine, Anya Petrova, in a church knitting group that knits warm winter hats for underpriviledged folks living in the hard to reach areas of Alaska. Along the way, she also knits a crazy striped hat for the hero, Brock Parker. And that hat ends up helping save someone's life.

No, I won't tell you who! It's a surprise.

If you'd like to try knitting Brock's hero hat, here's a special pattern that my knitting teacher was kind enough to create for the release of Alaskan Hero... Happy knitting and reading!

BROCK’S HERO HAT

Pattern and photos by Wendy Pohlhammer

Skill level: Easy

To fit head size: 20” (22”, 24”)

Yarn used: Worsted-weight 100% wool, such as Cascade 220 or Ella Rae Classic, needs about 60 grams each of red and off-white and small amounts of yellow, teal, orange, & royal blue.

Knitting needles: 16” US size 8 (5 mm) circulars & US size 8 (5 mm) double-pointed needles.

Tools: stitch markers, scissors, darning needle, pompom maker

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4” in stockinette

Work as follows:

With red, cast on 80 (90, 100) stitches on circular needle.  Join to work in the round, placing a marker at the beginning of the round.  Work k 2, p 2 ribbing for 4 inches.

Change to white and knit (stockinette) for 6 rounds.

Continue color pattern as follows: 4 rounds yellow, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds teal, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds orange, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds red, 6 rounds white, 4 rounds blue, 6 rounds white.  On last row of white, place markers as follows:* K 16 (18, 20), place marker, repeat from * to end of round.

Work decreases as follows, beginning with yellow:

Round 1: * k2tog, k to marker, slip marker, repeat from * to end of round.

Round 2: knit

Repeat these two rounds until 30 stitches remain, keeping the following color progression: 2 more rounds yellow (for a total of 4 rounds of yellow), 6 rounds white, 4 rounds orange, 6 rounds white (end of small size); med & large continue with 4 rounds teal (end of med size); large only continue with 4 rounds white.

To finish: Break yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail.  Thread tail through remaining stitches and pull tight.  Bring yarn to inside and take a few stitches across closure to secure.  Weave in all ends.

Make a 2 ½ inch wide pompom, following the instructions on the pompom maker.  Attach pompom to top of hat.

© Wendy Pohlhammer, 2013.

KNOCK, KNOCK...

How would you like to knock on a door and find that face on the other side? In the opening pages of Alaskan Hero, my upcoming May release from Love Inspired, that's exactly what happens to heroine Anya Petrova.

Sort of.

What she really finds is a man dressed in a bear costume.

Some might say that's more disturbing than coming across an actual bear. Why would anyone in his right mind walk around dressed as a grizzly? And just what does he look like underneath that bear head?

Find out in this excerpt from Chapter One of Alaskan Hero:

Anya Petrova shoved her mittened hands in the pockets of her parka as she stood on Brock Parker's threshold and tried not to react. The man had answered the door dressed in a furry bear costume. It wasn't every day that she knocked on a stranger's door and found a grizzly bear, albeit a fake one, on the other side. Even in Alaska.

She pasted on a smile. "Hi, I'm Anya Petrova. I emailed you about my dog. You're Brock, right?"  

He nodded, but made no move to take off the bear head.

Super. Anya had to stop herself from exhaling a frustrated sigh.

She'd expected someone normal, especially considering Brock Parker's reputation. He was new in town, an avalanche search and rescue expert and alleged dog genius, at least according to what Anya's friend Clementine had told her. Anya had been trying in vain to reach him for the past two days, but he appeared to be a mystery. He didn't even have a locally listed phone number, and he'd yet to make an appearance in town. And she'd been looking—hard—because a dog genius is exactly what she needed at the moment.

Fortunately, Clementine had managed to procure Brock's email address. Anya had fired off a message and was thrilled when he agreed to meet with her. Clementine had predicted he would turn out to be the answer to Anya's prayers. What she'd failed to predict was that Brock Parker would be dressed head to toe in a grizzly bear costume when he answered his front door.

The odds are good, but the goods are odd.  

Some considered it Alaska's best kept secret.

The rest of the free world seemed all too aware of the fact that men outnumbered women in the Land of the Midnight Sun. So much so that sometimes the statistics Anya Petrova saw on the subject made her shake her head in disbelief, if not snort with laughter. Fifteen to one? Did people in the Lower 48 really believe that?  

Anya had lived in Aurora, Alaska, since the day she was born. She even had a dash of Inuit blood in her veins, and she knew as well as every other Alaskan woman that such statistics were exaggerated at best. At worst, they were baloney. In any event, the exact ratio didn't make a bit of difference. Because the men of Alaska weren't like other men. The majority of them, anyway. Like anything else, there were exceptions.

A few.  

A very few.

The odds are good, but the goods are odd. Or, to put it nicely, Alaskan men could be eccentric. And it wasn't just the locals. Sometimes the transplants could be even worse. There seemed to be something about Alaska that attracted independent spirits, adventurers…and oddballs. Case in point—the man standing in front of her in a bear costume.

Not that she cared a whit about Aurora's bachelor population, strange or otherwise. She'd learned a long time ago that men were trouble. In her infancy, actually. Being abandoned by her father at three months of age didn't exactly set her up for success in the man department. Neither did being unceremoniously dumped on top of the highest mountain in Aurora for the entire town to witness. More than the town's population, actually, because television cameras had been involved.

As a result, dating wasn't anywhere on the list of things that mattered most to Anya. Her life was simple. She cared about three things—God, coffee and her dog.

She had a good handle on the coffee situation. As the manager of the Northern Lights Inn coffee bar, she was given free rein to develop all sorts of lattes, mochas and espresso drinks. Whatever struck her fancy, really. She enjoyed it. And she was good at it. Sometimes—particularly on days when all she did was serve up cup after cup of plain black coffee—she wondered if there was something else she should be doing with her life. Something more meaningful. But that was normal, wasn't it? Did people really ever feel completely fulfilled by their jobs?

The God thing was new, so she really couldn't say how that was going. But it mattered to her. More than she ever knew it could, so it went on the list.  

But the dog was another issue entirely. And that's where Brock Parker came into the picture, or so Anya hoped. Clementine had been so sure he could help her. She'd used the word genius to describe his proficiency at training.  

He sure didn't look like a genius standing there in his doorway in that bear costume. Then again, what did Anya know about geniuses? Hadn't she read somewhere that Albert Einstein couldn't tie his own shoes? Maybe Einstein had a bear suit too.  

She glanced down at Brock's feet poking out from the dark-brown fur. He wore hiking boots, and they were indeed tied.  

Was that a good thing? Who knew?  

She inhaled a deep breath of frigid winter air and tried again. "I have a very anxious dog, and I was told you might be able to help me. I'm kind of desperate."

She'd planned to tell him more, but suddenly her eyes burned with the telltale sting of tears. To say she was desperate was an understatement. Things seemed bad enough when she'd first rescued Dolce. The poor thing hid under the bed all the time. Anya barely saw her. Little did she know Dolce's shyness was the least of her problems.  

The tiny dog also howled at the top of her canine lungs. At first, Anya had been able to convince the people at the Northern Lights Inn—who were not only her employer, but also her landlord—to give the dog some time. Surely Dolce would settle down.  

She hadn't. Not yet anyway. And the hotel management had run out of patience. They'd finally given her an ultimatum—give up either the dog or her rent-free cottage.  

The choice was hers. She had a mere fourteen days to fix the problem or lose her dog or her home. She'd pinned her last hope on Brock's purported genius, and from the looks of things, that might have been a mistake.  

She sniffed and willed herself not to shed a tear. Desperate or not, crying in front of a man dressed as a bear was simply out of the question.  

She heard a sigh. Brock's furry chest rose and fell. Then—finally—he removed the bear head, exposing his face.

Anya wasn't altogether sure what she'd expected, but the cool blue eyes, straight perfect nose and high cheekbones that looked as though they'd been chiseled from granite were most definitely not it. The man resembled some kind of dreamy Nordic statue. Anya had to blink to make sure she wasn't seeing things.  

"You say your dog is anxious? How anxious?" He spoke without cracking the slightest smile, which only made him look more like something Michelangelo had carved out of stone.

Anya swallowed. Her mouth had abruptly gone dry. The snowflakes floating against her cheeks felt colder all of a sudden, and she realized her face had grown quite warm. "Very. I rescued her from a bad situation, and unless she's attached to a leash, I can't get her to come out from under my bed. She even eats there and only in the dark."  

It was pathetic. Every night when Anya drifted off to sleep, it was to the sound of poor Dolce crunching on kibble.

"But that's not the worst of it. She howls. Rather loudly." Anya's voice grew wobbly. "I'm about to be kicked out of my cottage."  

"I see." Brock nodded, and a lock of his disheveled blond hair fell across his forehead.

She'd heard of bedhead, but never bearhead. It, too, appeared to have its charms.

Alaskan Hero, Coming in May from Harlequin Love Inspired. Available for pre-order now!

Recipe - Authentic Alaskan Blueberry Cake

I like to start off every new year with a goal—something fun I’d like to accomplish during the course of the year. Last year, my goal was to learn how to knit. Yep, everyone got scarves for Christmas.

 Back in 2011, I had a simpler—albeit calorie-laden—aspiration. My goal was to make 50 new desserts from scratch. I succeeded. Out of all the new recipes I tried, my absolute favorite was one given to me by a fellow volunteer at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska.

Since my first three books for Love Inspired all take place in Alaska, most readers assume that’s where I live. I don’t. I’m a Texas girl. For the past three years, I’ve traveled to Alaska to volunteer with sled dogs at the race. From the first time I flew over Alaska and saw the Northern Lights from the airplane window, I fell in love with the place! Whenever I miss Alaska, the dogs, the snow, and the wonderful Alaskan people, I like to make my favorite dessert.  

So I’d love to share this recipe with all my readers out there! Bon Appetit, Alaskan style!

ALASKAN BLUEBERRY CAKE

3/4 cup butter

2  1/4 tsp. baking powder

1  1/2 cup sugar

3/8 tsp. salt

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2   1/4 cup wild blueberries

2 1/4 cups of sifted cake flour

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add well-beaten egg yolks and vanilla.

Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk to cream mixture beating well after each addition.

Beat egg whites until frothy and fold into the batter.

Pour half of the batter into a 9x13 greased pan. Cover with the flour-dusted blueberries, then add remaining batter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for almost 1 hour or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powder sugar. Serve hot.

Coming in May - ALASKAN HERO!

 

The Best Places to Fall in Love

Hi, everyone! I'm Teri Wilson, a brand new Craftie Lady. Alaskan Hearts, my first book for Love Inspired, was released in June this year and the follow-up, Alaskan Hero will hit the shelves in May 2013. I suspect you've already spotted the connection...both books are set in Alaska, one of my favorite places on earth.

I wrote Alaskan Hearts after my first trip to Alaska a little over two years ago. Alaska is like no place I've ever been before and I was very inspired by the time I spent there. The snow, the mountains...it was magical. Once, when I thought I heard someone's cell phone vibrating in church, it turned out to be a moose call! Someone pointed to the window and I turned to see a moose peeking in the church window during the worship service. I also learned how to mush a team of sled dogs while I was there, something I'd obviously never done in my hometown in south Texas.

Full moon over Alaska, March 2012

I took this photo while standing on a frozen lake,

awaiting a ski plane full of dogs 

To me, settings are crucial for writing romance. There's a fantastical quality to a story set in a place that's unique. Readers feel as though they've been on an exciting vacation, perhaps just like the characters in your book. I also think it lends a sense of legitimacy to the romance of the hero and heroine. How can your heroine not fall in love when she's holding hands with a handsome stranger and watching the Northern Lights dancing over their heads?

As I write this blog post, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Napa Valley, California. I'm here with friends for a 3-day weekend. Yesterday we went on a 20-mile bicycling tour through the wine country. (Take a moment to think about that. 20 miles. On a bike. Yes, I'm sitting on a pillow right now.) Not only had I never seen the wine country before, but I'd also never, ever ridden a "real" bicycle with gears and hand brakes. What can I say? I'm a very girly girl. My bike at home is baby blue and pink, and it has foot brakes.

Me (on the left), with my friend April, standing in a vineyard,

getting ready to hop on our bicycles.

Don't let the smile fool you. I was terrified.

Despite the fact that I kept forgetting how to stop and I was worried I would crash into the person in front of me, I had a great time. The vineyards we visited were breathtakingly beautiful. We ate warm grapes, fresh off the vine and saw a jack rabbit darting through a field of sunflowers. I'm pretty sure I've found a perfect setting for a new romance. What do you think?