Heather Heyford’s newest release is First Comes Love, Book 2 of A Willamette Valley Romance. Here, Heather shares a glimpse into her world of wine and romance . . .
In First Comes Love, Alex is a jaded detective who vows he’ll never be domesticated—until two little boys have nowhere else to turn. Kerry, the fiery attorney who almost destroyed his career, and a single mother with deep roots in the wine country—becomes determined to weave him into her tangled family vine. I love how these two strong-willed characters butt heads before realizing they belong together.
What made you become a writer?
My dad was in the military, so growing up, I moved every three years. I was a dreamy, introverted kid, constantly needing to adapt to new environments. To cope, I read—a lot. But it wasn’t until I was teaching art that a story kept nagging at me until I finally caved and wrote it, thinking that would be that. Instead, it showed me that writing what I was meant to do.
What was it that made you into a self-described wineau?
It must have been fate. When I was seven we lived in a tiny French village where, despite their modest budget, my parents could afford to buy champagne by the 12-liter bottle, which came up to my hip. When we moved back to the states, I was struck by how small the wine bottles were here!
Years later, I was so inspired on my first visit to the Napa Valley that I imagined a whole series of love stories there: The Napa Valley Wine Heiresses.
Then, when a family member moved to Oregon, I fell in love all over again with the Willamette Valley. People say the Willamette is now what Napa was twenty-five years ago, and based on my research walking the vineyards and talking to the growers and the winemakers in person, I’d have to agree. It’s still somewhat rugged and undeveloped, but the air hums with excitement and potential. That’s also where I envisioned my books, The Crush, Intoxicating, and Kisses Sweeter Than Wine.
What do you love most about the Willamette Valley?
Lumbersexuals. I bow to any guy whose grooming is superior to mine.
Pinot noir. Sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand used to be my go-to wine, until I tasted Erath pinot noir. I love Erath’s back story about the engineer who started out making garage wine, vowing to one day make the world’s best pinot under twenty dollars—and succeeded.
Voodoo viniculture. What’s not to like about a culture that buries crushed quartz crystals in cow horns in the middle of their vineyards on the summer solstice in hopes of a good harvest?
What’s next?
Right All Along
Jack was born wine country royalty and Harley was from a blue-collar family, but she always believed they were meant for each other—until he stunned her by marrying someone else. Fast-forward ten years. Successful beyond expectation, Harley returns to Ribbon Ridge just as Jack is struggling to raise precocious twin daughters alone. The question is, has he learned enough to win back the woman whose world he once turned upside down? You can pre-order now for delivery in the fall.
As you might have guessed by now, the theme running through all of my books is one that’s close to my heart: finding home. I hope you love them! Stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.
In Heather Heyford’s newest book, a single mom and attorney with deep roots in the rolling hills of Oregon’s Ribbon Ridge wine country thinks her family is perfect as is—until she crosses paths again with a gruff police officer who has two boys of his own . . .
There is nothing sweeter than the family you pick yourself . . .
After detective Alex Walker’s last case in Portland is skewered by a tough-as-nails attorney, he decides to finish out his career on a quiet note in the Willamette Valley. Dedicated to his job and committed to his family, he’s fine letting his brusque exterior keep even the thought of a relationship at bay—especially once he realizes his new hometown is the old hometown of the attorney who ruined his last case . . .
Single mom and attorney Kerry O’Hearn is just as wary as Alex is, thanks to her disastrous first marriage. But she isn’t fooled by Alex’s tough-guy image. When he asks for her assistance in gaining custody of two little boys from an abusive foster home, she sees what he desperately tries to hide: a giant-sized heart. Between them they have five kids and a whole barrel of bad experience. And yet, Kerry can’t shake the feeling that she and the crusty cop were meant to be . . .
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