HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It’s the last day of the year, and I just sent a manuscript to my editor and a cover art form to my cover artist, for what will be my June 2020 release — GAME CHANGER (a Wynn Hockey book). It seems like a good time to reflect on the past year - in fact, the past DECADE, as 2019 closes out.
I published my first book in 2009. So it’s been a decade of being a published author for me. My goals as an author have changed over the years. First, it was to see if I could write a book. Then to see if I could get published. When I started making money, I hoped I could make enough that some day I could be a full time writer. Then I did make enough, but things happened in my personal life that stopped that from happening. It took longer than I wanted, but I go into 2020 as a full time author for the first time ever. And that makes me so happy!
I already made a plan for 2020, but typical in this business, it already has to change. I got some great news as the year ends that my publisher Penguin Random House will still be publishing my books! Woop! We’re going to start something new, which I’m working on, so stay tuned.
But that won’t necessarily mean the end of my Wynn Hockey books — see above — I’m self publishing it! Another change and a challenge for 2020!
So I’ll figure out a new plan and I’m excited about it and about sharing more of my stories with all of you
Happy New Year!
It’s been a while since I posted updates. I’m going to do better with that because I AM NOW A FULL TIME AUTHOR! Woop!
That’s right, that’s my biggest news. Around the end of October, I left the day job and am now writing full time. I’m in heaven! This is what I’ve wanted my whole life. I’ve come up with an ambitious publishing schedule for next year, let’s hope I can do it!
My other big news is this little girl…she joined our family in early October. This is Penny, now four months old. She is sweet and sassy (a lot sassy, LOL) and so, so cute! She’s keeping me busy, so good thing I only have one job now!
In November, I traveled to Houston for the fabulous Romance Author Mastermind conference. I learned a lot and hung out with my author friends. I love that so much, they really get me! And yes, we did drink a little wine.
Me with Kat Mizera and Tess Thompson
If you’re following my release schedule, I have a surprise! I’m going to squeeze in a release in January, in between Wynn Hockey books. Here are the details:
Arden Lennox’s charmed life may be in pieces, but she’d sooner get her hoohaw bleached than move back in with her parents. She’s no longer the prom-queen princess married to the football star. She’s a broke, penniless widow, and it’s time she stood on her own two feet.
An under-construction unit in a quaint Chicago brownstone is cheap (free), but it comes with an unexpected surprise. Tyler Ramirez, her brother’s gawky high school best friend, is now a smoking hot firefighter who spends most of his spare time in her unit hammering, drilling, and screwing. Usually with his shirt off—a temptation she has no intention of indulging.
Tyler can’t believe his high school crush is living right across the hall, or how fast his fierce lust for her comes blazing back. She’s still gorgeous—a little sadder, a little quieter, but still with the amazing smile and sweet body that fueled his awkward teenage fantasies.
Despite her best intentions, Arden can’t resist grown up Tyler but the sparks between them send her into full retreat. And by the time she realizes the heat between them could last a lifetime, it could be too late to tell him…
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2OE3GXq
Apple: http://bit.ly/kjfirecracker
Nook: http://bit.ly/firecrackerN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/firecrackerK
Things I’m loving…
I’m still obsessed with these red wines that are aged in whiskey or bourbon barrels. This is the latest one I’ve tried…
I’ve been listening to this playlist on Spotify a lot…
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/16gXsmg48MdRTqCLNnx9Cu?si=U_V8T-GNR5OKNaV1TYwPFA
And my favorite Bath & Body Works scent is back!
It’s FINALLY release day for WIN BIG! I’m so sorry for the delay in getting this book out there, but yay! It’s finally here!
And I’m SO happy because I loved writing this book and you’re going to love it too!
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When your name is Wynn, victory’s the only option. . . .
Everly Wynn: As the only daughter in the Wynn family of hockey heroes, I never shared the ice with my brothers—or the approval they got from my father.
And that was before the scandal that ruined my life at sixteen.
Now that I’ve put all that behind me and built a successful career, the last thing I need is another hockey player in my life.
Especially one like Wyatt Bell.
He’s an arrogant, fast-living party boy. I hate how he gets by on his good looks and charm.
So why can’t I get him out of my mind?
Wyatt Bell: Life is short, and you’ve got to live it to the fullest. I learned that the hard way.
So on the ice, I always play to win, and on the town, fun and flirting are my game.
Because it’s better to laugh your way through the pain than to let them see you’re hurting—but I’ll never stop wishing I could find someone to share the real me with.
Something about Everly Wynn makes me think she could be the one.
But all she sees is a hockey jock hooked on good times.
If she didn’t take herself so seriously, maybe she would take a chance on being happy.
Everly is a special character for me, and I love Wyatt for his struggle – he is truly a hero.
I have been struggling for weeks now about something that is happening in Romancelandia and how to deal with it.
Someone I worked with who I liked and respected professionally has recently been the subject of a lot of scrutiny, of both her present and past behaviour. My struggle is multi-faceted—how to reconcile the person I thought I knew with her beliefs and the actions she took; how to be an ally to authors of colour and maintain a relationship with this person; do I want to maintain a relationship with this person? Should I speak up or stay out of it? I'm not impacted personally, but what kind of ally am I if I stay quiet? And the uncomfortable realization that staying quiet is using (abusing) my privilege when others have been hurt.
Can you still care about someone who did bad things?
To try to understand my feelings, I read articles about how women were feeling after men they knew and loved were accused of sexual assault. Experts referred to this as a "secondary trauma", since these women weren't harassed or assaulted, but they experienced a deep sense of betrayal by someone they cared about. Now, it's not exactly the same thing—I don't "love" this individual; we were not especially close, and no longer have even a professional relationship, but I do like her and I'm grateful for the support she's given my career. Her behaviour wasn't violent, but it was hurtful. And I learned that these women felt the same kinds of things I'm feeling now, and I gained some insights.
I learned that it's important not to make excuses for the person's behaviour.
I could talk about my own positive experiences working with this person—but that's irrelevant. What matters right now are the people who've been hurt by her actions.
We could consider how society was different in past decades, where African American romance authors had their books shelved in the "African American" section of bookstores, rather than romance. We can't blame one person for that; we can't change the past. But we can acknowledge that was wrong, and unquestionably hurt Black romance authors. We can apologize for that. We can do better.
I also learned we shouldn’t put their actions into a hierarchy of badness. Yes, this wasn't violent behaviour against other people, but it did negatively impact other people. So trying to put this on a scale of 1 to heinous racism doesn't matter. Trying to figure "what's worse—this or that?" can minimize the actions or even deny them.
I'm a member of RWA and we recently went through a painful examination of how past actions have hurt authors of color and LGBTQ authors. I learned so much from that intense discussion, and as uncomfortable as that was for many of us, it had to happen. It hurts and it's hard and it's ugly. We discovered awful things about people we respected, people we admired and looked up to as role models. We may have learned some painful things about ourselves. But this difficult conversation is necessary for us to move forward and be better. People must be held accountable for their actions.
So…can you still care about someone who did bad things? Someone’s whose beliefs are profoundly different than yours?
I would like to believe so. The world needs more caring and empathy. I write about love. I believe in the power of love.
One of the articles I read offered an opinion from experts that "The best chance of saving a relationship is if a person offers a sincere apology both to the victims and secondary victims, is generally remorseful and works to make amends to the people they’ve hurt."
This is what I need. I need to see acknowledgement of the hurts that were done. I need to see contrition. I need to see remorse. I need to see an honest effort to make amends.
I apologize for staying silent so long. It often takes me time to process things, and my inner conflicts and fears paralyzed me until I put my fingers to the keyboard to write about my feelings. I'm trying to learn and do better.
Yay! It’s the second book in my Wynn Hockey series. I’m so thrilled with the fabulous reviews this book is getting! Redeeming a hero can be hard, but I love JP and I hope you do too.
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Wynn family bonds bend but never break. . . .
JP Wynn: I admit, I’ve made some bad choices—on and off the ice.
Now all I want to do is show my team I can control my emotions while I’m playing and redeem myself with my family, especially with my brother, Théo.
I hate that I hurt him and I’m determined to stay out of trouble.
But the hot bridesmaid at Théo’s wedding is tempting me into another bad decision.
A little flirting and a hook up with Taylor seem harmless . . . until Manny Martinez jumps me on the dance floor and starts beating the crap out of me.
And just like that I add one more bad decision to my résumé.
Taylor Hart: I always thought hockey players were hot. Now I think they’re crazy.
Manny broke my heart when he got traded to another team and left without even a goodbye.
Then he showed up at my best friend’s wedding. All I wanted to do was show Manny that I was over him.
And the groom’s sexy brother, JP, seemed more than willing to be my distraction.
But after the way everything went down, I want nothing to do with any of them.
Easier said than done. Especially when Lacey’s new brother-in-law is always around. . . .
And I keep thinking about the wedding night, when we snuck away to his room for the best sex of my life.
Because I know not everyone will read GAME ON, I’m posting the Acknowledgements here — and I have one more to add, who wasn’t around when I wrote this! HUGE thanks to Heather Roberts at L.Woods PR and all the fabulous bloggers who work with her, for getting my books out there and visible!
This is the end of the Aces Hockey series, but never fear, dear readers, there will be more hockey romance from me! Stay tuned to my blog, my newsletter, and social media for news about my next hockey series, Wynn Hockey . . . some of the Aces may even make cameo appearances in the upcoming stories.
I have so many people to thank for helping to make the Aces Hockey series so successful.
First of all, Major Misconduct was the manuscript that landed me my fabulous agent, Emily Sylvan Kim, who has been such a support ever since. Thank you, Emily, for believing in my Aces and in me!
Major Misconduct was also the manuscript that landed me a contract with Loveswept. I am forever grateful to everyone at Loveswept for all you’ve done for me and my books—Sue Grimshaw, Gina Wachtel, Matthew Schwartz, Madeleine Kenney, and the cover designers and production team who work on my books. My writing career has grown so much because of all of you.
To all the authors in the Hockey with Heart group—you are amazing, talented, generous people who also love hockey like me. We can ask the most arcane questions—about dressing rooms and planes and cellphones and game-day schedules and WAGs and NHL rules and so much more, and everyone shares whatever they can to help each other.
To bloggers and reviewers who share the word about my books, thank you for all that you do.
I also have to thank the sports reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press. Pretty sure you guys don’t read romance, so you’ll probably never see this! But living in a hockey-crazy city with a local newspaper that reports multiple articles daily on the Winnipeg Jets during hockey season, including a lot of special interest stories about the players and their lives, has given me so much information and so many story ideas.
And if I’m going to thank the local newspaper, I might as well thank Mark Chipman and David Thomson for bringing the Jets back to Winnipeg! I started writing hockey romance before we had an NHL team here again, but now that we do, it has made my hockey writing so much more authentic. Now I get to go to actual NHL games—and it’s research!
Another person to thank is Lance Thomson, who was the photographer for the Winnipeg Jets the first four years they were back in Winnipeg. He answered my many questions and gave me interesting details as well as behind-the-scenes looks at things.
Chicago! I love you! I fell in love with Chicago during my numerous visits, when I soaked up the atmosphere, the culture, the history, the food, and even attended an NHL game! The more research I did, the more I fell in love with the city. Thank you for being a wonderful home to my Chicago Aces.
Thank you to the members of my Sweet Heat Reader Lounge, who are always there for me, answering crazy questions about country music songs and kids’ movies and team mascots. I love you all!
Most of all, thank you to all my readers. I am so moved and humbled by your love for the Aces team and these books. Readers and reviewers have complimented my hockey knowledge, and that means the world to me. I love the sport of hockey and take pride in getting it right. But I also want to write engaging characters and heart-warming romances . . . and readers have responded to that too. While my first hockey series made me a USA Today bestselling author, I was thrilled that Icing and Top Shelf also hit that bestseller list. And that is thanks to everyone who bought my books. I am so deeply grateful.
The release of GAME ON makes me both happy and sad. I loved writing this book. I loved Cam and how he grew through the story. I love his dirty mind and his generosity. I love Olivia and both her strength and her insecurities. But IT’S THE LAST ACES HOCKEY BOOK!
I always intended the series to be 9 books; that seemed like a good number. And it was super fun to write the epilogue and connect all the stories up, revisiting the characters from way back at the beginning.
But I’m going to miss all these people and Chicago so much!
I’ve been to Chicago a number of times, and I love it. Last winter I wanted to do a winter research trip, so I booked the trip around a hockey game my Winnipeg Jets were playing against the Blackhawks. I contacted my author friend Kate Meader to see if she wanted to go to the game with me. So we did! We had dinner, went to the game at the United Center, which I’d always wanted to visit, and I spent a few days wandering around and doing the research that appears in Game On – a small tribute to the city that is home to my Aces team.
Now…my internet browser is open to sunny California as I write my next hockey series – WYNN HOCKEY. Not gonna lie – I absolutely loved writing the first book (Play to Win) and that made it a lot easier to say goodbye to my Aces guys. But maybe it’s just au revoir…until we meet again…as some of the Aces could always make appearances in the new series!
Seasons Greetings!
It’s almost mid-December and time for a few updates!
I recently moved some of my books into Kindle Unlimited as an experiment – I hope that I’ll be able to reach some readers who want to read my back list books but can’t afford to purchase them all, by making them free on Kindle Unlimited.
It’s a little hard to know on Amazon which books they are, though…Amazon’s not helpful that way! So here’s a list of the books that are now in KU:
And the complete Power Series boxed set
Also…do you like to LISTEN to your books?
Today is Remembrance Day in Canada, a day when we remember the members of our armed forces who have died in the line of duty.
This year, it seems more important than ever to remember those who served…and why they served, especially in World War II. That war fought Italian fascism, Japanese militarism and their invasion of China, and the political takeover of Germany by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party and its aggressive foreign policy.
“World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.” Wikipedia
After the war ended, the Allies formed the United Nations in an effort to maintain world peace and adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 as a common standard for all member nations. France, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States became the permanent members of the UN's Security Council.
During World War II, the Allies adopted the Four Freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear, and freedom from want—as their basic war aims. The United Nations Charter "reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, and dignity and worth of the human person" and committed all member states to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion."
Today, it is terrifying and horrifying to see with our own eyes that these fundamental freedoms are under attack, and more important than ever to remember why they fought…for freedom.
A brooding hockey hunk learns to embrace life—and love—from a single mom who takes the world one puck at a time.
Big move . . . Jodie’s motto is “Don’t wait for the perfect moment—take the moment and make it perfect.” And that’s just what she decides to do when she moves to Chicago with her two-year-old daughter. Now all Jodie needs is a place to live, and her best friend’s boyfriend has just the answer.
Big stick . . . Nick Balachov has zero interest in socializing, partying, or flirting right now. It’s not that he doesn’t like women. He loves them. It’s just that hockey, casual hookups, and hanging out at home are enough for him these days. Now Nick has a big problem—because the woman living in his empty coach house is a major distraction.
Big deal? The more Nick tries to keep his distance, the more Jodie needs him—around the house, that is. First he helps with the snowstorm, then the power outage. Nick even finds himself trying to impress her little girl. What the hell is wrong with him? Jodie represents everything Nick doesn’t want. But maybe she’s just what he needs. . . .
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I've been terrible about blogging and I apologize. My summer was completely consumed with moving -- I bought a condo, put the house up for sale (which involved a lot of cleaning, minor repairs, decluttering and staging) then moved into the new place (lots of painting and decluttering again!). I went back to finish cleaning the house and then unpacked in the new place and got things organized. By mid-September I was settled into my new home, and I really, really love it. I love the paint colors I chose and how they go with my furniture, I love my little deck outside and I love how cozy the condo is. But all this put me behind schedule on my writing. I've missed my deadline for book 1 of The Wynns, (first time ever I've missed a deadline) but I've gotten back on track so I'm hopeful we won't have to delay the release (January 15, 2019)
At the end of September I went to Romance Author Mastermind in Houston. What an amazing conference! It was very focused on marketing and branding, which is something I need to do better at, and I learned so much. I came home with a long "to do" list for me, my assistant and my publicist! We're working one some new things, so watch for them!
And I just got back from the Shameless Book Con in Orlando. Wow! What a great time! The book signing was amazing—thank you to everyone who came by whether to buy a book, to get me to sign your awesome creations, or just to say hi. I loved meeting you all! It was also great to meet other authors, some I’ve met before, others I know on line but have never met in person. Now I need a rest! I also need to get writing!
Are you missing hockey like I am? Well now you can have your hockey and romance!
Playing Hurt is now available!
Okay, I know not everyone is a hockey fan. But you don’t have to be a hockey fan to enjoy Playing Hurt, because even when my heroes are hockey players, my goal is to write a moving, entertaining romance.
The next Aces player to fall is Chase!
He’s playing hurt. She’s laying low. And they’re both flirting with disaster.
Chase: The last thing I’d ever want to do is let my team down. After overcoming my bad-boy reputation, I was dominating on the ice. But things aren’t going so well this season, and even my parents think I’m partying again. Now I’m really worried about my career. The only bright spot in my life is the Twitter flirtation I’ve struck up with pop princess Jordyn Banks. Turns out she’s a huge hockey fan—and she’s willing to wager a date on her favorite team. . . .
Jordyn: Even though I’m an L.A. fan now, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Aces, since I grew up in Chicago. Then I lose a bet to Chase Hartman, and suddenly I’m up close and personal with a pro athlete who’s anything but soft. Not only is Chase the hottest guy I’ve ever met, he’s secretly super sweet. As if I had time for a relationship . . . yeah, right. But when I suddenly have nothing but time on my hands, he’s the only one who understands. Now, with both of our careers at stake, Chase is tempting me to put my heart on the line too.
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Fun fact about Playing Hurt: Chase and Jordyn’s Twitter bet was inspired by a real life story – a fan made a Twitter bet with Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard and they did go out on a date. Of course my mind went farther than that…what if that was the start of a real romance? That’s a fresh and modern “meet cute” that I wanted to turn into a happy ever after.
My favorite things
This summer I'm loving this Sangria! A nice refreshing way to drink red wine, over ice with fruit! You don't even need to add fruit to this one, it tastes so good.
And THIS bronzer! Perfect colour and shimmer!
I’ve been too busy to go shopping so I have no “shoe news” to share with you. ☹ Busy buying a new condo and getting ready to move – eep! Not to mention finishing off the last of the Aces Hockey series and handing that book in RIGHT ON DEADLINE, and planning out the next hockey series, The Wynns. I’m excited to tell these stories!
Screwed is out now!
Yay!
(I'm still in love with this cover!)
I just want to remind folks that this book was previously released as a part of The Sutherlands multi-author anthology a few years ago, so some of you may already have read it. It has been re-edited, updated, and about 20,000 words added.
Check out more about it here!
Other May news…
I just signed a contract with Loveswept for a new hockey series! Woohoo! Watch for more news about Wynns Hockey, coming in 2019!
I’ve been happily digging in dirt and planting my flowers. The weather here has been lovely although we could probably use more rain.
If you’re not into gardening and flowers, this might not excite you but YOU GUYS! I found a dream come true plant – a YELLOW MANDEVILLA.
My old auntie, who also used to love to garden, used to buy me a Mandevilla plant every spring—and they were absolutely lovely, but they have PINK flowers. Nothing wrong with pink, but I’m not a “pink” person. I like lots of oranges and yellows in my garden. So when I found this yellow Mandevilla, I had to have it!
Do you like Sangria? I do, especially in summer! I found this sangria that is super delicious and easy since it’s already made. You don’t even have to add fruit, it tastes amazing even without, but adding some is nice.
Enjoy your summer and happy reading!
Hello all!
It's the most wonderful time of the year! HOCKEY PLAYOFFS!
I wouldn't be this excited about it, but this year my Winnipeg Jets are IN the playoffs and they just won the second round to move on to the Western Conference final. This is the only Winnipeg Jets team in history that's made it this far in the playoffs, even going back to Jets 1.0, so the entire city is going crazy right now LOL. I'm so excited!!
Other news
Hey I'm on Radish now!
Have you checked out this app? It's a pretty cool way to read. There are some free things to get you started including a book by me! I'll be uploading more content soon!
This cover is AMAZING!
I absolutely love it. I'm a little sad because it's the last book of the Aces Hockey series (out October 2018) BUT never fear, another hockey series is in the works!
Watch for more details and pre-order links!
I have a new cover!
Isn’t this gorgeous?? I absolutely love it. He has the perfect expression for Cash.
I don’t have pre-order links yet, but you can add it on Goodreads
Other news
MY WINNIPEG JETS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!
Some of you might not appreciate how f*cking important this! Since Jets 2.0 came back to Winnipeg, we’ve only made it to the playoffs once, and we lost in 4 (hard fought, physical) games. THIS WHOLE HOCKEY CRAZY CITY IS GOING TO GO NUTS!
Seriously.
I’m beside myself with excitement, while tempering that with some realism. *sigh* Whatever happens, I’m happy not only for me and all the other fans, I’m happy for the players. At the beginning of the season, Captain Blake Wheeler said something like “it has to be this year.” I know it’s been frustrating for him and others. So I’m thrilled for them to have this. They’ve worked hard for it. They deserve it. And we are all behind you and cheering for you to go all the way!!
Things I’m loving
Just recommended this oil to another author who also has not-curly, not-straight, frizzy hair. I swear by this stuff. My hair is so dry and frizzy, this turns it into normal-looking smooth hair.
Found this new concealer and it’s pretty awesome! I don’t know if anything will help the big bags under my eyes, but I like how natural this looks.
I hope spring weather is finding you!. We're having a slow spring, but oh well, summer will come!
I have one book with Riptide Publishing. In 2013 (2012?) Sarah Lyons approached me about Riptide's annual Christmas charity anthology. They were doing a ménage theme that year. Sarah expressed admiration for my ménage romances and invited me to contribute a story, which I did. I have met Sarah and others from Riptide Publishing numerous times at RT conventions, and participated in a panel discussion about LGBTQ romances that Sarah coordinated.
I will be requesting the rights to my book back, however it is contracted with them until November 2018.
I wish I had some brilliant, comforting words but right now all I can say is, I am so deeply saddened and disappointed about what I have learned today. To those who have been hurt by this, I'm so sorry and I stand with you.
Yay! Long Shot, Book 3 in my Last Shot series, is now out! I'm a little sad because it's the end of the series, but I'm excited for you to have Cade and Reese's story. (And lots of readers are falling in love with Jack, apparently!) For those who haven't read the first 2 books, no worries - they can all be read as a standalone, so feel free to start with this one!
I love a really good "grand gesture" from the character who screws up the most - and I think Cade nails it in this book. That's all I'm sayin'.
I didn't do a February update here, for a really dumb reason. My internet was acting up the day I was trying to post and every time I tried to upload a picture, the site crashed and I lost everything. I finally gave up in complete frustration (yes there were several F bombs). So far, things seem okay so let's try this again!
The days are already getting longer - woohoo, it's still light out after 5:00 PM! Lots of people I know are off on hot holidays to Mexico or Cuba, but not me *sigh*. I had my trip "south" when I went to Chicago last month, LOL. But that's okay because I'm busy, busy writing. I'm that close to finishing Big Stick, Aces Hockey book 8, which will be out in October. And then...I'll be writing book 9, which is likely going to be the last in the Aces series. But don't worry! I'll definitely be writing more hockey! Stay tuned for news about a new series.
Did you notice the new look for the blog and website? Thanks to the awesome Lauren Layne and Anth at Last Word Designs for the refresh! I love how clean and simple it is!
I used to buy my favorite lip balm (and that's actually what it's called!) at Bath and Body Works, but they don't seem to carry it any more. So I went on line and googled Dr. Bigelow and found it! Yeah! I ordered a whole bunch, so I am well stocked for a while. I love this night balm because it's thick and it stays on all night, and it tastes DELICIOUS.
I'm still into these red wines that are aged in whiskey barrels. I've tried a few others now...this one's a Canadian wine from the Okanagan, which is also aged in whiskey barrels.
