Old Vines Trilogy

First Crush picks up where Entwined leaves off. The strikingly handsome Italian vintner, Pepe, returns from his life-altering trip to the States and is determined to find a romantic partner. Having come out as a gay man and having sorted through his entangled affections for Patrick and Zeno, Pepe posts a profile on a dating app. Since this is a romantic series, he eventually finds mister right but not without complicated missteps along the way. Zeno and Patrick play matchmakers and help him navigate the complexities of gay life as he searches for someone who shares his interests in art, literature, and history, appreciates life in the countryside, and wants to start a family with kids. The fast-paced plot set along the breathtaking Amalfi Coast is tender and thoughtful as well as steamy and sensual. It celebrates the tug of eros toward the beautiful and the good and the transformative grace of same-sex love. Michael Hartwig is a Boston and Provincetown-based author of LGBTQ fiction. Hartwig is an accomplished professor of religion and ethics as well as an established artist. His original oil paintings are represented by On Center Gallery in Provincetown. Hartwig grew up in Dallas but spread his wings early on – living in Rome for five years, moving to New England later, and then working in the area of educational travel to the Middle East and Europe. His fiction weaves together his interest in LGBTQ studies, ethics, religion, art, languages, and travel. The books are set in international venues. They include rich local descriptions and are peppered with the local language. Characters grapple not only with their own gender and sexuality but with prevailing paradigms of sexuality and family in the world around them. Hartwig has a facility for fast-paced plots that transport readers to other worlds. They are romantic and steamy as well as thoughtful and engaging. Hartwig imagines rich characters who are at crossroads in their lives. In many instances, these crossroads mirror cultural ones. There's plenty of sexual tension to keep readers on the edge of their seats, but the stories are enriched by broader considerations – historical, cultural, and philosophical.For more information on published and forthcoming books visit:visit: www.michaelhartwigauthor.com

This narrative is a tender, late-in-life coming out story of a gay man tormented by a troubling past. It is a sequel to the evocative and steamy gay romance novel, "Old Vines." This book picks up five years later. Patrick and Zeno live with their son, Massimo, on the family vineyard overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Pepe, the strikingly handsome foreman and cousin, lives next door. After a string of failed relationships with women, Patrick and Zeno invite Pepe to join them and Massimo for a winter vacation to Disney World and Ft. Lauderdale. Patrick and Zeno suspect that Pepe is more attracted to men than women, and while in Florida, Pepe finally embraces that side of himself. Their adventure becomes complicated as the three adults face tangling affections for one another and must come to grips with what it means to be family and how to honor each other's paths. This erotically charged story takes place in rich settings - the Italian coast, Florida, Boston, and Vermont and celebrates the way our desires nudge us towards authenticity.