Hard to believe we’re almost halfway through the month of August–school has started, the beach crowds are thinning out, and of course, it’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween in the stores (and even Christmas in a few). We’re still BBQing and enjoying the pool time, but I’m getting the first twinges of an autumn frame of mind. It’s my 2nd favorite season (winter #1, #boot time), even though the official fall temps won’t arrive here in southern California for quite a while (bring on the pumpkin spice)! We have one more #summer trip to Las Vegas coming up at the end of the month–a different kind of cool (air conditioned casinos) but one I look forward to each year. It’s always fun to see the new buildings and interiors as we make our way down the famous Las Vegas strip, and it’s a great place to people watch—you never know what you’ll see!
On the #Hygge home front, we’re almost done sorting through the last few items from our beach condo. We’re running out of wall space here at the house (inside and out) after hanging the pieces we didn’t want to let go of, LOL (I admit, I may have broken a few #Hygge decorating guidelines, but I’m still in training 🙂 ). Thank goodness for the Salvation Army and Goodwill, they’re getting a haul! I’m taking these last weeks of the season in stride, and am very grateful to be able to enjoy these final days of #summer. It’s Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:
#AmQuerying #AmResearching #AmMarketing
Busy bee this week sending out the #queries and looking at new updates to my blogsite, tying it to my veronicaclinebarton.com domain. I’ll be adding pages for my #books and the #bookreviews I post each week, making it easier for the #writers to RT and post if they choose. Stay tuned for updates!
#AmResearching: I’m so excited about my new series and the characters. It’s a #cozymystery series, with my main character traveling the world and finding, dun-dun-dun, well more than a few dastardly deeds and those with evil intentions. I think I’ve finally settled on this new character’s name (a task much harder than I thought, going back and forth between two choices). For this series go round, #Hygge/French country interior design mysteries with an American twist. 🙂 And my new character may just make her decorating debut in a new project at Cherrywood Hall (Gemma approves). Hygges & Bisous Mysteries©, coming soon!
#AmMarketing: I do love a #book series. Check out my latest article for Women Writers, Women’s Book featured in their newsletter this month. My topic? Why I took the series writing plunge! Check it out here:
#AmReading #AmReviewing
Back to a fave series this week from the #writers of Twitter!
Author C.A. Asbrey, Innocent Bystander (The Innocents Mystery Series book 3), 5 STARS
Abigail MacKay is on the quest to prevent a murder, and this one is close to her heart. Her beauty of a sister, Madeleine, is on the run, determined to marry her latest love–a man whose previous wives have all met with an untimely end as he changes identities and spends their inheritances. Maddie’s runaway train trip is interrupted by a robbery, putting her in the path of Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy, leaders of The Innocents gang. Nat can’t believe his eyes, at first he thinks Abi is on board–and he has a bone to pick with her from their last encounter. He soon finds out the mysterious beauty is not his revered Pinkerton agent–but memories of Abi now swirl in his mind.
The heat is on as Abi once again turns to her criminal colleagues Nat and Jake, to help keep her sister out of harms way so that she can catch this diabolical spouse. At their hideout, romance is in the air for Abi and Nat as they discuss their pasts, and possible futures, but will their differences be set aside, or separate them for good? The group heads to San Francisco with plans in place to catch the cad, now known as David Bartholemew, and divert Madeleine away from him. Jake is tasked with minding an unsuspecting Maddie and keep her from being her husband’s next victim, but will her tantrums and womanly wiles get the better of him and make him lose his guard?
Author Asbrey does an excellent job once again introducing emerging technologies and forensic science as they would have been used in the 1800s, giving Abi and Nat clues and a leg up in finding out how David is killing his brides. The clock is ticking–will they be able to save Maddie from a lethal end? As Abi and Nat race against time to catch the killer, they need to determine if their future together will blossom or wither away. A page turner to the very end–I can’t wait for the next book!
Next up in the #reading queue:
#AmConferencing, Oct 31-Nov 3rd, 2019
Trick or treat for me! I’ll be heading to Dallas, Halloween week this year for my first Bouchercon mystery convention. It looks like a great event for both #writers and #readers with a jam packed agenda. I’m super excited to attend a private cocktail event with the great James Patterson, should be a fun time! Please let me know if you’re attending–I’d love to meet up. You can find the conference details here:
https://www.bouchercon2019.com/
On the #Hygge food front…
No, I’m not in Paris (sigh), but we will be visiting the Eiffel Tower restaurant at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas during our upcoming visit. This year we’re celebrating our twentieth anniversary, and this will be our 19th year consuming culinary French delights in this beautiful restaurant–not quite the beloved City of Lights, but a pretty fun (and #Yummo), close 2nd!
For the past few weeks, I’ve been on the quest to eliminate sugar and processed foods from my diet whilst in pursuit of a #Hygge lifestyle. I’ve had my ups and downs as I let go of some of my favorite food items, it’s tough at first, no doubt, your body (and mind) does resist. I’m slowly but surely getting into the no sugar habit, and wow, what a difference! Veggies (low carbs, no starch), eggs, and lean protein meats have been a staple so far as I go through the sugar weaning process. I don’t feel deprived, in fact I feel better, have more energy, and gasp!, may have dropped a few L-Bs. Fresh from the vines and bones is what it’s all about…(I think I just coined a new term! #VinesandBones (apologies to all my #Vegan friends))
Welcome to my world. Enjoy the rest of your #week and #weekend friends!
Crowns and Kisses,
Veronica
P.S. The Eiffel Tower restaurant in Las Vegas, a fave place indeed–the view of the Bellagio fountains is tres magnifique! Gemma would approve 🙂
https://www.eiffeltowerrestaurant.com/
My American Almost Royal Cousin Series 
Great post 🙂
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Thank you for stopping by!
Veronica
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Always a fun read Veronica!
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Thanks for stopping by, Marc! xo, V
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