"Keep Calm and Get Your #HoHoHo #Boo On!" Auntie Pippa 💖👻👑 I have to be honest, Christmas-Ween was not a familiar term for me until this past week, LOL. As I googled it to find out more, I also learned that there is a Hallowmas. However, for those of you who might prefer this moniker to describe this holiday consolidated time of year, it is reserved for the day after Halloween, November 1st, also know as All Saint's Day, Feast of All Saints...let's just say, a not so spook

“To me, a witch is a woman that is capable of letting her intuition take hold of her actions, that communes with her environment, that isn’t afraid of facing challenges.” – Paulo Coelho The countdown to #Halloween is on, and a perfect time to continue with this #SpookyMonth of fine reads! This week we're chatting with multi-genre #writer Cynthia Raleigh, author of mystery, true crime and paranormal suspense tales (with a witchy flair)! Book 2 of her Lanthorne Ordinary Witches

Well, hello #October! This month I'm thrilled to feature #authors who have books releasing soon. First up is #writer Colin Powell. He is a multi-genre author who definitely knows how to tell a story! I've read several of his books, including his The Last Days series set in Victorian England; it's a clever follow-on to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. His latest tale, The Last Days of the Wake Men's release is imminent. Are you ready to see what happens next with those death-ray

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” ― Lauren DeStefano I cannot tell you how happy this SoCal gal is! The final days of September have arrived with a flourish of autumnal delight---we had our first 'real' thunderstorm ( I know, it's a California thing--but when you haven't seen a raindrop in months it's really quite something--I'm kind of giddy!) and the

“Use that fluff of yours you call a brain.” ― Agatha Christie Well, it looks like NaNoWriMo season is coming early for moi this year. Gemma has a story she wants to tell and has let me know she wants the writing to commence! One mustn't upset the muse, so I'm starting the seventh book in the My American Almost Royal Cousin Series. This time, we're back at Cherrywood Hall where the Maidenford village fete will be held (although we may have to include a London trip to Hillcrest

"Savannah is a lovely, gentle, sad old city. You can walk through the shadowy, cobbled streets of the town on a tranquil Sunday morning and feel the atmosphere heavy with the burden of lost greatness and relaxed by quiet decay..." Mills Lane This week I'm honored to have as my guest, #author Cathleen Maza. She's a multi-genre writer who certainly knows her way around a scary tale! Her #NewRelease, Savannah at Midnight, is an atmospheric collection of stories that whisks you a

This past week we were so excited to attend the Solvang Festival Theatre once again! We've been attending the performances under the stars since 1999, and truly missed taking our theatrical sojourn last year. For those of you not familiar with this Danish village gem off the 101 FWY, Solvang (Danish for 'sunny field') was established in 1911 by a group of Danes who wanted to leave the midwestern winters behind. Today, it's an eclectic little town filled with shops, eateries a

Well hello, September! The pumpkin spice lattes have been unleashed and I'm so ready for autumn to arrive. It's an especially festive time for me, because on Monday, September 6th, Bibiana Krall and I will be releasing our scary tale collection, Tangled Webs! When we started this second book of The Haunted Series at the beginning of the year, we had no idea what we would be facing in 2021 (Um, as of this writing, nothing much has changed on that front, LOL). 🙄😛😬 Despite th

This week I was supposed to be enjoying the comradery and literary banter with mystery #authors and #readers alike at the Bouchercon Mystery Conference in fabulous New Orleans. Alas, Covid-19 Delta had other plans, the conference was canceled out of an abundance of caution...the good times, unfortunately, were not destined to roll...#Sigh I was honored to have been picked to be on a panel at the conference to opine on the topic of Amateur Sleuths: Armchair Quarterbacks. I was

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ― Pablo Picasso This past week we were thrilled to attend the Pageant of the Masters performance, sponsored by the Laguna Festival of the Arts. This annual show celebrates artists and their artistry in a a one-of-a-kind way, bringing historic paintings and sculptures to life with choreographed, live displays, highlighted by an orchestral accompaniment. This year the theme of the pageant was Made in America: "In the 20

“Everything you can imagine is real.” ― Pablo Picasso For me, it's all about the art the next few weeks! What better way to begin the post today than with the debut of a painting done for me by my fabulous, talented neighbor, Becky Carlson. She has been a huge supporter of my writing journey and has read all the books in My American Almost-Royal Cousin Series. (Loud Writer #SQUEE!) I was absolutely delighted this weekend when she gifted me with a painting she had done depicti

Well hello, August! The last days of #SummerReading are coming to a close, but there's still time to squeeze in a new book or two. Today, I'm so excited to have as my guest, the author of brilliant, grim whodunnits, #writer Ross Young! His clever mysteries offer a new possibility of what awaits in the afterlife and I for one, am so hooked! Quick, before the Reaper arrives, let's catch up with Ross: Q1. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dead Heads, the first book in your Gloomwood

“Summer's lease hath all too short a date.” ― William Shakespeare Hard to believe July will take its final bow for 2021 this week. In the next month, schools will be in session, temperatures (and tantrums) will likely soar (will the heat and constant public discord over everything ever cease?), and for us, a few more trips and events are on the horizon... #FingersCrossed I've mentioned the Bouchercon mystery conference in New Orleans coming up the end of August. It looks like

"Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read..." Francis Bacon #HearHear! This week we've had a fabulous time visiting wineries and vineyards in Paso Robles, a lovely city with a bountiful heritage located in central California, for an extended birthday celebration for Hubby. Visiting with family, friends, and sampling the rich, vino flavors of the area made for a delightful road trip and a ver

#HoHoHo, I'm still full throttle celebrating #ChristmasInJuly. I am super excited today to have a #BookCover reveal for my #NewRelease coming October 1st. This collection of holiday, mystery tales is titled Christmas Bizarre: Rikkhe St. Claire Holiday Mysteries! My interior designer with an eye for clues is making her literary debut just in time for your holiday reading enjoyment! ❄Pssst, #BookCover animation by the fabulous Morgan Wright! ❄ It's the #weekend before Christmas

What better way to celebrate #SummerReading season than an enchanting chat with a talented #writer who just happens to have a new #book releasing today (Blade of Truth)! Canadian author Lali Love's books #inspire and #entertain---without further adieu, let's chat with Lali: Q1. Lali, I have enjoyed reading your gorgeous, poetry/meditation book, The Joy of IT so much! I have it handy on my coffee table to open up and be inspired each day. The collection is awesome and the draw

'Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.' 'Nancy, if I were your husband, I 'd drink it.' Lady Nancy Astor and Sir Winston Churchill How deliciously droll, I adore this quote! As a cozy mystery writer, I'm always on the hunt for unique ways to commit 'mur-dahs most foul'. Poisons are used quite often in cozy tales, hence my interest in what's the best one to use?; how does it work?; what are the symptom's? I guess on the surface it sounds a bit ghoulish but a wr

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go..." E.L. Doctorow Words so true! I thought for this post I'd try to give a boost to my #writer friends and share a few #writing resources I (and others) have recently found useful to explore and utilize. I've seen quite a bit of frustration and gloom in tweets this past week on Twitter, ranging from the #Goodreads sudden deletion of #bookreviews (luckily it looks like most reviews have been restored) to pe

"One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by..." Jeanette Walls Continuing with my quest for great #SummerReads, this month I'm excited to feature #Writer A.C. 'Drew' Merkel! He is the author of the Lady Dreamscapes, time traveling/sci-fi series. These imaginative tales feature a MC by the name of 'Murder'...and what an exciting, literary journey she will take you on! Without further adieu, let's chat with Drew: Q1. I really enjoyed the first book in

Part deux of our escape from the family room #roadtrip took us to the shores and hills of Lake Tahoe in northern California. It has been almost thirty years since I last saw this natural wonder. I have to say it is probably the most beautiful lake I have ever seen. Crystal, clear waters, a proliferation of pine trees and majestic mountain views took my breath away. The air smelled of pine, turning crisp and cool in the evening. We stayed at the lovely Ritz Carlton in Tahoe. I