“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ― Charles Dickens 🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀☘🍀 Well, hello, March! I think the quote above from Mr. Dickens pretty much captures the chaotic whirlwind of the world's current state of affairs this month--and we're only 2 days in, LOL. This March is going to be one for the history books me thinks... Watching a war breakout and unfold with real-time,

“...but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” Jane Austen Today it's my pleasure to have as a guest, Regency Romance Author Kelly Miller! This talented writer creates variations of Jane Austen's classic tales, offering readers a segue into exciting, new scenarios and settings for the characters to experience--an opportunity you won't want to miss! I've had the pleasure of reading most of the books in her Pride & Prejudice variations and look

"It might be a Scottish name, taken from a story about two men on a train. One man says, 'What's that package up there in the baggage rack?' And the other answers, 'Oh, that's a MacGuffin'. The first one asks, 'What's a MacGuffin?' 'Well,' the other man says, 'it's an apparatus for trapping lions in the Scottish Highlands.' The first man says, 'But there are no lions in the Scottish Highlands,' and the other one answers, 'Well then, that's no MacGuffin!' So, you see that a Ma

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose Wi

“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin'; if you're not mitten-smitten, you'll be frostbitten! By jing-y feels spring-y.” ― The Old Farmer's Almanac Holy, chocolate truffles, month two of 2022, here we are! Have to say the Twitter trends ending January were a bit eye-popping: WWIII; political SOBs & #PartyGates; the never-ending vitriol (sigh) between the Vs (vaxxed) vs. UVs (unvaxxed); the fall, fall, fall of the stock

“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” – Emma Thompson Wow, what a week this has been! Today, I'm super excited to have the cover reveal for book 7 in my cozy series, Blood on the Vines: Harvest at Castlewood Manor. I want to thank my uber-talented stepdaughter, Danielle Gregorio for another fabtastic, book cover design--I love the wine glass against the vines, it has a 3D affect that draws you in. The pink and

"Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle." Paulo Coelho A writer's work is never done...Sometimes it's not so bad doing research for a storyline though, especially when it involves wine, LOL. I was thrilled last week to be able to take a mini road trip with the OH south to Temecula. I battled Omicron over the holidays through New Year's, so to finally be Covid

Poison Pen Letter [ˈpoizn pen ˈledər] NOUN a letter, typically anonymous, that is libelous, abusive, or malicious. Each month in 2022, I want to blog about topics and tropes that are associated with the #mystery genre. First on the agenda, the poison pen letter! These written assaults are often used in storylines, particularly in cozy mystery tales. I currently happen to be writing one where poison penned post cards are causing more than a bit of angst with the villagers of M

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” ― Norman Vincent Peale We headed to the hills last week for a bit of mountain air and Christmas cheer in Big Bear. The weather was delightfully chilly and warmed this SoCal gal's heart--I got to wear my faux-furry boots for the first time! I was also charmed to see the magic of Christmas in full display on the streets and shops of this quaint mountain town, no surfboards in si

Tea! Bless ordinary, everyday, afternoon tea! Agatha Christie Bring on the #holidays! I so agree with Dame Christie's proclamation--there is nothing better than afternoon tea. What a lovely tradition to sooth the soul and let the worries of the day subside. At the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, the view of the sun breaking through the marine layer was the perfect backdrop for a delightful, holiday afternoon. Best yet, the holiday decor theme throughout the main floor was surf

“I busied myself to think of a story, a story to rival those which had excited us to this task. One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature, and awaken thrilling horror . . . to curdle the blood, and quicken the beatings of the heart.” --Mary Shelley Well, hello December! What better way to begin this final month of the year than with a juicy, literary debate on the origins of the science fiction genre! Twitter went ballistic on November 20th when a book rev

"When engaged in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach." Dame Agatha Christie Just a little over a week before the biggest eating day of the year here in the U.S.---who's ready to get their stretch pants on?! For today's post I'm highlighting a few of my favorite cookbooks and the recipes that get my taste buds chomping at the bit. I'm always looking for recipes to add to, or put a new, culinary spin on Thanksgiving classics. These books are filled with culin

"Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing..." Benjamin Franklin Like many writers this month, I've set my NaNoWriMo goals, slowly but surely achieving my word count objectives. I have to be honest--my challenge is based utilizing the months of planning that has resulted in an outline for book 7; Blood on the Vines: Harvest at Castlewood Manor. I haven't started from scratch, but none-the-less am doing my best to take advantage of the writing momentu

"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