Hard to believe it was just three years ago in #October when Hubby and I attended the fabulous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The air was crisp and cool, the clear skies a perfect backdrop for the bright, patterned, hues of the balloons. This annual festival had been on our bucket list for many years to attend. We took the opportunity in 2017 for a southwest road trip across southern California, Arizona and then into New Mexico. We made several stops during our week long trip with visits in Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, the Meteor Crater and side trips into Old Town Albuquerque and nearby Santa Fe.
From our pre-dawn venue at the Gondoliers Club at the launch site, we could see the early bird balloons rise slowly in the still, dark sky--the only sound the roar of the heaters when the pilots unleashed a flame to heat the air of these glooming giants. It was a spectacular site to watch!
As the sun rose behind the hills, we were able to walk the grounds as the folds of fabric began to rise majestically from the earth. I have never seen anything like this--the colors were brilliant.
We will definitely take this road trip again once the pandemic lifts---we truly enjoyed this southwest adventure. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, highly recommended! It's Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:
My American Almost-Royal Cousin Series---a New Take!
Wowza, wowza, wowza--I am so happy to debut my new series trailer designed and produced by Bibiana Krall's fabulous Compass Bespoke Creative Services! We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with themes and ideas for the new series trailer. I love using the video clips--it's like a mini-movie to give readers an idea of what's in your series. We'll be doing a mini-clip for each book--I'm so excited! It's a great way to market your books! You can check out Bibiana's production services here:
Murder and mayhem at the palace this week from the writers of Twitter...
Author T.P. Fielden, Stealing the Crown, 5⭐
It's WWII, a king has abdicated, his brother now on the throne, with his princess daughter as the next heir. When Major Edward Brampton's body is found at Buckingham Palace, suspicions swirl and rumors mount. Was the major's death a tragic suicide? Or a murder to hide explosive, royal secrets?
When palace authorities have the body removed to avoid scandal, former artist and now courtier, Guy Harford, has the responsibility of notifying the major's wife and keeping the press and other nosy parkers at bay. The clues surrounding the major's death aren't adding up as Guy forages into the major's past dealings. Spies, a mysterious network and a rumored relationship with a queen leave a tangled web of clues to get to the truth. Will Guy's sleuthing lead to a deadly end?
Author Fielden weaves a mysterious, page-turning tale infused with fact and fiction. We're whisked back in time to the streets of war torn London in this cozy, historical novel of intrigue. A must read for royal, mystery enthusiasts--highly recommended!
Next up in the #reading queue:
Join us at 1:45pm eastern later today for our Youtube #BOOKEM chat!
It's time to Eat, Drink and Be Scary this week as I change things up a bit and talk all things cocktails and cookbooks in prep for the #Halloween bashes to come! I'm featuring Amy Reade's latest, Ghouls' Night Out for a fab cozy read and dishing about Bibiana and my QA webchat on Mark Schultz's wordrefiner.com website. See you later!
Crowns and Kisses,
Veronica
P.S. Please join Bibiana and me in our Q&A with Mark Schultz this week! Gemma and Rikkhe approve :)