Veronica Cline Barton's Blog: Mistletoe and Mayhem: Yuletide at Castlewood Manor listed as, "One of the best suspense books of all time." - BookAuthority, page 27

Welcome to Veronica’s #WritersDiary, Week 9

Lots of things happening this week, procrastination, unwritten pages, you know typical writer’s block kind of stuff. This whole process is amazing to me, how one day the words flow and flow, and the next, nothing. I’m doing some reorganizing and strategizing for book 3 to get my writing spirits rejuvenated. I’m bringing back some of my personal favorite pictures and clips to get into a better mood today, I hope they make you smile too. It’s Thursday, time for Dear Diary:

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How many engineers does it take to straighten a rug? Or, I now can personally attest to what it feels like to sit on your crowns….

Him: “Here, I’ll lift the couch up over here while you adjust the rug…” (I don’t see any wrinkles)

Me: “I can’t move the rug, you’re standing on it…” (That bulge is huge, it will never straighten out…much huffing and puffing)

Him: “Let me move over here and you can push it under the couch…” (Oops, the crowns crash to the floor)

Me: “Oh that’s just great, here, let me get them…” (With over dramatic sigh, sets the crowns on the couch)

Fifteen minutes later, the rug is positioned, the furniture back in place and I just want to sit. So sit I did, can you say #Ouch, #IGotthePoint, #LookBeforeYouSit ? You should have seen me jump, it was quite impressive….

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The Telly Tiara statue is still evolving…

I’ve become obsessed with this fictional award show, and what I think the design of the statue would look like. I really like the bronze statue I found during a recent trip, I just can’t seem to find the right crown to top it off. This one’s too big, this is too small. The hunt for the perfect crown is on, one is never too tired or distracted to go crown shopping. Details matter, especially when it comes to crowns. 

Transforming a Real-life Train Trip Into Your Fictional Storyline; 4 Areas to Think About…

“A Grand West Coast Train Adventure, en route daily between Los Angeles and Seattle, the Coast Starlight train passes through Santa Barbara, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and Portland. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular of all train routes, the Coast Starlight links the greatest cities on the West Coast. The scenery along the Coast Starlight route is unsurpassed. The dramatic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range and Mount Shasta, lush forests, fertile valleys and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shoreline provide a stunning backdrop for your journey.”

Sounds lovely doesn’t it? As I mentioned last week in the Veronica’s #WritersDiary post, my Hubby and I took a train trip from San Juan Capistrano to San Francisco on the Amtrak Coastal Starlight train. I have always loved the thought of travelling on a train as depicted in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, or last year’s Hallmark Channel’s enchanting train story that fueled my writer’s mind, The Christmas Train. In the book and movie I loved the idea of having glamourous little sleeping compartments, elegant meals in the 5 star dining car, and the cozy chairs in the lounge car from which to sit and study the other passengers while reading or playing games. Seems such a great place for a mystery—and so, doubly inspired, we booked our trip.

I had never travelled a long distance by train before and wanted to get a feel for what it would be like as part of my research for some scenes in book three (an yes, I knew beforehand that my train trip would not be exactly an Orient Express or Christmas Train experience, but we did treat our selves to  ‘business class’ accommodations). We elected not to go the full route to Seattle due to time constraints (the trip from south Orange County to Oakland took around fifteen hours alone, plus another hour+ bus ride to get from the terminal in Oakland to our hotel in San Francisco).

Our train trip was filled with many beautiful sites, giving us some views of areas we would never get to see by car or plane. It was very inspirational, and it gave me some reference points for the train scenes in my book that I had not thought through the adaptation of completely. Thank goodness I’m writing a fiction story, liberties can and will be taken to make up for the different sites and scenes, and perhaps the not so glamourous aspects of real life train travel (Ma-ma expects only the best you know). Here are the four areas that will need to be ‘tuned up a bit’ for my work of fiction:

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1. Destination Route, and stops, and more stops…

For book three, my characters will be travelling a fictional train route from New York City to Vail, CO to attend the television awards show, the Telly Tiaras (Ma-ma has been nominated). I’ve looked at the train routes and maps that approximated my fictional route to make sure I don’t describe something totally off the wall, which I knew I would have to do.

What I didn’t quite think about is all of the numerous stops a real life train trip entails, or the slowing and accelerating speeds a traveler gets to experience (I’m sorry, but the passengers on the Orient Express or The Christmas Train seemed to have a pleasant, continuous speed journey, uninterrupted by the real life stops, #JustSayin). The real life stops aren’t going to be helpful to the storyline, so they’re going to have to go.

Also, I’ve got to think about terrain implications as well—going along the coast is one thing—flat, sea level, fairly continuous route. Add mountains or steep hills to the mix and you have a completely different story where you must add in the complexities of grade traversing up and down the hills and mountains. This is definitely an area where some fictional liberties will have to be taken (but unlike the Orient Express or The Christmas Train, we won’t be having any track blocked avalanches to give Gemma and crew time to expose the bad guys).

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2. Scenery

The train offers you a beautiful view of areas all along the route that give you a unique perspective, no doubt. We saw ocean views we had never seen before, and I loved it. I’m lucky to have travelled in many of the states my characters will traverse on their trip as well, so I think I will know how to describe the scenes they will see on their fictional route. (Pinterest is a great source of pictures too, to fill in any inspiration gaps)

What I will leave out are descriptions of the real life industrial areas a train goes through that are not very glamorous, or the loads of trash that line the railways (really very sad). I also think I’ll leave out the part of being able to see into people’s house and apartment rooms—if you live near the tracks you might want to think about lowering the blinds or closing the curtains, #JustSayin…

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3. Accommodations

Hubby and I booked a roomette since we knew we would not be spending the night onboard, which basically had two comfy chairs facing one another, small table, and a pull down bed above the chairs (which I did pull down and climb into for a lovely afternoon nap). You have a door that closes, covered with curtains to give you privacy, which was nice.

I didn’t have my imagined sleeping room with carved paneling, desk, etc, but it was comfortable in a stainless steel, airplane-like, business class sort of way. I think for the fictional storyline I’ll take some liberties for the accommodations and go back to my imagined world of paneled sleeping car rooms–I just can’t see Ma-ma pulling down the bed from above and climbing in, plus, where would we put her luggage?

[image error] *dining car picture courtesy of Google

4. Dining

We were able to have two meals onboard for our trip to San Francisco, lunch and dinner. The meals were not as gourmet as I had imagined from the stories I’ve read or seen, but were good. You do not have the luxury of just stepping into the dining car when you want and choosing your table. Meal times are offered on the hour by reservation only. You are seated first come first serve, no picking and choosing of tables, and once your dining hour is up, it’s time for you to vacate the table.

I think we’ll be a bit more flexible in the fictional storyline, otherwise how will we have time to discuss the dastardly deeds and figure out who the bad guys are? We’re definitely going to need additional bars too, one downstairs is not going to be enough, #JustSayin…

I’m so glad I was able to go on the trip. I learned a lot for my current storyline, and most importantly, was greatly inspired. Here are some more of the beautiful views and video clips taken, enjoy!

 

Coastal views…

 

 

And an unbelievable sunset…

 

Crowns and Kisses,

Veronica

P.S. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, https://www.amtrak.com/coast-starligh... , Gemma would approve

Welcome to Veronica’s #WritersDiary , Week 8

Well this week we had quite the trip (more next week), taking the Amtrak coastal train from Orange County up to San Francisco for a little #InspirationResearch (IR) for book 3. We travelled all day, getting into San Francisco just before the midnight hour. As you can expect, when a hubby and wife are in close quarters, travelling for seventeen hours, let’s just say sometimes the tracks get crossed… It’s Thursday, time for Dear Diary:

There’s something About a Train Trip…

Him: “You want to do what?” (eyes open wide, takes a longer than usual sip of wine)

Me: “Think of it as research. The characters are going on a train in book 3 and I want to make sure I get the details right.” (‘hello, writer here’ kind of look given)

Him: “The train will take us over fifteen hours to get to San Francisco…” (begins to see the end of this argument, starts to think of what he should start packing)

Me: “It’s a bucket list trip, once we do it that’s it. And I want to get one of those little roomette’s, so we can have our own private space. You can take a nap…” (Gives a ‘I’m the wife’ look, point of no return for hubbies)

Two hours later:

Him: “OK, I’ve booked the tickets, and yes we have a roomette. Booked the hotel, airline tickets back…” (pick and choose your battles, men. Pick and choose…)

Below is one clip of the view we had from the train, riding along the California coastline–tremendously beautiful (more pictures next week). Hubby agrees.

Character Refresh—Let’s See What Might Be On Their Minds…

I always love starting a new book and getting to visit with the characters I’ve come to know and love. It’s just like a family or class reunion, catching up on what’s going on in their lives, hearing about the challenges, the joys, the heartbreaks. Fictional characters are just like the rest of us—they have good days and bad, and they worry about their future too, especially being a character in a cozy mystery and mur-dah series!

As a writer, I don’t always know exactly what the characters have been doing or where they’ve been. It’s not until I’ve had a chance to sit back with them, reflecting on their past, their personalities, that I can know (or at least think I know) what their future holds (at least for this next book). For book 3, I’ve had a chance to do this with some of the core characters. I thought it would be good to catch up with a few of them, enjoy! (and yes, I’ve picked out some boots that I think represent the characters personalities, Gemma does love her boots you know…(wonder where she got that from?))

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Gemma Lancaster Phillips

Life has changed quite a bit since she left her cozy beach cottage in Malibu and came to the sprawling estate of Cherrywood Hall. She has seen plenty of mur-dah and mayhem in her ten month tenure so far—and things are only looking more exciting for her in book 3. Gemma will be travelling with her ma-ma Jillian and boyfriend Kyle as they travel to the U.S. for a series of Castlewood Manor debut events and award show. Gemma’s father, Dr. David Phillips, makes plans to join Gemma on her trip, which should prove interesting to ex-wife Jillian. He also has some research news for Gemma that just might cause some major family waves…Gemma and Kyle’s relationship is heating up too, should we expect wedding bells, or will a former boyfriend emerge and win back Gemma’s heart? And of course, where there are premiers and awards shows, danger lurks, let’s hope Gemma manages to keep her pretty, smart, little head.

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Evan Lancaster, 8th Marquess of Kentshire

Lord Evan continues to be torn having his family legacy at Cherrywood Hall, and his love and desires in South Africa with Simone. Poachers continue to plague his South African ranch operations. Will he finally leave Cherrywood and go where his heart lies? What would happen to Cherrywood Hall if he renounces his title, or worse, is involved in a deadly game in South Africa? Some tough choices to be made, not sure I’d want to be in Evan’s shoes (or boots)…

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Sir Kyle Williams

Sir Kyle, newly knighted by the queen, continues to be a man of action, running the operations at the Cherrywood Hall estate. The winery, Wedding Pavilion, and new Honeymoon Chateau are keeping him and his staff very busy. Kyle has also fallen very much in love with Gemma and realizes she is the woman for him. He faces some choices if he moves forward with his plans with Gemma. Will he continue with the operations at Cherrywood Hall? Or will he consider moving? Or if Gemma’s ex-boyfriend prevails, will it be time for him to make major changes as well? This will be Kyle’s first time visiting America with Gemma, will it be his last?

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Jillian Phillips, aka Ma-ma

Being a lead actress on one of the most anticipated television drama series is an actress’ dream, and Jillian is thrilled to be part of the Castlewood Manor cast. She has fans from around the world thanks to her new found fame with the series. With this new fame comes lots of drama, as jealousy rages within her acting crowd, and everyone now wants a piece of her new found fame. Ma-ma may have some romantic flames fanning as well when her ex-hubby comes back into her and Gemma’s lives. Expect lots of cat fights and drama this go round, Ma-ma wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aunt Margaret, Sally Prim, Amy Princeton, Steph and Penny—they’ll be right in the action too, and dying to meet you!

Crowns and Kisses,

Veronica

P.S. Who are some of your favorite characters? Have you asked them what’s gone on since you’ve last seen them? Gemma’s dying to know

Welcome to Veronica’s #WritersDiary, Week 7

You are the dancing queen

Young and sweet

Only seventeen

Dancing queen

Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah

You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

Ooh, see that girl

Watch that scene

Dig in the dancing queen

Ooh

You can dance

You can jive

Having the time of your life

Ooh, see that girl

Watch that scene

Dig in the dancing queen

Dancing Queen, Abba 1976

This week we traveled to Solvang, CA to see our annual play at their outdoor amphitheater. This years play is, Mamma Mia! the wonderful hit story of a mother and daughter’s love life on a Greek aisle, filled with wonderful tunes from Swedish band, Abba. My husband and I have been going to our annual play in Solvang (performed by the wonderful Pacific Conservatory Theater, PCPA) for twenty years now, and we enjoy our annual sojourn very much. And per usual, when a husband and wife take a road trip, there’s always something in the air. It’s Thursday, time for Dear Diary:

While driving along PCH, hunger strikes!

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Are You Sure You Want to Eat Here…

Me: “Let’s eat at Neptune’s and sit outside for lunch,” I said, stomach growls growing louder.

Him: “The motorcycle place? Are you sure? We could go to Geoffrey’s and sit on their deck…”

Me: “No,let’s go to Neptune’s, I’m craving one of their fish taco’s, or a tuna melt. And it’s not just for bike riders, lots of people go there.”

Him: “Surfers, and bikers, which we are neither.”

Me: “Come on, what are they going to do, throw us out because we’re not carrying a surfboard or helmet? They have the best seafood…”

Him: “Alright, dear….” he said, thinking of his lost visions of sipping a cold Chardonnay overlooking the Pacific.

Pulls into Neptune’s, orders as I scout for a table, it’s first grab, first sit and I’m in full table acquisition mode. Don’t mess with a hungry mama who’s just ordered a tuna melt. Grab last table by the curbside, victory! Hubby brings grub to table.

Me: “Look at this, oohey, gooey, ahi tuna, yum!” I said, sinking my teeth into the crunchy sourdough bread, ahi tuna and melted cheddar sandwich. As I chew, I finally open my eyes to see what seafood delectable Hubby chose. “What is that?”

Him: “A cheeseburger and fries.”

Nuff said.

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Solvang, a little bit of Denmark in southern California

Solvang is a unique town off the 101 highway, approximately 40 miles north of Santa Barbara. You’ll immediately know that you are in this quaint little town just by the architecture of the buildings such as:

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Now I’m not sure a windmill is exactly Danish, but here in Solvang anything goes I guess. It’s a happy town filled with bakeries such as Mortensen’s (pistachio chocolate bars to die for), Olsen’s, Birkholm’s…let’s just say you will not have any problem finding a goodie for your sweet tooth. Danish theme restaurants such as Pea Soup Andersen’s offer a taste of Denmark. Clothing, souvenir, home décor, and shoe stores are on every block. Wine tastings are plentiful at the shops featuring central California wines (also on every block), making for a great afternoon if you’re so inclined.

This trip Hubby and I were super excited to be joined by our brother and sister-in-law, and our two lovely nieces who met us here for a few hours of fun before the play. The ‘girls’ made our way around town looking in the shops for treasures. We had a decadent cookie bash at Mortensen’s bakery (shopping is hard work!), treating ourselves to numerous tastes of their cookie masterpieces. All I can say is, YUMMO!

And BTW, we have some very beautiful nieces

There’s Something About Village Life…

I’m back with the folks in the village of Maidenford, my fictional  village outside the gates of Cherrywood Hall, aka Castlewood Manor. Sally Prim, Henry the barkeep, and Vicar Hawthorne are alive and well again in book 3, ready to be scandalized, mortified, and put in the throes of danger (a typical day in a cozy mystery). I feel quite at home in Maidenford, walking the cobbled streets, visiting the beautiful church, and of course, stopping in for a pint at The Howling Pig.

Now I know the quaint villages such as depicted in Miss Marple’s St, Mary Mead may be a thing of the past, but even the larger, modernized villages have huge appeal to me. Living in the very trendy, high paced, suburban burbs of southern California has me longing for a place I imagine to be more quaint and inviting for everyday tasks. A place where people walk to destinations, stop and talk with one another on the street, and not hop in the car and fight traffic (supplemented with hand gestures when the road rage emerges).

Whenever we travel, we try and go to places that have that small town or village feel. Hubby and I enjoy walking around and exploring, grabbing a cup of coffee and watching the world go by. I feel more relaxed in these type settings, and deep down my heart longs to live in such a setting some day. For now, I entertain myself in my fictional Maidenford. I thought I’d share some of the “village” settings that warm my heart…

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Is it the pubs…

I love pubs—and not just because of the drinks (although a hard apple cider on tap has become my favorite pubiliscious drink, no doubt). I love going into an older establishment, dark with lots of carved wood, filled with years of collected memorabilia and experiences. Each pub seems to have its own unique style, and the ones that are off the beaten tourist path are my favorites. There’s nothing better to me than to sit with a pint, leaning against a thick wooden table, reading the papers, and just listening to the whispered voices (which do become a bit louder as the-ahem-alcohol kicks in).

My favorite are the pub names—who comes up with these charming monikers? The Drunken Duck, The Gate Hangs Well, Boars Head, Bucket of Blood, The Hung Drawn and Quartered (yikes), Mad Dog, Nobody Inn…the lists go on and on, and I want to explore each and every one. I also want their signs, to me, these beauties are the best kind of collectible art. I’m so inspired by pubs we have our own California version right in our suburban front yard, The Rusty Pig (and yes, neighbors do stop by

Welcome to Veronica’s #WritersDiary, Week 6

Well, once again, July is going out with a blast, a heatwave blast that is! Whew, I am soooo ready for some cool weather, there’s only so many gallons of water one may drink (and ice cream). I really do think Earth has inched closer to the sun (I was taught in middle school that just one inch would make a huge difference, 93 million miles minus an inch….think about it). Or perhaps Mother Earth has gone into menopause, cosmically sharing her heat flashes with us all (please take some primrose oil). Thank goodness the Hallmark Christmas movies are still on (until Saturday, yay), at least I can sit and imagine the cold… OK enough about the heat (please). It’s Thursday, welcome to Dear Diary:

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Gotta love those romance writers….they know how to paarr-ttyy

The RWA18 conference in Denver last week must have been some kind of fun! This pic from Twitter was posted by fabulous romance author Teri Wilson (whose books Unleashing Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy were made into Hallmark movies!). I wish she had posted the menu, I can just imagine the sexy pizza offerings (or maybe it would be best NOT to know). I laughed so much and then I got to wondering, what would a mystery writers conference pizza be named? Peppoiriotni Pizza? The Case of the Missing Anchovies? Sherlock Sausage? Midsomer Mushroom? Deadly Onions? (Aunt Pippa is partial to Pippa’s Pineapple (yes she eats pineapple on pizzas!)). Now if I found a CROWN pizza, I’d order that every time

#GenreRemorse, Is the Grass Greener on Another Side?

We’ve all probably had a case of buyers remorse, where your must have purchase turned out to be less than imagined (or a case of forgetting not to Drink and Prime on Amazon on a Friday evening…just sayin’). This past week on Twitter I’ve been reading lots of super cute tweets from the romance writers who attended RWA18, the Romance Writers of America convention held in Denver this year. There were loads of pictures with the writers all dressed up in glamourous ballgowns, tiaras, and tons of sparkle (Je suis jealous!). It had me thinking, did I choose the right genre for my writings? Romance is in and very lucrative for many writers (they have the largest reader market currently). Who doesn’t love a good love story? It’s one of my favorite genres to read, so should I make the switch? It’s not just romance either. Who da thunk so many people would be drawn to dragons? And how ’bout those zombies?

I think when it comes to writing, it’s much easier to get into the #WritersZone if you love the genre above all others. When you’re in genre love and the zone, you don’t mind the subject research, the inevitable writers blockages, the odd hours, the marketing and promo plans, and the other zillion things that are constantly being put in our writer’s path. Just like a career path or educational background, you tend to perform better when you’re comfortable in your setting, like what you’re doing, and challenged by the work or study requirements. There are some writers that may make major genre switches, and to those brave souls I salute you, you are indeed a rare breed.

Today’s genres tend to blend a bit I think, just to incorporate the nuances of everyday life (or galactic, fantasy, or horrific situations…). No genre is strictly black or white in my opinion, because of the people, animals, locations, conversations, situations etc. involved. There’s a little literary seepage in every book I’ve read.  After some deliberation, I’ve decided that even with the lure of fantastic conferences and the chance to wear a tiara, I’m staying in the cozy mystery genre for the time being (I can always wear a tiara BTW). I thought I’d share some of the topics I think go cross genre—that just might eliminate any #GenreEnvy or #GenreRemorse going on.

Welcome to Veronica’s #WritersDiary, Week 5

What a week, getting to spend a few days on beautiful Catalina Island! Ocean breezes, fun in the sun, and of course the beautiful views. We hadn’t been over to the island for three years, and this trip did not disappoint. Hubby and I had an amazing time exploring new parts of the island that we hadn’t seen before. Of course when a husband and wife drive together, yes even in a golf cart, uuhhmm, well let’s just say things happen… It’s Thursday, time for Dear Diary:

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The Best Part, Seeing the Island at Night

Our condo that we stayed in at Hamilton Cove included the use of a golf cart, the only vehicle that is widely used on the island (the roads are very winding and narrow, the wait to get a car permit can take years). We were super excited about this, not only because said condo was a couple miles out of town, involving lots of ups and downs on winding roads, but because we could now venture out at night, something we had never done before on previous trips.

Me: “Shouldn’t you be wearing your glasses?” (Stating obvious in full wife mode)

Him: “I’m fine, it’s not that dark out yet.” (Blah, blah, blah, here she goes again)

Me: “Stop, no right there. Up just a little more so I can get the shot. Watch it! We’re too close to the edge! Up just a bit more, can’t you see?” (Wheels grinding in dirt, significant huffing and puffing as he tries to maneuver golf cart to wife’s never ending ‘bit more‘ requests (there were only 15 or so))

Him: “Did you get it?” (Still huffing and puffing, clearly in need of another glass of chardonnay)

Me: “Yes I think so. I should have put on my glasses probably…” (I can see, really I can’t can)

Him: “Are you kidding me???” (Guns golf cart as we speed back to condo, jumping speed bumps) “Next time, you drive, darh-ling….” (Looks over at wife—contemplating who knows what. Schedules golf cart driving lesson the next morning. Pours big glass of chardonnay upon return to condo. Final huff—peace restored.)

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Traffic Jams Everywhere You Go

Me: “Stop!” (Brake pads smoke as hubby stomps brake pedal a bit hard)

Him: “What is it?” (Looking nervously around for the dead body he must have hit unknowingly, clearly forgetting he should have given wife that golf cart driving lesson)

Me: “There.” (Pointing at the deer and stopped golf carts on other side of road, 20 feet in front of us)

Him: “I saw the deer, it’s over on the other side.” (Shakes head, starts golf cart to continue down the hill)

Me: “Stop!” (golf cart jerks to a halt) “The motor scares them, let’s just wait here until they’re done petting it.” (wait 10 more minutes)

Note***Two mile trip into Avalon has 4 more stops. Deer are everywhere on this winding road and ARE NOT afraid of the noise of the golf cart engines BTW.

Deer: “Humans!” (Shakes head, goes to the next golf cart to get next snack and head rub)

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Catalina Tiles Are Amazing

Tiles are one of the artisan specialties here on the island and are sold just about in every shop in town. The colors are brilliant, and you can get just about any design you want…

Me: “Ooh, look at this one. Don’t you think we could put this up by the pool?”

Him: “No.”

Note***Next time do shopping sans Hubby.

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Pet “Semetary” Catalina Island

Me: “Stop here, I want to get a picture of this.” (Hubby pulls over wondering why in the Sam hill he’s stopping here, stays quiet (pick your battles men))

Me: “Let’s get out of here. It’s super sweet, but all I can think of is Stephen King’s Pet Semetary story. I swore I saw something move.” (Goosebumps appear on arm)

Him: (Silence, nada—just starts golf cart and waits for next wifely command. Very wise man.)

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Well No Mermaid Crowns But….

Me: “I just want to go into this store to see if they have any crowns….” (I absolutely need another crown, especially a mermaid crown)

Him: “I’ll wait for you outside.” (Puffs and grins, arms crossed, no crowns in there, but let her go in, say nothing, she’ll be back out in a sec…)

20 minutes later, Hubby walks into store, spots me in line to check out. Shakes head as he sees almost royal crown jewel rings. Walks back outside. Sometimes just better not to say anything. Lost cause, there’s always something men. Always something.

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Beautiful Avalon

Hubby and wife stop at side of road and just stare at the view, arms around each other. Sometimes no words are needed. For a brief moment in time, marital bliss.

Bye Avalon, Until Next Time…

Me: “Best trip we’ve had here. I think we should move…” (Thinks of the romance of living on an island, except those golf carts are kind of like riding a lawn mower…)

Him: “Uh-huh, sure, dear. How about a Bloody Mary for the trip home?” (Stares ahead, moves quickly to ship bar. Pick and choose your battles wisely men.)

Welcome to my world. Hope your week was wonderful.

Crowns and Kisses,

Veronica

P.S. Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, highly recommended. Gemma would approve

Island Fun and Mystery Too, #InspirationResearch (IR)

26 Miles (Santa Catalina)

Santa Catalina, the island of romance,

romance, romance, romance.

Water all around it ev’rywhere,

tropical trees and the salty air,

but for me the thing that’s a-waitin’ there’s romance.

It seems so distant, twenty-six miles away, restin’ in the water serene.

I’d work for anyone, even the Navy, who would float me to my island dream.

Twenty-six miles, so near, yet far.

I’d swim with just some water wings and my guitar.

I can leave the wings but I’ll need the guitar

for romance, romance, romance, romance…

Santa Catalina Island is one of the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California, offering mainland visitors  a chance to come over and experience island life, without having to go on a five hour+ plane ride. It is the only Channel Island that is widely inhabited by the general public, with main town Avalon offering tourists a charming look at its quaint and colorful island cottages, seaside stores, food selections to meet any appetite, and for those inclined, harbor sidewalk bars that can put you into a Jimmy Buffet state of mind fairly quickly if you so choose.

Heading over to Catalina is a special trip for me this year. My sweet hubby has a big birthday this week and we have decided to take a trip to Santa Catalina Island to celebrate (and write, cannot forget the writing). Since I’m in a British state of mind with the writing of book 3, I’ve been paying special attention to the influx of tourists flooding to the seaside towns in the UK to try and beat the July heatwaves. I keep thinking of the British mysteries I’ve read that were set in beachy areas, and this Catalina trip has become my faux British beach-side fix. I’m especially excited because we’re staying in a new part of the island I haven’t been to before—so it’s exciting to be able to explore some new grounds and perhaps do a little pretending that I’m in a British beach area with mysteries unraveling all around me.

Land Ho!

The great thing about going to Catalina is that it really is only 26 miles or so offshore from the mainland (the distance varies a bit depending on your point of departure). Our trip was approximately two hours with loading and unloading. It’s pretty magical when you pull out of the harbor and the engines accelerate, taking us quickly away from the mainland. For a brief period of time you see no land as you head to the island (and for me, that definitely gets the disaster and evil deed ideas flowing). On the bright side, we were treated this trip to seeing lots of dolphins racing along side our boat, jumping in and out of the water—love seeing them.

The video clip above is the sight when we finally were making our way into the Avalon harbor, passing by a huge cruise ship that was stopped for a brief stay before heading down to Mexico. I was struck by the beauty of the island against the bright blue water. Luck was with us too, as soon as we made our way to dock, the sun broke through the marine layer that had clouded most of our trip. Island charm was in full force