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 4

Veronica's #WritersDiary: What's So Funny? Infusing Humor into Cozy Mystery Stories

"He laughs best who laughs at the end."

Agatha Christie

I found the panels I attended at the Bouchercon mystery conference in San Diego a few weeks ago a treasure trove of writing and reading inspiration!

Over 1600 mystery and crime writers; book bloggers and podcasters; readers and book club members attended this year, making for some spirited discussions during the Qs & As.

For today's post, I wanted to chat about one of the panels that piqued my interest: Humor and Homicide. I constantly ju...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: Homage to a Haunted Queen...

"Today we come to the happy task of sending on her way the stateliest ship now in being. It has been the nation’s will that she should be completed, and today we can send her forth no longer a number on the books, but a ship with a name in the world, alive with beauty, energy and strength! May her life among great waters spread friendship among the nations!"

King George V on the Queen Mary launch

The OH and I had the pleasure of cruising up to Long Beach to see one of its most iconic tourist attr...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: It's Complicated...When Romance, Mystery, & Suspense Collide

“Because when you’re in love , you think you’re invincible. It blinds you. And you don’t seem to care.”

Agatha Christie

What happens when love takes a deadly turn? It's a question that is posed and answered frequently in cozy mystery, suspense, and thriller tales. Greed, revenge, and unhinged madness often result in murderous acts of rage.

Today I wanted to discuss this topic in a bit more detail from a cozy mystery perspective. I've mentioned in previous posts I'll be participating in a panel ...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: It's Reveal Day for Shadow Reflection, Book 4 in The Haunted Series!

"Reflections shift, unleashing the shadows within..."

Bibiana Krall

Veronica Cline Barton

Well, hello August--and for lovers of all things scary, the countdown to Spooky Season has begun! Today, Bibiana Krall and I are super excited to reveal our latest collaboration in the Haunted Series, Shadow Reflection!

I cannot believe it's been four years since we first began this writing journey together as the world shutdown, thrusting the planet and its inhabitants into conditions and experiences nev...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: Bright Lights, Neon City---Viva Las Vegas!

"Las Vegas is a city built on hope, dreams, and a little bit of crazy."

Michael McDonald

What better way to bring July to a close than a trip to the lit streets of Las Vegas! The OH and I will be spending a few days in the over-the-top town to soak up the sun, see the dazzling lights, and indulge our culinary desires...I won't mention the known-to-be-losses as the penny slot machines... #Sigh

This year, we'll be back in the Venetian hotel--I love the majestic decor and baroque details scatter...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: Happy Mid-Year!

"You love but once, you might as well be amusing."

Coco Chanel

Well, hello July---and a very Happy Mid-Year to you! In keeping with Ms. Chanel's sage advice, today I'm offering an amusing, plethora of salutations! For my US friends, I hope you had a fantastic 4th of July! A happy Canada Day for those who dwell up north! For my all-things-holidays lovers, Happy Christmas in July! And for those of you who prefer to live in the moment, a very Happy Summer! #Whew

I actually enjoy this time of yea...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: Urban Art & City Scenes; Exploring the Streets of Reykjavik!

"Speak softly but carry a big can of paint."

Banksy

For today's post (#300 I might add since I began my blogging days), I wanted to close out our Arctic adventure with some pics of our wanderings in Reykjavik. The skies may have been gray at times, but the mood of this vibrant city is wow when it comes to colors and urban art!

Block after block, I was amazed to see the surreal, whimsical, pop art designs on the buildings. The urban artists show off their creations in grand style, keeping you me...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: What a Viking Journey It Has Been!

A good beginning makes a good ending...

~ Icelandic Saying

Greetings from Iceland and hello, June! Our Arctic journey is coming to an end. From Bergen to Honningsvag on mainland Norway, the views were breathtaking.

There are so many favorites, but the visit to Longyearbyen, the northernmost town on the planet was high on my list. The midnight sun was out in full force during our visit, giving me a chance to take some great pics.

Our ship, the Viking Neptune and morning view off the aft deck

One ...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: Neptune Cruisin'; The Viking Journey Begins!

"Make voyages. Attempt them. There's nothing else."

Tennessee Williams

God morgen, from Norway! I am so pleased to report that today I'm writing from the decks of the Viking ocean ship, the Neptune!

After a ten-hour flight from LAX to Amsterdam (that airport was quite the cra-cra experience), and then a hop-skip-and jump to Bergen, we were able to get a few days of walking in before we set sail up the lovely Norwegian coastline and over to Iceland.

One of our fav things to do in Bergen is to ...

Veronica's #WritersDiary: The Merry, Merry Month of May!

"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted..."

Mae West

Well, hello, May! I thought I'd kick off the discussion and giggles today with a bit of 'Mae' humor, LOL. Miss West never fails to tell it like it is. We're ten days into this final month of spring and it has come in with a bang! #MayDay

Let's talk about the Met Gala held on May 1st...Coming off my latest, runway, mystery-murder-spree tale that included its own, explosive gala, I was really looking forward to the glitz and glam the 'real-de...