Veronica’s #WritersDiary, #InspirationResearch (IR), Southern #Style!

Nine days, four cities, old friends and new, and a family reunion–it doesn’t get much better than this! We started our trip in Atlanta, where I was able to be reacquainted with a girlfriend from 7th grade. Brenda and I have not been in touch nor seen each other for decades until connecting on FB last year, but when we met, it was as if we were transported back to our, ahem, younger years, immediately bonding as if no time had passed at all, LOL. Luckily our hubbies are good sorts, putting up with our gabbing as we went through all the family and life events of the past thirty years.

We were able to see some highlights in Atlanta that I was so excited to visit. First stop was the Margaret Mitchell house in mid-town, a charming building packed with all things Gone With the Wind. The house (actually used to be 10 apartments)  is a tribute filled venue filled with memorabilia and pictures of Margaret Mitchell and of course the wonderful stars that brought this epic work to life. Margaret Mitchell was a 4′ 11″ dynamo whose civil war saga impacted many readers, myself included. If you’re in the Atlanta area, this is a must see, IMO.

And yes, I did purchase two of the campiest books ever. This trip has re-introduced me to the world of grits, and I have become a huge fan! (The gin goes without saying 🙂 ) The only disappointment was the visit to Lori’s Bridal, home of the TLC channel’s Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta–the shop is closed on Wednesdays so I didn’t get a chance to meet/stalk Lori and Monty–I’ll get them next trip! Our final night my lovely friend Brenda and her husband, Rick took us to the Cherokee Country Club, aka the Town Club. What a stately, historical venue, filled with antiques, furniture, paintings, sculptures, and memorabilia from the families who have made Atlanta their home over the years. Our final night was a beautiful blast, and I am so blessed to have reconnected with my dear friend.

Next stop was the lovely city of Savannah, whose history and manor house luxury was breathtaking to see. The feature pic is of the famous Forsyth fountain that sits majestically in the city’s central park. We walked the path through the park and  made our way down Bull Street to see the Savannah River. Along the way we saw many stately mansions, and perfectly manicured parks in the squares. We stayed at the Kessler Mansion hotel, a venue filled with quirky paintings, furniture and bright pops of color through out.

My absolute favorite experience however was finally getting to meet up in person with a dear Twitter writer friend, the fabulous Bibiana Krall! Such a fun filled visit, getting to meet someone you have much admiration for. Bibiana has a wealth of knowledge about the history of Savannah and her story behind the stories were fabulous! We had a delicious dinner at Vic’s (shrimp and grits, highly recommended!) and dessert at the Pink House, an historic mansion now turned restaurant bar where George Washington and Paul Revere supposedly made a little merry in the basement bar, lol. A fabulous night was had by all!

I’ll have more about the trip next week! It’s Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:

#AmWriting….Book 5!

And just when you thought you had everything in place for your next book, your writing muse steps in and says “Uh-no”.  I have a change in plans and will be writing and publishing the 5th book in My American Almost Royal Cousin Series as my first book this year. I don’t know if it was the travel, or the over consumption of southern grits–but the muse is never wrong! A slight change of my writing schedule, but hey, what the muse wants, the muse gets…

#AmReading #AmReviewing

A father’s revenge and a big dose of Karma this week from the writers of Twitter…

Author John Dolan’s, Everyone Dies (Book 3 of the Children of Karma series), 5 STARS

A father’s grief sends a man over the edge for revenge in Author Dolan’s third and final book of the Children of Karma series. Private Investigator David Braddock is set to avenge the murder of his daughter, Katie. Russian oligarch, Grigory Polzin, is highly suspected of having her assassinated by a ruthless killer as retribution for the death of his son. As David plots the demise of Polzin, his personal life spirals out of control as he drinks his way to oblivion to mask his mental and escalating physical pains. His office partner Da, and house manager Wayan try and help him, but are weighted down by their own personal dramas.

Karma plays its efficacious hand as David’s plans move forward via a seedy underground network,  but will David’s health allow the plan to move forward? Da deals with a tragic death, will she be able to continue working with the agency? Wayan is still mourning her lost love, the assassin suspected of killing Katie–will she ever come to terms with his brutal ways and abandonment?

A surprise reveal provides a karmic twist of events for David and his friends and family, forcing a drastic change in strategy. There are suspenseful turns on every page and the ending is masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series and am a huge fan–great characters, witty dialogue, intriguing plots, international suspense, with just a dash of romance. A great read, highly recommended!

 

Next up in the reading queue:

Flash Fiction with the Fabulous Bibiana Krall!

I will tell you this, Bibiana is all about the writing, LOL! The Bohemian hotel we stayed in in Charleston was filled with paintings, and we decided this one would inspire us for a one-hundred word flash fiction challenge. We’ll be tweeting about this today, but you can check out our flash fiction write-ups here (and you’re always welcome to join in, #JustSayin):

https://www.bibianakrall.com/single-post/2020/01/21/Idlewylde

Welcome to my world. Enjoy your #week and #weekend friends!

Crowns and Kisses,

Veronica

P.S. Road trips are the best, you just never know what you might see! Gemma and Rikkhe approve 🙂