"I don't think the robots are taking over. I think the men who play with toys have taken over. And if we don't take the toys out of their hands, we're fools."
Ray Bradbury
How we doin'?
For me, as the days of August draw to a close, I breathe a much-needed sigh of relief. The final edits of my next mystery are near completion, which means, I'll soon have a book to release! #Yay
This month I'm rather proud to say I've kept calm and carried on despite the continued chaos and flux here and abroad that continues to confound and amaze me---every--single--day... 👀
Since I'm currently deep in the writing zone, I thought for this month's post we'd have a bit of fun and use the tumultuous events of the month to come up with a few #PitchWar type prompts (remember those?) that might inspire and make the little gray cells churn... And perhaps give us something to talk about... uncensored.
*My apologies in advance for the errant swear word(s) that may pop up in the in the discussions and/or graphics that follow...
From the depths of my little gray cells, #PitchWar prompts based upon August events:
#ManchurianCandidate meets #WagTheDog: A villainous group of elites blackmail a demented President of the United States to relinquish his party's nomination. In this silent but deadly coup, the IQ challenged, cackling vice president who never received a single vote becomes the Presidential nominee de jour. The twist, she has to keep her mouth shut until after the election. Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.
#ThePatriot meets #AnimalFarm: A rogue EU bureaucrat and milquetoast UK Met police bloke send a threatening letter and video to citizens and companies in the United States to censor and warn think before you post on social media. Or else. They forget the US citizens post-1776 still don't take kindly to being told what to do by foreign powers and are met with loud cries of "Go F*ck Yourself'. It's WW3, West v. West, as Russia and China pop the popcorn.
#Outbreak meets #Contagion meets #28DaysLater meets #28WeeksLater meets #12Monkeys meets #EtcEtcEtc: An evil, global cabal wants to depopulate the human race and are prepared to unleash deadly engineered viruses around the planet to fulfill their diabolical dreams. Their plans go awry due to the ineptness of their DEI scientist pools who can't seem to get the formulas right. Chickens, monkeys, and humanity fight to live another day. For now.
#Borat meets #TheCandidate meets #AnimalHouse: It's the national convention for the party who wants to bring 'JOY' back to the poor plebs of the country they've governed the past four years. Billionaire after billionaire are brought to the podium to yell about how bad-bad the other party's billionaires are. The problem is the audience is tuned out. They're out-front on the street curbs, standing in lines at the mobile truck stands offering freebie lobotomies for all. Wondering if they get free cokes, chips, and toga flags with their orders.
#Gaslight meets #1984: Governments around the world conspire to fight off a growing threat to their domination of the masses by censoring all media content, invading the privacy of billions, and creating a kinder, gentler, more inclusive, skewed AI version of events that will make you oh-so-happy. Do not believe anything you see or hear or read except the content WE provide. No humor, no satire, no complaints--only the government truth! Will their plan of global illusion to obscure reality succeed? The world may never know. Unless the masses wake up. Tick. Tock.
And with that, it's almost an August wrap...
Godspeed and best to you for Whatever the Hades September decides to unleash. Buckle up.
It's Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:
It's a September eBook Sale!
In honor of the October 15th planned release of Behind the Scenes: The Exhibition of Castlewood Manor, I'm having a 99 cent eBook sale for Blood on the Vines and Murder on the Runway through the month of September. Catch up on the latest in the series before the next book drops. Happy reading!
Mystery, mayhem, and wine this month from the writers of X...
5⭐ Author Amy Reade once again thrills readers with her latest #NewRelease in The Cape May Historical Mystery Collection! It's September, 1821 and a deadly hurricane is set to strike the Cape May area, unleashing ravaging waves and winds to all in its path.
Deputy Sheriff George Moore lends a helping hand to the lightkeeper's family to prepare for the carnage. The storm hits with an unexpected vengeance, trapping him, the family, and shipwrecked members to wait it out. Death, mystery, and nefarious undercurrents have other ideas, unlocking terrors not foreseen. A thrilling mystery, highly recommended!
5⭐ A routine investigation into gunfire on a property leads to a murder investigation that terrorizes and scandalizes the community of Lonewood Prairie. Deputy Eve Cromwell and her temporary sidekick, Detective Brock Scanlin are thrown for a loop when more bodies are found, placing them in the path of a killer on the run.
Family dramas compound the investigation, making for tough decisions to be made. Will they uncover the clues to catch the killer before he strikes again? A page-turning mystery, highly recommended!
5⭐A two-week holiday turns into a murder investigation for former Detective Hillary Greene. She's staying at the charming Riverside Inn in the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye. An impromptu train excursion with her fellow guests leads to one of them being murdered.
Hillary's enlisted by the local police to help solve the case. will her sleuthing put her holiday gone wrong to an end? An intriguing whodunnit, sure to please fans of cozy mysteries!
5⭐ Attention budding oenophiles, this is the book for you! Do you fret about what wine to serve with what dish? The primary tastes that affect food and wine pairings?
Do you ponder how genetics your taste and wine preferences? What regions of the world produce what wines?
The Wine Folly has it all, giving easy to read and understand descriptions that will make you an expert in no time. The illustrations and enlightening prose are magnifique. This read will make your next encounter with a sommelier go off like a cork on a bottle of fizzy champagne!
An Evening Under the Stars in Laguna Beach!
The OH and I had the pleasure of once again attending the Pageant of the Masters event, where art comes alive! This year's theme was 'A La Mode' featuring the fashions depicted in art and the film world. It was another lovely evening, enjoyed by all. I'll share more pics next time.
Welcome to my world. Here's to September and all that it brings... #GULP
Crowns and Kisses,
Veronica
P.S. I'm in Nashville this week enjoying the world of whodunnits! Gemma and Rikkhe approve 💖👑
Have fun at Bouchercon, V! What a great experinece, and in Nashville—how cool!
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing The Night the Light Went Out. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And I have added the other books to my TBR...they all sound terrific! Someone in this house is going to love Wine Folly for Christmas!
Someday I hope to see Pageant of the Masters. It looks like an incredible evening.
xo
A