I don't think I considered how much junk...er... treasures I store in the deep dark recesses of my kitchen cabinets!   For everyone who thinks a kitchen remodel only affects the use of the kitchen- ha! my kitchen is spread out in two rooms - technically three when you consider that the formal living dining combo is two rooms in one! 

Not only are all my goodies piled on every table, sofa, and chair surface, there are two additional tables in there  for the coffee station and the microwave station! LOL. It's pretty messy - I just keep shaking my head and dust mopping the floors - did I mention how much dust there is in a remodel? Doesn't matter if you close doors, hang plastic, whatever. That fine dust is everywhere - and I mean EVERYWHERE. I live in a two story house. Apparently heat isn't the only thing that rises. So does dust! LOL . 

On the bright side, I got a fantabulous bargain on floors. I want vinyl for a few reasons. Easier on the back when you're standing than tile, and things don't smash and shatter when you drop them the way they will with tile. The other reason of course is ease of install. The quick connect flooring has less material and labor and can be done in a fraction of the time of a tile floor that requires leveling, laying mastic, then tiles, then grout, then washing, and then sealing grout. Which is a whole other story of pretty grout on installation day and ugly grout two years down the road. No grout issues with vinyl. 

Anyhow, I went floor shopping while in Houston with my daughter and found a stonelike large tile that were on clearance and looked nice. I found the same tile at a store near me in North Texas so decided not to drive home with all that weight sucking up expensive gas. Then when I got home, rather than drive to the store with the floor 45 minutes from me, I stopped at the local one. Just to see if maybe they had it. Well, they didn't but they had something similar for 30 cents a sq. ft. less - also on clearance. I brought the pieces home, compared, and while I liked the original tile a little more, not enough more to pay an additional 30 cents a sq. ft. for my 400 sq ft. kitchen/breakfast/laundry/pantry floor. So I went back for the less expensive one and surprise surprise, there was an additional discount I was unaware of -- a whopping 40% more off. Holy moly - my floors cost half of what I originally thought they would. What a huge blessing and it absolutely made my day!  The floor started going in on Saturday and will be finished today - Woot! 

I bet you're all wondering what this means for the new book series - well, it's going slowly - but it's going. Maybe by next week I'll have release dates for you guys!  Now I get to decide on paint colors for the cabinets.  I was thinking white like my old cabinets - maybe with a dark blue bottom for the island. I've always liked blue. My daughter did blue bottom and white top and it looks pretty cool.  I'm looking around and tossing ideas in my head. 

What Color are your cabinets? If you could paint them now, would you paint them the same color? 

Progress is slow but steady on the kitchen. I am absolutely loving how much light is in my kitchen now thanks to the sliding patio door.  Before, any time of day, I would have the kitchen lights on. Now, everyone can see clear as day (lol) without turning on a light - it's great! 

the old floor is now torn up - the rotted sections of plywood will be replaced. It's amazing how much damage can be done from small occasional water leaks/spills. Also, about a year ago a neighbor of my mom's was remodeling and they were throwing out perfectly good sheets of plywood because they had 'staples' in them.  I brought home all five pieces. Hubby and friends shook there heads at me. The way the price of plywood had shot up I thought I will need it so now I have it - and voila - floor will be repaired with the plywood everyone made fun of me for saving LOL. 

So - I still have to pick out a floor - which means running around town finding something on sale that I like - I always pick the best of what's on sale. So far it's worked out great through the decades of small projects here and there. I also had a friend drop off some of her paint samples from her house and so the wall color is picked. It will be benjamin moore paint color Revere Pewter cut down 75% - so the walls will be sort of white to keep the room light and just enough hue to pop against white cabinets. I'm pretty excited. I've had a yellow kitchen for almost fifteen years. It's time for a change. 

Here's another photo of hubby having take out - we've moved our entire kitchen contents (microwave table is no longer in kitchen) into the dining/living room. Heaven forbid we have company there's no sofa space for sitting! 

And I'm happy to report I've made good progress this last week with Book three Just One Dance. I've passed the halfway point so it's exciting!  

I also had a dinner -- of course I forgot to take photos, sigh -- with a movie production person so I've got plenty of input for book four.  I'm still waiting for release dates on these but it will be wonderful. 

Okay back to work!  Have a good week everyone! And I'm curious - what color are your kitchen walls? 

Oh have we had a busy week!  This was demo week - we tore out the right side of my kitchen to flip the room so that I can access my porch without having to cross the house :) .  I am super content already with the difference in light the new door makes in the kitchen.  This is mostly a do it yourself sort of project - I'm the one managing the work load and independent contractors (let's just say electrical isn't my thing lol) so it's making book writing slow going (lots of interruptions) but I'm chugging along! First we have a messy mid process photo (forgot to take a pretty photo of a clean kitchen lol) and then the patio door installed where the window over the sink was :) 

​Then, I have series book cover news for you - as you know I'm working on a new series: The Billionaire Barons of Texas.  This is a very wealthy ranching family with interests in more than just ranching. Grandson #1 runs the family hotel business (think the Hiltons without the drama) Grandson #2 is a race car driver.  Grandaughter in book #3 is a smart as a whip chemist who creates scents for a living. Number 4 is back to the grandsons, this guy runs a television movie production company - I'm having dinner with a real producer this tuesday for background!. Book #5 is the granddaughter who runs the family vineyard in central Texas. Book #6 is granddaughter who is a photographer. The last book of siblings is the widowed Senator.  If y'all like the series there are a ton more grandchildren to keep going with. 

Here is a first time reveal of the covers!  Let me know what you think of the titles and series title. We struggled a lot as to weather to put billionaire in the series title or not. 

Last but not least Mom seems to be making some improvements since her rapid post car accident decline. She's not back to normal yet, is still housebound, but we're working on it! 

So  - what do you think? Let me know I love visiting with you guys. Also do you like the renovation photos or would you rather I stuck to book matters? 

I always try to post first thing in the morning but some days time just slips away from me! Today was one of those days.  This last week my mom starting going down hill for no reason until the doctor explained to us that the trauma of an accident coupled with the pain of a bruised hip can cause 'regression' in elderly. Not wanting to hurt she wouldn't walk which created a downward spiral.  We're working on bringing her back, but at her age it can be tricky. Her doctor ordered PT three times a week. Hopefully she hasn't had too much loss of muscle mass. 

I am delighted to report that I have finally started working on the Baron book - I still don't have a cover for you but the cover designer is sending out ideas. I'm sure it will be narrowed down soon! The only real challenge is getting words in between banging and hammering. We are taking apart my 70 year old kitchen and getting ready to install a lovely patio door where my sink used to be. I've always thought it nuts that in order to access my nice big back porch with drinks or food, I have to leave the kitchen and cross the living room to reach the back door. So silly. After 28 years of shaking my head at the architect who must have been a man--one who never barbecued--I am finally moving forward. We've had to do the project in sections and we're having to cut the budget in a lot of places, but I'm so excited to have a patio door coming soon! 

​Here's the mid kitchen photo (of course I forgot to take a good before!): 

You can see why things are a tad distracting! The window on the right is where the sink was and where a patio door will be. You might notice the shadow of the porch post through the dirty window LOL. Anyhow I promise to share more picks next week and maybe even a snippet of the Baron book. 

​If anyone has survived a kitchen remodel - I'll take any tips you have to offer! 

Have you noticed that some weeks seem very boring? Nothing really happens, no news to report, same old same old, life just goes chugging along. Then there are weeks when lots of stuff happens. Some good, some bad, some boring, some exciting. This week was one of those weeks with good and not so good.
 
As y’all know, last week was a bit out of the ordinary. Hubby’s car got clipped rather nastily. We’re still waiting to hear if the insurance is going to total it or repair it, but that’s just the start of the week. Our dog Gunny, who we rescued eleven years ago, has been deteriorating with DM. His hind legs have been giving out more and more over the last twelve months and even though it broke my heart, it was time to say good bye. Though he will live on through the years in a handful of my books!
 
The flipside of our week is all about family. My grandkids and daughter have been here all this past week which made this the perfect weekend to celebrate all the July birthdays. We have five family members celebrating so what choice do you have in the middle of a triple digit summer? Pool party!  It was a lovely time trying to stay cool! It was also very interesting having one cake for five people – we spread out the candles and said – make a wish and blow out one! Lol. It sort of worked ha ha!  The other trick was the song – uh – some hurried through five names, some said some other cumulative word but bottom line is everyone chuckled and ate cake and were blessed to be together!
 
Starting Today though, it’s back to work on the Barons of Texas. I stopped in the beginning of Beth Baron’s story, we’ll have to see where it goes.
 
Are you ready for a new series? 

The Keniston household has been busy. My daughter and grandchildren came home with me for a week’s visit and a wedding this coming weekend. It’s lovely having them around in the home my daughter grew up in. Wouldn’t mind going back in time to the days when whole families lived on the same street, but sadly in these crazy days and times if we had to buy a home today we wouldn’t be able to afford our own house!
 
Then, just to add a little zip to our day, my husband was T-boned turning at an intersection. Thankfully the person who ran the red light was insured so we were able to take my mom (the passenger) to the hospital to check out her hip. Again, more thanks, her hip was just bruised from the seatbelt but at the ripe young age of 87 everyone was concerned she could have easily fractured that hip.
 
So now, we’re all moving about with company and one family car. It will be interesting until we get a hold of the insurance process. With only 66k miles on our old Mitsubishi, I’m hoping they repair the thing and don’t want to total it. We not only like the car but were hopeful it would last longer than we do LOL!
 
The good stuff – the grandbaby smiles in her sleep. That’s fun to watch. Would love to know what those dreams are!
 
As for writing, the plan is to get back on board full time next week when the family goes home and it’s just me and my computer, but until then, it’s all about the baby! Have to admit I love those little baby snuggles. It makes me understand why the Duggars had 19 kids – babies (if you have some help) are too sweet for words. Though I do think 19 is a bit much, but my daughter wants one or two more so I’m totally on board with rocking babies a few more times! As an only child I think having a bunch of siblings should be a blast, both growing up and then later in life when our parents are aging. Heaven knows I would love a sibling to help a bit with Mom and her dementia, but I’m thankful to have cousins who are there to make the road a little easier.
 
Do you come from a large or small family? 

​Happy Independence Day
 
There are movies that I enjoy watching on this day. Oddly enough, my first is The Time of Their Lives with Abbot and Costello. Costello is a ghost from the revolutionary war and Abbot is a modern day (well 1940’s modern lol)  psychiatrist trying to correct the wrongs of his traitor ancestor. It’s quite entertaining and not as slapstick as most of their work.
 
Next is the musical 1776. I love the portrayal of John Adams and his wife Abigail. And of course Jefferson and his wife are too cute for words, though historically inaccurate.
 
Lastly, the modern classic – Independence Day. The only challenge is the romance author in me. The storyteller who loves her happily ever after has never understood—nor liked—why they had to kill off the first lady. (If you’ve never watched the 1996 movie I apologize for the spoiler). There was absolutely no difference in the plot, storyline, or purpose of the movie affected by her survival or death – stupid scene. I do however love so many of the characters and their one line deliveries, especially Judd Hirsch. I think he may be my favorite character of all!
 
Meanwhile, today we’re having a quiet family day while I’m at my daughter’s. Usually we have a pool day at my house followed by the fireworks across the street. It was so funny the first year we moved into our home. We were visiting friends about 20 minutes away and drove him as dusk hit. We were halfway when I spotted a lovely fireworks show and told hubby we should follow it. He was tired after playing water volleyball all afternoon and just wanted to go home. I was kind of mopey watching the fireworks, but as we got closer to our house we also seemed to get closer to the fireworks show. By the time we pulled into the driveway, as Naomi Judd once said, “Well slap the dog and spit in the fire.”  Color me surprised to discover not only were the fireworks close – they were literally across the street. So now every year we all sit in our back yard and watch the 20 or so minute show with easy access to chairs, beverages, snacks and the other comforts of an air conditioned home. I am so spoiled! LOL.   
 
And of course, I’m always pleased to hear Lee Greenwood’s song God Bless the USA. Every national holiday where we tend to spend the day gathering, eating, and playing with friends and family, I’m thankful for the talented people who one way or another remind us of what the holidays are truly about.  Even though so many men lost their lives hundreds of years ago, I can’t imagine living anywhere except in the country those early leaders envisioned. Well, maybe I wouldn’t mind a summer home in the South of France, but that’s a post for another day, lol.
 
So, how are you celebrating our countries declaration of independence?

I can't believe how quickly time is passing - I'm afraid I have no new words for the new Baron books and I am still struggling with what to title each book - sigh.  I'm hoping to have at least one cover for you and release dates but not yet. 

Since I can't work while holding a little baby, I sit here thinking - a lot! I really want to redo my kitchen. I've wanted to do that for years. I got an architect to move things around five years ago when my daughter was getting married. We redid one half of the project which involved what I'll call the left side of the kitchen moving the fridge, the pantry, and shortening the laundry room. Last year I moved a window in anticipation of someday shifting the kitchen. 

The idea is to flip flop the working kitchen and breakfast nook so that I can put a door from the kitchen onto the back porch and hence into the back yard. At this moment in time anyone who wants to barbecue or bring food or drink outside has to walk from the kitchen into the family room and then across to the backdoor - it seems so silly when the back porch extends to the length of the kitchen. 

So while sitting here thinking I decided I'm going to rip out the sink cabinet and put in the patio door - who needs a kitchen sink right? LOL. I've warned hubby, since this will be a mostly do it yourself project, we probably will not have a working kitchen till Thanksgiving, but a new kitchen for the holidays is the goal! 

​For those of you who weren't following me back in the wedding days - here are a couple of photos of what we did. This was the demo of the left side of the kitchen and the almost finished product - When I get home I'll take a better photo of the now - but the pocket door on the far left side of the photo is the new access to the laundry room and the pantry is the door on the left (used to be access to laundry) and the fridge is where the pantry used to be giving us much more walking room in the kitchen. The door that's ajar in the old photo and dead center in the almost finished photo is access to dining room. 

You can see from the bottom photo that the island (and rest of the working kitchen) is on the left and the kitchen table is on the right. Well that's what's going to get flipped. Hopefully by thanksgiving we'll have the entire kitchen area on the right side and the breakfast area with a sliding patio door will be on the left.  

Wouldn't it be cool to have a new series of books and a newish kitchen!  Will keep you posted! 

I'm all ears if you have any remodeling stories to share - Advice is welcome! 

Some weeks, the days just slip right by. 

We've had a crazy busy week - I'm thrilled to announce that I have a sweet baby granddaughter.  She weighed in at exactly eight pounds. Unlike her brother who took thirty two hours to make his appearance, our little girl was more eager and greeted us in less than four!

As a result it's been a week of food prep, family visits, and playing pass the baby! She's already a great sleeper. At bedtime she nods off for three to four hours, wakes up for a snack, and goes back to sleep for a few more hours. We're all getting way more sleep than we expected! And big brother is fascinated with 'baby'. It's so much fun to watch. 

Of course, in early baby stage there are no words being written. I had expected this and June isn't even on the writing schedule, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to scribble a few words to keep me ahead of the game. We're tinkering with titles. I'm wondering what your thoughts are?  I think book one will be - the wedding date.  Though I'd rather stick with names, I'm not sure if it's a good idea.  This is important so if you read the blog, please answer in comments. Do you prefer book titles that express something or book titles that just have the name?  

Sooo - here I am at 4:30 in the morning and wide awake.  Not sure if it's because I didn't take my bedtime gummy for sleep or because every time I roll over my bruised ankle wakes me up just a little.

Yesterday, for reasons I do not understand, I cracked my ankle against the corner of the coffee table. I have been visiting my daughter's house with some regularity over the last there years and never come close to that stupid coffee table! It hurt when I bumped it - and I rubbed it quite a bit in an effort to prevent bruising- but it still hurts. A friend told me to use Arnica salve and I bought some but unfortunately, it's home in Dallas.

Hopefully I won't fall asleep in the middle of day now LOL! I'm debating between turning on the TV or picking up a book or working on book three of the barons of Texas- I may try and get a few words in because with a new baby coming there won't be much time soon. 

Since I shared the opening scene of book two last month (that was Kyle's story), here's the unedited first draft of the opening scene of book three (Beth's story) :

“What you need is a man.”
Standing over her latest compound mixture, the dropper in her hand fell to the floor as Beth Baron snapped her head around to face her assistant. “Excuse me?”
“You work too hard.”  Isabel Santorini had been the best compounder, assistant that Beth had ever worked with. The standard white lab coat did little to hide the woman’s gothic wardrobe complete with heavy combat boots that thudded their way across the commercial linoleum floors. Nor did the plethora of strategically pierced studs along with bleached raven black hair and striking makeup choices give any hint of the brilliant mind that had worked beside Beth since the day she started Le Perfumerie.  “I can sense your tension the minute I cross the threshold. You need a good roll in the hay.”
“What I need,” Beth spun around and handed Isabel a list of her latest choices, “is for you to compound these and leave my love life alone.”
“Would love to. If you had one.” Isabel flashed a toothy grin. “Love life that is.”
“My love life is just fine. Thank you.”
Isabel set a dish of cheese and fresh finger fruits in front of her. “Sure it is. That’s why you’ve been sleeping on the sofa in your office all week.”
Beth could do little more than roll her eyes. The woman was right. Beth loved her work, loved being her own boss, and often when she was working on a particularly enchanting scent, time would get away from her and she’d crash on the sofa. On the bright side, working crazy long days for stretches at a time kept her from remembering basic necessities in life like food, which helped keep her in the same size clothes she’d worn since high school. Thankfully, a caring nagger, Isabel made sure that Beth at least didn’t starve to death.
“Thanks. I didn’t realize I was hungry.”
“For food or men?”
“Will you stop that!” The last thing Beth needed now was a romantic liaison with a man.
“I’m serious. Never mind the roll in the hay. When was the last time you were out on a date with a man?”
“Two weeks ago at the Shelters for Women annual gala.”
One pitch black eyebrow lifted high on Isabel’s forehead and her charcoal lips pursed in bitter disagreement. “Jack Preston doesn’t count. Even though the man is sexy as hell, he might as well be your brother. Heaven knows no honorable man would be willing to cross the line with his best friend’s little sister. Especially when the brother is a Baron and has two more brothers to back him up in brawl.”
There wasn’t much of an argument she could give. Jack Preston, her brother Kyle’s college buddy, had been her go to date for charity events and weddings for years. It made for great photographs, fed the gossip mill to keep her preferred charities in the news, and repelled unwanted gold-digging male attention. Too bad he wasn’t available for tonight’s Housing for Heroes event. The entire evening was planned around her donation of a recent creation with all sales profit of the new scent to go to the organization. The naming rights to the scent was one of the auction items tonight. Everyone expected the fundraiser to be a bumper crop night for the non profit that had done so much for struggling veterans. At least for tonight her grandparents would be in attendance. Not the same as an escort on her arm, but a safe haven none the less. Speaking of which, she glanced down at her wrist watch. Three o’clock. If she high tailed it out of here she’d be able to beat some of the miserable Houston traffic. One of these days she was going to move the operation out of downtown, sell her NEIGHBORHOOD condo, and set up in a cheaper less congested northern suburb. Some day.
She tossed a grape in her mouth and a morsel of mozzarella, then scooped the dish into her hand to finish nibbling on her way out the door. “Thanks for the snack, but I need to get moving if I want to wear something other than my lab coat to tonight’s banquet.”
Isabel stepped back and nodded. Beth was almost out the lab door when her assistant shouted after her, “If you find a hot bachelor, take him home with you!”

Hope you enjoyed that sneak peek!  We don't have release dates yet for the series but hopefully some time this fall! Will let you know when I know! 

In the meantime I hope y'all have had a good night's sleep.  

Stay in touch!