This is the story of a little girl caught in the middle of war and abandonment in the late eighteen hundreds in Italy. It is a story of hope and betrayal. Murder and lies. Forced into a marriage to give a man on the run a new identify, Hope has to grow up quickly. Assassins are following. How much can one young girl handled?
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B6GW3QR9
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Life with Papa
Growing up on the outskirts of the small town of Colabina in central Italy long ago, little Maria Theresa Orvienta would walk with her father, Nick, through the olive groves while he told her stories of his youth. She loved the way the warm breeze rustled through the silvery leaves of the olive trees, gently singing songs no one else could hear but her. They sang, “Be happy” and “Life is beautiful.” They sang of the idyllic small-town life, and the importance of trees and sunshine and love and family.
“You are doing well in your studies, yes?”
“Yes, Papa. Even better than Guido and he is older.”
“Your English is perfect.”
“Thank you, Papa.”
“Mrs. Lynch is a very good teacher. She is from a very fine family in Cleveland, Ohio. You need to keep it up. You and me and Mama, we are going to go to America, very soon I hope.”
“I don’t want to go across the ocean to live, Papa. I like it right here.”
“Maria Theresa, there is no country like America! The whole world is open to you if you work hard and keep your nose clean. It is the country of freedom and opportunity.”
“Mama says you are having a pipe dream.”
“Sometimes your mama talks too much. She must keep our plans secret, and so should you. Look at all these beautiful olive trees. Soon we will have many olives. We will have olive oil galore. Much money will be made this year. All of my debts will finally be paid off, financial and otherwise, and we can finally get out of here.
“I never wanted to grow olives. Did you know that?”
“No, Papa.”
“I wanted to grow grapes. I wanted to have my own winery. Maybe someday, I’ll have my own vineyards in America. We’ll make wine. We’ll call it Lucky Nicky Winery.
“That’s a lofty dream for a boy who grew up poor. You know, when I was a child, my parents were so poor that they had to steal the fruit from the neighbors’ trees at night just to feed us children.”
“Ahh, that makes me so sad, Papa. Were you always hungry as a boy?”
“No, my little one. Either I felt good or I felt bad. I didn’t know enough to know the reason why. I ate very little as a boy. But I make up for it now,” Papa laughed.
“Yes, you do. Mama says you are getting a tummy.”
“Oh, don’t listen to her. Men are supposed to be big and broad so they can protect their families. Who’s afraid of a skinny guy waving a pitchfork? Huh? Nobody!”
Maria Theresa laughed and nodded. She looked up at her tall, handsome, dark curly-haired father and thought he was the most magnificent man in the world.
“Sometimes we as a family had to run and hide in the foothills at night from evil marauders who wanted to do harm to our women and kill all the men.”
“Are the evil marauders still around, Papa?” Maria Theresa scanned the surrounding area for movement.
“Yes, angel, but they have different names and different faces. They don’t roam the hillsides anymore. But they’re still out there, preying on the innocent, and stealing what doesn’t belong to them. I think we will always have bad, power-hungry men in the world. You must learn to recognize evil.”
“Evil is mean and ugly,” Maria Theresa said with her hands on her hips, with all the confidence and conviction of an eight-year-old.
“No, honey. It’s not that easy. Sometimes something very bad can look good. Sometimes evil can look very pretty to us. It does all the right things and says all the right things, but for all of the wrong reasons. You must learn to trust what your heart and your soul tell you so you can know the difference.”
Maria Theresa slipped her hand into her father’s big hand bronzed from the sun. “I’m scared, Papa.”
“Don’t be scared. I don’t tell you these things to frighten you, my little one. I tell you so you’ll be armed with the truth. You need to know these things. You aren’t a baby anymore.”
“No, I’m not,” Maria Theresa affirmed. “I will soon be nine years old.”
“Trust your feelings. Don’t let people take advantage of your sweet and gentle nature. Tell the truth. Lies beget lies. One lie leads to another and another and then another. Know that no matter what, God will not desert you. And when things get dark and scary, never give up the hope that good days will return.”
“Never give up hope. Okay, Papa. I won’t.”
“Sweet girl,” Papa said sadly as he squeezed her small hand, “there is a chance, just a small chance things might get dark and scary…very soon.”
A chill overtook Maria Theresa. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her stomach lurched.
“But do not despair. Listen to your mama. Be a good girl. Don’t believe everything people tell you. Trust your gut. Keep up with your studies. It is better to be on the quiet side than to talk too much.”
“Okay, Papa.”
“Tomorrow, I will bring home some strawberries for
you, okay? I know how much you like them.”
Maria Theresa nodded and smiled.
They walked back to the little stone house in silence.
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Vision and Verse does not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER
Note:
Vision and Verse does not store any personal information, such as email addresses or home addresses. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
Good morning, Lakeshia, and welcome to Vision and Verse. We’re happy to have you with us this morning. What have you written?
I always joke that I self-published my first book in fourth grade. I was introduced to creative writing and fell in love. I wrote and illustrated several stories, stapled them together and sold them to my classmates. I always knew I wanted to pursue writing and have indie-published 7 titles including a mix of new adult fiction, inspirational non-fiction, guided journals, Christian fiction, and women’s fiction. My most recent books include Renew: 40 Prayers and Prompt to Power Up Your Life; Faith Beats Fear; A Holiday Reunion; and Happily Ever Christmas.
What is your favorite genre to write?
I enjoy writing women’s fiction most. I like showcasing a woman’s unlikely journey from a tragedy to triumph. No matter the genre, it’s important to me as a writer to create worlds that inspire and give people a sense of hope. There is something special about reading a story where you can see yourself — the experiences and characters feel familiar.
Favorite food.
Shrimp — I could probably eat them in a variety of ways everyday.
Tea or coffee?
Both
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza
Wine or beer or soda or what?
Sparkling Water
Where would you like to visit?
New Zealand
Favorite musical artist.
Marvin Gaye
Do you listen to music when you write?
Yes
What?
I listen to TV/Film scores — usually something by Hans Zimmer or Game of Thrones soundtrack by Ramin Djawad
What makes you laugh?
I can usually find humor in anything, but I especially like the everyday “I can’t believe that just happened” moments of irony.
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
The Persistence of Memory by Salvador DalÃ
8
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
Every story starts with a character speaking or a line of dialogue that I freely write about and then I build out character profiles and plot my outline to write from.
Describe your perfect evening.
My perfect evening is one in which I feel like I’ve had a productive day and now I can relax on my porch in my hammock reading a book, with the sounds of nature in the background.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I am easily inspired — I can read a headline, hear a name, or see an interesting exchange and start to form a story. I consider everything in life potential material and in many ways I am able to process some of my most challenging moments through writing. I find that having that quiet time in nature allows me to think through ideas.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I go for a walk in nature. Or sometimes I’ll read something I’ve written and I’m reminded of how much I love a story or a character.
Who is your favorite author?
It is a tie between J. California Cooper and Flannery O’ Connor.
Best book you ever read.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Last book you read.
40 Days of Decrease by Alicia Britt Chole
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I would be a filmmaker.
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My mother has influenced me most because she created an environment for me to thrive and create. She bought my first typewriter when I was in 5th grade and allowed me to have all of these wild, crazy imaginings. I inherited her sense of humor, storytelling, and project management.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I really would like to have a conversation with Jesus — I have so many questions and can only imagine what it was like to be in his physical presence. We may not even talk much.
I’ve had the privilege of teaching and coaching dozens of aspiring authors and I always tell them to stay focused on the main thing: writing. It’s simple, yet so difficult for many to do because our lives are so busy with tasks that pull us away from creating. There are so many other elements to being an author, such as the publishing process and promotions that many aspiring authors focused more on everything else besides writing. You have to be protective of your creative space and remain in that mode to write freely and authentically.
Do you have some social media links for us to follow you?
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/lakeshiapoole
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeshiapoole
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakeshiapoole
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakeshiapoole
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakeshiapoole
Website: www.lakeshiapoole.com
VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER
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Vision and Verse does not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
The Eleventh Hour, Poppy McGuire Mysteries Book 1, by Anina Collins was a really good murder mystery about life in a cosy, small town that is as much a character in the mystery as the detective, the mayor, and the hair stylist. A tight plot with plenty of suspects leads the reader to the satisfying ending.
VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER
Note:
Vision and Verse does not store any personal information, such as email addresses or home addresses. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER
Note:
Vision and Verse does not store any personal information, such as email addresses or home addresses. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER
Note:
Vision and Verse does not store any personal information, such as email addresses or home addresses. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
Dark Return is the sequel to Belterra, Time After Time, and takes place about ten years afterwards.
When Belterra was populated long ago by a select group of humans sent here by the ancients in the hope of saving the human race, the indigenous race of bat-like creatures called the Batrach were forced into the ocean and underground sea caves by a giant force field.
Over time the force field has weakened.
The Batrach have emerged from their watery prison and they want their planet back.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/b07kxjkw53?&tag=admarketus-20&ref=pd_sl_a8D975DCD87CB3907EB1425F74
VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER
Note:
Vision and Verse does not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.
