INTERVIEW: Urban Fantasy Author Alfred Muller

 

Alfred Muller

Tennessee 

USA

 

 

Good morning, Alfred, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for Art and Authors and those who love them. Can you tell us a little about what you have written?

I am working on my 10th book. I have 5 novels and 4 short stories/novellas. My main series is the Water Crystal which will consist of 4 books once complete. Currently 3 books are out and the 4th will be released this year (2026). I also have a YA book titled Dream Tale, and an Urban Fantasy titled Reaper Society Veil of Death. My Short stories are in a variety of worlds that I’ve created and plan to write longer works in. A great example is my short story titled Reaper Society, which is a snippet of the life of my reapers and connected to my full novel, Reaper Society Veil of Death.

 

What is your favorite genre to write?    

Urban Fantasy with gothic themes and imagery 

 

Favorite food.

PIZZA. I’m a real life ninja turtle without the martial art skills. 

 

Tea or coffee?

Black Coffee

 

Pizza or ice cream?

This is like Sofie’s Choice. Pizza… no, Ice cream… Definitely Pizza. 

Ice cream my final answer—Nope. I can’t do it. 

 

Wine or beer or soda or what?

For alcohol I prefer bourbon, but general drink Arizona ice tea 

 

Where would you like to visit?

Ireland, Scottland, and Italy. 

 

Favorite musical artist.

Of all time is Breaking Benjamin, but Falling in Reverse is a close second. 

 

Do you listen to music when you write?

Normally no. 

What?

If I need to drown out the world I’ll listen to classical music. Anything with lyrics and I get sidetracked. 

 

What makes you laugh?

Just about anything. 

 

Favorite work of art or sculpture.

I like gothic imagery like Catholic Cathedrals and angelic statues and gargoyles. 

 

How old were you when you started writing?

Early teens when I started fan fiction, but I drew poor picture books as early as kindergarten. 

 

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards?

Or just write?

I’m a panser. I will leave myself notes as I write in text message or email too keep my on track, but I don’t outline. I have an idea where the story is going and let my characters lead the way. 

 

Describe your perfect evening.

Sitting down with a good book, a cup of Irish Coffee, and my family on my back porch.  

 

Where do you get your inspiration?

A lot of places. I love learning so I research a lot of mystical and fantastical elements of everyday life. Near death experiences, aliens, miracles. I have a bachelor’s in Philosophy of Religion which gave me a lot of ideas. Urban legends and classical monsters as well. Pop culture like the show Supernatural and Lucifer too. 

 

What do you do when you get writer's block?

If I get writer’s block it is because I forgot where I was headed in my story. In that case I go back and start re-reading what I wrote. Other than that, I usually don’t. I am very dedicated to my craft, so even if the muse isn’t whispering in my ear, I sit down to write. 

 

 

Who is your favorite author?

Terry Goodkind is my all time favorite author. I love his Sword of Truth series. 

 

Best book you ever read.

This is tough. I read a variety of genres and each have their own merit. If I was forced to choose I would go with, Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind. 

 

 

Last book you read.

God’s Cauldron by Joseph Finley. It’s a blend of historical fiction and supernatural. 

 

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?

I work for the Post Office, so I’d probably just do that. 

 

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

I don’t think there is just one person, but I’ll say my wife. She is the mother of my children and my best friend. Without her I have no motivation to do anything beyond basic human needs. 

 

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’m going to take the Paul Rudd approach and say Jesus of Nazareth. If given the opportunity I don’t know if there is anyone as influential as him.  

 

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?

Finish the book. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it doesn’t even have to be complete, that’s what editing is for. It just needs to be finished. I think of it as a fleshed out outline with the connective tissues missing. Once a book is written out with a beginning, middle, and end, then you have a concrete story to mess around with. Before that, it’s ethereal, liquid, constantly shifting.

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

https://www.tiktok.com/@alfredmuller922

Instagram Alfredmuller4406

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alfred-Muller/author/B0B8QF5HXX

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.

BOOK REVIEW: Nowhere to Run by Sandra Bolton

 

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.

Queen Catherine of Braganza by American Sculptor Audrey Flack

Dear Gentle Readers,

The  Butler Institute of American Art has acquired a new breathtaking beauty. It is one giant plaster sculpture of a woman, Queen Catherine of Braganza, a creation of American sculptor Audrey Flack.


And even though she is big, she has a delicate beauty about her, her lovely spiral curls, her long, slender fingers delicately grasping her alabaster sphere, the elegant flow of her beautiful gown, with one shoe pointing out, about to step off the pedestal.

From the Butler's New Acquisitions Article:

Flack’s 10-foot high plaster sculpture is an homage to Queen Catherine of Braganza, and is part of a series of sculptures by the artist based upon that theme. (The borough of Queens, NY, was named for the Portuguese-born monarch who later became Queen of England after her marriage to Charles II in 1620.)

The plaster statue features a steel and reinforced steel armature, and is presented standing on a half-dome base. An unusual element of Flack’s sculpture is an LED lighted globe that the subject holds in her left hand.

This plaster work was the prototype for a 13-foot bronze sculpture—a commission awarded to the artist by Lisbon, Portugal. The sculpture was a gift to the Butler by the artist, and is installed in the Beecher Center’s Novak Gallery, Youngstown.

Stop in and see this gorgeous lady at Butler Institute of American Art, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown, OH 44502, Phone 330.743.1107, or online at www.butlerart.com.

Hugs,
Carol

SCHEDULE: March 23 - 27, 2026

 Monday, March 23 - ART:

Queen Catherine of Braganza

by American Sculptor Andrey Flack

Tuesday, March 24 - BOOK REVIEW:

Nowhere to Run

by Sandra Bolton

Wednesday, March 25 - INTERVIEW:

Urban Fantasy Author

Alfred Muller

Thursday, March 26 - TV TIME:

Bookish

(PBS)

Friday, March 27 - BOOK:

The Baslicato

by Carol Ann Kauffman

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.

BOOK: March Blues by Carol Ann Kauffman

 

March Blues 

In this third Cat Collier Mystery, March Blues, Cat Collier stumbles upon a homeless man at the long deserted train station in town and he helps her get home. 

Cat learns the meaning of “The Blues.” 

Ebook is $.99 for Free on KU. #mystery #trains #femaledetective #offthegrid 

Also available in Paperback format.

https://www.amazon.com/March-Blues-Cat-Collier-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01D6VB5XU

Excerpt:

Chapter One

The Big Cheese

 

M

 

y name is Cat Collier. I run a research service called Red Cat Investigation. I have an office in Palazzo Castellano, the gorgeous Gothic architectural masterpiece in the center of Heaton Valley, Ohio. My office adjoins the office of Attorney Erick Carter Larsen, my incredibly sweet, handsome boyfriend. His newly-found millionaire father is bankrolling us. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

Mostly I do online research for private citizens of Heaton Valley. Now, you might not believe this, but privacy is a thing of the past. 

Death certificates, birth certificates, and real estate appraisals are all public record.  Credit scores, bank account balances, and employment records are a little harder, but not much. 

Social media is a treasure trove of free and easily accessible information about relationships, new babies, new jobs, and current location.  Friends of mutual friends can yield a ton of sought-after data.

With an Internet connection, a little luck, and minimal hacking skills, I can find out almost anything without leaving the comfort and safety of my lovely new office.  

Mostly. But sometimes I have to do a more physical kind of investigating.

“Hey, Nola,” I phoned my secretary, “I’m tailing the same white unmarked full-size Chevy van that picked up Lark Fairpoint, Case #7, three hours ago at the corner of Sinclair Street and Fifth Avenue.  

"It's a 2013 Express model, Ohio license plate number M 1538 C,” I said as I whizzed down Route 169. It felt good having someone I could check in with, someone who would know what I’ve been up to and my last known location. I found the private investigation business attracted some pretty shady characters.

“Okay, got it,” said Nola. “Do you need back-up?”

“No. I don’t see anything suspicious. They stopped at McDonald’s drive through, then went to Dunkin’ Donuts. Lark may simply be on a mindless eating binge or skipping school to hang out with her friends at the mall. That seems to be where they’re heading now. Did you ever do that as a kid?”

“Me? No. My mother would have killed me, revived me, and killed me again. Did you?”

“No. I liked school. What are you doing?

“I’m supervising Detrick while he does his leg strengthening exercises,” answered Nola.

“Hello, Cat,” yelled Detrick in the background.

“And he’s doing very well,” added Nola. “Carter’s making ham and scalloped potatoes. The aroma coming from the kitchen is making us crazy, so don’t be late for lunch.”

“I won’t. See you soon.”

 

The van stopped abruptly and four people dressed in black wearing ski masks jumped out of the van and ran into The Big Cheese Pizza Shop on Route 169. 

Crap! My sweet little schoolgirl is robbing a pizza shop. I tapped some numbers into my cell phone.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Don’t you have someone else to bother? You won’t be happy until you get my ass fired. I’m already in enough trouble over you, Cat.

 “What the hell do you want from me this time?” shouted Officer Kiernan Scott of the Heaton Valley Police Department.

I hung up on him. Scotty’s verbal barrage snapped me back to reality. Marina Fairpoint hired me to find out why her normally happy, pleasant, smart teenage daughter had suddenly become distant and moody with plummeting grades, not get her arrested and ruin her chances of ever becoming the president of the United States.

I snapped some photos as the foursome ran back to the van. I noticed all four were tall, husky body types, not petite like Lark. The van roared down the street, turned down a side street, and pulled into a driveway. I passed the driveway just as the garage door came down. I snapped more photos.

I hung around at the Burger King on the corner, where I had a clean sight of the driveway while I read about the latest innovations in water treatment facilities in Denmark. Two hours and four cups of coffee later, the white van slowly backed out of the driveway and made its way to the mall while I followed a few car lengths behind.

The driver parked the van near the main concourse door and seven people got out, four big, husky boys and three girls. I spotted Lark holding hands with one of the boys as they entered the mall.

I checked my watch. One thirty. Wow, this little girl had an exciting day. Start off at McDonald’s, then have a doughnut, be implicated in a pizza shop heist, and go to the mall.

I drove my falling apart 2009 red Chevy Cruze back to the Palazzo Castellano Hotel, parked in the private underground parking facility, and rode the elevator up to my office on the eighth floor. My secretary was nowhere to be found. I typed up a few notes on the events of the day. I cropped and balanced the light and color in the photos I took at the crime scene on my phone, while still keeping the originals in case I needed to check them for detail. 

Now what?

Time for ham and scalloped potatoes, I guess.

I locked up my office, went downstairs, crossed the main lobby, and rode the private elevator up to the penthouse apartment.

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.