Friday, June 13, 2014

THE TEMPLAR'S TREASURE by Cherime MacFarlane


The Templar's Treasure
by Cherime MacFarlane


Storyline:

As the MacGrough clan prepares to celebrate a milestone, chaos ensues. A 26 year old secret will be revealed, the father of a child exposed, a woman rescued and another stands up for the love she and her soul mate have shared for years. Lori and Hamish's 28th year anniversary party is off the charts. The MacGrough glen is turning up the heat. One very old anniversary gift holds the key to the last of the Templar’s Treasure. While the supernatural talents of one of the clan lead to a discovery of another sort. More history of the glen is about to be revealed to the MacGrough's of the twenty-first century.


About the author:

Author Cherime MacFarlane was born in New Orleans, but has lived in Alaska for the last thirty-seven years. She has been a journalist, a cocktail waitress, a roadie, and a paralegal.  She knows how to use a fish wheel to catch salmon on the river, chop firewood, and has been a chief mechanic's helper. She writes romance from both the female and male point of view, and has written The Copper River Romance series and The MacGrough Clan Story. 


Link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Cherime+MacFarlane








Thursday, June 12, 2014

Growing Up in Northern Palm Beach County by Ruth Hartman Berge






    
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Growing Up in Northern Palm Beach County: Boomer Memories from Dairy Belle to Double Roads Paperback – July 1, 2014




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Product Details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: The History Press (July 1, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1626195919
  • ISBN-13: 978-1626195912
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Ruth Berge is currently a paralegal with Eric M. Sauerberg. She is a past member of the board of directors of the Writers' Network of South Florida, a former columnist forSeabreeze Publications, Inc., for the column "The Florida You Don't Know," which appeared monthly. Ruth has a BS in business from Florida State University. She is a member of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County and a member of the Delray Beach Historical Society.
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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Artist and Illustrator Arthur Sarnoff



I came upon the works of American illustrator Arthur Sarnoff quite by accident.  While perusing Pinterest waiting for my computer updates to load, I found a painting of a couple who looked very much like the lovers in my Time After Time novel series, Richard and Nicole.  Intrigued by the likenesses in the painting to the images in my head, I soon discovered this wonderful painting that spoke to my soul so eloquently was painted by a man who was most famous for a picture of dogs playing pool, called "Jack, the Ripper."



Arthur Sarnoff was born in Brooklyn,  New York in 1912.  He studied Art at the Grand Central School of Art in New York City.  He made the cover album for the American punk band, The Butthole Surfers.   True!  Stuff like this you just can't make up.  He was a successful commercial artist for the many weekly and monthly magazines in the 1930s, plus ads for Karo Syrup, Lucky Strike Cigarettes, Coors Beer, Camay, Ipana Toothpaste,  Listerine Mouthwash, and Vick's Vapo Rub. He also did the famous blue and white ad for Evening in Paris.  He was the go-to-guy for magazine illustrationsof the 40s and 50, McCall's, American Weekly, Collier's, Redbook, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Good Housekeeping.



His work epitomized the whimsical and  playful popular themes of the time.  I love his romantic images, but he was most popular for his dogs playing pool and his vast array of commercial work, as well as tasteful but very provocative calendar pin-ups.
You can see some of them in these tiny thumbnails from the Art.com website.


















The very talented Arthur Sarnoff passed away in 2000 in Boca Raton, Florida.  He enjoyed a long and successful career as a graphic artist and commercial illustrator at a time when the magazine, with it's
beautiful glossy full-page color photographs and well-written and engaging articles, was at it's peak in this country.












Tuesday, June 10, 2014

A Few Questions About Interviews

From My Garden

Good morning!

I have had a few questions about the author and artist interviews on Vision and Verse. They are one of our most popular features and help us fulfill our mission statement of bringing you, our readers, inspiration. These creative minds of today not only tell us a little about themselves and what inspires them, but they inspire us!

Where did you come up with those questions?
Well, we wanted it to be fun. It had to be the type of questions that the artist/author could answer quickly, or elaborate as much as they wanted. It couldn't be fussy or time-consuming. What we wanted was an creative snapshot of the person behind the book or the art piece.  Over our fourteen months online the questions have changed only a little.

How do you get an interview on Vision and Verse?
Interviews are by invitation only. A name may come up in conversation, or someone will ask me about a particular book or painting. I then do my own research and issue a very casual invitation. I do not tell them right away that we have over 26,000 pageviews, that our audience slightly older and more serious, with a love of art and books and authors and artists. Some tell me they are too busy. Some refer me to their publicist, aide, assistant, etc. for me to contact. I never do. And some say yes.

How long is the turnaround time from invitation to the actual interview posting?
Whoa, that's a complex question! After the inital casual invitation and acceptance, I email the basic interview document package out with a note saying there is no hurry unless the author/artist needs a specific date to coincide with a book signing, art show, book or cover release. Most interview packages are returned in a week. Some take much longer.  We function on a loose schedule of authors twice a week, Art on Wednesday, and promoting our own books and artwork twice a week. 

Why can't I leave a comment when I try?
Oh, this question pops up all the time! And the answer is, I don't know! There are those who have no trouble posting to the comment box of our website and others who try and can't no matter which option they choose from the pull-down menu. My tech team has looked into it and claim it is fixed.  My advice would be to use the Anonymous tab in the pull-down menu, but please add your name after your comment.  Do you see the number of "Dear Anonumous" answers I send out? Sometimes it will not show on the website, but will come to our Vision and Verse gmail box. 

Thank you, Gentle Readers, for making Vision and Verse the resounding success it is. Thank you for your comments and lovely emails telling me how much you enjoy our simple, staightforward style and informative articles. I am thrilled to be able to introduce these wonderful artists and authors to you. Thank you showing up every day. Without you, I would be talking to myself!

Hugs,
Carol






Monday, June 9, 2014

BLUE LAKE Excerpt



Excerpt:


 “I have to tell you something, in the spirit of full disclosure.”
“Well, I know you’re not married.”
“No, but I have been married twice.”
“That’s okay with me.  And I don’t think you’ve turned lesbian since Craig died.  But, if you have, give me a chance to turn you back.” he teased, winking at her.  “Tell me, Nicole, we’ll deal with it.”
“Richard, how old are you, honey?   Thirty?  Thirty-two?" 
“I’m twenty-seven.  Would you like to see my International Driver’s License?  Isn’t it a little late to check if I’m over twenty-one?  Nicole, what’s this about?  Tell me.  We’ll deal with it.  Together.”
“Oh, God! Twenty-seven!”  Nicole knew she had to tell him.  Didn’t he have a clue?  Didn’t he guess?  Was he there when this happened?
“This what-ever-just-happened-between-us can go no further.”
“Why?”  Richard tried to read her face.  “Nicole, is there someone else?  You already have someone special in your life?”
Nicole thought this was a bad conversation to be having while driving down the mountain at night in the dark on unfamiliar, winding roads in a rental car without glasses.  Richard shook his head and groaned.  He mistook her silence for agreement.
“There IS someone else!  Well, I should have known.  You are… fabulous!  Some lucky man surely would have snapped you up.  Let me think, you aren’t married.  You aren’t engaged.  So…he really screwed up!  Call him up and tell him he now has competition.  I’ll fight for you, Nicole.  And I’ll do anything to make you mine.  His luck just ran out.  I’m young, I’m strong, and I am in love with you.  I loved you before you ever said one word to me.  I knew it when I saw you in the coffee shop.  I knew it when you looked up at me and smiled.  It was as if you said to me,  ‘Here I am, Richard.  You’ve finally found me’.  I won’t back down.  I won’t give up.  I want this, you, us.  Nicole, don’t you?”
“Wow, Richard, that was some speech.  We only met yesterday!”
“Too much, too soon?” he asked.  She nodded.  All of a sudden, he appeared so young and impetuous, so optimistic about love. 
“Slow down?” he asked.  She nodded again.
“But that’s not it,” she said.
“Then please tell me,” still smiling, still hoping.  “You will be pleasantly surprised as to what I can handle.  You’re a criminal?  No problem, the studio has a plethora of attorneys on call. Or… or I’ll hire you a British lawyer.  They are outstanding.  You’re an alien?  I am a science fiction geek!  You’re on the run?  My family will hide you at our home in rural Ireland.  Nicole, please, just tell me.  And together, we’ll deal with it, whatever it is.”
The rest of the ride back to her hotel was silent.  Nicole never took her eyes off the road.  The dark isolated roads seemed endless. Finally, the motel neon blue wagon wheel came into sight. 
When they got out of the car, Nicole was shivering.  Richard took off his jacket and gently wrapped her in it.
“Come in.  We need to talk.”  She led the way.
She brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses, opened, and poured.  This must be how Americans prelude bad news, Richard thought.  She handed him a glass.
“Drink.” He half-wished it were poison.  He suddenly didn’t want to hear why this-whatever-just-happened was doomed when he wanted it so much. She drank hers and straightened up, clearing her throat and smoothing her skirt.
“I am..."