Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Andrea R. Cooper's CURSED


Blurb: 

Brock takes Celeste to his Elvin city, thinking she'll be safe...he is wrong.

The Warloc's protégé is bent on his physical return to the living and uses her necromancy brings forth Brock's first victim and more.


Brock and Celeste must defeat prejudice and power to continue their journey and find Brock's twin sister, Mirhana.



BuyLinks
                Barnes & Nobel: http://goo.gl/QBnGZY

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Champagne and Catnip by Amanda Ward





Dr. Dan Livingstone has had a not so secret crush on Yorkshire lass Caryn Fielding since she started working at the shelter. Taking his courage in both hands, he asks her out on a date. To his delight she agrees.  
As a retired midwife, Caryn has had to deal with heartbreak on a grand scale. Shutting herself off from the rest of the world bar her volunteer work at the shelter, Caryn finds a measure of comfort as she cares for the cats and kittens there. Could dating Dan lead to disaster? 

As their relationship deepens, Caryn’s secrets and anxieties are revealed. Falling in love is never without its ups and downs, but together love really can conquer all. No matter how old you are.

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Champagne-Catnip-Sheltered-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B015QJK8U6/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443446951&sr=1-11&keywords=Amanda+Ward

Monday, September 28, 2015

Midnight Owl, A Joe Leverette Mystery, Book 1 by Viv Drewa



Book Description:
When the dismembered body of a young woman is found Detectives Joe Leverette and Philip Marsden are assigned the case. After investigating the Port Huron, Michigan area where the six body parts were found there’s a twist in the case: The murderer goes after each individual who found the parts, one by one. 
Leverette becomes interested in one of the women, Carole Sage, a sensitive, but because of the case he’s not able to take it any further. Everyone on the police force sees his infatuation, but Carole does not. 
Each of the six witnesses has a dream about the murderer removing the particular body part they found the night. They are startled awake and hear an owl hoot three times. None of them want to reveal their dream to the detectives. 
Carole sees the actual murder and each murder as it happens to the witnesses. The police chief, Billingsley, understands her ‘gift’ and sets up a sting to catch him. It fails and they have to regroup to think of something else. Two witnesses are dead and they don’t want a third to die. 
This books is for 18+ due to the violence. 

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Owl-Leverette-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B015HXPEUA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442929188&sr=8-1&keywords=midnight+owl+by+viv+drewa

About the Author, in her own words:
"The Arts   are very strong on both sides of my family. My father’s side were the singers. All have such beautiful voices and from what I’ve been told has been strong all the up the family tree. Dad wanted to be an opera singer but after getting married, drafted to the army during the Korean Conflict, coming home and become a father to my late brother and me dashed his hopes. He did have the most beautiful baritone I ever heard. I can sing but I’m a tenor and always felt awkward that I had to stand with the men on the church choir. My daughter, Sofia, has a beautiful soprano voice.
Mom’s side were all storytellers. My first inkling was my grandmother who would make up stories to tell us when were little. She didn’t like the stories in the books so she told her own. My mom was also an excellent storyteller and poet. She won several contests for her poetry. I tried poetry but found I preferred writing stories. My daughter is also very good at this but she doesn’t want to write. She’d make a fantastic horror author, too! Maybe one day????

I knew, at age 9, I wanted to be a writer after reading James Robert Green’s “A Whistling Sword”. I was so fascinated by his storytelling and how he used an actual historical character, Genghis Khan, in this book. Everything I read previously were Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys so this was a real treat.

I was never able to start writing because I had no support and felt discourage even though I won awards for my work. It wasn’t until I had two mini-strokes in 2013 that I started. My doctor wanted me to play puzzle games and such so I asked him if writing would work. He said yes and “The Angler and the Owl” came to be.

Since then I’ve written “The Owl of the Sipan Lord”, a short story “From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life” which I’m planning on turning into a novella, and have just finished “Midnight Owl” (A Joe Leverette Mystery Book 1) which will be out Oct 10. This was originally going to be a trilogy but as I wrote more ideas came to me so it’ll be a series. How many books I don’t know, I’m sure I’ll think of more things to keep it going.

I took creative and journalism courses to help transition to fulfill my dream of becoming a writer. I worked as an intern for Port Huron's 'The Times Herald", and also wrote, edited and did the layout for the Blue Water Multiple Sclerosis newsletter "Thumb Prints."

I also write a blog promoting my fellow authors.

Oh I almost forgot! I love owls!!!

My Books
The Angler and the Owl
Martin and Clare Montgomery worked as an archaeological team until Martin's accidental death at a dig they were working on in Peru. Clare swore she'd never go back, but after having a dream about the dig that didn't add up to the finds of the area, and the help of the Peruvian Pygmy Owl and a blue-eyed spirit, she did.

Amazon.com:  rxe.me/HGUPYV2


eBook on Amazon.com  rxe.me/HQP60OW



From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life

Story of a young man's escape from Russian ruled Poland in 1913.



I’ve also had short stories published in the anthology “Ashtrays to Jawbreakers”
Volume 1
No need to check your eyes or clean your glasses - the pictures on the front were made that way for a reason. A writer’s world is that blurred area between reality and fantasy. Most writers are never known for their works other than by their tight knit rings of friends or family. Sometimes a writer is never known because he or she is intimidated at the thought of rejection and scrutiny from their peers. A writer's life is never cut and dried. There are no vacations, lots of sleepless nights, distractions of every type and structure. All can be blamed on the characters in our heads fighting to get out. 
Most people only have that one voice they pay attention to, but for a writer there may ten or twenty talking at one time. Writing is sometimes the only way to ease the peace. These eleven authors have put a lot into their stories. A lot of thought to get the right word in the right place to provide an accurate picture in your mind of what he or she wants you to see. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but put together right the possibilities are endless. We hope you enjoy the stories provided and they help you escape for a minute or two from your reality.
Volume 2
From the minds of some of the finest indie authors comes Volume 2 of Ashtrays to Jawbreakers. Blending fiction with poetry, light with dark and fact with fiction, this is a collection that travels the winding roads of literature. The stories and poems contained within offer a glance into different worlds - some familiar, some less so; but all of them with a twist.
A writer’s world is that blurred area between reality and fantasy. Most writers are never known for their works other than by their tight knit rings of friends or family. Sometimes a writer is never known because he or she is intimidated at the thought of rejection and scrutiny from their peers. A writer's life is never cut and dried. There are no vacations, lots of sleepless nights, distractions of every type and structure. All can be blamed on the characters in our heads fighting to get out. 
Most people only have that one voice they pay attention to, but for a writer there may ten or twenty talking at one time. Writing is sometimes the only way to ease the peace. These eleven authors have put a lot into their stories. A lot of thought to get the right word in the right place to provide an accurate picture in your mind of what he or she wants you to see. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but put together right the possibilities are endless. We hope you enjoy the stories provided and they help you escape for a minute or two from your reality.


Christmas Edition
These stories run the gamut of emotions and genres, from outright horror to more subtle drama. With a recurring theme of Christmas, they present a multi-faceted viewpoint on the writer's take on the festive season.
Once again, we stand before you to offer our work for your pleasure. The stories contained in this volume, as in the others, have been written for you to read. They may at turns excite you, terrify you or make you think; that is our goal as writers. In keeping with the season, we are pleased to present new author Lorraine Carey in this volume.


Volume 4
The most powerful thing a person can do is to share their life with complete strangers. A writer does this by writing in a way to make your world fade. As an author progresses in their journey to becoming the best they can be, we like to think we are pulling you the reader along with us. This project is about that. Writers write so readers can read. That is the idea anyway. We do appreciate you the reader coming into our worlds for a few minutes. We hope what we have written will take you away from your day just long enough to forget about it.
Once again, we come before you to stand behind you, the reader, to invite you into our worlds that we have built or in some cases destroy. We hope you enjoy this edition as much as the others. Not read the others? They are available as well.



Volume 6
Once again, we come before you to stand behind you, the reader, to invite you into our worlds that we have built or in some cases destroy. We hope you enjoy this edition as much as the others. Not read the others? They are available free as well. 

My social media links:


Twitter:        @vivdrewa

Tumblr:        vivdrewa.tumblr.com/

Amazon:      amazon.com/author/vivdrewa


Pinterest:     http://www.pinterest.com/vivdrewa




Friday, September 25, 2015

The Wedding Switch by Sharon Kleve



Book Description:

Abby Blackwell runs a successful wedding planning business. She’s delighted when Derrick, her boyfriend of only a few short months proposes. Abby immediately accepts and dreams of the perfect wedding at the Rose Chalet. But, when Derrick with no explanation, pressures her to get married as soon as possible, she has to wonder why and drags her feet. 

Derrick Coltrane’s future rests on portraying a settled, respectable and married man. All he needs is a wife—now—and Abby fits the bill. She’s successful, smart, gorgeous, and would make the perfect corporate wife. He just needs to convince her to tie-the-knot by the end of the month to close the most important deal of his career. 

Hunter Price knows he’s made the biggest mistake of his life. Derrick, a friend from school, hires him to pretend he’s getting married, in an attempt to trick Abby into planning her own whirlwind wedding. Abby is selfless, sweet, tastes like sunshine, and belongs to someone else—and he just kissed her. 

Two grooms-to-be—one bride-to-be and one bridesmaid. Which couple will walk down the aisle to happily ever after? 

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Four-Weddings-Fiasco-Wedding-Novella-ebook/dp/B014E93YKK/

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Quite the Catch by Scott Berger

Gabriela Concepción’s world turns upside down when a local cartel, demanding her brother return their money, blows up her father’s tourist fishing boat off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, killing her father and brother. She survives only because vacationing doctor Royce Haddon pulls her into his boat and takes her to a nearby hospital. Her injuries and beauty keep him by her side overnight, and when he realizes Gabriela has amnesia, he knows his vacation plans have changed. 
  
Frightened by her lack of memory, Gabriela sees the handsome stranger as the only safe port in a suddenly scary world. Together, she and Royce walk about Cartagena, trying simultaneously to jog her memory and avoid the cartel. When they try reuniting Gabriela with her mother, the cartel meet them at the family home, a struggle ensues. Gabriela shoots and kills two cartel thugs, solving one problem and creating another. 
  
Now wanted by the cartel and the police, Gabriela and Royce retreat to a hotel room. Realizing the stolen cartel money is the key. To their survival, and maybe, if they’re lucky, their future.

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Quite-Catch-Scott-Berger-ebook/dp/B015GN2BXE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442583360&sr=1-1&keywords=scott+berger 

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

CHARMING DECEPTION, Episode One - Confusion

CHARMING DECEPTION
by Carol Ann Kauffman
Copyright 2013


Episode One   Confusion

    Okay, where the hell am I?  She opened her eyes and didn't recognize her 
dimly lit surroundings.  She looked out the window.
It was still dark outside, very cloudy, not a star in the sky.  She was lying in bed.  Naked.  And judging from the smell of the lavender scent on the perfectly ironed, high thread-count sheets and pillowcases, she was either in a very high-end luxury hotel or in one of Martha Stewart's guest rooms.  A snore interrupted her thoughts.  She glanced over at the noisy lump lying beside her.  Nope.  Didn't recognize him.

    There's a very strong possibility, she said to herself, that I've been teleported back to the free-loving sixties.  She got up to go to the bathroom.  A glint of gold caught her eye from the ring finger of her left hand.  I'm married?  Oh, shit!  When did THIS happen?  This isn't the sixties!  This must be Vegas, Baby!  She crept quietly into the bathroom, closed the door, and snapped on the light.  Definitely a hotel.  Antiseptic.  Martha Stewart's guest bathroom would have scented candles and a sense of style, hospitality, and luxury.  And not so much white.  White walls, white floor, white towels, white shower curtain.  A rather bizarre-looking attachment on the faucet, and another one on the showerhead.  She looked in the mirror.

    Yikes!  Well, I give that bony lump sleeping beside me credit for marrying me when I look so bad!  Good Grief!  HE must be a total loser!  She examined her dull, spotty complexion, wild Einstein hair, and the bags under her eyes.  She rehearsed her speech to Bony Lump.

    "Hey! Bozo! Whatever happened between us, it was just some bizarre mistake.  Gather your things and get the hell out of here!  I'll contact my lawyer to annul this fiasco as soon as I get home.  Now go!"  Then she would point to the door for dramatic effect.

    As soon as I get home.  Home?  Where was home?  She couldn't remember.  She looked back at her reflection in the mirror.  She couldn't remember where she lived, or how she got here. She couldn't remember where she worked, or what she drove. 

    Hmmm. did Bony Lump drug me?  Did he drug me, take advantage of me, and then, MARRY me?  No, no, why would he do that?  That makes absolutely no sense.  She wiggled the gold ring with a very decent-sized brilliant cut diamond in the center.  Weighty.  Expensive.  Good fit.  And… slightly familiar.  She thought it was very beautiful.  Oh, look, a tan line!  Now, how can that be?  This has to be a dream.  She snapped off the light and crept silently back into bed and sighed.  The sooner I go back to sleep, the sooner I’ll wake up, and this bad dream will be over.  Bony Lump rolled over and pulled her to him gently, hugging her, patting her shoulder.

    "It was just a nightmare, Love.  I'm right here.  You're safe," he whispered sweetly in a sleepy voice.  "Go back to sleep.  I’ll protect you.  Always."  He kissed her head gently.  He had a wonderful voice.  British accent.  Kind.  Reassuring.  Gentle. Very touching.  And so she did.  She fell asleep in his arms, with her hand on his chest.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

THE SPORE by American Metal Sculptor Christopher Weed



This gorgeous, eye-catching powder-coated steel beauty is the work of the very talented American sculptor, Christopher Weed.  His work is very well-known in the American West, with pieces on display in Denver and throughout Colorado.  I had the privilege of viewing this spectacular piece in person at the Museum of Art in Colorado Springs, Colorado this spring.  This giant purple orb draws you to it, bringing to mind some fascinating scientific object... or maybe a squishy toy... or a kidney stone... or an alien spacecraft from Doctor Who, all at the same time.  Once you see a "Weed" in person, you never forget it.
   

Monday, September 21, 2015

Interview with Author Scott Berger




Scott Berger
Toronto, Canada


Good morning, Scott, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. It is a pleasure having you with us this morning. Tell us, what have you written? 
Quite The Catch in 2015 and a short story called Return of the Mahikan in a 2012 anthology Love, Loss and Other Oddities.

What is your favorite genre to write? 
Romantic suspense

Favorite food. 
Seafood!

Tea or coffee? 
Coffee

Pizza or ice cream? 
Pizza

Wine or beer? 
Wine AND beer.

Where would you like to visit? 
Machu Picchu in Peru

Favorite musical artist.
Jimmy Buffett 

I hear you. I have a flamingo in my yard. Do you listen to music when you write? 
Generally no. Too distracting.

What makes you laugh? 
British humor, Groucho Marx, and Mel Brooks movies

Favorite work of art or sculpture. 
Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright

I love Fallingwater. It is gorgeous in every season. How old were you when you started writing? 
44. No, really. 44.

Describe your perfect evening. 
Warm summer night on a beach with my wife and a full glass of red wine.

Where do you get your inspiration? 
Real life, especially the weird things.

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 
Go to the beach and watch the tide roll in, or short of that, I put on beach music.

Who is your favorite author? 
Connie Wood and Sidney Sheldon.

Best book you ever read. 
Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat. Would be incredible fiction if it weren’t actually true.

Last book you read. 
Couldn’t tell you. Between being an architect by day and a writer by night, there’s not a lot of time for reading.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer? 
Being an architect pays my bills. For now. With any luck, writing will soon become a passion AND a career.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 
My wife for her never ending love, patience and support.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why? 
Jimmy Buffett. I’d love to pick his brain about his creative process.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 
Listen to your heart. Take in every bit of advice you can, but trust your gut. If it feels right, do it. If not, don’t. Simple as that.

Thank you, Scott, for being with us this morning and allowing us a glimpse of the REAL Scott Berger. We at Vision and Verse wish you the best of luck in all your writing endeavors.

Dear Readers,
Scott will be back on Thursday to share more about his new book, Quite the Catch. If you simply cannot wait, here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Quite-Catch-Scott-Berger-ebook/dp/B015GN2BXE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442583360&sr=1-1&keywords=scott+berger