Friday, March 20, 2015

Waiting for Richard by Carol Ann Kauffman

Waiting for Richard
by Carol Ann Kauffman


Retired insurance office manager Skye McKenna launches a new career as a children's author. On a book tour in Australia, she finds adventure and romance with a reclusive elephant-loving veterinarian. 

This is rather long, short story in the TIME AFTER TIME series, which follows a pair of quintessential lovers, Richard and Nicole, through their lives together, at different times, in different places, with different names and faces. This follows the alternate theory that the relationships we forge in this lifetime, both good and bad, are continued in the future and rooted in the past. Those people who have had a profound effect on us in this life will find us in the future.



Most Helpful Customer Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A Joy to Read! December 22, 2013
Format:Kindle Edition
Waiting for Richard, by Carol Ann Kaufman, is a short novella added to the Time After Time series. Reading this novella first has made me want to read every one of the books in the series.

Skye is happily retired and working on a series of children's books. She is happy, but the one thing that bothers her is this image she has in her mind of the man of her dreams. Considering herself too old to even consider looking for him, she keeps herself absorbed in her children's books. An unexpected trip to Australia and a meeting with an elephant expert makes her realize that you never know who's going to enter your life and grab your love.

There is also many other twists and turns going on in these 65 pages including a shooting, a runaway brother and other craziness that makes this novella a must read. Take it as an entry into the world of all the Time after Time series, because once you read this you're going to want to read all of them.

Buy Link: Waiting for Richard

Thursday, March 19, 2015

A Review of OLYMPIAN PASSIONby Andrya Bailey




Dear Gentle Readers,
Last week I told you a little a book I read called Olympian Passion by the lovely and talented and very kind Andrya Bailey.  If you love the atmosphere of a museum and the haunting beauty of Greek antiquities, this book is for you.  Today I'll give you a peek at the Amazon reviews for Olympian Passion, so you can see what others are saying about it.


5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for the next! February 17, 2015
By K
Format:Kindle Edition
This was a great book! I read it in one evening. If you're looking for a great romance, this is it. I can't wait for the next in this series!







5.0 out of 5 starsAbsolutely loved this love story February 15, 2015
Absolutely loved this love story! And all I can say is: when is the next book coming out? I can hardly wait to read the next! I couldn't put it down, read it in one night.The chemistry between Sabrina and Nikos was to die for! Nikos is my new book boyfriend, he's the dream guy! Swoon! If you love romance, you can't miss this one. I felt like Sabrina, totally smitten by him... awesome. What else can I say? Just get the next books out, Mrs. Bailey!!! Two thumbs up for this. Romance at its best!

Format:Kindle Edition
Olympian Passion by Andrya Bailey had it all. It had wonderfully drawn characters like the super sexy Nikos, the sweet and sensitive Sabrina, and the perfect best friend Jane. The story is set against the backdrop of beautiful Greek antiquities and museum mystery. Fast-paced, emotionally charged, and did I mention passionate? I can't wait for Book Two.




5.0 out of 5 stars
 A Fun and Anticipation-building read February 28, 2015
By RDWriter
I haven't read a romance book in awhile, but I'm glad I restarted with Olympian Passion. With an interesting and addictive plot, likeable characters (sweet Sabrina and sexy Nikos), and pulsing love scenes, this is a must read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love romance and this is turning out to be a ... March 1, 2015
I just bought book and can't put it down. Love romance and this is turning out to be a great book!!

Buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Olympian-Passion-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B00THZM4XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425440011&sr=8-1&keywords=olympian+passion

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Art of Eyvind Earle





Eyvind Earle.  Not a household name.  And yet, when you see his work, you'll realize you do know this artist.  He worked with Walt Disney to develop that stylized artwork we associate with Disney. 

Once again, I found this artist while perusing on the internet while I was supposed to be doing something else.  But it drew me back. Here it what I found.



This is from his Artist Page:

Eyvind Earle's Biography 




Born in New York in 1916, Eyvind Earle began his prolific career at the age of ten when his father, Ferdinand Earle, gave him a challenging choice: read 50 pages of a book or paint a picture every day. Earle choose both. From the time of his first one-man showing in France when he was 14, Earle’s fame had grown steadily. At the age of 21, Earle bicycled across country from Hollywood to New York, paying his way by painting 42 watercolors. In 1937, he opened at the Charles Morgan Galleries, his first of many one-man shows in New York.












Two years later at his third consecutive showing at the gallery, the response to his work was so positive that the exhibition sold out and the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased one of his paintings for their permanent collection.



His earliest work was strictly realistic, but after having studied the work of a variety of masters such as Van Gogh, Cézanne, Rockwell, Kent and Georgia O’Keefe, Earle by the age of 21, came into his own unique style. His oeuvre is characterized by a simplicity, directness and surety of handling.



In 1951 Earle joined Walt Disney studios as an assistant background painter. Earle intrigued Disney in 1953 when he
created the look of “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom†an animated short that won an Academy Award and a Cannes Film Festival Award. Disney kept the artist busy for the rest of decade, painting the settings for such stories as “Peter Panâ€, “For Whom the Bulls Toilâ€, “Working for Peanutsâ€, “Pigs is Pigsâ€, “Paul Bunyan†and “Lady and the Trampâ€.


Earle was responsible for the styling, background and colors for the highly acclaimed movie “Sleeping Beauty†and gave the movie its magical, medieval look. He also painted the dioramas for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.







Earle’s work was also seen on television. One of his
animated creations was an 18-minute version of the story of the Nativity that he did in 1963 for Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Special “The Story of Christmasâ€. A Daily Variety reviewer said Earle’s sequence “should be preserved and played back for years on end.†The show was digitally re-mastered in 1997.


Earle’s career has encompassed many different fields. In addition to book illustrating, the artist had also designed a number of covers for magazine publications and had produced and created several animated commercials and specials for television.







In 1998, at its Annie Awards show in Glendale, the International Animated Film Society gave Earle its Windsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement. In the 1940’s, Earle adapted his creative landscapes to Christmas cards, painting more than 800 designs that have sold more than 300 million copies through American Artist Group.


After about 15 years creating animated art, Earle returned to painting full time in 1966 and kept working until the end of his life. In addition to his watercolors, oils, sculptures, drawings and scratchboards, in 1974 he began making limited edition serigraphs.


Eyvind Earle had a totally original perception
of landscape. He successfully synthesizes seemingly incongruent aspects into a singularly distinctive style: a style, which is at once mysterious, primitive, disciplined, moody and nostalgic. He captures the grandeur of simplicity of the American countryside, and represents these glimpses of the American scene with a direct lyric ardor.

His landscapes are remarkable for their suggestion of distances, landmasses and weather moods. “For 70 years,†Earle wrote in 1996, “I’ve painted paintings, and I’m constantly and everlastingly overwhelmed at the stupendous infinity of Nature. Wherever I turn and look, there I see creation. Art is creating...Art is the search for truth.â€
Eyvind Earle passed away on July 20, 2000 at the age of 84. During his lifetime he created many paintings, sculptures, scratchboards, watercolors and drawings that have not been publicly seen or exhibited.

Eyvind Earle Publishing LLC, under the specific instruction of the late Eyvind Earle, will continue the legacy of the artist, promoting and introducing new serigraphs and books through galleries worldwide. These posthumous limited edition serigraphs will be printed from the oil paintings created by Eyvind Earle that are in the collection of Joan Earle and others.



Sources:

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Chronicles of Azaria by Sam Dogra

Dear Gentle Readers,
    When a really interesting book catches my eye, I feel the need to share it with you.  I feel this way about Sam Dogra's Chronicles of Azaria. They have the same flavor as Loretta Laird's Passers Trilogy, epic sagas fraught with danger and fantasy and ill-fated but delicious love. Check these out.  I think you're going to love them.
Hugs,
Carol

CHRONICLES OF AZARIA 
 by Sam Dogra

Azaria; a vast, ancient kingdom, filled with danger, magic and adventure! The land holds thousands of mysteries, unknown and untold, until now. Four trilogies chronicle the journey of four heroes; Eliza, Jessie, Jason and Raviel. Separated by time, but united through destiny, join them as they embark on life-changing quests that alter the very fate of their world...and each other.




The Goddess Saga

The Binding (Chronicles of Azaria #1)

What do you do when you can't trust your own heart?

All seventeen year-old Eliza Bryant wants is to avoid a Binding—the ancient spell that forces couples into a lifelong bond. It cursed her sister, and for the last two years it's tried to claim her, too. Her monthly hiding ritual worked brilliantly, until the night she ran into Ryan, a mysterious bounty-hunter. Now Bound to him, Eliza must spend every moment at his side, else she'll transform into an Unbound; a lifeless husk without mind or soul. 

Unfortunately, Ryan's not looking to settle, and Eliza is dragged into his crazy life on the run. Still, she's not going to take this lying down. Between grappling with the false feelings conjured by the spell and fleeing an unseen enemy, she plans to find a way to break her Binding; a feat nobody's achieved in a thousand years. The key to her freedom lies closer than she thinks…and it's deeply connected to Ryan's past.







The Parting (Chronicles of Azaria #2)

When your feelings are false, what's left to believe in?

After the revelation of Ryan's secret, Eliza is determined to purify her tainted heart. Her only hope lies in the Holy Runes- the mysterious symbols linked to the Binding spell that originally cursed her. Now with her best friend Adam and the haughty Lady Navinka, Eliza must journey across Azaria to forge a power great enough to break her curse.

The Binding won't go down without a fight, though, and the runes have dangerous effects of their own. As if that wasn't enough, Eliza's also running from a vengeful cult, and she must confront her feelings and realise whom she truly loves. Struggling on all fronts just to survive, Eliza's freedom will be hard-earned, but the final price might be too much to pay.




Social Media:




Twitterhttps://twitter.com/MadDoctorArtist (@MadDoctorArtist)




"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove." --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Monday, March 16, 2015

Taken By Love by Sharon Kleve

Sharon Kleve's "Taken By Love"


Dear Gentle Readers,
I have a special treat for you today.  Sharon Kleve, who usually writes romance novels, has written a suspenseful murder mystery I think you'll like.  Here is the book blurb and a short excerpt for you to enjoy.
Hugs,
Carol


Blurb:
Book one of the exciting Taken Series will slip you into the world of drug cartels, DEA operations, and the never-waiving love between Arden and Lucy.
Arden Jones is a DEA agent and has seen and done it all. His transfer to a desk job is finally in reach. But, when his good friend is brutally murdered he must go after the cartel one more time while protecting the ones he loves.
Lucy Farris arranges flowers for a living, lives in a quaint house in the outskirts of Seattle, and has two adorable Siamese cats. The last thing she expects is to be kidnapped and used as bait to by the cartel to hunt the man she loves.

Excerpt:
Thirty-six hours later. Back in the U.S.

I halted my one-sided conversation with the foul cockroach wedged between the wall and the table and watched through half-closed eyes as Sergeant Tom Barnaby stepped into O'Neill's Bar and Grill. I reacted the same way when I stepped into the dimly lit bar. We both kept our backs against the door until our eyes adjusted. Barnaby walked toward me, loose-limbed, like he didn't have a care in the world. 

I knew better. Years in law enforcement changed me, set me apart from everyone else. The average citizen couldn't imagine the atrocities we witnessed. We worked for different agencies, hunting down and arresting scum of the earth who lurked in the streets, businesses, and behind the doors of suburban homes.

When Barnaby reached the cracked, orange vinyl booth he shook his head at the mess left on the table from the previous patron. 

“Jones,” Barnaby said, as he looked around the bar. “You couldn't have picked a classier place than this to meet?” 

I didn't comment, just acknowledged him with a nod, and motioned for him to sit. Without a word, Barnaby sat down, grabbed a grease-stained napkin, brushed the large, winged bug off the table and stomped on it.

For the last hour, the roach’s large antennas moved from side-to-side and back-and-forth when I spoke nonsense to him. I hadn't gotten that much single-minded attention in days. Now, my short-lived friend was bug-guts on the bar floor.


Bio:


Sharon Kleve was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband.
Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. She gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve—with a few bumps and bruises along the way.
One of her favorite things to do is picking up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors have inspired her.
When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels. 
Contact me here: