58,000 Pageview Milestone

Dear Gentle Readers,

Vision and Verse, the place for art and authors, has surpassed the 58,000 Pageview Milestone. I thank each and every one of you who stop in daily to see what's happening here. You are appreciated.

Hugs,

Carol

Interview with Author Nikida Bellezza

Good morning, Nikida Bellezza, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. We are thrilled to have you with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am an Urban Fiction Writer, who has been writing since age 7. I began writing at the suggestion of a teacher who used the method to help me build my reading skills. Since that time I have grown a passion for the craft, and over the years have authored many unpublished books/journals. I did not officially become a published writer until 2014 when I published my book Sidechick Blues through amazon.com

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

I went to college to become a Clinical Psychologist, however I stopped going just shy of receiving my Bachelors degree. Since that time I've been writing and working in Customer Service.

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

I would have to say my parents. They gave me the freedom to decide my own path. They're main thing was that my siblings and I were happy and doing what made us happy.
                                                          

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 would love to have a conversation with my dad who passed in 2010. However, I wouldn't choose him because as I've learned from my dreams of him, I wouldn't be able to let him go once the conversation was over, i'd try to keep talking forever. I suppose I'd choose a fictional character, one that I created. I would love that, lol.

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

Just do it, but also take heed to this... writing is the EASY part! There is so much more to the craft, and your best bet is to learn every facet of it, if its what you want to do. From the moment you start creating to the moment you get your first review, learn everything that happens in between and then some!

Links:

Link to my amazon books: 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Nikida+Bellezza&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3ANikida+Bellezza

My website:

www.AuthorNikidaBellezza.com

The Art of Caroline Ashwood

Dear Gentle Readers,

This gorgeous painting, called Summer Peony is a 48" x 48" deep-textured acrylic by Caroline Ashwood, done in bright color washes and glazes with metallic highlights.

The following is from Caroline's website at http://carolineashwood.co.uk/  Please check it out.

"I work as a full time artist from a yorkshire art studio (Soar Works) where I get physical with the paint and canvas. My work is visceral and spontaneous. When I paint, I rely entirely on my instincts. Using my hands to work the paint washes around the surface, I continually move the artwork back and forth to keep the colours flowing. Eventually I reach a point where I allow the paint to take the control so that I can revel in the prospect of the paint surprising me yet again

Through my work, I am constantly exploring the relationship between colour, light and form. Even though it was drilled into me in my earliest formal art studies that drawing and draughtsmanship are of critical importance to serious artistic endeavour, it was only when I ventured away from literal points of reference that I began to discover the visceral impact to be enjoyed in the luminance, shapes and hues of glorious nature."

The Houston Writer Guild Short Story Mystery Contest

Call for Submissions

Short Story Mystery Contest

The Houston Writers Guild is proud to launch its own internal publishing company, the HWG Press.  We will be able to produce our own books to promote the Guild and its author members.

Heading this endeavor is our newly appointed HWG Press Director, Elizabeth Ann Domino.  Along with a team of volunteers and interns, Elizabeth will be in charge of publications for the Guild.

Short Story Mystery Contest:

The Contest is open for submission from April 25 through June 30 to both members and nonmembers. We are looking for original unpublished mystery short stories; stand-alone adaptations from a longer manuscript are welcome.

Fees:

• Entry fee: $25 HWG members / $30 non-members (US funds paid through PayPal or by check to HWG, P.O. Box 42255, Houston, TX 77242)
• Multiple entries: $15 for subsequent entries. Authors may submit up to 3 short stories for consideration in the contest.

Formatting:

·       Each entry may not exceed 5,000 words in length and be submitted as a word document with the following guidelines:

·       One inch margins, double spaced, Times New Roman font size 12 pt.

·       In the header: Title of story

·       File name should be: Title of Story

·       Author’s name must not appear in the submission

·       A cover page in its own separate file should be sent in word with the following:

·       Title of Story

·       Author’s Name

·       Author’s Contact information – mailing address, phone number, email

·       Indicate if this is an original short story or an adaptation from a full manuscript

·       Send these two documents to: HWGPress@gmail.com by midnight June 30^st and indicate if you are mailing in your entry fee or wish to be sent a PayPal invoice.

Prizes:

·       First Prize = $

·       Second Prize = $

·       Third Prize = $

·       Top 10 stories will receive a standard anthology publication contract and appear in the new Guild anthology Dive Into Mystery.

First Review for A Dilemma for Daisy

Dear Gentle Readers,

A Dilemma for Daisy has it's first review.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Love found, and lost, and found again?Or maybe not.... May 22, 2015

By Alison Loris

Format:Kindle Edition

"Daisy is warm-hearted and passionate, but she's nobody's fool. She's got a sense of humor, too! While she may be willing to risk everything for love, she's got a brain too, and she's not afraid to use it. I loved this story with its twists and turns and its satisfying end."

Thank you, Alison Loris, for the wonderful review. When I was first asked to contribute a story to the Monday Murder Society series, I had no idea how five people spread across the planet were going to simultaneously write a story about the ten numbers of a  Victorian mystery book club set in a small Ohio town down by the river and have it be cohesive  Most of the characters would be in every book, so we would at some point be writing each other's characters. But it was a fantastic experience. First of all, these were wonderful people to work with, each talented and patient and creative. A Dilemma for Daisy is Book Four in the series of five books. You don'r need to start with Book One, but it sets the tone for the series and deals with how the lonely bookstore owner came up with the idea of the Monday Mystery Society. And it is a delightful read. Give it a try.

Hugs,

Carol