FREE Today January Black Ice

FREE Today, Friday, February 26, 2016, the kindle version of the first short story in the Cat Collier Mystery series at  http://tinyurl.com/zmv3jeq

Here is an excerpt:

January Black Ice

A Cat Collier Mystery

By

Carol Ann Kauffman

“Name, please,” asked the unknown polite man in the wrinkled suit at the front desk of the Palazzo Castellano Hotel in the heart of beautiful downtown Heaton Valley, Ohio. I looked for a nametag. These guys always seem more agreeable when you called them by name. No nametag.

“Mary Catherine Collier.”

“Oh, the obituary writer for the Herald?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you’d be…older.” He squinted at me as if I were out of focus.

“I’m here to see Mr. Bittmor,” I answered as quietly as I could, not for his sake but because of my pounding headache.

“Do you have an appointment?” He scanned an appointment calendar in front of him. “Collier…Collier.”

“Would I be here so damn early in the morning on this cold, gray, snow-clogged, icy, miserable day if I didn’t?” I seriously considered leaping over the counter and choking him. Not a death-grip, mind you. I’m not a violent person. Just a little squeeze.

“Shall I take that as a yes?” he asked.

“Yes,” I smiled instead of choking him, a much better option I thought, mainly because I still might need his help in the event the cantankerous, old Mr. Detrick Bittmor became less than cooperative.

“Ahh, yes, here you are. ‘Cat’. Mr. Bittmor will see you in the lounge, madam.” He pointed toward the bar. Now what decent, self-respecting bar is open at seven-thirty in the morning? And who the hell is madam?

“Madam?” I squealed. “Just what do you think I’m delivery this morning, buddy?” I tried to pull in my bristles, but it wasn’t working. I needed sleep. I needed warmth.

“I have no idea, madam. I’ll bring you some coffee as soon as I ring Mr. Bittmor’s suite.”

“Coffee. Good. What happened to Fred? I liked Fred.”

“Fred retired.”

“Thank you, ur…”

“Rodney,” he answered with a nod and the teeniest smile, making old, sour, wrinkly Rodney appear slightly less creepy, for the moment.

“Thank you, Rodney.” I strolled into the lounge, found the only table with sufficient light, pulled out my notebook and pen, and patiently waited…for the coffee, not so much for Bittmor.

The Art of Reina Cottier

"My art has reached a whole new level for me lately, there seem to be more layers, more energetically to each piece. While I have less time to paint, (my colouring book and childrens book being published has been keeping me super busy), what I am painting is feeling a lot more satisfying than previously. 

I have revisited my cosmic connections and integrated them with my love for cultural themes and nature/creatures."  
                                                                - Reina Cottier

The artist describes her work and the level of energy and inspiration in her pieces in her own words. You can't look at her work and not be moved by it's beauty and energy, by it's soothing, ethereal elegance.That she loves the New Zealand culture and nature is apparent in her work.






















I was hooked the first time I saw her work. It was a dolphin in shades of blues and greens. It was graceful and elegant. It had movement and joy. I have a copy of it on my desk from her 2015 calendar. It makes me happy. It keeps me grounded. 

                                                                   

Reina Cottier Art

www.reinacottierart.wordpress.com

www.facebook.com/reinacottierart

E: reinacottier@gmail.com

Above are links to follow the 

fabulous Reina Cottier. 

“Inspiration is all around me, I literally breathe it in on a daily basis. I live in Tairua, a beautiful seaside town, on the Coromandel Peninsula. I am constantly inspired by the majestic mountains to the west and the wild surf beach to the east. I am heavily influenced by our magical mystical universe, and all its wonderment and secrets. I find enormous inspiration in different cultures and tribal life, Pacifica, Indonesian, Indian, Oriental, American Indian and so on, My art has a real ‘cross fusion’ of tribal/cultural feel to it. Bits of this, and a hint of that, blended with a mysticism and ‘other worldly’ feel at times. “My art has developed and evolved immensely, at first it was totally experimental both in expression and technically, now it is certainly still very experimental, (I love being in the moment, no planning and just seeing what evolves on the canvas), but I have developed a certain style that seems to appear, whether consciously or not.”       
                                                           - Reina Cottier

The Artist John White Alexander

John White Alexander was born on October 7, 1856 in Allegheny. Pennsylvania. He was orphaned in his infancy and was raised by his grandparents.

John's first job was that of telegraph boy for the Pacific and Atlantic Telegraph Company in the city of Pittsburgh, PA, at the age of twelve. Here he met Edward J. Allen, who became his patron. John spent time at the Allen home at Edgehill, where he painted various members of the Allen family.     

He moved to New York City at the age of eighteen to work at Harper's Weekly as an illustrator and a political cartoonist. After three years with Harper, he travelled to Munich to begin his formal training.

But he soon ran out of money and went to the village of Poling in Bavaria and worked with Frank Duveneck. Together they travelled to Venice, where they worked with Whistler. John continues his studies in Florence, the Netherlands, and Paris

In 1881, he returned to New York and gained success as a portrait painter. Among his famous clients were Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Burroughs Henry G. Marquand, and R. L. Stevenson.




His first  international exhibit in Paris in 1893 was brilliant success. 

John White Alexander died on May 31, 1915 at the age of 58. He is recognized as one of American's finest portrait, figure, and decorative painters.


All information and images are from Wikipedia.  I claim nothing here as my own.

The Art of Helen Dryden

The Art of Helen Dryden                              

All Information and photos from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Helen Dryden
Born November 5, 1887
Baltimore, Maryland
Died July 1981 (aged 93)
Nationality United States
Helen Dryden (1887 – 1981) was an American artist and successful industrial designer in the 1920s and 1930s. She was reportedly described by the New York Times as being the highest-paid woman artist in the United States, though she lived in comparative poverty in later years.[1]

Dryden was born in Baltimore and moved to Philadelphia when she was seven years old to attend Eden Hall. During her early childhood years Dryden showed unusual artistic ability, designing and selling clothes for paper dolls. Eventually she sold a set of her paper dolls and dresses to a newspaper for use in its fashion section. This in turn led to a position as illustrator for Anne Rittenhouse's fashion articles in the Philadelphia Public Ledger and The Philadelphia Press.
                                                    

Dryden was largely self-trained, describing her works as "a combination of things I like, in the way I want to do them." Her artistic education consisted of four years of training in landscape painting under Hugh Breckinridge and one summer school session at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Deciding that she had no real interest in landscape painting, Dryden focused her complete attention on fashion design and illustration.

Career
Fashion illustration
After moving to New York in 1909, Dryden spent a year trying to interest fashion magazines in her drawings. None, however, showed any interest in her work and many were harsh with criticism. Dryden was particularly disappointed in her rejection by Vogue. Less than a year later, however, Condé Nast Publications assumed management 

                                              
of Vogue and set out to make changes. Upon seeing Dryden's drawings, they directed the fashion editor to contact her immediately. The result was a Vogue contract that led to a 13-year collaboration (1909–1922) during which she produced many fashion illustrations and magazine covers.[2] Her "essentially romantic style produced some of the most appealing, yet fantastical images on Vogue covers, frequently depicting imagined rather than realistic representations of dress."[3] She also illustrated other Condé Nast titles, including Vanity Fair and House and Garden.[3]

Costume design
In addition to her prolific career as an illustrator, in 1914 Dryden launched a successful career as a costume designer. She designed the scenery and some of the costumes for the musical comedy Watch Your Step, followed by designs for several other stage plays including Clair de Lune, the fanciful drama based loosely on a Victor Hugo romance. Although the play starred Lionel and Ethel Barrymore, Helen Dryden's costume designs were generally given equal credit for the play's success.[4]                                       

Industrial design
Following the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Dryden turned her attention to industrial design, producing a number of designs for tableware, lamps, and other housewares, for the Revere Corporation.[5] She had a highly paid job with the Dura Company until the stock market crash of 1929, at which point she was replaced by George W. Walker.[6] It seems Dryden never fully recovered from this blow. According to Christopher Gray, "The 1925 census recorded her living at 9 East 10th Street with her 25-year-old Philippine-born cook and butler, Ricardo Lampitok.

Dryden worked for Studebaker from 1934 to 1937, reportedly earning $100,000 per year.[7] Automotive designer Raymond Loewy contracted with her to help him design Studebaker interiors.[8] Her work on the interior of the 1936 Studebaker Dictator and President that established Helen Dryden as an important twentieth-century industrial designer.[9] The advertisements by the automaker proclaimed, "It's styled by Helen Dryden."[10] Dryden designed the Studebaker President throughout, and the press marveled that a woman had attained this eminence in mechanical engineering.[11] She was considered "one of the top industrial designers and one of the few women in the automotive field."[12] Dryden worked with Loewy through 1940.[8]

By 1956 Dryden was again living in a $10-a-week hotel room paid for by the city's Welfare Department. At the time, she referred nostalgically to "her '$200-a-month' 10th Street apartment".

The Harvest Club by Iona Morrison

The Harvest Club

by Iona Morrison

    Book Description

    Jessie Reynolds has no idea when she moves to Blue Cove, that      she will be sharing her life with a ghost. A young pastor has been murdered, and Jessie finds herself following the trail of that death into the dark and deadly world of organ trafficking.

Jessie is soon introduced to the detective in charge of the case. Matt Parker is a tall, scruffy, ruggedly handsome man who takes an instant dislike to her and the feeling is mutual. He wants her out of his case and she finds herself entangled in it. The tension between them mounts and so does the attraction.

Book Review from Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!!! You won't be disappointed!!!! September 19, 2014

By ReNae Bowman

Format:Paperback|Verified Purchase

I just finished a new (and first) novel written by Iona Morrison; title “The Harvest Club". Wow, what a great read!! I enjoyed every page of this mystery. My criteria for a good read are style, character and plot development. Ms. Morrison’s clean, crisp writing style kept me turning pages and I was intrigued by the characters from the start. Plot development is tight and keeps you guessing all the way to the end.
The main character Jessie is a delight. It is great to see a strong woman character not painted as isolated and needy due to her strength. Always disappointing are the seemingly strong women characters that fall apart and in the end some guy comes in to rescue them. Wonderful to read a book where the female character is genuinely strong and the world doesn’t melt backwards into the 50’s!!
Throughout the book Jessie's character never wavers, she is self-confident because of her personal convictions and ethics. Her curiosity and internal intelligence serve her well and guide her to the truth.
The setting, the plot and all the other characters are there for the reader to discover. Through her writing skill, Ms. Morrison transports you to Blue Cove and tells a story that will linger in your mind for a long time.
I say Iona Morrison nailed it!!! I cannot wait until her next book.

Amazon Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Club-Iona-Morrison-ebook/dp/B00N26R318/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419786362&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Harvest+Club+by+Iona+Morrison

Dear Gentle Readers,

I have read The Harvest Club, partially in the waiting room waiting for my husband to come out of surgery and I must tell you it is one terrific read.  It was a real page-turner.  I cannot wait for more by this author.

Write faster, Iona Morrison!

Hugs,

Carol