Friday, February 8, 2019

BOOK: February White Lies by Carol Ann Kauffman




Join Cat Collier from January Black Ice as she starts her own detective agency, Red Cat Investigations, inside the gorgeous old Palazzo Castellano Hotel and solves her first real paid case, the case of Shotzie, the missing French poodle. Just when she feels she is destined to find lost pets and missing luggage for the rest of her life in her beautiful new office, complete with business cards, magazines in the waiting room, and her Red Cat logo painted on the frosted glass door, a lovely, mysterious woman named Ms. Nola White hires her to find out who is stalking her. A dead rat on her car. Being run off the road. A car bombing. Someone wants Ms. White frightened or maybe…dead.

The trail of graft and corruption leads Cat into danger as she hides the mystery woman with the old, reclusive lawyer Detrick Bittmor for safe keeping.


Cat’s relationship with the handsome Erick “Carter” Larsen is put in jeopardy when she teams up with Officer Kiernan Scott from the Heaton Valley Police Department to unravel the mystery in February White Lies. 


EXCERPT:

“The roads are horrendous! It’s freezing out there. I don’t think you should go. His flight arrives in the middle of the night. He told you not to go get him. It’s extremely dangerous and inconvenient. He’ll find a way home,” my mother snipped.
“I’m sure he could find a way home, but I want to go get him. I’ve missed him.” I spoke calmly but glared at the phone, wondering if my mother called me just to make me crazy.
“That’s not a smart decision,” she said. I could hear her wrinkling up her nose.
Well, I’m going anyway, Mother.”
“If you’re not concerned with your own safety, then what about all the poor, hapless people who happen to be on the road at the same time as the daredevil Cat Collier?”
“I’ll steer clear of all other vehicles. Don’t worry about me, or any unfortunate soul on the highway with me. We’ll all be fine.  I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Good night, Mom.”
“Good night, wild child. Be careful.”
After the conversation with my mother, I needed aspirin and a nap before heading to the airport to pick up my boyfriend because alcohol, my first choice, would have seriously impaired my driving ability.
Hours later, I pulled out of the parking lot of my apartment building, refreshed, excited, and in happy anticipation as I slowly crawled through the icy, snow-covered, country roads to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. 

“Flight 211 from New York has landed. Passengers will be arriving at Gate Three,” the United Airlines flight representative announced. I scrambled to the gate and waited as the weary, red-eye travelers quietly trickled passed me from the gate. The sleep-deprived commuters shuffled to baggage pick-up in a zombie-like state.
But my eyes were glued on the doorway. Finally, I saw his gorgeous head of dark, wavy hair towering above the others.
Now, you need to know something about me. I never get the handsome guy. I’m never even in the running. I’m short, more round than the publicly sought after elongated image of beauty, and I have this wild mop of uncontrollable red curly hair. I have freckles. I’m stubborn. I have an odd sense of humor. I don’t like to be told what to do. 
My mother says I lack social refinement. I don’t care. She also says I have bad taste in men and has never liked one of my boyfriends…until Carter, that is. Why this sweet, kind, smart, handsome creature left his underwear model girlfriend for me, I don’t know. But I’m deliriously happy.
Carter!” I shouted and waved. I startled some of the near-by sleepwalkers. “Sorry,” I whispered.
He searched the waiting crowd, broke into a giant grin when he spotted me, and rushed towards me as fast as he could without knocking over the stragglers.
“You’re here!” he picked me up, hugged me, and kissed me. “I told you that you didn’t need to come and get me. I would’ve rented a car. It’s the middle of the night. And it’s freezing.” His smile lit up the airport terminal. His hug was warm and strong. Everyone else was dragging, but the tall, dark, and handsome Erick Carter Larsen was full of energy. “Thank you for coming, sweetie.”
“Oh, my pleasure,” I said. I saw he had his carry-on bag. “Do we need to go to baggage pick-up?”
“No, I had the rest of my stuff shipped. It’ll all be here Wednesday.”
“Then let’s go home,” I said. I reached for his hand.
“Home. Sounds wonderful,” he said, clasping my hand as we walked out the door.
We slipped and slid our way to my old, red Chevy Cruze, clutching onto each other for support. 
“Oh, safe!” he said as he closed the car door. “The sidewalks and parking lot are treacherous. Have these people never heard of rock salt?”
“It’s too cold for rock salt to work right now and… we’re not safe yet. The roads are slick. Luckily, everybody else is home asleep, so we’ll have the road back to Heaton Valley all to ourselves. Buckle up, honey, and hold on tight.” 
I pulled out of the parking lot and slid sideways, just missing the unmanned ticket booth.
Carter shrieked and covered his face while I howled with laughter. I’m used to driving in this kind of weather.
“You almost took out that ticket booth,” he panted.
“The operative word being ‘almost.’ Quit fussing,” I laughed. “I had a good four-inch clearance.”
Carter groaned. “I think there are more dents on your car since I left you last week.”
“No. Some cowardly paint may have run off in fear, but no new dents.”
Carter raised an eyebrow at me.
“Excuse me, Mr. Larsen, would you prefer to drive?”
“No, absolutely not, Miss Collier. You’re doing a great job. Fantastic. No complaints.” He searched the floor and in the back seat.
“What are you looking for?”
“Helmet. Mouth guard. Knee pads. Shin guards. Rosary beads to wear around my neck. Holy water. Race car shoulder harness. Tibetan prayer shawl.”
“Rough flight, honey?” I laughed.

“Not until now,” he teased with a wink and a smile.

Amazon Buy Link:  http://tinyurl.com/z6qn8kg

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

INTERVIEW:Epic Fantasy Author Rival Gates


Rival Gates
Nebraska
USA


Good morning, Rival, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for art and book lovers. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
I have published 3 books in the Sapphire Chronicles so far.  They are “Quest for the Red Sapphire,” “Sapphire Crucible,” and “Mandrean Revenge”. The last one was just re-released; thus, the two covers shown. 


What is your favorite genre to write?

I love Epic Fantasy.  Give me some good battle scenes, a touch of magic, and perhaps a dab of romance and I am a happy man.

Favorite food.
Hands down, it’s lasagna.

Tea or coffee?
Tea, no sugar.

Pizza or ice cream?
That’s like asking which is my favorite child.  If, however, I had to choose it would be pizza.

Wine or beer or soda?
Love wine. Love beer. But most of the time I’m picking soda.

Where would you like to visit?
Rome.

Rome is fabulous, Rival. You should go, and soon. Do all the big sightseeing favorites, like the Collesium, Trivi Fountain, the Vatican Museum, etc. But also, take an afternoon to stroll down a side street, get a coffee or gelato, and absorb the Italian joy of life and their unique concept of time. Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What?
Favorite artist/group is Genesis.  I can’t listen to music while writing. My words flow through my mind like music and I don’t want to break my concentration. Just about any other time I have something playing.

What makes you laugh?
Comedy I can relate to.

Favorite work of art or sculpture.
Anything by Thomas Kinkade. It just relaxes me.

How old were you when you started writing?
13

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?
I write a detailed outline so that if I ever get stuck, I can just look back over it.

Describe your perfect evening.

Just my wife and me alone at home with take-out and a funny movie.

Where do you get your inspiration?
I played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons as a kid.  As I was creating dungeons, I started to write stories.  That led to reading more books in the Epic Fantasy genre and finally writing my first draft of “Quest” at age 15.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I read the outline and then read my last couple of pages to get back into the flow.

Who is your favorite author?
C.S. Lewis

Best book you ever read.
The Hobbit.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
I would be a furniture salesman.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My mother was an English teacher and she always encouraged me in writing, jobs, self-esteem and relationships.

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’d love to talk to and play chess against Napoleon. He is one of the generals I pattern my battles after.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Always be your own biggest fan. Many people will try to tear you down. Create the best work you possibly can and then stand by it.

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

Twitter: RivalGates1

Purchase “Quest for the Red Sapphire”
Universal: books2read.com/u/mKK8O9

Purchase “The Sapphire Crucible”
Universal:  books2read.com/u/bQ9XO6

Purchase “Mandrean Revenge”
Universal Kindle- books2read.com/u/mYoMGY
Universal Paperback- books2read.com/u/brG8aM
Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/6GOqXs8N9PU


Tuesday, February 5, 2019

BOOK: Book Review - Golden Rod, A Wildflowers of Scotland Novel by Sherrie Hanson


Lachlan—a centuries old castle overlooking Loch Carron, Scotland. 

Kacie—a twelve-year-old girl whose dying wish is to see it.

Laird Valan and Lady Rosemary MacKenzie—500-year-old ghosts who desperately want to escape it. 

Golden-Haired, Most Fair, Prince Rod of Lachlan—the rightful heir who wants to live there happily ever after. 

Katelyn O’Neal—the well-intentioned but clueless legal heir who’s about to pay a high price for selling Lachlan to a lowlife scum. 

GOLDEN ROD—a two-week romp through a lifetime of legends.



My Review:

Golden Rod, Wildflowers of Scotland by Sherrie Hanson
If you like historical fiction, romance, Scotland, and ghosts, have I got a recommendation for you! Sherrie Hanson puts together a high-powered, no nonsense American business woman with a dreamy Scottish disinherited prince who instantly dislike each other. Add to the mix a family medical emergency,  a pair of sexy ghosts, and an ancient Scottish curse and you have a story that was easy to get into and hard to put down. Beautifully done. 

Amazon Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Rod-Wildflowers-Scotland-Book-ebook/dp/B073VRPPS2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1549033497&sr=1-1&keywords=golden+rod+by+sherrie+hansen