Friday, April 29, 2022

BOOK: April Yellow Moon, A Cat Collier Mystery, by Carol Ann Kauffman


In this fourth installment in the Cat Collier Short Story Mystery Series, a dear, old friend comes up missing and Cat Collier must scramble to find her before it's too late. 

A powerful enemy resurfaces and claims responsibility for a personal attack on Cat's family. 
Nola relives Trent's murder. 
Carter proposes...again.

Mary Catherine Collier, also known at Cat, started at the bottom of the ladder in the newspaper business. Literally the bottom. She wrote obituaries in the basement of the Heaton Valley Herald in a small town in northeastern Ohio.
But what she really wanted to do with her life was open her own investigation service business. 
The Cat Collier mysteries have been called a cross between Nancy Drew and Mike Hammer. As the author of the now nine-book series, I've always thought her more as a cross between Jessica Fletcher and Jessica Jones.

The Cat Collier Mysteries are written as a serial series. It is best if you beginning with
 January Black Ice. Characters from the first book pop up in others. Problems... grow. 
These books are short, easy reads. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them. I am working on 
October Masquerade now and hope to have it out to you by the end of 2022, leaving November Chill and December Wishfor 2023.















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Thursday, April 28, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT: The King’s Daughter (Apple TV)











 I like Pierce Brosnan, so this was on my Watchlist, so I was thrilled to find it on YouTube free movies. Now, it starts out a little slow. Like a good, long, book, you have to set the stage and introduce the players. Also, it is a fairy tale.

BUT it is set in Versailles, so everything is opulently gorgeous. There's an orphan, a king, a mermaid, and one of those "live forever" themes. 
It's a film you can watch with your kids or grandkids. 

And the talented Irishman Pierce looks wonderful and carried himself with kingly grace and manner. I liked it.








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Wednesday, April 27, 2022

INTERVIEW:Sci-fi/Fantasy Author Elizabeth Lavender

Elizabeth Lavender

Texas

USA


 

Good morning, Elizabeth, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?

I have written the sci-fi/fantasy Sunspear series. Currently there are three books completed and published in the series. (The Spinning of the Deception, Deception’s Hold, and Shadowed Bonds).  I am currently writing the next book in the series. 


 

What is your favorite genre to write?

My favorite genre to write is sci-fi/fantasy.  It’s also the genre I find myself picking up the most to read, so I’m sure that plays into it. However, in this case, it’s where my story and characters took me. Once I finish the series, I’m not sure if another story would leave me in the same genre.  There’s a great possibility, but I’m not limiting myself.  I would go wherever my imagination or the story took me.  That will prove to be some time as the current story is only at its halfway point, if even that.  I’ve got plenty to go before I finish Dante’s and the Girl’s journey.



Favorite food.

Chocolate…that’s a food group, right?  LOL. Beyond that probably seafood or Italian food. 

 

Tea or coffee?

Between those two I have to do tea, but I like a glass of iced sweet tea like I grew up on in Alabama.  If we’re talking a hot drink, it’s going to be hot chocolate. 

 

Pizza or ice cream?

Who would make someone choose between those two?  My sweet tooth wins every time though, so I’ll go with the ice cream. 

 

Wine or beer or soda or what?

I don’t drink anything alcoholic, and I’m not a big soda drinker.  I usually have sweet tea.  

 

Where would you like to visit? 

I really don’t have a particular place. Honestly, I’m partial to any place with a beautiful beach. I love being near the water, and it’s one of the things I miss the most about Alabama. I lived on the Alabama coast all my life as a kid, and there’s nothing like watching the sunset over the water.  

 

Favorite musical artist.

I don’t have one in particular.  I have songs from various artists I enjoy, but I don’t keep up with when an artist is putting out their next album. For example, I love the soundtrack from Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman.  I do enjoy songs from Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Big Daddy Weave, and Steven Curtis Chapman.  

 

Do you listen to music when you write?

No, I don’t listen to music when I write.  I could, but I just don’t.  Generally, when I’m writing, I’m in my own world, so I can write with all kinds of distractions.  I know a lot of authors have to tuck themselves away into a quiet room to write, but I’ve never been that person. The usual for me is writing in my den while my family is talking among themselves and watching the TV at the same time.  

 

What makes you laugh? 

Lots of thing. There’s always a funny meme or just something someone says.  I try not to take life too seriously.  I have children (two boys) and a husband.  Need I say more? They manage (mostly the kids) to provide a steady source of entertainment and laughter with their antics. 

 

Favorite work of art or sculpture. 

I don’t have a specific one. However, I tend to enjoy artwork that captures an outdoor nature scene, particularly one that has a water/shoreline scene or a gorgeous skyline/sunset.

 

How old were you when you started writing? 

This is actually my first time in the author’s helm.  I’ve always enjoyed writing, and it came naturally to me, as far back as when I was in school.  However, it’s a case where the story has been weaving its way in my head, and as time went on more and more of it wrote itself there.  After a while, I finally said, “Okay, I’ll write it already.”  So, it wasn’t until I was in my forties, that I started writing down my Sunspear series.  Once I started, it flowed because I put to paper or type what I had already done in my head.  So, The Spinning of Deception was spun, Deception’s Hold found its grasp, and Shadowed Bonds made its mark.  The next part of the journey is being written now, nameless only for the moment.  

 

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?       

I don’t plan out my book in the traditional sense.I really do just write. Most of the “planning" is done in my head. I know how the last battle of the whole series will go, and the dialogue has written itself in my head for a while. I know there are certain events and conversations that have to be revealed to get me there. I have a good idea of how those events need to unfold and probably how the dialogue will go, but that’s because I’ve been in my characters’ world for so long now. I just know what they would say and do, but it’s not because I sat down and outlined how it’s going to go or plotted it out. I can’t even imagine writing like that. I know my eventual endpoint and the dots in the middle to get me there. I just write the story first. I don’t stop to edit or revise until I have the complete story for that part of the journey. I let the story flow, stay inside my world and my characters’ heads and hearts, and allow them to direct the writing. Once the story is down, then the editing/revising begins.   

 

Describe your perfect evening.

My perfect evening is either going out to eat, followed by either a movie or seeing something onstage or staying in and curling up with an amazing reading.

 

Where do you get your inspiration?

Since my series has its feet in the sci-fi and fantasy worlds, I’ve been inspired by several sources.  From the sci-fi world, Star Wars certainly left its mark on me.  I also always enjoyed Star Trek. I enjoy the earlier ones in the timeline (the ones with Captain Kirk and Captain Archer) more than the later ones. The characters seemed more personable/relatable to me. Then there was a sci-fi series I loved as a kid. It was called Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. It was one of my earliest introductions to the sci-fi world, and I loved the characters. The heroes were relatable as well, even though they had cool ships and technology. On the fantasy side, I’ve always loved The Lord of the Rings series, so the epic fantasy feel to the Sunspear Series came from that.  Also, the earliest fantasy series that I fell in love with was The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, starring the Assistant Pig-Keeper who, one battle at a time, becomes more than he thought possible. So that one influenced parts of my Sunspear world. Also, there is the concept of this whole other unseen battlefield that comes into play that is prominent throughout my series.   I’ve made that battlefield as great a role in my series as the sunspear/air battles that one expects from a fantasy/sci-fi struggle.  Two authors that inspired that part of the Sunspear world would be Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. Then I adore Victor Hugo's work, Les Misérables and his character Jean Valjean.  The themes of grace, redemption, and sacrifice that are threaded throughout my series were directly inspired by Victor Hugo’s heart-wrenching tale.   Another favorite has always been Alexandre Dumas' story The Count of Monte Cristo and his character Edmond Dantes. It’s about a young naïve hardworking sailor who’s wrongly imprisoned.  While in prison, with the help from another prisoner, he pieces together how he ended up in prison, and upon escaping carefully plots out and carries out revenge on all those responsible for his imprisonment.  Only at the end, does he realize he went too far, but it’s too late.  The book inspired several parts of my story.  It includes the way he changed personalities, once he began carrying out his revenge.  The meticulous fashion he implemented is reflected in a couple of major characters and storylines.  The Sunspear story is a rich culmination of all those influences, the story that began taking shape over twenty years ago in my mind.  

Ultimately, the story itself inspires the writing. Certainly, the other fantasy and sci-fi works and characters I’ve named have inspired the series. Others around me encourage me to keep writing. But when everything else is stripped away, the only answer remaining is the story itself. There's a point where this world formed inside my head, these characters became living and breathing in it, and they begged for their story to be told. So, I have and I continue to tell their story. When you have the story in you, you can't not tell it. I love sharing the story, and there's no greater joy than when a reader falls in love with the story as much as I have. In that sense, the reader inspires me to continue to write as well.

 

 

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

I honestly don’t get writer’s block, or I haven’t yet. It’s just never been me.  So much of the story is written inside of my head already.  I've gotten to know my characters and their world so well now that they write the story.  It's always exciting to step back after a scene has unraveled on the page, seemingly on its own.  Sometimes I'm as surprised how it emerged as the reader. I absolutely love that feeling!

 

 

Who is your favorite author?

There is no way to choose one author. I have several and the list keeps growing. I’ve always been a fan of Tolkien's work including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series. The earliest fantasy series that I fell in love with was The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, and I still enjoy going back to that series. I’m also a big fan of the works of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, with the concept of this whole other unseen battlefield that comes into play in their stories. Then I adore Victor Hugo's work, Les Misérables and his character Jean Valjean. Another favorite has always been Alexandre Dumas' story The Count of Monte Cristo and his character Edmond Dantes. Honestly, when I read most of the time now, I tend more towards indie authors. Favorites among those are Helen Garraway, Christopher Russell, Jacque Stevens, Cami Murdock Jensen, and Cully Mack.

 

 

Best book you ever read. 

Once again there’s no way to narrow it down. My favorite authors and books coincide a great deal. The best books I’ve read include The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings series, The Chronicles of Prydian series, Les MisérablesThe Count of Monte Cristo, and The Hunger Game series.


Last book you read.

I just finished reading A Fire That Whispers (Voice that Thunders #3) by Cully Mack. 

 


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

I would miss the writing for sure, but since this isn’t what I do for a living, it wouldn’t be as huge of an adjustment as it would be for other authors. I work fulltime as a counselor during the day and do all my writing/marketing for the books during the evenings and on the weekends.  So that time would be freed up again.

 



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

I have many individuals that have influenced me, but there’s not one person that has a monopoly on that.  Just as I can see pieces of different people in my characters in my series, I can see splashes of influences from different individuals in me. 

 

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why? 
Once we open the gates to a fictional person, that changes my answer.  I think I would want to sit down with Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. He’s always been an underrated hero to me as has the series.  However, the series shows the true hero journey fully. Taran rises from his position as the Assistant Pig-keeper to discover what it means to be a hero.  He finds it’s not the road of glory he envisioned in his youth, but one that leaves unforgettable marks on his spirit and heart.  It’s as one of the characters in the series says to Taran, “There are those,” he said gently, “who must first learn loss, despair, and grief. Of all paths to wisdom, this is the cruelest and longest. Are you one who must follow such a way? This even I cannot know. If you are, take heart nonetheless. Those who reach the end do more than gain wisdom. As rough wool becomes cloth, and crude clay a vessel, so do they change and fashion wisdom for others, and what they give back is greater than what they won.”  So, yes, I believe I would want to see what wisdom an assistant pig-keeper has found in his journey.  


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

Just write the story that’s in you. The passion for your world and your characters will come through on its own. Have readers fall in love with your world and your characters as much as you have. Don’t let anyone discourage you. Surround yourself with people that will keep encouraging you to keep the journey going. You never know if your story is what someone needed to hear.



Do you have some links for us to follow you?


Social Media Links:

https://elizabethlavender.net

https://twitter.com/Elavenderauthor

https://facebook.com/elizabethlavender.author

https://instagram.com/elizabethlavender.author

https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Lavender/e/B07ZLS4G93

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-lavender

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19685019.Elizabeth_Lavender

Universal Book Links:

https://books2read.com/TheSpinningOfDeception

https://books2read.com/Deceptions-Hold

https://books2read.com/ShadowedBonds


 

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

BOOK REVIEW: Earthrise, Book 1 Earth Alone by Daniel Arenson



 In Earth Alone, Earthrise Book 1, Daniel Arenson creates a world where Earth is under attack from a vicious alien race and 18 year olds are conscripted into a five year defend the Earth program. 

Earth is at an extreme disadvantage and these young people are the first line of defense. 

It is military sci-fi with teenage angst. The story is dark and scary, but the characters are wonderful. And there are eleven more books in the series.






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Sunday, April 24, 2022

SCHEDULE: April 25 - 29, 2022


 

Mon., April 25 - ART:
American Watercolor & Acrylic Artist
Sebastian Bauer
Tues., April 26 - BOOK REVIEW:
Earthrise, Book 1
Earth Alone
by Daniel Arenson
Wed., April 27 -INTERVIEW:
Sci-fi/Fantasy Author 
Elizabeth Lavender
Thurs., April 28 - ENTERTAINMENT:
The King's Daughter
(Apple TV)
Fri., April 29 - BOOK:
April Yellow Moon,
A Cat Collier Mystery
by Carol Ann Kauffman







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Friday, April 22, 2022

BOOK: Blue Lake, Time After Time by Carol Ann Kauffman


In honor of the tenth anniversary of it's first publication, I'm re-releasing my first novel, Blue Lake, with this beautiful new cover and an updated edition.

After I finished writing Blue Lake in 2010, I did the typical rounds of sending it to the major publishing houses. I have  lovely letters from Loretta Banks and Elizabeth Barrett, telling me how much they liked it but couldn't use it at the time. Each rejection letter experience took months. I was not a young woman and I wasn't getting any younger. So I decided to go with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and released it on January 21, 2012 and never looked back. Thirty books later, it's still the best move I made.

The premise of Kindle was a reader's dream come true. Books from all over the world, from new ones to old ones, all available to read on your kindle device, or any device using the kindle app. And you didn't have to buy more bookcases to store them!


Blue Lake

The love Nicole and Richard share is strong and has survived many lifetimes, but never without sacrifice and heartache. Some call it reincarnation. Some call it fate. But whatever it is, it keeps them apart until they're ready to jump in and help each other on this amazing journey called life.

This time Fate rubs her hands together with glee and laughs as she plays a cruel joke on them by placing them on different continents, twenty years apart.

Nicole was born in Ohio. She doesn't remember her past life. She had a career, got married, and was later widowed. Richard entered life twenty years later in the UK and became an actor. But fate cannot keep them apart. What they have is more than love, more than attraction, or devotion. They are eternal soulmates.

When they finally do meet in Albuquerque, they remember their love and feel overwhelming joy, but the twenty-year age difference plants the painful thorns of doubt, worry, and fear. Their unlikely but undeniable love pulls them closer and closer, while careers, family, and other relationships push them farther and farther apart.

The ten-year period they spend together in this lifetime takes them on many exciting adventures from beautiful New Mexico, across the Atlantic to England, Ireland, Italy, and Aruba. Nicole and Richard have an incredibly strong connection, but they must face not only happiness and joy but the dark side of life and love as well.

Come. Start the adventure with Richard and Nicole, where everything changes, but love remains the same.
Are you ready? Jump!

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071G6V9K/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1










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Thursday, April 21, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT: The Take (Netflix)


This was a surprise of a good movie. A petty criminal (Richard Madden) gets involved in a terrorist scheme in France when he steals a woman’s (Charlotte LeBon) bag and discovers it’s a bomb. It goes off, killing four people. Now he’s on the run as a terrorist, when he’s really only a two-bit thief and a pickpocket. 

Idris Elba plays a CIA with very strong James-Bond-tendencies who pursues the pickpocket and convinces him to work together.

This film was released in Europe as Bastille Day.







 










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Tuesday, April 19, 2022

BOOK REVIEW: The Mystery at Underwood House by Clara Benson


 




Reminds Me of Agatha Christie


Mystery st Underwood House by the talented Clara benson is an Angela Marchmont Mystery. Lady Sleuth Angela is called to her friend's home, Underwood House, to investigate the deaths of three family members who may or may not have been murdered.

Relatives are dying off  left and right and Mrs. Underwood wanted to make sure her husband isn't the next victim. 

A classic British country manor who-done-it than reminds me of Agatha Christie.

Great characters, a stately country manor, and a plethora of suspects.
Excellent!












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Sunday, April 17, 2022

SCHEDULE: April18 - 22, 2022


HAPPY EASTER!!!
 
Mon., April 18 - ART:
Avian of the Atomic Age
by Texas Collage Artist Parker Kaufman
Tues., April 19 - BOOK REVIEW:
Mystery at Underwood House 
by Clara Benson
Wed., April 20 - ART:
 American Painter William Stanley Hazeltine
Thurs., April 21 - ENTERTAINMENT:
The Take
(Netflix)
Fri., April 22 - BOOK:
Blue Lake
Time After Time
by Carol Ann Kauffman











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Thursday, April 14, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT: 1883 (Paramount)






I am a Western fan. I used to watch Roy Rogers when I was a kid. I watched The Lone Ranger and Cisco Kid with my father. Oh, and Bonanza, too.

I am a neowestern fan, too. I love Longmire and Yellowstone. If you are a reader, you will also love the Manny Rivera books by Rich Curtin, by the way.

So it is no surprise I love 1883. I expected to like it. But I didn't expect it to be such terrific writing and acting combination. It is one of the best things I've seen on television in years. 

I was in tears at the end of the series. Just outstanding work by all involved.

And Sam Elliott? He's still got it.  








 I claim nothing here expect my opinion.







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