Friday, April 1, 2022

BOOK: Red Sarah by Carol Ann Kauffman





Sarah is a beautiful redhead who works for a special agency that fixes broken timelines and rescues historically significant people who are in trouble. 

She has a special set of skills that allow her to 'tap' someone out of a dangerous situation. Her present assignment is to find and rescue a prince whose son eliminates hunger and disease on his island nation. 

“Save the Prince; save the King; and save the Reds. In doing so, Red Sarah may just save herself, who knows, but what might be the cost? Moving from modern day wisecrackery to a time of romance long ago, Carol Ann Kauffman’s tale is filled with majesty and bravery. This time travel story is a gift for all.” - Amazon Review 



“Sarah has one job and that is to rescue Crown Prince Lucas of Mist from captivity in a dungeon. Yet everything is not as it seems and will Sarah be able to stop an upcoming war? 
This was an interesting book about time travel and trying not to disrupt the time continuum. I liked Sarah and it was interesting on where her and Lucas ended up.” 
-Amazon Review  






Excerpt:


Chapter One

Look What I Found in the Dungeon



Sarah approached the lifeless figure huddled on the floor. The prisoner was shackled to the wall in the small, dark, damp cell. She reached down toward his throat to make sure he was still alive.
“No,” he growled as he pulled away from her.
“Shh,” whispered Sarah. “I come to help you, not to hurt you. But you must be quiet. I cannot be detected in here.”
“They will kill you… or worse,” he whispered, “for trying to help me. I am not some poor unfortunate soul. Do you have any idea who I am?”


“Yes, I do. You are Crown Prince Lucas of the Mist Kingdom in the highland of LaMere. Let me touch your neck.” 
He moved toward her as much as he could. 


She gently touched his bearded neck. “You are very warm, Prince Lucas. I fear you have the fever.”

“I am Prince Lucas, yes, but not the Crown Prince. My eldest brother Marcus is the Crown Prince and heir to the throne of the Mist Kingdom. I wield no power, here or in the highland. If you help me, I can do nothing for you in return. Leave this rotten stink hole at once. You only put yourself in extreme danger. There is nothing you can do for me.”

“Oh, really?” Sarah laughed as she put a small flask to his lips. He sipped, then swallowed and sighed.

“Ahh, good. Thank you,” he whispered. “What is that?”
“Herb and honey infused whiskey. It will induce a deep and heavy sleep. If you are chained to the wall in here, you may as well get some rest.” Sarah gave him more of the strong, sweet liquid. 

“Sleep now, Prince Lucas. I will return tomorrow night, when the guards are fast asleep. I will bring you bread and cheese. Is there something else you crave?”

“Freedom from these bloody chains. A bath. Warmth. Clothing. Sunshine. Strawberries.”

“Strawberries I can do. And maybe something for the fever.”
“Why? Why do you chance danger to bring me real food and medicine?” Lucas eyed her warily.


“Because you need to regain your strength if I am to help you escape.”
“Escape?” squealed Lucas with a surprisingly hearty laugh for a man in his depleted condition. “Are you daft?”
“Shh,” whispered Sarah. “Be quiet.”
Lucas nodded.

“You have quite the sense of humor, lovely one,” whispered Lucas. “I am chained to the wall in a filthy dungeon in the miserable, hellish depths of Marlow Castle. There is no escape for me. And where would I go? I am too weak to even make it to the drawbridge, let alone up the rugged terrain of the mountainside. I am alone. My people have abandoned me. And, in case you did not notice, this cell is locked.”

“So then… how did I get in here?” Sarah smiled.
The prince looked around in confusion.

“Now, close your eyes.”
Lucas closed his eyes.
Sarah disappeared.

The next night, Sarah appeared in the locked cell once again. “Is there anyone in here who is hungry for real food?” she whispered to the sleepy prince.

“Ahh, there you are!” He smiled at her. “When I awoke refreshed from my deep and restful sleep, I was not sure if you were real or simply a lovely vision of my imagination.”
“I assure you, I am real. Here,” she handed him a small cloth pouch with berries and pieces of bread and cheese and a flask of water. 

“I am most grateful,” said Lucas, “although I do not know why you do this.” Lucas lifted the cloth pouch to his nose and inhaled. “Smells wonderful.” He picked a strawberry from the pouch and ate it. “This is the best thing I have tasted since...since…”


 Amazon Link:


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 a free kindle version of 
RED SARAH!








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Thursday, March 31, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT: Harlan Coben’s Thriller Stay Close (Netflix)










 






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Wednesday, March 30, 2022

INTERVIEW: Fantasy Author Anat Eliraz



Anat Eliraz

Israel

 


Good morning, Anat, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for Art and Authors. What have you written?

I have written an adult fantasy book- "Jewels of Smoky Quartz". It's about a nurse, who also practices martial arts, and one day finds herself in another world. She needs to use her wit and skills to survive and find her way.


What is your favorite genre to write?

I write only fantasy, though I read many different genres.


Favorite food?

Fresh baked bread. Actually any pastry that's fresh from the oven!



Tea or coffee?

Tea in winter and cold/ ice coffee in summer.


Pizza or ice cream?

Ice cream. I like sweet and salty mixtures.


Wine or beer or soda or what?

I don't drink alcohol (nothing to do with beliefs or religion, I just don't like the taste). Water, I guess… Never cared much for my beverages…



Where would you like to visit?

I would love to visit New Zealand! I enjoy hiking and there are some amazing views worth seeing there!


Favorite musical artist?

Okay, this is a bit sophisticated. Before I wrote my book my favourite singer was 'Sting' and I also have a local one here. But I used to listen to songs when I wrote and discovered some amazing indie musicians. There are a few, but if I had to pick one it would be 'Aviators'.



Do you listen to music when you write?  What?

Haha! Does the last answer count?! I also enjoy 'Miracle of Sound', 'Malukah' and Beth Crowley.


What makes you laugh?

My kids (got four of them!). I also enjoy smart/ sarcastic jokes.


Favorite work of art or sculpture?

If I had to choose one, I think it would be 'David'. 



How old were you when you started writing?

I was in primary school. I wrote songs and poems and a bunch of stories I never finished. Most of my ideas came from D&D games back then.

The idea for my published book came to me in December of 2018 and I finished it by the middle of 2019 (I finished it in 3.5 months, but had one part of about 7-8 pages that took me about the same time to actually finish).


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

I just write. I am what others call 'a panster'. I write scenes and then I put them all together. 

My story demanded to be written. I would wake up in the middle of the night and just had to write, I wouldn't fall asleep unless I wrote down the idea that popped up and woke me.



Describe your perfect evening.

As myself- Kids at grandparents house, a date dinner with my husband. We do that once every 2-3 months. Good for the soul. 

As a writer- Husband abroad, kids asleep, good music, a cup of tea or coffee and a muse for writing!


Where do you get your inspiration?

Anywhere and everywhere. It could be the news, a conversation with friends or colleagues, a family trip somewhere. 

The idea for my book came from a 'philosophical' question raised in a conversation about us having free will or not.


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

I work on 2-3 projects simultaneously. So I can just move to write something else.

Sometimes I just make myself write, just to write it down, even if I am not happy with it, but at least it's there and now I can correct it.

Sometimes I just don't write. I read, and it will pass.


Who is your favorite author?

I love the way Charles De Lint weaves a tale! He is one of the only authors I would bother to read more than once. 

In the last two years I have decided to clear the stage for new indie authors and found some true gems! I really hope to see them shine in the future!


Best book you ever read.

Oh, wow… I read in so many genres. Can I give the top three?

Yes

Someplace to be flying, by Charles De Lint

Life in the Tomb, by Stratis Myrivilis

Book of Pages, by David Whiteland


Last book you read.

"The Empires Lion", by Nathan Tudor.


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

You mean- what I ACTUALLY do for a living, when I am not writing in my free time?!

I am a physiotherapist, specialising in neonatal (preterm babies) and children's development.

Even if I could make a living from writing, I don't think I would have stopped working. I love what I do!


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

My husband. 

I'm with him for more than half my life. He knows my deepest secrets, he is the one I consult with and he is the one who gives me space when I need it. He has been with me through the ups and downs, we have gone through so much together. And even though we are almost complete opposites (in terms of professions, interests, hobbies etc)- we don't clash, on the contrary- we complete each other.


If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

God.

No, that's not a comment. I would like to speak with him/her/it. 

No offense meant to any believer.

Be it a real or fictional character, I am not on 'good terms' with… them.

For those shocked by my comment- you can judge someone only after walking in their shoes.

I need to ask some serious questions that I would really want to receive answers to. 


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

If you have a story to tell- write it.

It doesn't matter at this stage if it's good, if it's worth publishing, if anyone will ever want to read it.

If you don't write it- non of those would matter. 

Don't look for excuses why not to write. There is an unlimited amount of them (I can write a book about that!).

If you fear other people's reactions- don't tell them. 

If you feel you need support- join writers groups. 

Even if you never publish, writing a full story is an accomplishment you can be proud of. And you never know, maybe in the future you will do something with it. 

Writing does much more than just put ink to paper. 

You put in something of yourself. You might, even subconsciously, deal with a situation that bothered you in real life. Writing is therapeutic to some extent, so even if you write only for yourself, you owe it to yourself.


Do you have some links for us to follow you?

If anyone wants to contact me personally- best place is on Facebook. I also posted through the process of publishing, so maybe people can find things that might help them too.

I love corresponding with my readers, so feel free to ask/ comment/ share feelings as you read! 

https://m.facebook.com/anat.eliraz.7


My book can be found on Amazon and is free on Kindle unlimited

https://www.amazon.com/Jewels-Smoky-Quartz-Fantasy-Novel-ebook/dp/B08VNH7KDW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=37RNXQ8995CL7&keywords=Jewels+of+Smoky+Quartz&qid=1645877657&sprefix=jewels+of+smoky+quartz%2Caps%2C393&sr=8-3


There is a song I wrote in the book and a friend took the words and brought them to life! She didn't have a professional studio, but she did it at home with minimal equipment and lots of love!

https://youtu.be/ZF9RWfUonRk













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Vision and Verse does not use cookies. We do not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties.   

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

BOOK REVIEW: Evangeline by Emory Adkins (Vella)

 



Evangeline by Emory Adkins is a Must Read for all ages. It is the story of a small group of people struggling to survive in a post-pandemic apocalyptic world, specifically the American Southwest. The subject matter is so current and timely it’s scary. But the well written episodes give us more than fear. They give us some of the best writing I’ve encountered on Vella.


Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WJ1HWRF





Sunday, March 27, 2022

SCHEDULE: March 28 - April 1, 2022




Mon., March 28 - ART:
Ukrainian Women in 
Traditional Floral Crowns
Photos: Treti Pivni
Tues., March 29 - BOOK REVIEW:
Evangeline
by Emory Adkins 
(Vella)
Wed., March 30 - INTERVIEW:
Fantasy Author Anat Eliraz
Thurs., March 31 - ENTERTAINMENT:
Stay Close
(Netflix)
Fri., April 1 - BOOK:
Red Sarah
by Carol Ann Kauffman 








VISION AND VERSE DISCLAIMER

Note:

Vision and Verse does not store any personal information like email addresses, home addresses, etc. We do not give any information to third parties. And cookies? We eat cookies.