Friday, October 28, 2022

BOOK: October Masquerade by Carol Ann Kauffman



The Cat Collier Mystery short story series is described as a cross between Nancy Drew and Mike Hammer. 

Follow Mary Catherine (Cat) Collier on her journey from small-town obituary writer for the local newspaper to big city detective and beyond in this series that starts with January Black Ice.


In October Masquerade, join Cat Collier as she finds new and novel ways to deal with Spencer Paxton in an attempt to regain custody of her children, Poppy and Dougie. 

Tweedy Gardner resurfaces with a plan to lure a killer into a deadly trap. Cat attends a costume party where nobody is who they pretend to be.

Cat struggles with repercussions from the death of Amy Hofstetter and finds herself alone and in danger in a shoot-out at the Palazzo Castellano on the way back to where her heart calls home.





Excerpt:

Chapter Two 
Spencer Speaks 

I slid my letter opener across the top of a very official looking legal-size envelope from the city of Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, Family Courts. As if today wasn’t bad enough, the date of my divorce hearing was set. My heart sank down to the floor with a thud. I poured myself a double Scotch from the bottle of Johnny Walker Red I keep in my bottom desk drawer, like all good private detectives. I plopped onto the big, red, over-stuffed chair by the window and stared out at the view that always made me happy. Happy to be here. Happy to be alive. Happy to be me. Well, today, not so much. 

The day of the hearing, I walked into the main courtroom. It was empty. I sat in the last row and organized my thoughts for a moment. Why was I here? Did I want this divorce? No. Did I want to be a single mom raising two kids? No, but I could do it. So many other women are thrust into the job of single parenting. I could manage. Plus, I had family who would help if I asked. Did I want to be a full-time resident of Heaton Valley, Ohio again? Yes, that’s the only thing I was sure of. 

I checked the letter in my hand to find out where I was supposed to be. Courtroom D. I checked the time. Now. I went to find Courtroom D and my team of crack lawyers. Detrick and Carter were conferring at a table in the front of the courtroom. I heard murmurs. I noticed Carter was unusually uptight. He tugged at the bottom of his suit jacket, a nervous tell. When he saw me, he came to the door to accompany me to my seat.

 “Come and sit down. We have a problem.” He cleared his throat. “Spencer’s here, seated in an outer chamber room. And he’s decided he would like to speak to the judge privately. What does he know? How much does he know?” 

“Carter, Spencer’s my husband. We’ve been together for more than six years. He knows everything.” 

“You… gave him details?”

 “Well, yes. I poured my heart out to him. He knows all my darkest secrets. I thought you couldn’t testify against your spouse.” 

“You watch too much Law & Order. This is not a trial. It’s only a hearing, a divorce hearing. All you do in a divorce hearing is tell on each other. Oh, this is horrible. We’d be better off if you killed him.”

 “Calm down, Counselor. I’m sure you’re exaggerating.” 

“You don’t understand. Spencer Paxton, the recluse whack-job hermit millionaire, is here. He wouldn’t be here if he weren’t prepared to tell all.” 

Detrick joined us in the aisle. “Stop it,” he commanded. 

“But he knows everything. He’ll blow her out of the water. He’ll ruin her.”

 “No. We deny everything. We make it a classic case of ‘He said, She said.’ He has no proof. Now, calm down. Cat, are you okay, honey?” 

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just surprised my little hermit husband is in the courthouse. He must’ve taken a ton of medication to be able to get here.”

 “Stop feeling sorry for him,” Carter snapped at me. “Think about you.” 

“Don’t worry about me. Cats always land on their feet, right? Can I talk to the judge privately, too?” 

“Well, yes, but why on earth would you want to?” asked Carter. 

“To give him my side of the story before Spencer gets a chance at character assassination. Kind of a partial character suicide. It’ll hurt me but not kill me.”

 “Ugh, no,” said Carter.

 “I see where you’re going with this, Cat,” said Detrick. “If you’ve already admitted your past questionably-intentioned deeds to the judge, you take away Spencer’s thunder.”

 “No, bad idea,” insisted Carter. “The judge may award sole custody of Poppy and Dougie to Spencer with only limited, chaperoned, visitation from you. Or maybe you’ll get no visitation rights at all.”

 “Calm down, Carter, I didn’t murder anyone. I got all drunked up and slept with a criminal. I got pregnant and married someone who wasn’t the child’s father. Not my finest hour, I’ll admit. But stuff like that happens every day. Does Judge Draper want what’s best for my children? Or do you think Spencer has him in his pocket?” 

Both lawyers looked down and examined the floor tiles. “This is New York, Cat. New York Court,” said Carter. “New York millionaire. New York judge.” 

“You’re a New York millionaire, too, Carter. Don’t you have any friends?”

 “I’m sorry to disappoint you yet again, sweetheart, but I’m not crooked,” Carter growled.

 “I don’t believe Judge Draper is either,” I said. “I still believe in our court system.”

 “Spencer wants to talk to the judge,” said Detrick. “That means he’s confident the judge will see his side.”

 “Wonderful,” I mumbled. “That’s just wonderful. Well, I’m going in anyway.”

 “No, Cat, think about what—” started Carter.

 I cut him off. “Your Honor? Would it be possible for us to have a word in private, please?”

 “You may approach the bench, Mrs. Paxton,” said Judge Thomas Draper. 

I walked up to the bench and looked the judge right in the eye. I saw honesty. I saw integrity.

 “This is highly unusual, Mrs. Paxton.”

 “This is a highly unusual case, Your Honor.” 

“Are you sure you don’t want your counsel with you?”

 “I’m sure, sir.” 

Judge Draper walked to the side door. “My chambers are this way, Mrs. Paxton.” 

I followed him through the door and into an adjacent room.

 He sat at his desk, folded his hands, and stared at me. I sat across from him. 

“So, you’re a private investigator, Mrs. Paxton.” 

“Yes, Your Honor. I have a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education and I hold private investigator’s licenses in New York and Ohio.”

 “It seems you also have a fascination for very wealthy men. Tell me, Mrs. Paxton, have you ever been in a relationship with a poor man, or one who wasn’t a millionaire?” 

“Sure, I have, Your Honor. The money doesn’t matter to me. I went to meet Spencer because he was my landlord and I wanted him to clean up the dark, dingey hallway leading to my office in the Paxton Building and replace some broken lightbulbs. I didn’t seek him out because he was rich. And I had no idea a simple request for light bulbs would blossom into a relationship. My office manager warned me he was some crazy, old hermit.”

 “And your relationship with Attorney Erick Larsen?”

 “I was hired by Detrick Bittmor to find out if Carter, uh, Erick was his son. I fell in love with Carter when he was working as a clerk at the corner drugstore.” 

“Why do your attorneys look so worried?” 

“They’re afraid I’m going to come in here, spill my guts, and tell you the whole truth.”

 “Oh, really?” the judge chuckled. “And are you?”

 “Yes, sir.” 

“Start at the beginning, Mrs. Paxton.” 

“I was already pregnant with my daughter Poppy when I married Spencer Paxton. He is not her father. I told him I was pregnant and needed some place to stay until I had the baby because I didn’t want the real father to find out… he was the father.” 

“Did he didn’t ask who her father was?” asked the judge.

 “No. He only wanted to know if it was Erick Carter Larsen’s child, which it wasn’t. I told Spencer Poppy’s father is the late Robert Woolstein, a well-known Ohio crime kingpin. My brother was up on murder charges. He was innocent. When he was acquitted, we had a giant party at the hotel bar. I got drunk and somehow ended up with Robert Woolstein in his limo parked at the curb. Woolstein claimed he got my brother’s trial dismissed. I didn’t even remember the incident until months later when I discovered I was pregnant.” 

“I’ve heard of Robert Woolstein. He was presumably spotted in this neighborhood a while back. Last summer, I think. Rough character. Shady dealings. He was burned up in a house fire in Ohio, wasn’t he?” 

“Yes.” “He had quite the reputation, buying politicians and elected officials if I remember correctly. Mostly white-collar crimes, but there were allegations of illegal dumping across state lines and other environmental infractions and worse. We used to look away from all that years ago. But now we suddenly realize we only have this one planet, and we better start taking better care of it. 
“Did you have a romantic relationship with Robert Woolstein?” 

“Oh, yuck, no. I was scared of him.”

 “He had a violent temper in his younger years. Did he force himself on you?” 

“No, but I don’t remember any details. I do remember thinking if I spoke up, my brother could go back to jail for a murder he didn’t commit. I blocked out the whole incident. I only know I didn’t want that awful man to be part of my baby’s life.
 “And Spencer was so wonderful to me, Judge. He was the one who suggested we get married. I was only looking for a place to live until I could deliver my child away from the prying eyes of small-town Heaton Valley, Ohio, and Robert Woolstein. 
“Spencer offered me so much more. He suggested we get married and raise the baby as a Paxton in New York City. Those early days when Poppy was a baby were so wonderful. Spencer was the perfect father, husband, and lover. I was happy. So was Spencer.” 

“What happened?” 

“I don’t know. He won’t tell me what went wrong. If I knew, I’d try to fix it. Judge, I want you to know that Spencer’s having severe emotional problems right now, but Spencer Paxton is a wonderful man. I never met anyone who was warmer, kinder, or gentler than Spencer in my life.” 

“You still love Spencer Paxton?” 

“I love him, I just don’t like him at the moment.” 

“Do you want this divorce?”

 “No, I don’t. But I also don’t want to be a co-hermit in the top floor of the Paxton Building in Cardinal Park for the rest of my life. I don’t want to lose my children. Because in spite of all Spencer’s wonderful qualities, I don’t think he’s equipped to handle raising two kids by himself. He has no experience with children. He was the baby of the family. Poppy will give him a run for his money, but she’ll be fine. She’ll be in school during the day. She makes friends easily. She has a close relationship with our nanny, Sophia Skampotti. But our little boy, Dougie, still doesn’t talk. Being raised by an ultra-quiet father may not be in his best interest. 
“Judge, how well do you know Spencer?” 

The Judge sighed and looked out the window. “I knew the family. The Paxtons were a prominent family in this area. Paxton Textiles employed most of Cardinal Park. I went to school with his older brother Tommy. I know about the family incident. We were all shocked. Tommy always seemed like a normal kid. I always felt sorry for Spencer.”






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Thursday, October 27, 2022

ENTERTAINMENT: Darby and Joan (ACORN TV)

The critics are lukewarm for this new ACORN mystery. They call it 

fluff-stuff. But sometimes you want to watch something without a

giant, complicated plot with twists and turns and somersaults and 

explosions. 

A widow is searching for answers in the mysterious death and earlier 

mysterious life of her husband.

An ex-cop is running from his past. They collide. Literally. 

An accident. They run into each other on the highway. 

They join forces and set off together to solve the assorted mystery of

 the week. Veteran actors Greta Scacchi and Bryan Brown have great 

chemistry.

I wouldn't hold my breath for Season Two, however. Bryan Brown is 

73. He has said filming a series in exhausting. I doubt they can talk 

him into doing another, even though the younger Ms. Scacchi is all for 

it.

 Filmed in Australia, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. And 

the music is pretty good, too.

 














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Wednesday, October 26, 2022

INTERVIEW: British Historical Fantasy Author Jan Foster




Jan Foster

Manchester, UK

 


Good morning, Jan, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for Art and Authors and those that love them. Tell us about what you've written.

My published works include a historical fantasy series of novels (the Naturae series) set in Tudor England and Scotland, and a children's book series about new experiences, Mitch and Mooch Try. 

 


What is your favorite genre to write?

Historical fantasy! I love the mixture of research to get the historical angle right, and the magic of fantasy.

 


Favorite food.

Cake – pretty much any kind but especially cheesecake!

 


I love cake! Tea or coffee?

Coffee, preferably milky and sweet.

 


Pizza or ice cream?

Pizza every time! My daughter is obsessed by ice cream though – even through winter, she insists on one a day, but it’s a hot day thing for me! Pizza is great any season though, a year round staple.



 


Wine or beer or soda or what?

I’m not a fan of any of them! I don’t drink and I don’t really like fizzy drinks. I know, weird, right? A cup of tea or frothy coffee will do me fine thanks, or water.

 


That's so much healthier!

Where would you like to visit?

Narnia. Seriously, I’m sure somewhere there’s a wardrobe…

 


Well, if you come up missing, we know where to look...

Favorite musical artist.  

Prince, a lifelong fan. I am team purple all the way!

 


Do you listen to music when you write?  What?

I don’t actually, I find I need absolute peace and quiet. Even for editing!

 


What makes you laugh?

Mr Bean, my puppy, and any kind of physical comedy.

 



Favorite work of art or sculpture.

I get lost in Monet, there’s something about the textures and colours which inspires my muse. Oddly, I first saw them copied on the sidewalks of Paris as a child – the street artists are amazing!

 


How old were you when you started writing?

When I was in university, I wrote plays and scripts but then real life intruded and I ended up writing a lot of business material. When I had my children, I found it was the writing for work which I missed, so I decided to fill my maternity leave with that (in between naps!).

 


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

I believe I’m what they call a Plantster – I do plot but leave the specifics of exactly how each scene will go to my characters. I have a rough idea of where each character arc will start and finish, but generally, their interaction and motivations guide the story. I do love a good flashcard session though if I’ve got myself into a hole plot-wise!

 


Describe your perfect evening.

My children go to bed early, and stay there, when told. Husband stops working. Chocolate, of course, and a film. We can all dream, right?

 


Where do you get your inspiration?

History provides me with a great starting point, and I question when I research, what must that have felt like? What *could have happened differently and where does that lead? A lot of my plots stem from asking What If…





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

I rarely get actually blocked – my problem is usually procrastination or other things (RL!) intruding. If I do get blocked, I revert to flash cards, where people are, what they are doing, and why. Then it’s like a jigsaw puzzle to figure out what the problem is and how they can all fit together to get to where they need to go.

 


Who is your favorite author?

I’m going to have to break this down – there’s just too many!

Historical and fantasy – Deborah Harkness or Jodi Taylor

Historical – CJ Sansom and Bernard Cornwall

Thrillers – Jeffrey Deaver and Scott Mariani

Medical thrillers – Patricia Cornwell

 


Best book you ever read.

You are killing me here! Too many to choose from… how about best comfort read? Jean M Auel, Clan of the Cave Bear series.

 


Last book you read.

A Woman of No Importance – its all about Virginia Hall, who was quite possibly one of the finest war heroes you’ve never heard of!

 


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

House renovations – I love it!



 


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

Eddie Izzard. His comedy drew me in, his wackiness and sense of humour and view on life. Then, later, his unbelieveble commitment to all the other things he has done – the charity marathons and his acting. I even have a signed photo propped up above my kettle for when I need spurring on, for inspiraton. He’s holding his fists in a kind of boxer pose, and it just makes me think ‘go get ‘em!’

 


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

Probably Anne Bolyen. I am constantly torn over how calculating she really was, or was she more of a pawn? 

 


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

The words don’t write themselves, you have to actually get your butt in the seat and focus on finishing! Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it was the best, most honest advice I was given when starting out also and it worked for me!



 

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

 

Social Links

Websites:       www.escapeintoatale.com (Author Website)

                        www.mitchandmooch.com

                           

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/janfosterauthor

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B084LF154S

Blog:               https://escapeintoatale.com/short-stories-and-articles/

Twitter:          https://twitter.com/escapeintoatale

Goodreads:     https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20093349.Jan_Foster

Instagram:      https://www.instagram.com/jan.foster.author/

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JanFoster

LinkTree        https://linktr.ee/janfosterauthor

Subscribe to my newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/mailingsubscribe and I’ll send you a free copy of the Naturae Series prequel Risking Destiny (a full length novel set in Viking Age Orkney!) to enjoy!

Fancy getting Advance Reader Copies of all of my books? Join the Launch Team here https://www.subscribepage.com/naturaelaunchteam






















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Tuesday, October 25, 2022

BOOK REVIEW: Give Unto Others by Donna Leon


 

I love Donna Leon, and I especially love Commissario Guido Brunetti, who lives and works in Venice, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. 

Leon’s latest, Give Unto Others, is a diversion from her usual murder mystery. In this one, she tackles non-profit charities in Italy. Though not the same murder mystery, with food and family stories intertwined with good detective work, it is still worth reading. There is less Venice and family and food and more graft and corruption Italian-style. Still, an excellent read.









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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.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

SCHEDULE: OCTOBER 24 - 28, 2022


 Mon., October 24 - ART:
Scandinavian Artist Peder More Monsted

Tues., October 25 - BOOK REVIEW:
Give Unto Others 
by Donna Leon

Wed., October 26 - INTERVIEW:
British Historical Fantasy Author
Jan Foster

Thurs., October 27 - ENTERTAINMENT:
Darby and Joan
(ACORN TV)

Fri., October 28 - BOOK:
October Masquerade
A Cat Collier Mystery
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.