BOOK REVIEW: Coal Hard Truth by Laurie Franklin

 

Coal Hard Truth by Laurie Franklin was a fun, easy read about Tilly Sinclair, a tea leaf reader who dabbles in magic and witch work. She stumbles upon a murder mystery at the dog shelter where she adopts a black dog named Coal, her handsome canine familiar, who was waiting for her.

ART: The Artistry of Hilary Eddy’s Oil Paintings

I was captivated by the beauty of Hilary Eddy’s work the first time I saw it. My mother had some old colorful glassware when I was little. I remember how it sparkled in the sunshine. Hilary’s work brought me back to that shimmering memory. I find her work absolutely stunning. 

 

Reference:

    HilaryEddy.com

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SCHEDULE: February 16 - 20, 2026

 Monday, February 16 - ART:

The Artistry of Hilary Eddy’s Oil Paintings

Tuesday, February 17 - BOOK REVIEW:

Coal Hard Truth by Laurie Franklin

Wednesday, February 18 - 

 Meet  Author Teresa Reasor 

Thursday, February 19 - TV TIME:

Joy, The Birthday of IVF ( Netflix)

Friday , February 20 - BOOK:

The Captain and the Ambassador

by Carol Ann Kauffman 

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BOOK: February White Lies, A Cat Collier Mystery by Carol Ann Kauffman

 

There's no better time to read February White Lies

than in February! Snow. Ice. Black Ice. Dangerous road conditions. Then there's all that Valentine love stuff. 

Each story is the Cat Collier Mystery series is a short segment in Cat's (Mary Catherine Collier's) journey from writing obituaries in the basement of the small town's newspaper office to big city detective... and beyond.

It is best to start with January Black Ice, but I know people who jumped in at any point and still enjoyed the series.

Amazon Links:

January Black Ice   

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AH8EOVA

February White Lies  

 https://www.amazon.com/February-White-Lies-Collier-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01BJYOTQG

Also available in paperback and audiobook.

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TV TIME: Core ( You Tube)

 This is an oldie but a goodie. Free on You Tube. Hillary Swank is excellent in this. 

And so he Stanley Tucci. 

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INTERVIEW: Meet Cozy Author Sherri Bryan

Sherri Bryan

Málaga
 Southern Spain

Good morning, Sherri, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. Can you tell us what you've written? 

I've just finished the sixth book in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery series.

What is your favorite genre to write?

 Cozy Mystery

Favorite food.
This is a difficult one! There is so little I don't like but, as I have to say something, I think it would be a big piece of slow roasted meat, preferably beef or pork, with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, and asparagus.

Tea or coffee?

Tea.

Pizza or ice cream? 

Definitely pizza!

Wine or beer? 

Hmm, depends on the circumstances but generally, wine.

Where would you like to visit?

Australia, New Zealand and Amsterdam.

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What? 

Another difficult one but I think I'd choose Michael Jackson as my favourite musical artist.  

Yes, sometimes I listen to music when I write. My taste in music is pretty elcectic so, depending on my mood, it can be anything from John Denver, Neil Diamond and Dolly Parton to Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones and Coldplay. 

What makes you laugh?

 Observational humour, and my dog.

This is an Art AND Author website, so I am obliged to ask: Favorite work of art or sculpture. 

The Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh        

How old were you when you started writing? 

I was fourteen when I wrote my first story. Thankfully, it was never published!

Describe your perfect evening. 

A meal at a favourite local restaurant with my husband and friends. 

Where do you get your inspiration?

From everything! I find inspiration for storylines and characters everywhere I look. My main characters, although not based on actual people, all possess traits of people I have known throughout my life. 

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

Generally, panic and forget to breathe.

Who is your favorite author? 
Another difficult one so I'm going to pick two. For non-fiction, I'd say Bill Bryson and for fiction, J. K. Rowling. Their writing is so descriptive, you feel like you're part of their stories.

Best book you ever read. 

The Moon's a Balloon, David Niven.

Last book you read. 

The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael Connelly

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

I think I'd probably cook, preferably in a small restaurant of my own.

                                                                  

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

My Dad, who is 96. He taught me to never give up, and, I hope, to be a decent person. 

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

My husband's dad. I never met him and would have loved to. I think we would have really hit it off.

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

Finish what you start, take no notice of negative people who tell you you'll never make it as a writer, be prepared for criticism (not everyone will like what you write), have faith in yourself and never, ever give up. 

Do you have any links for us to follow you?
Book One in the series, Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse, is free, and this is a universal link which will take your readers to their local Amazon site: mybook.to/CharlotteDenver1

That's a perfect way to introduce readers to your series, Sherri. I'm sure our readers will take advantage! 

Here are my other links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sbryanauthor

Blog: http://sherribryan.com

BOOK REVIEW: The Last Father-Daughter Dance by Lisa Wingate

 

The Last Father-Daughter Dance by Lisa Wingate  is a well-written short story about an Olympic athlete who puts her life on hold to spend time with her terminally ill father. These two share a special bond and soon they are on their way to their old family farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains to experience the changing seasons. Written with warmth and love, this deeply touching story also packs a punch if you spent much time with your own father in his final days. 

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ART: Romanian Artist Samuel Mutzner

 

 

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SCHEDULE: February 9 - 13, 2026

 Monday, February 9, 2026 - ART:

German-American Painter and Graphic Artist

Lyonel Feininger

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - BOOK REVIEW:

The Last Father-Daughter Dance

by Lisa Wingate

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 - INTERVIEW:

Cozy Author Sherri Bryan

Thursday, February 12, 2026 - TV TIME:

Time Core

(You Tube)

Friday, February 13, 2026 - BOOK:

February White Lies

by Carol Ann Kauffman 

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BOOK: Echo of Heartbreak, A Recipe for Life by Carol Ann Kauffman

 

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ES2H0BS

Available in Kindle format and paperback

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ES2H0BS

A short story-recipe book written in the form of a letter from a mother to her unborn daughter. Advice with humor. Great recipes. 2.99 or Free on KU. #recipes #baby #lifeadvice

This short story is a letter from an ill mother to her unborn daughter, with life advice and family recipes interspersed throughout. It was initially written as a character study of the character, Melina Valentina Rossetti Rosemont, the mother in this short story. 

The recipes came from my old Italian mama, who never wrote down a recipe and never EVER gave any of her recipes to anyone correctly. In her nineties, she fell, breaking a hip. These recipes came from those long hours spent with her in the rehab facility.

Wriggling these recipes out of her was truly a labor of love. Then I would go home and make them, then bring her some. And she would critique it. Too much flour. Not enough salt. You rushed it, didn’t you? Back to the recipe to tweak it. 

Now I am a decent cook, but all of my baking experiences have been chemistry experiments gone terribly wrong. So this was not an easy task. 

Enjoy! 

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TV TIME: Crystal Inferno (You Tube)

 

This film is billed as ‘It’s Probably the Most Thrilling Disaster Movie You’ve Seen Lately’. And I agree! It was terrific. It had me on the edge of my seat. Special plus? It is FREE to watch on You Tube now. 

I don’t know if I would call the two kids teenagers. The son is definitely a teenager, but his sister is a little girl. I would say 8 or 9. The parents are on the top floor of the building at the divorce attorney’s office. Their childten come rushing into the building with new information vital to the divorce proceedings when the disaster occurs. 

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