ART: Russian Marine Artist Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky

 

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SCHEDULE: May 11 - 15, 2026

 Monday, May 11 - ART:

Russian Marine Artist

Konstantinovich Aivazofsky

Tuesday, May 12 - BOOK REVIEW:

The Smugglers of Mars

by S. Evan Townsend

Wednesday, May 13 - INTERVIEW:

Suspence Author

Bruce A. Fleming

Thursday, May 14- TV TIME

The Madison

(Paramount+):

Friday, May 15 - BOOK:

Lavender Mist of May

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

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, make them, and 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: The Madison (Paramount+)

 

I didn’t expect much from The Madison, premiering on Paramount+ on March 14, 2026. 

But the hauntingly beautiful instrumental music immediately drew me in. The Montana scenery was utterly spectacular. Then you add the multi-talented, still handsome Kurt Russell and always radiant Michelle Pfeiffer to the mix, so... I watched.

Moments later, the story grabbed me by the throat and did not let go. Without giving too much away, this is a story of grief, of family, of love, set on the beautiful Madison River in central Montana. Don't miss this.

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Interview with Young Adult Fiction Author Cindy Lynch

Cindy Lynch

Chesterfield, MO USA

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

I have written three books so far. They are all apart of 

the Bye For Now Trilogy. Book one is Bye For Now, 

Book two is Even Willows Weep, 

and Book three is The Lightning Tree.

What is your favorite genre to write?

General Fiction and

Young Adult Fiction

Favorite food.

Mexican food

Tea or coffee?

Coffee for sure. Everyday.

Pizza or ice cream?

Ice Cream

Wine or beer?

Wine

Where would you like to visit?

Fiji is on the top of my Bucket List

Favorite musical artist.  

Right now my favorite musician is Greg Laswell. 

His music is the soundtrack of my trilogy.

What makes you laugh? 

My kids and our crazy Vizsla puppy, Maggie.

Favorite work of art or sculpture.

Fearless Girl                                    

I love her, too. They moved her! 

Down the street, I hear. 

How old were you when you started writing?

I started journaling as a little girl which blossomed into 

writing poetry, then into short stories. I was 14 when 

I realized I wanted to write novels.

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

I just write. I’ve had this story in my head since I was 14. 

The first book, Bye For Now, poured out of me in two 

weeks. The second, Even Willows Weep, two months. 

This third and final installment, The Lightning Tree took 

about a year. I think that’s partly because it’s the end 

of the road for this storyline. I’ve loved this story for 

a very long time and I’m sad to see it end.

Describe your perfect evening.

Dinner with my husband and friends

Where do you get your inspiration?

From life. You write what you know.

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

Go for a run, swim or bike ride. That’s usually where 

my ideas start popping.

 

Who is your favorite author?

Nicholas Sparks. The Notebook about killed me.

Best book you ever read.

There are so many great books out there, but 

emotionally speaking, The Notebook is my favorite.

Last book you read.

The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

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

I would have continued to be a teacher. I was an 

elementary school teacher for 8 years before my first 

son was born. When I chose to be a stay-at-home mom, 

it felt like the right time to become an author.

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

I’d have to say my mom has been the most influential 

person in my life. She has been a wonderful role model 

on everything motherhood.

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

That’s a tough question. I just watched something on 

the History Channel this morning about Nikola Tesla. 

There’s a lot of controversy as to what happened to all 

of the trunks that contained his notebooks with details 

about all of his inventions. It was intriguing. 

So, to answer your question, Nikola Tesla.

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

Just sit down and start writing. Don’t think about 

structure, grammar, punctuation, just write. When 

the writing is done THEN go back and work on the rest.

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

 Website: Cindylynch.net
Twitter: @mykidssayswhat
Instagram: cindylynch2530

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BOOK REVIEW: Murder at the Villa by Betty Cage

Tess Harper and her Golden Retriever, Daisy, accompany her best friend, Aubrey, to a big party at the lush and gorgeous Chester Villa Estate to celebrate Aubrey’s parents’ 30th Wedding Anniversary. Aubrey wants Tess to keep her sane with her wacky family, but Tess wants to see Aubrey’s handsome brother, Daniel.

Big storm hits with heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. Lights go out. Everybody’s on edge. Then a grumpy accountant is found dead in a locked cloak room. Murder weapon? Tess’s hand-knit purple scarf. 

Tess, a librarian by trade, but a detective at heart, begins to investigate. 

A cute story with great characters. 

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ART: Russian Artist Nikolay Zakharovich Panov

 I love the work of Nikolay Zakharovich Panov, but his work was not easy to find. His name is tied up with other artists of his time, sometimes working with them on similar projects. 

But his work has a softness about it that is truly beautiful. 

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