Sunday, June 4, 2023

SCHEDULE: June 5-9, 2023




 Mon., June 5 - ART:
Butler’s 18th-19th Century Gallery 
Tues., June6 - BOOK:
Between 2 Worlds, A Biography
By Birol Bahadir
Wed., June 7 - INTERVIEW:
Fiction Author
Ellen M. Laura 
Thurs., June 8- TV TIME:
True Detective, Season 1
(HBO Max)
Fri., June 9- BOOK:
47-O Ford Deseveno
By Carol Ann Kauffman











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Friday, June 2, 2023

BOOK: Wait for Me, Time After Time by Carol Ann Kauffman



 

Can she just pick up a relationship exactly where death stole it away from her so long ago? 
Richard and Nicole. 
Their everlasting love survived many lifetimes but not without sacrifice and heartache. Their relationship is never easy. After their meeting at the serene place, Blue Lake, it seems in every new lifetime fate keeps them apart until they’re ready to find each other.
When small-town Ohio art teacher Misha Lockhart answered a knock at the door, she instantly recognized her beloved husband from a previous lifetime. 
Richard MacKenzie traveled from London on a whim to find her. Richard, now known as Mick Kiley, a mild-mannered historian, wants to whisk her away to London. The memories of their everlasting love ignited, and her passion flared, but could she simply leave everything behind? Job. Friends. Husband?
Can she dismiss everything in her present lifetime, no matter how boring and mediocre, for the promise of a dazzling love from the past?
Amazon Link:


Wait for Me https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0876HD6QF


Small-town Ohio art teacher Misha Lockhart answered a knock at the door. It was a reincarnation of her beloved dead husband, Richard MacKenzie, who traveled from London on a whim to find her. She was elated. 

So what's the problem? 

What to do with her current husband, for one.

 $2.99 or Free on KU

#soulmates  #amreadingromance  #lovestory











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Thursday, June 1, 2023

TV TIME: Florida Man (Netflix)



This was crazy, but good. A former police officer goes back to his home state of Florida to find a mobster’s runaway girlfriend, whom the cop also loves, when things suddenly take a wild and wacky turn. Faking her death. Looking for pirate treasure. A guy getting blown up in a porta-potty. And so much more.

Anthony LaPaglia plays the former police officer. As always, Anthony is fantastic. 
















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Wednesday, May 31, 2023

INTERVIEW: Young Adult Fantasy Author C. K. Miller

                                         

       C. K. Miller

       Mead, Colorado

       USA




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

I am the author of the epic YA fantasy series - The Roanfire Saga. So far there are three books out. The Phoenix Host, The Leviathan Prince, The Glacial Rogue, and coming May 2023 is the final book, The Tolean Warrior. 

 

What is your favorite genre to write? 

I love to write YA Fantasy. There is a simplicity that comes with it, a straightforward story. I enjoy the aspect of young characters discovering who they are and discovering who they want to become. 

 

Favorite food. 

Oooh, does hot chocolate count?            


Tea or coffee?

Hot Chocolate. *grin* 


Pizza or ice cream? 

Pizza all the way! I actually don’t like ice cream. 

 

Wine or beer or soda or what? 

Just in case you haven’t detected a pattern… Hot Chocolate.

 

Where would you like to visit? 

I have always wanted to visit Ireland. I have some heritage there. Fun fact, I have a trip scheduled there this spring break! I am so stoked. 

 

Favorite musical artist. 

It fluctuates between a few. Thomas Bergersen, Ivan Torent, and Lindsey Sterling are up there. 

 

Do you listen to music when you write? What?

I do! It really helps me get into the mood. I typically listen to cinematic music when I’m writing. Anything with lyrics distracts me.

 

What makes you laugh?

My husband. He always says silly things with the intent to make me smile. Fun fact, one of my book characters is modeled after his humor.  

 

Favorite work of art or sculpture.

For me, it is nature. Although we humans can create beautiful things, nature has the master’s touch. Tree’s spotted with moss, reaching to the sky. Mushrooms peeking through the earth beneath twisted roots. Sunlight lancing through haze and fog. Lacy frost glittering in the morning. Flowers. 

 

How old were you when you started writing?

I started writing at age fifteen, but really started to take things seriously when I was about eighteen. 

 


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

I used to be a full-on pantser. But I would end up writing myself into situations I couldn't get my characters out of–at least not in a logical, believable way. I have since adopted a hybrid style where I give myself “signposts”, or a point to write towards. It helps keep things streamlined, but also allows me freedom to explore. 

 

Describe your perfect evening.


My perfect evening would be rain pattering the window while I sat by the fire with a cup of –you guessed it– hot cocoa, listening to beautiful music and writing. Thankfully, I get to do that a lot. (Not the rain part. Colorado is too dry for that.)

 




Where do you get your inspiration?

I lived in Europe for a good portion of my youth. Castles, cobblestone streets, ruins, crumbling walls! You name it. I saw it. In fact, there was a time when I lived the medieval life in a house with no indoor plumbing or heating for two years. Let me tell you, using an outhouse in the dead of winter wasn’t fun. My dad would always get up early and build a fire so we wouldn’t freeze when we got out of bed. 

 

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

Plugging in my headphones and going for a walk usually helps, but getting out into the mountains is better. Camping is usually the cure, which is so hard to do at certain times of the year. 

 

Who is your favorite author?

Do I have to pick one? Each author has their own unique style that draws me in. Patrick Rothfuss and his prose, Brandon Sanderson’s worldbuilding, Marissa Mayer’s relationships and dialogue.

The author that really spurred me into writing fantasy was Robin Hobb and her Assassin’s Apprentice series. 

 

Best book you ever read.

I can’t choose! Right now I am in the middle of Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series and am loving every moment. I am a giddy fangirl waiting for the next book in the series. 

 

Last book you read.

Cytonic, by Brandon Sanderson       


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

I would probably be a freelance artist OR fitness and health coach. Shameless plug here - I am the cover artist for my own books. 

 

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

I can’t come up with a single person. It has been a collection of people and friends that have inspired 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?

The thought of this actually happening intimidates me. I think I’d be too tongue tied to have a conversation. If I had to pick one person, it would probably be Charles Dickens. After watching The Man Who Invented Christmas, I was so enamored with his character, his struggles, and the inner dialogue that I experience every day. 

 

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

I have encountered so many people that say they would love to write a book. They have one swimming around in their head, but then they never make the effort to do it. Writing is HARD! It takes discipline, practice, and thick skin, but most of all, it takes passion. Do it, no matter what others say. Waste of time. Write. You’ll never get published. Write. You don’t have the talent. Write. No one is going to read your stuff. Write.   

I guess what I’m trying to say is, write because you love it.

 




Do you have some links for us to follow you?

 

Facebook – www.facebook.com/roanfiresaga

Instagram – www.instagram.com/ckmillerbooks

Tiktok – https://www.tiktok.com/@c.k.miller

Website – www.ckmillerbooks.com

goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18242565.C_K_Miller?ref=nav_profile_l
















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Tuesday, May 30, 2023

BOOK: MacKalvey House by Carol Ann Kauffman


After college graduation, young American Michelle Rosemont visits a quaint, little village in England and decides to stay. She takes a job as a photographer for a historical magazine and meets Kenneth MacKalvey, an older British author.


Their mutual attraction is instantaneous, but can she deal with his dark and shady past or will old family scars and secrets stop her from trusting him and keep them apart forever?
They are opposites in every way. 

Can they find happiness together despite their major differences?


Twists and turns at every corner heighten the suspense in this cozy village mystery.


In this new and exciting chapter in the many lifetimes of our eternal lovers and soulmates, they find each other again. 

In every new lifetime, fate tends to keep them apart until they’re ready to face the obstacles and handle the burning yet beautiful emotions of love.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017HZ6DIS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i5




 








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Monday, May 29, 2023

ART: Nature: Real and Imagined Exhibit, Mill Creek Park



This delightful blockprint exhibit can be viewed from now until July 3, 2023 at the Weller Gallery in Fellows Riverside Gardens in beautiful Mill Creek Park, the gem of the area, in Youngstown, Ohio. 

 

From Facebook
















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Sunday, May 28, 2023

SCHEDULE: May 29- June 2, 2023


 
Mon., May 29 - ART:
Nature: Real and Imagined
Blockprint Exhibit, Weller Gallery
Riverside Gardens, Mill Creek Park
Tues., May 30 - BOOK REVIEW:
MacKalvey House
By Carol Ann Kauffman
Wed., May 31 - INTERVIEW:
Young Adult Fantasy Author
C.K. Miller
Thurs., June 1 - TV TIME:
Florida Man
(Netflix)
Fri., June 2 - BOOK:
Wait for Me
by Carol Ann Kauffman

Friday, May 26, 2023

BOOK: The Captain and the Ambassador by Carol Ann Kauffman


 

Ambassador Tull Redmond is looking for a quick ride home back to Earth after ending her twenty-year mission as peace negotiator for the quadrant. All she wants is peace, quiet, and to be left alone. 

She boards the Earth Starship Giuseppe Verdi with its questionable leader, Captain Ben Jacobs anyway. 

It's the fastest way home. Her quarters has a full bath, a space-view window, and a large, real bed! 

How bad could this rule-breaking, authority-defying Captain Casanova be? 

High Council hates him, true, but his crew loves him. Surely, she's too old and tired to be drawn into this bad boy of the quadrant's personal circus.

Will Ambassador Redmond get the quiet, uneventful ride home she craves?



Here's a little except:



Chapter One

A New Passenger

 

“Captain Jacobs? Sir, big news. Ambassador Tull Redmond is meeting us at Bridgeport Seven tomorrow and will join us as our passenger all the way to Earth,” said second-in-command Commander Zack Mankewitz of the Earth Starship Giuseppe Verdi.

“Ambassador Redmond,” repeated the captain. “Oh, I’ve heard of him, Commander. He’s the peace, love, and hope guy. He’s the most successful intergalactic mediator in this quadrant.He's been the top negotiator for twenty years. Wow, my very first five-star passenger. Yes, that is big news. I’m glad I didn’t miss him. High Council’s never trusted me with a big wig before.”

“Yes, sir. I know.”

“So, the ambassador and I will be going home to Earth at the same time. Well, I’m not sure the Ambassador is Earthite, I just assumed. Is he retiring, too, I wonder?

“Well, sort of. From what I hear the ambassador refused to sign another ten-year contract, so resigning from intergalactic mediation is the only other option. You two are lucky ducks.”

“Luck had nothing to do with it, Commander. It’s plain, old-fashioned endurance. Any special dietary requests? I heard the ambassador was a vegan.”

“No. No special food requests, but a full bathroom in quarters, and the ambassador is a woman. She’s also requested a room with a space view.”

“You’re kidding me? I’ve seen him, eh, her, from a distance. Short, pale, roundish, light-colored hair slicked back or something. Hair was hardly noticeable. Wears a big, long, hooded, monk-like robe. Kind of like a roundish beige ball. A non-sexual being.”

“Does that matter?”

“No, I guess not. The ambassador gets the job done. A full bath AND a view, huh? Well, there is only one accommodation like that aboard this ship, and that’s mine. Damn. My first five-star passenger and she kicks me out of my quarters. Oh, well. Go ahead and assign her to Captain’s Quarters, Commander. She’ll enjoy the view in the sitting area as well as the full bath. I’ll take the quarters next to mine. I don’t mind sonic showers. I’ll move my things over this evening.”

“Do you need help, sir?”

“No, thanks, Zack. I don’t have much to move. But send someone in to give the place a good cleaning and shine it up a bit. Change all the linens. Put a little welcome note or something inside. I want my first and only five-star passenger to be impressed with her deluxe accommodations, if nothing else, on this tugboat for her four-month stay with us on her way back home.”

“Yes, sir,” chuckled Mankewitz.

 

“Ambassador Redmond, welcome to the Giuseppe Verdi, a class one intergalactic Earth Starship. It is my pleasure to have you aboard, ma’am.” 

“Thank you, Captain Jacobs.”

“You’re my first five-star passenger in a twenty-year career.”

“Yes, I’ve heard. I’ve been duly warned.”

“You have?” Captain Jacobs laughed.

“Yes. High Council strongly urged me to wait for the next Earthbound starship, which is scheduled for early next year. They say you are the juvenile delinquent of the quadrant. They say you think the rules don’t apply to you and you love to defy authority.”

“And yet, you came aboard my ship anyway. You are a brave soul as well as a successful negotiator, Ambassador.”

“Thank you, Captain. I’m not afraid of bad boys. Your safety record is exemplary. You’ve never lost a passenger or crew member. Upper management may not admire your quirky leadership skills, or your less than organized reports, but your crew holds you in the highest esteem. So, you like to bend the rules a bit, big deal. You like to cut through the nonsense, that’s fine with me. You allow your crew to become far too familiar with you…”

“And my passenger, too,” he winked, “if you’re interested.”

She ignored it. “You hate quarterly reports, so what? All I ask is that you get me to Earth in one piece.”

“Thank you for your confidence in me. I promise I’ll get you there, safe and sound. And I promise to be on my best behavior while you’re aboard my ship. May I escort you to your quarters?”

“Yes, thank you, Captain.”

“Were you born on Earth, Ambassador?”

“Yes. Eagle’s Landing, Ohio. Midwest United States.”

“And your parents, they were both from Earth?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a member of a religious order then, Ambassador?”

“No, Captain. What made you think that?”

“The ‘peace love, joy’ stuff. The non-violence lifestyle. The robe.”

“So, you have something against peace, love, joy, and non-violence, Captain Jacobs?”

“No, ma’am, I do not,” he giggled. “Maybe the robe, though.”

“I’ve been a member of the Society of Peace and Light for the last six years. It’s not a religious order, Captain. It’s a chosen lifestyle.”

“And what exactly does that particular chosen lifestyle entail? Yoga? Essential oils? Meditation? Veganism? Celibacy? Power crystals? Tea leaf readings? Tinfoil head cones?”

“I’ll forward you some information on the society if you’re interested. It was very helpful to me while I was mediating.”

“And now that you’re leaving intergalactic mediation, what will you do?”

“Now I’ll be making some changes.”



For more, here is the Amazon Link.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074569BDY













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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.