In Touch with Nature – The Vulnerable Southern Ground Hornbill

Posted: August 26, 2026 | Author: robertawrites235681907 | Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Southern Ground Hornbill, Wildlife, Writing to be Read | 35 Comments

I was very excited to see a flock of nine southern ground hornbills during my recent trip to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. These birds are classified as endangered in South African, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini (previously Swaziland) and are listed internationally as vulnerable by the IUCN. I have only seen these birds once before in a national park and it was from a distance so I couldn’t get good photographs. I may never see another one of these birds so I will treasure these photographs.

Thunderbirds (freestyle poem)

Picture caption: Male southern ground hornbill on the run – side profile

Hearing the low

resonating rumble

you expected a lion

not a flock

of thunderbirds

Dominant pairs

performing

a deep-base duet

The bright red

balloon-like wattle

below their bills

acting like a drum

The echoing sound

amplified

by natural air pockets

inside their head bones

which magnify

their low, booming call

allowing it to carry

for over four kilometers

across the veld

Predators with feathers

small animals lie low

when a party

is out foraging

They snap up

lizards, small birds,

tortoises, rodents,

and even snakes

as big as puff adders

Endangered due

to slow breeding

a pair raising

only two chicks

in a nine year cycle

one of which

will survive

Not a lion

something much better

Picture caption: Male southern ground hornbill from the front. You can see the wattle-like pound at his throat.

Interesting facts about Southern Ground Hornbills

The southern ground hornbill is the largest hornbill species on Earth.
These striking, turkey-sized birds stand up to 130 cm tall, weight between 3.3 and 4.4 kgs and have a wingspan reaching nearly 2 meters.
These birds can fly up to 18 miles an hour.
Their jet-black feathers, yellow eyes and bright red throats make these birds highly recognisable.
Ground hornbills have lived up to 70 years in captivity. This makes them one of the world’s longest-lived birds.
These birds are highly territorial with family groups of up to 10 individuals protecting large areas of territory.
Ground hornbills are monogamous and pair for life unless their mate dies.

Picture caption: Adult southern ground hornbill and a juvenile with sooty brown feathers.

Picture caption: my favourite of my pictures of the southern ground hornbill with the sun shining on his shiny black feathers.

Picture caption: A close up of the male southern ground hornbill

Picture caption: Frontal photograph of a southern ground hornbill in the thick veld grass

About Robbie Cheadle

Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph 2025

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil

An Eye on Art: Creativity as Emotional Release or Expression

Posted: August 24, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Art | Tags: An Eye On Art, Edvard Munch, Expressionism, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writing to be Read | 8 Comments

We’ve all done it. As creatives, we allow our emotions to flow into our work, and perhaps, we even have a need to do so. Authors take real life experiences and write them into their stories, perhaps rewriting, so the endings that are preferred to real ones, because in stories, anything can happen. Songwriters pour their emotions into their music, and artists spill their emotions across the canvas for all to see. Creativity is the way we express ourselves and often, the way we interpret the reality around us.

The Expressionism of Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch was a noted Norwegian Painter and Printmaker who lived from 1863-1944. Plagued by a troubled childhood and difficulty in his adult relationships, the mental and social disruptions of a tormented mind are evident in his artworks, particularly in those done in his expressionistic style, which created the most controversy and made him famous. At an early age, he lost both his mother and his older sister, Johanne Sophie³, to tuberculosis, and later in life, another sister, Laura Katherine, developed a schizophrenic illness and was confined to a mental asylum. His romantic relationships were filled with turmoil and eventually he became rather reclusive, withdrawing more and more from human society.²

The Vampire (or Love and Pain), by Edvard Munch — *Vampire* or *Love and Pain* (1892), by Edvard Munch

The expressionistic work of Edvard Munch employs distortion and vibrant colors to draw viewers’ focus; demanding patrons attention. The work titled, Vampire (1892), was so controversial in its time, that it closed down the Verein Berliner Kunstler exhibition of 1892; an event that catapulted Munch’s career into celebrity. In this work, the vibrant colors that are so typical of Munch are not seen. It is a dark scene with the orange-red of the female’s hair being the only color that really draws the eye, as she embraces the male laying across her lap. With this painting, Munch set out to make us see the fine line between love and pain with this painting, hence the original title, Love and Pain. It was mistakenly interpreted as having a vampiric theme, and the painting’s subjects do appear more as predator and prey than as lovers in consoling embrace, especially if one takes notice of the bluish hue of the male’s facial skin.¹

Madonna (1894-95), by Edvard Munch — *Madonna* (1894-95), by Edvard Munch

The models for his works may have been real women in his life and are portrayed in Munch’s work either as life devouring vampires, sultry seductresses, or frail and naked, reflective of his own personal relationships. It is believed that Love and Pain depicts his at one time lover Tulla Larsen, a rich winemaker’s daughter, who he had a turbulent relationship with. Whereas Madonna (1894-95) depicts another ex-lover, Dagny Juel, reflecting her liberated sexuality in contrast in contrast the traditional idea of a chaste Madonna. It features a nude woman contorted, perhaps in the throes of passion, with a red, rather than white or golden halo.¹ Ashes (1894-95) is thought to depict clandestine, but destined to end in despair, meetings in the forest with his cousin’s wife, Millie Thaulow.³

On the other hand, in The Weeping Nude (1913), the focus figure is much less distorted. Attention is focused on the nude, through his use of vibrant colors that contrast with her flesh colors, drawing the eye to the central figure. Sadness and depression are the dominant emotions that radiate from this work, and the emotion rises from the pose, and the concealment of the figure’s identity.

The Weeping Nude (1913), by Edvard Munch — *The Weeping Nude* (1913), by Edvard Munch

The haunting image of The Scream (1893) reflects feelings that all viewers easily relate to. At some point in life, we all have felt like screaming at the world, and so to, have felt as no one would hear or care. By far his most famous painting, the violent forms and savage colors are representative of contemporary sentiments. In truth, this image may not be a screaming figure, as most believe, but rather, it is his attempt to block out “nature screaming during a blood-red sunset”, (perhaps during a panic attack), according to Munch himself. This sky and setting appear in at least two more of Munch’s works done around the same time: Despair (1893-94) and Anxiety (1894). It is believed by some that the location was one in Oslo, near a slaughterhouse and the asylum where his younger sister, Laura Katherine, was housed, where he may have visited often, and which would have had a cacophony of screams between the dying animals and the mental patients’ cries.¹

Despair (1893-94) by Edvard Munch — *Despair* (1893-94) by Edvard Munch

The Scream (1893), by Edvard Munch — *Despair* (1893-94) by Edvard Munch

He was featured as the male figure in many of his works, including perhaps Ashes and Love and Pain, above, to further attest to the expression of emotions from his own life, revealing his inner soul. While not happy images, they are captivating, and they draw out our darker sides.

As authors, our stories should reveal so much. If you could look into the minds of horror authors such as Steven King, Peter Straub, Dean Koontz, and so many more, perhaps you would find similar histories, filled with pain and despair, to fuel their creative story telling. Or perhaps some are just meant to allow their darker sides to dominate and be expressed through their creative works.

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¹ “7 Must See Paintings by Edvard Munch”. The Collector. June 11, 2025. Anastasiia Kirpolov, MA: 7 Must-See Paintings by Edvard Munch | The Collector

² “Beyond the Scream: How Edvard Munch Channeled a Timeless Sense of Dread”. Art in America. March 17, 2021. Tessa Solomon: What Are Edvard Munch’s Most Famous Paintings?

³ “16 of Edvard Munch’s Paintings”. Artistic Junkie: Art for All.: 16 of Edvard Munch’s Paintings | ArtisticJunkie.com

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders.

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

______________________________________

Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

________________________________________

This postis sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

The Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series, Books 1-3: Midnight Roost, Midnight Garden, Midnight Oil

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil

Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares: Coming in October, 2026

WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour Giveaway Winners

Posted: August 22, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Books, Dark fiction, Giveaways, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Blog Tour, Books, Giveaway Winners, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | 1 Comment

We had a great tour last week, and contributing authors shared some tasty morsels which, hopefully, tantalized your horror tastebuds and made you want to read more of the stories in Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night. Before we can officially sign off from the tour, there’s a matter of a couple of different giveaways, that we need to announce the winners for.

First, Chris Barili’s Classic Mustang Photo Competition

On Day 1, author Chris Barili offered an excerpt reading from “The Legend of Trooper 666” which describes the trooper’s classic Mustang. Chris is offering a signed print copy, (winners outside the U.S. will receive a free digital copy instead, due to the outlandish costs of international shipping) for the person who sends in a photo of a classic Mustang that closest matches the trooper’s car during the tour

Here are the rules:

1. You don’t need to be in the exact year, just the generation or year group (1960s, for example)

2. If their pic is verifiably of a NY State Patrol car, it wins. If we have more than one, we’ll select the winner.

3. If it is of a show or race car, owned by other than the photographer, they need that owner’s permission to submit the photo.

4. Actual dead state troopers or other LEOs will disqualify the entry immediately. :).

The Winning Entry

There was no winning entry, because we received not one photo. Nobody played.

Second, the Legends Puzzle

Each stop on the tour featured two authors and their stories, and each post included the name of the legend their story is based on. So, there is the opportunity to collect two puzzle pieces at each stop when the correct legend for each story is placed into the comments. Any visitor with a complete puzzle at the end of the tour wins a free digital copy. In the event that no one completes the puzzle, the visitor with the most pieces wins.

And the winner is…

(Drumroll please)

Robbie Cheadle, with puzzle pieces 1 & 2, (because she was the only one who played.)

Final Thoughts

I have to say, I was highly disappointed that no one participated in the giveaways for this tour. I thought it would be really fun to run them a little different than just “comment to enter”. We went to considerable effort to set it all up, and no one seemed interested to play. 😦 I will have to look at other options in the future, or maybe just go back to the same old, same old.

Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour

Posted: August 21, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "My Pumpkin Ate My Wife", "The Last Stage Coach", Chupacabra, Excerpt Reading, Guest Post, Jack O'Lantern Legend, Kaye Lynne Booth, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, Myths and Legends, Sara W. McBride, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | 1 Comment

Welcome to the final day of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour. Today I’m pleased to bring you a guest post from contributing author, Sara W. McBride, who wrote the wonderful story, “My Pumpkin Ate My Wife”, and an excerpt reading from my story, “The Last Stage Coach”.

It’s been a great tour, but it’s also the last day to get in on two different giveaways we have going. There’s still time to get your Mustang photos in for Chris Barili’s “Trooper 666” giveaway for a free print copy of Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night. Send your photos to Chris at stealthcb@gmail.com and to me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com. You can find the full guideslines for this giveaway at one of the Day 1 Tour Stops, by clicking on the link in the tour schedule at the end of today’s stop. I’ll be announcing the winners in a special winners post on Sunday, so get those photos in now.

Also, this is the last chance to collect your puzzle pieces for the digital giveaway, by placing the legend for each story in the comments. (We made it really easy for you. Each story post tells you what legend it is from.) Today’s puzzle pieces are 9 and 10, but you can collect any you’ve missed by going back to the individual stops through the links on the tour schedule, too. The winner for this giveaway will also be announced in that Sunday post, so get your answers in while you still can.

The Giveaway

We made a puzzle out of the Legends cover.

Follow the tour to find the clues hidden in the guest posts, readings and promos.

Name the Legend each story is based upon as you go through the tour.

Place your answers in the comments.

For each correct answer, you earn one of ten puzzle pieces.

At the end of the tour, the three people who have collected the most puzzle pieces

will win a free digital copy of

Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

The Authors of Legends

What Makes a Legend?, by Sara W. McBride

What do scientists, authors, and monsters have in common? They all desire to be legends. I could claim there is a shared egotistical drive to be immortal, and let’s face it, that might be true of many people regardless of occupation, but instead I’ll claim the shared love of the unexpected discovery.

Why are Newton, Einstein, Galileo, Copernicus, and poor Mike Brown, all legends? They discovered something unexpected: gravity, relativity, other planets, and that Earth wasn’t the center of the Universe. Mike Brown? What about him? He’d dreamed of discovering a planet his entire life, then he thought he had. He thought he found something in our solar system that was bigger than Pluto. But he didn’t. So why is he a legend? He spurred on the debate that redefined the parameters of a planet and got Pluto demoted to a dwarf planet. So yes, Mike Brown is now legendary as the man who killed Pluto. Poor guy still receives hate mail from ten year olds who learned the solar system from Grandpa’s planetary model in the attic.**

Becoming a Legend is not usually something one can strive for. It just happens. In this anthology, none of the authors are legends. But many of us are scientists, of some sort, and we often use writing as an excuse to do research. So we researched legends!

The Jack-O’Lanterns, Wendigo, Succubus, and Pheonix were all researched. And others were legends from our youth, like the grim reaper or the famous babysitter nightmare; a creepy phone call from a person watching you, which turns out to be from inside the house. Cue the delighted screams from around the campfire. There are more specific area legends, like the girl ghost of Cleveland, Gilgul, and Trooper 666.

But personally, if I, me, myself, was going to become a legend, I’d like an international following. Or at least a few countries, like the Jack O’Lantern. I mean, who wants to be the slimy legend of Des Moines? I say, Go Big! There’s an Angel of Death in every culture and country.

Because unlike Pluto, a legend never dies.

**I worked at Caltech for a decade and spoke with Mike Brown a few times. He’s an inspiring, generous astronomy professor. He didn’t mean to kill Pluto. Please send him some fan mail.

“My Pumpkin Ate My Wife” is based on the traditional Jack O’Lantern legend.

Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 9.

About Sara W. McBride

Sara Wesley McBride enjoyed a nerdy childhood sneaking onto hotel rooftops to write plays and stories. As a grown-up child, many of her adult party conversations end with a comical defense of why her first degree in theater from UCLA, and her second degree in molecular and cellular biology from SDSU, are completely related. Between her degrees, she spent two years pranking the mafia in New York City architecture; also completely related.

All parts of her life have led her down a streamlined path toward noveling because nothing else maintains her sanity. Daily, like many modern-day biological researchers, she invents new swear words to sling at million-dollar machines while locked in a dark hole of a decaying academic hall. This has caused her to witness ghosts and create a romantic fantasy life within her head, which she now puts down on very non-technological paper with her favorite Jane Austen style quill pen.

Her first novel in the Alexis Lynn series, Will Write for Wine, and the companion short story collection, Stories I Stole from Lord Byron’s Bastard, both set in Venice, Italy, were recently released by Puck Publishing. She’s hard at work on the second Alexis Lynn novel, a Regency mystery series, and a haunted play. She strongly feels the world needs more haunted plays.

When not researching biological stuff, reading history, or writing in random, elegant hotel lobbies—much warmer than rooftops—Sara is hiking the San Diego shorelines, parks, and trails with her husband and their tiny, bouncy dog named Wombat.

About Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

Legends take many forms, but most carry a warning within. For instance, stories of monsters such as the Chupacabra, Snallygasters, and Windigos were told to warn children to behave themselves. The tale of the ghost girl who haunts buildings in Cleveland, is a warning to daredevils, who would chance their lives and safety in old derelict buildings. And Trooper 666 is a deterrent against drunk and dangerous driving. The angel of death and gilgul offers lessons to be learned about our spiritual lives. And any one of the monsters found between these pages could decide to follow you home.

These diverse shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts and monstrous creatures, which each hold a certain sense of justice. Introduced by multi-genre author Kaye Lynne Booth, these stories are a celebration of legends of old, and some new ones, too, but there are no happy endings.

Featuring stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Abe Margel, Chris Barili, Sara W. McBride, C.R. Johansson, Rebecca M. Senese, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, DL Mullan and Joseph Carrabis.

Book Cover: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/LegendsMonsters

“The Last Stagecoach”, by Kaye Lynne Booth

“The Last Stagecoach” is based on the legend of the Chupacabra.

Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 10.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

Wrap Up

That’s it for today’s tour stop. We hope you enjoyed DL Mullan’s guest post and her reading, and Rebecca M. Senese’s Promo. Don’t forget to pick out the legend each was based on and put your answers in the comments. Each correct answer earns a piece to the puzzle, and the more pieces you have, the better your chances of winning a free copy of Legends.

Also, don’t forget to get those Mustang pictures in to try and match the car in Chris Barili’s “The Legend of Trooper 666” story for a chance to win a signed print copy of the book. (Available to U.S. residents only due to the expense of International shipping.)

Winners will be announced in a special post on Sunday, on Writing to be Read.

Tour Schedule

Mon. 8/17 – Chris Barili – reading/contest & C.R. Johansson Promo & Trailer – Michelle Ayon Navajas –

Poetry by Mich: https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/day-1-legends-tour/

Hotel by Masticadores: https://hotelmasticadoreshouse.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/day-1-legends-tour/

Masticadores Phillipines: https://masticadoresphilippines.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/day-1-legends-tour/

Tues. 8/18 – DL Mullan – guest post & Rebecca M. Senese Promo – Kaye Lynne Booth –Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=72488

Wed. 8/19 – Danaeka Scrimshaw – guest post & Joseph Carrabis – Video post & reading – Carla Johnson-Hicks – Carla Loves to Read: https://wp.me/p6H3KI-kJa

Thurs. 8/20 – Robb T. White – guest post – Abe Margel Promo – DL Mullan – Undawnted: http://www.undawnted.com/2026/08/undawnted-presents-legends-day-4.html

Fri. 8/21 – Sara W. McBride– guest post about authors & Kaye Lynne Booth – audio reading – Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=72831

Sun. 8/23 – Contest Winners post – Writing to be Read

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour

Posted: August 20, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Leave a comment

We’re celebrating the release of Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night on Day 4 of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour over on Undawnted with host, DL Mullan. We have a guest post from contributing author Robb T. White about his story, “The Urbexer’s Girl” and a promo for Abe Margel’s “It was no Stroll in the Park”.

Undawnted does not accept comments, so please post your answers here to collect the puzzle pieces for this stop to get in on the giveaway for a free digital copy. And just a reminder, there is still time to get in on Chris Barili’s giveaway for a print copy. Send your Mustang GT photos to Chris at stealthcb@gmail.com and to me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com.

Visit today’s stop at: http://www.undawnted.com/2026/08/undawnted-presents-legends-day-4.htm

Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour

Posted: August 19, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Review, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "Sema", "The Legend of Tilly Mae", Anthology, Book Review, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Dark fiction, Giveaway, Joseph Carrabis, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, WordCrafter Press | Leave a comment

For Day 3 of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Carla Loves to Read with a video guest post and excerpt reading from “Sema”, by Joseph Carrabis, a guest post from contributing author Danaeka Scrimshaw on their story, “The Legend of Tilly Mae”, and a review of the book by host Carla Johnson-Hicks.

Don’t forget to name the legends and collect the puzzle pieces to get in on the giveaway for a free digital copy of Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night.

Legends: Monsters That Go Bump in the Night #BookReview #Anthology #BlogTour #GuestPost #Reading #Giveaway

Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour

Posted: August 18, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "The Call", "The house on the Lake", DL Mullan, Excerpt Reading, Guest Post, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, Myths and Legends, Rebecca M. Senese, The Babysitter LEgend, Windigo, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | 2 Comments

[Intro.]

The Giveaway

We made a puzzle out of the Legends cover.

Follow the tour to find the clues hidden in the guest posts, readings and promos.

Name the Legend each story is based upon as you go through the tour.

Place your answers in the comments.

For each correct answer, you earn one of ten puzzle pieces.

At the end of the tour, the three people who have collected the most puzzle pieces

will win a free digital copy of

Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

“The Call”

Ring.

Ring. Ring.

It’s the middle of the night… do you answer the phone?

Rebecca Blackwood does.

THE LEGEND

“The babysitter and the man upstairs” is one of the most retold urban legends in horror — a threatening call that turns out to be coming from inside the house.

THE TWIST

The Call swaps the babysitter for a first-time homeowner. The fear isn’t a teenager on a job — it’s an adult who thought she’d finally earned safety.

THE CALL

Rebecca Blackwood finally has what she’s worked for: a home of her own. It’s modest, it’s hers, and it’s the first thing that’s ever felt permanent. Then the phone starts ringing.

At first, it’s silence. Next, breathing. Afterward, a voice that knows exactly where she’s standing, what room she’s in, what she’s wearing. Rebecca does everything right — she calls for help, she checks the locks, she stays calm. But the caller is already inside the house.

The Call is a slow-burn reimaging of one of horror’s most enduring urban legends, grounded in something scarier than any monster: the terror of being watched in the one place you’re supposed to be safe. Some things aren’t what they seem.

Join The Call…

*”The Call” appears in Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night (WordCrafter Press, 2026, ed. Kaye Lynne Booth), then again in Broken Things, DL Mullan’s own collection of weird short fiction (Undawnted, 2027).

Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 3.

About DL Mullan

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the way she perceives the creative arts.

As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at http://www.undawnted.com. 

About Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

Featuring stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Abe Margel, Chris Barili, Sara W. McBride, C.R. Johansson, Rebecca M. Senese, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, DL Mullan and Joseph Carrabis.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/LegendsMonsters

“The House by the Lake”, by Rebecca M. Senese

Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 4.

About Rebecca M. Senese

Rebecca M. Senese weaves words of horror, mystery, contemporary fantasy, and science fiction in Toronto, Ontario. She is the author of the contemporary fantasy series, the Noel Kringle Chronicles featuring the son of Santa Claus working as a private detective in Toronto. She garnered an Honorable Mention in “The Year’s Best Science Fiction” and has been nominated for numerous Aurora Awards.

Wrap Up

Winners will be announced in a special post on Sunday, on Writing to be Read.

Pop in for tomorrow’s tour stop over at Carla Loves to Read where Carla Johnson-Hicks will be hosting a guest post from contributing author Danaeka Scrimshaw about “The Legend of Tilly Mae”, and Joseph Carrabis shares the inspiration and an excerpt reading from “Sema”.

Tour Schedule

Mon. 8/17 – Chris – reading/contest & Johansson Promo & Trailer – Michelle Ayon Navajas – Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, & Masticadores Phillipines

Tues. 8/18 – Dawn – guest post/audio reading & Senese Promo – Kaye Lynne Booth –Writing to be Read

Wed. 8/19 – Danaeka – guest post & Joseph – Video post & reading – Carla Johnson-Hicks – Carla Loves to Read

Thurs. 8/20 – Robb – guest post – Margel Promo – DL Mullan – Undawnted

Fri. 8/21 – Sara – guest post about authors & Kaye – audio reading – Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read

Sun. 8/23 – Winners post – Writing to be Read

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Welcome to Day 1 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour

Posted: August 17, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Mythology and Legend, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | 2 Comments

It’s day 1 of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog tour and we’re over at Poetry by Mich, and Hotel by Masticadores, and Masticadores Phillipines. Meet contributing author Chris Barili and hear an excerpt reading from his story, “The Legend of Trooper 666”.

We’ve got two great giveaways. Help us put together the Legends puzzle by collecting two puzzle pieces at each stop. And this stop has the way to find out about the one offered by Chris Barili. You’ve only got a week to gather your photos and get your entries in, so join us today.

Day 1 Legends Tour

Audio Book Review: “My Queendom for a Horse” & “The Recipient”

Posted: August 14, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Review, romance, Speculative Fiction, Thriller | Tags: Audio Book Review, Audrey J. Cole, Bridget E. Baker, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Kaye Lynne Booth, My Queendom for a Horse, mystery, Shifter Romance, Speculative Fiction, The Recipient, Thriller, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

Box of Books with headphones on Text: Audio Book Reviews

About My Queendom for a Horse

Kristiana Liepa was supposed to use the money to save her family farm. She was not supposed to spend it all to save a massive, black stallion.

But when she saw how he was being treated, what’s a vet to do?

She had no idea that gorgeous beast was really a powerful (and morally gray) magician who had been cursed by a witch, or that she was the only one who could reverse the curse.

And she couldn’t possibly have known how that one rash decision would irrevocably change her life…and his.

Need a little more information to make up your mind? Read a longer description below:

Kristiana’s father has a gambling problem. After a particularly bad hand of cards puts their family’s land in jeopardy, her dad’s solution is to call her billionaire ex, but Kris can’t bring herself to beg him for money. At least, not her first time seeing him in 10 years. Instead, she withdraws her life savings and bets on herself.

Thankfully, it pays off! She and her most promising horse win big at the Down Royal steeplechase in Ireland, but only because the best horse on the track wasn’t ridden properly. Luckily, it’s just enough to grant a stay of execution with the bank.

It would have been, but when Kris realizes her nemesis is abusing the gorgeous black stallion who should have won, she can’t help herself. She spends her winnings buying the horse she fell for the moment she saw him. It may not be the smartest move in the short run, but Obsidian Devil’s her best hope of finally digging out from under the massive debt hanging over them. She’ll have to ask her ex to help with the next payment, but seeing him again won’t be sobad.

What Kris doesn’t know is that her new purchase is actually a powerful magician stuck in horse form by a witch’s curse. She also has no idea that she’ll be the only person who can help him lift the curse. And worst of all, that helping him may mean losing the family farm for good.

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/My-Queendom-Horse-Russian-Witchs/dp/B0BV7Z3BM8

Chirp: My Queendom for a Horse by Bridget E. Baker – Audiobook (No Subscription)

My Review of My Queendom for a Horse

I purchased My Queendom for a Horse, by Bridget E. Baker and narrated by Cindy Gunderson from a Chirp Freebie Friday deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

I chose this book because of the fantastic cover with shades of blues and purples. Although the tiny sparkles indicated a magical theme, the image of a horse made me think of the story of Black Beauty, a story I loved as a child. Soon after beginning to listen, I was surprised to learn that what I had was a shape shifter romance.

Setting out to save her family farm from her father’s gambling debts, Kristiana has a plan to ride the winning horse and take the purse and a bet on her own horse. And it would have worked if she hadn’t impulsively purchased a stallion which was being abused by one of her competitors, forcing her to take a loan from the man who dumped her years ago. You can imagine her surprise when she finds her newest purchase is not a horse , but a shape shifting Russian prince who had been cursed hundreds of years ago, and somehow, Kris has the key to his powers. The whole scenario leads to some humorous scenes, as the headstrong prince rears his jealous head, while Kris tries to sort out her feelings for her ex, and raise the money to save the farm.

The author has crafted a truly enjoyable story that makes you laugh in all the right places. And Ms. Gunderson does an excellent job of narrating. I give My Queendom for a Horse five quills.

About The Recipient

Sergeant Wade McKinnon knows who killed Samantha the moment he arrives at her crime scene. Problem is, he watched her killer die a year ago.

A year after serial killer Michael Rhodes is executed and allowed to donate part of his brain as an organ transplant, Wade gets called to a murder scene that shares uncanny similarities to those of the late Michael Rhodes. Other similar killings happen around Seattle, and Wade seems to be the only person still alive who knows enough about Michael Rhodes’s murders to be able to replicate them. When evidence found at one of the crime scenes points to Wade as the killer, he races to find the real culprit before it’s too late to clear his own name.

Elle is overjoyed when her husband, Brian, receives a partial brain transplant and gets a second chance at life. Until she learns that his brain cells came from a serial killer….

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/The-Recipient-Audrey-J-Cole-audiobook/dp/B07QYK6WBZ

Chirp: The Recipient by Audrey J. Cole – Audiobook (No Subscription)

My Review of The Recipient

I purchased The Recipient, by Audrey J. Cole and read by Marcio Catalano and Veronica Pace, from a Chirp Freebie Friday deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

This story uses dual male and female narrators, which I’ve found works well in romances, but I was unsure how that would work for a thriller. In hindsight, although each of them missed inflections a few times, they really did a premium job. Catalano and Pace did a smash-up job, instead of just alternating chapters, they dubbed the female voice of Pace into the male POV chapters, and the male voice of Catalano into the female POV chapters, which is how the dual narrating should be done. I can see why this book was nominated for the Voice Arts Awards, as advertised on the cover.

As far as story goes, the title gives it all away, but it is also a little misleading. Early on I figured out who the killer was and although the author was skilled in laying it all out, I still felt the story to be predictable as events unfolded. Overall, though, it was a decent thriller with tension building in all the right places and well-developed characters.

I give The Recipient four quills.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and author Jan Sikes and a review

Posted: August 12, 2026 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: Book Review, Interview, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read | 95 Comments

A riverbed with stones, water, and grasses. Text: Treasuring Poetry with Robbie Cheadle and KAye Lynne Booth

I’m delighted to welcome author and poet, Jan Sikes, as this month’s Treasuring Poetry guest. Jan is the author of a significant number of novels, novellas and short stories and she has recently published a collection of short stories and poems including contributions from her late husband, Rick Sikes, and her granddaughter, Sydney.

Welcome Jan

What is your favourite style of poetry?

My favorite style of poetry is free-form, but I do like rhyming and while I don’t know the exact terminology for this type of poetry, it follows a lyrical rhyming pattern of 1,3,5,7 etc. In other words, the first and third lines will rhyme, alternating that way throughout the poem. That’s the easiest for me to write as well. Another way I love to write is alternate rhyming 1&2, then 3&4 like we see in the Frost poem below.

What is your favourite poem?

My favorite poem is from Robert Frost – Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

What inspired you to publish Fringes, heartstrings and lyrics?

The inspiration started with looking at all the short stories I’d published in obscure anthologies throughout the years. I wanted to bring them all together in one book. I also wanted to include some of my late husband’s earliest poems from the 1960s and then as the project came together, my granddaughter shared some of her poetry with me and I was gobsmacked! In the process of gathering material, I found some my own poems that had never been shared anywhere, so I included them as well.

What is the meaning behind fringes in the title?

Since some of the short stories were dystopian or ‘dark’ the Fringes in the title is meant to depict that section. Sometimes what happens on the fringes is powerful and moving. That was the intent for using that word in the title.

What is your favourite poem in this collection?

I have several favorites, but if I had to choose only one, I’d choose “Society” written by my granddaughter. It is very deep for a fourteen-year-old girl. It is truth!

Welcome to society
We hope you enjoy your stay
You can do anything you want
As long as you do it our way

You can like any guy
As long as he’s 6 foot 2
He must have ocean blue eyes
And a six-figure business too

Here in society, people are the same
‘Cause if you’re different you’re weird
You’ll sit at a table all alone
Kids will laugh and point and sneer

Our government sucks but you can’t revolt
There’s this cage we call a jail
You just have to sit and suffer
So try not to slip up and fail

And please feel free to be yourself
As long as it’s in the right way
Because in society, things work differently
Every single day

Welcome to society
We’ve got one last trick up our sleeve
The last important rule here
Is that you can never leave

My review of Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics by Jan Sikes

Picture caption: Book cover of Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics by Jan Sikes with gold lettering on a cover in shades of blue.

This is a varied and interesting collection of short stories and poems by Jan Sikes with poetry contributions by her late husband, Rick Sikes, and her Granddaughter, Sidney. The stories transition from darker tales to lighter ones with the first grouping being mainly bleak dystopian outlooks where love and kindness are the only remaining hope.

Each of the three poets contributes thought provoking and beautiful poems about life, love, and human perspective. I enjoyed each and every poem.

An overview of three of my favourite stories follows:

The Forgotten – This is an imaginative and unique story about a race of people, the Egluna, on a planet that has not seen the the sun for many moons. The people have become as wasted and colourless as their planet and have lost hope. New hope returns in the form of two vibrant and colourful creatures, one male and the other female, called ‘Fresh Ones’. The pair have powers and are able to reinvigorate the dying plant life on the planet. Will the couple be able to rejuvenate hope in the future for the Egluna too. I enjoyed this interesting take on climate change and its potential consequences.

A Promise Broken – A Promise Kept – While this story stands alone, it is also the backstory for a character who reappears in one of the author’s novels. I have read the relevant novel and was delighted to come across this character in her younger years and learn about her past and how it shaped her present in that novel. Charlotte’s story is one of strength, resilience and maturity.

When Love isn’t Enough – This is another story about difficult decisions arising from rebellion due to an overbearing and inflexible father. Riley is fortunate as she has a friend she can confide in and get good advice from but ultimately she has to make the right decision herself. This story has an interesting and unexpected ending.

The poem that resonated with me the most is called Too Dark and is by Sydney. This poem tells of the reaction of the poet’s mother and family to a dark poem that she is proud of. Her family are shocked at the poems darkness. I related to this because my son writes poetry and it is also very dark. I am always a bit shocked by the darkness of his views and thoughts on life and society. I think all the negative social media and press is having a negative impact on youngsters and making them feel hopeless. It is something the older generations needs to be aware of. We need to avoid complaining about what a bad state we think the world is in as it has a bad effect on our children and grandchildren.

An interesting collection that is well worth the time investment.

Purchase Fringes, Heartstrings and Lyrics from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Fringes-Heartstrings-Lyrics-Jan-Sikes-ebook/dp/B0GRWQC3SH/

Find all of Jan Sike’s books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jan-Sikes/author/B00CS9K8DK

About Jan Sikes

Picture caption: Author photograph of Jan Sikes

I’ve been an avid reader all my life. There’s nothing I love more than losing myself in a story.

Oddly enough, I had no ambition to be a writer. But I wound up in mid-life with a story that begged to be told. Not just any story, but a true story that rivaled any fiction creation. Through fictitious characters, the tale came to life in an intricately woven tale that encompasses four books. Not satisfied to stop with the books, I released music CDs of original music matching the time period of each story segment. In conclusion, to bring the story full circle, I published a book of poetry and art. I was done.

Wrong!

The story ideas keep coming, and I don’t intend to turn off the creative fountain. I have now written numerous short stories, a series of paranormal romances and a series of historical fiction.

I love all things metaphysical and often include those aspects in my stories.

I am an dedicated fan of Texas music and grandmother of five beautiful souls. I reside in North Texas.

About Robbie Cheadle

Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author picture

South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.