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

Posted: July 20, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Giveaways, Guest Post, Health & Wellness, Nonfiction, Self-Help, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes, Giveaway, Health & Wellness, Self-Help, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Leave a comment

We’re over at Poetry by Mich, where Michelle Ayon Navajas is introducing us to author Daniel J. Cox and his revolutionary new book, A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes. If you have pre- or Type 2 Diabetes, this method of managing diabetes may be for you. And we’re giving away four signed print copies. Join us and find out what it’s all about.

Day 1 GEM Tour

This tour stop can also be found on Hotel by Masticadores, and on Masticadores by Phillipines

Chatting with New Blood: David Deane Haskell

Posted: July 20, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Hard Science Fiction, Interview, Nonfiction, Review, Science Fiction, Writing | Tags: Author Interview, Book Review, Chatting with New Blood, David Dean Haskell, Kaye Lynne Booth, The Solarian Deep, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

I’d like to introduce you to the most recent addition to the WordCrafter Press author tribe. David is an independently published author, who has published at four novels, short stories and a memoir. He has recently agreed to be a contributing author for the Ask the Authors 2027 writing reference anthology, which earned him a place on the new WordCrafter Press Author Tribe page, and here, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him better.

About Author David Deane Haskell

David Deane Haskell writes about what it means to make sense of a world that doesn’t come with instructions—and that none of us make it through unscathed.

His work explores that reckoning—through failure, obsession, and the slow reconstruction of the fractured self. Across speculative fiction, memoir-driven essays, and recovery-centered writing, he returns to outsiders, seekers, and wounded people trying to become whole without abandoning the parts of themselves that helped them survive.

He is drawn to stories of evolution under pressure: societies reshaped by artificial intelligence, people unraveling within systems they don’t understand, and the lonely, wrenching but ultimately beautiful work of learning to listen to the heart.

Blending emotional honesty with speculative reach, his writing moves through technology, spirituality, trauma, and imagination to explore shame, connection, creativity, and the lifelong process of becoming you.

My Interview with David Deane Haskell

Kaye: Let’s start with a bit of backstory. Tell us about your writer’s journey and how you became an author.

David: My writing journey started in a real way in college, when I took a creative writing class. Before that, I always thought that writing was all about the rules, never really imagining that I could write fiction. I figured that was for special, highly trained “novelists.” Instead, I played music, and that was my creative outlet. But I loved books and movies, especially sci-fi. I just never thought that I could tell my own stories.

That creative writing class was very free and open, the teacher a really chill grad student. He was open to whatever creative ideas we might come up with. And I just started writing what I felt like, and sort of aimed to shock the class when it came time to share. I wrote for reaction, which was the first time I did so, and I did get some really interesting feedback. Not everyone in the class liked it, but some did.

And that was the spark.

Then, I didn’t really do much for a while. Publishing seemed beyond daunting. You had to go through all the gatekeepers and face rejection at every turn, all that unappealing nonsense. But the Kindle explosion happened in the early 2010s, and I decided to get in on it, not really thinking that it would become the life passion it has for me.

I published my first full-length novel in 2013, Too Much Information, and three more in short order. Emergence was the last of that early stage, published in 2019.

By then I was going through a lot emotionally and spiritually, contending with trauma and addiction issues which were threatening to ruin my life. That caused a five-year writer’s block from 2019 to 2024. I couldn’t write a thing worth keeping, couldn’t really tell you why, and wondered constantly whether I should just give up.

But I couldn’t.

Finally, right around the new year in 2024, the block ended. Just like when I was blocked, I couldn’t tell you why I wasn’t anymore. I just wasn’t. And I started writing more than ever before. It really was pouring out of me, fiction and nonfiction. Wasn’t how I planned it, but it was a new phase of my career in almost every way.

Since that time I’ve published two books. The Solarian Deep, a first-contact sci-fi about transformation and societal upheaval, set in a post-apocalyptic undersea society known as ‘Technoquatics’. I also published Wounded Angels: A Memoir That Lights the Path to Your Own Inner Child Healing. This is a real-time record of the emotional and spiritual healing work I was in the thick of in the summer of 2024, written as it happened.

Kaye: I read and reviewed The Solarian Deep, which is Book 1 of the Technoquatics series. Tell us about that book and the plan for the series, if you would.

David: The Solarian Deep originally started as a serialized novel. This was early in 2024, when I was just getting back into writing, and wanted to get back in the game quickly. I didn’t want to sit in a room for a few months, write a novel, and publish it like before. I decided to put it out a chapter at a time, for reader feedback and also as a motivational reason to keep writing.

Because I was writing it chapter by chapter, I really didn’t know where it was going to end—and it went all kinds of places that I wasn’t expecting.

It’s a story of transformation and transition, a story of those who underestimate themselves, consider themselves unimportant—but who have more to offer than they ever realized. How a handful of beings can have a profound impact on entire societies.

It also gets into how we get along, dealing with the mysterious other, and how emotions like fear, wonder, confusion, and loyalty play into these actions and reactions.

All of that set in a post-apocalyptic, under-the-sea world with lived-in technology and things that appear magical at first glance, but ultimately turn out to be more natural, more evolutionary, than anyone could have imagined.

The series, I can’t say too much about, because like in first first book The Solarian Deep, I am adjusting as I go. I have started book two and I can tell you that it’s far more expansive. From a small part of the world with two opposing, city-sized societies, book II opens up the world to our characters, and they are now travelers, seeking others who are evolving in mysterious, inexplicable ways. Not just two societies anymore, nor are there just one or two ways the evolution is unfolding. So, I can promise you that the transformations you read about in book I are just the beginning. More will be revealed on that front as the publication date draws closer.

Kaye: I also read Tommytune, which is just a very short story. Are you using that brief tale like a reader magnet? How effective has that been?

David: I didn’t really plan for Tommytune to be a reader magnet. Although on daviddeanehaskell.com you can read it for free, along with one of my novels, Emergence. So you get a whole book, and also the short story, but the reasoning is a bit different.

Because Tommytune is actually the beginning of a brand new series that I’m working on, the Resona series. The Vibrants is Book 1 of that series, and Tommytune is a stand-alone story set in the same place and time, with a couple of the key characters you’ll get to know much better very soon.

Kaye: Why do you choose to write hard techno-science fiction, as opposed to other genres you might write?

David: I never really chose what to write. I was always a sci-fi guy. When I was a kid, I was a Star Wars and Star Trek guy. My reading was Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke and the like. So, I naturally gravitated in that direction.

Michael Crichton is a big influence as well, so the techno-thriller side of things appeals to me. Sometimes I write very near future, or even what could essentially be present day. I don’t really write anything set in the past. The only things I write about the past are my nonfiction works, and that’s just the way it’s turned out.

I’m not saying I would never write some medieval jousting novel or something like that. I just haven’t so far.

When it comes to hard techno-science fiction, I think it has to be plausible for me. I love fantasy. I’m a big Star Wars guy, so I’m into the Force and all of that, but that’s mystical and magical. And I do think I’m starting to lean into spiritual writing in a sense.

But for the most part, if I write science fiction, it needs to be something I can explain in my own head. It needs to feel plausible. So, I don’t write a lot of distant-future stories. I don’t write a lot of faster-than-light travel or alien civilizations.

It’s more about what Earth might look like in 20, 50, or 100 years and what might be going on with us then. Maybe that’s because I’m trying to figure out my own future and what that looks like for all of us. Something along those lines.

Kaye: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

David: I don’t know if I received this as writing advice directly, but I’ve heard it many times, and I’m a big believer in this: There Are No Rules

You can write anything. It’s limitless. Literally limitless.

And yet I do limit myself more than I’d like to. I’ll think, you know, you can’t say that or you can’t do this. And as I said, I don’t really write fantasy too much. But I could. Sure, I could write about a magical world or an absurdly skewed morality structure, maybe. Maybe a universe wher propr spelin gehtzuu da deth pennnalteee.

Or a book where all the various thoughts just sort of wind up…

Only to go off in another direction and then…

It could be abstract. It could be chopped up. It could be scenery-based with very shallow characters, or in-depth character examinations without much of a world around them. Real or unreal, or something in-between. I can change it all in the middle, from real to absurd, or vice-versa. I could edit the beginning and the end and leave the middle in free form (not recommended, perhaps, but I *could* .. heck, that’s a lot of what jazz music winds up looking like when you really come down to it).

I may have coined the phrase “nom-fiction,” nominally fictional, where it’s kind of reality, but not really. It’s my reality, but of course that’s in my head, right? Other people perceive what’s going on differently than I do, so why should that be any different in the writing? What is ‘fiction’ anyway? What is it in a post-truth world? What is it when powerful forces utilize psychological propaganda on the masses?

So yeah. There are no rules. Go from there if you’re feeling creatively stuck, anyway, and it might just break the shackles.

Kaye: Which do you enjoy writing most, heroes or villains? Why?

David: Heroes, actually. Or at least, the protagonist. Although my main characters and their compatriots aren’t so much heroic as defiant. Struggling to make sense of an unfair system or a massive machine they can’t even begin to figure out how to contend with.

The struggle against ‘the powers that be’ is a big theme in my stories. The little guy who’s getting stepped on by the mega-corporation, the odd one out who isn’t allowed to be themselves, as the ‘normal ones’ try to force them to conform, and punish them when they don’t. He sticks it to them in the end. So, it’s not exactly a hero, just one of us, trying to figure out how to get by in this vast, confusing world, with Machiavellian stuff going on that they can’t even wrap their head around. Until something shifts the balance in their favor, and they just might have a chance to make changes after all. But there are powerful forces out there who like things just the way they are, thanks very much, so it’s never as easy as deciding to “stand up for yourself”.

This parallels my own life and past experiences with trauma, being scapegoated, and being an introvert in an extrovert-friendly world, and extends into my attempts at making it as an indie publisher in a rough game which rewards loud, confident voices and bold moves.

I wrote about that directly in my second novel, The Gold Club, which might be a bit of a “David’s Fantasy outcome” story when it comes to how I’d like my work to be received, accepted, and ultimately judged on its own merits, rather than how easily I can manipulate the algorithm on TikTok!

Ted Ward, the main character in that book, does just that. Finds a way to beat the system, or try to at least—and that kind of hero is my kind of hero.

As for the villains, I try to make them real. I don’t really get into the mustache-twirling, “ahaha, I’m a bad guy because I’m a bad guy!” kind of thing. I like to think about their perspectives. Why are they doing what they’re doing?

And that often comes from damage and harm, the same as for the heroes. Hurt people hurt people, as they say.

Again, I write a lot of healing stuff, trauma-related stuff, addiction and recovery, inner-child work, and spiritual healing work on my nonfiction side. So, I think more and more that’s getting integrated into my fiction as well. So, in a sense, especially in my recent books, there isn’t so much a bad guy per se, or if they are, there are reasons. Reasons I hope my readers can really relate to.

There is a lot of that kind of speculation in The Solarian Deep. Even more of it in Tommytune and the full-length novel it comes with, The Vibrants.

Kaye: What kind of research do you do that might be specific to your stories?

David: Well, I’m not sure that I do any specific research per se, but I do like technology a lot. I’m really amazed at the leaps and bounds that technology has taken in my lifetime.

Since I was a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, through the era of the first personal computers, I’ve been fascinated by it. My dad had a computer, and I was into playing computer games. Later on, I got into software and technology-related interests. It’s always been on the side. I never worked in computers or anything, but I was always interested in robotics and AI.

So, seeing the future unfold in front of us now is a sort of research in itself. I watch those tech YouTube channels all the time, and I’m sure I get ideas from them.

The biggest thing for me now as a sci-fi writer is trying to stay ahead of the wave.

I’ll write something, and then reality catches up. Emergence is a perfect example, the novel that I give away for free on my website. I wrote and published it in 2019, and it’s about robot sentience, or androids if you will. I think I got a lot of things right, and some things wrong. One thing that surprised me was the idea that it might be code, software, or even drones that become more important than physical robotics.

So, my science fiction in 2026 is evolving in that direction.

What fascinates me most is not the technology itself, but how society reacts to it. The rift between people who are concerned about these technologies, people who fully embrace them, and people who fall somewhere in between is endlessly interesting to me.

In that sense, watching companies, governments, and AI organizations interact in real time is research of the highest order. Seeing these dramas play out, the conflicts, the fears, the incentives, the power struggles, that’s absolute gold for my fiction writing.

Kaye: What is the best advice you have for aspiring science fiction authors?

David: The best advice I would give an aspiring sci-fi writer is the same as I mentioned before, the best advice I ever got: there are no rules.

People might argue with that and say you should do it a certain way. You should write to market. You should be careful to edit this way or that. Don’t use slang. Don’t use bad language. Follow this structure. Hit this beat. Avoid this mistake.

But man, if you don’t like periods and commas, then leave them out. See how it goes.

If everybody who reads it says it bothers them, then it’s up to you whether you keep writing that way. But if some people say, “Wow, this is really revolutionary. I love reading stuff without periods and commas,” then you’ve really done something, haven’t you?

I’m not brave enough to go that far in my own writing, at least not yet. But I do hope that I’ll become more outside the box rather than less as I go along.

Kaye: You also have written a memoir, Wounded Angels. Would you like to tell us a little about that?

David: Wounded Angels is very dear to me, and it was difficult to publish because it was an extreme act of vulnerability to put something so personal out into the world.

I do think it’s an important book for people who are struggling with trauma, abuse, addiction, rejection, isolation, and many of the other challenges that can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves and others. All of that is in the book.

It also circles back to my fiction writing in a very deep way because I believe that, both personally and as a society, we need to learn how to heal. We need to learn how to take better care of ourselves, how to get well, so that we can help each other and show up more fully for the people around us. And when more people begin that process, maybe things start to improve.

But it starts with one person.

I’ve always found inspiration in people who have overcome great difficulty, and hopefully the emotional trauma that I am working hard to overcome can inspire others to start looking at their own struggles and finding their own path forward.

That’s what Wounded Angels is all about.

Kaye: Thank you for being my guest today, David. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you. Before we go, tell us where readers can go to find out more about you and your books.

David: Thank you so very much for allowing me the opportunity to sit for this interview with you. It’s so important to connect in this way, and I am really grateful for your efforts in our community!

You can find me easily on my website, daviddeanehaskell.com – with links to all my online activities, my Amazon author page, and my Substack fiction short stories and nonfiction essays (all free!) right there on my website. I also offer free stories there, including a full-length sci-fi novel you can download and keep forever.

Podcast interviews, essays, and other work are easy to find if you Google “David Deane Haskell,” but make sure you include my middle name. There is another David Haskell out there — David George Haskell — who is a Pulitzer Prize–finalist biologist and nature writer. So if you search only “David Haskell,” you may find him first. For my fiction and inner-child healing work, search my full name: David Deane Haskell.

All of my books are also available on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and other formats. And if you have Kindle Unlimited, several of my books are available there as well, including Too Much Information, The Gold Club, Dark Alignment, and of course, The Solarian Deep.

My Reveiw of The Solarian Deep

I received a free digital copy of the Solarian Deep, by David Dean Haskell from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Calistya and Krystal are best friends at the school for orphaned girls, but the administration feels Krystal, who has a history of trouble, will be a bad influence on Calistya, who has a promising future ahead of her; one which would not normally be available to under privileged orphan girls. They might be surprised to know that it’s Calistya taking the lead and leading her friend into the forbidden Deep, where she discovers an aquatic boy who shouldn’t exist, but does. Even after the girls are separated, Calistya is driven to continue her forbidden forays to find the mysterious boy, until she suddenly disappears beneath the ocean floor.

When Krystal goes missing, as well, the whole community falls out in search of the missing girls, which are not the first disappearances of this kind. It seems the answers to what’s happening now, lie in the events of the past, which no one can seem to remember. When the mysterious aquatic boy shows up in the city, wrecking havoc wherever he goes, it brings the two communities to the brink of war.

The technologically advanced, aquatic world, built post-human-civilization-collapse, which Haskell has created is rich with both human and aquatic creatures, once thought to be mythical. Both civilizations are fearful of the other, but through the actions of two girls and a merboy, they discover perhaps they aren’t so different after all.

Haskell has envisioned a wonderful world and brought it to life with vivid clarity. I give Solarian Deep four quills.

About Solarian Deep

Humanity didn’t flee to the ocean. It was built for it.

Calistya is a groundwalker — half-adapted, half-committed, priced out of the Full-Gill Enhancement that would make her whole. No gear, no limits, no more being told she swims like she doesn’t belong. Just the open ocean, endless and free.

She can’t afford it. She’s an orphan. That’s just life.

Until the day she dives too close to The Deep.

Below the city’s light, at the edge of the abyss where sentinels don’t go, she sees a boy. No oxygen rig. No surgical scars. No implants. Just skin, and something about him that shouldn’t be possible.

He shouldn’t exist.

He looks at her once. Then he’s gone.

When her best friend Khrystal vanishes into the abyss chasing the same impossible truth, Calistya faces a choice: stay safe inside a city that was never quite home — or dive deeper than her gear was ever designed to reach.

Down in the dark, she’ll discover that evolution didn’t wait for surgery.

And whatever came first is still down there. Watching.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Solarian-Deep-Book-Technoquatics-ebook/dp/B0GPN8DBJS/

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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 “Chatting with New Blood” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.

The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.

Get Your Copy Now.

Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird

Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle

Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee

CFFC – Crayola Box of 8 – Orange

Posted: July 19, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments

This post is my entry in Dan Antion’s CFFC – Crayola Box of 8 challenge. This week’s color is Orange. You can catch Dan’s lovely collection of oranges here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/13/the-crayola-box-of-8-orange-cffc

Nature’s Oranges

Brown-eyed Susans with orange centers — Orange Marigolds and a squirrel

Orange Food

Orange Sweet & Sour Sauce and Yellow Hot Mustard

Cheese Enchiladas — Orange Sweet & Sour Sauce and Yellow Hot Mustard

Other Orange Stuff

Me in my orange Halloween shirt and purple witch's hat — Me in my orange Halloween shirt and purple witch’s hat

Fire in a woodburning stove — Me in my orange Halloween shirt and purple witch’s hat

Audio Book Review: “Behind You” & “A Shift in Shadows”

Posted: July 17, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Crime, Dark fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Review, Speculative Fiction, Thriller | Tags: A Shift In Shadows, Behind You, Book Review, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Demons, Fea, Kaye Lynne Booth, Krys Janae, Maddox Grey, mystery, Rylie Dark, Speculative Fiction, Susan Marlowe, vampires, werewolves, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

Box of Books with headphones on Text: Audio Book Reviews

About Behind You

Despite being a rising star in the BAU unit, FBI Special Agent Hailey Rock still lives in the shadow of her older sister, who remained in their small Midwestern town to become a police sheriff and who remains the favorite in their parents’ eyes. Hailey has not thought of her estranged family in ages, but when young women turn up dead in her hometown, the FBI dispatches Hailey to solve the case her sister cannot—and forces her to face demons, including that of her kidnapped sister, that Hailey wished she would never face again.

Women are turning up dead, posed in local farm fields like scarecrows, and time is running out. A serial killer lurks, and their small town never felt so small.

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the Hailey Rock mystery series offers a fresh twist on the genre as it introduces two brilliant protagonists who will make you fall in love and keep you listening late into the night.

Purchase Links:

Chirp: Behind You (A Hailey Rock FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1) by Rylie Dark – Audiobook (No Subscription)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-You-Hailey-Suspense-Thriller/dp/B0BY9M881V

My Review of Behind You

I purchased an audiobook copy of Behind You, by Rylie Dark and narrated by Susan Marlowe from a Chirp Friday Freebie Deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

The trail of a serial killer creating human scarecrows in her hometown brings FBI Agent Hailey Rock back to work the case alongside her small-town sheriff sister, stirring old memories and old grievances, as they follow the crime trail to discover who is responsible for these reprehensible crimes. Unable to work together, the sisters pursue their individual theories independently, and it becomes more of a race to see who can solve the crime first. But you can’t solve the puzzle until you have all the pieces, and some are still missing. We are given enough viewpoint from the killer’s perspective to be able to speculate if each of the suspects could be the perpetrator, but the identity isn’t revealed until the very end.

This mystery is well written, although the personal conflict between sisters is over played in this listener’s opinion, making both law enforcement officers seem unprofessional and petty. That said, the narrator, Susan Marlowe does an excellent job, providing distinctive voices that don’t all sound alike, but very natural, and carefully placing just the right emotional touches exactly where needed.

A well-crafted crime thriller mystery with an excellent narrator. I give Behind You four quills.

About A Shift in Shadows

Betrayed by love.

I was a fool in love once—until I learned he only wanted me for my power. I left him and found love with someone else. He retaliated by ripping out her heart.

Driven by revenge.

Every year my warlock ex-lover leaves me a bloody heart as a gift. A taunt and a reminder that I belong to him. But he’s forgotten that I’m the ruthless feline shifter that was hunting down my enemies long before we crossed paths. Sooner or later, it’ll be his heart I’m holding in my hand.

Damned by magic.

But to destroy the warlock who has haunted my dreams once and for all, I might have to embrace the dark magic I’ve been hiding my entire life. And even if I survive… it will change the course of my life forever.

A Shift in Shadows is Book One of the urban fantasy romance series Lost Legacies. Perfect for fans of stabby morally grey FMC’s, all the found family vibes, and slow burning romances.

Purchase Links:

Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Shifvt-Shadows-Lost-Legacies-Book/dp/B0F14MTQWP/

Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/a-shift-in-shadows-by-maddox-grey-99acfacc04

My Review of A Shift in Shadows

I purchased an audiobook copy of A Shift in Shadows, written by Maddox Grey and narrated by Krys Janae, through a free Chirp deal. I’m offering here an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

I must commend this narrator. Every character has a distinctive voice which fits the character’s personality. Krys Janae does an excellent job of bringing these characters to life, whether they be shifter, vampire, witch or warlock, fae, demon, or…. something else. Janae may be the best narrator I have as yet encountered. Bravo on a job well done.

I had a hard time getting into this world. I am familiar with werewolves and vampires, but I haven’t read a lot of stories where they exist together and socialize. Add to that, witches and warlocks, demons, and members of the fae realm, all either loving or fighting amongst themselves, and new, unfamiliar beings called devourers, and that’s a lot to learn and assimilate. There are vampire hybrids, too; vampire kids, which goes against all that I know about vampires, which comes from classic vampire literature and Anne Rice. But once I accepted that this world was different from others which I had explored and accepted it for what it is, I began getting into the characters and the world, and I have to admit, I became invested.

Lemane knows who she is, but she is unsure what she is, and she is on a constant search for answers. But it’s hard to search when you are hiding from a crazy rogue warlock, who is determined to have her as his own or destroy her. All her life she was taught to keep her own magic hidden, and since she’s not encountered any other beings which have magic such as hers, the kind that can open gateways to other realms, she fears what will happen if she lets it out, but is forced to use it to save herself and those she cares for, time after time. With a vampire for a roommate, a werewolf for a lover, and a fae for a bestie, Lemane searches for answers in this realm and beyond. But there’s more going on than she realizes, and greater powers are at work, all in a grab for control of the realms.

Can Lemane find the answers she seeks and stop an evil coupe, avoid the warlocks and vampires, and stay alive long enough to save her world and herself?

I may not know what an FMC is, but I surely know a good story when I hear one. I give A Shift in Shadows five quills.

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.

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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.

The return of the Ask the Authors series

Posted: July 15, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Books, Nonfiction, WordCrafter Press, Writing, Writing Reference | Tags: Ask the Authors 2027, Ask the Authors Writing Reference Anthology Series, WordCrafter Press | 7 Comments

I’m pleased to announce that I’m lining up authors for the return of the Ask the Authors writing reference anthology series, with Ask the Authors 2027, and I already have a pretty impressive line-up, if I do say so myself. In addition to myself, we have Paul Martz, Chris Barili, Patty Fletcher, Mario Acevedo, Jordan Elizabeth, L. Jagi Lamplighter, B.H. Skelly, DL Mullan, David Dean Haskell, Jonathan Maberry, Jeff Mariotte, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Todd Fahenstock, and Joseph Carrabis.

This writing reference series began as a monthly blog series, right here on Writing to be Read back in 2017, which I decided to convert into book form. When the time came to publish, Amazon’s requirement that none of the book content be available online for free forced me to pull down all the blog posts, so when I decided to do another volume in 2o22, I approached it a bit differently, and I used the blog series to whet readers appetites instead of a book blog tour, only publishing blog posts after the book was published. That method seemed to work quite well, offering readers a taste of the book content, so I plan to use that strategy again.

As with Ask the Authors 2022, each author will also contribute an essay or article on the writing subject of their choice to give us a wide variety of fresh and original content. I want to give my authors enough time to respond to the questions without feeling rushed, so I’ve been preparing the questionnaire already. Many of the questions will be the same, but with different authors and a rapidly changing industry, I have a feeling many of the answers will be different.

Because the publishing industry is rapidly changing, I want to be sure to offer some new questions and not just recycle the questions from the first two books, and I want your help. The subjects covered include: Writing Life, Pre-Writing Rituals & Research, Plot/Storyline, Character Development, Setting & World Building, Action, Pacing, Voice, Tense, P.O.V., Dialog, Editing & Revision, Publishing, Book Marketing. It can be anything related to writing and publishing. I’ll probably have some questions about the use of AI, and maybe some concerning reviews, that weren’t in there before, but I’d really like to hear what questions you have. Please let me know in the comments what questions you, as an author have, and would like to see answered. If they are questions which we don’t already have, I will add them to the list.

You can see the questions from 2022 by referencing the blog posts: Writing Life, Pre-Writing Rituals, Plot/Storyline, Character Development, Action, Pacing & Dialog, Voice, Person, Tense & POV, Setting & World Building, Editing & Revision, Publishing, and Book Marketing.

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This post is sponsored by The Ask the Authors Writing Reference Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Ask the Authors: https://books2read.com/AsktheAuthors

Ask the Authors: https://books2read.com/AsktheAuthors2022

Everyone is a Critic: 1923

Posted: July 13, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Drama, Everyone is a Critic, Review, Television review, Western | Tags: 1923, Drama, Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Review, Television review, Writing to be Read | 8 Comments

I’m not much for dramas. But yet, the western flavor I saw in the advertisements for the 1923 saga on Paramount+ drew me in, and I decided to give it a try. And boy, was I glad that I did. This series contains one of the most tragic love stories that I have ever heard in the story of Spencer Dutton and Alex. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Man and woman holding hands in a train terminal in Africa.

Harrison Ford is the big-name star featured in this series, as he plays the character of Jacob Dutton, patriarch of the Dutton family, after raising his nephews John (James Badge Dale) and Spencer (Brandon Sklenar), and building the Dutton empire in Montana. But draught and greed threaten to take it all away, as sheep herder, Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) encroaches on Dutton land, teaming up with entrepreneur, Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) to declare war on the Duttons in an attempt to steal it all away. The Duttons send for Spencer, the youngest nephew, who is a war hero, hunting lions for the British crown so they can lay roads across the African plains.

Three women: Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), and Alex Dutton (Julia Schlaephfer)

Although we’re following the patriarchal line of the Dutton family, for me, it was the women in this saga who truly shone. Acclaimed actress Helen Mirren plays the strong and proud matriarch of the Dutton clan, Cara. She is strong and well accustomed to ranching life in the Montana valley. When her husband is shot, she does whatever is needed, including running the ranch until Jacob heals and regains his strength.

Aminah Nieves plays the character of Teonna Rainwater, a crow Indian taken from her family and placed in the white man’s school. Run by Father Renaud (Sabastian Roche) and a group of nuns who take strictness to the extremes of cruelty, as they try to ingrain their own beliefs of the native children and ‘civilize’ them. Abused, beaten and raped, Teonna will take no more, and her escape turns her into a wanted woman, running for her life in a struggle to survive and carry on her tribe and their legacy.

And then, there is headstrong Alex, Alexandra Countess of Sussex, played by Julia Schlaephfer, who abandons all the refineries of British culture, throwing it to the wind in favor of love at first sight, in a narrow escape from an arranged marriage to a man she did not love. Determined is the only way to describe her. When separated from her new husband, Spencer Dutton, the lion hunter, she’ll let nothing stand in her way of reaching the man who she loves and the father of the child she carries within. Talk about a tragic love story. Her determination becomes her downfall as she embarks on a journey to America and a series of poor choices and just plain bad luck. She is beaten and robbed, forced to work as a serving girl to eat on the train, and then, raped by one of the passengers and placed under house arrest when she fights back. It seems there are obstacles blocking her every step of the way, but through it all, she finds a way to carry on and hold her high, always moving toward her goal, for better or for worse.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” with Kaye Lynne Booth is sponsored by The Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

Historical Women’s Fiction

Get Your Copy Today!

Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1

Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West

Marta: Coming in July, 2026

CFFC – Crayola Box of 8 – Black

Posted: July 12, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: CFFC, Photography | Tags: Black, CFFC, Crayola Box of 8, Photography, Writing to be Read | 5 Comments

Black night with moon peeking up over the treetops

This post is my entry in Dan Antion’s CFFC – Crayola Box of 8 challenge. This week’s color is Black. You can catch Dan’s original post here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/07/06/the-crayola-box-of-8-black-cffc/

Black Modes of Transportation

I couldn’t come up with any black foods, but black is a good color for transportation.

Black Pot Belly Stoves

One of my favorite black things are pot belly stoves, which come in all sizes and various designs, but they are all beautiful.

Pot Belly stove in room with crib and dolls — Pot Belly Stove

Pot belly stove in hall with old fashioned furniture — Pot Belly Stove

Black Birds

Ravens and Turkey Vultures are pretty elusive, but I’ve managed to snap a few pictures. I also threw in one of the wild turkeys and a couple of the black and white woodpeckers, which I call Tuxedos.

Black (and white) Cat

This section is a tribute to my cat, Rowdy, who fell prey to coyotes the beginning of last summer. His black stands out beautifully against his white, creating a lovely contrast. I miss him something awful. Here’s to Rowdy.

Black and white cat close-up — Black and white cat on a multi-colored blanket

Black (and white) Blue Heeler

This section chronicles the life of my dog Timber. As a puppy, he was a little devil-dog, but he’s three now, and has grown into a beautiful blue heeler. Blue heelers get their name from the way the black and white fur mixes, making them look like they are blue, but the patches on his face are distinct.

black and white puppy looking at a black and white cat — Black and white puppy

Other Black Stuff

I threw in a couple of doors for Dan. 😉

Interior of solitary confinement cell in Cripple Creek Colorado Jail Museum — Inside of solitary confinement cell

Old Fashioned Switchboard — Inside of solitary confinement cell

Book Review: “Waifs and Strays” & “Dark Desires”

Posted: July 10, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, cozy mystery, Helen Harper, Waifs and Strays, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

About Waifs and Strays

Nobody is just a cat lady.

Kit McCafferty’s life is quiet, unremarkable and filled with cat hair. In the magical city of Coldstream, located on the border between Scotland and England, Kit is viewed as little more than mildly eccentric and mostly harmless. She passes her days caring for her family of five cats, feeding the local feral moggies, and maintaining relatively good relations with her neighbours.

All that changes, however, when a teenage werewolf shows up at her door in the desperate hope of renting out a nearby vacant flat. Kit knows that the smart move is to tell him to leave. The last thing she needs is to become embroiled in complicated shapeshifter politics. But something about the secretive young werewolf tugs at her heartstrings.

It’s not long before Kit ends up caught in a maelstrom of mysterious crime and magical wrong-doing. Fortunately, there’s far more to Kit McCafferty than meets the eye and she has a few dark secrets of her own.

Of course, anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that you underestimate a cat lady at your own peril.

Waifs And Strays is the first book in a new urban fantasy crime series. Expect mystery, magic and adventure with a heroine who will keep you turning pages late into the night. There will also be a lot of cats.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Hiss-Magic-Lady-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B0DLFQPYHB

My Review of Waifs and Strays

I purchased a digital copy of Waifs and Strays, by Helen Harper from a KindofBook deal, and I am providing an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. I chose this book because I liked the title, and the cover was pretty cool, too.

Kit McCafferty is more than just a middle-aged cat lady and ex-assassin with specialized skills. When Nick, a teenaged werewolf determined to be a lone wolf after the deaths of his parents leaves him an orphan, shows up at her doorstep wanting to rent her extra room, she has no idea what she’s getting into. It turns out Nick comes from the MacTire pack, a powerful group of werewolves, who don’t like to take no for an answer. When they can’t convince her to turn Nick out, his uncle makes it clear that he holds her personally responsible for his nephew’s safety.

When she returns home to find that young Nick has been abducted, you can imagine her concern. She takes a personal interest in finding him. Her search for Nick takes her into the depths of Coldstream, the magically town in which she lives, where she meets many of its interesting inhabitants, to uncover a dastardly plot to raise a demon and take over Coldstream and rule the world.

I loved everything about this cozy mystery tale. It is filled with surprises! I love the character of Kit, I love her uniquely feline family, and all the colorful characters who inhabit Coldstream. I give Waifs and Strays five quills.

About Dark Desires

Betrayed by those she trusted, penniless and alone, Darcie Finch is forced to accept a position that no one else dares, as the assistant to dangerously attractive Dr. Damien Cole. Ignoring the whispered warnings and rumors that he’s a man to fear, she takes her position at his eerie estate, where she quickly discovers that nothing is at it seems, least of all her handsome and brooding employer.

As Darcie struggles with her fierce attraction to Damien, she must also deal with the blood, the disappearances … and the murders. With her options dwindling and time running out, Darcie must rely on her instincts as she confronts the man she is falling in love with. Is he innocent … or is he a remorseless killer who prowls the East End streets?

Historical gothic romance set in London’s shadowed East End, blending dangerous attraction with a twisting murder-mystery. Features a desperate heroine, a brilliant and brooding physician, whispered rumors of evil, and a maze of disappearances, blood, and suspicion.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Desires-Gothic-Book-ebook/dp/B006E905OW

My Review of Dark Desires

I purchased a digital copy of Dark Desires: Historical Gothic Romance, by Eve Silver through a KindofBook deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

I was drawn to this story because of the genre. Although I don’t read a lot of romance, I do like historical fiction and gothic mysteries. I’ve never read a historical gothic romance before, but the idea of this genre combination, Historical Gothic Mystery Romance sparked my interest, so I thought I’d give it a try. And I am glad that I did.

Darcie is a young woman who finds herself desperate and alone on the dangerous and sinister streets of Whitechapel. Her estranged sister, Abigail, or Mrs. Feather, offers her no sanctuary, but she calls in a favor and sends her to seek employment at the home of Dr. Damien Cole. With a cloak of foreboding fallen over her, Dr. Cole is an enigma, as he brings her home in his coach with a cadaver for company. And glimpses of late-night deliveries only casts more suspicion upon him, but there is something about him that draws her to him in spite of her secret fears. Even as she fears the worst, she finds herself unable to resist being near him. And Darcie is not the only one with suspicions and, as another woman is brutally murdered and Dr. Cole’s scalpel is found on the scene, they are all drawn in to the web of murder that has fallen near to them.

The gothic flavor of this tale is lovely, and the romance element provides an appropriate counterweight to explain the character’s actions, even as Darcie mulls over her own doubts and fears, yet she continues on in her pursuit of the man with whom she is quickly falling in love. Although it seems a slow build suspense and foreboding are sprinkled throughout, and the climax is quite satisfying.

Sinister and suspenseful, Dark Desires is a delectable mixture of genres. I give it five quills.

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 and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and blogger Nigel Byng and a review

Posted: July 8, 2026 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: Book Review, Interview, Nigel Jerome Byng, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, The Drifter The Prodigal The Last Son, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read | 81 Comments

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

Today I am pleased to introduce you to prolific poet and supportive blogger, Nigel Byng. In addition, to writing his own poetry and collaborating with other poets, Nigel has a series where he reads poems by poets in the WP community in his amazing voice. They are a real treat to listen to and you can access his reading of one of my poems on his blog here: https://hytsdaily.com/2026/06/13/exploring-poetry-a-weekly-reading-series-ep-22-dressing-for-battle-by-robbie-cheadle/

Welcome Nigel

Tell us a bit about Nigel Byng and his poetry journey

My poetry journey started in the UK, surprisingly. Heartbreak was at the core of every piece I wrote. It was dark, bitter, humorous at some level, and certainly not something I would have ever dared publish. I had given up on poetry for two decades, until Terveen Gill accepted a piece for Masticadores India. Then David Bogomolny invited me to engage with his W3 prompt, and I began to enjoy the weekly writing challenges. I still have a lot to learn about poetry, and I still consider myself primarily a storyteller.

What is your favorite style of poetry to write?

I enjoy a good limerick, but my favorite style would have to be narrative poetry. The storyteller in me needs room to be expressive, and narrative poetry allows me to write with a compelling arc or even have a central character in the piece. Concise writing and ambiguous verses have proven to be a challenge. Hence, I have taken to studying the art form and writing about it for Exploring Poetry. Some people have the gift for it and make it look easy, but it still takes a lot of work to get to that level of writing. I sit back and bask in their supreme talent. I have a long way to go.

What is your favorite of your own poems?

Ghetto Salvation, first shared on Masticadores Philippines, is perhaps my favorite poem. I enjoy my collaborations with the talented authors on WP, but my personal favorite is definitely Ghetto Salvation. For several reasons, the piece just felt like my most profound, emotionally perceptive, and socially conscious piece. It was written in the spur of the moment, and in a language that I think everyone could relate to. I did not want victimhood and depravity to be what everyone felt when they read it; I wanted them to sense defiance, a part of society where culture thrives, where a community was pursuing its own salvation, and so I began the piece with the line, “There is music coming from the ghettos.” A close second would be the central poem in my book, Prodigal.

Ghetto Salvation by Nigel Byng

There is music coming from the ghettos,

rising above poverty and the rumble of hungry bellies.

Of whelping babies hanging from a single-armed warrior

who stirs a pot of rice and beans

to feed an army.

***

A music fueled with resistance.

Of clefs that drift off the page,

and notes that lay siege to a barricaded salient city.

Where children with

swollen bellies,

ashen knees and dusty feet

play soccer to a rhythm only poverty can dance to.

***

Armored cars patrol the slums, armor-piercing rounds

perforate walls,

while shrapnel becomes playthings

of toddlers yet to walk.

Where nightlight

is the ambient glow of distant cluster bombs,

stargazing a hazardous hobby

as missiles create ghostly shooting stars.

***

A single horn blows the sound of freedom

and plastic buckets tap the rhythm of salvation.

Children huddle under the broken light

above the church door

and women swat at mosquitoes

as babies suckle for their very existence

nutrients devoid of sustenance.

***

Here, God has built a poor man’s tabernacle

in opposition to the revelry of neon palaces,

opulence and gluttony,

tempered glass temples to Moloch.

A greed that is impossible to satiate,

they thirst for more, more, and still more.

***

Yet, they smile.

***

Children whose future can be measured in 9mm increments.

Fathers who know not their progeny,

young mothers who know not their fathers,

adolescents, raising boys who dream of becoming soccer stars.

***

One day, the world will applaud them,

and this music will be taken to the synagogues of entertainment.

Gladiatorial servitude to the masses

as these child warriors will be immortalized in their pantheon,

lauded as Gods,

if only for a moment

What was the inspiration for your new book of poems, The Drifter, The Prodigal, The Last Son?

Life sat me down after a freak accident at work, and it was all the inspiration I needed to put pen to paper. On a more personal level, the old lady is 92 this year, and it’s been one of her wishes that her son be a published writer. So she is happy about that.

What’s next for Nigel Byng?

My long-overdue collection of short stories, which should be out next year or before that if I can get all my ducks in a row. Finishing up my project with Melissa Lemay is perhaps the most pressing and time-sensitive project. I also have an illustrated children’s story with my long-time artist, JohnntoMcDaniel, and God willing, and time allowing, a mind-bending, bone-chilling series with Lesley Scoble. Caribbean Folklore is something I wish to add to my portfolio, on a broader and contemporary level. So, there is a lot on my schedule for the next six months.

My review of The Drifter The Prodigal The Last Son by Nigel Byng

Picture caption: Cover of The Drifter The Prodigal The Last Son featuring a white male figure on a rowing boat with its reflection on a grey background

This inaugural book of poetry by Nigel Byng contains some extraordinary and moving poems ranging from the poet’s youth and journey to manhood, the tumultuous years of intense love and lust, difficulties. hurts and losses encountered along life’s path, and building a relationship with God. Poems relating to each of these four phases of life are collected into each of the four sections of this book.

The poet’s use of language is exceptional and truly conveys the strong emotion that inspired the poems. It is not easy to convey the spirit of the language used in any way other than by sharing a few extracts that I especially liked.

From Companion
“When the world hissed and turned against me, You were unmoved,
You have attended to me in every adversity.
Self-loathing greeted me on my pillow,
as the shadow of death lingered by my bedside.
But in every affliction, you were there.”

Little People
“Akin to a uniform horde of solider ants to forage for knowledge
following the sound of an enchanted flute.
What is this bedeviling mysticism
which snatches a child away from the bosom of its mother,
the protection of its father,
only to follow the breadcrumbs to their doom?

If you like beautiful and deep poetry, you will enjoy this book. My only negative is that I could not access the ebook using Speechify or another reading app. I also could not search the book using the search button and the contents page is not linked to the poems so you have to scroll through the entire book if you want to reread any specific poem.

Purchase The Drifter The Prodigal The Last Son from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Drifter-Prodigal-Last-Son-ebook/dp/B0H1987R65/

About Nigel Byng

Picture caption: Author photograph of Nigel Byng

Writer, poet, storyteller, Byng’s words move from quiet domestic moments to global, socially conscious truths. His stories and poems explore love, memory, morality, and the human experience with lyrical precision and emotional punch. Contributor to top anthologies and creator of the Exploring Poetry series, his debut collection, The Drifter, The Prodigal, The Last Son, is one to watch.

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.

Get Your Copy Today!

Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR

Poetry Treasures 4:In Touch With Nature: https://books2read.com/PT4-Nature

Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures

Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons: https://books2read.com/PT6Seasons

Writer’s Corner: AI is Changing the Way Readers Find Our Work

Posted: July 6, 2026 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: AI Technology, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: AI Technology, Attracting Readers, Building a Reader Platform, Kaye Lynne Booth, WordCamp US 2026, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read | 5 Comments

Caracature of a woman typing on a keyboard at a very messy desk. Text: Writer's Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

WordCamp US 2026

Attending WordCamp US 2026 is a great way to connect with the people who are shaping the future of the web and find out directly where AI powered experiences are changing WordPress for writers, from content creation and site building to performance, personalization, and developer workflows. WordCamp US 2026 is relevant to developers, designers, agency owners, bloggers, store builders, and anyone building on WordPress. The new Sunday–Wednesday schedule means the weekend before is free to explore the Phoenix area and the Pheonix Convention Center is fully air conditioned for cool comfort to enjoy WordCamp US 2026.

Now granted, I’m a writer, not a tech person, as you may know. In fact, in many ways, the use of AI and today’s rising tech scares the heck out of me. (See my articles, “The AI Dilemma” & “To Use AI or Not To Use AI”.) Most of that stuff goes right over my head and I don’t have a clue.

Why Attend WordCamp US 2026?

That’s why I think attending WorldCamp US 2026 could be an important step in understanding how AI is impacting my writing business and how it may impact it in the foreseeable future. Technology is changing at phenomenal rates and if we aren’t careful, I believe things could get out of hand quickly. I’ve worked long and hard to build my writing business, and a lot of it is centered around WordPress. In fact, you may have heard me claim that my blog is my best marketing tool, and it is. I sure don’t want to see what it has taken me almost two decades to build fade into the infrastructure because AI has decided that my content is irrelevant.

According to Automated Affiliates, in their article, “Affiliate Content SEO in 2026: Why rankings are dropping and how to recover” in May of 2026, 71% of WordPress sites are seeing a decline in traffic because AI ranks sites different than they were previously. So basically, what used to work to draw traffic doesn’t work anymore. Thankfully, they are specifying affiliate content, so in my case, it may not be too terrible, but how can I be sure? WordCamp US 2026 may hold the answers. And if you have questions like mine, or you are more of a techy than I am and just want the abundance of information that will be available at WordCamp US 2026, let me tell you about my affiliate offer.

The $100 general admission ticket covers four full days of sessions, workshops, and meals. Sponsors include: WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, and Pressable, so attendees can meet the teams behind the products they already use and ask any questions they may have. Even better, as members of my audience, you can get $20 off a general admission ticket by using the code AF26 at us.wordcamp.org/2026/tickets/, so your admission will only cost you $80.