The Winner of the 2026 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest
Congratulations are in order for Mark W. Milstead, for writing the winning story, “The Mist on the Moors”. His story will be featured in this year’s dark fiction anthology, Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares, alongside myself and WordCrafter authors such as Joseph Carrabis, Chris Barili, C.R. Johansson, DL Mullan, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Rebecca M. Senese, Abe Margel, and Robert White. I also want to welcome runners up Lindsey Martin-Bowen and Christian de Mateo to the WordCrafter short fiction tribe with their stories in this anthology. I look forward to this next volume of the Midnight Series anthologies. It promises to be a good one.
WordCrafter’s Sizzling Hot Summer Deals
First, stir up some wild western women’s adventures in June with WordCrafter’s Women in the West Adventure Series and a Digital Doubles Deal in June. Get books 1 & 2, Delilah & Sarah, both for one low price of $10. Only available on the WordCrafter Women in the West Adventure Series page.
Then, in July, heat things up with another Digital Doubles Deal and get the WordCrafter Time Travel Adventure Series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, books 1 & 2, both for one low price of $10. Only available on the WordCrafter Time Travel Adventure Series page.
And swelter through August with three paranormal gems from the Narrating the Paranormal Anthology Series in a Triple Digital Deal and get all three for only $6. Only Available on the WordCrafter Narrating the Paranormal Series page
Re-release of Smothered, by B.T. Clearwater
Smothered, by B.T. Clearwater is scheduled for re-release October 14, 2025. I’m excited that WordCrafter Press is re-releasing this paranormal romance by B.T. Clearwater, because it is such an entertaining story that keeps you turning pages to see what could possibly happen next. I reviewed the first edition by Winlock Press back in 2017. You can read that review here: https://writingtoberead.com/2017/07/21/smothered-an-all-around-enjoyable-read/
Smothered has a female protagonist, who is an emotional mess. Annie Brown inherits the house she’s been trying her whole life to escape. Fleeing a toxic relationship, she’s cautious of men and not looking for romance. That is, until Mike, an equally flawed veteran and handyman with his own baggage shows up to fix her dishwasher. Amid all of it, the spirit of Annie’s mother watches over the house and tries to control Annie’s decisions. Smothered will be released on June 2, 2026.
Mike doesn’t exactly need the distraction of a relationship himself. An Iraq War combat veteran, Mike suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. His wife took their daughter and left him to struggle with making ends meet. Yet something about Annie snags his heart and he finds he cannot walk away from her.
As Mike and Annie get to know one another, they discover Annie’s mother doesn’t approve of their relationship, and she’s willing to cross from the realm of death to that of the living to control her daughter. With the ghost of her mother haunting them, Mike and Annie face his PTSD, her troubles at work, and a deadly plot to steal her childhood home, all while fighting to keep their love alive.
Available for Pre-Order Now:
WordCrafter Smothered Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter Smothered Book Blog Tour will run from October 13 – 17, 2025. We’ll be launching this paranormal romance with readings and guest posts from the author, B.T. Clearwater, and a giveaway you can enter just by commenting. Drop in and join us as we send off this re-release in style.
Release of A GEM for your (Pre-) Diabetis, Daniel J. Cox, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
I’m proud to announce the release of A GEM for Your (Pre-) Diabetes: A new and effective treatment that does not require weight loss, medications, or supplements, by Daniel J. Cox. The author has, through his own experience and research, developed a revolutionary new method of managing (pre-) diabetes which does not require all the traditional methods of diabetes management which affect lifestyle.
A GEM for your (Pre-) Diabetes is scheduled for release June 23, 2026.
About A GEM for Your (Pre-) Diabetes: A new and effective treatment that does not require weight loss, medications, or supplements
Have you just been diagnosed with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes and don’t know where to turn, or have you tried different weight-loss programs or medications that haven’t done enough?
GEM—Glucose Everyday Matters offers a practical, science-based approach to preventing and managing prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes by focusing on one powerful idea: reducing blood glucose spikes that can quietly damage health, energy, mood, and motivation.
Developed from decades of clinical research and real-world coaching, GEM helps readers understand why blood sugar rises—and how small, realistic choices can improve it. Rather than rigid diets or exhausting exercise plans, GEM teaches flexible strategies that fit everyday life: eating smarter, moving with purpose, understanding your body’s signals, and using glucose feedback as a tool for empowerment.
Inside this book, you will discover how to: • Lower blood sugar naturally and sustainably • Reduce cravings, fatigue, and energy crashes • Lose weight without feeling deprived • Improve motivation, confidence, and emotional well-being • Use simple movement and meal strategies to reduce glucose spikes • Personalize diabetes management to fit your lifestyle and goals • Build lasting habits that support long-term health
Whether you are newly diagnosed, trying to avoid diabetes, struggling despite medications, or supporting a loved one, GEM provides a compassionate, evidence-based roadmap toward better health—one manageable step at a time.
This is not about being perfect. It is about discovering what works for you and making meaningful change is
WordCrafter A GEMfor your (Pre-) Diabetes Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter A GEM for your (Pre-) Diabetes Book Blog Tour will run June 22-26, 2026. Author Daniel J. Cox will share a series of videos explaining what GEM is all about and why you need to learn about it. Please join us in launching this revolutionary method of diabetes management and educating the world about it.
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This segment of “WordCrafter News” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and The Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy
Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.
Darci Miller is fiercely committed to being the perfect daughter for her widowed father, but his overprotective nature is driving her crazy. Set in the backdrop of a Maine summer camp in 1972, this captivating young adult mystery/romance dives deep into a dark family secret surrounding her late mother—a mystery Darci is determined to unravel. When she learns of an opportunity to become a secretary at the very camp where her mother once worked in the 1950s, she jumps at the chance.
As Darci settles into camp life, she quickly realizes that there’s more afoot than just innocent marshmallow roasts. While a malicious prankster is playing cruel tricks, the head chef is on the verge of a culinary breakthrough—a machine that eliminates fat and calories from food. This invaluable invention has drawn the attention of someone intent on stealing it for financial gain and to settle old scores.
When Darci delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers startling revelations about her mother’s past that could change everything. Amidst the escalating chaos, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her charming boss, complicating her life further as she navigates the jealousy of the spoiled daughter of the camps’ owners. Will Darci be able to uncover the truth and protect those she cares about? Dive into this enthralling tale of love, betrayal, and discovery!
I received a digital copy of The Joker’s Revenge, by Nancy Beaule, through Sandra’s Book Club in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This tale has a complicated mystery plot which grabs reader attention and keeps them guessing, but the presentation could have been smoother. There is little to no foreshadowing, so we learn things are in the scene or previous circumstances exist abruptly, only when their part to play is necessary, and come as a shock, pulling the reader out of the story. It throws the timing of things off and makes buy in somewhat difficult.
My other criticism of this book is that the characters are not well enough developed, which makes relationship.progression between them seem forced or fakey. I just didn’t feel it. Although Darci’s feelings toward Ryder are alluded to, it comes as shock to discover that they have a mutual relationship, making me pause to wonder why I didnt see that coming. It makes it all seem kind of sudden.
Darci takes a job at Camp Chickadee in search of answers about her deceased mother, who had also worked there, so many years ago. But, someone is playing pranks at the camp and leaving a calling card from “The Joker”, and each one is getting more serious. Darci is convinced that the pranks at the camp are connected to the time when her mother worked there, although I’m still not sure why.
As each prank gets more dangerous, and some of the campers are hurt, camp staff become convinced that Gunnar, the maintenance man is behind them, even before we see any evidence pointing to him. But there’s more going on, since DeAngelo, the cook, has invented a machine that removes the calories from food, and he’s convinced that Gunnar is after his invention.
Is Darci right about the pranks being connected to her mom’s time at Camp Chickadee? Or are they connected to DeAngelo’s invention? When DeAngelo starts acting suspicious and then, disappears, readers must wonder, but you’ll get no spoilers here.
Plenty of suspense and lots of twists, which makes it an intriguing mystery. I give The Joker’s Revenge four 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.
If you read my reviews, you may have noticed it the opening paragraph of each one, where I let you all know how I received a copy of the book being reviewed. Often, I received a free copy from Sandra’s Book Club in exchange of an honest review.
So, let me tell you a little about Sandra’s review program, and why, for me, it’s a great way to get reviews for my WordCrafter Press books. You see, you can submit your book and pay a price to get on the review program, or new authors can take advantage of her one time offer of one month on the list for free. Once you’re in the program, you can also request a book from her review list to review yourself, and once it’s posted, you send her the proof and receive a free month on the list. This latter method works great for me because I read and review anyway for the blog, WritingtobeRead. All I do that is special, is I post to Amazon and Goodreads right away, instead of holding them for times when I do batch review posting.
Through Sandra’s Book Club, I’ve received 4- and 5-star reviews for Midnight Garden, Tales From the Hanging Tree, Curses, and The Ones Who Stayed With Me on Amazon and/or Goodreads. If you’re a serious author, you know that reviews add up, and you know how hard it can be to get them. In addition to being on Sandra’s list, I send out 30-60 review requests for every book WordCrafter publishes, and the return is a pittance of reviews. I’m here to tell you that Sandra’s Book Club is much easier, and it brings better results.
I currently have between five and eight WordCrafter Press books on Sandra’s list, and they have resulted in several good reviews, so it pays to keep them listed. I’ve been on Sandra’s list since 2022. Since 2026 brings a release each month, or practically, that makes for a lot of reviewing going on. And right now through the end of May, Sandra’s Book Club is offering a drawing for a year’s subscription and one free review for the person who brings in the most referrals.
I know there are authors and bloggers among my readers who do reviews, and I know this program could be beneficial to you, too. So, if you are like most authors I know, who struggle for reviews, Sandra’s Book Club review program could produce reviews for you, too.
If you think beneficial for you, too, then click on the link below and tell Kaye Lynne Booth of WordCrafter Press sent you. Do it for yourself, and do it for me, and do it for Sandra’s Book Club Readers.
I’m pleased to be able to share this five-star review of The Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy on GoodReads. I am so honored to have played a part in this book’s creation through WordCrafter Press. Please take a moment to check it out.
I know we already ran the annual sponsor drive on Writing to be Read this year, but we didn’t get even one sponsor. So now, I’m running the sponsor drive again, with a sincere plea for your help, in hopes of better results. The hosting fees will be coming due in June, and there just isn’t enough in the WordCrafter coffers to pay them. Partner and advertise with Writing to be Read. Won’t you please help to keep the great content coming?
I offer sponsorship for this blog site to help support the time and effort required to assure we can continue to bring you great content. Sponsorship money helps cover the costs of the annual hosting fee, (which is coming due soon), and other services required to keep our content going. Right now, the WtbR blog team contributes not only content, but time and effort without any kind of compensation. My ultimate goal is to be able me to compensate the members of the team for the content they contribute, but right now, I’m just hoping to pay the hosting fees on time.
Don’t just click ‘like’ on those blog posts you enjoy so much. You can be a sponsor for as little as $5 for a single segment, or you can sponsor your favorite blog series for a full year, (12 segments), for only $50. See your blog, your website, or your book right advertised right here, on Writing to be Read. When you become a sponsor, your ad, with a direct link to your blog or website appears at the bottom of the Writing to be Read post, and you pick which blog series you’d like to sponsor:
“Writer’s Corner”, with Kaye Lynne Booth
“Everyone is a Critic”, with Kaye Lynne Booth
“WordCrafter News”, with Kaye Lynne Booth
“Poetry Treasures”, with Robbie Cheadle
“In Touch With Nature”, with Robbie Cheadle
“Read and Cook”, with Robbie Cheadle
“Undawntech”, with DL Mullan
“Lindsey’s Writing Practice”, with Lindsey Martin-Bowen
“Mind Fields”, with Arthur Rosch
You can find out more about sponsoring for Writing to be Read by visiting the Writing to be Read Sponsor Page. Sponsorships are first come, first serve, so hurry to be sure you can sponsor the blog series of your choice.
Don’t want to advertise or sponsor, but still love the WtbR content? No problem. You can make a donation in the amount of your choosing, even as little as $1 here: Donate Now
We can’t do it without you, so please dig deep and help us keep all the great content of Writing to be Read coming strong.
We had a great blog tour and I want to thank you all for joining us to support the release of The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen. Now that it’s over, I’ve counted up comments and got out my hat, and now I’m ready to share the names which I pulled out. Here are the names of the three lucky winners:
And the winners are…
(Drumroll please)
Resa
Liz Gaufreau
Teagan Riordan Genevienne
All three of our winners came from the Day 2 stop over at Roberta Writes with host, Robbie Cheadle. Congratulations to all of you. You all should have already heard from me, but if not, please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com.
Thank you all for joining us for the final stop on the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour, where we’re celebrating the release of this zany rom-com, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen. Today, the author shares a post about “The Dark Horse”, the blue-eyed black stallion which makes multiple appearances in the adventures of divorcee, Charli Erickson.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 5/11 – “Inspirational backgrounds for The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder”
Thurs. 5/14 – “Phase Fourteen – Let Me Know the Way” Reading –Patty’s Worlds
Fri. 5/15 – “About the Dark Horse (the black stallion with blue eyes)” Post – Writing to be Read
The Giveaway
We’re giving away three digital copies of
The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder
In a random giveaway.
Leave a comment to enter.
Opportunity for an entry at every stop.
Short Book Trailer
Check out the short trailer for the book and don’t forget to Like, Share, or Subcribe.
About The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder
Recently divorced Charli Erickson arrives in Boulder, Colorado during the 1970s—a wild time for that city—where she hopes to develop her “rock poet” talent and find the perfect mate. Instead, she links up with the imperfect Ched Lyons, a Boulder native who leads her in a multitude of adventures, including scaling a mountain and a 1,200-mile motorcycle ride to southeastern Utah. While she intermittently envisions a black stallion with blue eyes, who puzzles and enchants her, she also strives to make sense of its appearance.
Through Charli’s snarky humor recounting her tales, readers will enjoy this Rom-Com doubling as a woman’s adventure story and may relate to scenes from the wild, zany era that followed the serious, revolutionary 1960s.
About the Dark Horse(the black stallion with blue eyes)
I didn’t create the elusive—perhaps imaginary Black Stallion until this year. After reading and reviewing numerous “other worldly” short-story collections, I considered interweaving an image within this tale that would serve as one more metaphor. Initially, the title included “Dark Horse” as an allusion to the stereotypical racehorse who appears to be a loser—but then takes first place at the end of the run.
Thus, might the Dark Horse be an image of the Boulder environment in the late 1970s? At that time, the city had grown from the college town hosting many 1960s demonstrations, some violent, wherein radicals damaged stores on The Hill. Yet a decade later, this once “dark” town had grown and progressed into a winning environment. (It continues to do so. Last year (2025), it was voted by a majority as the most desirable location to live in the U.S.)
Further, the novel’s characters gather regularly at The Horse, a bar that’s more a three-story entertainment center than the standard western bar. The Horse is especially Ched’s hangout. Because Charli leaves the small city before Ched does, he could be the Dark Horse waiting in Boulder.
Then, the fantasy (or is it?) of the Black, blue-eyed Stallion adds another level of meaning—Charli’s vision of a world beyond our material reality. It’s significant, too, that Ched, like many persons, doesn’t believe blue-eyed stallions exit. O but they do—albeit rarely. And considering that Charli sees herself as a loser of a wife at the novel's onset—then later in her relationship with Ched, might she be the Dark Horse who wins in the end?
About Author Lindsey Martin-Bowen
On Halloween 2023, redbat books released Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s 7th poetry collection, CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison. Her 4 th collection, Where Water Meets the Rock, was nominated for a Pulitzer; her 3rd, CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison was a finalist in the QuillsEdge Press 2015-2016 Contest. In 2017, it won the Kansas Writers Assn award, “Looks Like a Million.” Writer’s Digest gave her “Vegetable Linguistics” an Honorable Mention in its 85th Annual (2017) Contest. Her Inside Virgil’s Garage (Chatter House Press 2013) was a runner-up in the 2015 Nelson Poetry Book Award. McClatchy Newspapers named her Standing on the Edge of the World (Woodley Press/Washburn University) was one of the Ten Top Poetry Books of 2008. It was nominated for a Pen Award.
That wraps up today’s stop and the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour. You can follow the tour schedule above and leave comments at each stop for additional chances to win in the giveaway. The winners will be posted in a separate post on Sunday, so watch for it to see if you are one of three lucky winners of a digital copy of this wild women’s adventure.
It’s Day 4 of the WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour, and we’re over at Patty’s Worlds, where author Lindsey Martin-Bowen shares an excerpt reading from the book. Join us in sending off this fantastic new RomCom Adventure and get in on the giveaway for a free digital copy.
It’s Day 3 of the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour. Today, we’re over at Carla Loves to Read, where author, Lindsey Martin-Bowen shares a guest post about the main character, Charlie Erickson, and Carla shares a lovely review of the book. Join us in sending this new rom-com women’s adventure off and get in on the giveaway, for one of three free digital copies of the book.
