LINDSEY’S WRITING PRACTICE
Posted: April 1, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Review | Tags: Book Review, Dark fiction, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Midnight Oil, WordCrafer Press, Writing to be Read 1 Comment
Review of Midnight Oil, ed., Kaye Lynne Booth (Wordcrafter Press 2025)
Although Wordcrafter’s three Midnight collections are well-written, engaging, and have been far more entertaining than I’d anticipated, I admit the third one, Midnight Oil, is my favorite.
Why?
Even if these creative stories often deal with humanity’s “dark side,”and contain some frightening scenes, most of them contain enigmatic characters who reveal the authors’ (and their main characters’) compassion for both humans and sometimes animals who too often suffer due to humankind’s lack of awareness, selfishness, or just plain disregard for life: Note Christa Planko’s “Such a Time as This,” Chris Barili’s “The Snow Globe,” Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s “Just Deserts,” Kaye Lynne Booth’s “Sangoma, Zombie Elephants, and Tokoloshe,” Joseph Carrabis’s “Them Doore Girls” and his metaphoric, “Jeremiah,” which also contains symbolic Biblical themes, as indicated in its title. Further, Carrabis integrates ideas from quantum mechanics. And Carrabis’s “Jeremiah” (although it doesn’t directly reference quantum physics), aligns with scripture being compatible with findings that matter is formed from invisible forces (Hebrews 11:3),and God observes sustaining creation, and that the earth is interconnected, mirroring concepts like quantum entanglement.
Also integrating scientific possibilities, the award-winning, “The Vanishing,” a psychological tale by Denise Aparo, explores what can happen to a psyche that’s haunted in a most unusual manner.
Moreover, in lieu of presenting children as being possessed (as many frightening surreal tales have done), Christa Planko’s “Such a Time as This,” Joseph Carrabis’s “Them Doore Girls.” and Kaye Lynne Booth’s “Sangoma, Zombie Elephants, and Tokoloshe” especially appealed to me because in lieu of portraying psychopathic youths, these stories exhibit the innocence and kindness of children who put others’ welfare before their needs—and thus, contribute to building a kinder, more just world.
In a similar vein, although the collection opens with the first line in the book’s goriest tale: Mario Acevedo’s “Villa’s Gold,” a vampire story that’s a far cry from Interview with a Vampire (no Brad Pitt-type character here), even if the tale’s set in a cave: “The Mayan bat-god Camazotz snacked on the dismembered remains of his human prey. Grasping a femur between the claws at the front of his enormous wings, he gnawed bloody flesh off the bone,” it also contains a sense of justice in a revenge most readers would likely consider the pernicious character “deserved.”
Further, the collection’s other stories about revenge, including Robert White’s “Cattails” and Cheadle’s “Just Deserts,” don’t merely focus upon ghouls or demons, but rather, the tales unfold rightful revenge upon characters who “earned” it. Similarly, Jon Shannon’s narrator in “The Stairs” reveals that he understands his poor choices and greed for money led to his frightening situation, and Rebecca M. Senese’s character Tanya in “The Price of Beauty” later realizes her lust for perfection came at a greater—and more surreal—payment than she’d anticipated.
Two tales in this collection each incorporate a haunted house—both of which are haunted in unusual manners. Playing upon the adage, “if these walls could talk,” in Roberta Cheadle’s “Just Deserts,” the walls are the narrators who reveal the story, resulting not only in a tale showing justice was served—but one that intertwines the humor of gossiping walls. In a similar vein, Paul Kane’s “The Whistling” unfolds the story of a haunted house that indeed comes alive with the DNA of a dead man who frightens any residents or visitors entering its threshold long after his demise. And dear readers, you must read this tale to discover how that possibly could happen. (Plus, Kane integrates bits of science to help the story make sense. ) Enjoy!
About 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.
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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 “Lindsey’s Writing Practice” 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
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WordCrafter News: April Release – National Poetry Month, Release of “Poetry Treasures 6”, Winners of the “Double Visions” Giveaway & Approaching Submission Deadline
Posted: March 30, 2026 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Release, Book Sales, Books, Collection, Giveaways, Nature, Poetry, Treasuring Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing Contest | Tags: Call for submissions, Deadline, Giveaway Winners, Midnight Madness, Poetry, Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 9 Comments
WordCrafter Celebrates National Poetry Month
Only on WordCrafter Press during the month of April. Purchase the 5 for $5 bundle on the Poetry Treasures Series page.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, WordCrafter Press is offering the first five Poetry Treasures volumes for $5 only at the link above. And I’ve dropped the price on all individual WordCrafter poetry collections all month, as well.
All WordCrafter Poetry Collections – $1 off
Small Wonders: Reflective Poems, by Kaye Lynne Booth – $2.99
Behind Closed Doors: A Collection of Unusual Poems, by Robbie Cheadle – $2.99
Feral Tenderness: Poetry and Photography, by Arthur Rosch – $2.99
Grab your copies while you can!
New Release: Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons
Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons will be released April 21st.
This year’s volume will include works by Robbie Cheadle, Cindy Georgakas, Freya Pickard, V.M. Sang, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Marsha Ingrao, Nolcha Fox, Joy Neal Kidney, Kevin Morris, Jean-Jacques Fournier, Melissa Lemay, and Colleen Chesebro.
Winners of the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour Giveaway
We had a great tour last week and met the $500 Kickstarter goal with a couple of days to spare. A big thank you goes out to Michelle Ayon Navajas, Kay Castenada, and Carla Johnson-Hicks for doing such a wonderful job of hosting.
Now it’s time to announce the winners of the Double Visions Giveaway. Each time someone commented on one of the tour stops, they were entered into the giveaway for a chance at one of three digital copies and one signed print copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions. So, I put all the names in my trusty hat and randomly drew out four names. (Yep, I really do pull them out of my hat.)
And the winners are…
(Drumroll please)
- Robbie Cheadle (Book Places)
- Selma Martin (Masticadores Phillipines)
- Joni Caggiano (Hotel by Masticadores)
- Cindy Georgakas (Hotel by Masticadores) – Signed Print Copy
Congratulations to the winners!
If you are on the list above and haven’t heard from me yet, please contact me at kayebooth(at)yahoo.com to collect your copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions.
Reminder: Submissions Deadline Approaching
April 30th is the deadline for the 2026 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest.
Don’t let it sneak up on you. Get those submissions in now.
You can find submission guidelines here.
Kickstarter for The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions Fully Funded!
Maybe
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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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 post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/
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Earn an M.A. in Publishing at Western Colorado State University
Posted: March 28, 2026 Filed under: Fiction, Western Colorado State University, Writing | Tags: Creative Writing, Kevin J. Anderson, Publishing, Western State Colorado University, WordCrafer Press Leave a comment
It is well known that I earned my degrees at Western State Colorado University. Their graduate program in Creative Writing was one of the few that leaned toward genre fiction, rather than literary fiction, and it was a low residency program, which means you only have to be on campus for two weeks each summer. The fall and spring semesters were completed online. It was perfect for me, as I had a family and a job to think about, so I couldn’t just up and run off to college. Two weeks during the summer was something I could manage. It still wasn’t always easy, but I did it.
The program has changed since I got my first dual-emphasis degree in genre fiction and screenwriting. They now offer a M.A in Publishing, taught by international bestselling author, Kevin J. Anderson. I was already my own publishing house and feeling like I needed to know more about the business of publishing shortly after they added this program, and you know I had to go get just one more degree to round out my education. Beyond that, the program gave me the tools which I had lacked, and it offered me hands on experience. By the time I graduated, I had two publishing credits to show on my resume. But, more than anything else, I emerged from the program with a profound sense of community, a community of like-minded people, (writers & publishers), which I share with and rely upon for support still today, three years later.
And right now, you can earn a M.A. in Publishing with Kevin J. Anderson and the Western’s Master’s in Creative Writing Program, too. Applications for the 2026-27 cohort are being accepted now, and from now until the end of May, they are waiving the application fees. Learn to become your own publishing house and treat your writing as the business that it is. You’ll be glad that you did.
Apply here: https://western.edu/graduate/publishing/
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Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Double Visions” Book Blog Tour
Posted: March 27, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, Science Fiction, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, Time Travel Adventure Series, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 2 Comments
We’ve come to the final stop on the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour, where we’re sending off Book 2 in the Time Travel Adventure Series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions. Today, we will be looking at the character of Catalina, a Time Travel Regulator Agent from the year 2030 with a guest post and a reading from me, author Kaye Lynne Booth. Be sure to leave a comment to enter for a chance at a free digital copy or a signed print copy of the book.
I’ve included the Universal Book Link which leads to retail sites for purchase, but there’s still time to visit the Kickstarter campaign at the link below to get discounted digital copies and signed print copies and merchandise only available there. I’m happy to say we are fully funded! But there’s still time to get your discounted digital copies, signed print copies and exclusive merchandise before it ends. It will run through the 29th, so get your orders in now.
The Giveaway
Follow the tour and leave a comment to let me know you were here and be entered
for a chance at one of three free digital copies or one signed print copy of
The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions.
Winners are chosen in a random drawing from my hat. You can visit any stops you missed through the links in the tour schedule at the end of this post. So, get your comments in now.
Series Short Trailer
https://youtube.com/shorts/phL3vtcOQOo?feature=share
The Character of Catalina and Writing with Multiple P.O.V.s
Time travel is thought provoking. One of my favorite time travel movies is Time Cop, starring Jean Claude Van Dam, where Van Dam plays an agent for a group of time regulators who are threatened by a villainous politician with the ability to go back and change things so that the agency will never exist and Van Dam has to stop him before he erases him from existence.
In book 1, we had Nick Umbridge, who worked for an agency, something like Van Dams, but his job was to test a prototype, not regulate time to prevent time loops, or ripples, or paradoxes. But even as I wrote that story, I felt there had to be a time cop somewhere, leaving the implication that Umbridge was going to be in big trouble when he returned to his own time. And then he didn’t, setting everything else in that story into play.
In that first book, Nick set a time loop into motion, so we see him again, but he turns out to be a villain of sorts, or at least a mild annoyance to our hero and heroine, as he is determined to fix what he messed up by taking Rock Star back to her own time, and it seems he is destined to die in 1887.
In Double Visions, Amaryllis makes some loops of her own, and so is Nick, but I felt we needed a time cop to add to the fray, chasing Nick down, because they know in the future what Nick did in the past. Hence, Catalina Duncan was created along with her partner agent, Reginald Thompson. These two were created to complement one another. Where Reginald is by the book, riding on formality, and is stiff and stand-offish, Catalina is more of a free spirit, who only believes in following the rules when the rules make sense, allowing for some clever banter between them as they disagree on almost everything. It also makes her an equal adversary for Amaryllis, who now has the time module prototype, but like almost everything else in this story, it has multiplied and she has two of them.
Because of the additional characters, and additional timelines that loop through one another, there was so much going on simultaneously in different whens, this story required there to be more than just the two perspectives from the first story. For one thing, there are two, (or more), of both Amaryllis and LeRoy, making it necessary to have the POVs of each; the characters they are now, and who they were in the first story, designated as Rock Star and Cowboy. Amaryllis’ bff, Monique goes along for the ride this time around, but she is a different version from her original Shaman Woman self, and the time cops are on their own trajectory through time, requiring Catalina’s POV, and of course, there’s Nick, still trying to make it back to the future.
With a total of eight different POVs, running over three different timelines, things got a little crazy at times. It was interesting trying to make sure each character only knew things that they were supposed to know at that particular moment in time, especially when time ripples keep changing what they remembered as the past and affecting the future. At times, it was quite the juggling act keeping them all straight.
The question posed for Catalina’s character: Will she be able to break through her partners straightlaced demeanor to find the human being inside?
About The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions
In 1887, LeRoy is stuck, bringing trouble down on those around him. Sissy is kidnapped and he’s the only one who can save her.
She wakes up in 2030, in a future very different to the one she knows, one in which she may not have been born. Amaryllis will stop at nothing to find LeRoy fix what she messed up in the past.
She and a version of Monique which is different from the one she grew up with travel back to 1887 to try and make things right.
Add two time travel regulators from the future who are after the time module, and things begin to get wild.
When the time loops are crossed, things change, but not the way Amaryllis intended and pretty soon, everybody is seeing doubles.
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/DoubleVisions
Reading from The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions – Meet Catalina
This reading is the introductory chapter for the character of Catalina, in the year 2030.
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.
That wraps up today’s tour stop and the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour. If you missed a stop, you can go back through the links in the schedule below to leave a comment and get an entry in the giveaway for a chance at a free digital copy or a signed print copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions. Thank you for joining us.
Tour Schedule
March 23-27 – The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions, by Kaye Lynne Booth
Mon. – “Amaryllis, Rock Star & The Pretty Reckless” –Writing to be Read
– Interview with the author – Undawnted
Tues. – “LeRoy, Cowboy & Writing with Music” & Review– Poetry by Mich
Wed. – “Monique, Shaman Woman, & Werner’s Syndrome” & Review – Book Places
Thurs. – “Nick, the Time Device & Writing in Multiple Timelines” & Review – Carla Loves to Read
Fri. – “Catalina and Writing with Multiple P.O.V.s” – Writing to be Read
The Kickstarter campaign runs through tomorrow, so don’t forget to pop in with the link below to get your copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions and support the author (me 🙂 ).
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Double Visions” Book Blog Tour
Posted: March 26, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Audio Reading, Book Review, Kaye Lynne Booth, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, Time Travel Adventure Series, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a comment
Today is Day 4 of the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour and we’re over at Carla Loves to Read, where I’m introducing the character of Nick Umbridge, the time travel tester who started this whole adventure by traveling back to 1887 and dying there. But he lives again in each time loop created, so he’s back again. Join us in sending off The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions and learn more about this amazing Time Travel Adventure. Today’s stop also includes a review from our host, Carla Johnson-Hicks.
Note: The Kickstarter campaign has funded, but there is still time to get discounted digital copies, signed print copies, posters and goodie bags. Thanks goes out to all those who backed this project.
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Double Visions” Book Blog Tour
Posted: March 25, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Audio Reading, Giveaway, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kickstarter, Science Fiction, Sunweilder: An Epic Time Travel Adventure, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, Time Travel Adventure Series, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a commentFor Day 3 of the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Bookplaces with host, Kay Castenada. You’ve met Amaryllis (Rock Star) and Leroy (Cowboy), and today I will reintroduce you to Monique, or Shaman Woman, a supporting character who was surprisingly popular in the first book. We have a great giveaway and we’re in the final stretch of the Kickstarter campaign and still need additional support. Join us now in sending off The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions and get your copy today!
The Rock Star and the Outlaw 2: Double Visions– Day 3 Word Crafter Book Blog Tours
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In Touch with Nature – Leopards
Posted: March 25, 2026 Filed under: Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, In Touch With Nature, Leopards, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Writing to be Read 78 Comments
Introduction and fun facts
Leopards are my husband’s favourite animal. They are very difficult to see in the wild because they are nocturnal, they are rare, and they are solitary. The best game reserve in South Africa to see leopards is Sabi Sands and this is where we went for our wedding anniversary last year to finally get good sightings of leopards.
We were at the reserve for 48 hours and went on 4 game drives during that time. We had two wonderful sightings of leopards. The first was of a mother and her juvenile youngster. The second was of the father.
Here are a few initial facts about leopards:
- Most leopards are light coloured and have dark spots called rosettes on their fur. There are also black leopards which also have spots, but the spots are hard to see against their dark fur. Black leopards are called melanistic leopards;
- Leopards are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, Northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China;
- Unlike lions, leopards are extremely solitary animals and they mark their territory with scratches, urine, and feces to warn other leopards to stay away;
- The only time you’ll see two adult leopards together in a single territory is if they are a male and female looking to mate;
- Leopards can achieve a running speed to nearly 60 kilometers per hour and can leap up to 6 meters forward;
- Leopards make a wide variety of sounds from coughing to growling. Leopards also purr when they are happy;
- Leopards carry their prey into trees to eat. Leopards eat a wide variety of animals from monkeys to rodents to birds to antelopes. Leopards also eat cheetah cubs;
- Leopards have very long tails to help them balance when climbing, running or changing direction;
- Leopards have specially adapted retinas that enable them to hunt in the pitch black of the jungle; and
- The English name ‘leopard’ emans ‘spotted lion’ in Latin.
Gallery and You tube videos
The gallery below sets out some of the photographs I took of a female leopard.
Picture captions: The pictures in the gallery above are of a female leopard. Her kill had fallen from the tree and she was picking at the remains. She then went up the tree and was resting on a branch and cleaning herself just like a house cat. The last picture is a dead baby zebra in a tree. It was dragged up there by a leopard which then left it to go and get a drink of water. It was a very tiny zebra so a little sad but leopards have to eat.
This is my You tube video of the leopard nibbling on its kill:
This is my You tube video of the female leopard grooming herself in the tree:
Leopard in a Tree – artwork
Picture caption: Leopard in a Tree – original charcoal artwork by Robbie Cheadle.
The Watcher (freestyle)
Dear Ranger
I am sorry
I didn’t oblige you
And make an appearance
For your paying guests.
You can’t blame me
For being wary
Of people.
After all
The guest farm
Right next door
Allows canned hunting
By wealthy tourists.
The lions are bred
And raised by hand
In captivity
Then,
Their caregivers
Release them
Into a caged enclosure
To be hunted down
As trophies.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Leopards are not spared
This barbaric treatment
Although fewer of us
Are murdered this way
Our dead heads removed
To grace the walls
Mouths gaping open
In a humiliated grimace
Called a fierce pose
By the false hunters.
Run off our traditional land
By grasping humans
Who have the right
To life and liberty,
Freedom from slavery
And torture,
Freedom of opinion
And expression,
The right to work
And to education.
What about me?
Here in the reserve
I’m relatively safe
Provided I don’t follow
My natural instincts
To travel and
Stay within the fences
Built by you
I know you’re a good one
But frankly,
It still grates me.
Then you bring
Truckloads of visitors
Who chatter
Point
And gawk
While rattling chip packets
And taking photographs.
SNAP! RATTLE! SNAP!
Nothing is sacrosanct,
You invade
Every part
Of my life
… Eating
… Sleeping
… Mating
My babies
Fodder
For prattling spectators
Hooing and cooing
Making fools of themselves.
And so, I hide
Deep within
The long grass
Or up high
In a tree,
Dreaming away
The long, quiet days.
Sometimes
I shake a whisker
Or twitch an ear
Sending the viewers
Into a frenzy
Hopefully anticipating
A leopard sighting
I lie
And grin
Thinking
And now
Who’s watching
Who?
From
The Leopard in the tree
The artwork and poem above are extracted from my poetry collection, Square Peg in a Round Hole available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Square-Peg-Round-Hole-Creativity-ebook/dp/B0CW1H3SQV
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
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
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Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Double Visions” Book Blog Tour
Posted: March 24, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentFor Day 2 of the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Poetry by Mich (below), Hotel Masticadores, and Masticadores Phillipines, so you can find us wherever you prefer to stop in.
Yesterday, on Writing to be Read, I re-introduced you to my main character, Amaryllis Maria Sanchez, or Rock Star, and talked about how the story was inspired by the music of The Pretty Reckless. Today, I’m re-introducing to her male counterpart, LeRoy, or Cowboy, talk about writing with music. Each stop offers a reading from the character viewpoint, so hopefully you will at least be entertained.
I do hope you will join us in sending off book 2 of my time Travel Adventure Series – The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions.
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Welcome to the WordCrafter “Double Visions” Book Blog Tour
Posted: March 23, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Giveaway, Kaye Lynne Booth, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 11 CommentsWelcome to the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour, where we’re sending off Book 2 of the Time Travel Adventure Series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions. Today is a double tour stop, and in addition to this post, I will be doing an interview with DL Mullan over at Undawnted, so be sure and pop over there when you’ve finished here.
Tour Schedule
March 23-27 – The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions, by Kaye Lynne Booth
Mon. – “Amaryllis, Rock Star & The Pretty Reckless” –Writing to be Read
– Interview with the author – Undawnted
Tues. – “LeRoy, Cowboy & Writing with Music” & Review– Poetry by Mich
Wed. – “Monique, Shaman Woman, & Werner’s Syndrome” & Review – Book Places
Thurs. – “Nick, the Time Device & Writing in Multiple Timelines” & Review – Carla Loves to Read
Fri. – “Catalina and Writing with Multiple P.O.V.s” – Writing to be Read
We have a great tour planned with guest posts and readings by the author, Kaye Lynne Booth, (that’s me 🙂 ), and a great giveaway of three digital copies and one signed print copy, (U.S. residents only), of Double Visions.
The Giveaway
Follow the tour and leave a comment to let me know you were here and be entered
for a chance at three free digital copies or one signed print copy of
The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions.
About The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions
In 1887, LeRoy is stuck, bringing trouble down on those around him. Sissy is kidnapped and he’s the only one who can save her.
She wakes up in 2030, in a future very different to the one she knows, one in which she may not have been born. Amaryllis will stop at nothing to find LeRoy fix what she messed up in the past.
She and a version of Monique which is different from the one she grew up with travel back to 1887 to try and make things right.
Add two time travel regulators from the future who are after the time module, and things begin to get wild.
When the time loops are crossed, things change, but not the way Amaryllis intended and pretty soon, everybody is seeing doubles.
Book Trailer
This tour will be a little different, because I’m running a Kickstarter campaign for this launch which is in effect now and will be going on throughout the tour, since it doesn’t end until the 28th. So, instead of giving you a purchase link for retailers, we’ll be using the Kickstarter URL, so you can get digital copies at a discount from the retail price, or signed print copies and merchandise that is not available anywhere else. You can support the Kickstarter campaign and receive a digital copy for as little as $5, so I hope you’ll join in on sending Double Visions off right. Remember after the 28th, you’ll have to pay full price at retailers, so get your copies now.
Support the Kickstarter and get your books at the link below.
Amaryllis, Rock Star & The Pretty Reckless
(Author note: I started this post for the tour for book 1, so some of it may be familiar if you’re a fan of the series. I added to it for the second book, so bear with me for new information. Same character stars in both books, you see?)
Amaryllis Maria Sanchez is a composite character. She’s a cross between Sharon Stone’s character in Basic Instinct and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless. She’s an adrenaline junkie, who likes to tempt death and lives life to the extremes. She’s a rock star who is at the top of her game when she’s on stage. After she kills her drug dealing, domineering boyfriend to save herself from his wrath, she figures she’s already damned herself, she figures she might as well ride out the storm that’s headed her way. But, when she crosses paths with a time-traveling cowboy, LeRoy Mc Allister, who offers a way to stay ahead of the game and a place to run to where she won’t ever be found, she sees the potential for a whole new life of adventures.
Amaryllis began as a character like Sharon Stones character in Basic Instincts – a daring woman who plays a deadly game. I like Sharon Stone in just about anything, but I admired the way she played this character in particular. I challenged myself to create a character with that same adventuresome nature, and that self-confident, ‘on top of the world’ attitude.
The idea for her method for killing Claude came from an actual murder case I heard about on the news. I thought it was unique, and I knew I wanted to use it in a story. Murder by high heel. It just happened to be a perfect method for Amaryllis to defend herself.
My son introduced me to the music of The Pretty Reckless, and I fell in love with the voice of Taylor Momsen. I bought their CDs and played them on my commute to work, and a story about a female rock singer began to form in my head, and the Sharon Stone-like character somehow merged with the woman who emerged in my mind from their music. That woman was a lot like my image of Taylor Momsen. And so, Amaryllis Maria Sanchez emerged on the page.
In the first book, she and LeRoy travel back to 1887 for a wild ride in the old west. But, when they try to go back to the future, something goes terribly wrong and only Amaryllis arrives in 2030, and things are very different from how Amaryllis remembers them. In the second book, Double Visions, Amaryllis and her friend Monique go back in time to try and put things back the way they were and restore time as Amaryllis remembers it. That means finding and reuniting with LeRoy, and making sure her grandparents meet and marry, so she will be born in 1999.
In book 2, Amaryllis changed things in the past that weren’t intended, and as time loops cross and ripples occur, our characters are all seeing double, or in one case, triple, as all hell breaks loose. Of course, Amaryllis is also ‘Rock Star’ in the earlier time loop from the first book. They are the same woman, Rock Star is the younger version, if only by about six months, but Amaryllis, her older self tries to fix the future in the past, but in doing so, changes things which happened the first time around.
It’s a ride even wilder than the first time around, with multiple character POVs, which add to the playlist for this one, including a couple of new characters, Time Regulator Agent Catalina Duncan and her partner Agent Reginald Thompson to stir things up and keep it interesting.
The question posed for Amaryllis’ character: Will Amaryllis be able to change the right thing in the past to correct the future?
Reading from The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions
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.
That wraps up this stop on the opening day of the WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour. Thank you for joining us. Don’t forget to pop onto Undawnted for my interview with DL Mullan.
Tomorrow’s stop will find us over at Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Mastcadores, and Masticadores Phillipines with Michelle Ayon Navajas, where we’ll explore the character of LeRoy and Cowboy, and writing with music in a guest post and reading from me and a review. I hope to see you there, but until then, don’t forget to pop into the Kickstarter campaign to get your copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions.
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Book Review: “Herbs and Homicide”
Posted: March 20, 2026 Filed under: Audio Books, Book Review, Books, cozy mystery, Mystery, Review | Tags: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Reveiw, Carly Winter, Herbs and Homicide, Nicole Scott, Writing be Read Leave a comment
About Herbs and Homicide
From Hollywood, California, to Heywood, Arizona, trouble follows her…
After her husband’s brutal killing and her fall from the Hollywood elite, the disgraced Samantha Rathbone moves to Heywood hoping to forget her past and live a quiet life of anonymity as Sam Jones.
When she takes a job at the local herbal shop, Sage Advice, and the owner is found murdered, Sam is pushed back into the unwanted spotlight when she becomes the number one suspect. As she wades through ugly family drama, the questionable business practices of others, and the lies embroiled in a small town, she searches for the true killer, hoping to save herself.
Will Samantha be able to find the murderer before she’s put away for a crime she didn’t commit?
Enjoy this free cozy mystery featuring a middle-aged sleuth staring her life over again!
Purchase Links:
Chirp: Herbs and Homicide by Carly Winter – Audiobook (No Subscription)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Herbs-Homicide-Heywood-Herbalist-Mysteries/dp/B0D8JZ1YRJ
My Review of Herbs and Homicide
I purchased an audiobook copy of Herbs and Homicide, by Carly Winter, and narrated by Nicole Scott from a Chirp Friday Freebie Deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because of the clever title. It turned out to be a cute cozy mystery which helped to lighten the mood following a series of thrillers and horror stories, and it was just what I needed. Nicole Scott does an excellent job of narration, making it easy to listen to.
Samantha Rathbone came to Heywood and became Sam Jones to escape all the Hollywood drama after her ex-husband’s murder, when his illegal activities spilled over onto her reputation and she became a pariah in Hollywood circles. But, when her employer and friend, the owner of Sage Advice herbal shop, is murdered, it threatens to throw her right back into the public eye, when she becomes the prime suspect. The only way to clear her name and stay out of the press is to solve the murder herself, so she turns into an amateur sleuth, digging up family and the community’s twisted histories to discover the true murderer, calling on her Samantha Rathbone Hollywood persona to handle anyone who steps out of line. The suspects are many, and Sam isn’t sure which way to point her finger, but she must get it right or she may pay the price for a murder she didn’t commit.
Easy listening and a clever storyline make this one cozy mystery you won’t want to miss. I give Herbs and Homicide 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.
