WordCrafter News: Winners of the “Shadow Blade” Tour Giveaway & Upcoming WordCrafter Press Projects
Posted: July 28, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: Curses, Giveaway Winners, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil, Shadow Blade, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentLast week we stayed busy sending off the re-launch of Shadow Blade with the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour. WordCrafter Press also released the original story prolog, Baiting the Hook, but we’ve added it as a free bonus book when you purchase Shadow Blade. The tour went off wonderfully, with many visitors who commented and entered in the giveaway. We were giving away three digital copies and one signed print copy of the book. Now it’s time to announce the winners of that drawing.
(Drumroll Please)
And the winners are…
- Beetley Pete
- House of Hearts
- Kamal at Boundless Blessings Blog
The winner of the signed print copy is Esther Chilton. If your name appears on the list above, please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail to collect your prize.
August Projects


In July, I had an angel sent to me, or if not an angel, at least a guardian spirit, and as a result, I once again own a working computer, and I am slowly getting caught up on my production schedule. Because I was trying to operate Writing to be Read and WordCrafter Press mainly from my phone for the past few months, I’ve had to make some drastic changes, like putting my own personal projects on the back burners and pushing back my release schedule for collaborations.
So, for August, I’ll be playing catch up. I’ve pushed back the release of the Curses anthology to September, and I am currently working like mad to get my own two stories for the anthology, (“Death Clock” & “Carverna Del Oro (Cave of Gold)”, which were created in longhand, digitized and sent off to my beta reader before compiling and publishing the anthology in August. I’ll also be digitizing my story for Midnight Oil, (“Zombie Elephant”), and getting it off to the beta reader. Midnight Oil will be the third volume in the Midnight Anthology Series, which will be released in October.
Reminder
There are only a few days left before the Writing to be Read WordPress subscription runs out. We’ve raised part of the money through the annual fundraiser, but we’re not quite there and time is running out and we need your help.
So, if you enjoy the great content you find here, on the blog, please consider visiting the link below and giving a small donation. Every $10 donation will receive a digital copy of the WordCrafter Press book of your choice as my way of saying “Thank You”.
https://writingtoberead.com/2025/07/04/annual-wordcrafter-writing-to-be-read-fund-raiser/
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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
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. 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/
Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Shadow Blade” Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 24, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentToday we’re over at Roberta Writes for Day 4 of the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour with an excerpt reading by Jeff Bowles from the free prequel, Baiting the Hook, which comes with the WordCrafter Press edition of Shadow Blade. I hope you’ll hop on over and join in the fun as we re-launch this exciting fantasy romance adventure. We’re giving away three digital copies and one signed print copy of the book, so be sure to leave a comment at each stop that you visit.
Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Shadow Blade” Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 23, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentToday we’re over at Un dawnted for Day 3 of the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour, where DL Mullan interviews author Chris Barili. Join us and help send this stealthy fantasy romance adventure off right.
Don’t forget to leave a comment here for a chance at one of three digital copies, or even a signed print copy, as the Un dawnted site does not support comments.
http://www.undawnted.com/2025/07/undawnted-interviews-chris-barili-day.html?m=1
Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Shadow Blade” Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 22, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentJoin us for Day 2 of the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour over at Robbie’s Inspiration with a guest post from author Chris Barili on the inspiration for the story. Drop by to join in the fun, and don’t forget to leave a comment, so we know you were there and give you an entry in the give away.
Robbie’s Inspiration – WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour Day 2 #fiction #readingcommunity
Book Review: “The Poison Dart”
Posted: July 18, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review, Thriller | Tags: Book Review, Geri L Dreiling, mystery, The Poison Dart, Writing to be Read 11 CommentsAbout The Poison Dart

The ripple effects of an overdose send shock waves through a community.
A sweeping drug bust upends lives, exposing the cartel’s deep reach into the Midwest.
A quest for a better life threatens to destroy a family.
As Debbie Bradley digs deeper into each story, startling connections emerge. When fates collide, who will survive?
My Review of The Poison Dart
I received a digital copy of The Poison Dart, by Geri L. Dreiling, from the author, through Sandra’s Book Club, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
The Poison Dart is a Debbie Bradley mystery. The name of the series didn’t intrigue me, but the title of the book did. So, I was a little disappointed to finish the story with no poisoned Dart to be found…, although a poison frog which they make poison darts from did make an appearance. In after thought, I found the title misleading and felt the author didn’t deliver on the promise of the premise.
That being said, it is a decent story that keeps you guessing. Debbie Bradley is a reporter on the crime beat who is determined to get her story. What appears to be a story about a fentanyl laced heroine overdose, takes her deep into cartel territory as she follows her leads to discover the source of the tainted drugs.
Just out of rehab, Caleb Webb is ready to celebrate, as he reunites with old pals Macie and Alex, but things go wrong quickly when Caleb’s ride turns overdose and Macie’s Narcan doesn’t bring him around. But, Debbie has a feeling that Macie isn’t being totally honest with the police, but who is she trying to protect? And what isn’t she telling them?
After Caleb’s parents and brother, Connor accuse Macie of being the source, and murdering him, Macie confides in Debbie, that she’s carrying Caleb’s baby and doesn’t know where to turn. Because she is a long term addict, her parents are fed up, and Caleb’s family thinks she killed him. Debbie wants to help the girl, who is hesitant, not knowing who she can trust.
Although the title is misleading, I give The Poison Dart 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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
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. 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 ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Review in Practice: “$10k Secrets”
Posted: July 14, 2025 Filed under: Advertising, Anthology, Book Review, Book Sales, Books, marketing, Nonfiction, Review in Practice | Tags: $10K Secrets, Adriana Tica, Alex Mathers, Ana Calin, Book Review, Claudia Faith, David McIlroy, Derek Hughs, Jari Romer, Karen Cherry, Landon Poburan, Nick Wolney, Philip Hofmacher, Review in Practice, Russell Nohelty, Sinem Gunel, Substack, Veronica Llorca-Smith, Writing to be Read, Yana G.Y. 14 CommentsMost authors would love to make $10k a month from their writing business. I know I would. I’m always looking for ways to increase my writing income. So when I was offered a free copy of a book titled $10k Secrets, I snatched it up without a second thought.
This free book is not a How To, but rather a collection of essays by different creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs who share their methods of generating $10k a month from their work. Many can be applied to a writing business, even if the author of the piece references coaching or teaching, etc…
Many give testimony to the value of an email list, (an area in which I’m lacking), or Social Media Following, which we all know is important. Most of them involve use of the Substack platform, which I am not familiar with, but the principles can be applied on other platforms which I do use, or plan to use in the future. I’ve been toying with the idea of using a subscription platform for some time now and I’ve been looking at the Ream platform to publish my Playground for the Gods science fantasy series. Since Ream is geared more toward fiction writer’s, and my understanding of Substack is more of a newsletter platform, the two are quite different, but I see possibilities for adapting some of the Substack concepts suggested.
I realize that all my past attempts at doing a consistent newsletter have been dismal failures, and my email list is non-existent. The essay by Claudia Faith which shares how to grow your newsletter through story telling sparked some ideas for me on this subject, too. I know this is a weak area for me, so perhaps a new newsletter platform is the solution.So, I’ll be checking out the Substack platform in the near future.
However, I have to wonder if my audience would be receptive to the idea of either a subscription newsletter or a subscription for a story in serial form. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments, especially if you have used either of the two platforms.
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But, growing a substantial email list is not the only way to build your income, and among the fifteen featured essays author Phillip Hofmacher shares how he does it by marketing online courses and digital merchandise, Ana Calin shares how to do it with brand deals, Landon Poburan shares how to do it with free content, high- ticket offers and diversified income streams, Karen Cherry shares her method using niche B2B content, Jari Roomer shares how to build and launch a $10k mini-course, Nick Wolny shares how to write big ticket service proposals, and Sinem Gunel shares how to use a webinar to generate $10k in sales each month.
Many of these methods are still out of my grasp, but I picked up tidbits from each essay which could be useful and tucked away those that might be useful down the road. The essay by Russell Nohelty shares how to take content from blog to book to create monetized content was of particular interest. I’ve taken blog content and transformed it into a book with the Ask the Authors series, which began as a two month long, weekly blog series interviewing different authors. It’s a lot of work- first to create the blog content, and then compiling it all into book format, but this essay made me consider giving it another try.
What I didn’t like about this strategy was the fact that in order to publish on Amazon, the content could not be available for free online, so before publishing each book, all that blog content had to be pulled down. I don’t like having to disassemble my blog to publish a book. The last Ask the Authors book I published was in 2022, so I’m wondering if this is still the case. Definitely something to look into.
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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
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. 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 segment of “Review in Practice” 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
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CWWC Challenge: Dirt Roads on My Way
Posted: July 11, 2025 Filed under: Photography | Tags: CWWC Challenge, Dirt Roads, Photography, Writing to be Read 10 CommentsI saw Dan Antion’s post on No Facilities for this week’s CWWC Challenge, and since I live and play on dirt roads, this challenge is right up my alley, so to speak, I thought I’d join in on this one.
Here’s this week’s challenge: Dirt roads or dirt pathways or trails [Bonus if Red is Included]
You can find and join in Cee’s Which Way Challenge here: https://gfpacificbeeintrospection.com/which-way-challenge-cwwc/
Here’s Dan’s post: https://nofacilities.com/2025/07/11/last-stop-and-dirt-roads-cwwc/
And here are some of the dirt roads along my way and some things found on them:









Book Review: “Menace in the Mysterious Train”
Posted: July 11, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Review, Western 5 CommentsAbout Menace on the Mysterious Train
When Edgar Campbell arrives in Red River, he falls victim to a deceitful poker player and loses every worldly possession he has. Without hope, a horse, or even a pistol, Edgar gambles on a chance meeting with someone that will turn things around. Fortunately, luck smiles on him when he is assigned with the simple task of accompanying a cattle baron’s livestock to another town. Little does he know that amongst the cattle there is a cargo much more valuable, that will get him into trouble and will put his life in grave peril. What will Edgar be willing to risk in order to accomplish a mission that isn’t as innocent as it first seemed? Will he manage to protect the valuable shipment and defeat a murderous gang that disperses fear in its wake?
While Edgar is running for his life, he crosses paths with his boss’s daughter, who, determined to prove her worth, disguises herself and jumps on the same train with him. When Edgar discovers her true identity, he will do whatever it takes to protect her from the vicious outlaws who have invaded the train. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes that her braveness and wit have made him lose his mind. But as long as criminals are after them and his life is at stake, he has no time for love. Will Edgar help Rose survive the treacherous journey? Will he manage to get out of this train safe and sound, despite the endless challenges he encounters?
Fierce crossfires and an unprecedented hide and seek, take Edgar and Rose on an adventure that will remain indelible in their minds. Will they endure the wild ride across the frontier west? Or will overpowering forces ruin their chance at happiness once and for all?
A pulse-pounding drama, which will make you turn the pages with bated breath until the very last word. A must-read for fans of Western action and romance.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Menace-Mysterious-Train-Historical-Adventure-ebook/dp/B08L7TBMY8/
My Review of Menace on the Mysterious Train
A sheltered young girl who wants adventure, a drifter just trying to get by, and a father entrusted by the government with its most precious secrets, and you’ve got a rail train headed for trouble.
The civil war saw atrocities which were burned into the minds of the participants, altering the people they thought they were. When their father took young Perry with him to Washington and left his sister, Rose, behind, the siblings are drastically affected. While Perry pulls away from life, Rose can’t wait to experience it, and she forms a plan to stow away on the freight train carrying her father’s cattle to market to do just that. But the train is carrying more than cattle, and plot to take its precious cargo is in the works, bringing Rose directly into the path of danger.
Edgar is a down on his luck drifter, who suddenly finds himself entrusted to accompany Perry to take the cattle and it’s not so secret cargo as a new friendship forms between the two men. When he discovers Rose stowed away, it’s up to him to protect her and her secret.
In spite of the dorky title, I found this story quite entertaining. I think the character of Perry could be developed more, as I only got a vague idea of the horrors of war which hardened him. But Rose is well developed as a young and impetuous girl, who sees the men in her life who try to protect her only as obstacles standing in the way of her freedom and independence. I couldn’t help but like poor Edgar, who seems to find trouble wherever he goes.
An engaging story and colorful characters make Menace on the Mysterious Train a fun and entertaining read. I give it four quills.
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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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
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. 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 ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.






























