Wrapping up the “Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Picture Caption: WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Tour Banner

We’re wrapping up the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour. We’ve had a great tour this past week and I hope you all visited each stop and left a comment for a chance to win one of three digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5 in our giveaway. If you missed a stop or joined us late, you can still go back and meet more poets featured in the anthology, but the giveaway ends tonight, so get your comments in now.

I want to thank contributors Michelle Ayon Navajas, Dawn Pisturino, Barbara Harris Leonard, Ivor Steven, and DL Mullen for their participation in the tour. And thanks also goes out to the hosts for this tour: Colleen Chesebro of Colleen Writes & Publishes, Patty Fletcher of Patty’s Worlds, Carla Johnson-Hicks of Carla Loves to Read, Michelle Navajas of Poetry by Mich, Kay Castenada of Book Places, and DL Mullen of Un dawnted. I feel everyone did a great job and it is appreciated.

I’d like to.make this stop a celebration of the author/poets who contributed to the anthology-those who shared their work on the tour and those who weren’t able to join us. They are all talented poets, and I feel fortunate to feature their lovely works in a WordCrafter poetry anthology.

Tour Schedule

April 21-28 – Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, by Kaye Lynne Booth, et.al.

Mon. 4/21 – Opening Day- Writing to be Read – (Intro. post & Book Trailer)

Tues 4/22 – Colleen Writes & Publishes – (Dawn Pisturino. Guest Post)

Wed. 4/23 – Patty’s Worlds – (Michelle Navajas Guest Post)

Thurs. 4/24 – Carla Loves to Read– (Ivor Steven’s Reading)

Fri. 4/25 – Poetry By Mich – (Barbara Harris Leonhard Reading)

Sat. 4/26 – Book Places – (DL Mullan Reading)

Sun. 4/27 – Writing to be Read – (Wrap up)  – Undawnted (Interview with Dawn Pisturino)

Today we have a double stop. Along with the final stop here, we have DL Mullen interviewing Dawn Pisturino over at Un dawnted. You can’t comment on that site, but you can leave your comments for DL and Dawn here. And here on Writing to be Read, I’ll be introducing you to the contributing poets who did not provide content for the tour. Their valuable contributions to the anthology are not to be overlooked, for it was a group effort that made this anthology such an exceptional collection of poetry.

About Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures

A cup of tea sitting on books with a dawn landscape in the backgrouind Text: Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, A WordCrafter Poetry Anthology, Compiled and Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle.

Open the cover

and you will discover

Poetry Treasures

from the guests on

Robbie Cheadle’s 2024 

“Treasuring Poetry”

blog series                                                                               

on Writing to be Read.

Join poets DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pasturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro share their own small pleasures in poetic verse.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures

Giveaway

This tour we’re giving away digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures to three lucky winners. Follow the tour and comment at each stop, so we’ll know you were there. You’ll be entered for another chance in the giveaway at each stop. Winners are chosen through a random drawing by WordCrafter Press. Winners will be announce in tomorrow’s “WordCrafter News”.

Meet the Contributors Who Didn’t Make the Tour

David Bogomolny

You can catch David’s interview with Robbie Cheadle on “Treasuring Poetry” here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/09/18/treasuring-poetry-meet-poet-and-blogger-david-bogomolny-the-mastermind-behind-the-skeptics-kaddish-blog-and-w3-prompts-poetrycommunity/

Maggie Watson

You can catch Maggie’s interview with Robbie Cheadle on “Treasuring Poetry” here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/11/20/treasuring-poetry-meet-poet-maggie-watson-and-a-review-of-pieces-of-me-a-collection-of-poems-treasuringpoetry-poetrycommunity-bookreview/

Elizabeth Gauffreau

You can catch Liz’s interview with Robbie Cheadle on “Treasuring Poetry” here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/08/21/treasuring-poetry-meet-author-and-poet-elizabeth-gauffreau-and-a-book-review-poetrycommunity-bookreview-treasuringpoetry/

Gwen M. Plano

You can catch Gwen’s interview with Robbie Cheadle on “Treasuring Poetry” here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/07/17/treasuring-poetry-meet-talented-author-and-poet-gwen-m-plano-and-a-review-poetry-bookreview-readingcommunity/

Jude Itakali

You can catch Jude’s interview with Robbie Cheadle on “Treasuring Poetry” here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/03/20/treasuring-poetry-meet-poet-and-novelist-jude-itakali-and-a-review/

Robbie Cheadle

That’s it for today’s stop on Writing to be Read. Be sure to visit the second part of this double stop over at Un dawnted, where DL Mullan is interviewing author/contributor Dawn Pisturino. I hope you enjoyed the tour and the poetry samples shared enough to get you to buy the book. By using the Books2Read UBL, above, you can purchase from your favorite distributor around the world. Be sure to drop by and catch tomorrow’s “WordCrafter News”, here on Writing to be Read, to find out who the winners in the giveaway are.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Day 6 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures book in foreground. Cup of tea sitting on book and treasure chest with a background of purple flowers and mountains with dawning sun. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures sitting next to a treasure chest and book with cup of tea on top. Field of purple flowers and mountains at dawn in the background. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michell Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pisturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro. WordCrafter Poetry anthology compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth & Robbie Cheadle

For Day 6 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Book Places, where host Kay Castenada brings us a reading of “Daybreak” by poet DL Mullan. Join us as we celebrate the small pleasures in life and send off this very special poetry anthology.


Day 5 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures book in foreground. Cup of tea sitting on book and treasure chest with a background of purple flowers and mountains with dawning sun. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures sitting next to a treasure chest and book with cup of tea on top. Field of purple flowers and mountains at dawn in the background. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michell Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pisturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro. WordCrafter Poetry anthology compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth & Robbie Cheadle

It’s Day 5 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour and we’re over at Poetry by Mich with a reading of reading of “Sleeping with Giants”, by Barbara Harris Leonhard. Join us in sending off this very special poetry anthology and comment for a chance to win a free digital copy in our giveaway.

https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2025/04/25/day-5-of-the-wordcrafter-poetry-treasures-5-small-pleasures-book-blog-tour/


Book Review: “If She Knew”

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About If She Knew

55 year old empty nester—and freshly retired FBI agent—Kate Wise finds herself drawn out of her quiet suburban life when her friend’s daughter is murdered in a home invasion—and she is implored to help.

Kate thought she left the FBI behind after 30 years as their top agent, respected for her brilliant mind, tough street skills and her uncanny ability to hunt down serial killers. Yet Kate, bored with the quiet town, at a crossroads in life, is summoned by a friend she can’t turn down.

As Kate hunts the killer, she soon finds herself at the forefront of a manhunt, as more bodies turn up—all suburban moms in perfect marriages—and it becomes apparent there is a serial killer stalking this quiet town. She unearths secrets from her neighbors she wishes she never knew, discovering that all is not what it seems in this picture of model streets and neighbors. Affairs and lying are rampant, and Kate must sift through the town’s underbelly if she will stop the killer from striking again.

But this killer is one step ahead of her, and it may end up being Kate who is in danger.

An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, IF SHE KNEW is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/She-Knew-Kate-Wise-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B07GX3BR7P

My Review of If She Knew

I received a copy of If She Knew, by Blake Pierce through FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.

If She Knew is the first book in Blake Pierce’s Kate Wise Mystery series. I relate well with the aging female protagonist who isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel and settle into retirement. (Telling Kate Wise to stop solving crimes is like telling me to stop writing. Lol.) I enjoyed this book so much, I grabbed a second series starter from the back of the book, so watch for that review next week.

Kate Wise is a retired FBI agent, but when her friend’s daughter is murdered, she must step in to help. Her involvement earns her an invitation to come out of retirement and officially work on cold cases, but if she doesn’t knab this killer, her career could be all washed up. The great thing about police procedurals is watching at they break procedure. The only obvious connection between the victims is the area they live in, but Kate knows there must be more. It’s a race with the clock, as another victim turns up. Can she find the real connection before the killer strikes again?

This book is everything a good procedural crime novel should be. I give If She Knew four quills.

Four circles with the WordCrafter Quill logo inside

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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.


Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures book in foreground. Cup of tea sitting on book and treasure chest with a background of purple flowers and mountains with dawning sun. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures sitting next to a treasure chest and book with cup of tea on top. Field of purple flowers and mountains at dawn in the background. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michell Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pisturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro. WordCrafter Poetry anthology compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth & Robbie Cheadle

For Day 4 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Carla Loves to Read with a reading of “Rivers” by Ivor Steven. Join us in sending off this fabulous poetry anthology and leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy in our giveaway.

https://wp.me/p6H3KI-gMU


Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures book in foreground. Cup of tea sitting on book and treasure chest with a background of purple flowers and mountains with dawning sun. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures sitting next to a treasure chest and book with cup of tea on top. Field of purple flowers and mountains at dawn in the background. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michell Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pisturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro. WordCrafter Poetry anthology compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth & Robbie Cheadle

We’re over at Patty’s Worlds today, celebrating the release of this year’s poetry anthology on the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour. Join us in the celebration, as Patty Fletcher brings us a guest post by anthology contributor, Michelle Ayon Navajas.

https://pattysworlds.com/day-3-of-the-wordcrafter-poetry-treasures-5-small-pleasures-book-blog-tour/


A Wonderful Review for “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures”

A cup of tea sitting on books with a dawn landscape in the backgrouind Text: Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, A WordCrafter Poetry Anthology, Compiled and Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle.

We have a lovely review for Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures from Phyllis Bettis, and shared on Hotel By Masticadores by Michelle Navajas. Thanks to both of these ladies. I hope you’ll take a few moments to check it out.


Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures book in foreground. Cup of tea sitting on book and treasure chest with a background of purple flowers and mountains with dawning sun. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures sitting next to a treasure chest and book with cup of tea on top. Field of purple flowers and mountains at dawn in the background. Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours presents Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michell Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pisturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro. WordCrafter Poetry anthology compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth & Robbie Cheadle

It’s Day 2 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour and we’re over at Colleen Writes & Publishes, with Colleen Chesebro and Dawn Pisturino. Join us as we send off this delightful poetry anthology and find your small pleasures.

https://colleenchesebro.org/?p=71401


Welcome to the “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Picture Caption: WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Tour Banner

Welcome to the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour. We have a great tour planned, and I hope you all will stick with us and visit each stop, because comments at each stop enters you for another chance to win one of three digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5 in our giveaway. We’ve got guest posts from from contributors Michelle Ayon Navajas and Dawn Pisturino, readings from Barbara Harris Leonhard, Ivor Steven, and DL Mullen, and a special interview with Dawn Pisturino. Plus you may find a couple of early reviews from our wonderful tour hosts. So please join us and follow along on the schedule below to learn more about this outstanding poetry anthology and enjoy a few Small Pleasures.

Tour Schedule

April 21-28 – Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, by Kaye Lynne Booth, et.al.

Mon. 4/21 – Opening Day- Writing to be Read – (Intro. post & Book Trailer)

Tues 4/22 – Colleen Writes & Publishes – (Dawn Pisturino. Guest Post)

Wed. 4/23 – Patty’s Worlds – (Michelle Navajas Guest Post)

Thurs. 4/24 – Carla Loves to Read– (Ivor Steven’s Reading)

Fri. 4/25 – Poetry By Mich – (Barbara Harris Leonhard Reading)

Sat. 4/26 – Book Places – (DL Mullan Reading)

Sun. 4/27 – Writing to be Read – (Wrap up)  – Undawnted (Interview with Dawn Pisturino)

About Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures

A cup of tea sitting on books with a dawn landscape in the backgrouind Text: Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, A WordCrafter Poetry Anthology, Compiled and Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle.

Open the cover

and you will discover

Poetry Treasures

from the guests on

Robbie Cheadle’s 2024 

“Treasuring Poetry”

blog series                                                                               

on Writing to be Read.

Join poets DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pasturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro share their own small pleasures in poetic verse.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures

Giveaway

This tour we’re giving away digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures to three lucky winners. Follow the tour and comment at each stop, so we’ll know you were there. You’ll be entered for another chance in the giveaway at each stop. Winners are chosen through a random drawing by WordCrafter Press. We’ll be watching for your name.

Book Trailer

A special thanks goes out to Teagan Genevieve for our lovely book trailer. Thank you so much Teagan.

About the Editors

You will meet some of the contributors along the way on this tour, but in this opening day post, I’d like ton tell you a little about the editors who put this project together and made it happen. I also thought it might be interesting to share a brief glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes when putting together a poetry anthology, which I hope you’ll find of interest.

Kaye Lynne Booth

Author 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.

My job is to edit the final manuscript, format and publish it. I find poetry to be a personal endeavor, so I do very little editing of the actual poems for fear of changing the poet’s meaning, since poetry often does not follow the rules of grammar and punctuation which apply to the English language. In addition, we have poets from all over the globe included in the anthology, which makes for variation in style and differences in spellings, so I pretty much leave the poetry as is unless it is something I know is a typo or mistaken word.

But the person who truly makes this anthology possible is my co-editor, Robbie Cheadle, who finds and schedules poets to be interviewed on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series on Writing to be Read. It is Robbie who selects and interviews each poet, and she usually reviews their latest release, as well. Then, at the end of the year, Robbie sends out invitations to the anthology and collects and compiles all the materials into a manuscript before turning it over to me. Without Robbie to do all of the preliminary work, there would not be any Poetry Treasures Anthologies. I couldn’t do it without her.

Robbie Cheadle

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/

That’s it for today’s stop. I hope I gave you enough of a taste of this delectable poetry anthology to make you want to sample more. There are several more tasty morsels from then contributing authors along the way. Join us tomorrow, on Colleen Writes & Publishes, where author/poet Dawn Pisturino will share a guest post and poetry from Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Book Review: “Dark Isle”

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About Dark Isle

Mark Stine is an American academic enjoying his year as a visiting professor at Cambridge University. But when he starts researching the long-dead English writer, Monty Summerskill, he quickly discovers that truth is stranger than fiction. Turns out Summerskill’s ghost stories were based on horrifying reality. One that caused the author’s shocking death.

Mark’s journey takes him to dark places, where he finds himself haunted by a ghost from his troubled childhood. But that’s nothing compared to the terrors that await as he heads towards the Dark Isle, where the solution to an ancient mystery lies.

Something far more terrifying than any ghost is on his trail. Awakened after decades of hibernation, it is deadly, unstoppable and hungry.

Hungry for blood.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Isle-Paranormal-Supernatural-Horror-ebook/dp/B01MRQZZL0

My Review

I purchased a copy of Dark Isle, by David Longhorn through FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.

It is interesting that I picked Dark Isle up now, while I’m in the midst of developing three stories about curses for the Curses anthology, scheduled to come out in September. As it happens, this story features ghosts, an ancient curse, and an ancient evil. I felt Longhorn did a spectacular job of putting readers in a dark and ghostly mood in the gloomy English setting. There are ghosts a plenty. Add to that the awakening of an ancient evil curse, and Dark Isle turned out to be just what I was looking for.

I loved the way the weather in the English countryside sets the perfect tone of doom and gloom, creating a lovely, eerie background mood throughout. The tale is built around a rich history of Mark Stine’s predecessor, Montague Summerskill, who met his demise under mysterious circumstances while traveling the area by bicycle in an attempt to solve the mystery and write a first rate paper to gain acclaim. What he discovered is an evil curse which Summerskill inadvertently uncovered in his travels, which has now been passed on to him. How does one thwart an ancient evil curse is then the question foremost in his mind, and Longhorn comes up with an interesting solution. No spoilers here though. If you want to know what happens, you’ll have to read the book.

A gothic mystery that will make your spine tingle. I give Dark Isle five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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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.