A Wonderful Review for “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures”
Posted: April 22, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized 4 Comments
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.
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Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 22, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized 5 Comments
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
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Welcome to the “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 21, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Editing, Giveaways, Poetry, Treasuring Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Barbara Harris Leonhard, Colleen Chesebro, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pistrurino, DL Mullan, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Gwen M. Plano, Ivor Steven, Jude Itakali, Kaye Lynne Booth, Maggie Watson, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Poetry, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 27 CommentsPicture 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
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
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!
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Book Review: “Dark Isle”
Posted: April 18, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Gothic, Horror, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Curses, Dark Isle, David Longhorn, Ghosts, Gothic Mystery, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
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.
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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.
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Everyone is a Critic: “The Island”
Posted: April 14, 2025 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, The Island, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
I passed up the 2005 film, The Island, many times because it created incongruencies in my mind. The title suggested to me, something along the lines of Castaway, or Robinson Caruso, or maybe Lord of the Flies, yet the cover image suggested a futuristic civilization, with nothing tropical about it. It is, in fact, a dystopian science fiction tale set in a futuristic world. Whatever you think the island in this story is, I promise you it is not.
In a world of survivors from a catastrophic event are given the hope of a paradise on the island, but only those selected in the lottery are granted the privilege of going. But we soon suspect that something is amiss when one survivor, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewen McGregor), has the intelligence to see that some things don’t quite add up, and the curiosity to question what they are being told. Just as he discovers the truth about who they all really are, and the truth about the island, his friend, Jordon Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), is chosen in the lottery, and Lincoln is forced to race to prevent her from going and escape with the knowledge he has discovered.
The rest of the movie takes on the pace of an action thriller as the powers that be try to recover them before they can tell the world what they know. And the action is really pretty good. The story was engaging and entertaining holding my interest all the way to the quite satisfying ending. I was glad that I finally decided to give it a try.
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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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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 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: Coming in October, 2025!
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Book Review: “Deja Dead”
Posted: April 11, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, cozy mystery, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Cozy Myatery, Deja Dead, mystery, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, Writing to be Read 9 CommentsAbout Deja Dead
Things can get pretty dark in the City of Light.
Claire Baskerville is a 60-something American who finds herself alone in Paris when her husband is brutally murdered. Reeling from the onslaught of devastating secrets he left behind Claire is stunned to realize she no longer knows who to trust.
She only knows she can’t move forward until she finds out the truth behind who killed her husband.
In spite of a genetic brain anomaly that makes it impossible for her to remember faces – even ones she’d seen just moments before, and all alone in a foreign city, Claire doggedly collects the clues that will lead her to her husband’s killer.
Unfortunately, the closer she gets to the truth, the more determined that killer is to make sure she never leaves Paris alive.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0-Dead-riveting-thriller-American-ebook/dp/B07X4TRQ3F
My Review of Deja Dead
I received a copy of Deja Dead, by Susan Kiernan-Lewis through FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own
Deja Dead is the first book in Susan Kiernan-Lewis’ Claire Baskerville mystery series. I chose Deja Dead because of the cover, which features a Paris cobblestone street, with the Eiffel Tower in the background cast in an eerie purplish light, indicating to me that this might be my type of mystery story. I was not disappointed. The mood and tone of the story keep things mysterious, with a feeling of danger lurking around every corner.
Another plus, from my point of view, is that the female protagonist is in her sixties, making her a relatable character for me. Claire has no superpowers, no magical protections, and she feels all the aches and pains that result from searching the streets of Paris for her husband’s killer, and getting too close. She may be older, but she’s also wiser, and driven to find out why the Paris police are trying to sweep it all under the rug. All while dealing with the discovery that her husband wasn’t the man she thought she knew. When she learns that her father died right after her husband was murdered, and her own paternity comes into question, she’s not even sure of her own identity.
Everyone seems to have secrets, and each that is revealed sets Claire reeling. Yet, she is determined not to stop until the truth is revealed, and her husband’s murderer is caught, even when her plans seem crazy, and maybe even fool hardy. She can’t do it alone, and can only hope that she’s putting her trust in the right people.
A superb cozy mystery. Claire Baskerville is right up there with Miss Marple. I give Deja Dead five quills.
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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.
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Writer’s Corner: Endeavor to Persevere
Posted: April 7, 2025 Filed under: Book Sales, Books, Fiction, Kickstarter, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing Life | Tags: Women in the West, Writer's Corner, Writing Life, Writing to be Read 1 Comment
When I was in the creative writing program at Western State Colorado University, bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson gave a talk he called “The Popcorn Theory of Success”, where he shared his journey to become a bestselling author back when traditional publishing was the only door leading to authordom. His theory involved saying, “Yes, I can do that.” to every opportunity that came to him. He’s giving this talk many times, including when he was the Keynote Speaker at the WordCrafter 2020 Stay in Place Virtual Writing Conference, hosted by WordCrafter Press. (You can see Kevin’s “Popcorn Theory of Success” on YouTube at the link above.)
For me, this was inspiring and I’ve tried to follow Kevin’s advice whenever an opportunity presents itself, even when imposter syndrome rears it’s ugly head and tries to tell me that I can’t. The publishing world today is different from when KJA was a rising star, and authors can’t just wait for opportunities to come to us. There are simply too many of us out there, and many of us don’t have time to wait around to be discovered by the movers and shakers of the publishing world. The Big 5 has shrunken down to the Big 3 as the big boys merge to stay alive in a changing publishing landscape that has shifted over to favor the independent publisher, and that’s where a plethora of opportunities are found, and authors must take the initiative to get their works published.
That’s how WordCrafter Press came about. I tried the traditional publishing route, submitting my works wherever I could, like I’d been taught while earning my M.F.A., and I even found a publisher, although not one of the Big 5, for the first edition of Delilah. But my sales weren’t nearly as good as I had hoped. Perhaps the publisher made attempts to market the book, but I never saw them. I believe this is typical for small independent publishers, and even traditional publishers have lightened up on thier marketing efforts, depending more on the author to market the book. I began self-publishing my other works through Draft2Digital and was quite happy with the results, so when my contract ran out, I didn’t renew. Instead, I revised the story and created book 1 of my Women in the West adventure series in 2023, and I did, indeed, through my own efforts, sell more copies than I had through the publisher in my first Kickstarter campaign. Sarah, book 2, was published last year, and this year, I’m working on the third book, Marta.
Today’s author must go beyond saying yes when opportunities present themselves, and find or create those opportunities and make them happen. In the movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Chief Dan George’s character, Lone Wadi tells Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood) that the U.S. government told his people to ‘endeavor to persevere’, which basically means, ‘keep on keeping on’. I’ve made that my personal philosophy, to ‘endeavor to persevere’. When I run into obstacles in my path, I try to fix them or find a way around them, and then I carry on. I don’t allow those obstacles to stop me. I’ve been told I am persistent, but I think I’m just determined.
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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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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 “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by the Robbie’s Inspiration blog site, where you can find ideas on writing and baking with hostess, Robbie Cheadle.
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WordCrafter News: “Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures” Release & Deadline for Anthology Submissions – Plus Welcoming a New Member of the WtbR Blog Team
Posted: March 31, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Books, Call for submissions, Dark fiction, Poetry, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 16 Comments
We’re approaching the end of March, and hasn’t this month gone fast. This month began with my birthday on the 3rd, and a came down with a nasty flue the following week, which set everything behind for me. Life hasn’t dished out a bowl of cherries for me this month, more like a bowl of sour grapes. But I’m finally getting things back on track, although I’ve had to play a little catch up.
I’m still looking for sponsors here on Writing to be Read, so if you’d like to see your book or blog at the end of a series post once, or repeatedly, please consider sponsoring a series. You can sponsor a blog series from the WtbR Sponsor Page. All sponsors will also be listed on the Sponsor Page. Or, if you prefer to make a one time donation, you can do that here. All support is greatly appreciated.
New Release! Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures
Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures will be released in April, in honor of National Poetry Month, but due to a couple of delays on my end I don’t have the release date yet. I’m still doing my final edit on it, and then it’s off for a final approval from the poets. Once that is complete, I’ll be able to give you a release date, as the dates for the blog tour, so stay tuned.
I must say we have a fine group of poets this year. Featured poets are DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michelle Ayon Nevajas, Gwen M. Plano, Liz Gauffreau, David Blogomony, Dawn Pisturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesbro. These poems about the simple pleasures in life are sure to warm your heart, and I’m proud to place the WordCrafter brand on this collection.
Submissions Deadline for WordCrafter 2024 Dark Fiction Contest
The submissions deadline for the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest is fast approaching on April 30, so get those stories into me. Contest submissions may be offered the opportunity to be featured in the Midnight Oil Anthology, which will be released in October of 2025. The winner is guaranteed a spot in the anthology and display their winner’s badge in social media and on their site.
You can find all the submission guidelines here: https://writingtoberead.com/2025/01/01/call-for-submissions-2/
A Big Welcome to Lindsey Martin-Bowen From Writing to be Read
I hope you will all join us in giving a big welcome to the newest member of the Writing to be Read team, Lindsey Martin-Bowen. I met Lindsey as a fan who left comments which sparked a conversation between the two of us. Last year, I reviewed her poetry collection, Cashing Checks with Jim Morrison here. More recently, she offered a rave review of The Rock Star & The Outlaw, which prompted me to invite her to join the WtbR team. Lindsey has spent many years teaching, so a series with writing lessons seemed to be the obvious choice. You can learn more about her on our newly updated WtbR Team Member’s page, so please drop in and see what’s new there.
April will bring the first segment of Lindsey’s new blog series, “Lindsey’s Writing Practice”. In it, she will share writing exercises, tips and advice to help improve craft. Say hello in the comments. Then join us the first Wednesday of each month as we stretch our writing muscles and add to our writer’s toolboxes to make our writing shine.
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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 check out our services today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/
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Book Review: Stories from Juniper Flats
Posted: March 28, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Historical Fiction, Review, Western, Women's Fiction | Tags: A.T. Butler, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Stories from Juniper Flats, Women's Fiction, Writing to be Read 1 CommentAbout Stories from Juniper Flats
1882, Juniper Falls, Wyoming Territory
In this first collection of short stories from historical western author A.T. Butler, love blooms and mysteries are solved. Strong men learn to be patient and cowed women lean into their strengths.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYKF1LLB
My Review of Stories from Juniper Flats
I received a digital copy of Stories from Juniper Flats, by A.T. Butler through Freebooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.
Stories from Juniper Flats is a delightful collection of three short stories connected to A.T. Butler’s Juniper Falls historical women’s fiction collection. This half hour read is the perfect reader magnet, giving the reader just enough to get to know a little about the characters and make them want more.
- A man makes assumptions about Martha, the local spinster, and gets a surprise in “An Unwanted Visitor”.
- Silas decides to attend church after staying away for so long, and gets an extra blessing for his efforts in “Unexpected Blessing”.
- Edith shelters a desperate young woman fleeing from an abusive husband, who lands on the steps of her boarding house in “Desperate Hope”.
An easy, quick read that is highly entertaining. I give Stories from Juniper Flats four quills.
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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.
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Review in Practice: “Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere”
Posted: March 24, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Nonfiction, Review in Practice, Writing, Writing Resource | Tags: Essoe's Writing Guides: Mood & Atmosphere, Joshua Essoe, Kaye Lynne Booth, Review in Practice, Writing Reference, Writing to be Read 3 CommentsI was received a digital copy of this writing reference as a part of the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle currated by Kevin J. Anderson, which also featured my writing reference, The D.I.Y. Author.
I recently started writing one of three stories that have been bouncing around in my head for the Curses themed anthology, which WordCrafter Press will put out in September of 2025, and I feel mood and atmosphere will be extremely important in telling the stories for this collection that I want to tell. The one I just started has a working title of “The Curse of the Death Clock” begins in France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte and the right atmosphere for the setting is going to be a challenge.
I read Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere with the writing of the Curses stories in mind and I’ll be keeping them in the forefront of my mind as I write this first story. To try and set the right mood and atmosphere for these Curses stories, I’ve implemented the exercise in Chapter 3 and started a word list which aligns with the mood I’m going for, which is slight unease and a feeling of doom. As with all the tools in my writing tool box, I’ll keep all my new tools on hand as I write the other two stories.
However, as I read, I found suggestions that can be use to improve mood and atmosphere in by taking another look at my sentence structure and word choices, as well as my pacing, in my latest WIP, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, which I just got back from my beta reader and I’m preparing to do a final edit. I’m using another exercise from Chapter 3 to help nail the pacing for this story, which is very fast, with lots of action, making a list of keywords from a story which evoked a strong emotional reaction, which I’m aiming for in my own tale. The book I’ve chosen is Velocity, by Dean Koontz. The man is a master of suspense and knows how to keep the pages turning. I’ll also be taking another look at the conflicts in this story for parallels and counterpoints to the main conflict. Essoe includes many useful writing exercises to illustrate his points and can be used with WIPs, to improve on current projects.
I found useful exercises in chapter four on setting and atmosphere which I plan to utilize with yet another story, an out and out horror for Midnight Oil. Robbie is helping me with the research on this one, since it involves zombie elephants. Because of the subject area, the setting will be one that I am unable to visit and experience for myself. Robbie’s expertise will be a great help in this area, but I’m going to have to work to achieve the right atmosphere, and “The Shorthand” exercise will be useful. I’ll be taking note of possible points of interest and the emotional impact it has on my characters when describing the South African savannah setting. Most of my characters move my stories forward through action and dialog, but I think in this story, their internal reactions will be particularly important.
I’m picking and choosing the pieces that I feel I need to work on in the stories I’m working on for 2025, but Essoe gives us a list of eight tools which make up mood and atmosphere, and suggests that we should use at least five of them in every story we write to develop a strong, purposeful mood. In The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, I think I have a few already in place, so I’ll be working on those I may be missing. With the Curses and Midnight Oil stories, I’ll be implementing these tools from the start. The other story I have planned for 2025 is the third book in my Women in the West adventure series, Marta, and while I’ve begun an outline for that novel, it requires such a completely different mood that I think I’ll hone my skills with the other stories first, but I know I’ll be referring back to Essoe’s Writing Guides: Mood & Atmosphere when the time comes to get that one on the page.
About Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere
Mood and Atmosphere defines and delves into the 8 primary tools used to create the emotional framework of your story–its emotionality–by breaking them down into easy-access chapters on:
- Plot and structure blueprinting your intended emotionality
- Pacing that steers your story line-by-line and chapter-by-chapter
- Language and word choice guiding your story in the most direct relationship with readers
- Setting developing an atmosphere that will make readers experience your world
- Character expression creating powerful moods that will make readers feel their traumas and triumphs
- Conflict controlling the ebb and flow of your emotionality throughout your story
- Theme acting as the conductor, setting your emotionality to a purpose
- Reader expectation and what promises you must keep or can use to throw in twists
Purchase Link: https://www.joshuaessoe.com/product-page/mood-and-atmosphere-e-book-1
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, her the first three books in her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends, her poetry collection, Small Wonders, and her writer’s resource, The D.I.Y. Author. 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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This segment of “Review in Practice” is sponsored by the Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
Historical Women’s Fiction
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Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1
Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West
Marta: Coming in 2025
