WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour Giveaway Winners
Posted: August 22, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Books, Dark fiction, Giveaways, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Blog Tour, Books, Giveaway Winners, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 Comment
We had a great tour last week, and contributing authors shared some tasty morsels which, hopefully, tantalized your horror tastebuds and made you want to read more of the stories in Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night. Before we can officially sign off from the tour, there’s a matter of a couple of different giveaways, that we need to announce the winners for.
First, Chris Barili’s Classic Mustang Photo Competition
On Day 1, author Chris Barili offered an excerpt reading from “The Legend of Trooper 666” which describes the trooper’s classic Mustang. Chris is offering a signed print copy, (winners outside the U.S. will receive a free digital copy instead, due to the outlandish costs of international shipping) for the person who sends in a photo of a classic Mustang that closest matches the trooper’s car during the tour
Here are the rules:
1. You don’t need to be in the exact year, just the generation or year group (1960s, for example)
2. If their pic is verifiably of a NY State Patrol car, it wins. If we have more than one, we’ll select the winner.
3. If it is of a show or race car, owned by other than the photographer, they need that owner’s permission to submit the photo.
4. Actual dead state troopers or other LEOs will disqualify the entry immediately. :).
The Winning Entry
There was no winning entry, because we received not one photo. Nobody played.
Second, the Legends Puzzle
Each stop on the tour featured two authors and their stories, and each post included the name of the legend their story is based on. So, there is the opportunity to collect two puzzle pieces at each stop when the correct legend for each story is placed into the comments. Any visitor with a complete puzzle at the end of the tour wins a free digital copy. In the event that no one completes the puzzle, the visitor with the most pieces wins.
And the winner is…
(Drumroll please)
- Robbie Cheadle, with puzzle pieces 1 & 2, (because she was the only one who played.)
Final Thoughts
I have to say, I was highly disappointed that no one participated in the giveaways for this tour. I thought it would be really fun to run them a little different than just “comment to enter”. We went to considerable effort to set it all up, and no one seemed interested to play. 😦 I will have to look at other options in the future, or maybe just go back to the same old, same old.
Share this:
Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour
Posted: August 21, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "My Pumpkin Ate My Wife", "The Last Stage Coach", Chupacabra, Excerpt Reading, Guest Post, Jack O'Lantern Legend, Kaye Lynne Booth, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, Myths and Legends, Sara W. McBride, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentWelcome to the final day of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour. Today I’m pleased to bring you a guest post from contributing author, Sara W. McBride, who wrote the wonderful story, “My Pumpkin Ate My Wife”, and an excerpt reading from my story, “The Last Stage Coach”.
It’s been a great tour, but it’s also the last day to get in on two different giveaways we have going. There’s still time to get your Mustang photos in for Chris Barili’s “Trooper 666” giveaway for a free print copy of Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night. Send your photos to Chris at stealthcb@gmail.com and to me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com. You can find the full guideslines for this giveaway at one of the Day 1 Tour Stops, by clicking on the link in the tour schedule at the end of today’s stop. I’ll be announcing the winners in a special winners post on Sunday, so get those photos in now.
Also, this is the last chance to collect your puzzle pieces for the digital giveaway, by placing the legend for each story in the comments. (We made it really easy for you. Each story post tells you what legend it is from.) Today’s puzzle pieces are 9 and 10, but you can collect any you’ve missed by going back to the individual stops through the links on the tour schedule, too. The winner for this giveaway will also be announced in that Sunday post, so get your answers in while you still can.
The Giveaway
We made a puzzle out of the Legends cover.
Follow the tour to find the clues hidden in the guest posts, readings and promos.
Name the Legend each story is based upon as you go through the tour.
Place your answers in the comments.
For each correct answer, you earn one of ten puzzle pieces.
At the end of the tour, the three people who have collected the most puzzle pieces
will win a free digital copy of
Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night
The Authors of Legends
What Makes a Legend?, by Sara W. McBride
What do scientists, authors, and monsters have in common? They all desire to be legends. I could claim there is a shared egotistical drive to be immortal, and let’s face it, that might be true of many people regardless of occupation, but instead I’ll claim the shared love of the unexpected discovery.
Why are Newton, Einstein, Galileo, Copernicus, and poor Mike Brown, all legends? They discovered something unexpected: gravity, relativity, other planets, and that Earth wasn’t the center of the Universe. Mike Brown? What about him? He’d dreamed of discovering a planet his entire life, then he thought he had. He thought he found something in our solar system that was bigger than Pluto. But he didn’t. So why is he a legend? He spurred on the debate that redefined the parameters of a planet and got Pluto demoted to a dwarf planet. So yes, Mike Brown is now legendary as the man who killed Pluto. Poor guy still receives hate mail from ten year olds who learned the solar system from Grandpa’s planetary model in the attic.**
Becoming a Legend is not usually something one can strive for. It just happens. In this anthology, none of the authors are legends. But many of us are scientists, of some sort, and we often use writing as an excuse to do research. So we researched legends!
The Jack-O’Lanterns, Wendigo, Succubus, and Pheonix were all researched. And others were legends from our youth, like the grim reaper or the famous babysitter nightmare; a creepy phone call from a person watching you, which turns out to be from inside the house. Cue the delighted screams from around the campfire. There are more specific area legends, like the girl ghost of Cleveland, Gilgul, and Trooper 666.
But personally, if I, me, myself, was going to become a legend, I’d like an international following. Or at least a few countries, like the Jack O’Lantern. I mean, who wants to be the slimy legend of Des Moines? I say, Go Big! There’s an Angel of Death in every culture and country.
Because unlike Pluto, a legend never dies.
**I worked at Caltech for a decade and spoke with Mike Brown a few times. He’s an inspiring, generous astronomy professor. He didn’t mean to kill Pluto. Please send him some fan mail.
“My Pumpkin Ate My Wife” is based on the traditional Jack O’Lantern legend.
Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 9.
About Sara W. McBride
Sara Wesley McBride enjoyed a nerdy childhood sneaking onto hotel rooftops to write plays and stories. As a grown-up child, many of her adult party conversations end with a comical defense of why her first degree in theater from UCLA, and her second degree in molecular and cellular biology from SDSU, are completely related. Between her degrees, she spent two years pranking the mafia in New York City architecture; also completely related.
All parts of her life have led her down a streamlined path toward noveling because nothing else maintains her sanity. Daily, like many modern-day biological researchers, she invents new swear words to sling at million-dollar machines while locked in a dark hole of a decaying academic hall. This has caused her to witness ghosts and create a romantic fantasy life within her head, which she now puts down on very non-technological paper with her favorite Jane Austen style quill pen.
Her first novel in the Alexis Lynn series, Will Write for Wine, and the companion short story collection, Stories I Stole from Lord Byron’s Bastard, both set in Venice, Italy, were recently released by Puck Publishing. She’s hard at work on the second Alexis Lynn novel, a Regency mystery series, and a haunted play. She strongly feels the world needs more haunted plays.
When not researching biological stuff, reading history, or writing in random, elegant hotel lobbies—much warmer than rooftops—Sara is hiking the San Diego shorelines, parks, and trails with her husband and their tiny, bouncy dog named Wombat.
About Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night
Legends take many forms, but most carry a warning within. For instance, stories of monsters such as the Chupacabra, Snallygasters, and Windigos were told to warn children to behave themselves. The tale of the ghost girl who haunts buildings in Cleveland, is a warning to daredevils, who would chance their lives and safety in old derelict buildings. And Trooper 666 is a deterrent against drunk and dangerous driving. The angel of death and gilgul offers lessons to be learned about our spiritual lives. And any one of the monsters found between these pages could decide to follow you home.
These diverse shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts and monstrous creatures, which each hold a certain sense of justice. Introduced by multi-genre author Kaye Lynne Booth, these stories are a celebration of legends of old, and some new ones, too, but there are no happy endings.
Featuring stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Abe Margel, Chris Barili, Sara W. McBride, C.R. Johansson, Rebecca M. Senese, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, DL Mullan and Joseph Carrabis.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/LegendsMonsters
“The Last Stagecoach”, by Kaye Lynne Booth
“The Last Stagecoach” is based on the legend of the Chupacabra.
Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 10.
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.
Wrap Up
That’s it for today’s tour stop. We hope you enjoyed DL Mullan’s guest post and her reading, and Rebecca M. Senese’s Promo. Don’t forget to pick out the legend each was based on and put your answers in the comments. Each correct answer earns a piece to the puzzle, and the more pieces you have, the better your chances of winning a free copy of Legends.
Also, don’t forget to get those Mustang pictures in to try and match the car in Chris Barili’s “The Legend of Trooper 666” story for a chance to win a signed print copy of the book. (Available to U.S. residents only due to the expense of International shipping.)
Winners will be announced in a special post on Sunday, on Writing to be Read.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 8/17 – Chris Barili – reading/contest & C.R. Johansson Promo & Trailer – Michelle Ayon Navajas –
Poetry by Mich: https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/day-1-legends-tour/
Hotel by Masticadores: https://hotelmasticadoreshouse.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/day-1-legends-tour/
Masticadores Phillipines: https://masticadoresphilippines.wordpress.com/2026/08/17/day-1-legends-tour/
Tues. 8/18 – DL Mullan – guest post & Rebecca M. Senese Promo – Kaye Lynne Booth –Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=72488
Wed. 8/19 – Danaeka Scrimshaw – guest post & Joseph Carrabis – Video post & reading – Carla Johnson-Hicks – Carla Loves to Read: https://wp.me/p6H3KI-kJa
Thurs. 8/20 – Robb T. White – guest post – Abe Margel Promo – DL Mullan – Undawnted: http://www.undawnted.com/2026/08/undawnted-presents-legends-day-4.html
Fri. 8/21 – Sara W. McBride– guest post about authors & Kaye Lynne Booth – audio reading – Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=72831
Sun. 8/23 – Contest Winners post – Writing to be Read
________________________________________
Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
Share this:
Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour
Posted: August 20, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentWe’re celebrating the release of Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night on Day 4 of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour over on Undawnted with host, DL Mullan. We have a guest post from contributing author Robb T. White about his story, “The Urbexer’s Girl” and a promo for Abe Margel’s “It was no Stroll in the Park”.
Undawnted does not accept comments, so please post your answers here to collect the puzzle pieces for this stop to get in on the giveaway for a free digital copy. And just a reminder, there is still time to get in on Chris Barili’s giveaway for a print copy. Send your Mustang GT photos to Chris at stealthcb@gmail.com and to me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com.
Visit today’s stop at: http://www.undawnted.com/2026/08/undawnted-presents-legends-day-4.htm
Share this:
Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour
Posted: August 19, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Review, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "Sema", "The Legend of Tilly Mae", Anthology, Book Review, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Dark fiction, Giveaway, Joseph Carrabis, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentFor Day 3 of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Carla Loves to Read with a video guest post and excerpt reading from “Sema”, by Joseph Carrabis, a guest post from contributing author Danaeka Scrimshaw on their story, “The Legend of Tilly Mae”, and a review of the book by host Carla Johnson-Hicks.
Don’t forget to name the legends and collect the puzzle pieces to get in on the giveaway for a free digital copy of Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night.
Share this:
Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour
Posted: August 18, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "The Call", "The house on the Lake", DL Mullan, Excerpt Reading, Guest Post, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, Myths and Legends, Rebecca M. Senese, The Babysitter LEgend, Windigo, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 2 Comments[Intro.]
The Giveaway
We made a puzzle out of the Legends cover.
Follow the tour to find the clues hidden in the guest posts, readings and promos.
Name the Legend each story is based upon as you go through the tour.
Place your answers in the comments.
For each correct answer, you earn one of ten puzzle pieces.
At the end of the tour, the three people who have collected the most puzzle pieces
will win a free digital copy of
Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night
“The Call”
Ring.
Ring. Ring.
It’s the middle of the night… do you answer the phone?
Rebecca Blackwood does.
THE LEGEND
“The babysitter and the man upstairs” is one of the most retold urban legends in horror — a threatening call that turns out to be coming from inside the house.
THE TWIST
The Call swaps the babysitter for a first-time homeowner. The fear isn’t a teenager on a job — it’s an adult who thought she’d finally earned safety.
THE CALL
Rebecca Blackwood finally has what she’s worked for: a home of her own. It’s modest, it’s hers, and it’s the first thing that’s ever felt permanent. Then the phone starts ringing.
At first, it’s silence. Next, breathing. Afterward, a voice that knows exactly where she’s standing, what room she’s in, what she’s wearing. Rebecca does everything right — she calls for help, she checks the locks, she stays calm. But the caller is already inside the house.
The Call is a slow-burn reimaging of one of horror’s most enduring urban legends, grounded in something scarier than any monster: the terror of being watched in the one place you’re supposed to be safe. Some things aren’t what they seem.
Join The Call…
*”The Call” appears in Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night (WordCrafter Press, 2026, ed. Kaye Lynne Booth), then again in Broken Things, DL Mullan’s own collection of weird short fiction (Undawnted, 2027).
Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 3.
About DL Mullan
DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the way she perceives the creative arts.
As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.
Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at http://www.undawnted.com.
About Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night
Legends take many forms, but most carry a warning within. For instance, stories of monsters such as the Chupacabra, Snallygasters, and Windigos were told to warn children to behave themselves. The tale of the ghost girl who haunts buildings in Cleveland, is a warning to daredevils, who would chance their lives and safety in old derelict buildings. And Trooper 666 is a deterrent against drunk and dangerous driving. The angel of death and gilgul offers lessons to be learned about our spiritual lives. And any one of the monsters found between these pages could decide to follow you home.
These diverse shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts and monstrous creatures, which each hold a certain sense of justice. Introduced by multi-genre author Kaye Lynne Booth, these stories are a celebration of legends of old, and some new ones, too, but there are no happy endings.
Featuring stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Abe Margel, Chris Barili, Sara W. McBride, C.R. Johansson, Rebecca M. Senese, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, DL Mullan and Joseph Carrabis.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/LegendsMonsters
“The House by the Lake”, by Rebecca M. Senese
Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 4.
About Rebecca M. Senese
Rebecca M. Senese weaves words of horror, mystery, contemporary fantasy, and science fiction in Toronto, Ontario. She is the author of the contemporary fantasy series, the Noel Kringle Chronicles featuring the son of Santa Claus working as a private detective in Toronto. She garnered an Honorable Mention in “The Year’s Best Science Fiction” and has been nominated for numerous Aurora Awards.
Wrap Up
That’s it for today’s tour stop. We hope you enjoyed DL Mullan’s guest post and her reading, and Rebecca M. Senese’s Promo. Don’t forget to pick out the legend each was based on and put your answers in the comments. Each correct answer earns a piece to the puzzle, and the more pieces you have, the better your chances of winning a free copy of Legends.
Also, don’t forget to get those Mustang pictures in to try and match the car in Chris Barili’s “The Legend of Trooper 666” story for a chance to win a signed print copy of the book. (Available to U.S. residents only due to the expense of International shipping.)
Winners will be announced in a special post on Sunday, on Writing to be Read.
Pop in for tomorrow’s tour stop over at Carla Loves to Read where Carla Johnson-Hicks will be hosting a guest post from contributing author Danaeka Scrimshaw about “The Legend of Tilly Mae”, and Joseph Carrabis shares the inspiration and an excerpt reading from “Sema”.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 8/17 – Chris – reading/contest & Johansson Promo & Trailer – Michelle Ayon Navajas – Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, & Masticadores Phillipines
Tues. 8/18 – Dawn – guest post/audio reading & Senese Promo – Kaye Lynne Booth –Writing to be Read
Wed. 8/19 – Danaeka – guest post & Joseph – Video post & reading – Carla Johnson-Hicks – Carla Loves to Read
Thurs. 8/20 – Robb – guest post – Margel Promo – DL Mullan – Undawnted
Fri. 8/21 – Sara – guest post about authors & Kaye – audio reading – Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read
Sun. 8/23 – Winners post – Writing to be Read
________________________________________
Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
Share this:
Welcome to Day 1 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour
Posted: August 17, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Mythology and Legend, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 2 CommentsIt’s day 1 of the WordCrafter Legends Book Blog tour and we’re over at Poetry by Mich, and Hotel by Masticadores, and Masticadores Phillipines. Meet contributing author Chris Barili and hear an excerpt reading from his story, “The Legend of Trooper 666”.
We’ve got two great giveaways. Help us put together the Legends puzzle by collecting two puzzle pieces at each stop. And this stop has the way to find out about the one offered by Chris Barili. You’ve only got a week to gather your photos and get your entries in, so join us today.
Share this:
Audio Book Review: “My Queendom for a Horse” & “The Recipient”
Posted: August 14, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Review, romance, Speculative Fiction, Thriller | Tags: Audio Book Review, Audrey J. Cole, Bridget E. Baker, Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Kaye Lynne Booth, My Queendom for a Horse, mystery, Shifter Romance, Speculative Fiction, The Recipient, Thriller, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About My Queendom for a Horse
Kristiana Liepa was supposed to use the money to save her family farm. She was not supposed to spend it all to save a massive, black stallion.
But when she saw how he was being treated, what’s a vet to do?
She had no idea that gorgeous beast was really a powerful (and morally gray) magician who had been cursed by a witch, or that she was the only one who could reverse the curse.
And she couldn’t possibly have known how that one rash decision would irrevocably change her life…and his.
Need a little more information to make up your mind? Read a longer description below:
Kristiana’s father has a gambling problem. After a particularly bad hand of cards puts their family’s land in jeopardy, her dad’s solution is to call her billionaire ex, but Kris can’t bring herself to beg him for money. At least, not her first time seeing him in 10 years. Instead, she withdraws her life savings and bets on herself.
Thankfully, it pays off! She and her most promising horse win big at the Down Royal steeplechase in Ireland, but only because the best horse on the track wasn’t ridden properly. Luckily, it’s just enough to grant a stay of execution with the bank.
It would have been, but when Kris realizes her nemesis is abusing the gorgeous black stallion who should have won, she can’t help herself. She spends her winnings buying the horse she fell for the moment she saw him. It may not be the smartest move in the short run, but Obsidian Devil’s her best hope of finally digging out from under the massive debt hanging over them. She’ll have to ask her ex to help with the next payment, but seeing him again won’t be sobad.
What Kris doesn’t know is that her new purchase is actually a powerful magician stuck in horse form by a witch’s curse. She also has no idea that she’ll be the only person who can help him lift the curse. And worst of all, that helping him may mean losing the family farm for good.
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/My-Queendom-Horse-Russian-Witchs/dp/B0BV7Z3BM8
Chirp: My Queendom for a Horse by Bridget E. Baker – Audiobook (No Subscription)
My Review of My Queendom for a Horse
I purchased My Queendom for a Horse, by Bridget E. Baker and narrated by Cindy Gunderson from a Chirp Freebie Friday deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because of the fantastic cover with shades of blues and purples. Although the tiny sparkles indicated a magical theme, the image of a horse made me think of the story of Black Beauty, a story I loved as a child. Soon after beginning to listen, I was surprised to learn that what I had was a shape shifter romance.
Setting out to save her family farm from her father’s gambling debts, Kristiana has a plan to ride the winning horse and take the purse and a bet on her own horse. And it would have worked if she hadn’t impulsively purchased a stallion which was being abused by one of her competitors, forcing her to take a loan from the man who dumped her years ago. You can imagine her surprise when she finds her newest purchase is not a horse , but a shape shifting Russian prince who had been cursed hundreds of years ago, and somehow, Kris has the key to his powers. The whole scenario leads to some humorous scenes, as the headstrong prince rears his jealous head, while Kris tries to sort out her feelings for her ex, and raise the money to save the farm.
The author has crafted a truly enjoyable story that makes you laugh in all the right places. And Ms. Gunderson does an excellent job of narrating. I give My Queendom for a Horse five quills.
About The Recipient
Sergeant Wade McKinnon knows who killed Samantha the moment he arrives at her crime scene. Problem is, he watched her killer die a year ago.
A year after serial killer Michael Rhodes is executed and allowed to donate part of his brain as an organ transplant, Wade gets called to a murder scene that shares uncanny similarities to those of the late Michael Rhodes. Other similar killings happen around Seattle, and Wade seems to be the only person still alive who knows enough about Michael Rhodes’s murders to be able to replicate them. When evidence found at one of the crime scenes points to Wade as the killer, he races to find the real culprit before it’s too late to clear his own name.
Elle is overjoyed when her husband, Brian, receives a partial brain transplant and gets a second chance at life. Until she learns that his brain cells came from a serial killer….
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/The-Recipient-Audrey-J-Cole-audiobook/dp/B07QYK6WBZ
Chirp: The Recipient by Audrey J. Cole – Audiobook (No Subscription)
My Review of The Recipient
I purchased The Recipient, by Audrey J. Cole and read by Marcio Catalano and Veronica Pace, from a Chirp Freebie Friday deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This story uses dual male and female narrators, which I’ve found works well in romances, but I was unsure how that would work for a thriller. In hindsight, although each of them missed inflections a few times, they really did a premium job. Catalano and Pace did a smash-up job, instead of just alternating chapters, they dubbed the female voice of Pace into the male POV chapters, and the male voice of Catalano into the female POV chapters, which is how the dual narrating should be done. I can see why this book was nominated for the Voice Arts Awards, as advertised on the cover.
As far as story goes, the title gives it all away, but it is also a little misleading. Early on I figured out who the killer was and although the author was skilled in laying it all out, I still felt the story to be predictable as events unfolded. Overall, though, it was a decent thriller with tension building in all the right places and well-developed characters.
I give The Recipient four quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
_____________________________________
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.
Share this:
Everyone is a Critic: My All-Time Favorites – Action Movies
Posted: August 10, 2026 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Review | Tags: Action Movies, Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Writing to be Read 4 CommentsThere are some movies that I can watch over and over and never get tired of them because they are so fun to watch. I’m sure certain movies are the same for everyone, in this respect. For “Everyone is a Critic” in 2026, I’d like to talk about my all-time favorites, because if you haven’t seen them, they are worth watching, and if you have, maybe this will remind you how fun they are, and you’ll give one or two another go. I’ve categorized them by the values I find in them, or the reason that I watch them. Many of them, I have watched so many times, I can quote them word for word through many parts. (And, yes, I am old, but they really don’t make them like they used to.)
Now, here, I will share them with you in the hopes that you will get the same enjoyment I have from watching them. For those who have seen the movie, the quotes will bring certain scenes alive in their minds. And if you haven’t seen the movie and you watch it, when you see the scene, you’ll understand why I chose the quotes that I did.
Action Movies – Keep me on the edge of my seat
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), with Harrison Ford
Both of these movies are so much fun to watch. While the next in series is also good, these first two are my favorites. I haven’t watched the third movie nearly as much.
Harrison Ford will always be Indiana Jones.
I have both of these in my personal collection.
Favorite Scene (The Lost Ark): Marion’s seductive escape attempt
Favorite Quotes (The Lost Ark): “Snakes! Why’d it have to be snakes?” – Indiana Jones (Ford)
Favorite Scenes (Temple of Doom): Rafting out of an airplane & Diamond in the ice
Favorite Quotes (Temple of Doom): “Fortune and glory, kid.” – Indiana Jones (Ford)
“You call him Doctor Jones, Lady” – Short Round (Ke Huy Quan)
“Hold on to your potatoes.” – Short Round (Ke Huy Quan)
Face Off (1997), with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage
A unique and clever story line where hero and villain switch places, each assuming the identity of the other. The premise is intriguing. Cage and Travolta play the roles of one another so well, it is uncanny. This movie has some unexpected twists which make it quite unpredictable and unique.
I have this movie in my personal collection.
Favorite Quotes: “I can eat a peach for hours.” – Castor Troy (Cage)
“I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave.” – Castor Troy as Sean Archer (Travolta)
“I want to take his face… off.” – Sean Archer as Castor Troy (Cage)
“If you dress like Halloween, ghouls will try to get in your pants.” Castor Troy as Sean Archer (Travolta)
“You’re Still not having any fun.” – Castor Troy as Sean Archer (Travolta)
Favorite Scenes: “No more drugs for that man.” – the drug scene & “Plan B: Why don’t we just kill each other?” – the double-sided mirror scene
Broken Arrow (1996), with John Travolta and Christian Slater
Vic Deakins (John Travolta) and Riley Hale (Christian Slater) are military pilots, partners on a mission to test a top-secret jet fighter, armed with nuclear missiles, until Deakins ejects the missiles in a dastardly plot to steal them, and crashes the plane, leaving Hale for dead. But Hale survives and sets out on his own to stop Deakins, enlisting the help of an unsuspecting park ranger, Terry Carmichal (Samantha Mathis)
Travolta makes a truly insane villain, and Slater makes a formidable adversary. This action movie is almost nonstop adventure with several twists and turns that keep you guessing. But it is just as fun to watch, even when you know what is coming.
I had this one in my personal movie collection, but I lent it to a ‘friend’ and never got it back. 😦
Favorite Scene: Setting off the nuclear bomb in the mine shaft
Favorite Quotes: “How many times do I have to say it? Please don’t shoot the nuclear WEAPONS!” – Vic Deakins (Travolta)
“I don’t know what’s scarier, losing nuclear weapons, or that it happens so often there’s actually a term for it.” – Giles Printice (Frank Whaley)
“You know, these exercises are fantastic. When the day comes that we have to go to war against Utah, we’re really gonna kick ass, y’know?” – Riley Hale (Slater)
“There’s no difference between you and a guy who shoots up a schoolyard. You’ve both got a-a head full of bad wiring.” Riley Hale (Slater)
“Attitude! Now where’s my little buddy Hale? He left you alone, didn’t he? Well that’s his speed, 100% PUSSY.” Vic Deakins (Travolta)
“Oh, this is a bad idea.” – Terry Carmichael (Mathis)
The Mummy (1999) & The Mummy Returns: Rise of the Scorpion King (2001), with Brandon Frasier and Rachel Weisz
Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) is a librarian on a treasure hunt after her brother, Jonathan (John Hannah), comes upon a mysterious puzzle box. To follow the puzzle box to the source, she springs a conman and thief, Rick O’Connell (Brandon Fraiser), from prison, saving him from hanging in return for his promise to lead them to the legendary city of Hamunoptra to find the treasure. But there is someone else who has been to Hamunoptra leading a group of Americans there, and the race is on. When their search for treasure awakens the mummy of Imotep (Arnold Vosloo), and stirs up an ancient Egyptian curse, they must stop him from releasing the forces of evil upon the earth.
In The Mummy Returns, Evelyn and Rick, and their eight-year-old son Alex, dig up the bracelet of Anubis, which controls the army of the Scorpion King, and evil forces bring back Imotep to beat the Scorpion King (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and control his army, throwing Rick and Evelyn right into the middle of it all, as Evelyn discovers an incarnate Egyptian life as the Kings daughter and must face Anck Su Namun to stop them.
Great special effects in both of these movies, which I watch on Pluto T.V. for free.
Favorite Scenes (First): The scene by the fire, The smelly little man and the scarabs & The cat and the mummy
Favorite Quotes (First): “Ah. I know. You’re wondering… what is a place like me doing in a girl like this?” – Evelyn Carnahan (Weisz)
“I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure seeker, or a gun fighter. But I am proud of what I am. I… am a librarian!” – Evelyn Carnahan (Weisz)
“They take a sharp, red-hot poker, stick it up your nose, scramble things about a bit, and then rip it all out through your nostrils.” – Evelyn Carnahan (Weisz)
“I only gamble with my life, never my money.” – Rick O’Connell (Frasier)
” I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” – Rick O’Connell (Frasier)
“Hey, Beni! Looks like you’re on the wrong side of the river!” – Rick O’Connell (Frasier)
“Well, everybody else we’ve bumped into has died. Why not you?” – Jonathan Carnahan (Hannah)
Favorite Scenes (Second): The double-decker bus scene
Favorite Quotes (Second): “Honey, whatcha doing? These guys don’t use doors.” – Rick O’Connell (Frasier)
“You know, a couple of years ago, this would have seemed really strange to me.” – Rick O’Connell (Frasier)
“Oh, you know, the usual. Mummies, pygmies, big bugs.” – Rick O’Connell (Frasier)
Point Break (1991) with Patrick Swayze, Gary Busey and Kenu Reeves
Johnny Utah (Kenu Reeves) is a rookie FBI agent assigned to work undercover with Angelo Pappas (Gary Busey) to discover who is behind a series of bank robberies, a group of men known only as the ex-presidents, Pappas believes are surfers. Following on that theory, Utah infiltrates the surfer scene, uncovering the identity of the bank robbers, (the leader being Bodhi (Patrick Swayze)), who aren’t just surfers, but adrenalin junkies, and puts him at their mercy.
I don’t own this one and haven’t watched it for a while. I did a review comparison of this movie with the remake from 2015, which I was not impressed with. You can see that post here.
Favorite Quotes: “Sorry, Johnny. Guess you don’t get to be president.” – Bohdi (Swayze)
Favorite Scenes: The skydiving scene where Bohdi and Utah fight for the gun and the sky-star scene is pretty good, too.
About 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 book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, 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, 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.
___________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________
This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” 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
Share this:
Sizzling Hot Summer Deals for August
Posted: August 4, 2026 Filed under: Book Sales, Books, Short Fiction, Stories | Tags: Books, Hidden Secrets, Kaye Lynne Booth, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press Leave a comment
A Digital Doubles Deal
Get Hidden Secrets & Last Call & Other Short Fiction, both for one low price of $3.
August 1 – 31, 2026
2 for $3 Bundle
Hidden Secrets & Last Call & Other Short Fiction
$3.00
Share this:
Writer’s Corner: Publishing Wide
Posted: August 3, 2026 Filed under: Indie Publishing, Publishing, Self-Publishing, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: Direct Selling, Intellectual Property, Kaye Lynne Booth, Publishing, Publishing Wide, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read 10 Comments
Many of you know that I publish wide. I’ve published Writer’s Corner posts on this topic in the past such as, “Why Put All Your Eggs in One Basket?” or “6 Reasons I Chose to go Wide with my Books“. All of the reasons mentioned in those posts still hold today, but the one that stands out the most for me today is maintaining control of my intellectual property (IP). Something many authors may not realize, is that each story they write has value as IP. Maintaining control of your IP means that you can restructure and reuse your IP as you see fit. Authors who sign away their IP to traditional publishers no longer have the right to reuse that IP.
So, if I sign a book with a traditional publisher, I sign away all rights to that book. The publisher decides when and how the book will be released. They have the right to change the title, choose the cover, and they may even have the right to tell you to change the wording or the whole direction that the story takes. But, if I publish independently, or at least be aware of the wording on any contract I do sign, I can retain control of my copyright. (With short fiction anthologies, usually your copyright is signed over for short time, 3-6 months, and then it reverts back to you, but you must make sure this is in the wording.) That enables me to turn around and use that same book in a box set collection, or that story in a short story collection of my own, giving it even more value. This is important because IP is an intangible that can be passed on to your family after you die. It is a part of your estate. It is best described in a book by Dean Wesley Smith, called The Magic Bakery, which I talk about in my “Review in Practice“.
I know lots of authors who just want to write. They don’t want to worry about promotion or selling. They can’t be bothered with worrying about their IP. They’d rather just publish on Amazon, enroll their books in KDP, and move on to the next story. But like it or not, when you are an author, you are a business. And if that’s the way these authors want to do business, that’s okay. They can do that.
But think about this. Amazon has been known to suspend author accounts for various reasons. If they claim you have breached their policies in some way, they can do this, and it’s up to you to prove to them that there has been no breach. This is no easy feat and could take an indefinite amount of time. Meanwhile, if you are exclusive on Amazon, your whole writing income has just been placed on hold. On the other hand, as a wide author, they can suspend me, and my book income from other channels still continues uninterrupted. Now, I admit that Amazon brings in the largest part of my sales income, so if that happened, it would still hurt, but it wouldn’t devastate me like it might an author who publishes exclusive through Amazon.
But publishing wide doesn’t just mean getting your books out with as many retailers as possible. Publishing wide means getting your books on subscription channels and library lists, as well. Selling direct is also a valuable piece to selling wide because an author keeps more of their royalties by cutting out the middleman. This is something I’m just dipping my toes in the water with, through my digital doubles deals I’ve run for my series books this summer. This month’s Sizzling Hot Summer Digital Doubles Deal offers my short fiction, with both Hidden Secrets and Last Call and Other Short Fiction for $5.
But don’t believe me. I’m still finding my way in the publishing landscape. Listen to the BookFunnel Podcast where Mark Leslie Lefebvre talks about the publishing aggressively wide, below.
Mark Leslie Lefebvre on the BookFunnel Podcast
Self-Publishing Aggressively Wide | Mark Leslie Lefebvre | The BookFunnel Podcast
BookFunnel Offers Valuable Author Tools
I use BookFunnel to supply free copies of all my books for giveaways and reviews. My subscription is the lowest one, and I don’t even get to collect an email list from those who use the service to get copies of my books. Now, I could pay more and be allowed email collection, and also get access to other tools they offer that can be used to sell direct from my website, but I hope to be able to do so someday soon. I use BookFunnel to provide a valuable writer’s tool, which enables me to deliver to my readers. It makes delivering an ebook easy and convenient, with several methods of delivery, including reading in the BookFunnel app for those would be readers who don’t have a reader to read their ebooks.
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.
___________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________
This segment of “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by The Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy, and WordCrafter Press.
Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/OnesWhoStayed
