#Booktour – Feral Tenderness, a book of poetry by Arthur Rosch
Posted: February 17, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentOn Day Three of the “Feral Tenderness” Book Blog Tour and we’re over at Robbie’s Inspiration with a post from the author, Arthur Rosch about the realization of a dream. Join us.
A lifetime of poetry and photography gives a unique view of life, nature, the world, and the universe
Today, I am delighted to welcome poet and author, Arthur Rosch, to Robbie’s Inspiration with his new poetry book, Feral Tenderness.
Fulfillment of a dream
This book, Feral Tenderness, is the fulfillment of a dream. This volume has both poems and photographs. It unites two of my four creative media into a single opus. You may ask, (please) “What are your other two media”? I dabble, (I say modestly) in music and dance.
One night in 2002, I was performing at a venue near my home. I was reading poetry and playing drums. The drums were to accompany another poet who enjoyed my mallet work, the throb of tribal call and response. Two of my thick black notebooks of poetry lay at the lip of the stage. When I finished…
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Welcome to the First Blog Stop on the Feral Tenderness Book Blog Tour
Posted: February 15, 2021 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Books, Poetry, Review | Tags: Arthur Rosch, Feral Tenderness, Photography, Poetry, Poetry Collection, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 3 Comments
I first met Arthur Rosch online. That was back in 2008, when I was just dipping my toes in the as yet uncertain waters of the internet, and although I didn’t have any idea what I was doing, I started my own social network called “Writer’s World”. Art stumbled onto the “Writer’s World” network somehow and he’s been loyal follower and supporter, and over the years I’ve come to respect him and his writing, and also to call him a friend and valued team member for Writing to be Read.
I’m introducing Arthur Rosch here today because he has a great new poetry and photography collection out, Feral Tenderness. I’m excited about it because I had a hand in editing, compiling and publishing Arthur’s book through WordCrafter Press. Art writes poetry that remains down to earth and real, while hanging out with universal truths. It’s true that some of his ideas may be a little wild, but so are the ideas of many writers. Maybe writing is a safe outlet for all of our crazy thoughts and that’s what motivates us to put words to paper, or screen, as the case may be.
His biography, from the back of his wonderful new release reads:
“Arthur Rosch is a mid-westerner, who became a Californian as a young man. A lover of jazz, poetry, painting and photography, and writing, as well as a passion for astronomy, photography, history, psychology and the weird puzzle of human experience. After receiving Playboy Magazine’s Best Short Story Award for a comic view of a planet where there are six genders, he was immersed in circles that could have taken him to the top, but it was short lived. Arthur found himself reeling, struggling with depression and addiction on the streets for almost a decade, and repairing and rediscovering himself was a defining event in his life, nurturing his literary soul…. “
All of the above is true. These are all truths about Arthur Rosch, yet they are surface level truths; truths that the author chose to share with the world at large, in the back of his book. Let me introduce you the Arthur Rosch, the author who I know.
Art is an undiscovered talent, who once was near the threshold of discovery, only to plummet back down into the depths of reality. But he never let go of the dream, although at times it altered its shape and appearance. He is a literary craftsman and wordsmith, whose words can be found on his blog, Write Out of My Head, on my blog, Writing to be Read, in his books, and various other places online.
Stepping into the world of Arthur Rosch can be a surreal experience, as it was for me when I reviewed his science fiction novel, The Gods of the Gift, because he is a talented craftsman of the written word. Quite a different effect was achieved with Confessions of an Honest Man, a tragic tale of familial dysfunctionalism, mental illness, drug addiction and emotional abuse that has the ability to make the reader suspend disbelief and feel for the main character beyond the conclusion of the book. And his humor shines through his words and is sure to leave readers chuckling in his memoir about life in an R.V., The Road Has Eyes.
His poetry has this same ability to evoke desired images and emotions from within the reader. His photography captures views seen with a unique and unusual eye. The cover for Feral Tenderness was created from one of his photographs, and others are interspersed among the poetry throughout the book, making it an extra special treat for readers.
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction enough to make you want to get to know more about Arthur Rosch and his poetry and photography, by following this tour. We’ve got two interviews with Arthur, and a review of the book coming later in the week, plus some author generated content that promises to be interesting. Stay with us and visit each blog stop as the tour progresses, with a closing post on Art’s blog, Write Out Of My Head, on Sunday. Please join us. You can purchase Feral Tenderness in digital and print on Amazon.
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The Santa Claus Stories: Where the legend begins
Posted: February 8, 2021 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Children's Books, Classics, Fantasy, Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Christmas, Classic Literature, L. Frank Baum, Santa Claus, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
I love reading origin stories, which set the groundwork for all like stories which come after. Although the legend grows and changes down through the years with each retelling. The legend of Santa Claus is one that I hold near and dear to my heart, and I truly enjoyed allowing The Santa Claus Stories of L. Frank Baum take me back to where it all began.
Did you ever wonder where Santa Claus comes from, or how he got to be Santa Claus? Ever wonder how he came to deliver toys to children all around the world? Or why he only delivers one night out of the year? Or why he wears red? Or why he comes down the chimney? Or where his magic comes from? The Santa Claus Stories of L. Frank Baum answer those questions and more. And I’m guessing that not many people today are aware that Santa Claus was in attendance for Princess Ozma’s birthday party in the land of Oz, along with Dorothy and Toto, the scarecrow, the lion man, the tin man, and many other of Baum’s colorful and memorable characters.
The literary value of classic stories such as these is beyond my abilities to describe. Although I feel unqualified to rate classic gems, such as this one, these stories left me with a good feeling inside. Here is born the true spirit of Christmas and you can see the origins of the Santa Claus legend offered here in many contemporary Santa Claus stories. In Baum’s telling, his reindeer don’t fly, but they do wear bells, and magic is in the air, as Santa toils to make all of the toys for the children year round by himself. Over the years things have changed a bit, but I think the magic is still in our hearts, if we look for it.
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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? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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Review of the Spirits of the West Western Paranormal Anthology by Patty L. Fletcher: Blog Tour Day 7
Posted: February 7, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentJoin us as we wrap up the “Spirits of the West” book blog tour with a review by Patty Fletcher over at “Patty’s World”.
Spirits of the West Western Paranormal Anthology
Compiled and Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth
Reviewed by Patty L. Fletcher
Spirits of the west are often found in unexpected places. They can be found in a saloon in Colorado territory, on a wagon train in South Africa’s plains, or on a distant planet in another galaxy. They can be the bringers of revenge or the protectors of the weak. Indulge yourself in eight unique paranormal stories with western spirit in Spirits of the West.
Over the past week, we’ve all been treated to a rather unique blog tour featuring a wonderful anthology with the theme of western paranormal.
If it’s one thing I’ve learned over the years from reading westerns, it’s that in the old west, there are many tales of ghosts, spirits, and if one looks hard enough, a witch or two.
I love such tales, so when I was…
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Glimpsing the Wanekia by Jeff Bowles ~ Spirits of the West Anthology
Posted: February 6, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentDay #6 of the “Spirits of the West” book blog tour finds us over at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo, where we get a glimpse into the mind of Jeff Bowles, and the thoughts behind his story, “Wenekia”. Please join us.
Spirits of the West are often found in unexpected places. They can be found in a saloon in Colorado territory, on a wagon train in the plains of South Africa, or on a distant planet in another galaxy. They can be the bringers of revenge or the protectors of the weak. Indulge yourself in eight paranormal stories with western spirit in Spirits of the West…
Spirits of the West is available via
Amazon.com or Amazon UK.
Glimpsing the Wanekia
Jeff Bowles
Ever since I was little, I had the sense there was another world lurking beyond this one. That if you could just peel back the shaggy off-colored wallpaper of reality, you could glimpse another universe entirely, one that might or might not have your best interests at heart.
I wrote Wanekia about twelve years ago, when I was just starting to get my feet under me as…
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#SpiritsoftheWest #Blogtour – Day 5: The Ghost in the Mound and a review
Posted: February 5, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 CommentDay #5 of the “Spirits of the West” book blog tour brings a look into the setting for Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s story, “The Ghost in the Mound” and her review of the stories from the other contributors on Robbie’s Inspiration. I do hope you’ll join us there.
Day 5 of the Spirits of the West book tour hosted by WordCrafter Press sets out some background to my short story, The Ghost in the Mound. I’ve also included my review of the stories other than mine that feature in Spirits of the West anthology
You can find out more about the tours WordCrafter is offering here: https://writingtoberead.com/wc-book-blog-tours-2/.
The Ghost in the Mound
Background
My second short story in Spirits of the West is The Ghost in the Mound. This story features an enormous termite mound.
Termite mounds are constructed by a specific type of termites found in African, Australia and South America. The mounds can be large, sometimes with a diametre of 30 metres.
In African savanna areas, termite mounds form ‘islands’ with high tree densities. This is attributed to the fact that due to the digging of the termites and their decomposition of plant material; the…
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Spirits of the West – Blog Tour – Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs!
Posted: February 4, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentFor Day #4 of the “Spirits of the West” book blog tour, we’re over at Jessica Bakker’s blog. Drop by to learn more about my story in the anthology, “Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs!”. See you there.
I love a good anthology, and when an anthology is about ghosts, the West, and the supernatural, AND has a story in it titled ‘Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs’…you know I’m going to be grabbing a copy! Please enjoy with me, Kaye Lynne Booth’s blog tour and introduction of her anthology, Spirits of the West.
Do you believe in ghosts? I think there is something inside every one of us that makes us want to believe, but not all of us do. That’s what makes a good ghost story so attractive. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a good ghost story? I know I do.
I also believe that every story carries a grain of truth. We bury many real-life experiences and dreams in the subconscious, but often, they are not content to stay there, so we allow them to poke their heads up and see the light of day…
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The Spirits of the West western paranormal anthology Blog Tour: Featured Author of the Week Enid Holden #WordPressWednesday
Posted: February 3, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentOn Day #3 of the Spirits of the West Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Patty’s World, with an interview with Enid Holden, author of the winning story in the 2020 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, “High Desert Rose”. Drop by and say hello.
Hi everybody, and welcome to day three of the Spirits of the West
western paranormal anthology blog tour.
Today, I’m pleased and privileged to introduce to you author, Enid Holden.
She has the winning story in the Spirits of the West western paranormal anthology, titled ‘High Desert Rose.’ Which I’ll be reviewing, so watch for that coming soon.
First, in your own words, tell us a little about you.
Hello everyone. My name is Enid Holden, and I’m happy to be here on the blog today.
I was born in South Africa, was lucky enough to come to America in the early ’90s, and lived in Washington DC for 16 years before relocating to Colorado 15 years ago.
Where do you live?
I currently live in Gunnison, CO.
Who are the special people in your life?
My daughter Celeste, a gift from God, as her name suggests. My husband, Paul…
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#SpiritsoftheWest #Blogtour : Day 2 – The Thirstyland Journey
Posted: February 2, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 1 CommentJoin us for Day 2 of the Spirits of the West book blog tour and learn more about Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s story “The Thirstyland Journey” on the “Roberta Writes” blog site.
Day 2 of the Spirits of the West book tour hosted by WordCrafter Press sets out some background to my short story, The Thirstyland Journey. You can find out more about the tours WordCrafter is offering here: https://writingtoberead.com/wc-book-blog-tours-2/
Background
My story, the Thirstyland Journey, is based on the Dorsland Trek (Thirstyland Trek) which is the collective name for a series of treks by groups of Boer (farmer) settlers from modern day South Africa in search of independence from Britain and better living conditions.
The first group of trekkers under the leadership of Gert Alberts set out on the 27th of May 1874. This initial trek was followed by other groups, all taking different routes. The primary destination of the Dorsland trekkers was the Humpata highlands of south-western Angola. In order to get to Angola, the trekkers had to cross large parts of the Kalahari desert in Bechuanaland (now called…
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Spirits of the West Book Blog Tour
Posted: February 1, 2021 Filed under: Books, Fiction, Paranormal, Stories, Western, Western Paranormal, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: Spirits of the West, Western Paranormal, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, Writing to be Read 15 Comments
Welcome to the first official WordCrafter Book Blog Tour featuring the WordCrafter western paranormal anthology, Spirits of the West. We’ve got a great tour lined up, so let me tell you a little about this unique anthology and the stories featured within. I hope you’ll all follow along with the tour as the week progresses, to learn more about this colorful story collection.
It’s no secret that I love ghost stories, which is why the theme each year for the WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest always seems to lean toward the paranormal genre, although other genres may be involved. It’s also no secret that my first novel was a western and I enjoy writing and reading this genre, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the 2020 theme was western paranormal. I didn’t get a lot of submissions, but the ones I did get were top notch stories, and the resulting anthology, Spirits of the West, contains eight stories with western and paranormal elements, from six very different author’s worlds. The theme for the contest was not a traditional genre mixture, and there’s not much that’s traditional about the anthology.
My story, “Don’t Eat the Pickled Eggs”, is a western paranormal mystery, to confuse the genres even more. It’s a colorful story, about the disappearance of a saloon owner, a ghostly nighttime visit to leave a warning, and a young boy named Stinkweed, who holds the key to the mystery. You’ll be able to learn more about the inspiration behind this tale on Jessica Bakkers.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle contributed two South African western paranormal tales, which help to make this anthology very unique. “The Thirstyland Journey” and “The Ghost in the Mound” tell stories of pioneers, traveling across the South African wilderness – a different type of western, but with just as many ghosts. Both are powerful stories of survival, courage and determination and are welcomed additions to Spirits of the West. Robbie will be telling us more about both of these stories on Roberta Writes and Robbie’s Inspiration.
Jeff Bowles, the author of the winning story in 2019, contributed “Wenekia”, an excellent story of Native American folklore and traditions. When two young boys sneak out to eavesdrop on the tribal council gathering, they learn more than they bargained for when they witness the reality of legend. Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo will have a post for us about Jeff’s story on Saturday.
Arthur Rosch contributed a science fiction western paranormal story, “The Clouds in the West”, which takes the cowboy to another world, where the rider may not always control of his mount, and leaves the ending open to reader interpretation.
The winning story in Spirits of the West was submitted by Enid Holden. “High Desert Rose” is a more traditional western tale of revenge, but Holden does it with a heroin, rather than a hero, and the spirits are watching. Patty’s world will feature an interview with Enid on Wednesday and wrap up the tour on Sunday for us.
Also included in the anthology are two stories that were not contest submissions. Tom Johnson’s story, “Gunsmoke” really doesn’t have a paranormal element, and is included as a tribute to Tom as his only western story in a lifetime of science fiction and pulp titles, as the author is no longer with us. And Enid Holden contributed a second story, “Queen of Spades”, which didn’t make the submission deadline, but is every bit as good as her winning story.
Time constraints did not allow for posts on some stories, but I hope you’ll join us on the tour this week to learn more about this very special collection of stories and their authors.
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Like this post? Let me know in the comments. You can be sure not to miss any of Writing to be Read’s great content by subscribe to e-mail or following on WordPress. If you found this content helpful or entertaining, please share.
