Chatting with New Blood: D. Cowart

My guest today is author D. Cowart, who has recently released her second novel, Elkabel: A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten.

About D. Cowart

D Cowart, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, began her writing journey as a young girl. She’s written poetry, children’s stories, songs, song lyrics, a short story, and family skits. A Prison of Silk is her first novel. It’s a story of subjugation in ancient times when girls and their mothers were controlled and owned by men.

Males in other countries today still have rights denied to females. One’s gender reigning supreme over the other is unjustifiable in any era. The premise of this book came to her over thirty years ago. A Bible passage she read showing the low value placed on women infuriated her when she read it.

The author’s stories are character and plot-driven with a new slant on old ideas.

http://dalewrites.com

Interview

Kaye: Would you begin by telling us about your author journey? How long have you been writing? What inspires you to write?

 D. Cowart: I’ve been a storyteller since childhood. Once I terrified my cousins with a ghost story I told them. They had trouble sleeping that night. Since then, I veered from scary tales forever. 😊 Through the years I created many, many children’s stories but never tried publishing. I’ve written poems, song lyrics, two songs with tunes, a short story, many articles on topics of interest to me, and a couple of skits for my grandkids to act out.

Kaye: Elkabel is actually your second novel. This one and your first, A Prison in Silk, both take place during the same time period, when women weren’t valued very much. Can you tell us about what inspired you to write these stories? 

 D. Cowart: I was a third daughter to parents who wanted a boy. Before I was 2 years old, they had a son! I saw the privileges afforded a male child that females had to work for. The time period of the Bible shows beyond question the way women were devalued. The injustices of then and since inspired me to write A PRISON OF SILK. 

Kaye: Where do you find information about the time period of these books? What type of research do you do?

 D. Cowart: Historical articles of all kinds, even the Bible. If I have any questions, and I always do, I spend as much time as it takes to get a better understanding of that topic even if it’s to write a short sentence. Research keeps me interested and sort of focused as I write my book. This time period has interested me for as long as I can remember and it’s  an enjoyable part of my writing process. 

Kaye: Is there a third book planned at this time?

D. Cowart: Yes. The third one picks up where the first book ended. I’m excited about the character in this book and his journey. 

Kaye: You write historical fiction. Who would you say is your favorite historical character?

 D. Cowart: In a broader sense my books are historical fantasy. In my first book, the king is a combination of Alexander the Great, King Solomon, and King Nebuchadnezzar. Even Hannibal with his use of elephants in war. 

Kaye: What author or poet (dead or alive) would you most like meet and visit with?

 D. Cowart: So many come to mind that I’ll pass on this question. 😊

Kaye: What other outlets do you find for your creativity besides writing?

 D. Cowart: I’ve had many hobbies, refinishing furniture was one (loved seeing the wood shine through layers of gunk). I did genealogy work long before it was available online, and dabbled with drawing and acrylic painting. I also sang in a community chorus and loved to line dance. 

Kaye: What traits in your main characters do you most identify with?

 D. Cowart: I think when you don’t have a lot of support growing up, you have to be resourceful, even brave, and you become stronger in the process because you must. 

Kaye: What is the best piece of writing advice that you have ever received?

 D. Cowart: When I decided to write a novel, I tapped  into wonderful help online. Author Jerry Jenkins’ articles and tips guided me when I first began and countless others since. I guess the thing I want most to achieve is writing a strong beginning, a strong middle, and a strong ending for my stories. 

Kaye: Where do you hope to see yourself as a writer in ten years?

 D. Cowart: At my age, I just hope to be alive in ten years. 😊

About the Book

In an ancient world when females had little to no power, fifteen-year-old Elkabel becomes an orphan. Family, friends, and all other inhabitants of her province have been slaughtered. She survives only because Medeba, an enemy soldier, defied the royal command and saved her.

Elkabel’s resilience and resourceful attributes take her from one strange life to another. She experiences customs, places, and people a farm girl never knew existed. Never belonging, uprooted again and again, she struggles to make a life of her own.

Will the constant challenges make or break her? And how will helping her change the young soldier’s fate? Don’t miss reading ELKABEL, A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten, a fast paced and unpredictable story of survival.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Elkabel-D-Cowart-ebook/dp/B0DCM145MQ

My Review

I did a final proofread of the manuscript for Elkabel, A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten, by D. Cowart and immediately knew that I wanted to write this review. All opinions stated here are my own.

This story has all the elements of a tragic romance. In the aftermath of a raid to wipe out their people, with orders to spare no one, Medeba finds a young girl, still alive amoung the carnage and can’t bring himself to end her life, although it could mean his own life, should his disobedience be discovered. That girl was Elkabel, and although circumstances rake them both in very different directions, the bond between them remains and can’t be denied.

Elkabel faces trials that make her stronger, while Medeba abandons the only life he knows to find the girl he saved and loves, even before his feelings are realized in his own mind. But it seems fate is determined to keep them apart, as each makes their own way through the world and carries them away from each other.

The descriptive language Cowart uses places the reader in the times and settings of the story, where one can’t help but root for the lovers unrecognized to find one another and allow their love to be realized. Her research and knowledge of the times is evident in every scene.

This historic fantasy is delightful and entertaining, and you won’t want to put it down once you pick it up. I give Elkabel five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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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 Women in the West adventure series and WordCrafter Press.

Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1

Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West

Marta: Coming Soon


Book Review: The Theory of Anything

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About The Theory of Anything

A brilliant professor. A shocking murder.

When Dr. David Solon walked out of the coffee shop on the afternoon of May 3, 2011, he didn’t expect to foil an attempted robbery in a nearby alley. He didn’t expect to recognize the would-be perpetrator of the crime. And he didn’t expect to shoot that man to death.

An hour earlier, he was sharing a breakthrough mathematical discovery with a colleague. A day earlier, he was unraveling a puzzle with implications for the events that shape our lives. And a week earlier, he was falling asleep beside his beloved wife of twenty-two years.

After a year of frustrated effort, a horrific tragedy sparks David’s incredible discovery about mathematical randomness. Still reeling from this crime, he latches onto a theory that will reshape his field and change the way everyone thinks about mathematics, physics, history and basic laws of cause-and-effect.

Told in reverse, The Theory of Anything is an intellectual crime novel that takes readers back through the previous seven days to uncover the crime and subsequent events—random or predetermined—that will define David’s mathematical career and ruin his life.

A unique short crime novel that explores the mysteries of love, loss and mathematics, in addition to a senseless murder, The Theory of Anything follows one man’s harrowing journey through grief and discovery. It’s the perfect book for fans of Memento and A Beautiful Mind.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Anything-Greg-Hickey-ebook/dp/B087F5R75G/

My Review

I received a free copy of The Theory of Everything through a newsletter offering. All opinions stated here are my own.

The Theory of Everything is a short psychological crime novel about a man out for vigilante justice after his wife was murdered. In the description, the author notes the unusual style of story telling, beginning at the end and going backwards to the event that sent him on his quest for vengence, but I found it to be rather off putting and confusing. Also, I did not feel as if anything was resolved at the end, probably because this brief tale is a part of a larger picture and he wants readers to seek out the next book, but it left me very unsatisfied.

The story begins with the main character, a brilliant scientist who loves mathematical theory, stalking a man and moves backwards through the previous days to explain why he is stalking the man who murdered his wife and show how his loss has affected him. At the end of the book we know the why of things, but we don’t know if he is successful in his quest. Does he kill the perpetrator? Does he get away with it? Or perhaps the police are secretly watching and take him down before he reaches his goal? The author leaves us wondering.

This tale was okay, but felt incomplete to me. I give The Theory of Anything three 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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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.


Writer’s Corner: Using Story Bundle to Sell Books

Caracature of a woman typing on a keyboard at a very messy desk. Text: Writer's Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

As many of you may know, if you follow Writing to be Read, The D.I.Y. Author is included in the Novel Writing Story Bundle, organized by Kevin J. Anderson. But what you may not know is how useful Story Bundle is as a marketing tool. The fact is, it’s a great way to sell books.

This is the second Story Bundle in which I have had a book included. Back in 2022, Ask the Authors 2022 was included in the Writer’s Toolkit Story Bundle, also organized by KJA. That bundle sold quite well and WordCrafter and the contributing authors made a little bit of money from it. This year, the Novel Writing Story Bundle promises to do just as well, if not better, so I highly recommend it.

What is Story Bundle?

What Story Bundle is, is a platform that gathers together several authors with books in the bundle category, whether it is writing references, such as the two I’ve had books in, fantasy books, science fiction books, or romances, etc…, and they all get together virtually and cooperatively market and promote the whole bundle. This extend’s the reach of single authors immensely, and I can testify to the fact that their efforts are effective. By using the power of the masses, promotions are found on all of the social media sites, not just those of any one single author, and it gets your book in front of the readers of every author in the bundle. But I’m just an author with a couple of books in a couple of Story Bundles, and I’m still learning, too. So to give you all the details, I chatted with Story Bundle founder, Jason Chen, to let him tell you what Story Bundle is, how it works, and what the advantages are.

Interview with Jason Chen

Kaye: What inspired the idea for Story Bundle?

Jason: I started StoryBundle all the way back in 2012 because back then, the concept of bundling similar books in one package hadn’t been done yet! Selfishly, I wanted somebody to make bundles of similar books—if you like this book/author, then you’ll like all THESE—and because nobody had, then I saw the need for it. Also, in 2012, the indie authors were lacking for a place to reach more readers, which made it a perfect fit for letting folks discover authors they would have a hard time finding otherwise.

Kaye: Story Bundle uses the power of numbers, gathering many authors together and offering their books as a group, rather than individually. Could you explain the advantages of having a book included in a Story Bundle?

 Jason: Not only does being part of a StoryBundle get you in front of the StoryBundle fans, but the core concept is that it gets you readers from other authors who write in similar genres as you. Because all our bundles are curated, the books in them make sense together, which means that if you like one author in it, you’re more than likely to like another. So getting awareness of your books out to fans who already like the genre is a big plus.

Kaye: What determines whether a book is included in the original bundle for the minimum amount , or as a bonus book for a larger donation?

 Jason: There’s no secret to the sauce. The curator and I work together to make sure both the regular bundle and the bonus bundle are balanced for the amount that they cost. Sometimes an author will be in the bonus bundle and if they’re in another bundle, they’ll be in the regular bundle. It depends on what makes sense for that particular bundle.

Kaye: The Novel Writing Story Bundle is the second Story Bundle which I’ve been a part of, mainly because I am fortunate enough to know Kevin J. Anderson, who organizes the ones I’ve participated in. I know other big authors like Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Katheryn Rusch organize them, too. But how do you get into a Story Bundle if you don’t know someone organizing one? Can you create your own?

 Jason: Yes! The only caveat we have is that (99% of the time) the bundles are curated by someone who’s been in a bundle before. Once you’ve been in a bundle, you understand what the bundle is about and what makes for a good bundle and what works for participating in a bundle. This way you know which authors to look for when you’re assembling one. You work with us to figure out a genre that you want, and we refine the idea and can help you get in touch with some other publishers if you need to.

Kaye: Both Story Bundles I’ve had books in are writing resource bundles. Can you make a story bundle of any genre?

Jason: Yes, any genre is fine, but to get a little inside baseball, there are a couple of genres that don’t do well on StoryBundle. The biggest one is romance, which for whatever reason doesn’t appeal to StoryBundle readers. But even more of a surprise is that romance authors’ own fans don’t really enjoy the bundling concept—at least on StoryBundle. We’ve tried all types of romance bundles in all varieties of flavors, but none of them ever have good uptake.

Kaye: Is there a cost to organize your own Story Bundle?

 Jason: There’s no cost to curating a bundle!

Kaye: Now I know why as an author, I might want to have my books in a story bundle. But why would readers wnat to buy books through Story Bundle? What are the benefits to readers in purchasing a Story Bundle?

Jason: As a reader, there are a few benefits. First, there’s just the core concept of vetting—we choose our books carefully with our curators, and they have to meet a certain bar of quality to get in. Of course, it’s impossible to guarantee that you’ll like all the books in the bundle, but if you already like one or two of the authors in it, you’re likely to enjoy the rest. 

There are other tangible benefits, such as getting DRM-free copies of books that you can load on any ereader, tablet or phone without having to worry about compatibility. You’ll also support indie authors and be able to donate to a worthy cause!

Kaye: Does every Story Bundle donate to charity?

Jason: Every bundle has a charity donation, but it’s up to each person if they want to donate part of their purchase to charity. If they don’t, that’s perfectly fine!

Kaye: What types of charities does Story Bundle support?

 Jason: We have a long list of charities that we’ve supported before, from literacy charities, animal charities, science and gaming charities, to health and medicine and worldwide refugee focused charities, so there’s no real limit to what can be a charity target for StoryBundle. If there’s a specific one that a curator would like to have in their bundle, we can make it work!

Would you like your book to be in a Story Bundle?

Now that I know what it takes to currate a Story Bundle, I’m thinking of trying one of my own, because I know that they sell books. Since I’m a multi-genre author, I could do western, women’s fiction, paranormal, science fiction, dark fiction, or children’s books. If you’re interested let me know and tell me what genre(s) you write in. Either let me know in the comments, or email me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com. Let’s see if we can get together and sell some books.

About the Novel Writing Story Bundle

The Novel Writing Story Bundle features writing references on writing craft, writing business, and the writing life, which should be on every author’s bookshelf. In addition to my own The D.I. Y. Author, which is a bonus book, there are also featured Dollar by Dollar and Word by Word, by Kerrie Flanagan; Romance Character Tropes, by Jessica Barber and Tara G. Ericson; Booking the Library, by Jessica Brawner; Kevin J. Anderson’s On Being a Dictator; Steps to Self-Editing, by Jana S. Brown; A Writer’s Guide to Branding Success, by Mark Leslie Lefabvre; Mood & Atmosphere, by Joshua Essoe; From Page to Platform, by Matty Dalrymple and M.L. Ronn; Wit & Wisdom, by Craig Martelle; Wulf Moon’s Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing, volume 1; Falling to Fly, by Todd Fahnestock; and a year’s subscription to Indie Author Magazine. That’s 13 writing references plus the magazine subscription. What a deal!

A note on the designated charity for this StoryBundle, the Neil Peart Brain Cancer Research Fund from Cedars Sinai. In 2020 we lost Neil Peart, legendary drummer and lyricist for the rock band Rush, to glioblastoma. He was my mentor, friend, and collaborator on numerous books, and his loss affected me deeply. Neil’s friends and colleagues and fans worldwide have contributed to this glioblastoma research fund in Neil’s name, and we are proud to add our efforts on this Novel Writing StoryBundle as well. – Kevin J. Anderson

You can get in on this great Story Bundle here: https://storybundle.com/writing

About Author Kaye Lynne Booth

Author Kaye Lynne Booth sitting on a rock in an Aspen grove.

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. 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 post is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.

Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

Topics Include:

Becoming Prolific

Writing Tools

Outlining

Making Quality a Priority

Publishing Models & Trends

Marketing Your Book

Book Covers & Blurbs

Book Events—In Person & Virtual

And more…

Book Cover: Typewriter in front of bookshelf. Text on page: Write a Book, Format the Story, Publish the Manuscript, Crate an Outline, Create a Marketing Plan, Generate Reviews, Hide Under the Covers Cover Text: The D.I.Y. Author, Kaye Lynne Booth

Purchase your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author


Book Review: Wild Blackberries

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

My Review

I purchased a digital copy of Wild Blackberries, by Lorrie Unites- Struiff, on Freebooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.

Wild Blackberries is a short paranormal story about a woman kidnapped by her ex-husband and she survives in an unexpected way. It is very brief. So short, in fact, that I was unable to find it on Amazon for a cover image or description. It was an interesting tale, but it didn’t really grab me. For a short read, while waiting in the doctor’s office or maybe on a break at work, I give it four quills.

Four circles with the WordCrafter Quill logo inside

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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.


“Midnight Garden” Book Blog Tour Giveaway Winners!

We had a great tour for the release of Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow and now it’s time to announce who the lucky winners of the giveaway are.

And the winners are…

(Drum roll please)

  • Chris Hall
  • Annette Rochelle Aben
  • Gwen M. Plano

Congratulations ladies, and thank you for following the WordCrafter Midnight Garden Book Blog Tour. Your support is appreciated and I know you will enjoy this dark story collection. Happy reading!


Midnight Garden stories now on Joseph Carrabis: “Grand Ture”


Midnight Garden stories now on Joseph Carrabis: “The Tomb”


Final Day on the WordCrafter “Midnight Garden” Book Blog Tour

This is the final stop on the WordCrafter Midnight Garden Book Blog Tour and we’re wrapping up with a guest post by contributing author Joseph Carrabis about the inspiration of his story, “The Tomb” and a reading of his story “The Exchange”, which are both featured in this deliciously dark anthology, Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow.

About 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 Midnight Garden… if you dare.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology

Reading of “The Exchange” by Joseph Carrabis

Inspiration for “The Tomb”, by Joseph Carrabis

The Tomb

The Tomb was originally written in the late 1970s. and no one was interested in it. What you read is the last major edit, circa 2011. The original version – and much of what’s in the published version – came from a dream.

The story is personal to me as I was blind – technically “limited eyesight” and legally blind – until about four years ago. I was considered for some experimental surgeries back in the late 1970s and one thing or another dropped me from consideration. Finally, in 2020 – yep, the year of Covid – Technology caught up to what I needed it to be and several operations later, I can see.

In case you’re curious, going from an auditory landscape to a visual one is not easy. Susan (wife/partner/Princess) got a chuckle out of my staring at something while I matched what it looked like to the sound it made (and which I recognized).

The story itself deals with the fact that “seeing” means seeing everything, some of which isn’t pretty, and some, which others might consider ugly or horrid, is beautiful simply because it can be seen.

About Author Joseph Carrabis

Author Joseph Carrabis

Joseph Carrabis told stories to anyone who would listen starting in childhood, wrote his first stories in grade school, and started getting paid for his writing in 1978. He’s been everything from a long-haul trucker to a Chief Research Scientist and holds patents covering mathematics, anthropology, neuroscience, and linguistics. After patenting a technology which he created in his basement and creating an international company, he retired from corporate life and now he spends his time writing fiction based on his experiences. His work appears regularly in several anthologies and his own published novels. You can learn more about him at https://josephcarrabis.com.

Excerpt From “The Puppet Men”

Excerpt From “Self-Mutiny”, by Zack Ellafy

Giveaway

Three lucky winners will receive a digital copy of Midnight Garden in a random drawing following the tour. All you have to do to enter is follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop that you visit. If you missed a stop, you can go back and visit through the links in the schedule below.

Schedule

Monday – October 7 – M.J. Mallon: Interview & Reading from “The Seagull Man” – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – October 8 – Danaeka Scrimshaw: Inspiration for “The Fae Game”) & Denise Aparo: Reading from “Jack Moon & the Vanishing Book” – Roberta Writes

Wednesday – October 9 – Joseph Carrabis: Reading of “The Last Drop” & Inspiration for “Striders” – Paul Martz

Thursday – October 10 – Paul Martz: Reading & Inspiration for “The Blackest Ink” – Writing to be Read

Friday – October 11 – Molly Ertel: Inspiration for “Antipenultimate” & Abe Margel: Inspiration for “My Balance” – Kyrosmagica

Saturday – October 12 – Paul Kane: Inspiration for “Drip Feed” & Joseph Carrabis: Reading of “Grande Ture” – Undawnted

Sunday – October 13 – DL Mullan: Reading from “Kurst” & Ell Rodman: Inspiration for “The Drummer” – BookPlaces

Monday – October 14 – Joseph Carrabis: Reading of “The Exchange” & Inspiration for “The Tomb” – Writing to be Read

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Midnight Garden stories now on Joseph Carrabis: “The Exchange”


Day 7 of the WordCrafter “Midnight Garden” Book Blog Tour

Join us over at BookPlaces for Day 7 of the Wordcrafter Midnight Garden Book Blog Tour where cobtributing authors DL Mullan and Ell Rodman share their inspiration for their stories, “Kurst” and “The Drummer”, and another chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow.