WordCrafter News: September Writing Projects & Back to School Bonanza
Posted: August 31, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Book Sales, Books, Children's Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fiction, Health & Wellness, Historical Fiction, Horror, Nonfiction, Science Fiction, Self-Help, Time travel, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: 12 Dark Nights of Christmas, A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes, Back to School Bonanza Sale, Marta, Midnight Madness, My Backyard Friends, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing 6 Comments
September is a writing month, with no new releases scheduled, so it seems pretty calm. I’m planning to hunker down and dig in to three different writing projects in various stages of production. My only promotional endeavors this month will be to promote the Back to School Bonanza Book Sale where you can get all three of the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series in a $5 bundle.
WordCrafter Back to School Bonanza
3 for $5 Bundle
All 3 My Backyard Friends Series Books for one low price of $5.
September 1 – 30, 2026
Exclusive on WordCrafter Press My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series page:
September Writing Projects
Although WordCrafter Press has no September releases, it looks like I’ll be elbow deep in writing projects. September will find me compiling and editing on the Midnight Madness anthology, as well as doing the first round of edits on the 12 Dark Nights of Christmas anthology. Of course, I’ll be setting up the Midnight Madness tour for mid-October, when it is scheduled to release, as well. And 12 Dark Nights of Christmas will be scheduled for a December release, of course.
And throughout the month, I will also be finishing up the first draft of Marta, Book 3 in my Women in the West Adventure Series. I’m sitting right now around 85,000 words, which is already longer than either of the first two books, and I’ve still got a ways to go. I don’t know how long this one will end up being, but I’ll use as many words as I need to tell it.
There are several reasons this book may be longer than the first two. One, Marta’s journey ventures outside of Colorado, all the way to El Paso, Texas. Two, Marta sports a full cast of colorful characters who accompany her on her journey, whereas in the first two books, much of the journey for Delilah and Sarah were travelling solo with a good amount of inner dialog to lead the way. Since my stories are dialog heavy and character led, discussions seem to make up a great deal of those 85,000 words. And three, my writing is improving, and I’m learning to add more details for a better crafted story, which is a good thing, right? Better writing from me, equals a better story for my readers.
I’m researching new things for this book, as well; delving into New Mexico and Texas history to add to my knowledge of the Colorado frontier. Since Marta’s journey is made by wagon, I’ve researched the different types of wagons and how they are built, as well. And it’s always interesting to peruse the newspapers of the 1800’s, adding many details which help to bring the story ton life. I’ve learned many interesting facts, some of which I’ll be sharing on the blog tour, when the book comes out, next March.
In addition, I’ve had to research the life of Pauline Cushman, Union Spy, who is the historic supporting female character in Marta’s tale. The supporting historic female character, along with the strong female protagonists, are what sets this western historic women’s fiction series apart from the rest.
Other Good News for WordCrafter Press
Before I let you go today, I wanted to share a couple of good things which are happening around WordCrafter Press. We’re always proud when good reviews turn up, and last month we got another four-star review on Amazon for The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions: https://wp.me/p6H3KI-jnH
We also had a bit of excitement at WordCrafter Press when A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes, by Daniel J. Cox made the Amazon #1 Bestseller in Diabetes! It’s the first time a WordCrafter Press book has made the list, so we’re pretty proud of the accomplishment.
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; as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders. Her novels include Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Books 1 & 2 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and Double Visions.
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.
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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 sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services
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Book Review: “Into the Deep Dark Woods” & “A Harmony of Hells”
Posted: August 28, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Gothic, Horror, Mystery, Review, Short Fiction, Stories, Thriller | Tags: Allison Longueira, Book Review, Charles De Lint, Dark Fiction Anthology, Gothic Thriller, Harmony of Hells, Jonathan Maberry, Kevin J. Anderson, Sebastian de Castell, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Writing to be Read, Yves Fey Leave a comment
About Into the Deep Dark Woods
See what lurks in the deep, dark woods—a place of fairy tales, secrets, and monsters…
Where the unexpected looms at every turn.
Where twisted shadows meet dappled sunlight.
Where even the silence grows teeth.
Into the Deep, Dark Woods features 28 all-new stories and poems that explore the magic and mystery of the primeval wilderness. Venture from the decay of a demented pumpkin patch to worlds where dragons hide among the trees and the sycamore beckons the blue ghost fireflies. Face the strangeness of an alien planet, then dine in a themed restaurant that may or may not be staffed with werewolves.
Edited by New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and award-winning editor Allyson Longueira, along with their Publishing graduate students at Western Colorado University, this page-turning anthology presents new stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jonathan Maberry, Charles de Lint, Sebastien de Castell, and many others.
Step off the path and into a world where every tree tells a story and every clearing offers a choice. The deeper you go, the darker it gets.
The darker it gets, the more interesting the light becomes.
Welcome to the woods. Try not to get lost.
Purchase Link: https://wordfirepress.com/products/into-the-deep-dark-woods
My Review of Into the Deep Dark Woods
I received a digital copy of the Into the Deep Dark Woods anthology from executive editors Kevin J. Anderson and Allyson Longueira in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Into the Deep Dark Woods is this year’s anthology put out by the graduate in publishing students at Western State Colorado University. Every year international bestselling author, Kevin J Anderson guides a cohort of Western’s publishing students through the process of putting together and publishing an anthology on the professional level, through his publishing company, Wildfire Press and Draft2Digital, as a group thesis project. submission numbers are higher every year. My cohort in 2022 published Gilded Glass, with over 600 submissions, and I heard they had over 900 for this one. Every story or poem is hand selected by the grad students, and I’m always happy to review these wonderful anthologies.
There are things in the woods. Whether they be shape shifters, the undead, all types of crawly things, fearies & dragons, golems, witches, alien life forms, or just the trees themselves, the stories found in this collection will make you believe they are there and you should be very afraid.
Some stories made me laugh, others made me cry, some gave me the creeps and others had me sitting on the edge of my seat. There are so many good tales in this anthology, that I wouldn’t even attempt to try and review each one. But I will give you an idea about the ones which stick out in my mind:
- “Underneath the Sycamore Tree on the Hill”, by Sam Knight was sad and made me want to cry.
- “This Real World”, by Lea Harper was my favorite poem.
- “Mulch”, by Brent Nelson offers excellent dark humor.
- “Metsubishu”, by Benjamin Spada has the feel of Ninjas and Samurai. I try and view such stories through the eyes of my son, Mike, who absolutely would have loved this story, therefore, it gets my vote.
- “The Dreadwood Dragon”, by Sebastian de Castell is an intense tale of friendship and sacrifice which touched my heart and made me smile.
Whether the forest or the things which lurk within, there is definitely something to fear if you dare to venture Into the Deep Dark Woods. I give this dark fiction anthology five quills.
About A Harmony of Hells
A poet haunted by grief. A lover marked by blood. A sister silenced behind asylum walls.
In the decadent heart of fin de siècle Paris, Averill Charron makes a devil’s bargain. To rescue his sister—locked away by their father—he joins forces with the last man he should trust, Blaise Dancier, the crime lord who once ordered his death.
No longer enemies. Now they are lovers. Together they descend into the underworld, searching cabarets and crypts, brothels and back alleys, chasing whispers that lead to deception and death.
Even as they hunt for her, Jeanette fights for her freedom. But escape only leads to recapture. Once again, she’s trapped in a world where only dreams of forbidden love and the promise of revenge keep her sane.
Their paths converge in the drowning beauty of Venice at Carnevale, where every mask conceals a threat. In a world ruled by power, madness, and betrayal, love may be the final sacrifice.
A HARMONY OF HELLS…a love story with murders.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Hells-story-murders-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0FXVTR5DX
My Review of A Harmony of Hells
I received a copy of A Harmony of Hells: A Love Story of Paris…with Murders, by Yves Fey, through the Review Pool in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. I chose this book because of the awesome cover and because I love gothic horror and gothic mystery.
Let me start by saying, I’m not a big fan of m/m romance/sex scenes. It’s not a statement about morality, but rather something that doesn’t do anything for me, personally, so I will usually skip over those stories. But…, this story is written in such a way that the sex does not overwhelm the plot, and the romance is tactfully written to support the story. Although the m/m relationship does play a key role, and in places, it is very graphic, there is so much more to this story.
Driven by a need to find his sister, Jeanette, who has been hidden away in the asylums and brothels of Paris and beyond by his father, Averille makes an alliance with Blaise Dancier, Parisian crime lord. It is risky business, but he feels he has no choice, and then finds himself surrendering to lust and wholly giving himself over to a man he knows he shouldn’t trust. In the search for Jeanette, it seems they are always at least one step behind his father, but Jeanette is resourceful and works toward her freedom at every opportunity. Their efforts bring them so close to crossing paths, but not close enough, and it is a race for time to find one another before their father can whisk her away once more.
A scandalous gothic thriller that will keep readers turning pages. I give A Harmony of Hells five 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; as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders. Her novels include Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Books 1 & 2 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and Double Visions.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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WordCrafter News: August Release – “Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night”, Winners for the GEM Tour Giveaway & a Question about P.O.V.
Posted: July 27, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Mythology and Legend, Nonfiction, Point of View, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Tags: A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes, Anthology, Books, Daniel J. Cox, Giveaways, Legends: Monsters the go Bump in the Night, New release, WordCamp US 2026, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentWinners for the WordCrafter GEM Book Blog Tour Giveaway
We had a great tour last week and a successful. Launch of this groundbreaking method of empowerment for those with pre- and type 2 diabetes. If you followed the tour, by now, you’ve been thoroughly educated about Dr. Daniel J. Cox’s GEM method for managing diabetes and, if you have pre- or Type 2 diabetes, you may be ready to grab a copy of the book and get started. As promised, we’re giving away four signed print copies of A GEM for your Pre- or Type 2 Diabetes (non-U.S. residents, digital copies only), and now, it’s time to announce who the lucky winners are in the GEM Tour Giveaway.
And the Winners Are:
(Drumroll Please)
- PVCann (Roberta Writes)
- Liz Gauffreau (Roberta Writes)
- Kymber (Roberta Writes)
- Beth (Poetry by Mich)
Congratulations to the winners! If you haven’t heard from me yet, please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com to claim your prize. (If you don’t think you need this book, prizes are transferable to someone who does.)
August Release: Legends: Monsters That Go Bump In The Night
I’m so excited to tell you about this themed anthology, Legends: Monsters That Go Bump In The Night, which is scheduled to release August 18, 2026. Wendigos, succubus, chupacabras, the angel of death, the phoenix, Trooper 666, killer Jack O’Lanterns, Gilgul and urban legends of the babysitter, and the ghost girl of Cleveland; this anthology has it all. Contributing authors include: Kaye Lynne Booth, Abe Margel, Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, Sara W. McBride, C.R. Johansson, Robb T. White, Rebecca M. Senese, Daneaka Scrimshaw. Filled with tales shaped by diverse legends of haunting monsters that will keep you awake at night, in this thought provoking collection of stories. And the best part is, this exciting new themed anthology is already available for pre-order: https://books2read.com/LegendsMonsters, so you can reserve your copy today!
WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter Legends Book Blog Tour will run August 17 – 21, 2026. I’m excited about this tour because besides meeting some of the contributors through guest posts and readings, and some really fun stuff. Contributing author Chris Barili is offering his own fun photo game and giveaway connected to his story, “The Legend of Trooper 666”. He’ll be featured at the first tour stop and you’ll have all week to send us your photos, so you’ll want to be sure and catch that first stop for that. The winner will receive a print copy of Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night signed by Chris.
Then, you’ll want to follow the rest of the tour to get in on the cool new giveaway, where you get to put a puzzle together by naming the legend that each story is associated with. Winners will be chosen from the players with the most puzzle pieces at the end of the tour and they will receive one of three digital copies that we’re giving away. It’s going to be a lot of fun and hope you all will join us as we launch this originally themed anthology.
A Question About P.O.V.
Okay. So, July was supposed to be a writing month, so I could work on revising Marta. Mainly, I’m changing some of the characters to make the story more colorful. But, here’s the thing. Both of the first two books in the Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, were written in a single p.o.v., but with Marta, for certain things which I need to happen, there almost has to be multiple p.o.v.s for the story to unfold smoothly.
So, what do you think? Each book is about a single woman, and the first two books are in single p.o.v., which makes sense to me. Will readers expect this third book to also be in p.o.v.? Can I fulfill the promise of the premise of a book titled for the main character if I use multilple p.o.v.s? Would multiple p.o.v.s make the book less of a fit in the series? Let me know in the comments. I will greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Want to be notified when I have a new release?
Here’s a link where you can subscribe to get a notification from Books2Read whenever I have a new release out. If you’d like to be notified of my new releases, sign up here: https://books2read.com/author/kaye-lynne-booth/subscribe/1/112381/
WordCamp US 2026 Reminder
WordCamp US 2026 is the flagship North American event for the WordPress community, bringing together developers, designers, agency owners, bloggers, and builders for four days of sessions, workshops, networking, and contributor collaboration. This year, WordCamp US will be held at the Pheonix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona, August 16–19, and since I am an affiliate, they are offering my audience a great deal. The new Sunday–Wednesday schedule means the weekend before is free to explore the Phoenix area and the Pheonix Convention Center is fully air conditioned for cool comfort to enjoy WordCamp 2026.
The $100 general admission ticket covers four full days of sessions, workshops, and meals, and you can meet and chat with the representatives from WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, and Pressable, who sponsor WordCamp US 2026. Even better, as members of my audience, you can get $20 off a general admission ticket by using the code AF26 at us.wordcamp.org/2026/tickets/, so your admission will only cost you $80. But the offer is only good through the end of July, so if you plan to go and wish to use the affiliate discount, get your tickets now.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “WordCrafter News” is sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/
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The return of the Ask the Authors series
Posted: July 15, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Books, Nonfiction, WordCrafter Press, Writing, Writing Reference | Tags: Ask the Authors 2027, Ask the Authors Writing Reference Anthology Series, WordCrafter Press 10 Comments
I’m pleased to announce that I’m lining up authors for the return of the Ask the Authors writing reference anthology series, with Ask the Authors 2027, and I already have a pretty impressive line-up, if I do say so myself. In addition to myself, we have Paul Martz, Chris Barili, Patty Fletcher, Mario Acevedo, Jordan Elizabeth, L. Jagi Lamplighter, B.H. Skelly, DL Mullan, David Dean Haskell, Jonathan Maberry, Jeff Mariotte, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Todd Fahenstock, and Joseph Carrabis.
This writing reference series began as a monthly blog series, right here on Writing to be Read back in 2017, which I decided to convert into book form. When the time came to publish, Amazon’s requirement that none of the book content be available online for free forced me to pull down all the blog posts, so when I decided to do another volume in 2o22, I approached it a bit differently, and I used the blog series to whet readers appetites instead of a book blog tour, only publishing blog posts after the book was published. That method seemed to work quite well, offering readers a taste of the book content, so I plan to use that strategy again.
As with Ask the Authors 2022, each author will also contribute an essay or article on the writing subject of their choice to give us a wide variety of fresh and original content. I want to give my authors enough time to respond to the questions without feeling rushed, so I’ve been preparing the questionnaire already. Many of the questions will be the same, but with different authors and a rapidly changing industry, I have a feeling many of the answers will be different.
Because the publishing industry is rapidly changing, I want to be sure to offer some new questions and not just recycle the questions from the first two books, and I want your help. The subjects covered include: Writing Life, Pre-Writing Rituals & Research, Plot/Storyline, Character Development, Setting & World Building, Action, Pacing, Voice, Tense, P.O.V., Dialog, Editing & Revision, Publishing, Book Marketing. It can be anything related to writing and publishing. I’ll probably have some questions about the use of AI, and maybe some concerning reviews, that weren’t in there before, but I’d really like to hear what questions you have. Please let me know in the comments what questions you, as an author have, and would like to see answered. If they are questions which we don’t already have, I will add them to the list.
You can see the questions from 2022 by referencing the blog posts: Writing Life, Pre-Writing Rituals, Plot/Storyline, Character Development, Action, Pacing & Dialog, Voice, Person, Tense & POV, Setting & World Building, Editing & Revision, Publishing, and Book Marketing.
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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 Ask the Authors Writing Reference Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Ask the Authors: https://books2read.com/AsktheAuthors
Ask the Authors: https://books2read.com/AsktheAuthors2022
