WordCrafter News: My Backyard Friends Release and Tour & Summer Reading List Discounts

Newsprint background. WordCrafter quill logo Text: WordCrafter News

July Releases

The first three books in the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series will be released through retailers on July 16th. Written by me, Kaye Lynne Booth and Illustrated by Robbie Cheadle this series brings kids stories with moral lessons, inspired by the birds and animals that visit my backyard. All three are available for preorder now.

Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/u/471vzj

Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/u/3LL5K7

Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/u/md2YLO

Meet the Characters of the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series

Join us July 15-22 for the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour to send this kid’s book series off right. We’ll have a My Backyard Friends store with exclusive offers for books and MBF merchandise you won’t want to miss. The store will go up one opening day and will be available throughout this eight-day tour. Other stops will feature character interviews, guest posts from me and one from Robbie, as well as reviews of each book.

WordCrafter Press Summer Reading List Discounts

Short fiction anthologies on the WordCrafter Press Summer Reading List are discounted through August 31. Get these fantastic anthologies at great prices while they last for some entertaining and captivating summer reads.

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This segment of “WordCrafter News” is sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.

WordCrafter Logo: Letters WC with a quill in the background.

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/


Yikes! I don’t have a post for today!

Sunset

How did this happen? I always have my posts scheduled ahead of time, but today’s post snuck past me. What to do? I guess I’ll have to wing it.

I can start by telling you that I once again have a day job, which is probably why this post got by me. I’ve been training for the past two weeks. You don’t know how relieved I am to know I’ll have steady money coming in once again. It’s rough trying to survive off just my books and my writing. Maybe this is why many authors still hold day jobs. I know trying to manage for the past year without one has been rough. Maybe now I can start putting my writing monies back into the WordCrafter business. So, that’s my big and exciting news.

My Backyard Friends Kid's Book Series with three books on digital devices: Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans, and Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home

While not employed elsewhere, I’ve been busy preparing for upcoming releases, including my kid’s book series, which releases the first three books July 16: Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans, and Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home. We’re launching with a book blog tour to send them off right, and to raise funds to publish each one in color print format, because black & white print won’t do for Robbie’s wonderful illustrations. I hope you’ll all join us for the tour to meet the My Backyard Friends characters and get a glimpse of those beautiful illustrations, and help support the color print publications.

Book Cover: A futuristic esclator leading into a dark undefinable realm.
Text: Dark Fiction, Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

I’ve also been combing through the submissions for two anthologies scheduled for this coming autumn. I announced the winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest – M.J. Mallon and her story, “The Seagull Man”, and I’m geting ready to go through the by invitation submissions for the Dark Fiction anthology, that is as yet untitled. Once I’ve read them all and I have a better idea of the shape this short fiction collection, I’ll decide on the title. And I just finished editing the submissions for the Tales From the Hanging Tree anthology and sending them back to the authors for revisions. This is a themed anthology and it didn’t get a lot of submissions, so I’m writing a second story to be included to fill it out a bit.

Book cover: A dark tree with nooses hanging from the branches and dark figures standing below it.
Text: Tales from the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Traagedy, a WordCrafter Anthology, Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

Other than that, I’ve been getting my office set up, as best I can with what I’ve got, hanging out with my cat, Rowdy, taking morning walks and eating a lot of peanut butter, mayonaise and lettuce sandwiches. Maybe now that I’m working outside this little box I call an office, maybe I’ll be able to visit some of my favorite resturaunts and go visit some of my favorite places to camp this summer. There’s a book launch in Gunnison in July that I’d really like to attend and a few ideas floating around in my head for new projects. If I make it, I’ll tell you all about it. 😉

Black and white cat in a basket in an unfinished room with a desk and books.
Rowdy the cat in his bed in my office.

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About the Author

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 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/


Summer Reading List from WordCrafter Press On Sale Now

Now through August 31, all WordCrafter Press anthologies on our summer reading list are on sale!

Lingering Spirit Whispers

Three great WordCrafter paranormal anthologies bundled into one exceptional paranormal anthology set: Whispers of the PastSpirits of the West, and Where Spirits Linger. Thought provoking short fiction for every lover of ghost stories and paranormal tales.

Only $4.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/LingeringSpiritWhispers

Once Upon am Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore

This unique and imaginative collection of eleven thought provoking fantasy stories will delight readers who enjoy stories of wishes gone awry.

What happens when…

A woman desires to carry on her family’s legacy, uncovering a long-buried curse?

A not so perfect witch casts a spell to defy age and preserve her relationship with her handsome shapeshifting familiar?

A time traveler longs to be the savior of knowledge lost?

An incompetent delivery boy becomes an unlikely savior of forgotten artifacts?

A magic mirror yearns for a different question?

A tiny story witch desires to share her stories with the world?

Spells are cast, unlikely alliances made, and wishes granted, sometimes with surprising outcomes. You’ll love this anthology of modern myths, lore, and fairy tales. Once you read these twisted tales, you’ll be sure to be careful what you wish for….

If you liked Gilded Glass, you’ll enjoy Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Myths & Fairy Tales, short stories with thought provoking themes, captivating characters and diverse cultures, from humorous to horrifying, from the legendary past to possible futures and back to the here and now.

Only $2.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31.

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

Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception

Reflections and Refractions…

One reveals truths, while the other bends light into varying shapes of deception.

Does a small camp mirror reveal hope… or death?

Is the warrior in the mirror a monster… or a protector?

Does a glimpse in the  mirror reveal a young woman’s true self… or what someone else has shaped her into?

Does the mysterious portal to the future reflect what could be… or what must be left behind?

Are the dancers reflected in the water’s depth things of beauty… or evil?

This unique and imaginative collection of nine mind tantalizing fantasy and science fiction stories will appeal to readers who enjoy thought provoking tales with hidden meanings resting deep below the surface. These stories will keep you pondering long into the night.

If you liked Gilded Glass or Once Upon an Ever After, you’ll love Refracted Reflections.

Only $2.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31.

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

Visions

An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.

What happens when:

An inexplicable monster plagues a town for generations, taking people… and souvenirs?

A post-apocalyptic band of travelers finds their salvation in an archaic machine?

The prey turns out to be the predator for a band of human traffickers?

Someone chooses to be happy in a world where emotions are regulated and controlled?

A village girl is chosen to be the spider queen?

Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their Visions

Only $3.99 during the Summer Reading List sale June 15 – August 31.

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

Midnight Roost: Weird & Creepy Stories

20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare.

Only $4.99 during the WordCrafter Summer Readng List Sale June 15 – August 31.

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

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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.


Announcing the Winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest

Congratulations to the Winners!

I’m excited to announce that the winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest is M.J. Mallon, with her story, “The Seagull Man” – an exquistly dark short story. Runners-up have also been invited to be included in the anthology and a select few were asked to revise and submit for round two amd may be included, depending on how much room we have after all invitational submissions have been considered.

Runners-up included:

  • “The Fae Game”, by Danaeka Scrimshaw
  • “The Peddler”, by Peter McKay
  • “The Blackest Ink”, by Paul Martz
  • “Antepenultimate”, by Molly Ertel

We had a good number of submissions to the contest this year, and together with the stories submitted by invitation, we’re going to have a deliciously dark fiction anthology come October. I am going through the invitational submissions now.


Submission Deadline Approaching

Time is running out fast for you to get your submission on for the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction contest, and a chance to have your story featured in the 2024 Dark Fiction anthology by WordCrafter Press. The approching deadline is April 30, 2024. You can find the submission guidelines here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/01/01/call-for-submissions/


Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour

It’s the last stop on the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour, and we’re over at Carla Loves to Read with Carla’s review and a lovely reading by Robbie Cheadle of her poem, “Long Day (In the Bush)”. The perfect way to wrap up this wonderful tour and send off for this delightful anthology, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature. Won’t you join us?


Day 5 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour

We’re over at Colleen Chesebro, Author & Poet blog site for Day 5 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour witha guest post from contributing author, Merril D. Smith and a reading of her poem “Trinity” from Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature. Join us in celebrating the release of this poetry anthology, a lovely tribute to the natural world. Leave a comment for a chance at a free digital copy of the book.


Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treaasures 4” Book Blog Tour

Today is Day 4 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour and we’re over at D.L. Finn’s lovely blog site, d.l.finn author, with a guest post from contributing poet, Patricia Furstenberg. Please join us in sending of this lovely poetry anthology, and leave a comment to show your support of its contributors and enter in the giveaway. Come on by and learn more.


Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour

Day 3 of the Wordcrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour finds us over at Book Places where Kay Castenada interviews contributing poet, Emily Gmitter, and Selma Martin shares a beautiful reading of her poem “The Bridge Home”. Please join us in sending of this very special poetry anthology, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature. Be sure to leave a comment to enter the giveaway, too.


Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour

Today were over at Merril’s Historical Musings for Day 2 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour with a lovely reading from contributing poet, Andrew McDowell. Join us in launching this delightful poetry collection and support the contributing poets. And don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free digital copy in the #giveaway!