A Review of my Poetry Collection, “Small Wonders”
Posted: April 14, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Poetry, Review, WordCrafter Press 5 Comments
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/SmallWonders
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Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 13, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Giveaways, Poetry, Poetry Readings, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Review, Giveaway, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Reading, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a comment
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?
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A Look at Poetry Reviews from the Past Year: The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet
Posted: April 13, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Poetry, Review | Tags: Book Review, M.J. Mallon, National Poetry Month, Poetry, The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet, Writing to be Read 3 Comments
It celebration of National Poetry Month, I’m reblogging my poetry reviews from the past year on Saturdays throughout April in case you missed any of these noteworthy poetry collections.
Today’s review is The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet, by M.J. Mallon
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Book Review: The Body in the Attic
Posted: April 12, 2024 Filed under: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Mystery, Review | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Devon Sorvari, Judi Lynn, mystery, The Body in the Attic, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
About the Book
Welcome to River Bluffs, Indiana, a cozy small town populated with charming homes, close-knit families, and the occasional deadly secret….
House-flipper Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod have found their latest project. The property, formerly owned by the late Cal Juniper, is filled with debris that must be cleared before the real renovation begins. But a trip to the attic reveals something more disturbing than forgotten garbage – a skeleton wearing a locket and rings that Jazzi recognizes….
Tests confirm that the bones belong to Jazzi’s aunt Lynda, who everyone assumed moved to New York years ago after breaking up with Cal. Soon enough, the whole family is involved, sifting through memories and rumors as they try to piece together what really happened to Lynda – and the baby she gave up for adoption. In between investigating and remodeling, Jazzi is falling for the old house’s charms – and for her gorgeous contractor, Ansel. But with surprises lurking in every nook and cranny, a killer might be waiting to demolish her dreams for good….
Purchase Links:
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/The-Body-in-Attic-Judi-Lynn-audiobook/dp/B07TT8CFRP/
Chime: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/the-body-in-the-attic-by-judi-lynn
My Review
I listened to the audiobook of The Body in the Attic, by Judi Lynn, and narrated by Devon Sorvari. I was drawn to this book by the title, and found the story to be well written, with all the makings of a good mystery, but I had difficulty with the narration, which often seemed just a little off, without proper inflection. The story was good enough to keep me listening through to the end, in spite of this, but each time an inflection was off, it pulled me out of the story.
When a body is found in a trunk in the attic of a house Jazzi is flipping, it solves the 30 year old mystery of why her aunt disappeared, but it opens up a new one. Who killed her? When a second, newer body is found on the property, it opens even more questions which need to be answered, especially when the two murders appear to be connected. While digging up the facts about her aunt’s disappearance, Jazzi uncovers the clues that will solve both mysteries, with the aid of a very helpful detective who, for some reason, shares the information on the case with her freely and takes her with him to confront the witnesses. (Okay, I admit, I had a hard time suspending disbelief on that one.)
A good mystery story, with less than perfect narration. I give The Body in the Attic 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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Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treaasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 11, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Books, Giveaways, Guest Post, Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentToday 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.
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 10, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Author Interview, Book Release, Books, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Author Interview, Emily Gmitter, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Reading, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, Selma Martin, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 6 CommentsDay 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.
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Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Early Readers #GrowingBookworms #childrensfiction
Posted: April 10, 2024 Filed under: Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Interactive Books | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read 47 Comments
Encouraging children to read is very important. Reading helps children build language skills, learn about the larger world and also, develop empathy and emotional awareness. Parents reading to their children is one of the greatest gifts you can give.
In order to ensure the children are fully engaged in the book and story, it is important to read age appropriate books. If a story is to complex for a child, he/she will not fully engage and will lose interest. If the book is to easy for the child, he/she will not learn anything new and there will be no progression.
This is a summary of the different age groups for children’s books:
Books for toddlers
These books are aimed at children up to approximately 3 years old. They are printed on hard cardboard for durability and usually contain interesting pictures with accompanying words and/or phrases.
Early picture books
The age group for these books is 2 to 5 years old. These books are driven by colourful illustrations and often teach a life lesson about friendship, empathy, and kindness. They help teach children the social skills they need for school. The text is simple but stimulating.
Picture books
Picture books are aimed at children aged between 5 and 8 years old. These books contain a full story, sometimes told in rhyming verse, and contained beautiful pictures and illustrations to maintain interest and aid reading. These books are usually between 600 to 1,000 words in length and often include educational material.
This is the target market for most of my children’s books which are interactive and also include recipes (Sir Chocolate books), activities for children (Sir Chocolate Highdays and Holidays books series) and wildlife facts, photographs and wildlife videos (Southern African Safari Adventures Books).
First chapter books and graphic novels
These books are aimed at children who have learned to read on their own. They are usually between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length and contain a more complex story line. While these books still contain illustrations, there is more text than pictures in the book. The storylines often still adhere to the concepts of acceptance, friendship, and sharing. These books can also expand into more complex areas such as nature conservation and exploration.
Michael and my book, Haunted Halloween Holiday, fits into this category. This story’s primary messaging is around acceptance and diversity. The family unit around which the story revolves comprises of Count Sugular, a vampire, Witch Honey, their baby, Baby Howler, who is a banshee, and Skelly, Count Sugular’s brother who is a skeleton.
I created a short YT video story called Haunted Halloween Safari which uses some of the characters from Haunted Halloween Holiday and gives an idea of writing and creative level of this type of book.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
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Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
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Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 9, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Giveaways, Poetry, Poetry Readings, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Andrew McDowell, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Poetry Readings, Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a commentToday 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!
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Welcome to the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature” Book Blog Tour
Posted: April 8, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Promotion, Books, Giveaways, Nature, Nature writing, Poetry, Poetry Readings, Treasuring Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 100 CommentsIt’s day 1 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 4 Book Blog Tour, and today we have contributing poet D.L. Finn with a reading of her poem, “The Island”. Stick with the tour for the rest of the week for readings and guest posts from contributing authors Andrew McDowell, Patricia Furstenberg, Merril D. Smith, Selma Martin and Robbie Cheadle, an interview with contributing author Emily Gmitter, and a review on Carla Loves to Read. If you leave a comment at each stop, you’ll be entered in our great giveaway.
Giveaway
Leave a comment for a chance to win one of three free copies of
Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature.
Leave a comment at each stop for additional chances.
Winners chosen by random drawing.
You can keep up with the tour through the links in the schedule below, but they won’t work until each stop goes live.
Mon. April 8 – Writing to be Read – Reading by D.L. Finn
Tues. April 9 – Yesterday and Today: Merril’s Historical Musings – Reading by Andrew McDowell
Wed. April 10 – Book Places – Interview w/ Emily Gmitter & Reading by Selma Martin
Thurs. April 11 – d.l. finn author – Guest post by Patricia Furstenberg
Fri. April 12 – Colleen Chesebro, Author & Poet – Guest post by Merril D. Smith
Sat. April 13 – Carla Reads – Review/ Reading by Robbie Cheadle
Book Trailer
About the Anthology
This volume of the Poetry Treasures series is a special one for me because it is the first volume to feature my works. I am proud to be featured along side such talented poets as Colleen Chesebro, D.L. Finn, Frank Prem, and Robbie Cheadle who I have gotten to know and I am familiar with their works. In addition, I got to work woth many creative poets who were new to me, introduced through Robbie’s “Treasuring Poetry” series right along with the series readers. These include Andrew McDowell, Patricia Furstenberg, Emily Gmitter, Marcia Meara, Selma Martin, Luanne Castle, and Merril D. Smith. Without their contributions and willingness to pitch in with the promotions, there would be no anthology. I have so enjoyed working with this group of poets, who have stuggled to meet tight deadlines and put up with my confusions as I shuffled through emails to & from hosts and contributors, and contributors who were also acting as hosts as I put this blog tour together. A big thanks goes out to them for all their efforts and hard work.
The quality of poetry in this volume makes it a poetry treasure to be sure, and I’ve had several contributors thank me for all my hard work. It has been a labor of love. But although I co-edited and did the final formatting, this is really Robbie’s baby, and without all of her hard work, this project wouldn’t be. The anthology was born from Robbie’s “Treasuring Poetry” blog series, and it is Robbie who invited the guests to submit their work, compiled and organized them all into a coherent manuscript, and did the first round of editing. Somehow, she fit all that into her very busy life, and it is she who should be commended, not I.
This is my blog post, my addition to the tour as a contributing author, as well as editor of the project. I will not burden you with my photo and bio, which you, my readers, see with every post I make. Instead I will get right to the main attraction for this stop and move on to a reading by contributing author D.L. Finn.
Introduction of D.L. Finn
Author of children’s books, adult fiction and poetry, D.L. Finn is a multi-talented Califirnia author. Her Haibun and syllabic poetry draw vivid pictures in the mind and I am pleased to feature her works within this volume of Poetry Treasures. She shares with us today a reading of her poem, “The Island”.
Reading of “The Island”, by D.L. Finn
About D.L. Finn
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
About Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature
Open the cover
and you will discover
Poetry Treasures
from the guests on
Robbie Cheadle’s 2023
“Treasuring Poetry”
blog series
on Writing to be Read.
Included are poetic gems from: Andrew McDowell, Robbie Cheadle, Patricia Furstenberg, Marcia Meara, Luanne Castle, D.L. Finn, Emily Gmitter, Kaye Lynne Booth, Selma Martin, Merril D. Smith, Frank Prem, and Colleen Chesebro.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/mlM5YA
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That wraps up today’s stop. Don’t forget to leave a comment and enter the giveaway for a free copy of this lovely poetry collection. Tomorrow will find us over at Colleen Chesebro, Author & Poet with a guest post by contributing poet, Merril D. Smith. Join us and don’t forget to leave a comment for another chance to win a free digital copy of Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature.
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Reviews of my poetry collection, “Small Wonders”
Posted: April 7, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Poetry, Review | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, Poetry, Poetry Collection, Small Wonders, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentOn sale for National Poetry Month – Only $2.99
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/SmallWonders
