WordCrafter Holiday Extravaganza Sale

The WordCrafter Sale of the Year

Did you know that WordCrafter is having a Holiday Extravaganza Sale that includes every book in the entire WordCrafter Press backlist?

That’s right.

And books make great holiday gifts. Treat someone you know or treat yourself this holiday season.

December 1 – 22 every book in the WordCrafter Press back list is at a discounted price. Check it out.

Writing References

Book Cover: Large question marks, an ink well and colorful quill
Text: Ask The Authors, A WordCrafter Writing Reference Anthology, Compiled and Edited by Kaye Lynne Boothj

Ask The Authors – Only .99 cents

https://books2read.com/u/mdzvwO

Book Cover: Large question marks, an ink well and a colorful quill
Text: Ask The Authors 2022, A WordCrafter Writing Reference Anthology, Compiled and Edited by KAye Lynne Booth

Ask The Authors 2022 – Only $2.99

https://books2read.com/u/4Xejve

Fantasy/Science Fiction/Paranormal/Horror Anthologies

Once Upon an Ever After:

Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore

Only $2.50

https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV

Refracted Reflections:

Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception

Only $2.50

https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn

Visions – Only $2.99

https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

Poetry Anthologies & Collections

Poetry Treasures – Only $2.99

https://books2read.com/u/3n7BDR

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships

Only $2.50

https://books2read.com/u/3kP8aK

Behind Closed Doors:

a collection of unusual poems

by Robbie Cheadle

Only $2.99

https://books2read.com/u/md7r1Z

Feral Tenderness:

Poetry and Photography

by Arthur Rosch

Only $2.99

https://books2read.com/u/bPXpoA

Books By Kaye Lynne Booth

Last Call

And Other Short Fiction

by Kaye Lynne Booth

Only .99 cents

https://books2read.com/u/4jL2no

Hidden Secrets

Paranormal Mystery Novella

by Kaye Lynne Booth

Only $1.99

https://books2read.com/u/38RZ2O

Daily Devotionals

Raise the Tide

Daily Devotional

by James Richards

https://books2read.com/u/ml2l6B

Paranormal Anthologies

Whispers of the Past

Paranormal Anthology

Only $1.99

https://books2read.com/u/38EGEL

Spirits of the West

Western Paranormal Anthology

Only $1.99

https://books2read.com/u/ml2Kxq

Where Spirits Linger

Paranormal Anthology

Only .99 cents

https://books2read.com/u/mYGyNG

Lingering Spirit Whispers

Paranormal Anthology Set

Only $3.99

https://books2read.com/u/mB2qrk


Book Review: “The Town Santa Forgot”

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

In the small town of Saguaro Hill, Arizona, there is an ongoing history-mystery as to why Santa has never visited. Children have never received a single gift for the Yuletide holidays since the town’s establishment in 1888.

The public librarian, Rachel George, is tasked by Mayor Higgins to research the urban legend and discover the real reason why Santa has never flown over, let alone stepped foot, in their village.

Rumors abound, but are there any facts to this case?

Or, will Santa remain a no-show for the ages?

Rachel is determined to find out the truth as to why she lives in The Town Santa Forgot.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQDK1RPD

My Review

The Town Santa Forgot, by DL Mullan a short story which reads like a classic Christmas mystery. This is the kind of heart warming tale you want to read with your family, sitting around the tree, with a fire warming the hearth.

Rachel George is the head librarian in Seguaro Hills, Arizona, dubbed the town that Santa forgot. It was named so because Santa Clause hasn’t visited this town for over a century. No one knows why Santa has neglected them, but despite being left off Santa’s GPS, the town maintains their Christmas spirit in hopes that someday he will return. It falls on Rachel to find out why Santa has forgotton Seguaro and save Christmas, but she must dig deep into the town’s history to solve the mystery.

A tale that will tickle the whole family’s fancies. The perfect holiday gift, but would be fun to read year round. As with most Christmas stories, this one is filled with love and hope. I give The Town Santa Forgot five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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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 here.


Writer’s Corner: Let’s Talk About AI

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

The Debate Over AI

I got an email the other day title, “Use AI to Write Your Book in a Flash”. I think Alexa, and Siri, and Google Assistant are annoying, and only correct a portion of the time. So when I saw this email, my first thought was, “Who would want to read a book written by AI?”

AI applications and tools are improving rapidly, so the idea of AI writing my book for me isn’t that far fetched. But the more I though about it, the more offended I became. I write as a means of expressing myself using my ideas, my words, my voice. I wouldn’t want an AI to write my whole book, no matter how fast it can do it. How could they actually believe an unfeeling, inhuman AI tool could even attempt to write for me?

The fact is, most of us already use AI in our daily lives, and we probably don’t even give it a second thought anymore. Most of us an Alexa, or Siri, or Google Assistant, or an equivilant AI device which we use to gain information, turn on our lights, play music, or even tell us a joke. We’ve come to accept AI as a part of daily life.

But when folks start talking about using AI for writing or narrating a book, concerned voices come out of the dark to express displeasure, siting several reasons why using AI with books and literature is not a desirable thing, but one or two stand out: AI created or narrated books are cheating, and take away human jobs.

We’re going to look at the validity of that argument, but first, let’s talk about the different types of AI and what they can and can’t do. Many of us already use AI in our writing, too, but we may not even realize it. Do you use the automatic spell checker that is built into Microsoft Word? Or maybe you use Grammerly or ProWriting Aid to help polish your words? Not so many because not all authors have audiobooks out, but some, may take advantage of the free AI narration for audio books available on Google Play. And then of course, there is Chat GTP, or [ ] which many authors use to help them in their research or in creating setting or character description.

The Creative Penn Podcast on AI

Joanna Penn is a futurist author and podcaster who is usually at least two or three steps ahead of the trends on The Creative Penn podcast. AI has been a hot topic on her poscast and she has many episodes which cover this topic. Penn is transparent in her use of AI in her writing and in creating illustrations. She has played with AI narration, and even had an AI voice created from her own voice, which she claims has saved her tremendous time in creating her audiobooks, which she previously narrated herself. In a couple of her podcast episodes, Penn plays the AI narrations for one of her audiobooks in a couple of different voices to illustrate the quality of AI narration that could be achieved. And I know that quality has improved even more since she recorded those episodes.

If AI is cheating, then with the narration, Penn is only cheating herself. She places disclaimers, letting readers know if a creative work is made with AI and in what capacity, so no one feels fooled or tricked. Although some people are out there pushing the use of AI to ‘write your book quick’, Penn points out that AI technology are simply tools to be used by the author or artist in the creative process. On The Creative Penn podcast, Joanna talks about how she uses ChatGPT and Mid-Journey to assist her in her research, and how she tells the AI what she is looking for and then can refine her search or tell it to make adjustments to a paragraph or an image until it meets what she has envisioned in her own head.

If you are interested in hearing what Joanna Penn has to say about the use of AI, you might try one or more of the episodes listed below.

Now, I don’t pretend to understand a lot of this because I haven’t used Chat GPT or Mid-Journey myself yet, so I can only go by what I hear, but I think it is something that is definitely worth looking into. As a DIY author, publisher, and book marketer, anything that can save me time and help me improve my writing or help sell more books is worth further exploration.

How I Use AI

As I write, I use the AI generated grammar and spellchecker that is built into MS Word, and I bet you do, too. I also employ the free version of ProWriting Aid as I do the final pass on all manuscripts, for myself and others. The AI generated tools pick up errors that I have missed, because hey, I’m only human. I don’t accept every suggestion offered, but they show me things I need to look at, and then I decide if changes are in order, and what type of changes should be made. But again, the AI tools are helpful in pointing out where there are possible errors, or suggesting a better way to say something, but the AI isn’t always right. Suggested corrections don’t always take voice or tone into account, and I, as the author make the final decisions about what goes on the page.

I have not tried using an AI tool such as Chat GPT, but I can see the potential. If I had a tool that could assist me in thinking through each scene, with suggestions for options at my fingertips, I think it would save me a lot of time. And a tool that could help me, who cannot draw well and is not artistic in that way, to create my own images for book covers, illustration and promotion, is something I want to know more about. I’m creating my own images anyway, but perhaps AI could help me make my images better.

Doing my own audiobooks is something I’ve been looking at for a while, but haven’t yet been able to pull off. The idea of creating an AI voice from my own definitely appeals to me, since audiobook creation requires a lot of time that I don’t seem to have. I don’t know enough about it right now to make any rash decisions, but I certainly want to know more. I have listened to AI generated narration that sounds pretty good, and I’ve heard Mark Leslie Lefabvre’s AI narration created from his own voice, which offers few clues that it isn’t the real Mark. (I can’t find the episode now, but at the end of one recent episode of the Stark Reflections podcast, he plays his final reflections read by his AI voice.)

WordCrafter Press also used an AI generated image and voice in the book trailer for the 2023 anthology, Midnight Roost, created by DL Mullan and Undawnted. And frankly, I think it is an outstanding book trailer and the AI made it really cool. This is an awesome way to showcase the authors and the anthology as a whole. Give it a watch below and see what you think. I can definitely see how a tool such as the one used by Mullan could be a great asset in my advertising tool kit.

Midnight Roost Book Trailer

AI is Just a Tool

You can guess from the above post that AI tools are something I have an interest in using. Many of us already use AI tools, even if we don’t look at it that way. I know I used the AI spell checker on MS Word and ProWriting Aid without thinking twice, because they made my life as a writer easier. But as Joanna Penn repeatedly points out, AI can’t do it alone, it needs your input, your humanity, to do what it is programed to do. Alone AI can’t write a thing.

Let me know what you think about the use of AI tools in the comments.

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Author Kaye Lynne Booth headshot

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; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. 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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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.


Book Review: The Ones They Buried

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

Phoebe Watson was a rising star in the fitness world. Then she disappeared.

The mystery captivates the nation, and the investigation takes a dark turn when her body is discovered a year later, buried deep in a remote, wooded area.

Only one person seems to know something about those remains—multi-millionaire Catherine Bower, one of Phoebe’s former clients. Soon after Phoebe disappeared, Catherine suffered a life-altering accident.

FBI Special Agent Victoria Heslin believes there’s a connection between Phoebe’s murder and Catherine’s accident. As Victoria digs deeper, she uncovers a thick web of secrets and lies, and every thread she untangles points toward a shocking truth.

Bestselling author Jenifer Ruff’s latest chilling crime fiction novel will have you on the edge of your seat as you unravel the clues. The Ones They Buried is book 8 in the award-winning Agent Victoria Heslin crime fiction mystery series. Each of the books features a unique investigation and can ABSOLUTELY be read as a STANDALONE.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Ones-Buried-Agent-Victoria-Heslin-ebook/dp/B0CD8VGFVK/

My Review

I was already a fan of Jennifer Ruff’s Agent Victoria Hesling Thrillers, having reviewed several. It seems I’ve missed a couple, since The Ones They Buried in number eight, but that is okay, because the books in this series are all good as stand alones.

You can see my other reviews of Jenifer Ruff’s books here:

In The Ones They Buried, Jennifer Ruff has outdone herself. This book has enough twists and turns, and red herrings to make the killer reveal a true surprise. Skillfully crafted to keep readers guessing.

A dead body is found in the woods, and identified as a woman who disappeared a year ago, starting an investigation into the prestigeous family of the woman who employed her at the time of her death. But who is the killer? George the gardener, who was the last person to see her? His shady brother-in-law with a criminal record? Katherine’s adulterous husband? Or someone else? Katherine knows, but she can’t communicate the truth if she wanted to due to an unfortunate swimming accident which deprived her of oxygen for too long. But was it an accident, or was someone tring to silence her because she knew too much? It’s up to Agent Victoria Hessling to find out, but someone is trying to stop her. No spoilers. You’ll have to read the book to find out who and why.

Ruff is the master of crime thriller fiction. I give The Ones They Buried five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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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 here.


Book Review – War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches

A box full of books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

Book Cover: A tripod with tentacles carrying a globe.
Text: "A Rollicking Good Compilation...Highly Recommended." Library Journal, War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches, An Anthology Edited by Kevin J. Anderson, Including Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, Walter Jon Williams, Gregory Benford & David Brin, Mike Resnick

Nineteen gut-wrenching reports from the front lines of the War of the Worlds, as logged by Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, H.P. Lovecraft, Winston Churchill, Jules Verne, and many of the other most famous writers of the time. The most popular and acclaimed science fiction writers of today relive the Martian invasion through the eyes of their famous predecessors.

My Review

I received War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches as a stretch goal reward from Kevin J. Anderson’s Bats in the Belfry Kickstarter campaign. This anthology offers a global take on the invasion begun in a novel by H.G. Wells and the 1938 radio broadcast that caused near panic when thought to be real. Compiled by Kevin J. Anderson, this anthology contains stories by various authors, portraying the invasion through the eyes of various historical figures. Authors with featured dispatches include Kevin J. Anderson, Dave Wolverton, Mike Resnick, David Brin, Gregory Benford, Walter Jon Williams, Connie Willis, Robert Silverberg, and others. MacLeod Andrews narrates these fictional tales from arounf the globe.

H.G. Wells nearly created a mass hysteria with his famous radio broadcast in 1938. By now, we’re all familiar with the infamous tale of a Martian invasion and foiled plan to take over the world. They came, smashing their cyclinders into the Earth at every vantage point they could find. We know what happened here in the U.S., where the original story was set, but what about the rest of the world?

Global Dispatches presents nineteen different perspectives on the Martian invasion from around the world, with more tripods and tentacles than you can count. Mike Resnik offers up the perspective of Theodore Roosevelt, Kevin J. Anderson speaks as Percival Lowell, a Chinese Empress speaks through Walter Jon Williams, Danial Marcus gives us the Picaso perspective, etc… How each of these historical figures might have percieved such an alien invasion is presented through nineteen talented authors.

To me, it seemed like all these stories were just more of the same, and I was easily bored as one tripod looks the same as the next. The fact that I was familiar with the oiginal story and knew how it ended, made it difficult for me to feel fear for any of the characters in these tales. Reactions are not surprising. All watch in fear as the invaders wreck havoc wherever they are until they all eventually come to a halt as our viruses and germs which their systems couldn’t fight off.

Although it may be interesting to explore this tale from different historical perspectives, how much variance can there be between the different areas of the globe? This one wasn’t for me. I give this story collection 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 here.


Join WordCrafter for Sonoran Dawn’s Yuletide Jingle- Cover Reveal Party

https://www.facebook.com/events/813348287206158/?ti=ls

This is an invitation for you all to join WordCrafter Press for the holidays over on Sonoran Dawn’s Yuletide Jingle – Cover Reveal Party. This holiday book event will last three days, December 9th – 11th, with three different time blocks will be available for author takeovers, so all our author friends around the globe will have opportunity to participate. Come promote your work, party with us, and be there for the cover reveal for The Town Santa Forgot, the new short story by DL Mullan. You can R.S.V.P. at the link above or watch for my invites on Facebook. Sign up for an author takeover as soon as she posts the schedules, because author slots may go quickly.

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.


Book Review: Terror in the Shadows

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

Prepare to be captivated by “Terror in the Shadows,” a gripping paranormal, mystery, suspense novel that plunges into a world of hidden secrets and uncertain destinies. Kelsey, a tenacious young reporter known for chasing stories, suddenly vanishes, paralleling the puzzling disappearance of her mother three months ago. As time ticks away, the race to find Kelsey becomes a desperate pursuit for Detective Silverton.

Haunted by the mysterious photo of Kelsey, Lucy, a mysterious man with an intriguing connection to the supernatural, feels an unwavering urge to aid in the search. With his enigmatic powers, he reveals the missing pieces as they rush into the shadows to unearth long-hidden truths.

In a realm where secrets and lies intertwine, ancient powers stir from their slumber, ready to shape the fate of all involved. Within this realm, where the boundaries between light and dark blur, Kelsey’s fate hangs in the balance.

As Detective Silverton uncovers the truth behind Kelsey and her mother’s disappearance, he walks a treacherous tightrope between saving the young woman and losing everyone he loves. The stakes have never been higher as the clock relentlessly counts down.

With each page turned, “Terror in the Shadows” will immerse you in a world where gripping suspense and unexpected twists reign supreme. As the story unfolds, you’ll be held enthralled from the very first page to the heart-stopping climax. Will the truth set Kelsey free, or will she become another headline shadowed by darkness?

Prepare yourself for an exhilarating journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat, yearning for answers until the last word. “Terror in the Shadows” will leave you craving more, long after you’ve turned the last page.”

My Review

I requested a copy of this book from the author, Jupiter Rose, in exchange for an honest review, because the cover caught my eye. (Yes, I often consciously choose books by their covers.) The flaming pentagram with the figure of a man in it intrigued me and the title, Terror in the Shadows, promised a tale of dark fiction or horror to keep one awake at night. While this story has a lot of potential to be an excellent dark fantasy thriller, it failed to deliver on its promise.

It has an excellent premise, with witches and witch hunters, and even an appearance from the Dark Lord, himself, going by the name of Lucy. The mysterious disappearance of Kelsey’s mother starts things off, but we only get to learn about it through Kelsey’s thoughts before Kelsey herself disappears and it’s up to her two best friends Frank and Jennifer to find her before it’s too late. There are mysterious men stalking her, and a mysterious man who appears out of nowhere to help find her who has more information than he should, all building up to a climatic confrontation between the hunters and the hunted. I loved the tale enough to finish the book despite the problems that I found with it which included:

  • Massive head hopping. This story changes P.O.V. so often it’s difficult to know whose head your in – sometimes as often as every other paragraph.
  • Numerous typos, sometimes changing gender identifiers within a single sentence.
  • The characters were likeable enough, but they lacked depth, which could have easily been remedied by staying in P.O.V. so we could get more of their inner feelings and resonate with the reasons for their actions. There are too many extraordinary events that are reacted to by the characters as if they were every day occurrences, and no understanding as to why that would be.
  • Needed to be more realistic, and plot holes that need patched. The character of Frank, in particular, was hard to figure out. He is portrayed as a policeman, but his behavior is very un-cop-like. They all have massive time off of work to delve into mysteries, and after her abduction, they bring Kelsey home and report nothing to the police or the media, after her photo has been plastered all over to the public. Then her boss calls to demand her to come back to work before he has any way to know she’s no longer missing. These moments make the reader pause from the story to say, “What? When did that happen?” And there a many of them.
  • Too much telling and not enough showing. Told in past tense, it was too easy to fill us in later and just tell us something happened while we were out.

I never like to give less than positive reviews, but since I requested the book, I felt obligated to give an honest review as promised. The storyline was good enough to keep me reading despite the problems with craft and grammar. What makes it sad is that all of them could have been corrected by running it by a decent editor and giving it a good proofread. While I am a D.I.Y. author and publisher, I believe in putting out the best book possible, and I know how important it is to have a second, or even a third set of eyes go over the books that I publish. A book like this one just drives that message home.

A good storyline and characters, but hard to get through due to typos and problems with craft. I give Terror in the Shadows 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 here.


Book Review: Day of the Vikings & A Thousand Fiendish Angels

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About Day of the Vikings

Book Cover: Ocean cliffs and a castle in the background. A man in Viking helmet and fur bears a sword in foreground.
Text: NY Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, Day of the Vikings, A Thriller, J.F. Penn

She has been called many things: murderer, madwoman, monster. She will become only one thing: a god.

The Crone. A woman of legend, a creature of blood. A Valkyrie. She has tortured, murdered, maimed — performing all the rituals needed to call forth the power of Odin himself and summon Ragnarok. She just needs one more thing: the staff of Skara Brae, and her plans will be fulfilled.

But the staff is already in the hands of Morgan Sierra. An agent of ARKANE, the British agency tasked with protecting the world from supernatural crises, Morgan knows that giving up the staff could spell the end of all things.

Now the Crone has taken dozens of staff members, visitors — even children — hostage at the British Museum, demanding that Morgan turn over the staff. Willing to kill, possessor of powers beyond anything ARKANE has yet encountered, the Crone seems unstoppable.

Morgan’s only advantages are her wit, her skill… and Blake Daniel (of the best-selling Brooke and Daniel crime thriller series). Cursed with clairvoyance, Blake’s powers may be just enough to help Morgan turn back the Crone and stop the end of the world.

But the Crone has her own secrets. Able to weave illusions, to wield fear, even to call forth the dead Vikings of old. She is the most powerful adversary Morgan has ever faced. But will she be the last?

The Crone beckons. Ragnarok looms. And it is up to Morgan and Blake to deny them both.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Vikings-ARKANE-Book-5-ebook/dp/B00K49B3X0/

My Review of Day of the Vikings

I received a free digital copy of Day of the Vikings, by J.F. Penn as a bonus from her newsletter. I am not very familiar with Viking lore, but I do like supernatural thrillers, so I thought I would give it a go, and I’m glad that I did.

Morgan Sierra is an ARKANE agent out to protect the world from ancient evils of the world. When she visits the British museum to examine the Viking Relics housed there, a group of well organized neo-Vikings seize the museum in search of the ancient staff of skara brie, in a fiendish plot to recreate the brutal ritual sacrifice, the Blood Eagle. The Blood Eagle ritual opens the power for them to locate The Eye of Odin and use it to summon Ragnarok and destroy the earth and it’s up to Morgan to stop them.

Day of the Vikings is a fast paced supernatural thriller with a solid plot, although the characters were rather unremarkable. Although allowed small glimpses into the characters, I never got a real sense of who they were. There is Blake Daniels, who holds the potential to become a very interesting character, if allowed, but then it sounds like he has his own series. Even Morgan’s character seemed a bit flat compared to the bigger than life Valkyrie and her terror mongers and their onslaught.

Keeps you reading. I give Day of the Vikings four quills.

Four circles with the WordCrafter Quill logo inside

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About A Thousand Fiendish Angels

Book Cover: An ancient village ona hill with a pile of skulls and a woman sitting with her head down and angel's wings oin the foreground.

Three dark short stories inspired by Dante’s Inferno, linked by a book of human skin passed down through generations.

Sins of the Flesh:

When the mutilated corpse of a wealthy author is discovered, the police officer sent to investigate finds a curious diary amongst the occult objects at the scene.

Will he uncover the author’s secret at the ruined chapel, and is he willing to pay the price that it demands?

Sins of Treachery:

On the death of their grandfather, twin brothers Simon and Gestas are left a map covered in alchemical symbols that could lead them to great wealth and power.

But they find more than they expected in the frozen wastes of the Arctic north …

Sins of Violence:

In a brutal post-apocalyptic world, a young girl is about to be taken to The Minotaur for a Blessing that will end her innocence.

Can her sister gain access to the fortified city of Dis in time to stop the ritual and avenge her own lost youth?

Purchase link:

My Review of A Thousand Fiendish Angels

A Thousand Fiendish Angels, by J.F. Penn is a triology of short tales with the common theme of sins. Written for a challenge to write three interlinking stories, using the symbolism of Dante’s Inferno, these short tales explore the depths of the human soul. Sins of Flesh, Sins of Treachery, Sins of Violence; each tale explores a different aspect of sin and the human abilities to resist and weaknesses to give in, and the consequences. These stories are well thought out and well written, leaving me with much to ponder.

Thought provoking short fiction with a theme, but there should have been seven, instead of stopping at three. I give A Thousand Fiendish Angels five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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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 here.


Book Review: Silent Blue

A box full of books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

Book Cover: Ocean background with female figure and netting in foregroiund.
Text: Emancipation Ignites Power and Fuels Responsibility, Silent Blue, JD Steiner

🌪️ Unleash the Storm of Suspense and Rebellion! 🌪️

Prepare yourself for a heart-pounding journey into a world of deception, determination, and daring courage in Silent Blue, the electrifying sequel to JD Steiner’s Wreckleaf series. The saga continues as the tempestuous aftermath of the Season’s explosive finale thrusts Nerissa John into a whirlwind of danger and discovery, where silence is no longer an option.

💥 Survival Against All Odds 💥

Awakening to a brutal reality after the gripping conclusion of the Season, Nerissa John finds herself ensnared in a web of captivity. The battle she thought was won has merely transformed into an even more treacherous struggle for survival. Witness as she evolves from a vulnerable captive to a fierce warrior, confronting manipulation, torture, and despair head-on.

🔍 Unmasking Shadows Beneath the Surface 🔍

Beneath the gilded surface of the opulent Panacea lies a labyrinth of dark secrets. Nerissa refuses to be silenced, determined to expose the truth that threatens to shatter the illusions of society’s elite. As the stakes grow higher, she races against time to unveil the corruption hidden behind the luxurious façade—even if it means sacrificing herself in the process.

🔥 A Battle for Justice Reaches its Climax 🔥

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Blue-JD-Steiner/dp/B0CF8D6ZP2/

My Review

Silent Blue, by JD Steiner is the sequel to the unique fantasy thriller novel, Wreckleaf. (See my review of Wreckleaf here.) The tale in Book 2 picks up where the Book 1 left off. Steiner has created a villian in Colonel William Banks to rival the worst of them in diabolical cruelty, but Narrisa won’t give up her quest to stop him, even when it seems all is lost. And Steiner has created a world in which it seems no one cares to stop him.

Even after destroying his laboratory compound, Banks manages to gain the upper hand and forces Narrissa to surrender to save her people, the Dulhuphemale, a hybrid breed that isn’t supposed to exist. Narrissa is a strong willed female Dulhuphemale, determined to uncover the truth, even it it means her own death. She rebels even as she cooperates, knowing that he holds the fate of her family, her people, in his hands. Along the way, she finds unexpected allies and learns she’s not alone, but by joining forces their lives are endangered as well. Filled with twists, turns and surprises, this YA fantasy is one you won’t want to put down.

You’ll be rooting for Narrissa all the way, in this delightful fantasy. I give Silent Blue five quills.

Five circles with the WordCrater WC and quill logo in each.

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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 here.


Book Review : Finding Harmony

Box of Books Text: Book Reviews

About the Book

Book Cover: Palm trees and an ocean sunset background.
Text: USA Today Best Seller & Silver Falchion Winner Pamela Fagan Hutchins, Finding Harmony, A Katie Connell Caribbean Mystery

Katie Connell is happily married and living the island life on St. Marcos. Just when she thinks life is settling down with her dream man and their gorgeous children, they learn a stranger died at the front gate of their jumbie house. After the victim’s well-connected employer hires Katie and Nick to investigate, they discover a horrifying secret about the place they call home.

Before Katie can process the information, her husband doesn’t return home one night. As if that weren’t enough, the uncooperative police chief counters Katie’s plea for help with a threat to seize their home out from under her. Can Katie track down her husband alone before his trail goes cold, or will powerful forces at work send her to an early grave?

Purchase Links:

Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Harmony-Romantic-Mystery-Doesnt/dp/B096G4SH28

Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/finding-harmony-a-katie-connell-texas-to-caribbean-mystery

My Review

I listened to Finding Harmony, by Pamela Fagan Hutchins, narrated by the author. Finding Harmony is the third book in Hutchins’ Katie Connell Caribean Mystery. (I listened to another audiobook by this author, Fighting for Anna. and you can read my review here.)Her accents and island dialects are wonderful, making it easy to tell who is speaking from the dreadlocked island native Rashidi to her New York proper father-in-law, Kurt. I must applaud her.

Katie Connell is a strong female protagonist who is very relatable. All she wants is a happy life in their haunted island estate with her wonderful husband and beautiful children, and she’s pleased to extend her family, including her in-laws in the household. She’s used to Estate Annalise communicating its needs in poltergisty ways and comforted in the knowledge that the house will protect her and her family.

What she isn’t used to is a man dying in her driveway, her husband’s plane disappearing with him in it, and the local law enforcement threatening her children with harm instead of helping her to locate her husband. With no one else to count on, and convinced that her husband is still alive somewhere, Katie sets out to find him with her father-in-law, but it looks like they’re on their own. The task grows even bigger as they learn that a Mexican drug cartel is involved and is determined to stop them from uncovering the truth, but Katie holds her own.

Throughly entertaining, from the first page to the last. I was rooting for Katie all the way, and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I give Finding Harmony five quills.

Five circles with WordCrafter quill logo in each one.

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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 here.