Meet the contributing authors and learn about their stories in Curses: Chronicles of Darkness.
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
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.
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.
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/
March 3 – 9, 2024
On Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/ebookweek
All WordCrafter Press books
50% off!
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Kaye_LynneBooth
If there are WordCrafter Press books on your TBR list, now is the time to buy them. All WordCrafter Press Books are 50% off for the Smashwords 2024 Read an Ebook Week. That’s right. All titles in the WordCrafter Press catalog are on discounted 50% this week only on Smashwords.
Embark on an unforgettable journey in The Light is Dimmer, a captivating blend of literary fiction and fantasy that will leave you breathless. In a world where corruption runs deep, Lucky Barlowe, an orphaned teenager, finds himself caught in a web of deceit and treachery that even the gods are entangled in.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Dimmer-Samara-Katharine/dp/B0C4WMV12M/
The Light is Dimmer, by Samara Katherine was a very different kind of book for me. I don’t remember how I came by this ebook, but I know it was the cover that drew me to it. A burning crown. Somehow that image raised my curiosity and I wanted to read this story.
It turns out to be à journey into mythological fantasy, with god’s and goddesses who are all too human in many ways. When gods and humans mix, there’s no telling what will happen. But, these gods are not infallible and they make their share of mistakes in god-sized proportions. And when they go mad, they do that in god-sized proportions, as well.
Lucky is an orphan, living in the streets when the Siren chose to bless him, turning his poor but simple life upside down. A god and a mortal, both seeking love and family, both injured by losses. Can they each learn to trust again and let themselves be loved?
The writing style of this author was off-putting to me. This might just be a personal thing, but I found it hard to discern who was speaking a lot, and found myself having to reread to keep things straight in my mind. I also found it a bit puzzling when the character whom I thought was the protagonist was killed off not even halfway through the book. I later could see why the author had structured the tale in this manner, but I still thought it an odd choice.
A story with unusual structure and style, which unravels nicely in the end. I enjoyed reading The Light Is Dimmer. Quite different from anything that I’ve read before. I give it 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.
Pre-order: https://books2read.com/u/318L0l
It’s coming! Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories to be released October 17, 2023 and is available for pre-order now!
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.
Preorder Link: https://books2read.com/u/318L0l
To celebrate the release of this wonderfully weird and creepy anthology, join us for the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour October 16-23, starting right here on Writing to be Read. Meet the contributing authors, find out about the inspirations behind the stories, read excerpts, meet the characters, listen to readings from the stories, and get chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at each stop.
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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.
Visions: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28
Once Upon an Ever After – Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore: https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV
Refracted Reflections – Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn
Spark off this Independence Day with spectacular anthologies from WordCrafter Press at discounted prices, July 1 – 4. Click on the links above to purchase the anthology of your choice. Choose from three sparkling anthologies:
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?
JThe 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
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 careful what you wish for….
Refractions and Reflections…
A reflection can be revealing or deceptive. What stares back at you when you glance into the mirror?
A prison, designed to trap you and take away all that is dear to you?
A portal to another dimension? Another time?
An evil twin, luring you to the other side?
Your loved ones with a fond farewell?
A distorted version of yourself? A person you no longer even recognize?
A protective savior?
Do you dare to gaze into the looking glass?
Will what you see save you…, or haunt you forever?
New Release
Delilah releases through book dostributors on March 21, but there’s still time to pre-order your copy of Delilah here:
The later half of March will be busy, with the release of Delilah and a five day WordCrafter Book Blog Tour to get the word out, March 20 – 24.
The tour will include a fun interview where author Sara Wesley McBride chats with my character, Delilah, excerpts from the book, and posts about the historic female figures who will appear in each book in the Women in the West adventure series, and character profiles for the two characters which top-level Kickstarter backers Tim Ward and Carol Fowler have earned the privilage of naming in book 2 of the series, Sarah.
Kickstarter Progress Update
Until then, I will be busy signing and shipping the print copies of Delilah to mid- and top-level Kickstarter backers. I should be ready to continue working on Sarah in May, and I hope to have it ready to publish by the beginning of 2024. I also plan to work with a professional cover designer to smooth and improve my book covers. I want to thank everyone who supported me in this project, not only financially, but through sharing and networking it as well. All support was greatly appreciated. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions
I’m also excited as the compilation of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions gets under way. We had some fabulous guests on “Treasuring Poetry” in 2022 and I’m looking forward to including their works in this very special collection. In addition to works by the series host, Robbie Cheadle, works by the following author/poets may be included: Penny Wilson, Judy Mastrangelo, Yvette Prior, Patty Fletcher, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Willow, Yvette M. Calliero, Chris Hall, Abbie Taylor, and Smitha Vishwanath. I can’t wait to dig in to the poetry submitted for inclusion by these wonderful poets. Robbie and I are not very far into the process. In fact, I think we might still be waiting for all the submissions to get in. We had two previous anthologies, which both turned out quite well, and I’ve no doubt that this one will rival those.
You can still get a copy of these two wonderful anthologies from your favorite book distributors.
Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/u/3n7BDR
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/u/3kP8aK
2023 Short Fiction Contest & Anthology
Submissions have begun to come in for the 2023 Short Fiction Contest, as well as stories submitted by invitation for the anthology. It’s much too soon to talk about the contest entries, but I can tell you that we have invitational submissions from Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, Michaele Jordan, D.L. Mullan and Stevie Turner, with promises from many others. It’s still very early in the process.
You can find submission guidelines and enter the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest here.
You can get copies of last year’s WordCrafter Press anthologies: Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Myths & Fairy Tales; Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception; and Visions. Available through your favorite book distributors.
Once Upon an Ever After: https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV
Refracted Reflections: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn
Visions: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28
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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. 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.
About the Book
Zeus rewrote her laws. Now, Themis, Goddess of Justice will extract her revenge.
She is Themis goddess of Justice, only she can write the rules that govern men. Zeus, king of the gods, has other ideas. Not only did he cheat on her, but he changed her laws. Horrified that Zeus has doomed an innocent man to be fed to a Titan god, Themis must descend into the depths of hades to save the damned soul- without Zeus’s knowledge.
But an omnipotent being guards the prison of Typhoeus. One with blood pulsing through his veins. He’s neither god nor demon and he refuses her entry into Tartarus. With no way around him, she must go through him- and step directly into his arms.
In a race against time, Zeus and the Titan god’s hunger, Themis is willing to sacrifice everything to save an innocent soul. But is she willing to destroy her own soul by opening her heart again?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Themiss-Revenge-Queens-Underworld-Book-ebook/dp/B0BB396CCW
My Review
Themis may not be one of the goddesses you remember from mythology in school, but she won’t be forgotten once you read Themis’s Revenge: Book 4 of the Queens of the Underworld series, by RA Winter. As the frosty, but fiesty Goddess of Justice, Themis rebels against the all-controlling powers of Zues and his pig-headed male ego, and finds herself heating up in the underworld with boiling rage and fiery sexual energy, as she first realizes that she doesn’t have a clue when it comes to Zues’ activities or intentions, and things get even hotter, as she begins to figure it out and learns that there is no one she can trust.
Her path in the underworld leads her to the one whose name must not be spoken, and in trying to unravel the mystery of who he is, Themis finds that even unspoken prophecies are no less true, as she becomes a part of a prophecy uttered from her own lips. Zues is not one to tolerate disobedience, but the tell-tale runes she acquires are a dead giveaway, pun intended, that she has visit the forbidden realm and lived to tell about it, and he’ll be even less forgiving if he learns that the prophecy of his destruction now rests on Themis’s hands.
Themis’s Revenge brings mythology to life, or death, as the case may be. A well-crafted and skillfully told story. I give it five 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.
It’s been several years since I posted a “Chatting with the Pros” interview, but today I have a very special post with an author I’ve known for several years, In fact, she was a contributing author to the original Ask the Authors writing reference anthology back in 2018. She’s got a new book coming out tomorrow, Themis’ Revenge. It is book 4 of her Queens of the Underworld series. She’s a multi-genre author and she’s joining me here to share with us about her writing and her new release, which is always very exciting.
About the Author
I started writing under my married name, writing genealogy books as history was my first love. Now I write stories that give me joy-be it fantasy, magical realism, ghosts, urban fiction, or romance. All my novels contain strong females with sass, sarcasm, and humor. You know, women exactly like me. I love animals and it doesn’t matter what kind either. I’ve even petted a crocodile in Egypt-tried to take him home too. Apparently, that’s not allowed.
Our Chat
Please tell us a little about yourself to start out.
RA Winter: Currently, I’m in Pittsburgh, PA but I’ve lived all over the world; Turkey, Germany, Egypt, Jordan and tons of states in the US. I love to travel but hate to fly! I’ve been working as Federal Agent since 2013, I won’t tell you which agency, but lets just say that it’s interesting.
You write what your heart tells you too, making you a multi-genre author. What are the genres that you have written in?
RA Winter: I’ve dipped my toe in a few genres and I always include romantic elements. Contemporary, magical realism, low-fantasy, high fantasy, western fantasy (which is becoming a thing. I finally got to write a Sleeping Beauty retelling at a rodeo with spirits!), historical, paranormal, Greek myth, sci-fi and I’ve also published nonfiction.
What is your favorite genre to write in so far? Why?
RA Winter: I adore writing fantasy. I love the descriptions, the world building-my world-my rules! My novels end up being in the 300-400 page range so they aren’t your typical 1000 page high fantasy.
What genre do you classify Themis’ Revenge? Why?
RA Winter: Got Zeus? I do! I’ll take you on a journey from Olympus to Hades, Tartarus and into the real world. I have dragons, werewolves, arrogant gods (yes, Zeus), sexy scenes, a romance with Ares and Death (oh my!) and that one little pesky secret and mystery that is threaded through each book. Can you guess the ending? (Bane’s Wish will be out in April). Multiple genres collide in this series with myth-based fantasy action being the main focus.
What inspired the Queens of the Underworld series?
RA Winter: You remember Supernatural, the TV series? Well, in the show, Death is a person and I was like-she needs a romance. Then the whole-how do I bring Death alive idea started. Then I had to have a bad guy, and a world to build on, so I tinkered with bits of mythology to find the right pieces. I had taken courses in Greek mythology in college years ago and loved all the backstabbing, romance, and intrigue and wanted to capitalize on my knowledge. I actually took a couple more classes to freshen my memory and spark new ideas.
What do you enjoy about writing the books in this series?
RA Winter: I do not like stories to end! I love to read. If I find a world that I enjoy and characters that I’m invested in-I don’t want to put the novel to rest. It’s like stranding them in no-man’s land and walking away. Writing a series is a way to keep characters alive and build on the setting/plot/features from prior books until those unruly characters are ready to die. It’s also much more complicated to write. You have to remember picky details like eye color, sex, boots or shoes? WTF is his sons name? so a story bible is imperative. As is a wonderful, patient, honest editor.
Themis’ Revenge is Book 4 in the series. Are these stand-alone novels or do readers want to pick up the previous books in the series before reading Themis’ Revenge?
RA Winter: Themis is the prequel. It can be read as a standalone or at any point in the series. I would prefer that you read it first-but that’s up to the reader. It takes place over four-thousand years ago but the consequences of Themis’s actions are being dealt with today. It digs deep into the stakes of the series. If you read Themis first, you’ll be invested and hopefully solve the mystery that’s driving the series before others do. The other books can be read separately, but you might miss some clues! If the stakes/worldbuilding aesthetics are not paramount to you and you’re just looking for the romance between say–Death and Ares–then jump into Death’s Lover and hopefully you’ll fall in love and come back for the others.
Could you tell us a little about the story?
RA Winter: She is Themis goddess of Justice, only she can write the rules that govern men. Zeus, king of the gods, has other ideas. Not only did he cheat on her, but he changed her laws. Horrified that Zeus has doomed an innocent man to be fed to a Titan god, Themis must descend into the depths of Hades to save the damned soul- without Zeus’s knowledge.
But an omnipotent being guards the prison of Typhoeus. One with blood pulsing through his veins. He’s neither god nor demon, (but sexy as hell with his dark hair, tight abs, gruff manner), and he refuses Themis entry into Tartarus. With no way around him, she must go through him- and step directly into his arms.
In a race against time, Zeus and the Titan god’s hunger, Themis is willing to sacrifice everything to save an innocent soul. But is she willing to risk her heart again?
What was the biggest challenge for you in writing this story?
RA Winter: Keeping the characters true to their personalities. That’s why Themis’s Revenge starts over four thousand years ago. I had to use the earliest myths of her and show her evolution from a ‘right-wrong-no gray area’ goddess to one who sees that the law shouldn’t be so cut and dried-and neither can relationships!
What was the most fun in writing this story?
RA Winter: Planting the seeds for my big ‘Ah Ha-Gotcha’ moments. I want the reader to be able to see those bits and pieces and put it together-but have Themis totally blindsided and missing those clues. Reactions are golden.
What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
RA Winter: For the love of God woman, life can’t be planned-process, improvise, and continue -KC Freeman, author extraordinaire and my overworked editor. I’m a Virgo. I organize and plan everything. I have schedules for daily, weekly, monthly and over the course of a year.(Sometimes I even do hourly schedules. Ugh.) I have this horrible internal flaw. I follow through then something happens where I can’t complete a task in the time allotted and bam! I quit because I can’t fulfill my plan. It takes me a while to reorganize and return. After a bout of Covid, it took me two years to start writing again. I just couldn’t stick to a schedule I even have an exercise and diet chart. If I get ill-I can go from running 4 miles a day to a year later wondering why I can’t walk 4 miles when I finally restart my plan.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
RA Winter: You have to write it. Take it in chew-able pieces. Have a vision and stick to it-if you have the ending-you can write the rest. I finished my first book because someone told me that I never would publish. My first novel was a graceful uptick of my middle finger in his face. Wonderful image to this day. Hey, there are now 13 books, 2nd book of the year in the NR, and a USA Today Bestselling author title at the end of my name-so maybe I should thank him?
Um. No. I’m waiting on my next screw-you moment. It’s the challenge that keeps me going.
About the Book
Zeus rewrote her laws. Now, Themis, Goddess of Justice will extract her revenge.
She is Themis goddess of Justice, only she can write the rules that govern men. Zeus, king of the gods, has other ideas. Not only did he cheat on her, but he changed her laws. Horrified that Zeus has doomed an innocent man to be fed to a Titan god, Themis must descend into the depths of hades to save the damned soul- without Zeus’s knowledge.
But an omnipotent being guards the prison of Typhoeus. One with blood pulsing through his veins. He’s neither god nor demon and he refuses her entry into Tartarus. With no way around him, she must go through him- and step directly into his arms.
In a race against time, Zeus and the Titan god’s hunger, Themis is willing to sacrifice everything to save an innocent soul. But is she willing to destroy her own soul by opening her heart again?
____________________________________________________________________
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 will 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.
