Book Review: “Hummingbird Moonrise”
Posted: January 23, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Review | Tags: Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Hummingbird Moonlight, Magic, mystery, Sheri L. Dodd, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About Hummingbird Moonrise
The past two years have taken their toll on Arista Kelly. Once an eternal optimist, now she has faced the darkness and must recalibrate what true happiness means for her. Meanwhile, Shane, her ex-boyfriend, is pulling all the right moves to help keep her sane from her heightening paranoia. But it doesn’t help that Iris, her Great Aunt Bethie’s friend, has disappeared.
Still, one additional trial remains. While searching for Iris, Bethie and Arista stumble upon a grand revelation in the eccentric woman’s home. With the discovery, they realize their run of chaos and loss of kin may have roots in a curse that dates back to the 1940s—the time when their family patriarch first built Arista’s cottage in the redwoods and crafted his insightful Ouija table.
This pursuit will not follow their accustomed recipe of adrenalized action, but the high stakes remain. Will the mysterious slow burn of unfolding events finally level Arista’s entire world or be fully extinguished, once and for all?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-Moonrise-Paranormal-Mystery-Crystals-ebook/dp/B0FB5QV948
My Review of Hummingbird Moonrise
I received a free digital copy of Hummingbird Moonlight, by Sherri L. Dodd from the review program of Sandra’s Book Club in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because of the title. It’s common knowledge that I love hummingbirds, and I couldn’t resist a story with hummingbirds in the title.
I had trouble keeping the characters straight due to so many of the character names beginning with the same letter or being very similar. We’ve got a Matty, a Manny, a Maddie, a Mike and a Mateo. Also, an Arista, an Auntie, and an Alicia. To make matters worse, Auntie is also the character of Bethie, but I was almost halfway through the book before I figured that out.
This is book 3 in the series, so that may well have had something to do with my confusion. The author does not re-introduce characters in this book for those who haven’t read the first two books. Nor are referrals to events that happened in the first to books recapped so that readers coming in late in the series have no reference. I was way past the middle of the book before I knew why I was seeing the actions of Mike and his sister, Katie and the strange little girl, while I’m sure someone who had read previous books would have understood and been able to easily follow. There are referrals to earlier events, but they are not explained well.
If you don’t mind just going along for the ride and feeling a little clueless, this is a fine story of magic and mayhem. An ancient family curse and a reversal curse have led to doom for two families. Our characters are the last souls surviving in their family lines and their survival lies in the outcome. Arista and Aunt Bethie are the last of the Kelly clan, and Iris may be the last survivor of the clan casting the original curse on their brood. However, Iris may have risen from the dead and also, she may be possessed by Fergus, whom she killed and fed to the pigs. (I guess I’m still a bit confused.)
Curses, spells, potions, gwishins, and spirit possessions. This story has all the elements of a magical mystery adventure, if you can keep everybody straight, but I do not recommend it as a standalone. I give Hummingbird Moonrise three quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Chatting with New Blood: Author Thomas M. Jacobson
Posted: January 19, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with New Blood, Interview, Memoir, Nonfiction, Review | Tags: Book Review, Chatting with New Blood, Interview, Kaye Lynne Booth, Memoir, Thomas M. Jacobson, Underdog: Against All Odds, Writing to be Read 12 Comments
My guest today is a holocaust survivor, the youngest surviving passenger on the MS St. Louis, who grew up to be a successful civil rights attorney, representing civil rights activists in Milwaukee in the 1960s through the end of the twentieth century. and he was the attorney who sued and obtained half a million dollars for the families of the victims of the serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. He seems to find ways to think outside the box and make change happen, even in stagnant times. He has written a fascinating book, Underdog: Against All Odds, which relates his story, including a thrilling deposition with Dahmer in the Columbia Correctional Institution.
About Author Thomas M. Jacobson
Thomas M. Jacobson, born May 8, 1938, in Bamberg, Germany, escaped Hitler, coming to America on the harrowing MS St. Louis voyage one year later. He graduated from UW Madison Law School in 1962, partnering with Lloyd Barbee to start the first integrated law firm in Milwaukee. Jacobson represented all the Milwaukee civil rights movers and shakers over the next thirty years, including Father James Groppi, the Daniel Bell family, comedian/human rights activist Dick Gregory, and Alderperson/Black Panther Commander Michael McGee. He successfully argued two cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, overturning Wisconsin’s Garnishment before Judgment and Change of Venue laws. In 1970, Jacobson was the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. In the late 1970s, he served as the Chairperson of the Wisconsin Public Defender’s office. Jacobson represented eight families of the victims of the world’s worst serial murderer, Jeffrey Dahmer, suing and successfully obtaining one-half million dollars for eleven victim families.
My Interview with Thomas
Kaye: Would you begin by telling us about your author’s journey? What inspired you to write a book about your experience?
Tom: My path to becoming an author wasn’t planned, but grew out of a life shaped by story and consequence. I was a child refugee, one of the youngest surviving passengers on the MS St. Louis, turned away from safety, and that early experience of injustice stayed with me long after I built a career as a civil rights lawyer. For decades, I focused on advocacy rather than authorship. A memoir wasn’t on my agenda. But over time, I realized that the arc of my life, from refugee to advocate, was itself a narrative worth preserving.
I wrote Underdog, Against All Odds, The Fight For Justice, because stories can carry truth in a way arguments alone cannot. As fewer firsthand witnesses remain, personal testimony becomes essential. I hoped to show how lived experience can inform a lifelong commitment to justice, how writing can serve as another form of resistance, remembrance, and standing up for democracy.
Kaye: When approaching the writing of the book, what’s the best piece of writing advice you were given?
Tom: As a lawyer, I was trained to persuade and to control the narrative. Writing a memoir required me to unlearn some of that, to slow down, to sit with uncertainty, and to trust the reader. Once I stopped trying to justify every decision and focused instead on bearing witness, the story found its voice. That advice shaped the entire book. It reminded me that a memoir isn’t about winning an argument, it’s about offering an honest account and letting the truth do the work. The best advice was to write what you know to be true, even when it’s uncomfortable. Honesty, intellectual and moral, is what gives writing its power and authority.
Kaye: Underdog has three different themes, each representing a different time in your life. Can you talk a little bit about each one?
Tom: The opening of Underdog focuses on childhood survival. As a young refugee, life was defined by forces beyond my control: The Nazi government’s atrocities against my family and the indifference of people to this injustice. This theme centers on vulnerability, displacement, the moral consequences and decisions of others, and what it means to begin life with no voice and no leverage or power to resist.
The middle of the book marks the transition from survival to resistance. This period of my life is about education, self-definition, and the decision to fight back using intellect rather than force. Law becomes the weapon that replaces the power that I never had. This theme is learning how institutions work, how they fail, and how an underdog can still challenge them.
The final theme centers on adulthood and professional life, when I finally had standing in the courtroom and a measure of authority. This part of Underdog addresses moral responsibility, representing the powerless, pursuing justice even when it’s unpopular, and recognizing that winning a case is not the same as standing up for justice.
Together, these three themes trace a life that moves from powerlessness to agency to accountability, the journey of an underdog who never forgot what it was like to have nothing.
Kaye: What happened after immigrating to the U.S. that led you to be a civil rights attorney later in life?
Tom: After immigrating to the U.S., I learned that power could be challenged through law. As a child refugee, authority had meant danger or indifference. In America, I saw that, slowly and imperfectly, the law could be used to protect the vulnerable rather than crush them.
I was drawn to civil rights law because the Holocaust taught me to fight and to resist was the only path to justice and survival. I understood what it meant to be excluded, unheard, and disposable. Education gave me a voice, and the law gave me standing to confront injustice. Becoming a civil rights lawyer wasn’t a career choice so much as a continuation of survival, resilience, and insistence that the system live up to all that the U.S. Constitution guaranteed its citizens: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Kaye: Do you view Underdog as a way to raise awareness about civil rights?
Tom: While Underdog is not primarily an advocacy book, it inevitably raises awareness about civil rights. The story shows how rights are lost long before they are violated through indifference, silence, and the normalization of exclusion. By tracing my life from refugee to civil rights lawyer, the book invites readers to see civil rights not as abstract ideals, but as lived experiences with real human consequences. If Underdog encourages readers to recognize that injustice can be challenged through resistance, strength, and perseverance, then it has accomplished one of the messages I want to send.
Kaye: What are some of the major events represented in Underdog?
Tom: My family’s escape from Nazi Germany in 1939, Hitler’s ascension to power in 1933, the Nuremberg laws, Krystallnacht, my father’s incarceration in the Dachau concentration camp, the failed voyage of the MS St. Louis, the commencement of the 1960s civil rights struggle in Milwaukee with the murder of Daniel Bell, a young Black man shot in the back of the head by a white police officer, and the planting of a knife to falsely create a self-defense cover-up by the cities entire law enforcement agencies, the struggles for a fair housing bill in Milwaukee by Father James Groppi and Alderperson Vel Phillips, Lloyd Barbee’s lawsuit finding defacto segregation in Milwaukee public schools unconstitutional, my suing successfully the City of Milwaukee on behalf of the Daniel Bell family twenty years after his murder, my lawsuits finding Wisconsin’s Change of Venue and Garnishment before Judgement laws unconstitutional in the U.S. Supreme Court, and my deposition of the world’s worst serial murderer, Jeffrey Dahmer, leading to eleven victim families receiving a half million dollars.
Kaye: What is the most important message or messages which you hope to bring to your readers?
I want readers to understand that what happened to refugees like those on the St. Louis was not inevitable, but the result of a choice, indifference, silence, and lack of courage. The most important message is that justice is never automatic. Survival exists only when you are willing to fight. Your rights exist only when you are willing to defend them, especially for those in the minority, the unpopular, the powerless, and those easy to ignore and exploit. One life, fully lived, can push history. You don’t need power to matter. You need persistence, guts, and moral resolve.
Kaye: What advice would you give to another with a message to get across?
Tom: Know your audience. Lead with the key point. Use simple language and be clear and concise. Use empathy and perspective. Leave the reader with a call to action, telling them what you want them to do, think, or feel.
Kaye: What are some of the challenges that you faced in writing this book?
Tom: Writing Underdog was one of the most intense experiences of my life. Revisiting memories of trauma, injustice, and loss was emotionally exhausting, yet necessary to tell the story honestly. I faced the challenge of balancing truth with readability, ensuring the legal cases, civil rights battles, and personal experiences were accurate, yet engaging. Deciding what to include and what to leave out was difficult because every memory felt significant, and I had to confront my own perspective honestly—translating complex legal and historical events in a way that anyone could understand, while keeping the narrative cohesive required careful editing. Writing about real people and sensitive events also required courage, knowing it might draw scrutiny, but I believed the story was important enough to write.
About Underdog: Against All Odds, the Fight for Justice
UNDERDOG is the memoir of one of the youngest passengers on the MS St. Louis, escaping Nazi Germany to Holland and eventually settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Against All Odds, Fighting for Justice is the story of a human rights lawyer representing all the prominent civil rights leaders in Milwaukee during the 1960s and decades thereafter.
The world’s worst serial murderer, Jeffrey Dahmer, writing from Columbia Correctional Institution on February 4, 1994, had this to say about Thomas Jacobson’s efforts to make him pay for his gruesome slaughter of seventeen victims.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Underdog-Against-Odds-Fight-Justice/dp/B0DV45SFC2
My Review of Underdog: Against All Odds, the Fight for Justice
I received a print copy of Underdog: Against All Odds from author Thomas M. Jacobson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
As the youngest passenger on the MS St. Louise as a fleeing refugee from the brutal Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler, it came as no surprise that Thomas M. Jacobson, grew up and took a profession where he defended the underdogs of the U.S. Defender of civil rights and protector of those scorned unfairly, he has made some huge strides in bringing equality and fairness in the U.S. from one of the most prejudiced cities in America. He managed to bring some semblance of compensation to the families of the victims of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer when many refused to see them as victims at all. His accomplishments are huge. His methods may be a bit unorthodox, but they produced successful results.
I have to admit that at times, reading about writs and filings, and court proceedings can be a bit dry, but the methods he used and the ways he managed to get around the obstacles adversaries set in front of him are fascinating, and I couldn’t wait to learn how he triumphed. Often, his triumphs were small and didn’t result in immediately noticeable changes, because change moves slowly, especially when pushed by the heavy wheels of justice. Scorned by many in his own life, as bigoted people opposed him for his stance on civil rights, justice and fairness and his efforts to undo biased laws to ensure the fair treatment of his clients in the extremely biased city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jacobson stopped at nothing in pursuit of a favorable verdict, making him a formidable force to feared by those who opposed him.
Although I don’t agree with all of Jacobson’s opinions, I do admire his determination and tenacity to fight for what he believes in. Underdog is a well written, gripping struggle for justice for the weak and disadvantaged. I give it four quills.
More About Thomas M. Jacobson
Underdog Press Clippings
State Bar of Wisconsin YouTube
Phoenix Holocaust Museum Interview
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uZd3Knv3rR_rSTU_EIhiWcwyJja8W359/view?usp=sharing
The Daily Cardinal
The Milwaukee Community Journal
The CapTimes
LA Holocaust Museum
https://www.holocaustmuseumla.org/event-details/underdog-against-all-odds-the-fight-for-justice
92.7 WMDX
https://civicmedia.us/shows/whats-going-on/2025/07/01/jeffrey-dahmer-attorney-thomas-jacobsons-role
Village Well Book Talk
https://villagewell.com/events/3642720251109
About Author Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “The Ones Who Stayed With Me” Book Blog Tour
Posted: January 16, 2026 Filed under: Author Interview, Blog Tour, Book Review, Books, Memoir, Nonfiction, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book trailer, Giveway, Interview, Nurse Sammy, The Ones Who Stayed With Me, WordCrafer Press, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 7 Comments
It’s the final stop on the WordCrafter “The Ones Who Stayed With Me” Book Blog Tour.
Giveaway
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of
The Ones Who Stayed With Me
By Nurse Sammy
One entry per stop.
Winners are chosen in a random drawing.
Sponsored by WordCrafter Press.
About The Ones Who Stayed With Me
Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/OnesWhoStayed
Short Trailer
About Nurse Sammy
Nurse Sammy has spent her life walking the quiet edges of human suffering and human grace. Long before she ever wore scrubs, she learned how to read a room by the way someone breathed and how to steady a shaking hand. How to listen to the stories people only tell when they think it might be their last night to say them. Nursing wasn’t a career she chose; it was the language her heart was already speaking.
She has worked in places where life is beginning, and in places where life is ending; in rooms lit by hope, and in rooms where grief hangs heavy in the doorway. Rehab centers, memory care halls, pediatric units, assisted living, private homes, wherever someone needed gentleness, she went. She became the one who held vigil, the one who noticed the quiet details, the one who stayed.
Her personal life has carried its own ache, abuse survived, love lost, a marriage that bruised the soul, another built from healing, and a grief that still hums beneath her ribs. She writes from the tender, broken places, from the nights she rebuilt herself alone, from the mornings she rose anyway. Her words are shaped by both the wounds and the resilience that followed.
The Ones Who Stayed With Me is her first published work, a collection of truths disguised as stories, honoring the people who left fingerprints on her life in ways they never saw. Her writing is soft but unflinching, honest but merciful, threaded with the belief that even in darkness, someone is always holding a light.
Nurse Sammy lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she continues to care, to witness, to learn, and to turn the hardest parts of her journey into something that might help someone else breathe a little easier.
My Interview with Nurse Sammy
Kaye: The book tells a lot about your journey as a nurse. Would you tell us a little about your author journey? What inspired you to write The Ones Who Stayed With Me?
Sammy: My first year of nursing was very adventurous. I knew these stories would be written in a book one day. There was just something in me. I kept record of these stories. It took me a few years to work up the courage to write, but in the summer of 2025, I took the time to finally start. I started a new sticky note on my phone and wrote down the stories I wanted to write. I started a rough draft in word and would work on it before or after work. I spent lunch on my phone writing titles and brainstorming ideas. I was enjoying the process of writing so much that it was consuming my life, I could not stop. The emotions of writing helped me process what I had experienced and what others did too. I wanted to teach people what really happens behind the curtain.
Kaye: What are some of the challenges in writing this book for you?
Sammy: Writing was never my strong suit in school. I am a horrible speller, and grammar is not my forte. I was nervous that my stories would be unreadable and hard to digest. As I wrote, things got easier. I was stressed that this wouldn’t work out. I had to take a step back and remember that I was writing this for me first. No one had to see it if I chose that. I got more confident and showed some friends. It became easier.
Kaye: What is the most gratifying part of this book for you?
Sammy: Being able to share the stories with others. I wanted to educate and teach people what healthcare professionals go through. These are common stories in healthcare. A lot of us have had similar shifts. I wanted patients to understand that they are not alone either.
Kaye: What has been the biggest obstacle for you, as an author?
Sammy: Believing in myself. Having faith in myself to follow through on something. To start something and finish it. This was a big project for me. I was proud of what I was doing, that it kept me on track. I had to persuade myself once to keep going, I was determined.
Kaye: What author (dead or alive) would you most like to have lunch with?
Sammy: Judy Blume. She wrote childhood classics. Some of my favorite days in school were 4th and 5th grade. Judy Blume’s books were the books chosen for those two years. We read them out loud together. Did book reports on them. And had quizzes over them. I fell in love with them. They are simple cute books. But they were my childhood. Even as an adult, I read her books.
Kaye: What is the best piece of writing advice that you have ever received?
Sammy: Start. Just start writing. Everything will flow out as long as you start. Let the emotions out and write for yourself first and others second.
Kaye: Are there more books in the works, or is this just a one-and-done thing?
Sammy: I have started brainstorming and have a sticky note in my phone for my second book. There are many stories that still haven’t been written. The more years I work, the crazier things have gotten. Especially after Covid. I am excited to keep writing and hope I can educate more and more people.
Kaye: Where do you hope to see yourself as a writer, and as a nurse, in ten years?
Sammy: I hope to have a few more books written. I really enjoyed this process and hope to continue it. As a nurse, I dream of having my doctorate in nursing. I hope to go back to school soon to work towards a higher degree in nursing. I plan to one day be a Nurse Practitioner for pediatrics or geriatrics, only time will tell.
Kaye: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Sammy: Believe in yourself, even if no one else does. That spark in you wants to grow, let it. Even if you just write a sentence a day. Understand you are allowed to learn and grow as you write. You don’t have to be perfect.
Kaye: Where can readers learn more about you and your books?
Sammy: I am currently working on social media accounts as an author. I will have profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Stay tuned.
Denise Aparo’s Review of The Ones Who Stayed With Me
The Ones Who Stayed With Me by Nurse Sammy
Book Review by Denise Aparo
The Ones Who Stayed With Me by Nurse Sammy is a powerful debut collection of true stories that leaves a lasting impression on both the heart and mind. These narratives are raw, honest, and emotionally intense—sometimes humorous, always compassionate—and reveal how grace can be found in the merciful field of nursing through care, service, and human connection.
Written in a memoir-style, journalistic format, Nurse Sammy chronicles eight years of her life working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She guides readers through her journey from the very beginning, presenting her experiences through a series of chronological snapshots. The book may be read cover to cover or opened at random, as each chapter stands on its own while contributing to a larger, meaningful whole. The stories explore life’s beginnings, endings, and everything in between, taking place in rehab centers, memory care halls, pediatric units, assisted living facilities, private homes, and wherever compassionate care is needed most.
Interwoven throughout the book are deeply personal reflections on heartache, surviving abuse, profound grief, a lost marriage, and ultimately, healing and rediscovered love. The opening chapter, This Job Will Break Your Heart, immediately grounds the reader in the emotional reality of nursing, while also emphasizing resilience, strength, and the wisdom gained through hardship.
Each chapter offers a gripping short story filled with Nurse Sammy’s experiences, emotions, and adventures in the field. Not every story has a happy ending—some have no ending at all—but each carries a moral and a life lesson, delivered with sincerity, empathy, and at times, gentle humor. For readers considering a career in caregiving or nursing, this book provides invaluable insight into both the emotional demands and the profound rewards of the profession.
Ultimately, The Ones Who Stayed With Me serves as a moving reminder that angels often appear in our darkest hours—sometimes wearing scrubs.
Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s Review of The Ones Who Stayed With Me
The Ones Who Stayed with Me—Raw Stories from the Bedside (WordCrafter Press 2026)
Whew! Even though I am not a member of this collection’s target audience, indeed its true stories hooked me. (I admit, with a mother who was an RN from the late 1940s and returned to the profession after raising seven children, and a sister who works as a Nurse Anesthetist with a daughter whose first year of being a nurse was during the COVID epidemic, a story collection penned by an author named Nurse Sammy aroused my curiosity.)
Yes, once reading these episodes, I was snared. Nurse Sammy penned these true stories about her experiences serving in an array of positions in the nursing profession, (which she entered when she was 18), as a guide for those entering that field. By age 20, she served as a night shift Charge Nurse for a huge retirement community enclosed in a “sprawling” building linked to “elegant corridors easy to get lost in.” There, she “oversaw 190 residents, six Med Aides, and fourteen CNAs until 10 pm.” After that hour, she reminisced, she and six CNAs served that retirement home.
Afterwards, in a section entitled Finding My Groove: Rehab #3, Vancouver, WA, she describes where she believes she “finally received real training, two weeks across all shifts.” There, in that place which “felt like family,” she worked as a Floor Nurse from Monday through Friday, 2 p-10 pm.
“Nurses handled all meds and treatments,” she recalled. “It was intense, but I thrived. My usual shift included seventeen patients.”
And she remained there when “COVID-19 hit,” and she “volunteered for he new Covid wing. Sixteen rooms, one nurse, two CNAs, twelve-hour shifts, five days a week. I did it for five months. No one died on my watch.”
About halfway through this collection, she included another episode about the Covid experience, “2020 The Year the World Shut Down,” occurring when she was “twenty-two years old and two years into my nursing career.” There the residents were “people who already could not breathe on their own, long before COVID was a headline.”
When the facility received its “first positive [COVID] case” . . .[w]e all knew it was over,”
she wrote, then described how ill-prepared that institution was for the pandemic: “We stored our masks in paper bags, labeled with our names, praying they would still be ‘clean’ the next day. Some of us used the same face shield for weeks, wiping it down between patients, cracked forming in the corners. We all knew it was not enough.”
And here, she included the heart-breaking story of a 55-year-old patient she dubbed “Jane,” who’d been a resident for years.
“She had a trach and was on a vent, but she was vibrant, She had a laugh that filled the whole house, even with the voice that comes through a speaking valve. Every morning, she wanted her hair brushed, red lipstick on and her gospel music playing. She was not supposed to die, not yet.”
Nevertheless, Jane tested positive, and “she knew. She looked at me with wide, terrified eyes I wanted to believe. ‘No Jane. You are strong. You will beat that.” I could not. We both knew what this virus did to the lungs. Especially lungs relying on machines.”
Her body’s oxygen needs “skyrocketed” a day later, and by the third day, she could no longer laugh. Nurse Sammy sat by her bed in sweat-soaked gown, held Jane’s hand in
“double-gloved fingers, and whispered “Your are safe. You are not alone.”
Jane died the next day. Nurse Sammy added, We did no even have time to mourn her,” and added, “I did not sleep. I barely ate. I cried on the bathroom between med passes. Still, I came back the next day, and the one after that. Who else would sit with them? Who else would make sure they did not die afraid?”
Later, in the sections, Better Than Textbooks and Jane the Bitch, set in the second and fourth assisted living centers where she served as a memory care nurse, Nurse Sammy shares the experience with “John.” a senior citizen raised during the Great Depression, who shared stories about his family using “flour sacks for curtains” and “talked about sneaking sis of bootleg gin during Prohibition. “John lit up when I sat beside him. His eyes usually dull and half-lidded would brighten.”
Similarly, her short about “Jane the Bitch” revealed how that resident, a retired nurse, who “had worked nights for decades,” was sharp, sarcastic, condescending and downright mean,” was tamed when Nurse Nanny watched how she liked to take her meds “with ice cold milk” and “liked the lights dimmed,” and stared serving her milk “in a chilled glass,” turned down the lights and “picked up on her other quirks.”
“ . . .surviving Jane meant learning her code. Once I cracked it, something unexpected happened. She started talking. Not in her usual bark, but in something softer. Once night, she told me about her first years as a nurse. How she worked in the E.R., sometimes twelve days in a row. How she buried her stress in sarcasm and bourbon, How she lost her husband, and how pain had followed her for years before it ever settled in her bones.”
Especially in those two pieces, Nurse Nancy revealed how a nurse may connect with elderly persons who must live the rest of their lives in assisted living centers.
She added that after she and Jane connected that night, she caught Jane “watching me from her recliner while I quietly filled the med cup.”
“She said, ‘You are good. You pay attention.’ That was the closest U ever got to a compliment fro Jane. Weirdly, it meant more than the thank yous I had gotten that week. . . I learned that even the most difficult people need connection. Even bitches deserve consistency. Sometimes the person who fights you the hardest is the one who needs you the most. . . Jane was the bitch I never saw coming, and one who never left me.”
(Note—Nurse Nancy refers to all the male patients as “John” and all the female patients as “Jane,” to preserve their identities.”
A Pacific Northwest writer, Nurse Sammy continues to serve the medical community as an LPN. This collection of stories is her first published book, which she wrote to “honor the
people who left fingerprints on her life in ways they never saw.” And by doing so, she created a collection well-worth reading—even for us non-nurses.
—Lindsey Martin-Bowen
Cashing Checks with Jim Morrison (redbat books 2024)
Wrap Up
That wraps things up for today’s stop and for the tour. Thank you all for joining us, and don’t forget to leave a comment to show your support, and for an entry in the giveaway for a free digital copy. If you missed a stop, you can still visit each one through the links in the schedule below.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 12 – Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores & Masticadores Phillipines – “The Backbone of Healthcare: The C.N.A.” Reading by Nurse Sammy –
Poetry by Mich: https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2026/01/12/the-ones-who-stayed-with-me-tour-stop-1/
Hotel By Masticadores: https://hotelmasticadoreshouse.wordpress.com/2026/01/12/the-ones-who-stayed-with-me-tour-stop-1/
Masticadores Philippines: https://masticadoresphilippines.wordpress.com/2026/01/12/the-ones-who-stayed-with-me-tour-stop-1/
Tues. 13 – Roberta Writes – “Better Than Textbooks” Reading by Nurse Sammy – https://roberta-writes.com/2026/01/13/roberta-writes-guest-post-the-ones-who-stayed-with-me-wordcrafter-book-blog-tour/
Wed. 14 – Undawnted – “Is it B.M. or Chocolate Pudding?” Reading by Nurse Sammy & Review by DL Mullan
Thurs. 15 – Book Places – “The Year I Ate $2 Hotdogs” Reading by Nurse Sammy – https://bookplaces.blog/the-ones-who-stayed-with-me-day-4-word-crafter-book-blog-tours/
Fri. 16 – Writing to be Read – Interview, Review by Denise Aparo & Review by Lindsey Martin-Bowen
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “The Ones Who Stayed With Me” Book Blog Tour
Posted: January 14, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Review, Books, Giveaways, Memoir, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: Excerpt, Giveaway, Memoir, Nurse Sammy, Nursing, The Ones Who Stayed With Me, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 6 CommentsFor Day 3 of the WordCrafter The Ones Who Stayed With Me Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Undawnted where Nurse Sammy offers another chapter excerpt and host DL Mullan shares her review of this lovely memoir. Join us in sending off The Ones Who Stayed With Me and get in on the giveaway. Undawnted doesn’t take comments, but you can comment on this stop here.
http://www.undawnted.com/2026/01/OnesWho.StayedWithMe.TourStop3.Undawnted.html
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Read and Cook – Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and Sally Lunn Teacakes
Posted: January 14, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Fiction, Recipes, Review, Robbie Reads and Cooks | Tags: #ReadandCook, #RobbieCheadle, Baking, BookReview, Kenneth Grahame, Sally Lunn Teacake, Wind in the Willows 16 CommentsWind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Introduction
The Wind in the Willows is a charming tale that centres around four animals living in an idyllic English setting. The descriptions of the English countryside are delightful, and the book embodies the best of English country life.
The story commences with the mole experiencing a sudden desire to have an adventure and experience life outside of his underground home. He is busy doing his spring cleaning, but he follows the urge to throw down his paint brush and dig upwards and outwards. He comes out in a beautiful spring meadow. Seeing the river for the first time, he goes down to see it and meets the Water Rat. The two animals strike up a conversation and the Water Rat offers to take Mole on a picnic along the riverbank. During the picnic, Rat tells Mole about all the characters who live around the riverbank including Mr Toad, an impetuous creature who inherited wealth from his father and indulges himself in a variety of obsessive behaviours, the hermit-like Badger who lives in the Wild Wood, and Otter. On the way back to Rat’s den after the picnic, Mole seizes the oars from Rat and tries to row. He overturns the boat and nearly drowns. He is pulled out by the Rat who proceeds to rescue all his belongings and his boat from the water. The Mole is overcome by remorse at his rash action that caused the Rat so much trouble. Mole ends up spending the night at the Rat’s den and the pair become friends.
A few days later, Rat takes Mole to visit Mr Toad, a landed gentleman who lives in the best house in the area, Toad Hall. This visit results in the friends going off in a caravan with Toad who has a desire for adventure and to see the larger country. This adventure ends with Toad learning about motor cars and declaring that he shall have one. Mole and Rat return to Rat’s den and Mole ends up staying, time passes, and winter comes.
Rat has told Mole all about Mr Badger, a kindly creature who lives in the Wild Wood, a scary place where the river animals do not often go. Mole is curious about Badger who is a recluse and rarely undertakes social activities. One winter’s day while Rat is sleeping in his armchair in front of the fire, Mole sets off on his own to find Badger. This unfortunate decision nearly ends badly for Mole and the brave Rat, who comes to find his friend when he discovers he is missing. Good fortune, however, has the pair stumbling across the home of Badger and they are saved. Mole also gets his wish of meeting Badger. During their time at Badger’s home, the subject of Toad comes up and the reader learns that Toad’s obsession with motor vehicles has resulted in him wrecking eight vehicles, ending up in hospital a few times, and getting into trouble with the law because of his reckless behaviour on the roads. Badger decides that the Toad’s three friends, himself, Mole, and Rat, must take Toad in hand in the spring.
This first part of the novel introduces the two main themes of home as a source of strength and the power of nature. The development of the Mole’s character from a timid, nervous, and excitable animal into a brave, dependable, and thoughtful friend. It is only by leaving his home that Mole can learn about the vastness of nature and the joys of companionship and friendship.
The homes of Rat and Badger are integral to their characters and roles in the story. Water Rat and the river are joined together almost as one. Both are calm and poetic but also in constant motion as they follow the tides. Rat is a gregarious creature and accepts the changes to his life brought by the seasons and the river’s reactions to the seasons, with good grace. Rat is as accepting of flooding of his home as he is of newcomers into his life.
The Badger has a vast underground home that suits his slow, lumbering movements and winter hibernation. Badger’s home is his place of sanctuary from society where he can be alone and restore his equilibrium after social interactions.
When the spring comes, Badger makes good on his promise and the trio go to Toad’s house and confront him about his irresponsible behaviour. Toad refuses to listen and promise to amend his behaviour, and so Badger decides to imprison him in his bedroom until he sees reason. Naturally, the deceitful Toad manages to escape. Toad steals a car and gets arrested and thrown in jail for twenty years. The charges are theft, reckless driving, and being disrespectful to the police.
This sets the stage for the second part of the story which revolves around forcing Toad to behave with proper etiquette suited to his station in life. This second section of the book expands on the themes of home as a source of strength and the importance of animal etiquette. Mole learns these lessons quickly while Toad must learn them slowly and because of numerous unfortunate and difficult life lessons.
My thoughts
I loved the beautiful and scenic writing in this book. Nature is a force in this book that the animal characters must pay constant attention to or risk their lives. I liked how nature was so true to life, neither benevolent nor malevolent but rather a condition for existence that must be acknowledged and accommodated.
The scene where Mole and Rat are so in tune with nature, they can hear the music of the Piper while searching for the missing baby otter. The music guides them, and they find Portly and get a glimpse of nature personified as a demi-god. This scene is spiritual and powerful.
This book really spoke to me as it encapsulates everything I value in life: home, nature, and social harmony including consideration and respect for others.
Quotes from this book
“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.”
“All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.”
“But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, but can recapture nothing but a dim sense of the beauty in it, the beauty! Till that, too, fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold waking and all its penalties.”
“He saw clearly how plain and simple – how narrow, even – it all was; but clearly, too, how much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one’s existence. He did not at all want to abandon the new life and its splendid spaces, to turn his back on sun and air and all they offered him and creep home and stay there; the upper world was all too strong, it called to him still, even down there, and he knew he must return to the larger stage. But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome.”
Sally Lunn Teacake recipe
Ingredients ( 1 large teacake or 2 medium teacakes)
360 ml plain or cake flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 grams powdered yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
165 ml milk and water (2/3 milk and 1/3 water)
30 ml (1 Tablespoon) butter
Egg or milk to glaze (I used milk)
Glace icing (I used this recipe for glace icing: https://www.snowflake.co.za/recipes/glace-icing)
Method
Sift the salt and flour into a mixing bowl. Mix the yeast power with the milk and water heated until its tepid (lukewarm – NOT HOT) and the sugar, pour into the flour and combine. Add the melted butter (NOT HOT) and beaten egg and mix to a light, sticky dough. Knead for few minutes. If you are doing the kneading by hand, cover hands with a coating of flour before starting to help prevent sticking. Grease a small cake tin or two smaller cake tins and transfer the dough to the tins. Set in a warm place to rise until the dough has more than doubled in size (I put in in a cool oven – 100 C) for 30 minutes.
Paint the top of the risen dough with warm milk and place in an oven pre-heated to 230 C (450 F) and bake to approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. When cold, cover the teacake with glace icing.
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog https://wordpress.com/home/robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and their themed anthologies.
Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy: There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree.
Curses: Chronicles of Darkness:
There are all types of curses.
Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.
Curses that last throughout time. Curses which can’t be broken. Curses which are brought upon ourselves. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.
Legends: Monsters That Go Bump in the Night: Coming in 2026
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Book Review: “In the Name of Blood Vampires are Relative”
Posted: January 9, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Review, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Book Review, DL Mullan, In The NAme of Blood Vampires are Relative, Speculative Fiction, Vampire fiction, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout In the Name of Blood Vampires are Relative
Riley Austin believes life is predictable. That is, until she helps her friend, Tony, catch the kidnapper of three little boys. While using her sixth sense to find the missing kids, she and Tony are attacked and Riley is taken by Julian, a vampire, who wishes to use her gift for his own purposes.
When he asks for her assistance, Riley discovers a kindred spirit in Julian. Moreover, she discovers that an insane, power-hungry vampire, called Wilhelm, is at the center of many disappearances. A bond grows between Julian and Riley and is strengthened when she saves his life. For her own protection, Julian returns her to the safety of the mortal realm.
What Julian does not realize is that Riley was never going to remain safe…
My Review of In the Name of Blood Vampires are Relative
I received a digital copy of In the Name of Blood Vampires are Relative from author DL Mullan in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Lured into a conflict between two vampires, one a viciously insane vampiric killer who thrives on torturing her, Riley is determined to see Wilhelm stopped at any cost. The other vampire, Julian, is after the same prey, placing them both on the same side, and he is equally determined to keep Riley from harm’s way because they are related. This is book one in Mullan’s Legacy Universe series, and I got the distinct impression that Riley will play an important role in something much bigger in future books.
Mullan doesn’t use dialog tags, which makes it difficult to know who is speaking at times, but probably reads aloud smoother. Perhaps she plans to do audiobook versions in the future. Her characters are larger than life, and you can almost feel Riley’s pain from Mullan’s vivid descriptions. I’m not sure I buy into vampires with governing bodies, as these seem to, but I can accept it for what it is and immerse myself in the world for a time.
An interesting take on the vampiric universe. I give In the Name of Blood Vampires are Relative four quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Book Review: “Shadows of Deceit” & “The Gift”
Posted: December 26, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Kaye Lynne Booth, Shadows of Deceit, Stephanie M. Matthews, The Gift, Timothy R. Baldwin, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout Shadows of Deceit
A rookie PI. A city full of secrets. One deadly game she may not survive.
When rookie private investigator Cassie Maddox takes on her first big case in the gritty streets of Lenape City, she stumbles into a web of corruption, betrayal, and murder.
What begins as a simple job spirals into a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase with the city’s most powerful figures.
Haunted by her father’s legacy as a decorated detective, Cassie is determined to prove herself—even if it means uncovering secrets that cut too close to home.
To find the truth, she must risk everything: her independence, her family, and maybe even her life.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FG3B7LFB
My Review of Shadows of Deceit
I received a digital review copy of Shadows of Deceit, by Timothy R. Baldwin through Sandra’s Book Club in exchange for an honest book review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Young Cassie is overwhelmed by a need to prove herself as she avoids following in her father’s footsteps. So, when her first case as a P.I. turns into more than just a cheating husband, she is determined to solve it on her own. But her bulldog determination causes her to make mistakes, miscalculations and misjudgements until she finds herself over her head in web of corruption and deception, and playing a very dangerous game.
A typical hard crime novel, but the stakes aren’t high enough. Although we’re told that Cassie is swimming in dangerous waters, we don’t really see it past her friends being kidnapped and knocked around. But we don’t see that, just the after effects. It doesn’t feel so dangerous. I never really felt the peril. Even when the case is solved, I’m not sure what the real scam was, or who was doing what.
While it could be a good detective story, Shadows of Deceit fell short of the mark for me. I give it three quills.
About The Gift
“The Gift” will change Christmas forever.
The breakout thriller novel of Canadian author Stephanie M. Matthews, “The Gift” will leave you breathless in this story about a darkness that haunts a little Belgium village, and the lengths it will take to save a young woman from being lost to it forever. This is a vividly haunting Christmas story that will not be easily forgotten.
The darkness begins here.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Stephanie-M-Matthews/dp/0995313202
My Review of The Gift
I received a digital review copy of The Gift, by Stephanie M. Matthews, through Sandra’s Book Club, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. The author, Stephanie M. Matthews has done a smashing job of weaving religious and philosophical symbolism in to make the storyline work in this fantastical tale.
The Gift is a dark Christmas tale with an undercurrent theme of the age-old struggle between good and evil. Fae goes to the village of her heritage at her grandmother’s request. It is her grandmother’s wish Fae receive a very special gift, and Fae can’t imagine what it might be. The village closes down to the outside world on Christmas eve, allowing no one in or out on account of a strange event when the village was saved from a Nazi invasion which no one is willing to talk about. In order to receive her gift, she must spend the night in the village, but the villagers are less than welcoming, strongly urging her to leave before Christmas eve begins.
The more she learns about the village residents and their strange customs, the more mystery that shrouds her anticipated present, the more determined she becomes to collect it. But everything comes with a price, and the price of Fae’s gift may be higher than she ever imagined.
The Gift is everything that a Christmas tale shouldn’t be: dark and scary, with Christmas horror, rather than Christmas cheer. I give it four quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Book Review: “Flat Spin”
Posted: December 19, 2025 Filed under: Audio Books, Book Review, Crime, Fiction, Noir, Review | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Crime Fiction, David Freed, Flat Spin, Noir, Ray Porter, Writing to be Read 1 CommentAbout Flat Spin
Flat Spin is the first installment in David Freed’s acclaimed thriller series featuring Cordell Logan, a sardonic pilot with dwindling savings and a shadowy past.
Flying out of California’s sunny Rancho Bonita, Cordell Logan is a flight instructor and aspiring Buddhist whose attempt at a quiet(er) life is shattered when his ex-wife Savannah arrives on his doorstep. Her new husband—and Logan’s former comrade-in-arms—Arlo Echevarria, has been murdered and she needs his help.
Logan and Echevarria used to be members of a top-secret military assassination team known as Alpha. Savannah begs him to tell the police what he knows in order to help them solve the murder, but sharing that sort of information raises both ethical and practical concerns. After an attempt on Logan’s own life it becomes clear that this goes deeper than he thought, and that solving the murder himself may be the only way to ensure his—and Savannah’s—safety.
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Freed brings his own experience to bare in this brilliant binge-worthy mystery perfect for fans of Robert B. Parker and Robert Rotstein.
Chirp Purchase Link: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/flat-spin-by-david-freed-9ff63f01b8
Amazon Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Flat-Spin-Cordell-Logan-Mystery/dp/B0CKTWFTW5
My Review of Flat Spin
I purchased an audiobook of Flat Spin, by David Freed and narrated by Ray Porter, through a Chirp $1 Deal. All opinions stated here are my own.
Before I begin, I have to give kudos to the narrator, Ray Porter. This guy has such a wide range of character voices that it is absolutely amazing. As he reads the story, each character is given a distinctive voice, which really helps to put the listener into the story. He does both male and female voices, Asian voices, Russian voices and African American voices, all with apparent ease, and the listener is able to distinguish between characters and know who is speaking. Superb!
Cordell Logan is a retired special operative and flight instructor turned amateur detective to find a killer when his ex-wife asks to find her current husband’s killer. The story tone is one that reminded me of tales of hard-core detective protagonist, such as Mickey Spillane, or Mike Hammer. (Know what I mean, kid?) The tone is purposeful and is emphasized by the audiobook’s narrator, Ray Porter. And the amount of bad luck and misfortune which falls in the protagonist’s way is reminiscent of James Rockford of The Rockford Files.
Although, a fairly run of the mill hard crime fiction detective novel, the talent of the chosen narrator makes this story shine above the crowd in my book. I give Flat Spin five quills.
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About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Book Review: “Final Notice”
Posted: December 12, 2025 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Book Review, Books, cozy mystery, Crime, Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Review, Thriller | Tags: Book Reveiw, Crime Fiction, Final Notice, Humor, Jennifer Hart, mystery, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout Final Notice
Fester Gomez is three months behind on his rent for his pricey South Beach condo and Damaged Goods is on the job. Either they convince the tenant to pay up or he’ll face eviction. The simple task turns deadly when the team discovers Gomez missing and a Jane Doe slowly decomposing in his bathtub. Serving a killer up to justice, wrestling family secrets—it’s just another day on the job for Damaged Goods.
My Review of Final Notice
I purchased Final Notice, by Jennifer L. Hart from a KindofBook deal and I am providing an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Final Notice, by Jennifer L. Hart is Book 1 in the Damaged Goods Mystery series. Damaged Goods is the name Jackie Parker chooses for their property management business when her husband, Luke, and brother-in-law, Logan, invite her to join their team as a certified process server. As one might guess from the business name, this tale contains quite a bit of humor, as Jackie is determined to find out who the dead girl in the bathtub at their first gig is, and find their missing tenant, and our trio finds themselves in some very unexpected situations. Jackie goes through outfits like someone with halitosis goes through breath mints, as she pokes her nose where someone doesn’t think it belongs.
Throw into the mix, a close encounter with Logan before she met Luke, which Luke doesn’t know about, that keeps things plenty uncomfortable among our new business partners, a mother-in-law who renews her vows every year with Jackie in the wedding party, a very needy mother of her own, and an unquenchable need to solve a mystery, and you’ve got the makings for a thoroughly entertaining cozy that won’t let you down.
I recommend Ms. Hart expend more on editing, as there were enough typos to be distracting from the story, but I had so much fun following along as Jackie tries to evict some very unusual tenants, and interact with the story’s other quirky characters, that I was willing to struggle past them and continue reading.
Comical and witty, as well as adventurous. If you can ignore the many typos, you’ll be well entertained by this cozy mystery. I give Final Notice four quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Read and Cook – This Is How We Work: Stories, Memoirs and Poems about Social Dimensions of Work and Stained Glass Biscotti for the Annual Cookie Exchange
Posted: December 10, 2025 Filed under: Recipes, Review, Robbie Reads and Cooks | Tags: #baking, #Bookreview, #non-fiction, #ReadandCook, #RobbieCheadle 90 CommentsToday, I am delighted to share my review of a unique anthology centering around work experiences in the broadest sense of the word work. This Is How We Work: Stories, Memoirs and Poems about Social Dimensions of Work was compiled by contributing editor Yvette Prior.
This Is How We Work: Stories, Memoirs and Poems about Social Dimensions of Work
This Is How We Work is a unique collection of stories, memoirs and poems which all centre around the theme of the workplace. It is a most insightful and interesting collection as the various contributors from around the world all engage/engaged in different forms of work, many quite different from my own experiences in the corporate world.
Chapter 1 by Yvette Prior, the editor and a co-contributor, provides insight into why she selected this theme for the anthology and sets out the aims of the anthology for readers. It ends with a wonderful quote: “We work to live, but stories help us understand why we live, and sometimes, why we work.”
All of the contributions are compelling and give great insight into the evolution of the contributors careers and how their ideas on work changed over time. I have experienced this happening from my own perspective in my job so it is very relatable for me. I am going to share a bit more about the contributions that resonated the most with me.
Chapter 3, The Quiet Work of Love by Sherri Matthews was particularly useful and, in many ways heart rending, for me. Sherri depicts her journey as a caregiver to her mother as she aged and became less capable. I have followed this journey to a lessor extent with my aging aunt and am also following it with my own aging parents. The emotional angst of watching those we love giving up everything they enjoy and care about over time and becoming frail is hard – very hard. Sherri’s story was relatable and a mixture of encouraging and horrifying as I read it.
Chapter 4, The Creative Dream Job That Wasn’t So Dreamy, by Mabel Kwong also interested me greatly. I am a chartered accountant with a highly creative bend and spend a lot of my spare time writing and painting. Up until recently, I cherished the idea of turning these ‘hobbies’ into income producing activities. Prior to reading Mabel’s story, I had already arrived at the conclusion that turning creative outlets into work changed them in a negative way. When you paint commissions, you lose control over the creative output on many levels. Painting on demand is very different from someone seeing something you have created and asking to buy it as it is. Commissions means dancing to the purchasers tune which curtails your own creative ideas. It is the same with writing. If you write for the traditional publishing market, you write to the rules of the traditional publishers. That doesn’t work for me and I have never attempted to find a traditional publisher for my work. Mabel’s story of disillusionment with paid writing confirmed my own views, despite the fact that Mabel did gain a great deal from the experience and she grew as a writer. Anyone contemplating writing for a living should read this memoir.
Chapter 6, The Paper Knife Incident by Brian Martin-Onraet, was a delightfully entertaining story about working in Gabon, Africa. It highlights differences in work ethics and circumstances of workers and also focuses on management choices and behaviours. Brian is an excellent writer and I hope he publishes more of his fascinating stories.
Chapter 7, Serving The Patient, Resisting The System: Work Across by Career by Mike F. Martelli, is riveting reading. Mike’s journey in the field of mental health was insightful into how the health system has changed over time and is now focused on patient turnaround rather than patient service. It was sad for me as a reader and I’m sure its incredibly disillusioning for medical practitioners who enter the system full of the eagerness to make a difference of youth. Although this piece focuses on the health industry, its content applies to many other fields like teaching and even corporate work.
Chapters 11, Eighty-five Degrees For Me by Marsha Ingrao, and 13, Asylum Ghosts (And No Escape Room) by Frank Prem (Poetry), both give incredible insight into the worlds of teaching and psychiatric nursing, respectively. I learned a great deal about these professions, which are in my mind callings, and my respect for the people who enter these professions increased tenfold.
Chapter 16, Chapter Summaries by Yvette Prior, is a lovely summary of each of the contributions including her personal thoughts on how these pieces and poems can benefit readers. Yvette also contributed some beautiful and thought provoking poems to the collection.
I highly recommend this meaningful collection.
This Is How We Work: Stories, Memoirs and Poems about Social Dimensions of Work is available form Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/This-How-We-Work-Dimensions-ebook/dp/B0FWC6BMFP/
Recipe: Stained Glass Biscotti
My recipe for December is Stained Glass Biscotti. It is also my contribution to Staci Troilo’s annual Cookie Exchange. You can read more about it here: https://stacitroilo.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/thanks-deals-treats. You can find all the cookie recipes from the last four years of the Cookie Exchange here: https://stacitroilo.wordpress.com/recipes/
This recipe comes from The Australian Women’s Weekly Christmas miniatures finger food and tiny treats. I have this book as a paperback and have used it to make Christmas treats for years.
This is a gallery of the book cover and two of the recipe pages:
Ingredients
165 grams caster sugar
2 medium eggs
200 grams plain/all purpose/cake flour
50 grams self raising flour
300 grams multi glace cherries (a mix of colours is preferable)
80 grams sliced/diced almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F. Prepare your cookie baking tray using grease or oil spray.
Mix sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl until well combined and then stir in flour, cherries and nuts. Knead the doub on a floured surface until smooth. Divide the dough into two parts and roll each part into a long sausage/log. Place logs on the prepared baking trays and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150 C or 300 F. Using a serrated edged knife, cut the logs into slices. Place the slices in a single layer on prepared baking trays and bake for a further 30 minutes until dry and crisp. I turn the biscuits half way through the second baking session.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog https://wordpress.com/home/robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and their themed anthologies.
Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy: There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree.
Curses: Chronicles of Darkness:
There are all types of curses.
Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.
Curses that last throughout time. Curses which can’t be broken. Curses which are brought upon ourselves. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.
Legends: Monsters That Go Bump in the Night: Coming in 2026
