Book Review: “Shadows & Dreams” & “Watch Me”
Posted: November 21, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Mystery, Review, romance | Tags: Andrea Smith, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, mystery, romance, Shadows & Dreams, Suspense, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
About Shadows & Dreams
“That was definitely hot,” I said, propping myself up on an elbow to look at him, “going all ‘Christian Grey’ on me like that.” “Who?” he asked, totally clueless…
I wasn’t prepared for what was in store for me when I took a summer position at Sinclair Stables before my junior year of college. After all, it could only help with my chosen field of equine studies, right? My first encounter with Trey Sinclair wasn’t a pleasant one to say the least. I didn’t realize he was taking time away from his law firm in Atlanta to oversee his family’s business in Bristol Virginia over the summer.
He was definitely an alpha who liked exerting his power . . . and his prowess. And then there was all this weirdness going on there. Like something from a Hitchcock movie. I was there with baggage I didn’t realize I had. Trey Sinclair turned out to be my protector . . . and so much more!
Adult Content. 18+
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Dreams-Protective-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00EMKJIA2
My Review of Shadows & Dreams
I purchased a digital copy of Shadows & Dreams, by Andrea Smith through a KindofBook Deal. All opinions stated here are my own.
From the cover and title, I didn’t know what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect a romance. But that is exactly what Shadows & Dreams, by Andrea Smith is as Book 1 in her Dream Series. It turned out to be a romance with an underlying mystery which carries into the rest of the series and keeps you reading.
I don’t read a lot of romances because I find them very formulaic and predictable. They are filled with characters whose actions don’t make any sense, because they fail to communicate clearly to one another. It has to be that way because misunderstandings serve as the obstacles to be overcome in the relationship. Shadows & Dreams met my expectations in this respect, with our heroine and P.O.V. character, Tyler Preston is young and impetuous, and she makes very poor choices, especially whenever alcohol and/or sex are involved.
Tyler Preston lands a job at Sinclair Stables for the summer, and Trey Sinclair is the owner’s son and her boss for the summer. When she discovers she has a stalker, Trey’s concern for her safety goes beyond that of a boss for an employee. As he takes control by moving her into the main house of the estate, Tyler sees the potential for disaster around every corner, but he’s a take charge kind of guy, used to getting his own way. Their set up for a roller coaster of a ride as their on again off again relationship unfolds.
A set of pearls, a torn pair of pajamas, and threatening notes, and photographs – who could the stalker be? The answers to who the stalker is and what’s really going on lie in Tyler’s past, and she must struggle to face the memories from her childhood which she’s kept buried deep inside to find them.
I quite enjoyed this romance mystery, which follows all the tropes and still keeps you guessing. I give Shadows & Dreams five quills.
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About Watch Me
Zoë thinks she has her life figured out. Ballet by day, stripping by night, and a great boyfriend… Well, a good boyfriend, other than two small problems: he’d rather look at his computer than at her, and he hates her job.
But nothing can make exhibitionist Zoë quit stripping. The rush of performing and the thrill of being seen almost make up for the lack of passion in her relationship.
When passion sparks at work, though—with a sexy older man—Zoë is forced to confront the reality of her life. Especially when she discovers the shocking truth…
That sexy older man is her boyfriend’s father.
Nick has one goal: to mend things with his son. He moved home and bought a house big enough for both of them, hoping it would bring them closer. But Tate moving his girlfriend in without asking? That’s just crossing the line.
Or at least, that’s what Nick thinks until he meets his son’s mysterious girlfriend, and discovers that the person who crossed the line… is him.
Thrown together, Nick and Zoë must navigate the thin line between temptation and betrayal, until they discover that fate has a way of making their forbidden connection impossible to ignore.
Watch Me is a story of forbidden love, scorching lust, and second chances that is strictly suitable for audiences 18+.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Me-Astra-Rose-ebook/dp/B0D8L4J39X/
My Review of Watch Me
I purchased Watch Me, by Astra Rose through a KindofBook deal. All opinions stated here are my own. Although there is a warning of adult content in the book description, I would venture to say that possible trigger warnings might be in order, since kink can contain many triggers and this story has a lot of kink. This story features content which would have been considered x-rated in my younger days.
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover, plain and simple. I don’t do a lot of romance, but it is not unfamiliar to me, and if I’m going to read romance, I prefer it to be on the steamy side. This story met all of those expectations beyond a doubt. Zoe is caught up in trying to live out her mother’s dream of dancing with a ballet company. But, ballet classes are expensive and so is living, so to get by until her big audition with the ballet company, so her job as a stripper seems the perfect solution.
It’s a job her current boyfriend, Tate, doesn’t approve of, so when she starts doing lap dances, because that’s where the money is at, she has a hard time finding the right time to tell him about it. He’s always so distant. The more time that goes by, the more difficult it gets, and before she finds the right time, she finds that she has crossed a line with a sexy older man who comes into the club she works at, who she feels an irresistible connection with.
Although she knows she’ll never see him again, she can’t stop thinking about him. She becomes obsessed with him. As Nick does with her, hiding in the shadows to watch her at the club without her knowledge. It all seems harmless until he discovers that his son’s live-in girlfriend, who has been living in his basement, is the same girl he’s been obsessing over, and she recognizes him, as well.
As always, there are no spoilers here. If my summary has enticed you, you will have to read the book to find out how the whole situation is resolved to create the HEA (Happy Ever After), or HFN (Happy For Now), which is a requirement in every romance.
For adult readers of steamy romances who don’t shy away from sexual kink, this book is the ticket. Watch Me has an intriguing story line which leads to some unexpected outcomes. I give it 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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Read and Cook – Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence by Peter Mayle, and my new cake art and baking books series #ReadandCook #bookreview #cakeart
Posted: October 8, 2025 Filed under: Adventure, Book Review, Books, cooking, Creativity, Fiction, Nonfiction, Read and Cook, Recipes, Review, romance, Suspense | Tags: Baking, Cake Art, Fondant Art, Hotel Pastis, Peter Mayle, Read and Cook, Robbie Cheadle, Something Fancy, Writing to be Read 34 Comments
Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence by Peter Mayle
What Amazon says
A beguiling novel of romance, adventure, and tongue-in-cheek suspense set in the South of France, from the beloved, best-selling author of A Year in Provence.
Simon Shaw, a rumpled, fortyish English advertising executive, has decided to leave it all behind, and heads of to France to transform an abandoned police station in the Lubéron into a small but world-class hotel. On his side, Simon has a loyal majordomo and a French business partner who is as practical as she is ravishing. But he hasn’t counted on the malignant local journalist—or on the mauvaise types who have chosen the neighboring village as the site of their latest bank robbery. Slyly funny and overflowing with sensuous descriptions of the good life, Hotel Pastis is the literacy equivalent of a four-star restaurant.
My review
I read a few of Peter Mayle’s autobiographical books about life in Provence when I was in my twenties. I came across this novel a short while ago and was eager to revisit Provence, this time through Peter Mayle’s fiction. I was not disappointed. After a bit of a slow start, Peter Mayle’s typically humorous style of writing and his deep dive into the food and culture of Provence were very evident in this entertaining novel. What was new was his descriptions of life in the advertising industry in London.
I’m making an educated guess that this novel is set in the 70s in London as that is when the author worked in London as an advertising executive. The characters all smoke heavily which was quite interesting for me given that I’ve always worked in a no smoking inside buildings culture. I found the author’s descriptions of his work colleagues, spoiled wife and her equally over privileged friends, and super wealthy clients very entertaining. Of course, these scenes are depicted through a humorous lens, so the negative attributes of these people are all exaggerated but as someone who has always worked in corporate, it had the ring of truth. I could also relate to Simon’s exhaustion with this fast and fake lifestyle. It can be hard to feel sympathy for people caught up in this sort of all work with short intermissions of excessive play lifestyles because of all the money they have, but it is not a nice way to live your life. Having to work all the time and appease others and wine and dine them isn’t as glamorous as it appears on the outside. This is evident from the general wreckage you see in such people’s personal lives including broken marriages, alcoholism, and drug addiction. I really hoped that Simon would find a better way of living that brought him more personal happiness.
There is a romance between Simon and a fascinating woman from Provence, a butler who is very competent and savvy and equally weary of Simon’s (and thus his own) life in the London fast lane, as well as a ring of local petty criminals who are planning the heist of their lives.
This book is not a classic and does not contain intense and serious messages about life, relationships, and saving the world. This is a slice of escapism and is light and enjoyable like pavlova. If this is the sort of book you are looking for, then you will enjoy Hotel Pastis.
Purchase Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679751114
Cake art and other confectionary related delights
I have wanted to publish a book containing my favourite baking recipes and cake and other confectionary art for some years. I have finally gotten around to it and the first book in my new series, Something Fancy: A Winter Wonderland Celebration book 1 is now available for pre-order on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wonderland-Celebration-Celebrating-Confectionary-ebook/dp/B0FTX21BXL
This book isn’t just about cake art and baking, it also includes some history about the origin of Christmas cakes in a number of different countries and the origin of gingerbread and gingerbread houses in Europe and other places. It also includes several of my baking related poems and poets written specifically for various cake creations.
Blurb
Robbie’s cake and fondant creations are full of imagination and enchantment as demonstrated by her gingerbread bakery, populated by three mince pie figurines, and her Ice cream Rainbow Fairies Christmas Cake, decorated with seven fondant fairy figurines for each colour of the rainbow.
This book is intended as a celebration of Christmas in poetry, cake art, and gingerbread constructions and includes several of Robbie’s delicious Christmas recipes as well as design ideas for Christmas themed confectionaries. Bite sized smatterings of historical information relating to various culinary delights are also included.
Robbie Cheadle is a poet, writer, and artist. Over the past twenty years, she has created art cakes, gingerbread constructions, and fondant figurines for a variety of purposes including as illustrations for the Sir Chocolate children’s book series she wrote with her son, Michael Cheadle.
These are examples of the type of cake art featured in this book:
The gallery sets out my Ice cream rainbow fairy tiered Christmas cake with two close up pictures of the details on this cake.
Gingerbread houses, from small and easy …
to large and complex …
Advice and assembly instructions are included in the book.
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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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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WordCrafter News: Happy Halloween! Spooky October Releases & a Halloween Book Event.
Posted: September 22, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Horror, Paranormal, romance, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Tags: B.T. Clearwater, Curses: Chronicles of Darkness, Dark fiction, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil, New release, paranormal horror, Paranormal Romance, Smothered, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 4 Comments
I’m posting this month’s “WordCrafter News” early because the first of three spooky WordCrafter Press releases come out next week. In fact, promotions have already begun over at JosephCarrabis.com, where you can learn a little about each of the stories in our themed dark fiction anthology, Curses: Chronicles of Darkness. Technically, it’s a September release, but it is dark fiction, just in time for the Halloween season. Halloween was my son, Michael’s favorite holiday, (and mine, too), so I always go all out in October.
Curses Release
Curses: Chronicles of Darkness will be released on September 30th. This themed anthology has stories which all pertain to…, you guessed it – curses. It is currently available for preorder, so reserve your copy through the link below. (This link is a UBL, Universal Book Link, which allows readers to choose to purchase through their favorite distributor.) This link can also be used as a purchase link once the anthology is released.
About Curses
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.
Eleven tantalizing tales of curses and the cursed. Includes stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Molly Ertel, C.R. Johansson, Robert White, Joseph Carrabis, Paul Kane, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Abe Margel, and Denise Aparo.
Preorder/Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/CursesChroniclesofDarkness
WordCrafter Curses Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter Curses Book Blog Tour will run September 29 – October 4, 2025. It will be an exciting tour, with a double stop each day, which we’ve never done before. The original stop will host readings and guest posts from contributing authors, and the second stop of the day will be over at Undawnted, where DL Mullan will interview a few of the anthology contributors. We’ll also be running a giveaway, offering chances for one of five digital copies of the anthology in a random drawing at the end of each day. I do hope you will join in the fun, follow the tour and meet the contributing authors. If you follow the tour and leave a comment each day, you will have five chances to win a copy of this original, themed anthology, Curses: Chronicles of Darkness. Drop by to join in the fun and help us send this collection of curses off right.
Midnight Oil Release
At long last, the third volume of the Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, is scheduled for release October 28th, just in time for Halloween!
About Midnight Oil
14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare.
Contributing authors include Mario Acevedo, Joseph Carrabis, Jon Shannon, Rebecca M. Senesse, DL Mullan, Zack Ellafy, Christa Planko, C.R. Johansson, Kaye Lynne Booth, Robert White, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Chris Barili, Paul Kane, and author of the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, Denise Aparo.
WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour will run October 27 – 31, 2025. We’ll have readings and guest posts from contributing authors and maybe a few interviews where you can get to know contributors better. Of course, we’ll be running a giveaway for digital copies, too. Drop by and join in the fun, follow the tour and help us send off this dark fiction anthology right.
Halloween Facebook Book Event
We’ll be promoting all of the above books at the annual Halloween Book Event on Facebook, hosted by WordCrafter Press and Sonoran Dawn Studios on October 31, 2025. WordCrafter Press and anthology authors will have takeover slots on Friday, the 31st, promoting both Curses and Midnight Oil, as well as other works by the authors. Watch for more information on this as the holiday gets closer.
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Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
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Review in Practice: That Th!nk That You Do, volume 2
Posted: September 8, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Nonfiction, Relationships, Review in Practice, romance, The Human Condition | Tags: Joseph Carrabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Nonfiction, Relationships, Review in Practice, Romanace, That Th!nk You Do vol. 2, The Human Condition, Writing to be Read 4 CommentsI volunteered to be a first reader for author Joseph Carrabis for his upcoming nonfiction book on romance and relationships, That Th!nk That You Do, vol. 2. I reviewed the first book of this title and you can read that here: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/05/15/review-in-practice-that-thnk-you-do/. While that first book deals with human thought processes and behaviors in general, volume 2 deals with romance and relationships, and the differences between the sexes. His premises are based on solid research and contemporary studies, and may be pretty accurate, unless you are weird, like me.
How age affects perspective, and my reviews.
In the section titled “Romancing Real Women”, Carrabis offers us two different versions of a passage from a hypothetical romance story. The first is what I would call romance adventure, where the dashing hero saves the damsel in distress, with a big, muscular male playing the part of hero. The second offers up a loving, playful, sensitive male character, who puts his heroine up on a pedestal. Then he asks which you think will catch a woman’s attention, and goes on to explain why they are both very age demographic:
“the former is designed to attract younger women more so than older women. Mature women will appreciate the former but the latter fantasy will stay with them.”
This is not surprising, as I would have guessed that the first would appeal to the younger, more hormonal group of females. And of course, as an older woman, I can see why the second version would stay with more mature women, who value stability in their lives.
I’ve never been one to go in for sappy, feel-good writing, which many romances are, and why I read so few of them and why I don’t write them. I can’t make myself do it, although I know I could if I wanted to. I even have outlines and beginnings for a few stored away with my trunk novels.
But I’m not heartless and I am female, so I do read romance occasionally. But, I don’t think I’m looking for a hero. In fact, I don’t think I ever was. I’m not a fan of Scarlet O’hara being swept off her feet by Rhett Butler, but if an author can keep it realistic, I can make it through the story and often, enjoy it.
But here’s the thing. After reading this, I had to wonder if the same factors Carrabis shows us might not also affect the way that I review a romance, especially since neither of the examples used appealed to me in a big way. Upon first thought, I would have said that it’s always been that way for me, but I had to wonder if my romance reviews have changed over the years without my noticing. And I don’t think it has.
When I was a judge for the Western Writers of America’s Spur Awards, back in 2018, they gave me the western romance category. Although I cringed when they gave me my category, I found that for me, as long as a tale carries a good, strong, storyline to hold my interest, I can tolerate the romance, even if it is a little sappy. And to be honest, I was mostly through that hormonal stage before I started doing my blog and/or book reviews, so perhaps this line of thinking doesn’t prove or disprove anything, but it is an interesting premise to explore.
If you’re interested, you can catch my western romance reviews of Spur contenders here: https://writingtoberead.com/2020/03/30/judging-for-the-2020-w-w-a-spur-awards/
Meeting His/Her Family
Carrabis emphasizes how much you can learn about your partner from meeting his/her family. Interactions within the family can be indications of how your partner may prefer to communicate their needs and desires, as well as their attitudes toward others, giving you an idea of what type of life-partner they might be. And it does make sense.
Thinking back to when I met my second husband’s family, I think I should have run like hell. If I had, it would have saved a lot of greed later, because the dysfunctional traits and behavior never went away and came back repeatedly to bite me in the butt. But if I had, I also wouldn’t have spent most of my adult life with a man that I truly love, and frankly, I can’t imagine what life without him would have been like, so I’m glad that I didn’t.
Other Interesting Points Made
Another interesting claim Carrabis makes, is the importance of voice in relationships, from harmonic voices tending to form a closer bond, to holding on to the partner whose voice you enjoy hearing, and the benefits of a partner who sings. Also, I loved the chapter titled, “Men Get Stupid Over Sex”, which talks about the different types of risk which sex poses for men vs. women, and men’s willingness to risk more. I would guess that the risks may seem greater for men in recent times because, as Carrabis points out, only in recent times, have men been forced to take responsibility for their actions and their offspring
Summary
A life-long student of the human condition, Carrabis shares some astute insights into the human condition and differences between the sexes based on solid research and personal observations. He offers these up with a pinch of humor, making reading this book feel like chatting with an old friend. I was able to relate his premises to relationships in my own life, and in many cases, they were spot on, with interesting ideas on some different ways to approach the search for a soulmate.
Buy direct from the author: https://josephcarrabis.com/books/#TTYDv2
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Wrapping up the WordCrafter “Shadow Blade” Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 25, 2025 Filed under: Adventure, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Giveaways, Live Event, romance, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Chris Barili, Fantasy Romance Adventure, Shadow Blade, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 6 Comments
Today is the final stop on the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour. We’re wrapping up the tour tonight with a live appearance by author Chris Barili, where you can ask him questions about the book and the Denari Lai universe. If you are following the tour and want to get in on the giveaway, comment or ask a question at the event or on the blog. (Details below)
Meet Author Chris Barili
Tonight only, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., join author Chris Barili in a Facebook Live event, where you can chat with him, ask questions about the books or the series in general. Join in the fun by clicking on the link below.
About Chris Barili
Currently oppressed by his day job, Chris has set sights on retiring after 42 years in the Intelligence Community and writing full-time. Chris Barili writes all kinds of stories, and has published fantasy, science fiction, horror, western, paranormal romance, and most recently crime, with a noir story in the inaugural print edition of Toe Six Magazine. He is author of the self-published, weird western Hell’s Butcher series, and also writes under the pen names B.T. Clearwater (Supernatural romance) and T.C. Barlow (western). Chris is a retired intelligence officer, having served over 45 years between active duty, contractor, and government employee roles. He lives in Colorado with his wife.
About Shadow Blade
Ashai Larish is an assassin from the brutal Denari Lai order. Religious zealots, Denari Lai are kept loyal through an addiction to the same magic that makes them unstoppable. They have become the primary weapon for the nation of Nishi’iti, and in a hundred years, they have never failed.
Until now. Ashai must kill Pushtani King Abadas Damar and his daughter/heir, Makari. He infiltrates the king’s inner circle, putting him in the perfect place to strike, with only Captain Bauti of the Royal Guard at all suspicious of Ashai’s intent.
Except Ashai has fallen for Makari and cannot complete the hit. When a second Denari Lai kills the King, Ashai finds himself fighting for Makari’s life instead of taking it. To make matters worse, the order cuts him off from his magic, leaving him weakened and in withdrawal.
Meanwhile, far north in the Pushtani mines that border Nishi’iti, a slave named Pachat learns that his love, a hand slave to Makari, died at the hands of a Denari Lai assassin. His grief ignites a slave rebellion, and Pachat becomes the unwilling leader of the revolt. Urged on by Nishi’iti guerrillas, the rebellion sweeps across the borderlands, threatening to erupt into all-out war. Yet all Pachat wants is to avenge his beloved’s death by killing the assassin, so he walks away from the rebellion to seek when it needs him most.
As Pachat makes off for the capital of Dar Tallus, Ashai is forced to rely on that city’s organized crime gang to hide from the second assassin, and from Bauti’s guards. Despite his best efforts to hide it, Makari discovers Ashai’s true identity, and suddenly, he finds himself without her love, without his faith, and without the Denari Lai. At rock bottom, he doubts he can do anything but cause more damage.
Can Ashai kill the second assassin and win back Makari’s love? Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/ShadowBladeDenariLai
Wrapping Up The Tour
That’s about it for the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour. I hope you have enjoyed meeting Chris and learning about this stealthy fantasy romance adventure. Be sure to pop over to the live event tonight, at the link above and chat with Chris. He’ll be there live to answer all your questions or just shoot the shit.
One thing we weren’t able to get in time for the tour were reviews. We had a tight time schedule for this one and the reviews haven’t come in yet. But if you’re interested in seeing a review, I reviewed the story when it was released by WordFire Press and you can read my review here.
And don’t forget to leave your comments. Each stop you visit and comment on gets you an entry in the giveaway. If you missed a stop, you can go back and visit by clicking on the links in the tour schedule below. For tonight’s event, you can come back here and comment if you like, but if you participate in the chat with Chris, that counts, too. WordCrafter has never done a live event like this before, so I’m anxious to see how it turns out. Any thoughts on would be appreciated.
Thanks for joining us in this re-launch of Shadow Blade. Remember, there’s a free copy of Baiting the Hook when you purchase the WordCrafter Press edition of the book, so what are you waiting for?
Until next time, happy reading!
Tour Schedule
Monday, July 21: Writing to be Read– Book Trailer
Tuesday, July 22:Robbie’s Inspiration – Guest post
Wednesday July 23: Undawnted – Interview with Chris Barili (Leave comments on Writing to be Read)
Thursday, July 24: Roberta Writes – Reading Excerpt from Baiting the Hook, narrated by Jeff Bowles
Friday, July 25: Writing to be Read – Live appearance by Chris Barili
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Welcome to the WordCrafter “Shadow Blade” Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 21, 2025 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Books, Fantasy, romance, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Blog Tour, Book trailer, Books, Chris Barili, Denari Lai Series, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance Adventure, Fiction, Shadow Blade, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentWelcome to Writing to be Read and the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour, where we’re launching the release of the second edition of Shadow Blade, the fantasy adventure/romance by author Chris Barili. Shadow Blade is now Book 2 in the Denari Lai series by Chris Barili. WordCrafter Press is also releasing Book 1 of the series for the very first time, but the cool thing is, if you purchase the WordCrafter Press edition of Shadow Blade, you can also get the first book absolutely free.
Give Away
If you follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop to let us know you were there or share your thoughts about the book, you can win a free copy of Shadow Blade. We’re giving away three digital copies of the book, and one lucky winner will receive a print copy of the book signed by author Chris Barili. Each stop you comment on earns you an entry into a random drawing, and the winners will be announced on Writing to be Read in the “WordCrafter News” post on July 27.
Tour Schedule
July 20-25, 2025
Monday, July 21: Writing to be Read- Book Trailer
Tuesday, July 22: Robbie’s Inspiration – Guest post
Wednesday July 23: Undawnted – Interview with Chris Barili (Leave comments on Writing to be Read)
Thursday, July 24: Roberta Writes – Reading Excerpt from Baiting the Hook, narrated by Jeff Bowles
Friday, July 25: Writing to be Read – Live appearance by Chris Barili
And now that I’ve told you a little about the tour, let me tell you about this dangerous and exciting adventure into the Denari Lai universe.
About Shadow Blade
Ashai Larish is an assassin from the brutal Denari Lai order. Religious zealots, Denari Lai are kept loyal through an addiction to the same magic that makes them unstoppable. They have become the primary weapon for the nation of Nishi’iti, and in a hundred years, they have never failed.
Until now. Ashai must kill Pushtani King Abadas Damar and his daughter/heir, Makari. He infiltrates the king’s inner circle, putting him in the perfect place to strike, with only Captain Bauti of the Royal Guard at all suspicious of Ashai’s intent.
Except Ashai has fallen for Makari and cannot complete the hit. When a second Denari Lai kills the King, Ashai finds himself fighting for Makari’s life instead of taking it. To make matters worse, the order cuts him off from his magic, leaving him weakened and in withdrawal.
Meanwhile, far north in the Pushtani mines that border Nishi’iti, a slave named Pachat learns that his love, a hand slave to Makari, died at the hands of a Denari Lai assassin. His grief ignites a slave rebellion, and Pachat becomes the unwilling leader of the revolt. Urged on by Nishi’iti guerrillas, the rebellion sweeps across the borderlands, threatening to erupt into all-out war. Yet all Pachat wants is to avenge his beloved’s death by killing the assassin, so he walks away from the rebellion to seek when it needs him most.
As Pachat makes off for the capital of Dar Tallus, Ashai is forced to rely on that city’s organized crime gang to hide from the second assassin, and from Bauti’s guards. Despite his best efforts to hide it, Makari discovers Ashai’s true identity, and suddenly, he finds himself without her love, without his faith, and without the Denari Lai. At rock bottom, he doubts he can do anything but cause more damage.
Can Ashai kill the second assassin and win back Makari’s love? Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/ShadowBladeDenariLai
Book Trailer
About Author Chris Barili
Currently oppressed by his day job, Chris has set sights on retiring after 42 years in the Intelligence Community and writing full-time. Chris Barili writes all kinds of stories, and has published fantasy, science fiction, horror, western, paranormal romance, and most recently crime, with a noir story in the inaugural print edition of Toe Six Magazine. He is author of the self-published, weird western Hell’s Butcher series, and also writes under the pen names B.T. Clearwater (Supernatural romance) and T.C. Barlow (western). Chris is a retired intelligence officer, having served over 45 years between active duty, contractor, and government employee roles. He lives in Colorado with his wife.
That wraps up today’s stop on the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour. To learn more about the book, the Denari Lai series, or about author Chris Barili, just follow the tour via the links in the Tour Schedule above. Just keep in mind that each link will not be active until the attached stop goes live, so you can’t get sneak previews of upcoming stops. I do hope you’ll join us. We’ve got an interview with the author and a live event where you can chat with the author,, excerpt readings, and the inspiration for this tale coming up later in the week. And don’t forget, the author is giving away three digital copies and one signed print copy of Shadow Blade, and all you need to do is comment to enter. The more stops you visit, the more entries you can get.
Join us tomorrow on Robbie’s Inspiration. We’ll have a guest post where author Chris Barili shares his thoughts on the inspiration for the story and the series.
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Book Review: “Weeping Boughs Don’t Break”
Posted: May 9, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Review, romance | Tags: Book Reveiw, romance, Staci Troilo, Weeping Boughs Don't Break, Writing to be Read 13 CommentsAbout Weeping Boughs Don’t Break
A vow broken. A covenant shattered. A duty she can’t escape.
Claudia Abruzzo expected her mid-life crisis to begin when her kids left for college and culminate in a trip around the world when her husband retired. Instead, it started with Leo divorcing her for a woman young enough to be their daughter, and there was no end in sight to her heartbreak.
Five years later, the only change is her last name—back to Valenti. She still lives in the same memory-filled house in the same tiny town with the same financial and emotional struggles since losing her partner. While she doesn’t miss her ex, she does miss being married. She’d meant it when she’d said for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, and forsaking all others.
Leo had meant none of it, especially the forsaking part.
Now, his life is on the line and he—as well as his family—expects her to uphold her vows.
Crises of conscience, faith, and family test the flimsy tether of resolve that kept her moored when her life blew apart. Leo is forcing her into another no-win situation, and this time, when her world inevitably explodes, she might not have the strength to pick up the pieces.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Weeping-Boughs-Break-Staci-Troilo-ebook/dp/B0F3Q4T2JQ
My Review of Weeping Boughs Don’t Break
I requested and received a digital copy of Weeping Boughs Don’t Break from author Staci Troilo in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This book affected me on a personal level, speaking to women and the strengths which are not always seen, especially not by the woman herself. When responsibility and the stresses of life overwhelm us, it feels like the world is crashing in on us and we can’t bear anymore. While others may see our amazing strengths in the trials of life, we don’t feel strong inside.
That’s how it was after my son was taken from me at the age of nineteen, when those around me claimed that I was the strength that held my family together, even as I felt my life crumbling around me. It was a time when family gather, which means dealing with all the people with whom I had a history, and while each came to lend support, they all had their own perspectives and thoughts on how things should proceed. At times, I felt pulled in several different directions, like Gumby, but not nearly as flexible. I remember thinking that I needed someone to stop the world from spinning and let me off.
That is without a doubt the biggest tragedy I have ever experienced, but I’ve had my share of lesser tragedies that brought me down to the lowest of lows, where it was a struggle just to face each day. We all have tragedies, big and small, that assault our emotions and mess with our heads. This story was a reminder of how strong we, as women, can be when they must.
For Claudia, who never learned to say “no” to anyone, even when those demands of others are totally unreasonable, and she tends to push her own needs to the back of the line, pushing those who care for her away unintentionally.But, when her manipulative and emotionally abusive ex-husband begins demanding of her after five long, painful years following their divorce, her emotions are stirred and the lines are blurred, and she doesn’t know how much more she can take. As a reader, Claudia’s strengths are apparent, and those who care about her see it, as well. But, there are events which Claudia hasn’t yet dealt with, which she must, if she is to ever fully heal, and that involves being honest with herself.
The realization that Trace sees something in her which she doesn’t see herself, comes as a shock, but to think he might be serious about her forces her to face her demons and her inner strength shines through.
Troilo manages to touch chords many women are familiar with and will relate to easily. It made me look at my own inner strengths as the character discovers strength which she never knew was there. I give Weeping Boughs Don’t Break 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 on the Book Review tab above.
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Book Review: Seventeen Days
Posted: March 21, 2025 Filed under: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Mystery, Review, romance | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Catherine Hein Carter, Linda Griffin, Murder Mystery, mystery, romance, Seventeen Days, Writing to be Read 9 CommentsAbout Seventeen Days
Divorcee Jenna Scott moves to a quiet California fishing village during the first Gulf War to make a new life in a house inherited from her grandfather. Her next-door neighbor recommends widowed handyman Rick Alvarez to fix her leaky roof. Jenna is intimidated by his good looks and annoyed by his self-assurance, but disarmed by his affection for his young son. She is still hurting from her ex-husband’s betrayal and resists the attraction between them.
Rick has lived in the village for only three years and is still an outsider, friendly but not sharing his past with anyone. When an attractive vacationer is murdered, local gossip says he is the killer, and rumors spread about his wife’s death as well. Jenna is determined not to believe the gossip, but will she ever be able to trust Rick with her wounded heart?
My Review of Seventeen Days
I received an audiobook copy of Seventeen Days, by Linda Griffin, and narrated by Catherine Hein Carter, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I’ve reviewed several of Griffin’s audiobooks, but this is the second one narrated by Catherine Hein Carter, and I have to say that this narrator does a smashing job. Carter is my favorite of Griffin’s narrators, to be sure. You can read my other reviews of audiobooks by Linda Griffin here:
Seventeen Days is a sweet romance about a woman learning to trust after a hurtful divorce, and a widower with a young son trying to fit in to the small California fishing village, where a murder puts him in the spotlight as the prime suspect. Griffin does a smashing job of drawing the characters in a way that makes them feel familiar, making it easy to care about what happens to them.
Jenna is hurt and reluctant to place her trust in anyone after her relationship with her cheating ex-husband. But when she meets Rick, the local handyman, her feelings are torn. Rick’s relationship with his son, Aiden, endears her to him, although he strikes her as being a bit forward, and she finds herself wanting to give him her trust. But when there is a murder in the small town, suspicions are thrown onto the widower, who is still an outsider among them, and Jenna doesn’t know what to believe.
A romance mystery that will steal your heart. I give Seventeen Days 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 on the Book Review tab above.
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Rave Review for “The Rock Star & The Outlaw”
Posted: February 26, 2025 Filed under: Book Release, Books, Review, romance, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Review, Kaye Lynne Booth, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, The Rock Star & the Outlaw 1 Comment
Three cheers for The Rock Star & The Outlaw! Check it out.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/RockStarOutlaw
Review by Lindsey Martin-Bowen
BOOK REVIEW: The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth
At first glance, the title The Rock Star & The Outlaw intrigued me. Archetypes spur my interest, and here were two of them. Add to those archetypes, other genres: romance, adventure-thriller, time-travel adventure, and an author hooks me—a tough audience (veteran college/university literature and writing instructor/professional writer and editor).
Within this novel, author Kaye Lynne Booth created an offbeat love story that never lapses into sentimentality or becomes “precious.” Instead, it hooks the reader with precise external descriptions and character’s thoughts, actions, and crisp dialogue—beginning with the initial interplay between the two main characters, “Amaryllis,” a 2025 rock star who encounters “LeRoy,” a cowboy outlaw tossed into the twentieth century from 1887 after he watches a horse for a time-traveler Nick, who lands his time machine into the Old West. (Fortunately for LeRoy, Nick had set the controls to return a user to 2025.) After landing there, shortly afterwards, Cowboy LeRoy met Amaryllis performing at a club—while she attempted to avoid a group of thugs seeking “vengeance most foul” for the death of their leader, Amaryllis’s former paramour, Claude, whom the rock star killed in self-defense.
Although unbeknownst of LeRoy’s arrival and background, Amaryllis was ready for him. Using apt external and internal descriptions of Amaryllis, Booth prepares the reader for her initial encounter with LeRoy.
“She’d donned one of her sexiest dresses—the short black sequinned one with the
low-cut back and oval slits that ran up each side, covering the blue and purple areas on her torso
with foundation, so they wouldn’t be noticeable. This dress never failed to turn heads, and tonight,
that was just what she was after . . . There was no question she’d be sharing her bed tonight.”
After she surveyed the room again, she spotted LeRoy, “the guy she’d locked eyes with up on stage standing at the end of the bar, tall and lanky in his denims. His leather vest was cut to display his muscular biceps through the chambray fabric of his shirt. This guy looked like he just walked out of the pages of a western novel. He wore a red bandana around his neck, a black felt cowboy hat . . .dusty cowboy boots . . . and … ooooh … a gunbelt on his hip, complete with six-shooter. A real live cowboy, right here in the middle of Las Vegas. My, my.”
Obviously, Amaryllis didn’t realize how apt her perception was of a “real live cowboy,” because he perplexes her when he lights her cigarette with a stick match. “I guess you’re just an old-fashioned kind of guy,” she said . . . “I like that.”
Yet LeRoy’s reply, “I guess you might say that . . . Some of this new-fangled stuff is kind of overwhelming to me,” perplexed her. She wondered if he was “genuinely naīve or if he was putting on a convincing act.” Nevertheless, she found him “refreshing and different,” perhaps “even a challenge to get into bed.”
After awhile, when the two of them escaped from the backstage entrance to avoid Claude’s gang-mates, she became frustrated with what she considered LeRoy’s personna, especially after he looked “puzzled” when she asked him to point out his car.
“Look, drop the country bumpkin act,” she retorted and was shocked to discover he’d arrived at the club on his horse.
Meanwhile, when she maneuvered her Corvette like an Indiana-500 driver, applying techniques she’d learned from a former boyfriend, who was a professional race-car driver, LeRoy was impressed.
And thus, the romance took off. Together they loved the speed, the adventure of escaping the gang pursuing her. This ensues for awhile, albeit mainly by horseback. And they fortunately are still riding horses when they hit the setting on the time machine to send them to 1887.
So do they settle in 1887, away from Claude’s gang? Or do they gallop into more misadventures there? Well, dear Readers, I urge to read the novel to discover what happens.
Nevertheless, I offer one hint: At the story’s end, I screamed, “Sequel! Kaye Lynne must write a sequel.”
And guess what? Today, I discovered she did, and it will be available in May. Check out both this incredible novel and its sequel on Facebook’s Global Writers and Poets, artists or on Kaye Lynne Booth’s Writing to be Read at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writingtoberead/
I’ll bet fifty cents you’ll be glad you did.
—Lindsey Martin-Bowen, author
Poetry collections include Where Water Meets the Rock,
CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison,
CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison;
Fiction: Cicada Grove, Hamburger Haven, and
Rapture Redux
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Book Review: “Guilty Knowledge”
Posted: January 17, 2025 Filed under: Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review, romance, Suspense 2 CommentsAbout Guilty Knowledge
Detective Jesse Aaron has no leads in the murder of Rosa Logan when pretty blonde Sariah Brennan claims to have seen the killer—in a vision. Unfortunately, the man she identifies is dead—or is he?
Sariah is an unsophisticated small town girl, but her background and her motives are mysterious, and she seems to be hiding something. Jesse is increasingly convinced she has guilty knowledge of the crime, even as he finds himself more and more attracted to her. How can he unravel the web of secrets, without putting Sariah at risk, before the killer strikes again?
Purchase Link:
My Review of Guilty Knowledge
I recieved an audiobook copy of Guilty Knowledge, written by Linda Griffin and narrated by Scott LeCote, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Guilty Knowledge is a romantic crime mystery about a cop who falls in love with a possible suspect in his case. When Seriah comes forward with information about a murder which she should have no way of knowing, and it turns out to be right, Detective Jesse Aaron, knows she’s not being totally forthcoming, and determines to ferret out the truth. But he finds himself strangely attracted to her during the investigation, and his partner, Camille never fails to remind him in her bullying sort of way, to keep his emotions in check, not only because she is a suspect, but because she doesn’t approve of interracial relationships. Sariah is illusive and alluring, but whatever she’s hiding is an obstacle to their relationship, one that, if revealed, could bring it to a crumbling halt.
Jesse is a smart detective who knows Sariah is holding something back, yet he gives her the benefit of the doubt against his own better judgement, and shelters her from his brutish bully of a partner, who I found very hard to like. Camille is bigoted and pushy, and critical of Jesse to the point that she acts more like Jesse’s spouse or parent than his partner. Sariah, is secretive and moody, and should have set off all the warning signals in a good cop, not blinded by his emotions.
The story is well crafted, but I had a hard time in investing in any of the characters. I don’t think I related to any of them enough to root for them. The narrator, Scott LeCote, tries to differeniate the voices, but I found it difficult at times to know who was speaking. The mystery is what drives this tale, and what kept me listening.
A romantic crome mystery that keeps you guessing. I give Guilty Knowledge four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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