Book Review: “The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic” & “A Jar of Thursday”
Posted: September 11, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Gothic, Mystery, Review, Romantic Comedy | Tags: A Jar of Thursday, Book Review, Gothic Horror Mystery, Kaye Lynne Booth, Linsey Hall, Liz Hedgecock, Romantic Comedy, The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic
So here’s the deal—I’m a magical disaster. A witch from a family of witches, and the only one whose magic blows up in her face. Which is why I came up with my rules…
1. Never get involved with magic
2. If you must get involved, do not enter a competition to win the biggest magical fortune in England
3. And definitely don’t fall for Callan Hawthorne, the sexy billionaire mage who you’ve hated for years
So how the heck do I end up in a situation that promises to break all those rules? It’s the only way to save Seaside Spells, my family’s magical potion shop.
But it’s cool. When I go back home to Charming Cove—a village of ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars—I will totally ignore Witch Weekly’s Sexiest Man of the Year. I’ll win the competition, and if I’m lucky, I won’t turn myself into a toad in the process.
This’ll be fine. It’ll all be fine.
Riiiight.
The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is a fun, frothy romantic comedy full of laughter, love, and magical hijinks. It’s the first in a series of stand alone romances set in the seaside village of Charming Cove.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Girls-Guide-Magic-romantic-ebook/dp/B0C511BLPN
My Review of The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic
I purchased a digital copy of The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic, by Linsey Hall, from a KindofBook deal, and I am providing an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
A magic contest. What could be more fun? But when Gran asks Aria to compete to win the Garden of Enchantment and save Gran’s shop and, possibly, the town, Aria wants nothing to do with it. Her magic has always been broken. Her specialty is blowing things up… accidentally. Yet, she returns home to Charming Cove even as she protests that she has no intention of competing.
Callen Hawthorne, a handsome and powerful wizard, (emphasis on handsome), who happens to be a billionaire and is used to getting his way is one of Aria’s competitors. The same Callen Hawthorne who bought her special place and turned it into a busy cafe, making her hate him. Or at least, making her want to hate him so bad that she believes it.
The harder she tries to bow out of the competition, the more things happen that makes her feel she must compete. After all, her Gran’s shop, and possibly the whole town may depend on her to champion them. The fun of solving riddles in a magical treasure hunt, meeting each new challenge, and watching the two opponents/love birds figure things out about each other, and about themselves, are all the ingredients needed for this romantic comedy recipe.
A truly fun read. I smiled all the way through. I give The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic five quills.
About A Jar of Thursday
When Jack Hargreaves takes a job with Fingers Molloy, it doesn’t quite go to plan. Fingers turns out to be a time-travelling burglar, with a host of ingenious devices supplied by the mysterious Mr Smith. And the things they’re stealing are, frankly, odd. But Jack is in no position to pick and choose — for Jack has a secret too…
Sherlock Holmes is convinced that Fingers Molloy works for his nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Yet Inspector Lestrade won’t take him seriously. How can the great detective prove he is right?
The further in Jack gets, the more serious — and mysterious — things seem. But breaking free and coming clean could land Jack in not just trouble, but danger…
A Jar of Thursday is the first novella in the Sherlock & Jack series, set in 1890s London.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Jar-Thursday-adventure-featuring-Sherlock/dp/1539399230
My Review of A Jar of Thursday
I purchased a digital copy of A Jar of Thursday, by Liz Hedgecock through a KindofBook deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
It may not be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but I’m always up for a good Sherlock Holmes mystery. Told from the perspectives of Jack and Watson, this super-sleuth mystery is filled with surprises. Hedgecock does an excellent job of keeping to the Holmes style and character.
Jack takes a job as an assistant, but isn’t clear as to the type of work expected. When it is discovered that the new employer is a time traveling thief, however, Jack can’t afford to be choosy, as she has a few secrets that need to remain undisclosed, like the fact that he is a she, and she’s on the run. But, doing being an assistant to a thief, even a time traveling one, could be dangerous, or even deadly.
Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes is on the case, convinced that the mastermind behind the crimes is his old adversary, Dr. Moriarty, but he can’t seem to get Inspector Lestrade on board. Although in the dark as to his methods, Dr. Watson is by his side, as he unravels the mystery of the time traveling thief.
Classic style that’s on the mark. I give A Jar of Thursday five 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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Announcing the Winners of the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour Giveaway
Posted: May 16, 2026 Filed under: Blog Tour, Giveaways, Romantic Comedy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Giveaway Winners, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 5 Comments
We had a great blog tour and I want to thank you all for joining us to support the release of The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen. Now that it’s over, I’ve counted up comments and got out my hat, and now I’m ready to share the names which I pulled out. Here are the names of the three lucky winners:
And the winners are…
(Drumroll please)
- Resa
- Liz Gaufreau
- Teagan Riordan Genevienne
All three of our winners came from the Day 2 stop over at Roberta Writes with host, Robbie Cheadle. Congratulations to all of you. You all should have already heard from me, but if not, please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com.
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Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 15, 2026 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Guest Post, Romantic Comedy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Lindsey Martin-Bowen, Romantic Comedy, The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 3 CommentsThank you all for joining us for the final stop on the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour, where we’re celebrating the release of this zany rom-com, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen. Today, the author shares a post about “The Dark Horse”, the blue-eyed black stallion which makes multiple appearances in the adventures of divorcee, Charli Erickson.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 5/11 – “Inspirational backgrounds for The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder”
Post –Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, Masticadores Phillipines
Tues. 5/12 – “Phase Two – Sunny-Side Up” Reading –Roberta Writes
Wed. 5/13 – “Charli’s Character” Post – Carla Loves to Read
Thurs. 5/14 – “Phase Fourteen – Let Me Know the Way” Reading – Patty’s Worlds
Fri. 5/15 – “About the Dark Horse (the black stallion with blue eyes)” Post – Writing to be Read
The Giveaway
We’re giving away three digital copies of
The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder
In a random giveaway.
Leave a comment to enter.
Opportunity for an entry at every stop.
Short Book Trailer
Check out the short trailer for the book and don’t forget to Like, Share, or Subcribe.
About The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder
Recently divorced Charli Erickson arrives in Boulder, Colorado during the 1970s—a wild time for that city—where she hopes to develop her “rock poet” talent and find the perfect mate. Instead, she links up with the imperfect Ched Lyons, a Boulder native who leads her in a multitude of adventures, including scaling a mountain and a 1,200-mile motorcycle ride to southeastern Utah. While she intermittently envisions a black stallion with blue eyes, who puzzles and enchants her, she also strives to make sense of its appearance.
Through Charli’s snarky humor recounting her tales, readers will enjoy this Rom-Com doubling as a woman’s adventure story and may relate to scenes from the wild, zany era that followed the serious, revolutionary 1960s.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/The-Dark-Horse-Waits-in-Boulder
About the Dark Horse (the black stallion with blue eyes)
I didn’t create the elusive—perhaps imaginary Black Stallion until this year. After reading and reviewing numerous “other worldly” short-story collections, I considered interweaving an image within this tale that would serve as one more metaphor. Initially, the title included “Dark Horse” as an allusion to the stereotypical racehorse who appears to be a loser—but then takes first place at the end of the run.
Thus, might the Dark Horse be an image of the Boulder environment in the late 1970s? At that time, the city had grown from the college town hosting many 1960s demonstrations, some violent, wherein radicals damaged stores on The Hill. Yet a decade later, this once “dark” town had grown and progressed into a winning environment. (It continues to do so. Last year (2025), it was voted by a majority as the most desirable location to live in the U.S.)
Further, the novel’s characters gather regularly at The Horse, a bar that’s more a three-story entertainment center than the standard western bar. The Horse is especially Ched’s hangout. Because Charli leaves the small city before Ched does, he could be the Dark Horse waiting in Boulder.
Then, the fantasy (or is it?) of the Black, blue-eyed Stallion adds another level of meaning—Charli’s vision of a world beyond our material reality. It’s significant, too, that Ched, like many persons, doesn’t believe blue-eyed stallions exit. O but they do—albeit rarely. And considering that Charli sees herself as a loser of a wife at the novel's onset—then later in her relationship with Ched, might she be the Dark Horse who wins in the end?
About Author Lindsey Martin-Bowen
On Halloween 2023, redbat books released Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s 7th poetry collection, CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison. Her 4 th collection, Where Water Meets the Rock, was nominated for a Pulitzer; her 3rd, CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison was a finalist in the QuillsEdge Press 2015-2016 Contest. In 2017, it won the Kansas Writers Assn award, “Looks Like a Million.” Writer’s Digest gave her “Vegetable Linguistics” an Honorable Mention in its 85th Annual (2017) Contest. Her Inside Virgil’s Garage (Chatter House Press 2013) was a runner-up in the 2015 Nelson Poetry Book Award. McClatchy Newspapers named her Standing on the Edge of the World (Woodley Press/Washburn University) was one of the Ten Top Poetry Books of 2008. It was nominated for a Pen Award.
That wraps up today’s stop and the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour. You can follow the tour schedule above and leave comments at each stop for additional chances to win in the giveaway. The winners will be posted in a separate post on Sunday, so watch for it to see if you are one of three lucky winners of a digital copy of this wild women’s adventure.
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Day 4 of the WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 14, 2026 Filed under: Adventure, Audio Excerpt, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Romantic Comedy, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Adventure, Blog Tour, Book Tour, Excerpt Reading, Giveaway, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, Romantic Comedy, RomCom, The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 3 CommentsIt’s Day 4 of the WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour, and we’re over at Patty’s Worlds, where author Lindsey Martin-Bowen shares an excerpt reading from the book. Join us in sending off this fantastic new RomCom Adventure and get in on the giveaway for a free digital copy.
Day 4 – The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder #BookBlogTour, #BookRelease – Patty’s Worlds
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 13, 2026 Filed under: Adventure, Book Promotion, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Romantic Comedy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: BookReview, Giveaway, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, Rom-Com, Romantic Comedy, The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentIt’s Day 3 of the WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour. Today, we’re over at Carla Loves to Read, where author, Lindsey Martin-Bowen shares a guest post about the main character, Charlie Erickson, and Carla shares a lovely review of the book. Join us in sending this new rom-com women’s adventure off and get in on the giveaway, for one of three free digital copies of the book.
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Day 2 of WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 12, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Romantic Comedy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Excerpt Reading, Giveaway, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 2 CommentsJoin us over at Roberta Writes for Day 2 of The WordCrafter The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder Book Blog Tour, where we have a reading by author Lindsey Martin-Bowen. It’s release day! Help us celebrate and send this zany new rom-com women’s adventure off right.
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Welcome to Day 1 of the WordCrafter “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 11, 2026 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Romantic Comedy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 6 CommentsWelcome! Today, you can find us celebrating on three different sites: Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, and Masticadores Phillipines, where our host Michelle Ayon Navajas has done a lovely job of setting up a stop to introduce us to Lindsey Martin-Bowen, the author of The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, as she shares her inspiration for the story. (The link below goes to Poetry by Mich.) Join us in learning about this wild and zany woman’s adventure rom-com story from WordCrafter Press, and help us to send it off right. Get your comments in for a chance to win a free digital copy in our giveaway.
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WordCrafter News: Winners of the “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Tour Giveaway, May Release – “The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder”, Spring Book Sale & Approaching Submission Deadline
Posted: April 27, 2026 Filed under: Book Sales, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Relationships, Romantic Comedy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Tags: A Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, Book Release, Giveaway Winners, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, My Backyard Friends series, Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons, Spring Book Sale, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 2 Comments
Winners of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons” Book Blog Tour Giveaway
We had a great tour last week to celebrate the release of Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons. guest posts and poetry readings from the contributors, as well as learning fun facts about them and catching reviews of their latest releases. We had All those who followed the tour, or just dropped in a left a comment were entered in a random drawing to win one of five digital copies of the poetry anthology. (I think I originally said three, but we had so many wonderful commenters on this tour, I felt the need to give away five.) Now it’s time to reveal and congratulate the winners of the Giveaway, and here they are:
And the winners are:
(Drumroll please)
- Beth
- Teagan Genevienne
- T.W. Dittmer
- Beetlypete
- Lauren Scott Author
If your name is on the above list and you have not heard from me, please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail to get your volume of Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons.
May Release: The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen
WordCrafter Press is pleased to announce the upcoming release of award winning author Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s romantic comedy novel, The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder. Scheduled for release on May 12, 2026, you won’t want to miss this zany rom-com and the quirky Charli Erickson, who is full of surprises that will keep you chuckling through to the last page.
Recently divorced Charli Erickson arrives in Boulder, Colorado during the 1970s—a wild time for that city—where she hopes to develop her “rock poet” talent and find the perfect mate. Instead, she links up with the imperfect Ched Lyons, a Boulder native who leads her in a multitude of adventures, including scaling a mountain and a 1,200-mile motorcycle ride to southeastern Utah. While she intermittently envisions a black stallion with blue eyes, who puzzles and enchants her, she also strives to make sense of its appearance.
Through Charli’s snarky humor recounting her tales, readers will enjoy this Rom-Com doubling as a woman’s adventure story and may relate to scenes from the wild, zany era that followed the serious, revolutionary 1960s.
WordCrafter Spring Book Sale
April showers bring May flowers, and great prices on the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series.
During the month of May, (May 1-31), all volumes of the My Backyard Friends will be priced at $2.50 each at the links below:
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jelly Beans
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home
But that’s not all! You can get an even better deal by purchasing here on site. You can get all 3 for $6.
Available only on the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series page, right here on the WordCrafter Press site.
Approaching Deadline for 2026 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest/Midnight Madness Anthology
Reminder: Only three days left until the deadline for submissions, (April 30), for the 2026 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest, and a chance to have your story included in the Midnight Madness anthology from WordCrafter Press. You can find submission guidelines, submission portal and instructions here.
Time is growing short. So, get those stories in before the deadline comes round.
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.
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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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 post is sponsored by Small Wonders: Reflective Poems, by Kaye Lynne Booth and WordCrafter Press.
The world is filled with amazing things, if we will just stop a moment and take notice. In this vast universe, we are but tiny individuals, filled with awe and amazement. From reflections on first love, to reflections on growing old. The poems within these pages express a lifetime of unique reflections in Small Wonders.
Get Your Copy Now: https://books2read.com/SmallWonders
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WordCrafter News: Book Release, Blog Tour & Independence Day Sale
Posted: June 26, 2023 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Book Sales, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dystopian, essays, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, Urban fantasy, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 11 Comments
The Winners of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour Giveaway
We had a great tour last week for my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders. A full week of guest posts and poetry readings, DL Mullan interviewed me, and even a couple of reviews. Now it’s time to announce the winners of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour giveaway.
And the winners are….
Drumroll Please
- dg kaye
- Beetly Pete
- Brenda Marie Fluharty
New Release from WordCrafter Press
This is How We Grow: Reflections for Perspective Shaping, compiled and edited by Yvette Prior will be released on July 18, 2023.
About This Is How We Grow
The way we think and behave is impacted by mental filters. Understanding how people experience the world can lead to positive outcomes.
This is How We Grow brings you into the world of diverse authors to help expand outlook, cultivate empathy, and explore components of concious experience and mental filters. The way we see the world is impacted by many variables.
This book aims to increase the reader’s ability to take the perspective of others through essay, story, and poetry. Cognitive empathy is a crucial component of social problem solving and conflict avoidance.
The WordCrafter This is How We Grow Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter This is How We Grow Book Blog Tour will run July 17-21, 2023. We will have guest posts from contributors, audio excerpts, an author/editor interview, reviews and a great giveaway. It is a wonderful book and it’s going to be a fabulous tour, so I hope you will join us.
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Once Upon an Ever After: https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV
Refracted Reflections: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn
Visions: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28
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WordCrafter Short Fiction Audio Stories and Excerpts
Posted: November 5, 2022 Filed under: Anthology, Audio Stories, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, Story Telling Methods, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Audio Stories, Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, Visions, WordCrafter Press Leave a comment
We had some cool games and giveaways, great spooky movies and lots of rocking Halloween music. But, I think the coolest giveaway we had was the search for the best audio story or excerpt, read by the authors. It was a lot of fun, but now that Halloween is over, I’ve made the recordings public on the WordCrafter YouTube channel.
Drop by and check out the awesome stories and story excerpts which are available there. Each story is from one of the three anthologies put out by WordCrafter in 2022: Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, and Visions. And don’t forget to ‘Subscribe’ while you’re there, so you can get the best WordCrafter’s audio and video recordings, expanding our methods of story telling back to traditional, and not so traditional, means.
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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, as a sampling of her works just for joining.
