It’s coming! Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories to be released October 17, 2023 and is available for pre-order now!
About the Midnight Roost
20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon, and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare.
Joseph Carrabis – “The Beach”, “Blood Magic”, and “Binky”
DL Mullan – “Mangled”
Christa Planko – “The Easterville Glass Ghost”
Paul Kane – “The White Lady”
Sonia Pipkin – “Once Upon a Time”
C.R. Johansson – “She Shed Galleria”
Roberta Eaton Cheadle – “The Behemoth”
Patty Fletcher – “Casualties of War”
Keith J. Hoskins – “Teddy”
Denise Aparo – “The Pines”
Julie Jones – “Night of Terror”
Isabel Grey – “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework” and “Red Door House” (Winning story in 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Rebecca M. Senese – “Take Two”
Mario Acevedo – “Immediate Intervention”
Kaye Lynne Booth – “Melina”
Michaele Jordan – “Afterward”
Robert Kostanczuk – “A Visitor Comes to the Window”
M J Mallon – “The Cull”
Upcoming Book Blog Tour
To celebrate the release of this wonderfully weird and creepy anthology, join us for the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour October 16-23, starting right here on Writing to be Read. Meet the contributing authors, find out about the inspirations behind the stories, read excerpts, meet the characters, listen to readings from the stories, and get chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at each stop.
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We just finished up the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour and it was a lot of fun sharing things about my characters with all of you. I appreciate the support from each and every one of you. And to show my appreciation, everyone who left a comment at each stop got an entry into the giveaway for five free digital copies of the book. So now, I’m pleased to announce the winners, and thanks again for joining us in sending off this exciting time-travel adventure.
And the winners are…
(Drumroll please.)
Patricia Faustenberg
T.W. Ditterman
Rea Longest
Coldhandboyack
Selma Martin
And as an added bonus, C.E. Robinson will receive a signed print copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw for visiting and commenting at every stop on the tour. Now, that is dedication. Congratulations to all winners!
Winners should contact me with email addresses, or a physical address in the case of the print book, at kayebooth@yahoo.com, so I can deliver your books.
Midnight Roost Release
The 2023 WordCrafter anthology, Midnight Roost, will be released through distributors on October 17. We’ll be doing a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour for the launch October 16 – 23 for the launch. Each author will also be spotlighted on the blog of Joseph Carabis, and DL Mullan over at Un dawnted has created a deliciosly creepy book trailer, as well as the wonderful book cover. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be able to present this anthology of weird and creepy stories to you, and how much I’m looking forward to the release.
We have a smashing group of authors who contibuted some exemplary stories to this anthology. Most of them are tried and tested WordCrafter authors, but we welcome the few new ones whose stories are sprinkled in. Check out this line-up:
Zack Ellafy – author of “At the Mountains, Majesty” in the Visions anthology
Chris Barili – contributor to Ask the Authors and Ask the Authors 2022
Joseph Carabis – author of “Maryanne” in the Visions anthology
DL Mullen – author of “The Reality Hackers” in the Visions anthology
Christa Planko – author of “The Vanishing Tattoo” in the Visions anthology and winner of the 2021 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Paul Kane – contributor to Ask the Authors 2022
Sonia Pipkin – new WordCrafter author
C.R. Johansson – author of “Her Beholder” in the Visions anthology
Roberta Eaton Cheadle – contributor to six WordCrafter short fiction anthologies and winner of the 2022 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Patty Fletcher – author of “The Portal Brings Christmas Love” in the Visions anthology
Kieth Hoskins – author of “The Cost of Magic” in the Refracted Reflections anthology, and “The Sight” in the Visions anthology
Denise Aparo – new WordCrafter author
Julie Jones – author of “The Tourist Trap” in the Visions anthology
Rebecca M. Senese – author of “The Mirror Slacked” in the Once Upon an Ever After anthology
Mario Acevedo – contributor to Ask the Authors 2022
Kaye Lynne Booth – author of Delilah, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, editor and contributor to six WordCrafter short fiction anthologies
Michaele Jordan – author of “Farewell, My Miko” in the Visions anthology
Robert Kostaczuk – new WordCrafter author
Majorie Mallon – contributor to Poetry Treasures 3: Passions
Isabel Grey – new WordCrafter author, and winner of the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Midnight Roost Halloween Book Trailer
Write it Right Editing is scheduling now for 2024
I have five openings in 2024 for editing clients which I’m scheduling for at this time. If you’re working on a book, and looking for an affordable editor, Write it Right Editing Services may be right for you. Contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you soon.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
I’m so excited! The Rock Star & The Outlaw is finally ready to make its debut, and it will be making its first appearance in an August Kickstarter campaign from August 1 to August 30, 2023. It will be released through distributors on Septmber 19, 2023, as well, but the Kickstarter campaign is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, so to speak, and a chance to get early digital copies or signed print copies, that you won’t be able to get through distributors, as well as some really cool reward teirs and add-ons.
About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
What Else is Happening
While I impatiently await my Kickstarter campaign to fund in August, I will be working on the compilation of Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories, the 2023 WordCrafter anthology that we are all anxiously waiting for. This anthology will be an October release, just in time for Halloween, my favorite holiday, and it will have contributions from 15 fantastic authors, including the author of the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter short fiction contest, Isabelle Grey. Some of the contributors are long time WordCrafter authors who have been featured in past anthologies, but we have a few new names in there, too.
A collection of short stories where dreams and nightmares coexist. Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires, while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.
In The Tree’s Shadow: A Collection of Stories that Exist in Your Dreams, by D.L. Finn, is filled with stories with magical qualities, stories that we only dream about…, and some, that we hope we never dream about. Some of the tales in this collection will leave readers feeling good all over and full of hope, but others will give you the chills. Filled with tales of angels and aliens, ghosts and supernatural beings, this multi-genre story collection has a little something for everyone.
I don’t like to give spoilers and with short stories, it can be hard to tell you a little about the story without doing so. In the Tree’s Shadow has several 99 word stories, which would be sure giveaway, should I try to tell you about them. So I will give you a brief decription for those I thought to be the best of the bunch.
Among those which stand out for me are:
“End of the Road”, which is ironically the paranormal tale of a new beginning. This story leaves reader’s with a good feeling.
“A Man on the Peer”, which is a spooky ghostly tale with a warning – Never speak to the man on the peer.
“The Dolphin”, which is a hopeful paranormal tale of a lovely ever after.
“Lyrical Dragon”, a fantasy tale offering an abused girl escape through a magical talisman.
“The Bench” is one of the stories which animal lovers will enjoy as the bench becomes a symbol of love. This story is one the reader will walk away with an overall good feeling.
“The Boy”, another tragic ghostly tale offering escape from a bad situation. This story may give you shivers and leave you a little sad.
“Deadline” is a paranormal tale about finding answers in dreams. The reason this story stood out for me was the killer first line: “The night’s hand slowly gripped the forest.” How can anyone read that line and not be compelled to read more?
“The Bike” is an angelic second chance story which proves sometimes intent weighs heavier than actions.
“Alone” is a paranormal tale with a surprising twist that will leave you with a smile.
“The Bonsai” is another karmic paranormal tale that will appeal to the animal lover in all. This story is another that will leave readers smiling.
I’m a sucker for paranormal and fantasy, and looking over my list, I discovered that none of the stories with sci-fi aliens made it up there. It’s a matter of personal preference. However, there was one alien story of novelette length, “Stranded”, which was very well thought out, that is worth mention here, as well.
I realize that the list above is not as revealing as some may like, but I feel that with short fiction, it’s best to let you read it for yourself and decide. I found the stories in In the Tree’s Shadow to be quite entertaining whether they were tales from your dreams, or or ones found in nightmares. I give it four quills.
Spark off this Independence Day with spectacular anthologies from WordCrafter Press at discounted prices, July 1 – 4. Click on the links above to purchase the anthology of your choice. Choose from three sparkling anthologies:
Visions
An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.
What happens when:
An inexplicable monster plagues a town for generations, taking people… and souvenirs?
A post-apocalyptic band of travelers finds their salvation in an archaic machine?
JThe prey turns out to be the predator for a band of human traffickers?
Someone chooses to be happy in a world where emotions are regulated and controlled?
A village girl is chosen to be the spider queen?
Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their
Visions
Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore
This unique and imaginative collection of eleven thought provoking fantasy stories will delight readers who enjoy stories of wishes gone awry.
What happens when…
A woman desires to carry on her family’s legacy, uncovering a long-buried curse?
A not so perfect witch casts a spell to defy age and preserve her relationship with her handsome shapeshifting familiar?
A time traveler longs to be the savior of knowledge lost?
An incompetent delivery boy becomes an unlikely savior of forgotten artifacts?
A magic mirror yearns for a different question?
A tiny story witch desires to share her stories with the world?
Spells are cast, unlikely alliances made, and wishes granted, sometimes with surprising outcomes. You’ll love this anthology of modern myths, lore, and fairy tales. Once you read these twisted tales, you’ll be careful what you wish for….
Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception
Refractions and Reflections…
A reflection can be revealing or deceptive. What stares back at you when you glance into the mirror?
A prison, designed to trap you and take away all that is dear to you?
A portal to another dimension? Another time?
An evil twin, luring you to the other side?
Your loved ones with a fond farewell?
A distorted version of yourself? A person you no longer even recognize?
A protective savior?
Do you dare to gaze into the looking glass?
Will what you see save you…, or haunt you forever?
“Horror fans will find plenty to love” (AudioFile) in “this masterly collection of tales” (Library Journal). The genre’s most important writers — including Jonathan Maberry, Neal Shusterman, Chuck Wendig, Mira Grant, and more — revisit the classic 1968 film to provide 19 chilling, gruesome stories that will have you listening with the lights on… Performed by a talented cast of narrators!
If you’re in the mood for a good zombie-fest, Nights of the Living Dead, edited by Jonathan Maberry and Oscar Romero might just be the audio anthology for you. Zombies are having feeding frenzies in all their ghoulish glory, and it’s open season on the walking dead. Edited by the godfather of zombie madness, George A. Romero and the ring master of classic horror, Jonathan Maberry, this is short fiction collection that just keeps coming with flesh eating terror that refuses to die.
I listened to the audio book version, and multiple narrators were used to bring each story in this anthology to life, making each one not just readings, but true performances. There is something to please every lover of zombie stories everywhere in this collection, but the ones which stood out for me were:
A Dead Girl Named Sue, by Craig E. Engler, where small town grudges turn into a macabre plan for vengeance.
In that Quiet Earth, by Mike Carey, is a zombie love story not soon forgotten.
Dead Man’s Curve, by Joe R. Landsdale, where a girl is just as tough as the guys, maybe tougher, and she can drive better, too.
Orbital Decay, by David Wellington, is the ultimate space zombie story.
Jimmy J. Baxter’s Last Best Day on Earth, by John Skipp, where a bigoted fool gets his just desserts.
Lone Soldier, by Jonathan Maberry, where a soldier, left for dead, learns to survive by putting his combat skills to good use.
Live and On the Scene, by Keith de Candido, where a reporter covers the apocalypse a little too closely.
You Can Stay All Day, by Mira Grant, where a day at the zoo takes on a whole new meaning.
Deadliner, by Neil and Brandon Shusterman, takes you to a real live, or at least undead, zombie circus.
If you can’t get enough of the zombie apocalypse, then settle in as the masters of horror and speculative fiction who contributed here, take you to the land of the undead, again and again. Featuring stories by Romero and Maberry, in addition to horror greats such as Kieth R.A. DeCandido, Carrie Ryan, John A. Russo, Brian Keene, Chuck Wendigo to name a few. It’s open season on the undead, and these zombie hunters are pulling out all the stops, with blood, guts and brains galore.
Zombie fans everywhere will want to be sure and catch this classic tradition collection of zombie fiction. I give the audio edition of Nights of the Living Dead five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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.
No, really, it did. I’ve seen things and been places and met…creatures…most people can’t imagine. Or wouldn’t want to. Or should. It all depends on the person and the creature.But much like Gahan Wilson’s “I only paint what I see”, I only write about what’s actually happened…
So sit back, relax, have something tasty near at hand or tentacle or claw. Read these when other people are around…if you can trust they’re really people. Or read them alone, when it’s dark out. Maybe. Unless you’re not sure what things go bump in the night or scurry unseen in the dark.
Tales Told ‘Round Celestial Campfires, by Joseph Carribis is a collection of tales of wide variety. A little fantasy, a little science fiction, a bit of horror. They are not tales for the faint of heart, but tales for the strong of mind. The stories which make up this collection create a cross between science fiction, and legend and lore, with a bit of philanthropy thrown in for spice. Readers who enjoy pondering the story, savoring it, delving into the inner depths of it, this collection is for you. Carrabis’ stories make you think. They make statements on human nature and humankind, and the not-so-human kind.
Most Memorable
“Winter Winds”, where children are taught about some unusual animals which only come out in foul weather has a clever twist at the end which brought a smile ot my face.
“Those Wings Which Tire, They Have Upheld Me”, a rich fantasy story about the ultimate sacrifice and learning human kindness.
“The Goatmen of Aguirra”, which is an unusualand thought provoking story about a visit with goat-like creatures on a distant planet.
“Cymodoce”, is rather sad tale of forbidden love.
“The Boy Who Loves Horses”, is about a gifted boy, more comfortable with horses than with people.
“Them Doore Girls”, a hauntingly eerie tale about two sisters who were the only survivors of the shipwreck which took their parents’ lives, is probably my very favorite.
Joseph Carrabis is a master storyteller. He has created a delightfully amusing collectionstories with he potential to keep you awake at night. I give Tales Told ‘Round the Celestial Campfires five quills.
I’m pleased to announce the release of my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders: Reflective Poems, which will be June 20, and is available for pre-order at the purchase link below. A lifetime of poetry, for better or worse, I’m throwing them out there for all to see.
About Small Wonders: Reflective Poems
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.
The WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour is scheduled for June 19 – 23.
Join us to learn more about this unique poetry collection and its author, Kaye Lynne Booth. I will be sharing here on Writing to be Read, and visiting the lovely blogs of Robbie’s Inspiration, Un dawnted, and Carla Loves to Read, with guest posts and poetry readings, an interview with DL Mullan, and reviews of my debut poetry collection. And I’ll be giving away three digital copies of Small Wonders, and all you have to do for a chance to win, is show up and comment at any of the stops. There’s one chance possible at each stop if you follow the tour.
Midnight Roost Winning Story & Cover Reveal
The 2023 WordCrafter anthology, Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories, will be scheduled for an October release. This year we did the anthology like last year’s Visions anthology, with some of the stories coming from the annual short fiction contest and others that came by invitation and were not subject to the competition. Invitational stories include tales by Mario Acevedo, Paul Kane, Chris Barili, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Christa Planko, Julie Jones, Rebecca M. Senese, Keith J. Hoskins, Michaele Jordan, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, and Patty Fletcher.
There will be some new author names added to the list from the entries that were judged: Robert Kostanczuk, Denise Aparo, Sonia Pipkin, and MJ Mallon. And now…
The Winning Story
I am pleased to announce that the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest is…
Drumroll please.
“Red Door House”, by Isabel Grey.
The Cover Reveal
And before I go on to the next June news item, I would also like to call your attention to our awesome new and original cover, courtesy of DL Mullan of Sonoran Dawn Studios, below. I had a cover planned for this anthology, but when Dawn offered up this one, I just couldn’t say no. I really like it, and I hope you do, too.
WIP Update: The Rock Star & The Outlaw
In June, I plan to finish up The Rock Star & The Outlaw and gear up for a Kickstarter campaign in July & August. I’ll be setting up the Kickstarter with some awesome reward teirs and creating content to fill those tiers, so you know I will be hard at work. If all goes as planned, I will be wrapping up the final edits and setting it up for a September release by the end of the month. I’m excited to able to share this western time-travel romance adventure novel with all of you, so be watching for it soon.
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.