Welcome to the WordCrafter “Midnight Roost” Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner Spooky graveyard background with one-eyed bird roosting in a tree. Foreground: Print copy of Midnight Roost and WordCrafter logo Text: Wordcrafter Book Blog Tours Presents Midnight Roost Weird and Creepy Stories, Contributing Authors, Zack Ellafy,Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, Christa Planko, Paul Kane, Sonia Pipkin, C.R. Johansson. Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, Keith J. Hoskins, Denise Aparo, Isabel Grey, Rebecca M. Senese, Mario Acevedo,Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Robert Kostanczuk, M J Mallon
WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour

Welcome to the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour! We’ve got a great tour planned for an outstanding anthology Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories. Below, you will find the tour schedule and information about how you can get chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost. The great thing about this tour is that you will get to meet, not one, but two contributing authors at each stop and learn about their stories.

Today, I’ll tell you a little about this weird and creepy anthology and then we’ll meet the author of the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, Isabel Grey, and learn more about her story, “Red Door House”. Get ready to dig into a probing interview with Ms. Grey and she also shares a reading of her story.

About Midnight Roost

Book Cover
Dark and scary graveyard background 
Text: Midnight Roost, Weird and Creepy Stories, A WordCrafterr Anthology, Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

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.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/318L0l

Book Trailer for Midnight Roost

Tour Schedule

Monday – October 16 – Opening Day –Isabele Grey (Interview & Reading) & Joseph Carrabis (Reading) – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – October 17 – M J Mallon (Reading) & Christa Planko (Interview & Guest Post)– Undawnted

Wednesday – October 18 – Chris Barili (Guest Post) & Paul Kane (Guest Post) – Patty’s Worlds

Thursday – October 19 – Julie Jones (Reading) & Keith Hoskins (Guest Post) – Robbie’s Inspiration

Friday – October 20 – Michaele Jordan (Reading) & Mario Acevedo (Guest Post) – Writing to be Read

Saturday – October 21 – Patty Fletcher (Guest Post) & DL Mullen (Guest Post & Video) – Roberta Writes

Sunday – October 22 – Sonia Pipkin (Guest Post) & Roberta Eaton Cheadle (Reading) – Kyrosmagica Publishing

Monday – October 23 – Closing Post –Denise Aparo (Reading) & excerpts from other stories – Writing to be Read

Giveaway

A chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at every stop.

Just leave a comment to show your support for the tour, the anthology, and all of the fantastic authors.

Meet Author Isabel Grey

I’m delighted to bring you this interview with a budding young author, Isabel Grey. Her occult horror story, “Red Door House” was the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, and I am so pleased to be able to introduce you to her here. She was previously unknown to me, so I learned some cool things about her, too. And I have to say that I am proud to have not one, but two of her stories featured in Midnight Roost. Her other story is “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework”, offering a rabbit’s eye view of human nature during a disastrous gender reveal party.

Kaye: I always like to start by learning something about the author’s writing journey, so can you tell us about yours?

Isabel: I was an avid reader from a young age, mostly choosing fiction but eventually finding a love for poetry. I’m currently receiving my second MFA in Poetry after I completed my first in Genre Fiction at Western Colorado University. I’m an emerging writer who primarily focuses on fiction and verse though I do dabble in essays. 

Kaye: What’s something most readers would never guess about you?

Isabel: When I tell people I write horror, they always seem surprised. Someone told me I don’t look like a horror writer, though I’m still not entirely sure what she meant by it.

Kaye: What prompted you to enter the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest?

Isabel: WCU had an advertisement in their newsletter for the contest. I happened to be in my Short Forms course at the same time and had a few pieces I was happy with. I figured, why not?

Kaye: You entered two stories to WordCrafter Press: “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework” and “Red Door House”. Only one can win, and I’ll ask you about the one that won, “Red Door House” a little further into the interview. But for now, can you share a little about the story that didn’t win, “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Fireworks”? What inspired you to write that story?

Isabel: I explore gender identity in my writing, “Rabbits” being a prime example. There was a horrible wildfire in California as a result of festivities at a gender reveal party not long before I wrote this, so the story is something of a response to that tragedy. I chose to write from a rabbit’s perspective to speculate the concept of a gender reveal party and gender roles in general.

Kaye: Were you surprised to learn that “Red Door House” won the contest?

Isabel: Yes! This was the first fiction contest I ever entered so it was a delightful surprise to hear the news.

Kaye: Can you share a little bit with our readers about the winning story?

Isabel: “Red Door House” is a supernatural horror about a brother and sister in a small town where a cult is carrying out insidious acts for a sentient house. There is mystery, dark magic, and dreamlike sequences that make the reader question what is going on under the surface of Staiwhile town’s suburban veneer until the final and unnatural third act.

Kaye: What inspired you to write “Red Door House?”

Isabel: “Red Door House” was very loosely inspired by a several-decades-old cold case I fell upon randomly during my studies. Of course, I took many liberties and added fantastical elements to make “Red Door House” its own story.

Kaye: Which author, dead or alive, would you love to have lunch with?

Isabel: There are so many, but for the purpose of this interview, I will say Shirley Jackson. She is my main inspiration for horror, especially when making the mundane macabre. A trope I’m obsessed with is that of the haunted house. Using the house as a symbol of the psyche is something I return to again and again, both in my writing and reading. I would love to talk houses and witchcraft with Jackson, perhaps at a meal to match her famous dinner parties.

Kaye: What is the biggest challenge of being a writer for you so far?

Isabel: Making time for writing. I’m a full-time student with a part-time job, and if it weren’t for the fact that much of my school assignments had to do with my writing, I would have a far more difficult attempt at time management. It’s been reassuring knowing I can juggle so many things, which is always the case in life as a writer, but budgeting the hours I can snatch for my writing is something I’m still working on.

Kaye: Do you also write longer, book length fiction? Which do you find easier? Why?

Isabel: Right now, I’m querying my first novel, a Gothic historical set in 1927 California. I find novel writing easier than writing short stories because there is far more space for suspense and build-up in a longer-length book. With a short story, there is much precision that doesn’t come as naturally to me. Part of the trouble is that I tend to read more novels than short stories, something I’m making a conscious effort to change.

Kaye: What is your favorite genre to write in? Why?

Isabel: Horror, usually in historical settings. In the new movie, A Haunting in Venice, Tina Fey’s character, Ariadne Oliver says “Scary stories make the world less scary.” The world at large has always scared me and a way that I cope with that is by trying to scare it back with my writing.

Kaye: What is the one thing in your writing career that is the most unusual or unique thing you’ve done so far?

Isabel: I bought a roll of several thousand Zoltar cards that served as “research” for a short story. I don’t regret it only because I used them to decoupage a piece of furniture later on.

Kaye: What goals do you set for yourself in your writing?

Isabel: Find representation for my novel and continue working on my second which I started earlier this year. I returned to poetry writing after taking a break while studying fiction. Recently, I’ve published a few poems in smaller presses and would like to continue to have material for a poetry collection.

Kaye: I always like to make interview posts informative. What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?

Isabel: The fabulous writer, who was also one of my professors in grad school, Fran Wilde, told me “First drafts are allowed to suck.” While studying fiction, I realized my process for writing worked best by “running through the graveyard at night”, in other words, getting down the story as quickly as possible without tripping up on my technical imagination early in the process. The first draft of anything is scary, and it’s important to allow your creative imagination to flow when you start something new.

Also, never stop reading.

Reading from “Red Door House” by Isabel Grey

Reading from “Red Door House” by Isabel Grey

About Isabel Grey

Author Isabel Grey

Isabel Grey is a Colorado resident. She is currently receiving her MFA at Western Colorado University in Genre Fiction and Poetry. Her work has been published in Ample RemainsThe Gay & Lesbian Review, and The Chamber Magazine. Grey writes fiction, poetry, and essays. You can find her on Instagram- @greyauthor222.

Isabel is a new addition to the WordCrafter Press authors. Her story, “Red Door House” was the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction contest.

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Meet Author Joseph Carrabis

Joseph is a contributor by invitation, which is to say, he was not a contestant in the short fiction contest, but received an invitation to submit from me. He submitted three stories, and I accepted all three because they were outstanding, and I am pleased to have his writing featured in this year’s anthology. So Joseph has contributed three stories featured in Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories, and they are weird and creepy indeed. “Blood Magic”, a dark fairytale in which a young girl’s foolishness brings down a witch’s curse upon her betrothed and the price to make things right is high. “Binky”, a social commentary on birth defects and lingering spirits. And “The Beach”, which will speak for itself in the reading below.

Inspiration for “The Beach”

The Beach is based on actual beach I discovered my first time through college. Pretty much everything in the story is based on what really happened…except killing. The killing is specific to the story. Aside from that, riding my bike, discovering the cove, seeing the mansions, even returning after successes in business (although just to see if the beach still existed, not to develop the property) are all based on actual events from my life.

Reading from “The Beach “

Reading from “The Beach” by Joseph Carrabis

About Joseph Carrabis

Joseph Carrabis told stories to anyone who would listen starting in childhood, wrote his first stories in grade school, and started getting paid for his writing in 1978. He’s been everything from a long-haul trucker to a Chief Research Scientist and holds patents covering mathematics, anthropology, neuroscience, and linguistics. After patenting a technology which he created in his basement and creating an international company, he retired from corporate life and now he spends his time writing fiction based on his experiences. His work appears regularly in several anthologies and his own published novels.

Joseph’s story, “Maryanne”, is featured in the 2022 Visions anthology from WordCrafter Press.

You can learn more about him at https://josephcarrabis.com.

Dark trees in background. Print copy of Midnight Roost and WordCrafter logo in foreground.
Text: From WordCrafter Press, 20 Authors offer uo 23 weird and creepy stories from the dark crevasses of their minds. But Beware! You may want to leave the lights on for these.

That wraps up the first stop on the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour. I hope you enjoyed learning about Isabel Grey and her winning story. I hope you’ll join us tomorrow on Undawnted, where DL Mullan interviews contributing author, Christa Planko and we’ll learn about the inspiration for her story, “The Easterville Glass Ghost”. And we’ll meet author M J Mallon with a reading from her story, “The Cull”.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Final Stop on the WordCrafter “The Rock Star & The Outlaw” Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner: A pocket watch and pistol with ripples going through them in background. Foreground digital and print copies of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw" and WordCrafter logo.
Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Presents The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth
The WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour

It’s the final day of the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour, and we’re finishing off with an introduction to the villan in my story, Juan Montoya. Over the coarse of the week, we met the two protagonists, Amaryllis Sanchez and LeRoy McAllister, and three of the supporting characters, the time-traveler from 2025, Nick; the shaman woman from 2025, Monique; and the saloon keeper from 1887, Maggie. Don’t worry if you missed a stop or two along the way. I’m posting the Tour Schedule with links for each stop at the end of the post. And don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the Giveaway at each one.

The Giveaway

Leave a comment below to enter the giveaway

for a chance at one of five digital copies of

The Rock Star & The Outlaw.

Sun shining through trees in the background. Digital copy of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw" in the foreground. 
Text: The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth
"Do you feel it?" she asked him with wide eyes which looked a little crazed, and grinning from ear to ear. "That was wild!" She placed her hands on his shoulders, pulling him in to plant a big kiss on him, right on the lips. "Wahoo! That waas great! What a rush!"
Excerpt from The Rock Star & The Outlaw

Writing the Villian

Writing the villian is difficult for me, because I strive so hard to create characters that are likeable, that creating a character I want people to hate seems to go against my natural grain. I think it’s hard for me to write from my shadow side and unveil the things that are hidden away there, because I was taught that those were things we didn’t talk about. But a villian has to be dark, and mean, and well… bad. Readers aren’t supposed to like the villian. I have trouble writing characters that I don’t like, and even now, I can’t say I truly succeeded with Juan. I still want to like him, just a little.

You really can’t have a character that is all bad. No one is pure evil, any more than anyone is pure goodness.People are naturally double sided, so just as a protagonist must have flaws to make them a well rounded character, every villian must have at least one or two likeable traits to balance things out. In Juan, I think I was successful in this respect. Sure, he’s a pompous ass who expects to get his way in all things, but he is angered by the mistreatment of Amaryllis by his men, so he can’t be all bad. Right?

The character of Juan Montoya

Juan Montoya started out the story as Wade Slade, a proud southern man with a hot southern temper. He sported long, wavey hair, and a handlebar mustache and goatee, which he kept waxed to sharp points. He had the peculiar habit of twisting the tips of the mustache, especially when he was angered. However, when doing my first run of editing, which I do aloud, there was something about the character that just didn’t feel right. I thought perhaps rhyming the first and last names might be the problem, so I changed his first name to Buck. It was easy to do un MS Word, with the find and replace feature. But, as I continued to read through it Buck Slade was missing the mark, as well. Buck didn’t sound like a southern name, for one thing. And the character didn’t seem very threatening for another. Something had to be done.

The story needed a bad dude, a mean bandito to lead a gang of outlaws on robbing and pillaging. A bandit up from the border in Nevada country in 1887 seemed like a good possibility. It needed to be someone you didn’t want to cross, and so Buck Slade became Juan Montoya. I went back in with ‘Find and Replace’ and replaced all the Bucks and all the Slades to Juans and Montoyas. You can imagine my surprise, when doing the next pass of edits, as I tried to figure out what a Juanle and a Juanet were. When I hit ‘Replace All’, I didn’t think about the possibility of having used words that had Buck in them like bucket and buckle. Gotta watch that.

Of course, changing a character is more than just changing a name. Juan lost the southern charm of Wade and Buck, and his features are much darker. He kept the hair, the mustache, and the goatee, as well as the annoying habit of twisting the mustache. In fact, I made the hair his best feature, although it gives him an effiminate look, but he’s so bad no one would dare to say that to his face. I changed some scenes to illustrate his temper better, and sacrificed a minor character to do so. The result is the Juan Montoya who appears in the final story.

Sun shing through trees in the background. Digital copy of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw" in the foreground.
Text: The Rock Star & The 
Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth
"LeRoy, what are you doing here?" she said as she closed the distance between them. "Don't you know they're looking for you?"
"Shhhh." LeRoy said. "Of course, I know that. Will you be quiet?"
"They got Sissy over in the jail," Regina said. "Clavin is holding her because she helped you spring that gal. You're plumb crazy showing your face here."
Excerpt from The Outlaw & The Rock Star

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.

Digital and print copies of The Rock Star and The Outlaw

About the Author

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; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. 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.

That wraps up the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog TourThanks to all of you for joining me. I hope you enjoyed my posts, and maybe even learned something from them. I am pleased to have all of you here to help launch this book right. This story came from my heart and I a truly excited about it. Be sure and leave a comment at each stop for additional entries in the giveaway. Links are below if you miss one.

Tour Schedule

The Rock Star & The Outlaw, by Kaye Lynne Booth – September 18 – 22

Monday – Sept. 18 – Opening Day – “Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless” – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – Sept. 19 –“Writing with music and LeRoy McAllister & Review”Carla Loves to Read

Wednesday – Sept. 20 – “The characters of Nick and Monique”Writing to be Read

Thursday – Sept.21 – “Prostitution in the American West and the character of Maggie”Roberta Writes

Friday – Sept. 22 – Closing Post – “Writing the Villian & Juan Montoya” – Writing to be Read

That wraps up today’s stop and the tour. I want to thank you all for coming along on the ride, and I hope you’ll give the ride with Amaryllis and Leroy a go. It’s been a fun ride, from putting all the pieces together in my mind as the idea began to shape itself into a story in my mind, to writing each individual chapter and partnering it with a song, to running a successful Kickstarter to give the book a boost, to the publishing process and seeing the book listed through distributors, to sharing my characters with all of you on this tour. I know you will have a fun ride if you chose to read it, too.

If you missed a stop, you’ll find the links in the Tour Schedule above. Leave a comment at each stop for additional chances in the giveaway. I won’t get out the random drawing hat until tomorrow night, so there’s still time. I’m giving away five digital copies of The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and I will announce the winners in Monday’s “WordCrafter News”, here on Writing to be Read. Thanks for joining us.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Day 3 of the WordCrafter “The Rock Star & The Outlaw” Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner: A pocket watch and pistol with ripples going through them in background. Foreground digital and print copies of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw" and WordCrafter logo.
Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Presents The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth
The WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour

Tour Schedule

The Rock Star & The Outlaw, by Kaye Lynne Booth – September 18 – 22

Monday – Sept. 18 – Opening Day – “Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless” – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – Sept. 19 –“Writing with music and LeRoy McAllister & Review”Carla Loves to Read

Wednesday – Sept. 20 – “The characters of Nick and Monique”Writing to be Read

Thursday – Sept.21 – “Prostitution in the American West and the character of Maggie”Roberta Writes

Friday – Sept. 22 – Closing Post – “Writing the Villian & Juan Montoya” – Writing to be Read

Day 3 of The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour

Welcome to Writing to be Read and the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour. On this stop, I’ll introduce you to two of the supporting characters, the overzealous time-traveler, Nick Umbridge, and Amaryllis’ BFF, Monique. These are two supporting characters, but they play roles which are vital to the story.

Nick & the Time-Travel Device

Nick’s character developed from the main idea for the story – a time-travel device that fits in the palm of the hand, and a custom saddle pommel which it can slip into, to take horse and rider to the period of their choice. That’s how the story began in my head, and I wrote that first chapter, which ended up being the prolog, long before the rest of the story had developed fully. I needed a time-traveling cowboy and Nick was him.

Part of the idea for his character came from the movie Time Cop with Jean-Claude Van Damme. He works for a regulatory agency that develops time-travel gadgetry and Nick’s job is to test the prototypes. Another part of his character came from a character in a different time-travel movie, Time Stalkers, where William Devane plays a college professor who is obsessed with the old west. Nick has a similar obsession which drives him to pick 1887 as his time destination. Unfortunately, the call to blend and take in some of the local atmosphere is too much for him, and he sets a time-loop into motion that sends Leroy on the wildest ride of his life, before he is strung up by a lynch mob.

When LeRoy returns with Amaryllis, a paradox or two are created and Nick makes another appearance, trying to set things right. Although he means well, he wants to take Amaryllis back to her own time, in 2025; a move that would mean facing the forces she’s running from, so Nick becomes an antagonist for our time-traveling duo.

Monique & Werner Syndrome

Monique is Amaryllis’ best friend. She came about in a college assignment back in 2012 to write a shaman scene; a scene where the protagonist consults the wisdom of the medicine man, witch or shaman for guidance. Monique is my shaman, with the ability of looking into the future having been handed down from her grandmother. Although the character of Amaryllis was actually in this scene, too, but I think my focus was on developing the character of Monique.

I wanted her to be an interesting and unique character, so I gave her a bold, self-confident personality, and I gave her Werner Syndrome, a rare birth defect caused by the mutation of the WRN gene, which cause old age to set in prematurely. Those with Werner Syndrome take on the physical characteristics of an old person at an early age, including short stature from childhood, and other attributes such as wrinkled skin, baldness, muscular atrophy and cateracts (https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/werner-syndrome). So even though Monique is 26, like Amaryllis, and they grew up together, Monique is small, and hunched and shriveled, looking more like a woman of 60, fitting the role of an old croon perfectly.

Monique is a rock in Amaryllis’ life. She’s who our heroine turns to for advice, the woman who thinks of everything, and Amaryllis knows she can count on her. That original scene, where Amaryllis asks her friend to throw the bones and gets a strange reading thaat neither woman understands, has undergone a lot of changes, but it ends up as the third chapter in the book, “Witches Burn”.

Sun shing through trees in the background. Digital copy of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw" in the foreground.
Text: The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth - "When it came right down to it, all of this was her fault, and yet, this kind-hearted, gentle man lying next to her still wanted to be with her. His love might be the only thing that could save her now, when the reaat of the world was spinning out of control. And that was the thought that remained in her mind as she drifted off to sleep."
Excerpt from The Rock Star & The Outlaw

About the Book

Digital and Print copies of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw"

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.

That wraps up Day 3 of the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour. Links are in the schedule above, if you missed days 1 & 2. I hope you have enjoyed meeting Nick and Monique. Be sure to visit those first two stops to meet the two protagonists and learn more about the creation of this wild time-travel adventure. Tomorrow will find us over at Robbie’s Inspiration/Roberta Writes, where I will introduce you to the character of Maggie and share some facts about prostitution in the American west. And don’t forget to leave a comment at each stop for a chance to win one of five digital copies of The Rock Star & The Outlaw, which I’ll be giving away in a random drawing at the end of the tour. I do hope you will join us.

About the Author

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; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. 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.

Author KAye Lynne Booth standing in a field of Mullien.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Welcome to the WordCrafter “The Rock Star & The Outlaw” Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner: A pocket watch and pistol with ripples going through them in background. Foreground digital and print copies of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw" and WordCrafter logo.
Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Presents The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth

About the Tour

Welcome to the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour! We have a great tour planned this week and I hope you’ll visit each stop to learn more about what went into this exciting time-travel adventure. We have a great give-away, too, offering 5 digital copies of The Rock Star & The Outlaw. And you get an entry just for leaving a comment at each stop to let me know you were there. You’ll find the Tour Schedule below, so let’s get started!

Tour Schedule

The Rock Star & The Outlaw, by Kaye Lynne Booth – September 18 – 22

Monday – Sept. 18 – Opening Day – “Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless” – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – Sept. 19 –“Writing with music and LeRoy McAllister & Review”Carla Loves to Read

Wednesday – Sept. 20 – “The characters of Nick and Monique”Writing to be Read

Thursday – Sept.21 – “Prostitution in the American West and the character of Maggie”Roberta Writes

Friday – Sept. 22 – Closing Post – “Writing the Villian & Juan Montoya” – Writing to be Read

Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless

Amaryllis Maria Sanchez is a composite character. She’s a cross between Sharon Stone’s character in Basic Instinct and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless. She’s an adrenaline junkie, who likes to tempt death and lives life to the extremes. She’s a rock star who is at the top of her game when she’s on stage. After she kills her drug dealing, domineering boyfriend to save herself from his wrath, she figures she’s already damned herself, she figures she might as well ride out the storm that’s headed her way. But, when she crosses paths with a time-traveling cowboy who offers a way to stay ahead of the game and a place to run to where she won’t ever be found, she sees the potential for a whole new life of adventures.

Amaryllis began as a character like Sharon Stones character in Basic Instincts – a daring woman who plays a deadly game. I like Sharon Stone in just about anything, but I admired the way she played this character in particular. I challenged myself to create a character with that same adventuresome nature, and that self-confident, ‘on top of the world’ attitude.

The idea for her method for killing Claude came from an actual murder case I heard about on the news. I thought it was unique, and I knew I wanted to use it in a story.

My son introduced me to the music of The Pretty Reckless, and I fell in love with the voice of Taylor Momsen. Ibought their CDs and played them on my commute to work, and a story about a female rock singer began to form in my head, and the Sharon Stone-like character somehow merged in my mind with the woman who emerged in my mind from their music. That woman was a lot like my image of Taylor Momsen. And so, Amaryllis Maria Sanchez emerged on the page. Their music inspired me and I’d like to share some of it with you. The video is an official music video for “You”, by The Pretty Reckless.

“You”, by The Pretty Reckless

About the Book

Cover of "The Rock Star & The Outlaw"
Hour glass in background. Electric guitar and two pistols in the foreground.
Text: The Rock Star & The Outlaw, A Time-Travel Adventure, Kaye Lynne Booth

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.

Book Trailer

Video Trailer for The Rock Star & The Outlaw

About the Author

Headshot: Author Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. 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.

The Giveaway

Leave a comment below to enter the giveaway

for a chance at one of five digital copies of

The Rock Star & The Outlaw.

That wraps up the tour for today. Join us tomorrow on Carla Loves to Read for a guest post about the character of LeRoy McAllister and a review of the book.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Small Wonders” Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner: Snowy mountains in the background framed by pine trees. WordCrafter logo and Small Wonders on a digital device in foreground.
Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Presents Small Wonders Reflective Poems By Kaye Lynne Booth

It’s Day 3 of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour and we have a double stop today. We’ll be hanging out both here on Writing to be Read, where I will share some of my poetry with you from the Small Wonders collection, and on Un dawnted, where DL Mullan interviews me and offers a review of my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders. You will want to leave comments to enter the giveaway. You can get to her stop by clicking on the link here, so be sure to check out the interview and review there when you finished the post here: http://www.undawnted.com/2023/06/wordcrafter-blog-tour-for-small-wonders.html

You’ll find the tour schedule below for your convenience. You can follow the links to each tour stop, but they won’t work until the post is live.

Tour Schedule

Small Wonders, by Kaye Lynne Booth – June 19-23

Monday – June 19 – Opening Day – Post “My Moment of Fame” w/ reading “Aspen Tree”– Writing to be Read

Tuesday – June 20 – Guest Post “Fun with Poetry” w/ reading Tanka poem– Robbie’s Inspiration

Wednesday – June  21 Introduction & Comments – Writing to be Read/Guest Post “I’m a Bird Watcher” w/ reading “Bird Watching”, Interview & Review – Undawnted

Thursday – June 22 Guest Post “Someone to Look Up To” w/ reading “To Be A Cat” & Review – Carla Loves to Read

Friday – June 23 – Final stop –  Post “I Like to Grow Things” w/ reading Haiga Poem- Writing to be Read

The Small Wonders Giveaway

Three free digital copies of

Small Wonders

are up for grabs. Follow the tour and make a comment at each stop,

so I know you were there and you’re automatically entered.

One entry per stop.

Winners selected in a random drawing. (Really. I draw them out of a hat, literally.)

About the Book

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.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/b6WZ6E

I’m a Bird Watcher

Those of you who follow my blog, Writing to be Read, and in particular the “Tales from the Bird Sanctuary” blog series, know that I am a bird watcher. I am fascinated by the feathered friends, more and more each year, which visit my mountain yard, and I share my fascination through photos in the blog series. In Small Wonders, I also share it through my poetry, as my bird friends have been a great inspiration.

Roger Raven

Roger Raven was camera shy

Whenever he saw the small black box,

He’d take to the sky

His big black wings would beat the air

Ruffling up the camera lady’s hair

Then Heather Hummingbird came around

The lady pointed the box and Heather acted the clown

She swoop and flutter and hover about

Roger Raven gave her a shout

“Hey! Get out of there!” he said,

“That camera lady wants your head”

“Silly bird. She’ll make me a star.”

The picture appeared right before Roger’s eyes.

“When she prints my photo, I will go far.”

Roger Raven watched in awe.

“She’s captured you!” he said with a caw.

“Bird Watching” – an acrostic poem

An acrostic poem is one in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, usually the title of the poem. I’d like to share in a poetry reading, my acrostic poem, “Bird Watching”, from the Small Wonders collection. Please take a moment to give a listen. (If you like it, you can also subscribe to the WordCrafter YouTube channel.)

Poetry Reading – “Bird Watching”

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


WordCrafter News: Announcing Giveaway Winners, Approaching Deadline, and Preparations for Small Wonders

WordCrafter logo over newsprint.
Text: WordCrafter News

Poetry Treasures Giveaway Winners

WordCrafter "Poetry Treasures 3: Passions" Book Blog tour banner. The book on a sandy beach in front of treasure chest. Contributors are listed in text.

GiveAway Winners

We’ve just had a great book blog tour to send off Poetry Treasures 3: Passions and this is where we announce the winners for the Giveaway for that tour. I always love doing this post and then notifying the winners individually, because I get to make somone’s day with this announcement. Hopefully three someones.

I want to thank everyone who followed the tour or just dropped in to a stop or two, and of course my wonderful hosts. The hosts for this tour were Patty Fletcher and Patty’s Worlds, Miriam Hurdle and The Showers of Blessings, Carla Johnson-Hicks and Carla Loves to Read, Robbie Cheadle and Robbie’s Inspiration, and of course, Writing to be Read. And before I tell you who will be the recipients of the three digital copies of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions, I also want to give a big shout out to all of the contributing authors for this anthology, who all were great about doing their parts and helping to make the tour as fabulous as it was, with their audio/video poetry readings and guest posts. Every author participated and we couldn’t have had such a great tour without them.

And now, without further ado…

(Drumroll please)

The winners are…

Gwen M. Plano, John W. Howell, and Jacqui Murray!

Congratulations to all of you and thanks so much for following the tour. Please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com, so I can send you a link for your digital copies of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions. I look forward to hearing from each of you.

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions

 Passions treasures within.

Open the cover

and you will discover

the Poetry Treasures

of guests on

 Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s

2022 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series

on Writing to be Read.

Included are treasures from:

Patty Fletcher, D. Wallace Peach, Yvette Prior,

Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro, Abbie Taylor,

Yvette Calliero, , Smitha Vishwaneth,

Chris Hall, Willow Willers, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer,

and Roberta Eaton Cheadle

You can get your copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions from your favorite book distributor through Books2Read:

https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR

The Clock is Ticking

Just a quick reminder. The submission deadline for the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest is April 30. So, if you haven’t turned in your scary story submission yet, you need to do it soon. Come on. Scare me. I dare you.

You can find full submission giudelines and submission instructions here: https://wp.me/pVw40-6VU

Assembling a Poetry Collection

Book Cover: Small Wonders: Reflective Poetry by Kaye Lynne Booth

I have been busy compiling my poetry collection, Small Wonders for a June release. I have a lifetime of poetry to go through, so this has been no small task. Never-the-less, I look on it as a bit of a breather from all the heavy promoting I’ve done so far this year for Delilah, and then for Poetry Treasures 3. May is the first month this year that I haven’t been actively promoting a book, so it gives me a chance to shift gears as I make the final preparations for the release of this collection, and move in to the final stretch on the writing of The Rock Star & The Outlaw. But let’s finish up the poetry first before I move back onto fiction.

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Head shot: 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. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.


Final Stop on the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner: Poetry Treasures 3: Passions on a beach in front of treasure chest.
Text: List of contributing authors, book title and "WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Presents"

This is the final stop in the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour. We’ve had a fantastic tour, with opportunities to hear from almost every contributor to the anthology. Every stop featured at two poets, sharing their works, which offers a nice taste of what you can expect in the anthology.

We’re also running a great giveaway for three digital copies of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions. You can find a schedule with links to each stop at the end of this post, if you missed a stop, so be sure to visit each one and leave a comment for additional entries in the giveaway.

Giveaway

Comment and let us know you were there, and get a chance to win a copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions in the digital format of your choice.Follow the tour and leave your comments along the way. One entry per stop.

Today’s Stop

On this tour stop we’ll hear poetry readings by two of the contributing authors to the anthology, Poetry Treasures 3: Passions, Judy Mastrangelo and Yvette Prior.

Meet Judy Mastrangelo

Judy Mastrangelo is a talented artist and poet, who has published several illustrated children’s books and two decks of Oracle cards. I first met her when I reviewed both her book, , and her Oracle cards, and I recently reviewed her Oracle cards, as well. Her illustrations are always bright and colorful. She does absolutely amazing nature and fantasy paintings. And in Poetry Treasures 3: Passions, she demonstrates her poetic talents, which are equally amazing.

Head shot: Judy Mastrangelo

Judy Mastrangelo has written and illustrated several books, which include themes of Poetry, Fairytales, and Fairies. She follows in the tradition of “The Art of the Golden Age of Illustration”. Some of her titles include: a series of four Fairy books: “Portal to the Land of Fae” which include Flower Fairies, Fairy Tale Fairies, Secrets of the Fairies, and Mystical Fairies. Additional books include “What Do Bunnies Do All Day?”, “Enchanted Fairy Tales”, which she illustrated and adapted, “The Star”, illustrating the poem Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and her new fairy tale “The Magic Blanket”. Besides creating books, her artwork has been used in several Inspirational Oracle Card Decks, as well as some that she has also written herself. She licenses her artwork for many products, including Art Prints and Wall Murals. Judy has taught Creative Drama and Dance as well as Painting, to Children and Adults, and has directed her own Community Theater for all ages. As part of her work, she enjoys encouraging people to develop their own Imagination and Artistic Talents.

You can visit her at www.judymastrangelo.com

“Gaia’s Love”, by Judy Mastrangelo


Gaia’s Love

Gaia’s Love permeates throughout.

Her deep passion for every water droplet, leaf, flower, 

butterfly, frog, and snail, can be seen and felt.

Breath deeply of the Air surrounding her.

She appears out of Purple Sunset, Sunrise Clouds.

She can be seen reflected in ripping waters, 

rising from her earthly hills and mountains,

as graceful leaves, rainbows,  

and flowers bedeck her.

Painting: "Gaia's Love", byJudy Mastrangelo
IMage: Huge Goddess emerging from riverwith mountains in the background and rainbow above head. A wnged deer is at the river's edge, under the trees.
Wine bottle and glass next to Poetry Treasures 3: Passions
Text: "Fine wine and poetry. They just go together.", a listt of contributors, and "Available in digital and print editions at your favorite retailer through Books2Read"

Meet Yvette Prior

Yvette Prior is another poet whose work was new to me before being introduced on “Treasuring Poetry”, but I quickly saw what a talented poet she is. She took a different approach to the poetry reading than the others and got creative with it. Instead of reading a single poem, she’s reading samples of each of her poems featured in Poetry Treasures 3: Passions, and made a beautiful video to go with it.

Head Shot: Yvette Prior

Yvette Prior lives on the East Coast of the United States with her spouse, Chris, and together they have three adult children, two grandchildren, and no pets (after having many dogs over the years).

Yvette enjoys working with people and her varied work background includes education, social work, hospitality management, and lots of outreach. Her passion area is studying about health and wellness and after earning a Ph.D. in I-O Psychology, she poured into waiting book projects and she has not stopped writing since.

Her goal as a writer is to educate, edify, and encourage readers. Her personal blog can be found at priorhouse.wordpress.com

About Yvette & Her Poetry

My name is Yvette Prior and I am excited to be a part of the 2023 Treasuring Poetry series, which features the theme of passions for this third volume. 

The four poems I submitted for this anthology were created during a very special time in my life – a time of setback in one area and then a time of joyous celebration with a marriage anniversary milestone. I think the energy – from persevering and celebrating – can be felt in each poem.

The first poem, “Dancing with Angst”, explores how setback (and life’s angst) can be embraced (danced with) to cultivate growth and humility. When we yield, it can lead to stability. “Angst is more than only woe. Even though – we are glad to see it go – it can magnify joy, changement to stir up appreciation; you cannot fully know, how dancing with angst helps growth, until you have been cut down, pounded out, unwound.”

The “Quiet Fuel of Passion” poem reminds us that humans are guided by values, which “are always screaming, beneath the scenes, often quiet, and unheard.” This poem is a call for self awareness about what you might be striving for and to make sure it is meaning laden. 

The third poem, “We are a Bird, said He” unfolded after a February date night and then led to a fun part of an anniversary celebration; my husband and I celebrated our decades-long union by using metaphor and real-life examples from birds. 

Lastly, the “Poetic Sleep” poem unfolded after a night of restlessness, where rhymes were churning in my mind. In the morning, all ideas were gone and this poem is meant to connect with other writers who have sometimes had the flood of ideas come – to then wake and see it all go. 

I highly encourage you to get a copy of the Treasuring Poetry 3: Passions anthology, because the diverse and eloquently written poems offer enrichment and delight.

Poetry Excerpts by Yvette Prior

Tour Schedule

Mon. 4/17 – Opening Day – Readings by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer & Smitha Vishwanath – Writing to be Read

Tues. 4/18 – Guest Post from Colleen Chesebro & Reading by Robbie Cheadle of poem by Chris Hall – Patty’s World

Wed. 4/19 – Readings by D. Wallace Peach & Abbie Taylor – The Many Showers of Blessing

Thurs. 4/20 –Reading by Willow Willers & a Guest Post by Patty Fletcher/Review – Carla Loves to Read

Fri. 4/21 – Readings by Penny Wilson & Yvette Calliero – Robbie’s Inspiration

Sat. 4/22 – Closing Post – Readings by Yvette Prior & Judy Mastrangelo – Writing to be Read

Wrap Up

That wrap things up for both this post and for the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour. I hope you’ve enjoyed this stop, and if you’ve missed any stops, you can drop in via the links in the schedule above. Remember, commenting at each stop earns you more entries in the giveaway. Thanks for following along and joining in on the fun. And don’t forget to pick up your copy of Poetry Treasures 3 Passions today!

About PoetryTreasures 3: Passions

 Passions treasures within.

Open the cover

and you will discover

the Poetry Treasures

of guests on

 Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s

2022 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series

on Writing to be Read.

Included are treasures from:

Patty Fletcher, D. Wallace Peach, Yvette Prior,

Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro, Abbie Taylor,

Yvette Calliero, , Smitha Vishwaneth,

Chris Hall, Willow Willers, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer,

and Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Purchase your copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions from your favorite book distributor through Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR

___________________________________

Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Poetry Treasures 3: Passions” Book Blog Tour

Day 2 of the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 3: Passions Book Blog Tour finds us over at Patty’s Worlds, where we’ll meet contributing poets Colleen Chesebro and Chris Hall, and Robbie Cheadle reads a poem for each of them. It’s the release day for this very special anthology. Come join in the fun, and be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of Poetry Treasures 3: Passions.


WordCrafter News

Open Submissions Deadline Approaching

Submissions are open for the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, but the deadline of April 30th is fast approaching. This year I’m looking for the scariest story. So, send me your monsters, your zombies, your ghosts and your ghouls. Make me sweat. Keep me awake at night. Make me tremble in fear. And most importantly, make me think about your story long after I’ve put it down. The winner gets a $25 Amazon gift card and a guaranteed spot in WordCrafter’s annual anthology. You can find the full submission guidelines here.

April Release: Poetry Treasures 3: Passions

Each year WordCrafter Press puts out a poetry anthology, featuring the works of the previous year’s “Treasuring Poetry” blog series with Robbie Cheadle, which features poet/author guests from all around the globe. We release the anthology in the Poetry Treasures series in April each year, as a nod to National Poetry Month here in the U.S. This year’s anthology features the poetry of Robbie Cheadle, Smitha Vishwanath, Abbie Taylor, Chris Hall, Yvette M. Calleiro, Willow Willars, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Patty Fletcher, Yvette Prior, Judy Mastrangelo, Penny Wilson, Colleen M. Chesebro and D. Wallace Peach. If you follow the blog series, I know you’ll agree that this line-up of poets comprises an all star cast of contributors.

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions will be released in April, in celebration of National Poetry Month, here in the U.S. Watch for updates on the release here,on Writing to be Read.

Delilah Tour Giveaway Winners

We had a great tour to celebrate the release of Delilah with most of your favorite distributors last week. You all gave it a great send off. I want to give a big round of applause for the hosts on this one; Robbie Cheadle, Miriam Hurdle and our brand new host, Kay Castenada, who did a fabulous debut tour stop. Also thanks so much to all those who participated and followed the tour. And now, the part of the tour where I get to give back a little. For this tour, we are giving away two digital copies and one signed print copy of Delilah.

So, without further ado…

The winners of the WordCrafter Delilah Book Blog Tour Giveaway are

The two digital copies go to Mae Clair and Jennie.

Jacqui Murray will recieve a signed print copy of Delilah.

All winners need to contact me at kayebooth@yahoo.com to claim their prize.

Congratulations to the winners!

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.


The Final Stop on the WordCrafter “Delilah” Book Blog Tour

To wrap up the WordCrafter Delilah Book Blog Tour, I thought we’d explore the Indian characters featured in Delilah. Baby Doe Tabor isn’t the only historic character featured in the book, although Old Sugar isn’t well known. In fact, most people have probably never heard of her at all. The Ute characters were intended to be representative of the Indian population in Colorado, but somehow, they worked their way into my heart and became an integral part of the story.

The Ute Indians

The Ute Indians once roamed on lands spread over the Great Basin and central and southern mountains of Colorado, but by the 1860s, they had been split up into three amalgamated bands, the Uncompahgre, the Weenuche, and the White River band. In 1881, they began relocation of the White River an Uncompahgre Utes, following the 1879 Meeker masacre at the White River Indian Agency. Delilah’s Ute friends, Eagle Feather, Old Sugar, and Dancing Falcon are from the White River band, which were all relocated to a reservation in eastern Utah by the 1890s. When Delilah meets the Ute family, it is 1882, and they are holdouts, who resisted the relocation and lived independently, near Leadville.

Old Sugar

Old Sugar was a true to life historical person, who inspired the character of the same name, but she never lived in Leadville. Old Sugar would sit outside the general store all day and she would lash out with her knife and cut any white man who got too close to her. It seems the store keeper tried to make her leave once and she came after him, so they had little choice but to let her sit there and give her a wide berth. I had to wonder why. Why was she sitting there? Why did she hate white men enough to lash out that way? Why didn’t she gety up and move to a less populated spot? I found her to be interesting, and I just had to make her a character and move her to Leadville to make the acquaintance of Delilah. She’s not really a supporting character, but her role turned out to be larger than I imagined when I created her character.

Eagle Feather

Eagle Feather, Old Sugar’s son and Dancing Falcon’s father, originally existed only in the background as a washed up brave who had turned to the bottle as he watched everything be taken from his people, but he ends up playing an important role, when Delilah finds she needs his help to save the mine payroll and rescue his son. When I wrote Eagle Feather and Old Sugar into the story, I didn’t realize what a big role either would play. They were both intended to be interesting characaters which represented the Ute presence in Colorado at the time.

Dancing Falcon

I just love the character of Dancing Falcon. I loved writing him and I enjoy going back and reading him, which is why he easily became a supporting character right from the start. Dancing Falcon is a wise old twelve year old, who knows a lot about the goings on in Leadville and about the Ute ways. His purpose in the story is to offer Delilah guidance and fill her in on what she needs to know, but he becomes an integral part of the story. It is because of Dancing Falcon that Delilah becomes Grizzly Woman and is adopted into the Ute tribe.

An Excerpt from Delilah

Final Thoughts

Well, that’s about all for the WordCrafter Delilah Book Blog Tour. Thank you all for joining in the fun. I hope you all have picked up an interesting piece of history or found my writing and researching for this series helpful in some way. I’ve certainly enjoyed writing the posts and discussing the books and the characters with you. Remember, you can enter the giveaway at each stop for more chances to win, and if you missed a stop, you can follow the links below to stop by and check it out. I’ll be closing out the contest tomorrow, 3/24, so there may still be time to get in on it. And I’ll be announcing the winner in my post for Monday 3/27.

Delilah Tour Schedule

Mon. 3/20 – Opening Day Post– Writing to be Read/ Guest post (Baby Doe Tabor/Delilah) – The Showers of Blessings

Tues. 3/21 – Interview with author Kaye Lynne Booth / Review – Robbie’s Inspiration

Wed. 3/22 – Guest post (Big Nose Kate/Sarah) – BookPlaces

Thurs. 3/23 – Guest post (“Aunt” Clara Brown/Marta) – Roberta Writes

Fri. 3/24 – Closing Post (Ute Indians of Colorado in 1880s/Delilah Excerpt) – Writing to be Read

References

Ute History and the Ute Mountain Tribe. Colorado Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/ute-history-and-ute-mountain-ute-tribe

Meeker Incident. Colorado Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/meeker-incident

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About the Author

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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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!