Tales From the Hanging Tree Available for Pre-Order
Posted: September 5, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Horror, WordCrafter Press | Tags: C.R. Johansson, Dark fiction, DL Mullan, Joseph Carrabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Matt Usher, Paul Kane, Sylva Fae, Tales from the Hanging Tree, WordCrafter Press 1 Comment
There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree.
Stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, DL Mullan, C.R. Johannson, Joseph Carrabis, Sylva Fae, and Matt Usher.
To release on September 10, 2024. Available for pre-order now: https://books2read.com/Hanging-Tree
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And don’t miss the WordCrafter Tales From the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour September 9 – 13. Find out more right here, on Writing to be Read.
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This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press.
This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press.
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Book Review: Darkness Within the Forest
Posted: August 23, 2024 Filed under: At the Movies, Book Review, Books, Horror, Review | Tags: Book Review, Dark fiction, Darkness Within The Forest, horror, Mathew Neighbors, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
About Darkness Within the Forest
Shadows of recent events follow James as he leaves Alaska, traveling through Canada with a group of strangers until a detour brings them to a house nestled deep in the forests of British Columbia. Haunted by his failures, conflict and mystery threaten to pull James into the very thing he’s been trying to run from.
When the fate of other people’s lives are affected by the choices James makes, will he take a side in a conflict he doesn’t fully understand, or will he look to the road again, distancing himself from any involvement, and the potential consequences it brings.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Darkness-Within-Forest-Book-ebook/dp/B0BCXC8DBZ
My Review
I purchased a copy of Darkness Within the Forest from FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.
Darkness Within the Forest is the Darkness series Book 2, by Mathew Neighbors. On the run from one surreal situation, James quickly finds himself in yet another situation in which choices must be made, even when he doesn’t fully understand the stakes. Or perhaps it is the reader who did not grasp the depth of this tale, because I certainly wasn’t feeling it.
The writing contained a lot of telling and minimal showing, making it difficult for me to relate with any of the characters, least of all the protagonist, James. It begins by offering up backstory, which will affect his behavior throughout the story. Perhaps that is where the tale should actually begin? Because the relating of the backstory, for me, seemed far more interesting than the tale that eventually unfolds.
While Darkness Within the Forest has the potential to be an interesting and entertaining tale, it falls short in structure and writing style. I give it three quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Reminder: WordCrafter’s Summer Reading List at Great Prices
Posted: August 7, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Sales, Books, Dark fiction, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthologies, Book Sale, Lingering Spirit Whispers, Midnight Roost, Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, Summer Reading List, Visions, WordCrafter Press 2 Comments
The anthologies on WordCrafter‘s Summer Reading List are still discounted with some great summer prices through August 31. Fill your summer reading list with outstanding short fiction anthologies from WordCrafter Press for under $5 each. Add these titles to your digital library.
Purchase Links:
Refracted Reflections: https://books2read.com/RefractedReflections
Once Upon an Ever After: https://books2read.com/OnceUponanEverAfter
Lingering Spirit Whispers: https://books2read.com/LingeringSpiritWhispers
Midnight Roost: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost
Visions: https://books2read.com/VisionsAnthology
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WordCrafter News: My Backyard Friends Release and Tour & Summer Reading List Discounts
Posted: June 29, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Book Sales, Children's Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press Leave a comment
July Releases
The first three books in the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series will be released through retailers on July 16th. Written by me, Kaye Lynne Booth and Illustrated by Robbie Cheadle this series brings kids stories with moral lessons, inspired by the birds and animals that visit my backyard. All three are available for preorder now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/u/471vzj
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/u/3LL5K7
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/u/md2YLO
Meet the Characters of the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series
Join us July 15-22 for the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour to send this kid’s book series off right. We’ll have a My Backyard Friends store with exclusive offers for books and MBF merchandise you won’t want to miss. The store will go up one opening day and will be available throughout this eight-day tour. Other stops will feature character interviews, guest posts from me and one from Robbie, as well as reviews of each book.
WordCrafter Press Summer Reading List Discounts
Short fiction anthologies on the WordCrafter Press Summer Reading List are discounted through August 31. Get these fantastic anthologies at great prices while they last for some entertaining and captivating summer reads.
- Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception: https://books2read.com/RefractedReflections
- Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Myths & Lore: https://books2read.com/OnceUponanEverAfter
- Visions: https://books2read.com/VisionsAnthology
- Midnight Roost: Weird & Creepy Stories: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost
- Lingering Spirit Whispers: Paranormal Anthology Bundle: https://books2read.com/LingeringSpiritWhispers
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This segment of “WordCrafter News” is sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/
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Summer Reading List from WordCrafter Press On Sale Now
Posted: June 16, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Sales, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthologies, Book Sale, Lingering Spirit Whispers, Midnight Roost, Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, Visions, WordCrafter Press 1 Comment
Now through August 31, all WordCrafter Press anthologies on our summer reading list are on sale!
Lingering Spirit Whispers
Three great WordCrafter paranormal anthologies bundled into one exceptional paranormal anthology set: Whispers of the Past, Spirits of the West, and Where Spirits Linger. Thought provoking short fiction for every lover of ghost stories and paranormal tales.
Only $4.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31
Purchase link: https://books2read.com/LingeringSpiritWhispers
Once Upon am 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 sure to be careful what you wish for….
If you liked Gilded Glass, you’ll enjoy Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Myths & Fairy Tales, short stories with thought provoking themes, captivating characters and diverse cultures, from humorous to horrifying, from the legendary past to possible futures and back to the here and now.
Only $2.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/OnceUponanEverAfter
Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception
Reflections and Refractions…
One reveals truths, while the other bends light into varying shapes of deception.
Does a small camp mirror reveal hope… or death?
Is the warrior in the mirror a monster… or a protector?
Does a glimpse in the mirror reveal a young woman’s true self… or what someone else has shaped her into?
Does the mysterious portal to the future reflect what could be… or what must be left behind?
Are the dancers reflected in the water’s depth things of beauty… or evil?
This unique and imaginative collection of nine mind tantalizing fantasy and science fiction stories will appeal to readers who enjoy thought provoking tales with hidden meanings resting deep below the surface. These stories will keep you pondering long into the night.
If you liked Gilded Glass or Once Upon an Ever After, you’ll love Refracted Reflections.
Only $2.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/RefractedReflections
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?
The 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
Only $3.99 during the Summer Reading List sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/VisionsAnthology
Midnight Roost: Weird & Creepy Stories
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.
Only $4.99 during the WordCrafter Summer Readng List Sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost
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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.
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WordCrafter News: Special Christmas Edition – Looking Forward to 2024 & Early Call For Submissions
Posted: December 25, 2023 Filed under: Anthology, Books, Call for submissions, Children's Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Dark Humor, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Holidays, Horror, Kickstarter, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, Uncategorized, Western, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing, Writing to be Read | Tags: 2024, Anthology, Call for submissions, Charlie Chickadee Finds a NEw Home, D.I.Y. Author, Dark fiction, Heather Hummingbird Makes a NEw Friend, My Backyard Friends series, Poetry Treassures 4: Natural World, Sarah, Tales from the Hanging Tree, Timothy Turtle Discovers JEllybeans, Women in the West adventure series, WordCrafter Press, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services, Write it Right Quality Editing Services, Writing Reference, Writing to be Read 16 CommentsLooking Forward to 2024
WordCrafter Press
2024 promises to be exciting at WordCrafter Press and I am thrilled to tell you about it.
In January, book 2 of the Women in the West series, Sarah launches on Kickstarter and its going to be a good one. Rewards will include not only early digital and signed print copies of Sarah, but Special Edition Illustrated copies of both Sarah and Delilah, never before offered.
In March, Sarah will be released through distributors, and will be available at your favorite online retailers. I’ll be launching with a book blog tour and giveaway, so be sure and watch for that.
In April, Poetry Treasures 4: Natural World will be released through distributors. (The cover pictured above is just a fill in.) Featuring poetry written by guests of the 2023 “Treasuring Poetry” blog series with Robbie Cheadle. There will be a book blog tour for this book, with audio/video readings by the poets.
In May, my nonfiction writing reference book, D.I.Y. Author will be released through distributors, and will be available at your favorite online retailers. If you’re an author on a shoestring budget determined to find ways to write and sell books, this book is for you. Naturally, a book blog tour and giveaway will accompany this release.
In July, we have a Kickstarter campaign planned for my children’s book series. I’ll be releasing the first three books in the My Backyard Friends series, Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans, and Charlie Chickadee Finds a New Home. After a first illustrator experience which turned sour, these books have been awaiting an illustrator for eight years. But I finally found one, whose illustrations I am proud to have featured in my books, Robbie Cheadle. If you know her, you might be familiar with the wonderful illustrations she’s begun to do recently, and you’ll understand why I am so thrilled to have her as an illustrator. These stories feature animal and bird characters in tales that each teach a social lesson. With Robbie’s beautiful illustrations, they are not to be missed.
In August, the first three books in the My Backyard Friends series will be released through distributors, and will be available at all your favorite distributors. I’ll be launching with a book blog tour and giveaway.
In September, a by invitation only themed anthology, Tales From The Hanging Tree, will be released through distributors and launched with a book blog tour and giveaway, with audio/video readings by the authors.
In October, the 2024 WordCrafter anthology will be released. Each year I release the annual anthology in October, which is just a scary month. Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I love scary stories, and other scary stuff, so releasing in October is condusive to dark fiction. In 2023, we had a great line-up of dark and scary stories in Midnight Roost, so we’re going with a dark fiction theme again this year. It will include both by invitation submissions and contest submissions that are worthy, and feature the winning story from the contest. (See Call for Submissions below.)
WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services
I’m happy to announce that in 2024, WordCrafter will be adding Book Trailers to our list of quality author services. We will have three different trailer designers available to choose from: myself, Robbie Cheadle and DL Mullan, and they will be offered at affordable prices.
Other services offered include editing and publishing services and WordCrafter Book Blog Tours. I still have time slots available for editing services into 2024. Learn more at Write it Right Quality Editing Services.
Writing to be Read
On Writing to be Read, 2024 promises more of the new monthly blog series, “POP with Jeff Bowles”, which has been well recepted. A blog series about all things POP, the first Wednesday of every month.
We also have a new addition to the WtbR team. Starting in January, DL Mullan will be bringing us another new blog series the first Friday of each month, “Undawntech: Technology and the Creative Arts”. Be sure to check it out and give Dawn a big welcome.
Call for Submissions – 2024 WordCrafter Anthology
It’s time for the Call for Submissions for the 2024 WordCrafter Anthology, which we’re calling “Dark Fiction” for now. Dark fiction is the theme: horror, paranormal, dark fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction. Any genre as long as it is dark or scary will do. I’m leaving it wide in the hopes of bringing in a diverse selection of stories that will keep readers awake at night.
Submission Guidelines
Genres: Paranormal, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Dark Humor, Speculative Fiction any combination there of.
Length: up to 5000 words
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2023
Submissions open January 1 and close on April 30. Watch for the January 1 post for full submission guidelines and contest entry.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!
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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
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Book Review: Truth
Posted: December 23, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Erotica, Fiction, Horror, Psychological Thriller, Review, Thriller | Tags: BDSM Erotica, Book Review, Erotic Thriller, James Crow, Thriller, Truth, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About the Book
TRUTH … nothing but the truth
Locked away in the dirty bin – that’s what they called it – a big metal box for the criminally insane. The no-hopers, left to fight for scraps. And fight for their lives.
I thought I would die in that place. Until the priest arrived.
Father John said he believed in me. And that he believed he could save me.
All I had to do was be truthful – the whole truth and nothing but.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/TRUTH-James-Crow-ebook/dp/B086764D1K/
My Review
I reviewed this book’s counterpart, Dare, back in 2018. (You can read my review of Dare here.) I only gave it four stars, because I quite frankly, wasn’t sure what to think of it. At the end of book 1, our heroine, Danielle, is headed off to prison for at least three murders. I picked up a copy of the sequel, Truth, by the same author, James Crow, because I couldn’t imagine where this tale could possibly go from where we left off. Crow had my curioustity raised just by the fact that the sequel exists. Both books venture past erotica into bizarre, and they are definitely not for the faint of heart, with sex, violence and really kinky BDSM stuff floating over the pages like a tantalizing main course, followed by a scrumptious dessert, with more than a few bites in there that are really tough to chew.
There are no lengths Danielle won’t go to in order to gain her freedom, and enemies may become allies faster than you can blink. A prison break that exchanges one kind of cage for another, dragging Danielle into a bizarre world where nothing is sacred, murder seems to be an everyday occurance, and everything revolves around sex. Trapped, it seems there’s no where to escape to, except to the deepest chasms of her mind, and that, my friends, can be a very scary place. Once again, as readers, we’re faced with decifering the unimaginable truths, from horrifying fantasies to determine what’s real and what isn’t.
The lesson in Truth is that it’s okay to sin as long as you do pennance, and Danielle quickly finds the truth in that. Although I found the events in this story extremely shocking, (and I don’t shock easily), for some reason I couldn’t seem to put it down. I give it four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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Book Review: The Crow
Posted: December 16, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Review, Short Fiction, Stories | Tags: Book Review, horror, Leslie Garland, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, The Crow, Writing to be Read Leave a commentThe Book
Told in The Red Grouse Inn, this poignant, adult, speculative, spiritual and philosophical tale will intrigue, entertain and keep you guessing in equal measure. As a child, David, is taken to a hospice by his mother where he finds himself listening to an increasingly mad tale told by a dying and embittered old Irish priest. But why do the old priest’s recollections of the school days and subsequent rise of a local councillor become so increasingly bizarre and bitter? The universal appeal of this enjoyable, entertaining and intriguing short story, with its beautiful and atmospheric imagery, surreal and paranormal concepts of angels, ghosts and devils, will have you turning the pages and ready to read the next one.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Crow-poignant-misunderstanding-bitterness-blame-ebook/dp/B011O33Z08
My Review
The Crow, by Leslie Garland offers an eerie feeling as you read the story of a young boy saddled with the task of visiting an old priest who is kind of creepy. As the priest unfolds his strange tale, one that might be better to spare young children from, one can’t help but feel a little of the creepiness rub off on you. Told in the spirit of those who used to sit around telling stories for entertainment, this tale has a classic feel to it, which immediately draws the reader in and holds them captive until the last page is turned.
Short, but captivating. The cover could use a new design, as it would not prompt me to go buy the book and tells me nothing about the content of the story, But the title, The Crow, has the power to grab you and make you want to read it. I give it four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
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WordCrafter Holiday Extravaganza Sale
Posted: December 12, 2023 Filed under: Anthology, Book Sales, Books, Collection, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Horror, Nonfiction, Paranormal, Photography, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, Western Paranormal, WordCrafter Press | Tags: 2023 Holiday Extravaganza, Book Sale, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Western Paranormal, WordCrafter Press Leave a comment
The WordCrafter Sale of the Year
Did you know that WordCrafter is having a Holiday Extravaganza Sale that includes every book in the entire WordCrafter Press backlist?
That’s right.
And books make great holiday gifts. Treat someone you know or treat yourself this holiday season.
December 1 – 22 every book in the WordCrafter Press back list is at a discounted price. Check it out.
Writing References
Ask The Authors – Only .99 cents
Ask The Authors 2022 – Only $2.99
Fantasy/Science Fiction/Paranormal/Horror Anthologies
Refracted Reflections:
Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception
Only $2.50
Visions – Only $2.99
Poetry Anthologies & Collections
Poetry Treasures – Only $2.99
Behind Closed Doors:
a collection of unusual poems
by Robbie Cheadle
Only $2.99
Books By Kaye Lynne Booth
Last Call
And Other Short Fiction
by Kaye Lynne Booth
Only .99 cents
Hidden Secrets
Paranormal Mystery Novella
by Kaye Lynne Booth
Only $1.99
Daily Devotionals
Paranormal Anthologies
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Book Review: Terror in the Shadows
Posted: December 5, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fiction, Horror, Review, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Dark arts, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Jupiter Rose, Speculative Fiction, Terror in the Shadows, witches, Writing to be Read 2 CommentsAbout the Book
Prepare to be captivated by “Terror in the Shadows,” a gripping paranormal, mystery, suspense novel that plunges into a world of hidden secrets and uncertain destinies. Kelsey, a tenacious young reporter known for chasing stories, suddenly vanishes, paralleling the puzzling disappearance of her mother three months ago. As time ticks away, the race to find Kelsey becomes a desperate pursuit for Detective Silverton.
Haunted by the mysterious photo of Kelsey, Lucy, a mysterious man with an intriguing connection to the supernatural, feels an unwavering urge to aid in the search. With his enigmatic powers, he reveals the missing pieces as they rush into the shadows to unearth long-hidden truths.
In a realm where secrets and lies intertwine, ancient powers stir from their slumber, ready to shape the fate of all involved. Within this realm, where the boundaries between light and dark blur, Kelsey’s fate hangs in the balance.
As Detective Silverton uncovers the truth behind Kelsey and her mother’s disappearance, he walks a treacherous tightrope between saving the young woman and losing everyone he loves. The stakes have never been higher as the clock relentlessly counts down.
With each page turned, “Terror in the Shadows” will immerse you in a world where gripping suspense and unexpected twists reign supreme. As the story unfolds, you’ll be held enthralled from the very first page to the heart-stopping climax. Will the truth set Kelsey free, or will she become another headline shadowed by darkness?
Prepare yourself for an exhilarating journey that will keep you on the edge of your seat, yearning for answers until the last word. “Terror in the Shadows” will leave you craving more, long after you’ve turned the last page.”
My Review
I requested a copy of this book from the author, Jupiter Rose, in exchange for an honest review, because the cover caught my eye. (Yes, I often consciously choose books by their covers.) The flaming pentagram with the figure of a man in it intrigued me and the title, Terror in the Shadows, promised a tale of dark fiction or horror to keep one awake at night. While this story has a lot of potential to be an excellent dark fantasy thriller, it failed to deliver on its promise.
It has an excellent premise, with witches and witch hunters, and even an appearance from the Dark Lord, himself, going by the name of Lucy. The mysterious disappearance of Kelsey’s mother starts things off, but we only get to learn about it through Kelsey’s thoughts before Kelsey herself disappears and it’s up to her two best friends Frank and Jennifer to find her before it’s too late. There are mysterious men stalking her, and a mysterious man who appears out of nowhere to help find her who has more information than he should, all building up to a climatic confrontation between the hunters and the hunted. I loved the tale enough to finish the book despite the problems that I found with it which included:
- Massive head hopping. This story changes P.O.V. so often it’s difficult to know whose head your in – sometimes as often as every other paragraph.
- Numerous typos, sometimes changing gender identifiers within a single sentence.
- The characters were likeable enough, but they lacked depth, which could have easily been remedied by staying in P.O.V. so we could get more of their inner feelings and resonate with the reasons for their actions. There are too many extraordinary events that are reacted to by the characters as if they were every day occurrences, and no understanding as to why that would be.
- Needed to be more realistic, and plot holes that need patched. The character of Frank, in particular, was hard to figure out. He is portrayed as a policeman, but his behavior is very un-cop-like. They all have massive time off of work to delve into mysteries, and after her abduction, they bring Kelsey home and report nothing to the police or the media, after her photo has been plastered all over to the public. Then her boss calls to demand her to come back to work before he has any way to know she’s no longer missing. These moments make the reader pause from the story to say, “What? When did that happen?” And there a many of them.
- Too much telling and not enough showing. Told in past tense, it was too easy to fill us in later and just tell us something happened while we were out.
I never like to give less than positive reviews, but since I requested the book, I felt obligated to give an honest review as promised. The storyline was good enough to keep me reading despite the problems with craft and grammar. What makes it sad is that all of them could have been corrected by running it by a decent editor and giving it a good proofread. While I am a D.I.Y. author and publisher, I believe in putting out the best book possible, and I know how important it is to have a second, or even a third set of eyes go over the books that I publish. A book like this one just drives that message home.
A good storyline and characters, but hard to get through due to typos and problems with craft. I give Terror in the Shadows three 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.
