Chatting with the Pros: Joseph Carrabis
Posted: November 9, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Chatting with the Pros, Interview, Review | Tags: Audiobook Review, Book Reveiw, Interview, Joseph Carrabis, Tag, Writing to be Read 5 Comments
My guest today on “Chatting with the Pros” is a talented author who I discovered quite by accident when I was reading through the slush pile for the Gilded Glass anthology for Western Colorado University and WordFire Press. As I read, I kept a list of stories which I particularly liked and once the selections for the anthology were made, I sent out invitations to the stories on my list which weren’t chosen, offering them to be featured in WordCrafter anthologies. Joseph took me up on my offer, and his story “Marianne” was featured in the Visions anthology in 2022, and a friendship has formed between us since then. I’ve reviewed several of his books, and his story “Blood Magic” was featured in last year’s Midnight Roost anthology, and this year’s Midnight Garden features five of his tales.
Other Books by Joseph which I’ve reviewed: Search, The Shaman, The Inheritors, Tales Told ‘Round the Celestial Campfire, That Th!nk You Do.
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. You can learn more about him at https://josephcarrabis.com.
Interview
Kaye: When did you first start writing and why?
Joseph: My writing career started when I was less than ten years old and is something I document in both My Sister Got Me Started and Mission of the Heart. Basically, my sister Sandra (seven years my senior) had to read a book for an English class assignment. I don’t know if she was required to read a science-fiction book or not, and the book she chose was James Blish’s Mission to the Heart Stars.
The book so captivated her that she told me about it one evening while we washed dishes after dinner. I didn’t prompt her about it, and that’s important. The book owned her at such a deep level of mind, heart, hope, and soul that she had to share it with me.
I remember the look of wonder and awe in her eyes when she told me about the space ship and the individuals on board, of the alien “Angels”, a race so ancient no other life forms knew of their origin, of the council government at the center of the galaxy (hence “Heart Stars”).
Just remembering her excitement, her joy, her need to let me know about the book, I get chills.
And I decided there and then, a wee child listening to his beloved big sister share the fire a book kindled in her, that I wanted to create that fire in others.
Kaye: Tell us a little about your background?
Joseph: Oy. A little…I’ve been everything from a long-haul trucker to a Chief Research Scientist, from an apprentice butcher to a Annenberg Senior Research Fellow, from a night watchman to an original member of the NYAS-UN Scientists Without Borders program.
How “little” would you like?
My most fun job was as night watchman. I mean, how often do you get paid to watch the night?
Unless you’re an astronomer, of course…
Kaye: Where do you look for inspiration for your stories?
Joseph: Wait a minute. People have to go looking for inspiration? Wow. I didn’t know I was suppose to go looking for it.
Kaye: You write both short fiction and novel length works. Which do you like better? And why?
Joseph: Hmm…Interesting question. Structurally they’re not different (does that raise hackles or eyebrows?). Both require all the story elements, both require a story worth telling and the crafting to tell it well – hopefully I have both and readers are better judges of that than I – perhaps the greatest similarity is both require someone wanting to tell them. Happy to discuss this in more detail, if anyone’s interested.
Kaye: How many book length works do you have out there?
Joseph: Non-fiction – 20+
Fiction – 8 at present, probably 9 when this is published (includes an anthology of previously published work)
Kaye: You have a lot of short stories featured in anthologies, including Visions and the Midnight Anthology Series from WordCrafter Press. In fact, in Midnight Garden, you have not one or two, but five short stories. What is your best advice for an author wishing to get their short fiction into anthologies?
Joseph: Best advice? Write. Write write write write write.
And when you think you’ve written enough, write more. More more more more more.
Second best advice is a toss up. Either learn to read as an author or study. If the latter, study study study study study. And not just writing. Poetry, drama, theater, all creative forms as they feed each other.
Studying and learning to read as an author tend to go hand-in-hand. I believe they feed each other.
And again, happy to discuss if anybody wants to know more.
Kaye: What is Northern Lights Publishing?
Joseph: Ah. Sometimes I wonder…okay, the official line: Northern Lights Publishing/Press is an association of five professionals (one graphic artist, a marketing group, one editor/book designer, one copyeditor, one senior editor) and a rotating group of ten published authors and poets all of whom are passionate readers. Financial backing is provided by a small group of investors led by Susan and Joseph Carrabis through the NextStage Evolution corporation. Everyone receives remuneration and owns an equal share of the company with the exception of Susan and Joseph Carrabis (who receive no compensation or remuneration for their time and efforts).
Kaye: How do you promote your books? Which marketing strategies have you found effective?
Joseph: I promote my books by publishing short stories anywhere and everywhere editors are willing to put them. I see bumps in my book sales every time a story of mine is published. I also regularly publish. Readers like seeing a full bookshelf from an author because they know, if they like the author’s work, there’s more to read from that author. Lastly I do book signings and readings, although the venues for that are becoming increasingly few.
Most effective for me is the latter as I enjoy meeting and talking with people. I love learning people’s stories. Most people who approach me at a signing, reading, discussion, presentation, … want to share what’s going on in their lives, they’re not tremendously interested in mine (I’m boring and dull, did you know?) and I’m happy to listen.
Kaye: What is the most difficult obstacle you have faced as an author? And how have you overcome it? Or have you?
Joseph: Hmm…most difficult obstacle…hmm…Probably myself. Sometimes I get in the way of the work. I’ll want the story to go a certain way or I’ll want the characters to do or act certain ways. That’s my ego getting in the way of the story. I don’t have a place in my stories, my characters do, so even though my work is highly autobiographical, I still need to let the characters, the places, the events, et cetera, indigenous to the story do the work.
How have I overcome it? By listening to my characters, to the places, to the situations, so on and on and on, which populate my stories. They let me know when I’ve gone astray. Fortunately, they’re all quite patient and give me time to come back.
Have I overcome it? Not completely, no. I still have an ego and sometimes it does get in the way. I’m getting better at noticing it, though, and once recognized, I have tools to get things going smoothly once again.
Kaye: Which authors do you emulate, if any?
Joseph: The good ones.
Who are the good ones? Laugh if you will, and Burroughs’ Tarzan and John Carter books are gems of action and pacing. Charles Frazier is a genius at voice, tone, atmosphere, and character. Angela Panayotopulos takes you places, Lidia Yuknavitch brings you places, Laura Koerber is the goddess of urban fantasy/magic realism, Bina Shah does voice and gender better than anybody I know, James Tiptree, Jr (Alice Sheldon) creates an atmosphere and characters you breathe and know or die, Zane Gray does setting and scene better than most, Craig Johnson is a master of plot via character and action via dialogue, Katherine Mansfield is the best at character via setting, … How many would you like and how far back would you like me to go? You can get an idea of what I read and what I think of what I read at Great Opening Lines – and Why! and Why It Works for Me.
Kaye: The characters you create are very human. Do you see parts of yourself in your characters?
Joseph: I’ve repeatedly shared that I write autobiography. I’m in all my characters. The nice ones, the not-nice ones, the men and women, the animals and aliens.
Kaye: Of those you have written, book length or short fiction, what is your favorite story? And why?
Joseph: Of those I’ve written? You mean which child is my favorite? No comment.
Kaye: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Joseph: That’s a tough one because nobody ever gave me the writing advice I give (such as I did above). They may have said the words – for example, “Read, read, read!” and “Write, write, write!” – but nobody ever explained how to read and how/what to write. I read everything I could find (still do) but I only learned how to read as an author in my…oh, I don’t know…mid- to late-forties? Reading as an author radically changed my taste in reading material because I refuse to read poor writing. Somebody asked me what my favorite genre is and I replied, “Well written. Unfortunately not a lot of authors are doing it these days.” I don’t care how many awards something’s got or where it is on bestseller lists (for the record, my work’s received some awards, nominations, recommendations, and been on some bestseller lists). The former are often either political or purchased, the latter are almost always purchased. Nor do I accept market forces. People dying on a desert will eat sand because they don’t know any better, and so long as readers are happy reading what they’re reading, excellent! Wish I could be like them. I’m sure I was, and that’s the price of awareness and enlightenment. You can’t become unaware and unenlightened. A sommalier may be gracious and drink a 6$US bottle of wine with some friends, and they won’t go out and get a 6$US bottle for themselves.
Kaye: Thank you for being my guest today, Joseph. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you. Before we go tell us where readers can go to find out more about you and your books?
Joseph: I’m on Amazon, folks can read my blog, I’m on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and some other social networks. Google “Joseph Carrabis” and let me know what comes up.
About Tag
A severed witch’s hand changes the face of Eastern Europe forever.
Eric and Julia seek tree grafts on the outskirts of their medieval eastern European village as a summer storm gathers. Sullya, a witch hiding among the trees, grabs Julia. Eric swings his axe and severs Sullya’s hand from her arm. The witch seeks refuge in the deep bole of an old oak. Her hand falls onto the same oak and crawls up the trunk to join her.
Eric wants to flee but Julia, believing they’re safe thanks to the now heavy rain, torments the witch. Sullya curses them, their families, their crops, their livestock, and their village.
Soon crops wilt, livestock die, and much of village falls ill. The village priest, Father Baillot, seems ignorant of church ways and proves ineffective against the curse.
The village elders seek help elsewhere, specifically from a distant priest, Father Patreo, who knows the Old Ways as well as the New. Patreo is out of favor with the Church because he makes no effort to hide his belief that progress comes from exploring all paths, not just those the Church decrees acceptable.
He and Verduan, one of the village elders, investigate and encounter witchcraft, devil worship, murder, a coup d’etat, and the clashing of three great cultures. What they discover changes the face of Eastern Europe forever.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Tag-First-Verduan-Patreo-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0D7SRWB81/
My Review of Tag
(This review appeared first in Wilderness House Literary Review: https://www.whlreview.com/no-19.3/review/KayeLynneBooth.pdf)
I received a digital copy of Tag, by Joseph Carrabis in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. The short fiction story which this novel springs from, “Blood Magic” is featured in the WordCrafter dark fiction anthology, Midnight Roost (2023). I loved that story when I compiled the anthology and so, was thrilled to learn there was more to it than just that short tale. But even if I had no prior knowledge of Carrabis’ vast talent, I would have been drawn to this book by the eye-catching cover. ( This review appeared first in Wilderness House Review).
Tag is a medieval mystery filled with more plot twists and turns than a Stephen King tale, with unique and well-developed characters and descriptions that let readers see every detail vividly. Carrabis is a master storyteller and his talent shines brightly with this novel, enlisting all the senses to bring his scenes to life with his detailed descriptions with the skill of Anne Rice.
There are strange happenings in the village of Nant. Unknown strangers lurk in the shadows, no one is who they appear to be, and everybody seems to have secrets and hidden motives. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, something happens to make you realize that you’ve got it all wrong. Some say the village is cursed. Missing and murdered maidens, poisoned waters and dying crops, murders and betrayals. And it all began with a witch in a tree and a curse…. Or… did it?
Tag is a captivating story that will enthrall readers from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down. A delightfully dark tale. I give it five quills.
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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.
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Book Review: “The Rebound Effect”
Posted: November 8, 2024 Filed under: Audio Books, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Review, romance | Tags: Audiobook Review, Book Review, Catherine Hein Carter, Linda Griffin, mystery, romance, The Rebound Effect, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
About The Rebound Effect
In the small town of Cougar, struggling single mother and veterinary assistant Teresa Lansing is still bruised from a failed relationship when Frank McAllister sweeps her off her feet.
Frank is a big-city SWAT officer who moved to Cougar only four months ago. He’s handsome, charming, forceful, very sexy, and a bit mysterious. He had his eye on Teresa even before they met and is pushing for a serious relationship right away.
Teresa finds his intense courtship flattering, and the sex is fabulous, but she doesn’t want her deaf six-year-old son to be hurt again. Her former fiancé cheated on her when he got drunk after being unjustly fired, but he loves her and her son, and the whirlwind romance is complicated by his efforts to win Teresa back.
And then there’s the matter of the bodies buried at Big Devil Creek…
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Rebound-Effect/dp/B0DHLWSYRW
My Review
I received a free audiobook of “The Rebound Effect” from author, Linda Griffin, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Narrated by Catherine Hein Carter, I felt the narration was well done, although I could tell she was reading in some places. This story had a female protagonist, so I didn’t have the same reservations about the female narrator as I did in my review of Love, Death, and the Art of Cooking. With The Rebound Effect, I found the narration went much better from the female protagonist, Theresa’s perspective, and Carter was a much better fit in my opinion.
Theresa is a single mom, divorced from her deaf son’s father, and she’s on the rebound from Bret, who wasn’t faithful in the relationship she had with him, which hurt her deeply. She focuses her life on her son, Aiden, and tries to make herself believe that is all she needs. She’s hesitant to enter into yet another relationship with when Frank comes along, intent on sweeping her off her feet.
I found Frank to not be very likeble. I felt that he is pushy and controlling, and I had a hard time rooting for the two characters to get together because he is so arrogant. It made it hard to think that he would be a good match for Theresa. He keeps telling her that they will go as fast or slow as she wants, but then just keeps coming even when she repeatedly tells him to slow down, and ignores when she says his buying an item is too much and buys the item anyway. That doesn’t show the respect for her which he claims he has. Obviously, this really bothered me with this story. But then, I thought I was reading a romance and this turned out to be so much more.
As it turns out, we have more of a love triangle situation, where Theresa is faced with a choice between two men, Frank and her ex-boyfriend, Bret, who won’t give up after his single indescretionary act of infidelity broke Theresa’s heart. I do wish we could have gotten to know Bret a little better. Most of the focus was on Frank, because Theresa has cut Bret out of her life without giving him a chance to redeem himself until well into the story.
This book has a crime fiction subplot, as the bodies of young girls are found in the opening scene and other girls go missing throughout, with these scenarios playing through Theresa’s head throughout the story, adding a sense of mystery to the story. While I thought all along that eventually the mystery would be solved, I didn’t realize what a vital part it would play in the end. (No spoilers.) Even with all the clues we’re given, the real hero was a surprise to me, and in the end, I was quite satisfied as a reader.
Not what I expected, but it held my interest and wrapped things up nicely in the end. I give The Rebound Effect four quills.
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Everyone is a Critic: Anacondas
Posted: October 31, 2024 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Film Review, Horror, Movies, Review | Tags: Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Anacondas: Trail of Blood, Everyone is a Critic, horror, Kaye Lynne Booth, Movie Review, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
Anaconda: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is predictable, following all the horror tropes, but it’s done well and I found it quite entertaining, with plenty of action. This movie is a stand alone sequel to the original Anaconda (1997) movie.
Bill Johnson is the boat captain, played by Johnny Messner, leading a group of scientists including Sam Rogers, played by KaDee Strickland, Dr. Jack Byron, played by Matthew Marsden, Dr. Ben Douglas, played by Nicholas Gonzalez, Intern Cole Burris, played by Eugene Byrd, and Gail Stern, played by Salli Richardson-Whitfield into the jungles of Borneo. In search the mythical black orchid, which can supposedly grant eternal life, which can only be accessed every seven years.
This film has all the elements you’d expect to find in a horror flick, including the greedy scientist who will go to any length to retrieve the precious flower, which is worth millions, who bribes the captain to take them into dangerous territory to save time. When their boat goes over a waterfall, the scientists land right in the middle of the territory where massive anacondas have been feeding on the legendary orchids for years, proving that the mythical powers of the flower are true, and they quickly find themselves fighting for their lives amoung the monstrous snakes.
I thought that surely the teeth in the enormous snakes’ mouths, were just special effects to make our monster snakes look more fierce, but nope. I looked it up and anacondas actually do have rows of razor sharp hook-like teeth, used to help secure their prey while they wrap around them before the squeeze, and also to guide the prey down the snake’s throat pushing it back. Exposing this fact elevates these snakes, in my mind, from slightly fakey special effects to truly scary monsters which our expedition members will have to be strong and cunning to overcome.
Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009)
Anacondas: Trail of Blood is the forth movie in this franchise and a sequel to the third. There wasn’t as much money thrown at this msde for television movie as there was thrown into the first two cinematic movies and it shows.
In this movie, a genetically created baby anaconda is experimented on, cut in half and injected with a serum made from the blood orchid, cultivated by a scientist, who is killed by the snake he has created in the opeining scene. The serum not only has properties of longetivity, but also those of regeneration, creating a monster snake which is almost impossible to kill. Much of the action is running through the jungle to escape the monstrous beast.
The snake, itself is more fakey looking than the monster snakes seen in previous movies in the franchise, looking to me, as if it were made of cheap plastic.
Also, I felt this movie had too many players to keep track of. We have a member of a science team, Amanda Hayes, played by Crystal Allen, who is out to stop the dastardly plan of their employer, Murdough, played by John Ryes-Davies, to harvest and create the serum for his own selfish purposes, and she aims to keep him from getting his hands on the research. It is her goal to destroy everything to do with the serum, as she sees the evil purposes the serum could be used for. She initially arrives with two cops, and a lone teen hiker joins their ranks.
Then we have a group of archelogists intent on excavating a recently discovered dig in the area and a group of mercenaries hired by Murdough to retrieve the serum and the research and eliminate Amanda. Quite frankly, the snake didn’t seem to care which group its victims were from, as a side effect of the serum is apparently an insatiable appetite and fierce aggressiveness. There are so many characters that I found it difficult to relate to any single one. Without some type of connection to make me care about these characters, I wasn’t as invested in the outcome as I might have been.
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About Kaye Lynne Booth
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Everyone is a Critic: The Woman in Black
Posted: October 31, 2024 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Film Review, Ghost Stories, Horror, Movies | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Ghost Stories, Gothic Horror, Kaye Lynne Booth, Movie Review, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
The 2012 film The Woman in Black is the second adaption of a 1983 novel of the same title, by Susan Hill. This gothic supernatural horror is the best recent example I have seen of a good, old-fashioned ghost story.
In 1906, Attorney Arthur Kipps, played by Daniel Radcliffe, is called to the village of Crythin Gifford to collect the papers of the deceased owner of a place called Eel Marsh House, located on the other sid eof the marsh from the village. He recieves a strange reception from the villagers, and the village attorney is downright hostile, but Arthur is deteremined to see his task through.
During his stay at Eel Marsh House, strange things happen: unusual noises, a bolted door, toys that wind up on their own, a rocking chair that rocks by itself, and a woman dressed in black out on the marsh, as he uncovers the truth of local legend of a vengeful spirit which plagues the village, preying on their children for many decades. All who see her lose a child. He finds himself on a new mission, to reunite mother and child, in order to save his own son, who is enroute to join him.
The house has a really spooky feel, set in the foggy marsh which is only accessible during certain times of day due to periodical flooding by the tide. And the lady in black gives off a truly menacing feeling, as we learn how she lures the village children to their deaths.
While formulaic, as most horror films are, this was is very well-executed to make the beats fit together seamlessly as the story unfolds. It has a good plot with just enough special effects to make it believable and draw you into the story, and a surprising ending that isn’t what you’d expect. (No spoilers here.) There are still those scenes where you feel that the character is making the stupidest choice possible, because any sane person would turn tail and run, but if the characters didn’t do dumb things, there would be no story. But they managed to tell this story without all the blood and gore, which I found refreshing. Overall, I truly enjoyed this suspenseful gothic horror story. It’s been a while since I watched a movie which kept me on the edge of my seat.
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About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, her the first three books in her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends, her poetry collection, Small Wonders, and her writer’s resource, The D.I.Y. Author. 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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Everyone is a Crtic: The Mummy (2017)
Posted: October 31, 2024 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Everyone is a Critic, Film Review, Horror, Movies, Review | Tags: Action, Everyone is a Critic, horror, Movie Review, The Mummy (2017), Writing to be Read Leave a comment
I’m always leary of remakes, especially of first movies which I really enjoyed. Such was the case with 2017 remake of The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise, Russell Crow and Annabelle Wallace. I loved the original 1999 take on this story, with Brandon Frasier and Rachel Weisz. As with any remake, it is impossible for me to judge the newer version without referring back to the original, especially if they are similar. So, let me just say right now that I didn’t find the humor of the first movie, which I enjoyed, in the 2017 remake, and although the stories are somewhat similar in that they both unearth a mummy and unleash a curse on mankind which must be stopped, the two are really nothing alike.
A cross between Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Mission Impossible, the 2017 movie is pretty much non-stop action. From tomb raiding to underwater adventures, Tom Cruise’s character, Nick Morton, doesn’t get a moments rest and the character of Jenny Hasley, played by Anabelle Wallace, is the classic damsel in distress. There are even parts where you have to question who the good guys really are, and nothing is clear cut.
What is an Egyptian princess doing buried in the middle of the Middle Eastern dessert, entombed for thousands of years? And what happens when her resting place is discovered and her slumber disturbed? The special effects are superb and the mummy, played by Sophia Boutella, is wicked. Imotep has got nothing on Princess Ahmanet as she unleashes her rage on the city of London. Apparently, Egyptian princesses awaken in a really bad mood.
The 2017 version of The Mummy is a great action movie with enough horror blended in to bring a mythological monster to life once more. I really enjoyed watching this film.
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About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. 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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Chatting with New Blood: D. Cowart
Posted: October 26, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with New Blood, Historical Fiction, Historical Inspiration, Interview, Review | Tags: Chatting with New Blood, D.Cowart, Elkabel, Historic Fiction, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
My guest today is author D. Cowart, who has recently released her second novel, Elkabel: A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten.
About D. Cowart
D Cowart, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, began her writing journey as a young girl. She’s written poetry, children’s stories, songs, song lyrics, a short story, and family skits. A Prison of Silk is her first novel. It’s a story of subjugation in ancient times when girls and their mothers were controlled and owned by men.
Males in other countries today still have rights denied to females. One’s gender reigning supreme over the other is unjustifiable in any era. The premise of this book came to her over thirty years ago. A Bible passage she read showing the low value placed on women infuriated her when she read it.
The author’s stories are character and plot-driven with a new slant on old ideas.
Interview
Kaye: Would you begin by telling us about your author journey? How long have you been writing? What inspires you to write?
D. Cowart: I’ve been a storyteller since childhood. Once I terrified my cousins with a ghost story I told them. They had trouble sleeping that night. Since then, I veered from scary tales forever. 
Through the years I created many, many children’s stories but never tried publishing. I’ve written poems, song lyrics, two songs with tunes, a short story, many articles on topics of interest to me, and a couple of skits for my grandkids to act out.
Kaye: Elkabel is actually your second novel. This one and your first, A Prison in Silk, both take place during the same time period, when women weren’t valued very much. Can you tell us about what inspired you to write these stories?
D. Cowart: I was a third daughter to parents who wanted a boy. Before I was 2 years old, they had a son! I saw the privileges afforded a male child that females had to work for. The time period of the Bible shows beyond question the way women were devalued. The injustices of then and since inspired me to write A PRISON OF SILK.
Kaye: Where do you find information about the time period of these books? What type of research do you do?
D. Cowart: Historical articles of all kinds, even the Bible. If I have any questions, and I always do, I spend as much time as it takes to get a better understanding of that topic even if it’s to write a short sentence. Research keeps me interested and sort of focused as I write my book. This time period has interested me for as long as I can remember and it’s an enjoyable part of my writing process.
Kaye: Is there a third book planned at this time?
D. Cowart: Yes. The third one picks up where the first book ended. I’m excited about the character in this book and his journey.
Kaye: You write historical fiction. Who would you say is your favorite historical character?
D. Cowart: In a broader sense my books are historical fantasy. In my first book, the king is a combination of Alexander the Great, King Solomon, and King Nebuchadnezzar. Even Hannibal with his use of elephants in war.
Kaye: What author or poet (dead or alive) would you most like meet and visit with?
D. Cowart: So many come to mind that I’ll pass on this question.
Kaye: What other outlets do you find for your creativity besides writing?
D. Cowart: I’ve had many hobbies, refinishing furniture was one (loved seeing the wood shine through layers of gunk). I did genealogy work long before it was available online, and dabbled with drawing and acrylic painting. I also sang in a community chorus and loved to line dance.
Kaye: What traits in your main characters do you most identify with?
D. Cowart: I think when you don’t have a lot of support growing up, you have to be resourceful, even brave, and you become stronger in the process because you must.
Kaye: What is the best piece of writing advice that you have ever received?
D. Cowart: When I decided to write a novel, I tapped into wonderful help online. Author Jerry Jenkins’ articles and tips guided me when I first began and countless others since. I guess the thing I want most to achieve is writing a strong beginning, a strong middle, and a strong ending for my stories.
Kaye: Where do you hope to see yourself as a writer in ten years?
D. Cowart: At my age, I just hope to be alive in ten years.
About the Book
In an ancient world when females had little to no power, fifteen-year-old Elkabel becomes an orphan. Family, friends, and all other inhabitants of her province have been slaughtered. She survives only because Medeba, an enemy soldier, defied the royal command and saved her.
Elkabel’s resilience and resourceful attributes take her from one strange life to another. She experiences customs, places, and people a farm girl never knew existed. Never belonging, uprooted again and again, she struggles to make a life of her own.
Will the constant challenges make or break her? And how will helping her change the young soldier’s fate? Don’t miss reading ELKABEL, A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten, a fast paced and unpredictable story of survival.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Elkabel-D-Cowart-ebook/dp/B0DCM145MQ
My Review
I did a final proofread of the manuscript for Elkabel, A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten, by D. Cowart and immediately knew that I wanted to write this review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This story has all the elements of a tragic romance. In the aftermath of a raid to wipe out their people, with orders to spare no one, Medeba finds a young girl, still alive amoung the carnage and can’t bring himself to end her life, although it could mean his own life, should his disobedience be discovered. That girl was Elkabel, and although circumstances rake them both in very different directions, the bond between them remains and can’t be denied.
Elkabel faces trials that make her stronger, while Medeba abandons the only life he knows to find the girl he saved and loves, even before his feelings are realized in his own mind. But it seems fate is determined to keep them apart, as each makes their own way through the world and carries them away from each other.
The descriptive language Cowart uses places the reader in the times and settings of the story, where one can’t help but root for the lovers unrecognized to find one another and allow their love to be realized. Her research and knowledge of the times is evident in every scene.
This historic fantasy is delightful and entertaining, and you won’t want to put it down once you pick it up. I give Elkabel five quills.
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This post is sponsored by the Women in the West adventure series and WordCrafter Press.
Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1
Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West
Marta: Coming Soon
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Book Review: The Theory of Anything
Posted: October 25, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Review, Writing | Tags: Book Reveiw, Greg Hickey, psychologicl thrillers, The Theory of Anything, Writing to be Read 4 CommentsAbout The Theory of Anything
A brilliant professor. A shocking murder.
When Dr. David Solon walked out of the coffee shop on the afternoon of May 3, 2011, he didn’t expect to foil an attempted robbery in a nearby alley. He didn’t expect to recognize the would-be perpetrator of the crime. And he didn’t expect to shoot that man to death.
An hour earlier, he was sharing a breakthrough mathematical discovery with a colleague. A day earlier, he was unraveling a puzzle with implications for the events that shape our lives. And a week earlier, he was falling asleep beside his beloved wife of twenty-two years.
After a year of frustrated effort, a horrific tragedy sparks David’s incredible discovery about mathematical randomness. Still reeling from this crime, he latches onto a theory that will reshape his field and change the way everyone thinks about mathematics, physics, history and basic laws of cause-and-effect.
Told in reverse, The Theory of Anything is an intellectual crime novel that takes readers back through the previous seven days to uncover the crime and subsequent events—random or predetermined—that will define David’s mathematical career and ruin his life.
A unique short crime novel that explores the mysteries of love, loss and mathematics, in addition to a senseless murder, The Theory of Anything follows one man’s harrowing journey through grief and discovery. It’s the perfect book for fans of Memento and A Beautiful Mind.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Anything-Greg-Hickey-ebook/dp/B087F5R75G/
My Review
I received a free copy of The Theory of Everything through a newsletter offering. All opinions stated here are my own.
The Theory of Everything is a short psychological crime novel about a man out for vigilante justice after his wife was murdered. In the description, the author notes the unusual style of story telling, beginning at the end and going backwards to the event that sent him on his quest for vengence, but I found it to be rather off putting and confusing. Also, I did not feel as if anything was resolved at the end, probably because this brief tale is a part of a larger picture and he wants readers to seek out the next book, but it left me very unsatisfied.
The story begins with the main character, a brilliant scientist who loves mathematical theory, stalking a man and moves backwards through the previous days to explain why he is stalking the man who murdered his wife and show how his loss has affected him. At the end of the book we know the why of things, but we don’t know if he is successful in his quest. Does he kill the perpetrator? Does he get away with it? Or perhaps the police are secretly watching and take him down before he reaches his goal? The author leaves us wondering.
This tale was okay, but felt incomplete to me. I give The Theory of Anything 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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Book Review: Wild Blackberries
Posted: October 18, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Paranormal, Review | Tags: Book Review, Lorrie Unties-Struiff, Wild Blackberries, Writing to be Read Leave a commentMy Review
I purchased a digital copy of Wild Blackberries, by Lorrie Unites- Struiff, on Freebooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.
Wild Blackberries is a short paranormal story about a woman kidnapped by her ex-husband and she survives in an unexpected way. It is very brief. So short, in fact, that I was unable to find it on Amazon for a cover image or description. It was an interesting tale, but it didn’t really grab me. For a short read, while waiting in the doctor’s office or maybe on a break at work, I give it four quills.
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Chatting with the Pros: Jenifer Ruff
Posted: October 12, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with the Pros, Fiction, Interview, Review | Tags: Book Review, Chatting with the Pros, Interview, Jenifer Ruff, Kaye Lynne Booth, The Bad Neighbor, The Victoria HEslin Thriller Series, Writing to be Read 8 CommentsMy “Chatting with the Pros” guest for October is crime fiction author Jenifer Ruff. She was a guest back when
I first ran the blog series, and I am delighted to have her back for the renewel of the series. (You can see our original interview here.) I am a big fan of her Agent Victoria Heslin Series and I’ve also read the first book in her FBI & CDC series. (You’ll find the links to those reviews in the interview below.)
About Jenifer Ruff
USA TODAY bestselling author Jenifer Ruff writes dark and twisty thrillers, including the award-winning Agent Victoria Thriller Series. Jenifer lives in North Carolina and the mountains of Virginia with her family and a pack of greyhounds. If she’s not writing, she’s probably devouring books or out exploring trails with her dogs. For more information you can visit her website at Jenruff.com or join her at Facebook at facebook.com/authorjruff/
Interview
Kaye: Your books are published under Greyt Companion Press, which is your independent press. Why did you choose to publish independently? Did you try traditional publishing first?
Jenifer: Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing at first. I didn’t look for an agent, I just started with a small publisher a friend had used. They were great, and it didn’t cost me a penny, but I soon realized I wanted more control over my books. Over the past few years, working full-time as an author and publisher, my writing opportunities grew to a bit more than I could handle alone. Now I have a literary agent who is helping me with some traditional opportunities, foreign rights, and sub rights.
Kaye: As an independent author, can you tell us about your author journey and how you became a U.S.A. Today bestselling author?
Jenifer: Since my first book was published almost ten years ago, I’ve written and published sixteen more books, learned as much as I could about the craft of writing, publishing, and book marketing. I love all of it, and with the industry and tools constantly changing, it’s impossible to ever get bored.
Kaye: I have to say I love your Victoria Heslin thriller series, and I’ve read and reviewed all but two of them. But that series isn’t the only one you write. You also write the FBI & CDC series, and the Brook Walton series. Can you talk a little about each series, so readers might get an idea of each one?
Jenifer: First, thank you so much for reading and reviewing my books. I’m so grateful! Here is a little about each series. All of my books are dark and twisty, but clean (no sex, no swearing.)
The Agent Victoria Thriller Series – The Numbers Killer, Pretty Little Girls, When They Find Us, Ripple of Doubt, The Groom Went Missing, Vanished on Vacation, The Atonement Murders, The Ones They Buried, The Bad Neighbor
Victoria is an introverted special agent with the FBI. She is also an heiress, which allows her to pursue her passion of rescuing animals. She is smart, determined, selfless, and courageous. Victoria’s investigations include tracking serial killers, spree killers, and several missing person cases. She also survived a plane crash and its harrowing aftermath, an incident that made global headlines as rescuers struggled to find the missing jet.
The Brooke Walton Series – Everett, Rothaker, The Intern
This dark psychological thriller series features Brooke Walton, an Ivy League psychopath, on her journey through college and medical school. Brooke is the most determined woman ever. She won’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of her goals. Her stories give you a chilling look inside her mind. Brooke is my favorite creation. Readers either love her, want to see her locked up for life, or can’t quite decide.
The FBI & CDC Thriller Series – Only Wrong Once, Only One Cure, and Only One Wave: The Tsunami Effect
This series features infectious disease expert Dr. Madeline Hamilton and FBI Anti-Terror Agent Quinn Traynor. They’ve dedicated their lives to preventing epidemics and terrorism. I’ve placed them in terrifying situations, forcing them to risk their own lives again and again to protect the rest of us.
Kaye: Most stories are not non-stop action. What are some tips you can offer rising authors for keeping the tension going and holding readers’ interest?
Jenifer: If you’re bored with what you’ve written, readers probably will be too, so scrap the bits that don’t excite you. Always have a central question that needs answering (Who did it? What is the motive? What is the connection?) to keep readers turning the pages.
Kaye: There is some of you in the character of Victoria Heslin, for sure. For one thing, she has a bunch of greyhounds, and you do, as well. Although I don’t think you have as many as she does. What other aspects of Jenifer Ruff went into the creation of Victoria Heslin?
Jenifer: Besides her love for animals, Victoria is an introvert. She’s not shy, but the act of socializing drains her energy, while quiet activities and alone time fill her up – and that is totally me. In most of the Victoria books she picks up a mystery-thriller to read on her Kindle when she has downtime. That’s something I do every day.
Kaye: A current hot topic in the writing and publishing worlds is the use of generative AI in writing and imagery, and even AI narration for audiobooks. Where do you stand on the use of AI?
Jenifer: I think AI is amazing, and I’d prefer it not get any better at writing or narration for the sake of everyone currently making a living in those occupations! I don’t think it could ever push authors and audio book narrators out of the market completely, since so much of a book’s success is related to marketing efforts, and of course luck. But who knows. It’s exciting and also scary.
Kaye: What is the best advice you have for aspiring authors of Crime Fiction?
Jenifer: Read as much as you can in the genre. If you simply enjoy writing and are happy to see your book in print, there are many stress-free ways to accomplish that goal. If sales are important, you must be on social media promoting your books, constantly making an effort to reach new readers. There’s really no way around that these days, unless you have an amazing publishing team doing it for you.
Kaye: Would you like to tell us about your latest book?
Jenifer: The Bad Neighbor is book 9 in my Victoria series but written as a standalone like the rest of them. I just finished proofing the audiobook—narrator Kate Handford just blew me away with her recording—and it’s fresh in my mind. Writing villains is my absolute favorite, getting into their heads and creating their motives, and this one was especially interesting to me. Here’s a taste of what it’s about.
In the idyllic Mountain Meadows neighborhood, a fresh start can quickly become a fatal ending.
For newcomers Chris and Zoey Hamilton, the affluent community seems like the perfect location to build a life together. Instead, history repeats itself when Zoey vanishes without a trace—just like the previous homeowner five years ago.
The secrets in Mountain Meadows run deep, and the greatest threats aren’t lurking in the shadows…they’re hosting dinner parties, attending parent-teacher conferences, going to yoga, and waving hello from behind their perfectly trimmed hedges. One of those polite, smiling individuals will stop at nothing to keep the past buried.
Kaye: Where can interested readers find out more about you and your books?
Jenifer: All my books and audiobooks are available on Amazon or through my website Jenruff.com. Print and audiobooks can also be ordered from any major retailer. If my books aren’t in your local library, you can always request them. Libraries are usually very accommodating to requests.
Thank you so much for interviewing me and for your thoughtful questions. I really appreciate it!
My Review of The Bad Neighbor
I received a digital copy of The Bad Neighbor in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
That being said, and as already stated, I am a big fan of Jenifer Ruff’s Agent Victoria Heslin Thriller series, of which this is book 9. Each book tells of a different case or situation in which our protagonist, Victoria Heslin, finds herself in. Usually, it’s an accounting of a case that she’s working as a government agent, but occassionally, as in When They Find Us, Heslin is off duty and the situation occurs in her personal life.
In The Bad Neighbor, Heslin finds trouble brewing right in her own neighborhood when a new neighbor turns up missing, and Victoria and her lover, Ned, join in the search to find her and uncover hidden secrets about her neighbors which make them all look a little guilty. It seems that everyone has something to hide and one of them is a killer.
As all the other books in this series, The Bad Neighbor is well written, masterfully leading the reader through twists and turns which eventually lead to a solution to the mystery. This book is everything that a crime fiction thriller should be and makes one wonder how much we really know about our neighbors, and how much do we really want to know. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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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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My Review of “Tag” in Wilderness House Literary Review
Posted: October 2, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Review Leave a comment
