Read & Cook – On the Beach by Nevil Shute and chicken shawarma recipe
Posted: March 11, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Recipes, Review, Robbie Reads and Cooks | Tags: #ReadandCook, #recipe, #RobbieCheadle, Book Review, Chicken Shawarmas, Neville Shute, On the Beach, Read and Cook, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read 54 Comments
Given the current state of affairs in the world, I think now is a good time to share my review of this post and pre-apocalyptic novel.
My review of On the Beach by Nevil Shute
One the Beach is a post-apocalyptic novel set in Australia. The Northern Hemisphere has been completely destroyed by a nuclear war, and the residents of Southern Hemisphere are waiting for the inevitable arrival of deadly radiation. The story is set in Australia during the heat of the summer, and all of the characters are struggling to come to grips with their situations as short-term survivors of the war and the awful knowledge of their impending deaths from radiation as the nuclear fallout travels steadily southwards.
Lieutenant Commander Peter Holmes of the Royal Australian Navy is given a new and welcome assignment during this period of waiting for the inevitable deaths of himself and his family. He is appointed as the liaison officer to the American submarine, the U.S.S. Scorpion, commanded by Dwight Towers from New England in the U.S.A. The Scorpion had been near Australian waters when the global conflict erupted, and Towers and his men are now stranded with no country or homes to return to. There is an immediate contrast between the two men, Holmes and Towers, as Holmes still has his home, his wife and his baby daughter while Towers knows his home and family are gone. Towers, however, has retreated into fantasy of a sort where he still thinks of his wife and children as being alive and well and waiting for his return home even though he knows they are dead. It is incredibly moving and makes Towers’ loss that much more tragic and poignant.
Towers’ submarine has been placed under Australian command and Holmes is tasked with inspecting the Scorpion and briefing Towers about their orders to set out northwards in search of surviving life. This mission gives Holmes a small glimmer of hope that all might not be lost. In an attempt to distract Towers from his unhappy situation, Holmes extends an invitation for Towers to visit his home in Falmouth and enjoy the beach and time with Holmes’ family and friends. Towers accepts and during the visit is introduced to Moira Davidson, a beautiful and engaging young lady who has turned to alcohol and partying for solace.
The story involves three primary threads, namely, the journey of the submarine and its findings, a light romance of a sort between Moira and Towers, and the preparations by the Australian characters for their eventual deaths from radiation.
This story was an exceptionally intense and sad read for me as the characters are all such decent and ordinary people. The beach setting and sunny days at the beginning of the story combined with the forced merrymaking and pleasure taking of Holmes group of acquaintances slowly gives way to the cold and bleakness of winter and the acceptance by the various characters of their deaths. Many choose to end their lives with a pill provided by the Government for this purpose prior to succumbing to the radiation poisoning. There is no happy ending to this story and that is what’s so striking and awful about this story. There is no hope for survival for anyone right from the beginning. This is one of the few books I’ve read in my life that has made me cry.
The standout theme for me of this novel is finding meaning and purpose in the face of certain death. All of the characters in On the Beach exist in a strange period of time between the ending of the Northern Hemisphere through nuclear war and the ending of their own existence when the radioactive fallout reaches them, a period of approximately six months. The novel delves into the reactions of different people to an uncontrollable situation that can only end in death and demonstrates how some people can rise above despair and self-pity and make the most of the time they have left. Some characters turn to perpetual drunkenness or reckless car racing, but many resolve to carry on to the end with dignity and continue to do their duty. For Holmes, his duty includes continuing with his navel duties even though they ultimately become irrelevant. His wife continues to care for their baby daughter and run her home as if nothing could ever harm them.
This book was written at the height of the Cold War when the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in ideological rivalry and a nuclear arms race. On the Beach reflects the fears of the period about a potential nuclear war and the destructive potential of atomic bombs.
Quotes from On the Beach
“It’s not the end of the world at all,” he said. “It’s only the end of us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan’t be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us.” Dwight Towers raised his head. “I suppose that’s right. There didn’t seem to be much wrong with Cairns, or Port Moresby either.” He paused, thinking of the flowering trees that he had seen on shore through the periscope, cascaras and flame trees, the palms standing in the sunlight. “Maybe we’ve been too silly to deserve a world like this,” he said. The scientist said, “That’s absolutely and precisely right.” There didn’t seem to be much more to say upon that subject, so they went up on to the bridge for a smoke, in the sunlight and fresh air.”
“Mary looked at her gratefully. “Well, that’s what I think. I mean, I couldn’t bear to—to just stop doing things and do nothing. You might as well die now and get it over.” Moira nodded. “If what they say is right, we’re none of us going to have time to do all that we planned to do. But we can keep on doing it as long as we can.”
“Two days later they reached Port Darwin and lay in the harbour beneath the town. Here they could see nothing but the wharf, the roof of Government House, and a bit of the Darwin Hotel. Fishing boats lay at anchor and they cruised around these, hailing, and examining them through the periscope. They learned nothing, save for the inference that when the end had come the people had died tidily. “It’s what animals do,” John Osborne said. “Creep away into holes to die. They’re probably all in bed.” “That’s enough about that,” the captain said. “It’s true,” the scientist remarked. “Okay, it’s true. Now let’s not talk about it any more.” The report certainly was going to be a difficult one to write.”
Purchase On the Beach from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Nevil-Shute/dp/0307473996
Recipe for chicken shawarmas
Marinade
15 ml garlic flakes
15 ml ground coriander
15 ml cardamon
5 ml ground cayenne pepper
20 ml ground paprika
10 ml chicken stock powder
black pepper to taste
10 ml lemon juice
45 ml olive oil
Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add 8 cubed skinless chicken breasts, cover, and leave to marinade for at least three hours. Overnight is best.
Cook the chicken pieces in a wok or frying pan until they are cooked through.
Yoghurt sauce
250 ml double thick Greek yoghurt
10 ml garlic flakes
5 ml cumin
2,5 ml lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Slice5 or 6 flatbreads in half. Slice tomato, red onion, cheese, and lettuce.
Assemble your shawarmas by adding a layer of lettuce, tomato, cheese, red onion, and chicken and topping it all with the yoghurt sauce.
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog https://wordpress.com/home/robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and their themed anthologies.
Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy: 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.
Curses: Chronicles of Darkness:
There are all types of curses.
Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.
Curses that last throughout time. Curses which can’t be broken. Curses which are brought upon ourselves. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.
Legends: Monsters That Go Bump in the Night: Coming in 2026
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Lindsey’s Writing Practice: Out-of-this-world Writing Exercise
Posted: March 4, 2026 Filed under: Fiction, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Writing | Tags: Lindsay Martin-Bowen, Lindsey's Writing Practice, writing exercise, Writing to be Read 14 Comments
COFFEE, TEA, or TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER
About a month ago, an interesting piece landed in my online mailbox.
A writer named Alle posted “tips for writing emotionally heavy scenes.” It went like this:
Alle sez:
1. Make a cup of tea while you don’t think about the work. Let images, phrases, feelings
float under you and through you.
2. Take a heartening sniff of the freshly brewed tea. Sip and savor. This moment is for you.
3. To your writing space.
4. Sit comfortably. Feet flat on the ground.
5. Write relentlessly. Write-write-write and don’t stop.
6. Check your feet. Still flat?
7. Write som’ more.
When you feel you have a first draft, lean back to enjoy many more sips.
Although I’m sure Alle’s suggestions will help many writers—and dear readers, please use them if you believe they’ll kick-start your work. (And please share with me if those hints do.)
Nevertheless, every writer is different. This technique would not work for me—not for an “emotionally heavy scene.” That tea would likely send me back to bed. (Perhaps I might dream about an emotionally heavy scene, but when I awoke, I’d likely forget it.)
So what are my suggestions for penning a heavy emotional scene?
Drink coffee. Lots of it. At least, as much as you’ll require to get your pulse flowing with the heat of that “emotionally heavy scene.” I am serious here. I admit, my coffee leans more toward cafe au lait (half-coffee, half-milk). Plus, I add a bit of hot water, just so I don’t become too jittery. But I need a drink that helps me soar with those emotions I attempt to capture on the page. Especially when they contain dialogue—or spats between lovers or siblings. Or between enemies. I mean, c’on: tea for emotion? (Perhaps that works if one is wearing a kimono and performing The Mikado. But I’ll never sing opera—no matter how hard I try.) In short, I must get down and dirty with only coffee.
And then, here’s an exercise that might work well for we coffee-drinkers. Not only would it be emotional, but it might also keep us from floating too far from the earth:
First, select one of your favorite songs—with or without lyrics—and play it on whatever device works for you. Savor it while you sip that coffee, then
—Imagine you meet an alien whose world is identical to yours—EXCEPT it consists of NO MUSIC. While you sip away and savor the music, write what you would tell the alien about music. (And note—trying to describe this to a being from a planet where music does not exist will likely become a highly emotional scene, correct?) How will that alien respond?
—So, explore your thoughts and feelings about music.
—Consider what OTHERS might feel and think.
—What do you know about music anyway? How would you explain it?
—What do you observe about yourself when you listen to it?
—Do you experience an overwhelming feeling that the music creates?
—Are you able to connect what you already know and feel to something you are experiencing and observing while you listen to the music?
—Are you able to predict how the alien will respond, how he or she would feel?
REMEMBER: Writing is discovering.
Finally, after undergoing this writing exercise, consider what new observations, discoveries, relations to what you knew about music before this exercise. Have you experienced any new connections to understanding your relationship with music and expressing it to some being who had never experienced it?
And please remember to have fun with this. I did.
About Lindsey Martin-Bowen
On Halloween 2023, redbat books released Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s 7th poetry collection, CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison. Her 4th collection, Where Water Meets the Rock, was nominated for a Pulitzer; her 3rd, CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison was a finalist in the QuillsEdge Press 2015-2016 Contest. In 2017, it won the Kansas Writers Assn award, “Looks Like a Million.” Writer’s Digest gave her “Vegetable Linguistics” an Honorable Mention in its 85th Annual (2017) Contest. Her Inside Virgil’s Garage (Chatter House Press 2013) was a runner-up in the 2015 Nelson Poetry Book Award. McClatchy Newspapers named her Standing on the Edge of the World (Woodley Press/Washburn University) was one of the Ten Top Poetry Books of 2008. It was nominated for a Pen Award.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This post 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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WordCrafter News: March Release – “The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions” and the 2026 Read an Ebook Week
Posted: February 23, 2026 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Release, Book Sales, Books, Fiction, Kickstarter, romance, Science Fiction, Smashwords, Time travel, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Tags: 2026 Read an Ebook Week, Book Blog Tours, Book Release, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kickstarter, Kickstarter campaign, Smashwords Sale, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, Time Travel Adventure Series, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read 1 Comment
March Release
After many delays, the long-awaited release of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions will finally arrive on March 24, 2026. I’m going all out to launch this book with both a Kickstarter and a blog tour, run simultaneously. It’s such a wild and fun story, I’m really hoping to see it do well. The Kickstarter campaign will run March 1 through 28 and the tour will run March 23-27.
About The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions
In 1887, LeRoy is stuck, bringing trouble down on those around him. Sissy is kidnapped and he’s the only one who can save her.
She wakes up in 2030, in a future very different to the one she knows, one in which she may not have been born. Amaryllis will stop at nothing to find LeRoy fix what she messed up in the past.
She and a version of Monique which is different from the one she grew up with travel back to 1887 to try and make things right.
Add two time travel regulators from the future who are after the time module, and things begin to get wild.
When the time loops are crossed, things change, but not the way Amaryllis intended and pretty soon, everybody is seeing doubles.
Purchase Link:
The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions Kickstarter Campaign
It’s almost here! The Kickstarter campaign for The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions starts Sunday, March 1. The campaign goal is $500 and we’ve got lots of rewards and several tier levels to choose from. Of course, you can get early digital copies and signed print copies of the second book in my Time Travel Adventure series at considerably less than offered through distributors when the book comes out on March 24th. Book 1 will also be available for less than retail as an add on, as well as several digital books from my catalog. But the really fun stuff is the Time Travel Adventure Series Poster and the Rock Star & The Outlaw Goodie Bag, offered at the highest tier level. But you don’t need to spend a lot to show your support, with the lowest tier level is only $5.00 and add ons are as low as $2 each.
Backing a Kickstarter campaign is a great way to show support for your favorite authors, because it’s similar to direct selling, cutting out retailers, and allowing the author to keep more of the profit from their book. You can back the Kickstarter by picking a reward tier and making a pledge. Only after the campaign funds, do you owe the money pledged, and if it doesn’t fund, you don’t owe a thing. And, if the campaign does fund, you’ll get all the cool items included in your reward tier, plus any add ons that you chose.
By clicking on the link below and indicating your interest, you will be notified as soon as the campaign goes live on March 1, so you can back the project at the reward level of your choice. Digital rewards will be fulfilled immediately after the Kickstarter campaign ends, and tangible rewards will be delivered by the end of May. Your support is appreciated. Together we can make The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions a huge success.
The WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter Double Visions Book Blog Tour will add the final send off for The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions at the end of the Kickstarter campaign, March 23-27. Meet my main p.o.v. characters and learn about the writing of the series in my guest posts, hear excerpt readings from the book, check out the reviews, and catch my review with DL Mullen on Undawnted. Of course, we’ll have a giveaway, three digital copies and one signed print copy.
Looking for Reviewers
I am looking for dependable reviewers to post reviews of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions, (ideally, on the day of release to push the book up in the ratings). Reviews can be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and even on your own blog. If you send me a copy or a link before the blog tour starts, I can include them on the tour, as well. If you are interested, let me know in the comments and I’ll send you a digital copy for review.
2026 Read an Ebook Week on Smashwords
March 1 – 7 is the 2026 Read an Ebook Week on Smashwords. Select WordCrafter Press books will be discounted 25% – 75%, with many WP titles offered for free, only on the Smashwords Store. Below you’ll see a list of WP titles and their discounted prices. But, hurry! The sale lasts only one week. That’s one week to get these great WordCrafter Press titles at these great discounted rates.
- Behind Closed Doors: A Collection of Unusual Poems, by Robbie Cheadle – $2.99 (25%)
- Feral Tenderness: Poetry and Photography, by Arthur Rosch – $2.99 (25%)
- Shadow Blade, by Chris Barili – $5.54 (25%)
- Baiting the Hook, by Chris Barili – Free
- Hidden Secrets, by Kaye Lynne Booth – $1.99 (75%)
- Last Call and Other Short Fiction, by Kaye Lynne Booth – Free
- Small Wonders: Reflective Poems, by Kaye Lynne Booth – .99 (75%)
Women in the West Adventure Series, by Kaye Lynne Booth
- Delilah – $2.49 (50%)
- Sarah – $3.49 (50%)
Narrating the Paranormal Anthology Series
- Whispers of the Past – Free
- Spirits of the West – Free
- Where Spirits Linger – Free
- Lingering Spirit Whispers set – $3.49
Ask the Authors Writing Reference Series
- Ask the Authors – Free
- Ask the Authors 2022 – Free
Poetry Treasures Series
- Poetry Treasures – .99 (75%)
- Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships – .99 (75%)
- Poetry Treasures 3: Passions – $1.99 (50%)
- Poetry Treasures 4: In Touch with Nature – $1.99 (50%)
- Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures – $2.99 (25%)
The Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series
- Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Tales – $1.74 (75%)
- Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow – $3.49 (50%)
- Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares – $5.24 (25%)
Themed Anthologies
- Curses: Chronicles of Darkness – $2.99 (25%)
- Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy – $2.99 (25%)
- Once Upon an Ever After – $2.99 (25% off)
- Visions – $3.74 (25% off)
- Refracted Reflections – $2.99 (25% off)
About 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; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
________________________________
This post 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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A Birthday Wish in 2026
Posted: February 20, 2026 Filed under: Book Release, Books, Fiction, Kickstarter, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, Kickstarter, My Birthday, The Rockstar & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions, Writing to be Read 6 CommentsMy birthday is March 3! And this year, I have a birthday wish that you can help to fulfill.
After two long years of waiting, the second book in my Time Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions is finally ready to release. I’m doing the launch for this one a little different and run the book blog tour simultaneously with a Kickstarter campaign. Buying through the Kickstarter is better, because you can get digital copies much cheaper than you can through retailers, or exclusive items, like signed print copies and merchandise that isn’t available anywhere else. And, when you buy through the Kickstarter, I get to keep more money from the sale than I do when they sell through retailers. My funding goal is $500, but I wouldn’t cry if we exceeded that by far.
I haven’t run a Kickstarter in a couple of years, so it feels good to get back in the saddle. It is wonderful to watch those pledges rise, and there is nothing like the feeling of success once your campaign funds.
So, that’s my birthday wish; to successfully fund The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions Kickstarter campaign. And while I doubt that it will fund in only two days, (it would be nice, but doubtful), if it funds before the end of the campaign, on March 28th, I will still consider my birthday wish fulfilled. You can help give me my birthday wish by clicking on the link below and indicating your interest. Once I have at least ten followers, my following will be shown publicly. All you are doing now is expressing interest. Then, you will be notified when the campaign launches on March 1, and you can show your support at the reward level of your choice.
You can back the project for as little as $5, and every little bit counts when the pledges are building. You don’t need to pay your pledge until after the campaign ends, and if it doesn’t fund, you owe nothing. But my wish is that the campaign funds and maybe even exceeds the goal, which is why I’m asking for your support.
Won’t you please help give this old gal the best birthday ever?
About The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions
If you read the first book, you may not need any coaxing to buy Book 2. But in case you haven’t, let me tell you a little about The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions. This is a ‘gotta have it’ time travel story; a truly wild and crazy ride.
In 1887, LeRoy is stuck, bringing trouble down on those around him. Sissy is kidnapped and he’s the only one who can save her.
She wakes up in 2030, in a future very different to the one she knows, one in which she may not have been born. Amaryllis will stop at nothing to find LeRoy fix what she messed up in the past.
She and a version of Monique which is different from the one she grew up with travel back to 1887 to try and make things right.
Add two time travel regulators from the future who are after the time module, and things begin to get wild.
When the time loops are crossed, things change, but not the way Amaryllis intended and pretty soon, everybody is seeing doubles.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
___________________________________________
Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
_________________________________________
This post is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
When a Woman with a Guitar Meets a Cowboy with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel
The Rock Star & The Outlaw: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1/
The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles: Coming in March 2026
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Book Review: “Wild Seduction”
Posted: February 13, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Review, romance, Western, western romance | Tags: Amber Everly, Book Reveiw, Kaye Lynne Booth, western romance, Wild Seduction, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About Wild Seduction
Dr. Rowan Ashford is an elite equine trauma surgeon—precise, ambitious, and on the run from a career-ending crisis. Her task is simple: travel to the snowy isolation of Montana, save a prize stud named Legacy, and earn enough to wipe out a crushing, $500,000 debt. The only thing standing between her and financial freedom is Jake Wild, a formidable, stone-cold rancher whose only priority is the bottom line—the crippling ledger of Wild Acres.
Haunted by his father’s legacy of failure, Jake views Rowan as a temporary, high-cost asset. He’s determined to keep the brilliant, fiery surgeon who saved his horse at arm’s length, fearing that any emotional attachment will lead to the ultimate loss. But when a brutal winter blizzard traps them alone in the isolated ranch house, the fight for survival quickly ignites a desperate, undeniable passion.
Under the pressure of a life-or-death rescue, Jake’s stoic shell shatters, revealing the vulnerable man beneath. Rowan forces him to choose: cling to the past and the fear of commitment, or embrace a future where their passion is matched by a powerful, multi-million dollar partnership. The seduction of Wild Acres is fierce, but the vow they make in the firelight is forever.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Seduction-Amber-Everly-ebook/dp/B0FWV7DNMY
My Review of Wild Seduction
I received a free digital copy of Wild Seduction, by Amber Everly, from the review program on Sandra’s Book Club in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because I liked the cover. The cover image and the title told me the story would be western romance, which is right up my alley. Although I’m not a big romance reader, in 2018, I was a judge for the Western Writers of America Spur awards and romance was my category, so I can honestly say I’ve read a lot of western romance.
Luke Wild is a traditional rancher, who values the old ways handed down by his father. He bears the weight of his father’s legacy, but feels inadequate to carry it on, especially when the ranch is failing and on the verge of going under. Rowan is the headstrong veterinarian who can save his prize horse and the ranch with all her modern medicine and equipment, if he’ll give her control to do so. Two strong willed characters, they go head-to-head in the struggle to save the horse and accept each other for their strengths.
In Wild Seduction, Everly follows classic romance story structure, for the most part, and romance tropes, making this book 1 in the series. She veers from the standard his view/her view with alternating chapters by adding more than main two P.O.V. characters, Luke and Rowan, including brief chapter viewpoints of brothers Nick and Mike , and that of foreman Pete. We don’t hear a lot from these other characters, and I found it kind of distracting, as I couldn’t see the author’s purpose in including them. If they were being introduced because their stories will be told in subsequent books in the series, they did not feel important enough here, I felt like they were just there to make the reader aware of the characters, but that could have been accomplished through the viewpoint of Luke, and not felt out of place. That being said, I felt the alternating chapters worked well to let the story unfold.
I had some difficulty relating to the characters for a couple of different reasons. One, I am not familiar with the ranching world or the veterinary world, but Everly did a great job of introducing me to these other areas and educating me in an unobtrusive way. But also, these character’s insight is way too clear to be believable. Luke knows he’s his own greatest obstacle because of his feelings of obligation to tradition and his father’s ways. Rowan knows the faults that are holding her back, giving both of them clear choices to make. But I find most people are not that honest with themselves and must struggle to identify and admit what’s blocking them before they can deal with it, and I don’t see that happening with either of these characters. Usually everyone around can see the trouble before the main character does. But these two know who they are and what they want quite clearly, leaving the path to creating a romance with their opposites on a straight path with few surprises.
A classic western romance with a good volley between character point of views. I give Wild Seduction four quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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LINDSEY’S WRITING PRACTICE: Book Review
Posted: February 4, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Review, Short Fiction, Stories | Tags: Book Reveiw, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Midnight Garden, Writing to be Read 3 CommentsAnthology Review: MIDNIGHT GARDEN: Where Dark Tales Grow
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology
Readers who relish dark tales will love this collection of numerous stories that often blend humorous word play to add levity to some very dark situations. For example, this second anthology in the Midnight Anthology Series, MIDNIGHT GARDEN, opens with award-winning author Paul Kane’s “Drip Feed.” The story incorporates light-hearted word-play into a grim setting–the polar opposite of the romantic backdrop in Kane’s “The White Lady,” from the 2023 MIDNIGHT ROOST collection.
In fact, this dark tale unsettled my psyche so much, I almost refused to comment upon it until after I read it a second time. Then, I focused upon its metaphoric interpretation,which is quite valid, especially considering our current world situation. And like many stories in this group, this one reveals some strong feminist themes. Thus, I now urge readers to “hang in there” while they peruse this midnight story.
Likewise, Ell Rodman’s “The Drummer,” set four hundred years ago in “Cull County.”
(yes—look up the noun definition for “cull” to glean this story’s underlying interpretation), projects both in-depth—but frightening images. (Note it ends in a fiery place where the Drummer ”wore fitted black robes, bearing a massive wooden hammer and a dark shield.”) Along with incorporating history into this piece, Rodman’s detailed descriptions of the environment keep readers traveling a mysterious path to the tale’s conclusion.
Also suspenseful but not as grim,, DL Mullan’s “Kurst,” is one of my favorites in this collection. Set in Salt Pines, a village in Arizona, “between dreamy pine peaks and unfathomable horrors,” the story opens when Karen Kurst leaves her editing job to checkout the “Kurst inheritance” on the Toronto National Forest’s eastern edge. After she encounters Sheriff “Bear” Barrett, who offers her background about her inheritance and eading materials, this story takes readers on a wild—frightening—but fulfilling “ride.”
Another favorite, Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s “Amahle’s Demon” reveals how little we often understand about our fellow creatures, which can result in heartbreaking ends. One of six elephants comprising a “sanctuary herd” recently moved to “another kraal near the visitors’ centre, ready for the afternoon tour.” Unfortunately, a much smaller creature—and a human’s ignorance led to an ending that evoked my tears.
Denise Aparo’s “Jack Moon and the Vanishing Book” (also a favorite tale) takes readers on a magical adventure of the mind—or perhaps into a different dimension via a “much sought-after Vanishing Book that steals souls.” While enjoying this other worldly piece, readers may decide whether it’s an earthly adventure or a magical one while enjoying the ride.
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As I mentioned in my review of Midnight Roost, I’m mostly a rom-com fan, and Jon Shannon’s “Stitch” could fall into that category. But with a warning: Yes, it’s a romantic story about the characters Andy, a taxidermist and his wife, Julie, a superb seamstress, and the unusual creations they build together, which many of their colleagues consider bizarre. This tale comes with a warning, too: Its ironic humor is quite dark—and leads to a surprise “tongue-in-cheek” ending.
Julie Jones’s “Black Moon” serves as an allegory much like stories from ancient Greece. In fact, it brings to mind C.S. Lewis’s novel, Till We Have Faces, based upon Greek mythological characters.
In contrast, “Antepenultimate,” Molly Ertel ‘s first person narrative, initially evokes chuckles at the narrator’s obsession with the ticking of an antique “KIT-Cat Klock” that began “talking” to her until the narrator became obsessed with an internal urge that leads her down a terrible—and terrifying path.
Similarly, Kaye Lynne Booth’s first -person narrator in “The Puppet Men,” another of my favorites, awakens in a pitch-black room, where she encounters “A thin sliver of light coming in under the door” that clued [her] “memory” to recount she was sleeping in a dark room in her grandmothers house. There, she also hears “high-pitched , twittering, kind of chirpy” voices coming from her grandmother’s felt puppet collection. As an adult, she remains obsessed with those voices she found so threatening that she puts off back surgery to avoid the anesthetic, which she fears will bring the “evil puppets” back into her life.
In a similar vein, Alex Constance’s “The Peddler,” another “dark” tale, serves as an allegory about the downfalls of greed. And Constance’s description of the peddler, “Ichabod” reminded me of Disney’s Ichabod Crane in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” especially in Disney’s cartoon version of that tale.
Although Danacka Scrimshaw’s “The Fae Game” at first appears to be a much “lighter: tale than most of those in this collection, the “flip” at its conclusion inspires in the reader feelings that are quite eerie.,
Prolific author Joseph Carrabis penned five stories in this collection, each with merit:
—“Striders,” with a “just desserts” ending, this sci-fi piece gives another nod to feminism
—“Grande Ture,” a short, intense tale that creates a strong statement about AI.
—“The Last Drop,” which illustrates ignorance and bigotry often leads to the opposite of bliss.
—And what I consider Carrabis’s literary masterpiece in this collection,“The Tomb,” a deep tale centering around a blind man who undergoes an operation to retain his sight. Although its plot varies significantly from the Val Kilmer 1999 film, At First Sight. (based upon a true case study by Dr. Oliver Sacks), it shares one of the movie’s sequence of events that creates the stories’ themes about the protagonist: being blind, undergoing an operation that gives him sight, then becoming disoriented when adapting to a visual world—and realizing he had more “sight” in his physical blindness. (Carrabis’s tale contains more “dark” physical drama in its conclusion.)
Aptly scribed with engaging (albeit sometimes weird) characters, all stories in this collection entice readers via their talented, skilled authors. And even if a story is terribly dark, most readers would likely concur it ends with characters reaping well-deserved fates—or “poetic justice,” such as those in Robbie White’s“Fire Sale at the Burdock Family Business” and Zack Ellafy’s “Self-Mutiny,”with its “poetic justice” ending. Indeed, even a narrator reaps his “just dessert in Paul Martz’s “The Blackest Ink.”
And for this well-written collection’s finale, the 2024 Wordcrafter Dark Fiction Contest winner, an engaging but eerie saga,‘The Seagull Man,” by M.J. Mallon unfolds with a detailed description of that bird-like man, who wears grey and white clothes and strolls regularly to the shore with a flock of seagulls circling him along the way. In contrast, “[t]he inhabitants of Cave Birdie knew of the Seagull Man’s reputation, his legend, and avoided contact with him.”
As the tale progresses, the reader learns why his neighbors avoid him—and most likely shares their reaction until the story unfolds in an unanticipated manner—a story that might be defined as a fantastical, especially for this reviewer who’s partial to Rom-Coms, including the eerie ones.
About Lindsey Martin-Bowen
On Halloween 2023, redbat books released Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s 7th poetry collection, CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison. Her 4 th collection, Where Water Meets the Rock, was nominated for a Pulitzer; her 3rd, CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison was a finalist in the QuillsEdge Press 2015-2016 Contest. In 2017, it won the Kansas Writers Assn award, “Looks Like a Million.” Writer’s Digest gave her “Vegetable Linguistics” an Honorable Mention in its 85th Annual (2017) Contest. Her Inside Virgil’s Garage (Chatter House Press 2013) was a runner-up in the 2015 Nelson Poetry Book Award. McClatchy Newspapers named her Standing on the Edge of the World (Woodley Press/Washburn University) was one of the Ten Top Poetry Books of 2008. It was nominated for a Pen Award.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Lindsey’s Writing Practice” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and 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. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3
Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
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WordCrafter News: February – Writing Month: “The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions”
Posted: January 26, 2026 Filed under: Book Promotion, Books, Fiction, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: First in Series Promotion, The Rock Star & the Outlaw, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Double Visions, Time Travel Adventure Series, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentIf you follow Writing to be Read, then you know that I was a big NaNoWriMo participant each November for several years now. I found that it offered an opportunity to get a good start on a novel in a thirty-day period, and I enjoyed the more structured writing regime, although I don’t think I could keep it up over a longer period. It is just too rigorous.
But in November of 2025, there was no more NaNoWriMo, and so, I had to decide how to proceed, since I had the month set aside to start writing the third book in my Women in the West adventure series, Marta. The solution I came up with was to run the challenge for myself. I didn’t have the fifty thousand words by November first, but I was very close. I crossed that threshold on December 3. Not too bad.
Doing it on my own, proved that I didn’t need a fancy digital counter to keep track of my progress, or fancy digital badges to tell me I was doing good. It proved that I had the discipline to get the words to page and determination to follow through. 50,000 words is a good start on a novel and Marta is now at over 55,000. But doing it on my own also taught me that I like cranking out novels in this manner. So much so, that in my 2026 production schedule, I’ve set aside two months to be writing months, and February is one of them.
For this February, my focus will actually be on putting the finishing touches on The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions, the second book in my time travel adventure series. This book was originally scheduled to release in 2025, and the story is written. Computer issues prevented me to complete it on time, so I’m really happy to finally be able to set it up for publishing. I will be doing a final read through and edit, adding the extensive playlist for the second book (with more viewpoint characters in this book, there are more than two playlists for this one), and do all the formatting to make it publishing ready.
Perhaps I should call this a production month, rather than a writing month, since my focus will be on publishing preparations and promotion. Whatever I call it, there is no doubt I’ll be busy. I’m planning to launch Double Visions with the usual blog tour, but I’m going to do it during the additional Kickstarter campaign for the book, so the two will run simultaneously. There will plenty to do to set all of that up, I assure you. There are blog posts to write, excerpt readings and book trailers to create, and rewards to set-up, as well as organizing tour hosts and soliciting reviews.
About 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; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This post 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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Book Review: “Hummingbird Moonrise”
Posted: January 23, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Review | Tags: Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fiction, Hummingbird Moonlight, Magic, mystery, Sheri L. Dodd, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout Hummingbird Moonrise
The past two years have taken their toll on Arista Kelly. Once an eternal optimist, now she has faced the darkness and must recalibrate what true happiness means for her. Meanwhile, Shane, her ex-boyfriend, is pulling all the right moves to help keep her sane from her heightening paranoia. But it doesn’t help that Iris, her Great Aunt Bethie’s friend, has disappeared.
Still, one additional trial remains. While searching for Iris, Bethie and Arista stumble upon a grand revelation in the eccentric woman’s home. With the discovery, they realize their run of chaos and loss of kin may have roots in a curse that dates back to the 1940s—the time when their family patriarch first built Arista’s cottage in the redwoods and crafted his insightful Ouija table.
This pursuit will not follow their accustomed recipe of adrenalized action, but the high stakes remain. Will the mysterious slow burn of unfolding events finally level Arista’s entire world or be fully extinguished, once and for all?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-Moonrise-Paranormal-Mystery-Crystals-ebook/dp/B0FB5QV948
My Review of Hummingbird Moonrise
I received a free digital copy of Hummingbird Moonlight, by Sherri L. Dodd from the review program of Sandra’s Book Club in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because of the title. It’s common knowledge that I love hummingbirds, and I couldn’t resist a story with hummingbirds in the title.
I had trouble keeping the characters straight due to so many of the character names beginning with the same letter or being very similar. We’ve got a Matty, a Manny, a Maddie, a Mike and a Mateo. Also, an Arista, an Auntie, and an Alicia. To make matters worse, Auntie is also the character of Bethie, but I was almost halfway through the book before I figured that out.
This is book 3 in the series, so that may well have had something to do with my confusion. The author does not re-introduce characters in this book for those who haven’t read the first two books. Nor are referrals to events that happened in the first to books recapped so that readers coming in late in the series have no reference. I was way past the middle of the book before I knew why I was seeing the actions of Mike and his sister, Katie and the strange little girl, while I’m sure someone who had read previous books would have understood and been able to easily follow. There are referrals to earlier events, but they are not explained well.
If you don’t mind just going along for the ride and feeling a little clueless, this is a fine story of magic and mayhem. An ancient family curse and a reversal curse have led to doom for two families. Our characters are the last souls surviving in their family lines and their survival lies in the outcome. Arista and Aunt Bethie are the last of the Kelly clan, and Iris may be the last survivor of the clan casting the original curse on their brood. However, Iris may have risen from the dead and also, she may be possessed by Fergus, whom she killed and fed to the pigs. (I guess I’m still a bit confused.)
Curses, spells, potions, gwishins, and spirit possessions. This story has all the elements of a magical mystery adventure, if you can keep everybody straight, but I do not recommend it as a standalone. I give Hummingbird Moonrise three quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Day 4 of the WordCrafter “The Ones Who Stayed With Me” Book Blog Tour
Posted: January 15, 2026 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Memoir, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Excerpt Reading, Memoir, Nurse Sammy, The Ones Who Stayed With Me, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 3 Comments
You can join us over at Book Places for Day 4 of the WordCrafter The Ones Who Stayed With Me Book Blog Tour, where Nurse Sammy offers one last chapter excerpt reading. (Then tomorrow, we’ll wrap up with an interview and a couple reviews, right here on Writing to be Read.) I do hope you’ll join us.
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Read and Cook – Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and Sally Lunn Teacakes
Posted: January 14, 2026 Filed under: Book Review, Fiction, Recipes, Review, Robbie Reads and Cooks | Tags: #ReadandCook, #RobbieCheadle, Baking, BookReview, Kenneth Grahame, Sally Lunn Teacake, Wind in the Willows 16 CommentsWind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Introduction
The Wind in the Willows is a charming tale that centres around four animals living in an idyllic English setting. The descriptions of the English countryside are delightful, and the book embodies the best of English country life.
The story commences with the mole experiencing a sudden desire to have an adventure and experience life outside of his underground home. He is busy doing his spring cleaning, but he follows the urge to throw down his paint brush and dig upwards and outwards. He comes out in a beautiful spring meadow. Seeing the river for the first time, he goes down to see it and meets the Water Rat. The two animals strike up a conversation and the Water Rat offers to take Mole on a picnic along the riverbank. During the picnic, Rat tells Mole about all the characters who live around the riverbank including Mr Toad, an impetuous creature who inherited wealth from his father and indulges himself in a variety of obsessive behaviours, the hermit-like Badger who lives in the Wild Wood, and Otter. On the way back to Rat’s den after the picnic, Mole seizes the oars from Rat and tries to row. He overturns the boat and nearly drowns. He is pulled out by the Rat who proceeds to rescue all his belongings and his boat from the water. The Mole is overcome by remorse at his rash action that caused the Rat so much trouble. Mole ends up spending the night at the Rat’s den and the pair become friends.
A few days later, Rat takes Mole to visit Mr Toad, a landed gentleman who lives in the best house in the area, Toad Hall. This visit results in the friends going off in a caravan with Toad who has a desire for adventure and to see the larger country. This adventure ends with Toad learning about motor cars and declaring that he shall have one. Mole and Rat return to Rat’s den and Mole ends up staying, time passes, and winter comes.
Rat has told Mole all about Mr Badger, a kindly creature who lives in the Wild Wood, a scary place where the river animals do not often go. Mole is curious about Badger who is a recluse and rarely undertakes social activities. One winter’s day while Rat is sleeping in his armchair in front of the fire, Mole sets off on his own to find Badger. This unfortunate decision nearly ends badly for Mole and the brave Rat, who comes to find his friend when he discovers he is missing. Good fortune, however, has the pair stumbling across the home of Badger and they are saved. Mole also gets his wish of meeting Badger. During their time at Badger’s home, the subject of Toad comes up and the reader learns that Toad’s obsession with motor vehicles has resulted in him wrecking eight vehicles, ending up in hospital a few times, and getting into trouble with the law because of his reckless behaviour on the roads. Badger decides that the Toad’s three friends, himself, Mole, and Rat, must take Toad in hand in the spring.
This first part of the novel introduces the two main themes of home as a source of strength and the power of nature. The development of the Mole’s character from a timid, nervous, and excitable animal into a brave, dependable, and thoughtful friend. It is only by leaving his home that Mole can learn about the vastness of nature and the joys of companionship and friendship.
The homes of Rat and Badger are integral to their characters and roles in the story. Water Rat and the river are joined together almost as one. Both are calm and poetic but also in constant motion as they follow the tides. Rat is a gregarious creature and accepts the changes to his life brought by the seasons and the river’s reactions to the seasons, with good grace. Rat is as accepting of flooding of his home as he is of newcomers into his life.
The Badger has a vast underground home that suits his slow, lumbering movements and winter hibernation. Badger’s home is his place of sanctuary from society where he can be alone and restore his equilibrium after social interactions.
When the spring comes, Badger makes good on his promise and the trio go to Toad’s house and confront him about his irresponsible behaviour. Toad refuses to listen and promise to amend his behaviour, and so Badger decides to imprison him in his bedroom until he sees reason. Naturally, the deceitful Toad manages to escape. Toad steals a car and gets arrested and thrown in jail for twenty years. The charges are theft, reckless driving, and being disrespectful to the police.
This sets the stage for the second part of the story which revolves around forcing Toad to behave with proper etiquette suited to his station in life. This second section of the book expands on the themes of home as a source of strength and the importance of animal etiquette. Mole learns these lessons quickly while Toad must learn them slowly and because of numerous unfortunate and difficult life lessons.
My thoughts
I loved the beautiful and scenic writing in this book. Nature is a force in this book that the animal characters must pay constant attention to or risk their lives. I liked how nature was so true to life, neither benevolent nor malevolent but rather a condition for existence that must be acknowledged and accommodated.
The scene where Mole and Rat are so in tune with nature, they can hear the music of the Piper while searching for the missing baby otter. The music guides them, and they find Portly and get a glimpse of nature personified as a demi-god. This scene is spiritual and powerful.
This book really spoke to me as it encapsulates everything I value in life: home, nature, and social harmony including consideration and respect for others.
Quotes from this book
“Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.”
“All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered.”
“But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, but can recapture nothing but a dim sense of the beauty in it, the beauty! Till that, too, fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold waking and all its penalties.”
“He saw clearly how plain and simple – how narrow, even – it all was; but clearly, too, how much it all meant to him, and the special value of some such anchorage in one’s existence. He did not at all want to abandon the new life and its splendid spaces, to turn his back on sun and air and all they offered him and creep home and stay there; the upper world was all too strong, it called to him still, even down there, and he knew he must return to the larger stage. But it was good to think he had this to come back to, this place which was all his own, these things which were so glad to see him again and could always be counted upon for the same simple welcome.”
Sally Lunn Teacake recipe
Ingredients ( 1 large teacake or 2 medium teacakes)
360 ml plain or cake flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 grams powdered yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
165 ml milk and water (2/3 milk and 1/3 water)
30 ml (1 Tablespoon) butter
Egg or milk to glaze (I used milk)
Glace icing (I used this recipe for glace icing: https://www.snowflake.co.za/recipes/glace-icing)
Method
Sift the salt and flour into a mixing bowl. Mix the yeast power with the milk and water heated until its tepid (lukewarm – NOT HOT) and the sugar, pour into the flour and combine. Add the melted butter (NOT HOT) and beaten egg and mix to a light, sticky dough. Knead for few minutes. If you are doing the kneading by hand, cover hands with a coating of flour before starting to help prevent sticking. Grease a small cake tin or two smaller cake tins and transfer the dough to the tins. Set in a warm place to rise until the dough has more than doubled in size (I put in in a cool oven – 100 C) for 30 minutes.
Paint the top of the risen dough with warm milk and place in an oven pre-heated to 230 C (450 F) and bake to approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. When cold, cover the teacake with glace icing.
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog https://wordpress.com/home/robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and their themed anthologies.
Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy: 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.
Curses: Chronicles of Darkness:
There are all types of curses.
Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.
Curses that last throughout time. Curses which can’t be broken. Curses which are brought upon ourselves. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.
Legends: Monsters That Go Bump in the Night: Coming in 2026
