Welcome to the WordCrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour

Posted: May 6, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Historical Fiction, Kaye Lynne Booth, Sarah, western adventure, Women in History, Women in the West, Women in the West adventure series, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 19 Comments

Welcome to the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, where we’re celebrating the release of Book 2 in my Women in the West adventure series. We’ve got a five day tour planned and at every stop you can learn more about me, the author, and learn interesting historical facts which inspired my settings and characters through an interview, guest posts, and a review or two, and I’ll be giving away three digital copies of Sarah in the giveaway. You can follow the tour through the schedule below, but the links won’t work until each post goes live.

Tour Schedule

Mon. May 6 – “The Soiled Doves of the American West” – Writing to be Read

Tues. May 7 – “Utes in Glenwood Springs & the Legend of Chapita” – Roberta Writes

Wed. May 8 – Interview & Reading – Book Places

Thurs. May 9 – “‘Modern Medicine’ in the American West” – Writing to be Read

Fri. May 10 – Interview & Review – Patty’s Worlds

Giveaway

Leave a comment at each tour stop for five chances to win a free digital copy of Sarah.

The Soiled Doves of the American West

Photograph of the prostitution district of Klondike City. Two rows of cabins with boardwalks on each side and a patch of dirt and weeds running down the middle. Various women can be seen in doorways down the line. — Eric A. Hegg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prostitution_district_of_Klondike_City,*across_the_Klondike_River_from_Dawson,_Yukon_Territory,_ca_1899*(HEGG_320).jpeg

Prostitution in the Old West

In Colorado, the mining town of Cripple Creek had over 300 prostitutes in 1894, and it was home to one of the most high-end brothels in the mining towns of Colorado. The clients were taken by appointment only and were put through a thorough screening process where their finances were scrutinized, as well as their references. Appointments started at $200 an hour and the gentlemen had to have at least a million dollars in the bank to get one. The Old Homestead House brothel was run by the infamous Pearl DeVere and housed five women who squeezed into their corsets, petticoats and fancy dresses every evening to offer their ‘services’ for sale. The girls entertained in luxury on the ground floor, with music provided by the girls, gambling and alcohol available for their enjoyment, but the real entertainment occured on the second floor, in the girl’s rooms.

Although their profession was illegal, authorities and town founders chose to look the other way and add fees, fines and taxes and taxes collected to the town coiffers. Permits were required ply their trade for both madams and doves, and each girl had to undergo a weekly or monthly exam by the town doctor to be cleared for the permit, all of course, at a cost. There was a designated shopping day when the ‘respectable’ ladies stayed indoors so as not to be offended by their presence, and a ‘dove’ caught on the streets on a different day would bring a fine not only upon herself, but upon her madam, as well. And donations made to local causes such as church and school by the madam kept the ‘respectable’ ladies from complaining too much about the very existence of the houses of ill repute.

Less fortunate women in the profession, who did not work in such a high-end establishment were found up and down the street They received less for their services, with small make-shift shacks in which to entertain their customers. Independent doves who had no madam to offer a place to offer their services and provide protection from unsavory types, might provide services in the shadows of an alley for as little as a dollar gold piece.

Meet Big Nose Kate

Big Nose Kate Horony is one of the historical characters which the Women in the West adventure series is known for. In real life, she was an independent prostitute and one-time Madam, who made her own way in the west and was companion to the infamous John Henry “Doc” Holliday, and her portrayal in Sarah, as ‘the woman behind the man’ is a true and accurate story. Kate was there, and she really did go into the hills of the surrounding canyon and gather firewood to sell in order to keep a roof over Doc’s head as he lay dying of tuberculosis, too weak to practice his trade as a gambler.

Head shot of Mary Katherine Horoney - Big Nose Kate — Mary Katherine Horony – Big Nose Kate, Public Domain Image

One of the fascinating things about the Women in the West adventure series is the fact that there is a true-life historical female character in a supporting role, along with the strong female protagonist in each book. In Sarah, the supporting historical character is Mary Katherine Horony, (Big Nose Kate), who was the consort of the infamous dentist, gambler, and gunfighter, John Henry (Doc) Holliday. In this case, our character was the woman behind the man, and is little known for her own merit.

Born Mary Katherine Horoney on November 7, 1850, who lived in Mexico as a child, she was the daughter of a the personal surgeon to the Emporer Maximillian until her family immigrated to Iowa when she was 10. As the daughter of a prominant surgeon, Kate was educated and it is said that she spoke several languages.

At the age of 15, she and her younger siblings were orphaned when both of their parents died within a few months of each other, and the children were split up and placed into foster care. But Kate ran away within a year, and she and her sister traveled to St. Louis and by 1869, in a time when there were few opportunities for females to earn a living. A self-sufficient woman in the rough and tumble of the American west, Kate worked as a dance hall girl, a prostitute, or just about any way she could to make a buck.

In Texas, she crossed paths with John Henry “Doc” Holliday, a dentist turned gambler, who became a notorious gunfighter, and they were traveling companions, on and off, until his dying days. A strong woman with a hot Hungarian temper, she and Doc had their ups and downs as they frequented saloons and gambling houses in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, living a life of vice and liquor. Even so, Kate was always there to back up Doc’s play, even setting a she on fire to distract his guards and breaking him out of house arrest to avaoid a lynch mob, after he stabbed a man who accused him of cheating at cards. It is said that for a time, Kate even had her own bordello in Tombstone, before she reunited with Doc after one of their many seperations.

When Doc was dying in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a friend contacted her and she traveled to Glenwood Springs to care for her destitute lifelong companion, gathering firewood in the nearby hills to cover his room and board when he could no longer support himself. And that is where my fictional character of Sarah, or Hair of Fire, meets Kate in my story, after a harrowing ordeal of survival through the mountains of Colorado.

You can learn more about Kate and Doc in my guest post from the tour for Delilah: Book 1 on Kay Castenada’s Book Places blog site.

References

Brinks, Mellissa. 23 September, 2021. “What Life Was Really Like as an Old West Saloon Girl”. Ranker. https://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-a-wild-west-saloon-girl/melissa-brinks

Whitley, Carla Jean. 10 March 2017. “To Doc From Kate – But Who Was Kate?” Post Independent. https://www.postindependent.com/news/local/to-doc-from-kate/

Hughs, Jessica. 11 September 2022. “10 Authentic Old West Towns”. Uncover Colorado. https://www.uncovercolorado.com/wild-west-towns-in-colorado/

Old Homestead House Museum, Cripple Creek, Colorado,

Bowmaster, Patrick A. “A Fresh Look at ‘Big Nose Kate'”. Tombstone History Archives. http://www.tombstonehistoryarchives.com/a-fresh-look-at-big-nose-kate.html

Van Ostrand, Maggie. 2017. “Katie Elder a.k.a. Big Nose Kate, Her True Story”. Goose Flats Graphics & Publishing. Southern Arizona Guide: https://southernarizonaguide.com/katie-elder-her-true-story-by-maggie-van-ostrand/

Williams, Joseph A. “The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate”. Old West. https://www.oldwest.org/doc-holliday-big-nose-kate/

“Big Nose Kate – Doc Holliday’s Sidekick”. Legends of America. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bignosekate/

28 February 2022. “Couples with History: Glewood Springs Loves Stories”. Glenwood Springs Blog. https://visitglenwood.com/blog/2022/02/couples-with-history-glenwood-springs-love-stories/

“The True Story of Katie Elder”. Notes from the Frontier. https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/the-true-story-of-katie-elder

Book Trailer

Book trailer for Sarah

About the Book

Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.

Sarah is not the young girl who was stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.

When she is stolen away from the life she’s made with the Utes, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.

Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?

Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.

If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West

About the Series

Western town in background. Print copies of Sarah, Delilah and Marta in foreground.
Text: Women in the West Adventure Series

The Women in the West adventure series features strong female protagonists in a setting filled with hardship, which many believed did not fit well with the female constitution. Women on the frontier were few, and most of those were included in a family unit. Single and widowed women did exist on the frontier, as did those whose husbands just never came home for whatever reason, went back to the family unit in most cases. Women who chose to go it alone, defying societal expectations were rare. Those who did, chose a hard life and had to have backbone to survive.

While my protagonists are fictional, they are representative of strong women who did make a way for themselves, out of choice or necessity, and each book introduces a fictionalized version of one such historical female character who plays a supporting role in the story. In Delilah, it was Baby Doe Tabor. In Sarah, it is Big Nose Kate. And Marta will feature Clara Brown.

About the Author

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

That wraps up the first stop on the tour. Thank you all for joining us. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free digital copy of the book. Join us tomorrow over at [ ], where I’ll be guest posting on how the history of the Ute Indians helped me choose my settings.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

“Sarah” is Available for Pre-Order Now

Posted: April 28, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Adventure, Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Historical Fiction, Western, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Big Nose Kate, Historic Fiction, Kaye Lynne Booth, Sarah, western adventure, Women in History, Women in the West, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Press | 8 Comments

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/3RXlRx

Hey Everybody! Sarah, Book 2 in the Women in the West Adventure Series is available for pre-order. It will be released on May 7, 2024, but you can reserve your copy now.

And don’t miss out on the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, May 6-10, starting right here on “Writing to be Read”, where you can learn more about the book and the series. There will be guest posts, interviews with the author, a reading, and a review. You’ll have the opportunity to check out the book trailer for Sarah, engage with the author, and a chance to win a free digital copy of the book.

Book Review: River Bones

Posted: April 19, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review, Suspense | Tags: Book Review, Crime Fiction, Mary Deal, mystery, River Bones, Suspense, Writing to be Read | 10 Comments

About the Book

A serial killer is on the loose in Sacramento River Delta.

When Sara Mason returns to her hometown to start a new life, she learns that a murderer is terrorizing its residents. Despite battling difficult childhood memories, Sara is determined to make peace with her past.

But she soon learns that the elusive psychopath is now stalking her. Sara’s attempt to rebuild her life is hindered even more by the discovery of skeletal remains on her property. As the investigation focuses on several suspects, Sara discovers critical clues and bravely volunteers to be a decoy for the sheriff’s department.

Sara’s destiny has brought her back home, but will her decision lead her down a path lined with danger… and straight into the arms of a madman?

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/River-Bones-Sara-Mason-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B076JDZJ8M/

My Review

The title and cover both drew me to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. River Bones, by Mary Deal is a classic suspense thriller. This book carries a somber tone in setting and eerie feeling of mystery.

How many bones are hidden in the river’s depths? They are the bones of those who have been lost… and sometimes, they are found.

After many years away, the sale of the gaming software she developed sells and Sara returns to her hometown a wealthy woman. But there is a serial killer on the loose, which is unsetling to Sara but even moreso when dead bodies begin to turn up all around her. The human remains found on her property delays her restoration plans with police investigations, and it soon becomes clear that the killer is targeting Sara as his next victim.

Skillfully crafted and completely enthralling. I give River Bones 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.

Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Early Readers #GrowingBookworms #childrensfiction

Posted: April 10, 2024 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Interactive Books | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read | 47 Comments

*Picture caption: Growing Bookworms banner depicting a squirrel drawing in coloured pencil by Robbie Cheadle*

Encouraging children to read is very important. Reading helps children build language skills, learn about the larger world and also, develop empathy and emotional awareness. Parents reading to their children is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

In order to ensure the children are fully engaged in the book and story, it is important to read age appropriate books. If a story is to complex for a child, he/she will not fully engage and will lose interest. If the book is to easy for the child, he/she will not learn anything new and there will be no progression.

This is a summary of the different age groups for children’s books:

Books for toddlers

These books are aimed at children up to approximately 3 years old. They are printed on hard cardboard for durability and usually contain interesting pictures with accompanying words and/or phrases.

Early picture books

The age group for these books is 2 to 5 years old. These books are driven by colourful illustrations and often teach a life lesson about friendship, empathy, and kindness. They help teach children the social skills they need for school. The text is simple but stimulating.

Picture books

Picture books are aimed at children aged between 5 and 8 years old. These books contain a full story, sometimes told in rhyming verse, and contained beautiful pictures and illustrations to maintain interest and aid reading. These books are usually between 600 to 1,000 words in length and often include educational material.

This is the target market for most of my children’s books which are interactive and also include recipes (Sir Chocolate books), activities for children (Sir Chocolate Highdays and Holidays books series) and wildlife facts, photographs and wildlife videos (Southern African Safari Adventures Books).

Picture caption: Banner including a picture of Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet and including the covers of the first six books in the Sir Chocolate books series

*Picture caption: An introductory limerick to Amahle, the pregnant giraffe from Neema the Misfit Giraffe.*

First chapter books and graphic novels

These books are aimed at children who have learned to read on their own. They are usually between 3,000 and 5,000 words in length and contain a more complex story line. While these books still contain illustrations, there is more text than pictures in the book. The storylines often still adhere to the concepts of acceptance, friendship, and sharing. These books can also expand into more complex areas such as nature conservation and exploration.

Michael and my book, Haunted Halloween Holiday, fits into this category. This story’s primary messaging is around acceptance and diversity. The family unit around which the story revolves comprises of Count Sugular, a vampire, Witch Honey, their baby, Baby Howler, who is a banshee, and Skelly, Count Sugular’s brother who is a skeleton.

I created a short YT video story called Haunted Halloween Safari which uses some of the characters from Haunted Halloween Holiday and gives an idea of writing and creative level of this type of book.

Next month, I’ll be chatting about middle grade and graphic novels as well as young adult novels and graphic novels.

About Robbie Cheadle

Photo of Robbie Cheadle standing in front of trees.

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

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Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.

Writer’s Corner: A Look at AI Narrations for Audiobooks

Posted: April 1, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: AI Technology, Audio Books, Fiction, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: AI Audiobook, AI Technology, Delilah, Hidden Secrets, The Rock Star & the Outlaw, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

Caracature of a woman typing on a keyboard at a very messy desk. Text: Writer's Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

Three of my books are now available in AI narrated audiobooks: The Rock Star & The Outlaw, Delilah and Hidden Secrets. I’ve been wanting to get into audiobooks for some time now, but narrators are expensive. Their time is worth it and I don’t begrudge them that, but the hourly rates for narration are high enough to keep audiobooks out of reach for me. But the rapid rise and availability of AI narration has made having my books available in audio a possibility, and I’m really excited about it.

I’ve heard the argument that AI narration is taking work away from human narrators, but in this case, it just isn’t true. I would not have hired a human narrator instead, so I don’t see the harm in utilizing these tools which are now available to me.

I’d love to hear what you think about these AI narrated audiobooks or your thoughts on AI narration, in general. I’ve included my summaries of both experiences here and you can click on the links to hear a preview of each one. If you are feeling generous, you can buy a book while you are there.

Apple Books

I uploaded The Rock Star & The Outlaw to Apple Books through D2D, using the manuscript I uploaded for ebook. They offered four or five narrative voices to choose from. The quality of the narration is acceptable, but they offered no way to preview the content, and did not provide an audio file that could be used on other sites. It also took almost two weeks from the time of upload to publication. Keep in mind that I am not publishing direct through Apple Books, but going through D2D. Perhaps publishing direct, the process might be faster and preview might be available through their author dashboard.

Google Play

I uploaded The Rock Star & The Outlaw, Delilah and Hidden Secrets on Google Play using the same digital epub files uploaded for ebooks. They have a wide selection of narrative voices to choose from. Through Google Play, I was offered a chance to preview the recordings and their dashboard offers the opportunity to edit the text if necessary without changing the digital ebook file. They took a few days from upload to publication, but I was also going through the account approval process at the same time, which may have slowed the process.

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About Kaye Lynne Booth

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

WordCrafter News: Celebrate National Poetry Month with WordCrafter Press & Approaching Short Fiction Deadline

Posted: March 25, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Book Sales, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Poetry, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: National Poetry Month, Poetry, Short Fiction Contest, Submission Deadline, WordCrafter 2024 Short Fiction Contest, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | 10 Comments

Celebrating National Poetry Month

WordCrafter is celebrating National Poetry Month with discounted poetry books and the release of Poetry Treasures 4: Natural World.

Discounted Poetry Books

All WordCrafter Press poetry collections and anthologies will be only $2.99 each through the month of April. This includes:

Poetry Treasures – https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships – https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions – https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR
Behind Closed Doors, by Robbie Cheadle – https://books2read.com/BehindClosedDoorsCheadle
Feral Tenderness, by Arthur Rosch – https://books2read.com/FeralTenderness
Small Wonders, by Kaye Lynne Booth – https://books2read.com/SmallWonders

Poetry Treasures 4: The Natural World

I’m pleased to announce that Poetry Treasures 4: Natural World will be released in April. Featuring the poetry of Andrew McDowell, Robbie Cheadle, Patricia Furstenberg, Marsha Meara, Luanne Castle, D.L. Finn, Emily Gmitter, Kaye Lynne Booth, Selma Martin, Meril D. Smith, Frank Prem, and Colleen Chesebro. We are shooting for April 8th for this one, but stay tuned, as I’ll be posting an updates with more information on its release.

Short Fiction Contest Deadline

Just a reminder: The deadline for the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest is April 30. So get those dark fiction stories in before it is too late. It’s only $5 to enter. Winner guaranteed inclusion in the WordCrafter 2024 Short Fiction Anthology, as yet untitled. You can find submission guidelines and fee entry portal here: https://writingtoberead.com/2024/01/01/call-for-submissions/

Book with futuristic sci. fi. feel - (elevator and gears)
Text: Dark Fiction, Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

My Interview with Sean Taylor on Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action

Posted: March 19, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Fiction, Interview, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: Author Interview, Bad Girls Good Guys and Two-Fisted Action, Kaye Lynne Booth, Sean Taylor | 1 Comment

I just came across this interview I did back in January with Sean Taylor for Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action. I’m proud of this one, so I hope you’ll check it out.

https://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2024/01/kaye-lynne-booth-who-almost-wasnt.html

Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Northtown Angelus” Book Blog Tour

Posted: March 14, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Giveaways, Hard-Boiled Crime Fiction, Review, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: Books, Crime Fiction, Hard-boiled fiction, Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates, Robert White, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 8 Comments

This is the last day of the WordCrafter “Northtown Angelus” Book Blog Tour. To wrap-up we have a double stop today, with my review of the book here, on Writing to be Read, and then on to Undawnted for a final guest post from the author, Robert White. But , let before we get started, let me offer a reminder to be sure and leave comments when you visit a stop to be entered in the giveaway below. You can click on the links in the schedule to go back and visit any stop you may have missed along the way. Undawnted does not accept comments, but you can leave your comments for the second stop on today’s tour here.

Giveaway

Each stop where you leave a a comment,

you get another chance to win one of five digital copies,

and one signed print copy of Northtown Angelus.

Tour Schedule

Mon. March 11 – Writing to be Read – Author Interview

Tues. March 12 – Robbie’s Inspiration – Guest Post

Wed. March 13 – Patty’s Worlds – Author Interview

Thurs. March 14 – Writing to be Read – Review/Undawnted – Guest Post

About Northtown Angelus

Book Cover: Man in a slicker with waterfront in the background.
Text: Northtown Angelus, Volume Three: Raimo Jarvi, Robert White

Johnny Dillon took his life. His wife Cora wants to know why. The Northtown cops don’t care; they closed the case as a suicide. The M.E. hasn’t got any answers for the discrepancies Ray Jarvi discovered in the autopsy report and from what Johnny’s wife told him about the days leading up to his decision to take his life.

This is the beginning of an investigation for private investigator Ray Jarvi, who follows a twisting path of corruption and vice in his rust-belt town on the shores of Lake Erie to help her find some resolution to the worst day in her life. Like a medieval play between warring devils and angels battling for a soul, he must deal with a variety of Northtowners who play one part or the other on his journey to find those answers. Getting past one obstacle only leads to another—and another. Before long, Jarvi does not know whom to trust. He realizes nothing in his town is what it appears to be and that there are some dangerous people who like it that way.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Northtown-Angelus-Raimo-Jarvi-Investigates/dp/B0CRQ66L4Y

About Author Robert White

Robert T. White writes from Northeastern Ohio. He has published several crime, noir, hardboiled novels and genre stories in various magazines and anthologies. He’s been nominated for a Derringer. “Inside Man,” a crime story, was selected for Best American Mystery Stories 2019. His second hardboiled p.i. series (after the Thomas Haftmann mysteries begun in 2011 with Haftmann’s Rules) features Raimo Jarvi in Northtown Eclipse (Fahrenheit Press, 2018) and Northtown Blitz (2020). British website Murder, Mayhem & More cited When You Run with Wolves (rpt. 2018) as a finalist for Top Ten Crime Books of 2018 and Perfect Killer in 2019. “If I Let You Get Me” was selected for the Bouchercon 2019 anthology and The Russian Heist (Moonshine Cove, 2019), another crime thriller, was selected by Thriller Magazine as winner of its Best Novel category. “Out of Breath” and Other Stories is a mixed collection of mainstream and noir fiction (Red Giant Press, 2013).

My Review

Northtown Angelus, by Robert White, is book 3 in the Raimo Jarvi Investigates series. This story reads like a classic hardboiled crime fiction tale, complete with flawed P.I. protagonist and colorful inner city characters and setting. The writing style and lack of dialog tags was a little off-putting at first. It kind of grew on me though, and once I became emmersed in the story, I hardly noticed unless I got confused about who was speaking.

Dealing with less than desirable people and neighborhoods, is bound to give anyone a grim outlook on life. But for Ray Jarvi, a P.I. with an unfortunate history which left him scarred, inside and out, working those neighborhoods throws low lifes, drug dealers, and other criminal types in his path at every turn, has turned his outlook grim indeed. He’s learned not to expect too much from his fellow man. Ray is on a case to find out what really happened to man the cops wrote off as suicide, for the greiving widow, but finds himself in the middle of something even bigger. Ray doesn’t wait for things to happen, he pushes peoples buttons and makes things happen, always on the offensive. But when a friend and employee is brutally beaten while doing survellience for him, we see a softer side of Ray, as someone who really does give a damn, before donning his social armor once more and going back after the villians who are responsible.

Fast moving and hard hitting, Northtown Angelus is all that a hard-boiled crime novel should be. I give it four quills.

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Don’t forget to visit the second stop on today’s tour to hear more from author Robert White on Northtown Angelus and his Raimo Jarvis Investigates series. You can visit that stop here: Remember you can come back here to leave a comment for today’s entry in the giveaway.

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That wraps up the WordCrafter Northtown Angelus Book Blog Tour. Thank you all for joining us. Be sure to visit each stop through the schedule at the top of this post for more chances to win a copy of this hardboiled crime fiction novel. I hope you enjoyed meeting Robert White and learning more about Northtown Angelus.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Welcome to the WordCrafter “Northtown Angelus” Book Blog Tour

Posted: March 11, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Author Interview, Book Promotion, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Hard-Boiled Crime Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: Crime Fiction, Hard-boiled fiction, Northtown Angelus, Raimo Jarvi Investigates, Robert White, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 17 Comments

Welcome to the WordCrafter Northtown Angelus Book Blog Tour. We have a great tour planned with a generous giveaway, so let me tell you about that first.

Giveaway

Each stop where you leave a a comment,

you get another chance to win one of five digital copies,

and one signed print copy of Northtown Angelus.

Opening Day

Today is opening day, and we have a special interview with author Robert White, where we talk about what draws him to crime thrillers, and writing in general. Of course, he will also talk about Northtown Angelus, and if you pay attention, he might even reveal a few insider clues about the story.

Interview with author Robert White

Kaye: Please tell us a bit about your author journey and how you got into writing as a profession and a business?

Robert: I taught five sections of freshman composition at a regional branch campus, which meant I was steeped in marathon grading sessions during the week and throughout the weekend in my tiny office circling to/too homonyms. The desire to write was always there but not the time. In the two decades of writing I’ve enjoyed—strictly as hobby—I’ve made a few bucks, but I knew even as a fledgling English major that no one but a lucky or extraordinarily talented few make a living at it.

The immediate impetus was serendipity (not a word to use easily). A student of mine called down from the IT lab where he worked part-time. He said my computer was scheduled for an upgrade and I would lose all my unsaved files. I’d written a Haftmann ms. a decade earlier for fun and forgotten it. He sent it to me, I looked it over, updated it with cell phones and laptops, and sent it out to Grand Mal Press. Ryan Thomas, still the managing editor, published it in 2011. Ryan has since brought out nearly all the Haftmann novels and this last novel in the Northtown trilogy.

Kaye: What’s the most difficult thing about being an author for you?

Robert: Not a thing. I’ve been a stockboy in a grocery store, a factory worker, and a deckhand on the Great Lakes. I remember what hard work is. Sitting in my room, sipping coffee, and mulling over word choices is not it.

Kaye: What is the most rewarding thing about being an author for you?

Robert: Just having my foot in the door. When I was fifteen a girlfriend gave me a copy of William Styron’s Sophie Choice. I’d never read such beautiful prose before. To be a very junior member of that “club” is an honor in itself regardless of the boos I get on Amazon and elsewhere.

Kaye: What part of being an author was unexpected, something that you didn’t realize starting out?

Robert: That note of jaundiced humor that creeps into my narrative voice from time to time. Both my private eyes have it. I might have been influenced by Chandler’s Marlowe more than I realized, but my fictional landscapes veer toward the grim.

Kaye: You’ve received a few awards for your writing. The Russian Heist won Best Novel in Thriller Magazine. Your book, Betray Me Not, was selected by the Independent Alliance as a Truly Best Independent Book, and your story “Inside Man” was selected by Otto Penzler of Houghton Mifflin for Best Mystery Stories of 2019. How important have these awards been in propelling your author career forward?

Robert: Any distinction is a pleasure. I’m not immune to flattery. I do think I have a proper sense of humility about my own talent vis-à-vis the outstanding writers I admire intensely: Martin Cruz Smith, Thomas Harries, and David Lindsey.

Kaye: Regarding Thomas Haftmann, Private Eye: The Short Stories, The Midwest Review said, “Clearly, author Robb White is a master of the noir style mystery genre…”, and many of your works are noir, hardboiled crime fiction. What draws you to this genre?

Robert: I suspect there’s a glitch in my DNA molecule that absorbed something from my mother. She loved paperback mysteries, especially Agatha Christie. It didn’t stick all the way because I quit halfway through one Miss Marple book. Not my cup of tea, as they say.

I’m drawn to the genre because of its ambiguity, the half existence between knowledge and ignorance, truth and lies, good and evil—trite as that sounds. That’s real life, isn’t it? “Peering through a venetian blind,” as metaphor, is wonderfully apt.

Kaye: What other genres, if any do you write?

Robert: I dip my toe into the horror genre from time to time because psychological horror and crime are intricately related and there’s a slender passageway between them, easy to cross. But I’ve never gone beyond short stories.

Kaye: Northtown Angelus is volume 3 in the Raimo Jarvi Investigates series. For readers who may not have read books 1 & 2, please tell us, who is Ray Jarvi? What drives him? How did he end up as a P.I.? What makes him good at his job?

An outstanding critic in U.K. crime fiction is Rowena Hoseason, who said Ray is “broken.” She nailed it. He fights his past as a victim of a boyhood fire that scarred his face and isolated him in society thereafter. He’s driven by his refusal to stay locked away in a brooding isolation despite his physical appearance that keeps people away, although he did have one love affair that ended in tragedy, and he has a boyhood friendship with a deputy. A few minor figures in law enforcement pop up to help Ray out because he’s running on a shoestring budget and doesn’t have access to the best databases.

Kaye: Where did you get the inspiration for the Raimo Jarvi character?

Robert: I created Raimo Jarvi because Thomas Haftmann, my first series investigator, was set in stone. He was cast in the Spade-Marlowe mode and I couldn’t get him to “evolve” without denying the characteristics that made him. His surname is a play on “half-man,” and he wasn’t capable of aging gracefully, as flippant as that might sound. I needed a more self-effacing narrator akin to my own aging temperament.

Kaye: Please tell us a little about the first two books. Should the books for this series be read in order, or do they work as standalones?

Robert: I do think they’re standalones despite the fact a few characters and references follow from book to book. In Northtown Eclipse, Ray investigates a case involving his macho brother and some former classmates involved in a sordid catastrophe involving a female victim in the same sleazy resort town Haftmann has an office in. In Northtown Blitz, Raimo is again drawn back to the past of his painful high-school days. A woman asks him to investigate the death of her sister. The main suspect is her own brother-in-law, a prominent lawyer in Northtown.

Kaye: What is it about Northtown Angelus that would make crime thriller fans want to purchase this book? Tell us a little about the story within.

Robert: I believe fans of mystery aren’t locked into a niche that inhibits, say, a lover of big-city crime fiction from appreciating a small-town mystery about people who hide behind masks of middle-class respectability.

In Northtown Angelus, a recent widow asks Ray to investigate her husband’s death, which the cops have written off as suicide. As Ray peels the onion layers away, he meets a bevy of high and low characters involved. There are dark, ongoing secrets that no one wants exposed to the light.

Kaye: Tell us something about yourself that your readers would never guess.

Robert: I’m a skywatcher, not a real amateur star-gazer, but I drag the telescope out of the garage now and then to check out the celestial skies. What goes on in interstellar space is so remote from the mundane and our puny, temporal existence that it appeals strongly to me.

About Author Robert White

About Northtown Angelus

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Northtown-Angelus-Raimo-Jarvi-Investigates/dp/B0CRQ66L4Y

About the Tour

We have a brief, but great tour planned with guest posts from the author, a second interview on Day 3. So you’ll hear a lot more from author Robert White and learn more about this thriller that takes after the classic hard-boiled crime novels. Day 4 will feature a double stop day with a guest post on Undawnted, and my review of Northtown Angelus.

Visit each day and leave a comment for more chances at one of five digital copies or a signed print copy of the book. You’ll find the tour schedule with links below, but remember the links won’t work until that day’s stop goes live. I hope you all will join us.

Tour Schedule

Day 1: Writing to be Read – Interview

Day 2: Robbie’s Inspiration – Guest Post

Day 3: Patty’s Worlds – Interview

Day 4: Undawnted – Guest Post/ Writing to be Read – Book review

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Book Review: The Haunting of Blackwood House

Posted: March 8, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Paranormal, Review | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Darcy Coates, Ghost Story, Paranormal, Piper Goodeve, The Haunting of Blackwood House, Writing to be Read | 8 Comments

About the Book

Book Cover: Sppoky old house in bare trees with fog and moon coming up behind illuminating a figure on the roof.
Text: Darcy Coates, The Haunting of Blackwood House.

As the daughter of spiritualists, Mara’s childhood was filled with séances and scam mediums. Now she’s ready to start over with her fiancé, Neil, far away from the superstitions she’s learned to loathe, but her past isn’t willing to let her go so easily. And neither is Blackwood House.

When Mara and Neil purchased the derelict property, they were warned that ever since the murder of its original owner, things had changed. Strange shadows stalk the halls. Doors creak open by themselves. Voices whisper in the night. And watchful eyes follow her every move. But Mara’s convinced she can’t possibly be in danger. She doesn’t believe in ghost stories, and she didn’t buy a haunted house; it’s just not possible.

Because ghosts aren’t real, are they?

Purchase Links:

Audible: https://www.amazon.com/The-Haunting-of-Blackwood-House/dp/B0CNBRKQGP/

Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/the-haunting-of-blackwood-house-by-darcy-coates

First time Chirp users can get this book for $2 here: https://www.chirpbooks.com/r/7bae7e35a7a4/device_share?source=referral_fallback_1dollar

My Review

I listened to the audiobook of The Haunting of Blackwood House, by Darcy Coates and narrated by Piper Goodeve. I have to say that the tale was skillfully crafted, making it one of the best haunted house stories that I’ve heard, or read, in a long time. The narration was was honed and precise, distinguishing the different characters, and building suspense at all the right places. Bravo!

Mara grew up in a spiritualist household, in a long line of spiritualists, and has an aversion to anything having to do with ghosts and spirits now that she is free of their crazy beliefs and fraudulant medium friends. Because Mara knows first hand that it’s all a sham. There’s no such thing as ghosts.

Until she buys a house with a history: Blackwood House. The history of deaths and reports of hauntings don’t bother her, but the house has a strange attraction for her and she just has to have it. In spite of the misgivings of her boyfriend Neil, who stands by her, lending his support in spite of her strange behavior when it comes to the house, and the odd things which have occurred since she moved in.

Mara denies that anything is amiss at Blackwood, and refuses to consider abandoning the house, even when ethereal activities escalate, and she learns that the house was built by her spiritualist great-grandfather, determined not to let what she believe to be non-existant, or her past haunt her. But, what if she’s wrong?

Thoroughly emmersive story. An excellent example of what a ghost story should be. I give The Haunting of Blackwood House 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.