Masterclass Articles offers eight tips for character development: establish motivation and goals, choose a voice, do a slow reveal, create conflict, create backstory for important characters, give characters believeable traits, create a visual image of characters, and give supporting characters conflicting traits. While these are all useful tips in character development, and they all kind of mesh in together, although the reveal, the visual image, and the supporting characters have more to do with the presentation of your character to readers once you have a fully developed character. You can read the full article here: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-fictional-characters#4Zt0GK2DaQjsNILtGsWJYO
There are many ways to grow and discover your characters. We will talk about two methods of character development here. One method I use are character triangles, which give characters motivation and goals. And Shadow Theory is useful in creating a history and backstory for your characters, and are useful in determining what the points on your character triangle are. Determining your characters fears or flaws attributes them with believable and relatable traits.
Character Triangles
It is important that a writer creates unique and interesting characters by giving them a history, and both internal and external conflicts that are similar and relate to the theme. No one wants characters which are flat and two-dimensional. In order to write characters with depth you must know what their motivations are, and for that, characters must have a good idea of their background or where they’ve come from, and where they are going, or what their dreams are, in order to understand who they are in your story.
Let’s take a look at one of my characters from a horror screenplay that I wrote. During the writing, I found that the characters in this piece lacked depth, and I will take you through the process I used to make them more complex and well rounded. The screenplay now sits in a virtual trunk somewhere and will likely never see the light of day, but for the purposes of demonstrating how more depth might be revealed in a character, it serves my purpose well. This is the format we use introduce a character in a screenplay, but I find it helpful to use in my fiction writing, enabling me to see how fleshed out my characters are. The words in parenthesis indicate the function a trait serves (want, need, or fear/flaw) on the character triangle, which I use to determine character motivation.
My protagonist, Justine Avery is a young journalism student who goes to stay at a purported haunted house on a dare.
This was my origianl introduction for the protagonist: JUSTINE AVERY – 24, naive, fresh out of college with a degree in video/cinematography, she thinks the chance to work on Kaylee’s documentary might be her big break (want), so she wants this gig more than anything, bad enough to take it even though she’s scared to death of what might happen (fear). She needs to keep her integrity, so she can look at herself in the mirror every morning.
Now here’s the rewrite I did to try and deepen Justine’s character: JUSTINE AVERY – 24, naive, fresh out of college with a degree in video/cinematography, she thinks the chance to work on Kaylee’s documentary could lead to her big break into the business (want), so she wants this gig more than anything, bad enough to take it even though she’s scared of blowing it (fear), because of her low self-esteem and an inability to believe in herself and her abilities (flaw). She needs to learn to believe in herself and have confidence in her talent and skill.
I think this version is a little better. I changed her fear and I gave her a fatal flaw which could be her downfall unless she can triumph over it. (And the fear is directly connected with her flaw, which ties in with my theme: Self-Reliance. This offers her the potential for the needed transformation in the scene where her boyfriend, Mitch, forbids her to go on the gig and she chooses to walk away.)
It shouldn’t take much to also work in the details of her added backstory, which isn’t in my original bio for her: Raised by controlling, overbearing parents, she learned early in life that it is easier to go with the flow than to risk tipping the boat over with resistance. Currently in a relationship with Mitch, an overbearing, controlling guy who managed to turn their first overnight date into his moving in party so smoothly, Justine still isn’t sure how it happened. Mitch is verbally and emotionally abusive to her, but he derides her so much, she has come to believe the things he says about her and she harbors huge doubts about her own self-worth.
Justine is beginning to seem more like a character with some depth and we can get some idea of what motivates her actions. Allowing her a flaw of low self-esteem not only turned her into an imperfect human, but it offers her the choice of staying in a stagnant relationship and continuing to employ behaviors which are no longer effective, or transforming into the self-reliant woman hinted at in that early scene with Mitch. It is much clearer now what her arc will be, and it’s all tied in with the theme.
The character triangle which I use represents this transformation loosely, depicting the character’s want and need, which are not the same, although the character may believe that they are, and their fear or flaw, which is an obstacle to be overcome in order to achieve the character’s want. The want is the concious desire that motivates the character, while the need may not be so obvious, because their need is subconcious and the character may not realize that their need exists. The need is what the character ends up with, and is often in opposition to what the character desires.
Shadow Theory
Another method that seems to work well in creating in-depth or complex characters is the shadow theory of character building, which is the idea which delves into the hidden or repressed aspects of a character, and these traits usually play a part in the character tranformation which must occur for the character to complete their arc. I’ve been experimenting with incorporating this method into my own character developemnet.
This theory claims that traits that are apparent on the outside, have an exact opposite trait residing on a subconcious level, and the two opposites may be in conflict-kind of like the two little guys sitting on the character’s shoulders, telling him what to do. This type of depth is often revealed through subtext, because the dialog is what the character says, but it may conflict with what they are actually thinking.
K.M. Weiland explains it this way – “I call this trick shadow theory, and it’s simply this: whatever is visible in a person’s external personality is an indication that the exact opposite resides in the shadow.” You can learn more about the shadow theory, which stems from the theories of human behaviors developed by Carl Jung and how to use shadow theory to create deeper and more complex characters here: “How to Create Insanely Complex Characters Using “Shadow Theory”“
Both of these methods can be used to delve into your characters and give them depth and complexity. I have used just the character triangle to shape my characters
In next month’s segment of “Writer’s Corner”, we’ll talk about the visceral portrayal of your characters , which will cover the Matips we didn’t hit on here, so be sure to drop by.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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.
Atlas is a struggling colony on an untamable world, a fragile society held together by the Truthsayers. Parentless, trained from birth as the sole users of Veritas, a telepathy virus that lets them read the souls of the guilty. Truthsayers are Justice—infallible, beyond appeal.
But sometimes they are wrong.
Falsely accused of murder, Troy Boren trusts the young Truthsayer Kalliana…until, impossibly, she convicts him. Still shaken from a previous reading, Kalliana doesn’t realize her power is fading. But soon the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. The Truthsayers’ Veritas has been diluted and someone in the colony is selling smuggled telepathy. Justice isn’t blind—it’s been blinded.
From an immortal’s orbital prison to the buried secrets of a regal fortress, Kalliana and Troy seek the conspiracy that threatens to destroy their world from within. For without truth and justice, Atlas will certainly fall…
Blindfold, by Kevin J. Anderson takes place on the colony of Atlas, where the lands are divided among several landowners, each doing his part to make Atlas run like a well oiled machine, but not everyone plays by the rules. Killiana is a young Truthsayer who, comes to believe that her mindreaading powers may have falsely convicted Troy Boren, a young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When she unwittingly uncovers that one landowner isn’t playing fair and may soon take over control of the colony, she finds herself a fugitive with Troy, as they fight to uncover the truth.
As all of Anderson’s works, Blindfold is well written and skillfully crafted to emmerse readers in the story. It keeps the reader guessing, and that keeps pages turning. I give it five quills.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw Kickstarter campaign ending soon
There are just a few days left for you to join in on our campaign! The more we raise, the more rewards we can offer. With the campaign ending soon, it’s almost the last chance to show support for author and project. The deadline is 8/31/23, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get an early digital copy of the book, a signed print copy, an interview with the author, posters and so much more, available exclusively through the campaign.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw won’t release through distributors until September 18, so it is only available through my Kickstarter at this time. So click on the Kickstarter to learn more about this rocking time-travel adventure.
The Rock Star and The Outlaw is a story from my heart, inspired by the music of The Pretty Reckless, which is my favorite band. It’s a time-travel adventure. Amaryllis Sanchez is a rock Star in 2025. LeRoy McAllister is an outlaw from 1887. They’re both running from the law and other outlaws in their respective times and when they meet, it’s a non-stop adventure through time.
Check out the book trailer video on the Kickstarter page to learn more.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Trailer
More About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is her passion. It is a very strange time indeed when Kaye Lynne does not have at least three WIPs, in addition to her other writings, teaching and other life activities. Kaye Lynne lives, works and plays in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Visit her author’s blog and website, “Writing to be Read” to learn more about Kaye Lynne Booth and her writing. https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/
Release through distributors & book blog tour
If you miss the Kickstarter, The Rock Star & The Outlaw will release through distributors on September 19, 2023, and to celebrate, well be running a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour September 18-22.
Coming Soon: Midnight Roost
The 2023 WordCrafter Anthology, Midnight Roost will be scheduled for release October 17, 2023. This anthology of weird and creepy stories features works by talented authors including Zack Ellafy, Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, Christa Planko, Paul Kane, Sonia Pipkin, C.R. Johansson, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, Keith J. Hoskins, Denise Aparo, Julie Jones, Rebecca M. Senese, Mario Acevedo, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Robert Kostaczuk. Midnight Roost also features the winning story from the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, “Red Door House”, by Isabel Grey. More to come in next month’s “WordCrafter News”.
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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & 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.
Can Michele close the book on her neighbor’s mysterious past before a killer sets his sights on her?
With her kids away for the summer, widow Michele Lopez Hanson struggles with her newfound solitude. When her unmarried retired neighbor Gidget asks her to document her career in the art world, she’s eager for the company…and the advice on coping with an empty nest. But their trek down memory lane turns into a missing person search when Gidget dies and leaves behind a will that tasks Michele with finding her long-lost love child.
Before the casket lid closes, she feels a wave of sympathy for the endless stream of mourners from Gidget’s days as a high-powered art dealer. But when she learns the murderous truth behind Gidget’s death and she’s named the prime suspect, Michele realizes any one of the grieving artists and collectors could be the love child’s mystery father or her neighbor’s killer. To complete the memoir and clear her name, Michele must discover the ugly motives behind the picture-perfect murder before she joins her friend six feet under.
I listened to the audiobook edition of Fighting for Anna, a Michelle Lopez Hanson mystery, by Pamela Fagan Hutchins and narrated by Natalie Gray. I was immersed in this story from the very first chapter, when Michelle finds her elderly neighbor dead and the deputy she reports it to is so hostile toward her, foreshadowing the accusation later that she is the murderer. This story is well crafted with an intricately woven plot, and a diverse set of distinctive characters.
Michelle’s nieghbor is an elderly lady who was once the belle of the Houston art scene, who wants Michelle Lopez Hanson to be her biographer. But when Michelle and her kids find her neighbor dead, things begin to turn strange. Especially when it is revealed that Michelle was named as the beneficiary in the neighbor’s will and Michelle makes it her personal mission to make sure the woman, Anna’s, last wishes are fulfilled. When it is revealed thaat Anna was poisoned and Michelle is arrested for the murder, things really begin to heat up, and it just keeps getting hotter as Michelle with each clue that Michelle uncovers.
Natalie Gray has a wonderful voice which matches what I thought the character of Michelle Lopez Hanson would sound like. In addition, she manages distinctive voices for each character, and paces the story well.
An audiobook that will keep you listening to the very last page. Well crafted to keep you guessing, with just enough twists to maintain anticipation throughout. I give Fighting For Anna five quills.
(The Special Chirp Link above was given to me for sharing this book with others by Chirp. It offers this audiobook for $1 to new Chirp users, but it is regularly priced for repeat customers. I receive no monetary compensation or gain if you use it.)
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house. When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger. With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family? A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
INSPIRED BY: The World Famous Corpus Christi Chronophage Clock, created by Dr. John C Taylor, OBE, and artist Anya Gallaccio’s Crystal Grotto, in Juniper Artland, Scotland.
Bloodstone is Book 1 in M.J. Mallon’s The Curse of Time series. I’m not sure what I expected when I picked up this book. I’m a sucker for time-travel stories, and the subject of time and parallel worlds perplex me, so I suppose I expected something along those lines given the clock on the cover and the series title. But that is not at all what this book is. But, Bloodstone may be just as enchanting.
This tale is a young adult novel dealing with the issues of a fifteen-year-old girl who has a very strange life. While her home life may be disfunctional, other parts of her life are magical in this delightful tale of magical realism. Things happen which may seem odd or unusual, but they seem to be everyday occurances in the fantastical world which Mallon has created.The result is a paranormal fantasy that deals with real adolecent issues like friends and boyfriends, peer pressure, depression, self-harm, and betrayal, in a manor that raises awareness, and still entertains.
Another unexpected touch the author offers up in this story is a syllabic poem as the heading of each chapter, which offers a hint to the events in the chapter to come. I found this to be a clever way to clue readers in and creative way to add to the magical feel of the story.
A refreshing surprise, Bloodstone captured my attention and my heart. I give it five quills.
Outline your novel for success, taught by a master writer and instructor. Bestselling author David Farland taught dozens of writers who went on to staggering literary success, including such #1 New York Times Bestsellers as Brandon Mull (Fablehaven), Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time), James Dashner (The Maze Runner) and Stephenie Mayer (Twilight). Dave was an award-winning, international best-selling author with over 50 novels in print, and a tireless mentor and instructor of new writers. His book Million Dollar Outlines is a seminal work teaching authors how to create a blueprint for a novel that can lead to bestseller success. In this book, Dave teaches how to analyze an audience and outline a novel to appeal to a wide readership. The secrets found in his unconventional approach will help you understand why so many of his authors went on to prominence. David Farland was hailed as “The wizard of storytelling” and one of the best writing instructors in the field for many years. Dave passed away in January 2022, but WordFire Press is pleased to bring this vital resource back to a wider readership.
What I love about books on the craft of writing, is that they get my mind working as I automatically try to apply the techniques I’m reading about to my current W.I.P., and it often takes my writing in new directions which I hadn’t imagined before. Million Dollar Outlines, by David Farland did this for me with, not one, but two books which I am currently working on. As all my Delilah Kickstarter campaign backers know, I am actively working on the research and outline for Sarah, Book 2 in my Women in the West adventure series, and this is the book I intended to try out Farlands methods with, but I found some of his advice needed to be applied to a story which I’m just finishing up.
By reading through the elements that Farland believed should go into your outline, I discovered some things that I knew my western time-travel romance adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw needed, but had neglected to consider as I flew through the writing during NaNoWriMo last year. If you were with me then, you will know that I had a partial working outline, which changed as events in my story veered from the path I had prepared, but mostly my fingers just flew over the keys at every opportunity, and I adjusted my outline accordingly, so there was little time to think about the purpose that each scene or chapter served besides moving my story from point A to point B. (Which is why, this year, I plan to be better prepared and I’m currently working on the outline for Sarah, so that I have a fully developed outline when November roles around.) So as I read this very informative book, which is packed chock full of useful writing advice, I saw places where the Rock Star story is lacking, and even though I’m well past the outlining stage with this book, I went back and did the checks to be sure my story was hitting all the proper beats, and it wasn’t. That’s why took the time for a developmental edit and do the revisions, and now, it is.
Of course, I also used this book to improve my outlining technique with Sarah, which was my original lol intent, keeping in mind that MillionDollarOutlines is a book aimed at outlining to increase productivity. In order to do that, Farland begins by asking, and answering, questions such as ” Why do we read or crave stories?”, or “What is a story and how does it work?”. Then he has you take a look at the shape of your story.
With Sarah, I already knew that the shape of her story would be similar to that of Delilah, because they are both in the same series. Delilah was my first novel and a huge experiment where I tried many different methods and styles, but my method of creating a partial outline and revising as I go seems to have stuck with me with The Rock Star & The Outlaw, so I had planned to stick with it on Sarah.
According to Farland’s theory, that will no doubt make Sarah linear in style with numerous obstacles and hurtles to overcome along the way, because like Delilah, Sarah will embark on a hero’s journey as an unwilling traveler turned heroine. I use this method because it offers me some direction to get the story started, but also allows flexibility because my stories rarely end up going where I start out thinking they are headed.
Next, Farland has us look at the potential for a best selling story and how to analyze your audience to better create stories that readers will like. This is not something which I would normally think about when outlining, but it is something that every author should think about if the end goal is to sell what we write, and what better time to think about this step, than during the outlining process?
Farland also talks about the elements of story, such as setting, characters, conflict and treatment. Normally, I write out a scene out starting with the character interaction which moves the story forward, then I go back and fill in the descriptions to bring the setting to life, so his suggestion to develop the settings in the outlining process, would be a very different approach for me. By outlining in this way, I can see the potential to have most of the pieces to my story in place in my outline where I could almost pluck them from the outline and place them into the story, like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle.
Regarding characters, had a good start with Sarah because her character was at least partially developed in Delilah. In addition, I had a pretty good idea of who my supporting characters were going to be, and their parts in the story because they are either historical characters, which I took certain liberties with. So, all I had to do with them was to develop them more, giving each a physical description and a part in the book. In addition to Sarah, members of her Ute Indian family also made brief appearances in Delilah, so they just needed to be fleshed out a bit. And then there are the two characters who two of my supporters in the Delilah Kickstarter campaign got the privilege of naming which needed to be fully developed.
Once I knew who my characters were and the role that each would play, I had a basic outline of events written out, because you can’t know what role a character will play until you figure out what they do in the story. But this is my list of main/supporting characters.
Sarah – protagonist – red hair and freckles – 17 – raised in bordello, traveled with Delilah until she was abducted and sold to the Utes, who treated her well & she was happy with. She strives for self-reliance and learns healing from the old Ute woman, Flies like a Heron, becoming a valuable member of the tribe.
Three Hawks – love interest – Sarah’s Ute husband- kind to Sarah, but brave warrior- son on tribal elder, will one day be chief.- traded many horses for Sarah and fights to keep her.
Flies Like a Heron – healer & mentor – kind old woman & wife of Ute shaman, Raven Wings – teaches Sarah healing ways
Owoz Crebo – Antagonist – lone Sioux warrior who visits Ute camp guised as a friend, but steals away with Sarah in the night – an outcast of his own tribe – old & scarred
Lillian Alura Bennett – Temptress – red haired Irish Woman who runs boarding house/ bordello in Glenwood Springs – was orphaned and became a ‘crib girl’, then worked her up until she made a spot for herself in one of the better houses, the bought out the madame – kind offers Sarah a room in exchange for her domestic services.
Kate Elder – mentor – historical character – independent prostitute, on her own since young, companion to Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday – came to Glenwood Springs in his last days & cared for him, kind of ‘the woman behind the man’s – kind, helps Sarah, takes care of Doc
This is my list of settings which will need to developed. I’ve done a lot of research on the history of Glenwood Springs, but the rest must come from within my own head, but a few back woods excursions may be in order to get a feel for the terrain.
Ute camp – already partially developed from Delilah.
Cliffs where Indian battle takes place
Mountains between Telluride and Glenwood Springs
Glenwood Springs, 1887 – a. Glenwood Hotel/ Docs room & Fictional boarding house
Farland goes on to offer up plotting tools, which can be used in the construction of your story to hit the emotional beats that will grasp your readers and won’t let go. He suggests tools such as timebombs, dilemmas, crucibles, reversals, revelations, twists, motivations, mystery, romance, varying emotions, gads, braiding conflicts, varying conflicts, identity conflicts, centering, doubling, haunting, tripling, stacking, growth, duality, the third alternative, the rule of threes, spectacles, adding a thematic line, placing your world in jeopardy, or creating an epic. I’ve used a few of these, such as the rule of threes, twists, revalations, and reversals, but others were new to me. I bet you see a few tools in the list above which could use some explanation. I know there were for me.
We all know what a twist is, when the story suddenly takes off in an unexpected direction, or a revelation, where your characters reveal something about themselves which bears on their actions in the story. The Rule of Threes says that you should call something that you want readers to notice three different times throughout the story, if you want it to stick in your readers head. I’ve used that one in every story that I’ve written. Doubling, tripling and haunting are all methods of doing just that. Some, like placing the world in jeopardy, may work better for certain genres more than others, but it is always a good way to raise the stakes in the story. I used this one in my science fantasy series, still in progress, Playground for the Gods, which centers on a group of beings who destroyed their own planet and come to Earth to make their new home, but some members threaten to repeat their peoples mistakes and destroy Earth as well. This particular tale is also an epic, so there’s another plotting tool used to create story.
Then, Farland goes on to discuss the plotting process, talking about what makes a good beginning, middle and end and incorporating it all into your outline. I’m busy working right now, incorporating some of Dave Farlands suggestions into my outline for Sarah.
I have a more detailed outline right now for Sarah than I ever had for any story, and it still looks like it will be too short. I’ll have to go back and see what other plotting tools I may I want to ascertain that book 2 in my Women in the West series will be even better than book 1.
Will it be a million dollar outline? Not in the sense in which Farland was using it. He used his outlines to sell his stories to publishers and producers. For Sarah, I am both author and producer, but maybe the story will sell enough copies to make a million. I’ll just have to wait and see. I hope you’ll stick around until Sarah comes out in 2024 to see the end results, too.
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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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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.
After 10 years at war, Jev Dharrow looks forward to hanging up his sword, relaxing with a cool mug of ale, and forgetting that the love of his life married another man while he was gone. But when his ship sails into port, a beautiful woman wearing the garb of an inquisitor from one of the religious orders waits to arrest him.
His crime? He’s accused of stealing an ancient artifact with the power to start another war. Jev would gladly hand over the artifact to stop more suffering, but he has no idea where it is or even what it looks like. The inquisitor woman definitely has the wrong person.
Inquisitor Zenia Cham grew up with nothing, but she has distinguished herself as one of the most capable law enforcers in the city, and she’s next in line to become archmage of the temple. All she has to do is find the Eye of Truth, and her superiors are certain Jev has it.
He tries to charm her with his twinkling eyes and easy smile, but she’s not letting any man get between her and her dreams. Especially not a thief.
If Jev can’t convince Zenia they’re on the same side, find the artifact, and clear his name, his homecoming will turn into a jail sentence. Or worse.
I listened to the audiobook of Eye of Truth, book 1 in Lindsay Buroker’s Agents of the Crown series, narrated by Vivienne Leheny, an epic fantasy adventure that will steal your heart. Book 1 of the Agents of the Crown series is a classic Buroker fantasy, with plenty of snark, and as always, I am amazed by Leheny’s ability to portray a full cast of characters, giving each a distinctive voice. If magic and mayhem appeal to you, this epic tale is a must read. And as always, Buroker you value for your buck with an epic length tale, supplying several hours of listening enjoyment.
Zenia is an inquisitor of the water order who has worked hard to prove herself and rise nto a positon of power. But, when she is called upon to bring in Jev, an accused thief who claims innocence and appears to be genuinely unaware of the crime he is accused of, she begins to have doubts about the validity of her position and duties. How can she honor her duties when she is uncertain of his guilt? She takes him into custody, but the journey back to the water order only strengthens her suspicions that she has the wrong man.
This book has everything an epic fantasy should have – magic, elves, dwarves, romance and lots of adventure – all wrapped up in a well-crafted and intricate fantasy world. I give Eye of Truth five quills.
Jim Neighbors’ character, Gomer Pyle is always quoting the infamous Grandma Pyle, with words of wisdom for every occasion. As writers, we have many ‘Grandma Pyles’ to offer writing advice and advice on life, in general. Below you will find some of my favorites. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments.
“Tales and adventures are the shadow truths that will endure, when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgotten.”
Neil Giaman
“Writing is like a whore. First, I did it for my own pleasure. Then, I did it for the pleasure of my friends. And now, I do it for money.”
Ferenc Molnar
This quote has been attributed to author Virginia Wolf, but acording to Quote Investigator, the original author was French playwright Ferenc Molnar.
“Our greatest weakness is in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Thomas Edison
Another way of expressing this particular idea:
“Stopping a piece of work just because it’s hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it & sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing to do is shovel shit from the sitting position.”
Stephen King – On Writing
And my personal favorite, which I often use like a motto, was put quite succinctly by the character of Lone Wadi in the movie, The Outlaw Josey Wales:
“Endeavor to persevere.”
Chief Dan George as Lone Wadi in The Outlaw Josey Wales
“Not all those who wander are lost.”
J.R.R. Tolkien – “The Riddle of Strider”
This quote was taken from a poem in The Fellowship of the Ring, so it wasn’t offered up as advice per-se, but I think it is good advice, because isn’t that what we, as authors do? We wander down paths unexplored to see what happens, and how the story comes out. But just because we may not know where we’re going, it doesn’t mean we’re lost. In fact, we usually emerge enlightened, with a killer story to show for it.
“To write something, you have to risk making a fool of yourself.”
Anne Rice
I find this quote to be spot on. Any type of expression involves a certain amount of risk, and writing is no exception. It’s this open and honest type of writing that is received best. Readers know, they can feel when an author has written from their heart, but to do that, the author must open themselves up and allow themselves to reveal their own vulnerabilities.
“It is a happiness to wonder; it is a happiness to dream.”
Edgar Allen Poe
Every writer should be able to relate to this quote. It’s what we do. We wonder. We dream. And stories emerge.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
Author Annonymous
This quote is my all time favorite. It is not the hardships which life throws at us, but how we handle them. I love it. I’ve had quite a bit thrown at me lately. I need to remind myself of what really matters.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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.
One young boy’s beliefs about himself and the universe changes the structure of reality.
A shapeshifting monster driven by primal desires shatters concepts of intelligent design and becomes an incarnation of vengeance.
A child with a strange gift is abducted from home and must learn to co-exist with beings far different from himself.
A boy exposed to dark magic and demonic rituals must tread carefully or become the thing he fears.
Creatures from the end of time travel through human history kidnapping children to save a bizarre future world.
Physics, mysticism, biological science, and theology are woven into a dark, thought-provoking novel taking readers on a journey they could have never imagined possible, challenged to rethink everything they thought they knew about history, time, space, and the nature of life itself.
“Reminiscent of the works of Pynchon, Clarke, and Vonnegut,…” – Clarabelle Miray Field, award winning poet and Editor-in-Chief, Carmina Magazine
The Inheritors, by Joseph Carrabis is a unique journey beyond the consciousness of man. This is a story that will make you think and perhaps ponder your very existence as Carrabis reveals his vision of the universe and what’s really going on through the complicated and often confusing universe he has created.
Out of a cave comes the first woman who can think and truly see the universe, who is scorned for her gift to the few who possess a higher way of thinking, we see a different picture of our own universe. When right and wrong become two sides of the same coin and it’s hard to determine who the good guys are, and thinking outside the box upsets the status quo, you’ll be introduced to a universe where gods are created.
A unique tale with philosophical undercurrents, The Inheritors is literary entertainment that makes you think about the way we think. Highly entertaining. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
I’ve been so excited to share news about The Rock Star & The Outlaw you, which will be released through distributors in September. It’s been a long time in coming, and I’m so thrilled to offer my supporters this opportuniy to show your support for my work, all while getting some pretty cool rewards throughmy Kickstarter campaign, which launched yesterday and runs through the end of August.
Kickstarter Campaign
I’ve put together a great Kickstarter campaign for you all. You can drop by and back this project for as little as $5, and earn some very cool rewards in the process. You can get an early digital copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw long before the September release through distributors, or perhaps you’d prefer a signed print copy, which is not available anywhere else. You can also get a The Rock Star & The Outlaw poster, or goodie bag, or any of my other WordCrafter Press works are available at less than they are offered through distributors. My funding goal is $500, which will be used for promotion of the book upon release. If you don’t know how a Kickstarter campaign works, it is all or nothing. Backers are only obligated if I reach the funding goal.
About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
Asking for Your Support
I’m asking all my readers and followers to click on the link for the Kickstarter campaign and offer your support for this fabulous story which I’ve poured so much hard work into. I need you all to help me reach my goal. It only takes a moment. Won’t you please back my campaign?
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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.
