WordCrafter 2026 Dark Ficton Contest – Call for Submissions
Posted: January 1, 2026 Filed under: Anthology, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Dark Humor, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, Suspense, WordCrafter Press, Writing Contest | Tags: 2026 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, Call for submissions, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Madness, WordCrafter Press 6 Comments
It’s time for the annual WordCrafter Press short fiction contest. This year’s entries will have a chance of being featured in the fourth volume of the WordCrafter Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares. The theme is dark fiction, but it can be dark fantasy, dark science fiction, paranormal, dark humor, or horror, as long as it is dark and scary, or thought provoking. I like stories that make me think. The contest entry fee is $5, and the submission deadline is April 30, 2026. You’ll find the submission guidelines below.
Submission Guidelines
WordCrafter Press is looking for original short stories with dark elements. Previously unpublished stories only.
Genres: Any genre as long as the story is dark.
Length: up to 5000 words
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2026
Pay: Royalty share
Rights: First Anthology Rights and audio rights as part of the anthology; rights revert to author one month after publication; publisher retains non-exclusive right to include in the anthology as a whole.
Open to submissions from January 1 through April 30, 2026.
Submit: A Microsoft Word or RTF file in standard manuscript format to KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com
If you don’t know what standard manuscript format is, review, for example, https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/
Multiple and simultaneous submissions accepted.
Find some helpful tips for submitting short fiction here, but mainly just follow the guidelines.
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Submit your story with a cover letter to KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com with “Submission: [Your Title]” in the subject line and pay the $5 entry fee below.
Contest Entry
Enter the 2026 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest for a chance at an invitation to the Midnight Madness anthology, from WordCrafter Press.
$5.00
This Call for Submissions 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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Mind Fields: End of 2025
Posted: December 31, 2025 Filed under: Mind Fields, Poetry | Tags: Arthur Rosch, Mind Fields, Poetry, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
It’s hard to acknowledge that
while I sit here in my chair
I am also flying across a field of golden light
towards the unknowable source of that light
only that It is and I am here.
It beckons me to follow.
Contemplate a god who can present us with the incredible structures of the cosmos. Might that god also be able to form connections within the thinking populace of space/time? Within all their multifold mind/body vehicles spread across the voids, is god possible, or even probable? These connections are features of a divine pathway toward an intelligence of love and meaning. It contains an apparent infinite supply or energy for us to avail ourselves in building an Art Of Universes
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On Playing Music
I can puff the keys with different parts of my fingers.
A brush to the side of my callused index; a flurry across
the black notes. Hands are wing- like in their facile adaptions.
No disorder survives. Music resolves most of the time
in harmony or obvious discord but it resolves
it doesn’t leave you hanging there wondering
what happened? Did he walk out on stage
and break a bottle over his head?
Remember this always: it takes two bottles over the head
to qualify as music.
ABOUT MUSIC
The most fun my fingers can have is when they
twiddle the keys, fingers going round and round amid
black and white follicles
jungles
of notes like towers
chords like suns
feeling for the right spot
to sit on the right spot
the fingers don’t forget the flowering pleas
to the pleading towers. Ancient note structures
float in the desert. Across the dunes camel tracks
vanish in the wind.. Natural heritage from generations
lurching rhythms hustle elbows knees flying.
I’m working on it he says.
mocking the entire enterprise.
I can puff the keys with different parts of my fingers.
A brush to the side of my callused index; a flurry across
the black notes. Hands are wing- like in their facile adaptions.
No disorder survives. Music resolves most of the time
in harmony or obvious discord but it resolves
it doesn’t leave you hanging there wondering
what happened? Did he walk out on stage
and break a bottle over his head?
Remember this always: it takes two bottles over the head
to qualify as music.
About Arthur Rosch
Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
More of his work can be found at www.artrosch.com
Photos at https://500px.com/p/artsdigiphoto?view=photos
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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 “Mind Fields” is sponsored by the Roberta Writes blog site, where you can find the poetry, photos, videos, and book reviews by Robbie Cheadle and so much more.
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WordCrafter News: January Release – “The Ones Who Stayed With Me” & What’s Ahead in 2026
Posted: December 29, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Book Release, Book Sales, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Debut novel, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Memoir, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Time travel, Western, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing | Tags: 2026 Publishing Schedule, Happy New Year, New release, Nurse Sammy, The Ones That Stayed With Me, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press 12 Comments
The Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy
I’m pleased to announce the release of a collection of true-life stories from the career of an L.P.N., written by a debut author known only as Nurse Sammy on January 13, 2026. I am so excited to be partnering with Nurse Sammy on this book and publish it through WordCrafter, because my own experiences in the health care field makes Nurse Sammy’s accounts ring true. Some stories will make you laugh. Others may make you cry. But there’s never any doubt that these stories come straight from the heart.
Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.
What’s Ahead in 2026
WordCrafter Press has a busy year planned for 2026, with a book release almost every single month, and two months designated to the writing of my own works, I may find little time to breathe. But, I’m excited about the new works by rising authors that are scheduled, including the one above, by Nurse Sammy, a paranormal romance by B.T. Clearwater, and two novels by rising author Lindsey Martin-Bowen, as well as a nonfiction work on a new approach to treating diabetes, by Daniel Cox, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
We’ll also be publishing two themed anthologies which are by invitation only, as well as our annual short fiction contest and the resulting anthology, which will be book 4 in the Midnight Anthology Series.
February: Writing Month
I’ll be using this month to finalize the second book in my Time Travel Series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions, which will be scheduled for release in March. This book was originally scheduled to release in 2025, but due to unforeseen technical difficulties, (my laptop died), I was unable to make those deadlines, so I’m excited to be releasing it at last.
March: The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions – Book 2 in the Time Travel Adventure Series, by Kaye Lynne Booth
In 1887, LeRoy is stuck, bringing trouble down on those around him. When Sissy is kidnapped and he’s the only one who can save her.
In 2030, Amaryllis will stop at nothing to find LeRoy fix what she messed up in the past, when she wakes up in a future very different to the one she knows, one in which she may not be born.
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.
When they cross the other time loops, already created, things change, but not the way Amaryllis intended.
Add two time travel regulators from the future who are after the time module, and things start to get wild.
April: Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons poetry anthology
The annual WordCrafter poetry anthology, Poetry Treasures will be released in April in celebration of National Poetry Month. 2026 brings us volume 6 in the Poetry Treasures anthology series with a theme of ‘Seasons’. The contributors for this anthology are selected from the guests on Robbie Cheadle’s “Treasuring Poetry” blog series in 2025.
May: The Dark Horse Waits in Boulder, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen
A Romantic Comedy set in Boulder, Colorado, in the late 1970’s. Charli Erickson is a “rock poet” who’s a bit “flippant.” Each chapter will be music to your ears.
June: Smothered, by B.T. Clearwater
A paranormal romance by B.T. Clearwater.
June: Diabetes: How to prevent or treat it with a new and effective approach that does not involve supplements, weight loss or medication, by Daniel Cox Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
Personalized, research based, practical, empowering, effective workbook. For individuals who want to take control of their diabetes.
July: Marta – Book 3 in the Women in the West Adventure Series, by Kaye Lynne Booth
Marta is a woman trying to make a new start in hostile territory.
Marta is not the timid Mormon woman, who was abducted by Utes as her husband and children were killed in the raid. Now she is determined to make her way as an independent woman, after her partner tried to cheat her out of her share of a gold mine.
Determination and inner grit bring this strong and spunky heroine into the company of a cast of colorful and unique female characters and together, they face down banditos, Comancheros, and angry husbands and fathers, as well as Marta’s disgruntled partner as they travel the rugged desert landscape to unruly border town of El Paso, Texas.
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Marta.
August: Legends anthology
A WordCrafter themed anthology
September: Deep City in Times Roman, by Lindsey Martin-Bowen
A “Roman Clef” based upon the Moony movement, popular in the 1970s and ’80. Set in the 1980s, Lynette and Shirley are quite angry at the Reverand Yun Sung Ghunne, who has separated their husbands from them as he is forming his Ghunies movement. This story spoofs the Mooney movement, or any movement that is mainly designed to dupe persons into supporting the leader and building his wealth.
October: Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares dark fiction anthology
Volume 4 of the WordCrafter
Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series
November: Writing Month
This month I’ll be working on revising what I have of my Playground for the Gods science fantasy series. (It’s been a while since you heard about this one. I bet you forgot all about it, but I didn’t.) Originally planned as a massive four-book series, I now plan to release this entire series in serial installments on Ream.
This series started out as my thesis project for my first M.F.A. degree. I left off with the first book completed, and part of the second, as well as a few chapters for the third. Once these have been revised, which is planned for the month of July, I should be ready to take off with new chapters and continue the saga. Look forward to seeing this series released on Ream as a serial in 2027!
December: The 12 Dark Nights of Christmas anthology
‘Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the crypt
Not a body was stirring
Not a single bone twitched.
The corpses were nestled in eternal beds
While visions of the macabre lurched through their heads.
The Spirits were restless and flitting about
In anticipation of mayhem when the demons came out.
Twelve dark stories that prove Santa isn’t the only thing stirring on Christmas.
Happy New Year – Have a Great 2026!
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The 2026 Canadian Reading Challenge
Posted: December 27, 2025 Filed under: Uncategorized 3 Comments
Check out the 2026 Canadian Reading Challenge. I may do this even though I live in the U.S. I recommend Mark Leslie’s works. What a great way to discover new authors. One book a month by a Canadian author. That’s not so hard.
https://carlalovestoread.wordpress.com/2025/12/26/2026-great-canadian-reading-challenge/
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Book Review: “Shadows of Deceit” & “The Gift”
Posted: December 26, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Kaye Lynne Booth, Shadows of Deceit, Stephanie M. Matthews, The Gift, Timothy R. Baldwin, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About Shadows of Deceit
A rookie PI. A city full of secrets. One deadly game she may not survive.
When rookie private investigator Cassie Maddox takes on her first big case in the gritty streets of Lenape City, she stumbles into a web of corruption, betrayal, and murder.
What begins as a simple job spirals into a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase with the city’s most powerful figures.
Haunted by her father’s legacy as a decorated detective, Cassie is determined to prove herself—even if it means uncovering secrets that cut too close to home.
To find the truth, she must risk everything: her independence, her family, and maybe even her life.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FG3B7LFB
My Review of Shadows of Deceit
I received a digital review copy of Shadows of Deceit, by Timothy R. Baldwin through Sandra’s Book Club in exchange for an honest book review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Young Cassie is overwhelmed by a need to prove herself as she avoids following in her father’s footsteps. So, when her first case as a P.I. turns into more than just a cheating husband, she is determined to solve it on her own. But her bulldog determination causes her to make mistakes, miscalculations and misjudgements until she finds herself over her head in web of corruption and deception, and playing a very dangerous game.
A typical hard crime novel, but the stakes aren’t high enough. Although we’re told that Cassie is swimming in dangerous waters, we don’t really see it past her friends being kidnapped and knocked around. But we don’t see that, just the after effects. It doesn’t feel so dangerous. I never really felt the peril. Even when the case is solved, I’m not sure what the real scam was, or who was doing what.
While it could be a good detective story, Shadows of Deceit fell short of the mark for me. I give it three quills.
About The Gift
“The Gift” will change Christmas forever.
The breakout thriller novel of Canadian author Stephanie M. Matthews, “The Gift” will leave you breathless in this story about a darkness that haunts a little Belgium village, and the lengths it will take to save a young woman from being lost to it forever. This is a vividly haunting Christmas story that will not be easily forgotten.
The darkness begins here.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Stephanie-M-Matthews/dp/0995313202
My Review of The Gift
I received a digital review copy of The Gift, by Stephanie M. Matthews, through Sandra’s Book Club, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. The author, Stephanie M. Matthews has done a smashing job of weaving religious and philosophical symbolism in to make the storyline work in this fantastical tale.
The Gift is a dark Christmas tale with an undercurrent theme of the age-old struggle between good and evil. Fae goes to the village of her heritage at her grandmother’s request. It is her grandmother’s wish Fae receive a very special gift, and Fae can’t imagine what it might be. The village closes down to the outside world on Christmas eve, allowing no one in or out on account of a strange event when the village was saved from a Nazi invasion which no one is willing to talk about. In order to receive her gift, she must spend the night in the village, but the villagers are less than welcoming, strongly urging her to leave before Christmas eve begins.
The more she learns about the village residents and their strange customs, the more mystery that shrouds her anticipated present, the more determined she becomes to collect it. But everything comes with a price, and the price of Fae’s gift may be higher than she ever imagined.
The Gift is everything that a Christmas tale shouldn’t be: dark and scary, with Christmas horror, rather than Christmas cheer. I give it 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 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 ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Merry Christmas to All!
Posted: December 25, 2025 Filed under: Holidays, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read | Tags: WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read 7 Comments
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In Touch With Nature – 12 Days of Christmas in Southern Africa
Posted: December 24, 2025 Filed under: Holidays, In Touch With Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, In Touch With Nature, Nature Photography, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Wildlife, Writing to be Read 50 CommentsI am ending my “In Touch With Nature” year with a Southern Africanised version of 12 Days of Christmas.
12 Days of Christmas in Southern Africa
On the first day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
A leopard in a great tree
On the second day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the third day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Seven marching elephants
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Eight gemsbok a-resting
Seven marching elephants
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Nine wildebeest prancing
Eight gemsbok a-resting
Seven marching elephants
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Ten impala a-watering
Nine wildebeest prancing
Eight gemsbok a-resting
Seven marching elephants
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Eleven buffalos drinking
Ten impala a-watering
Nine wildebeest prancing
Eight gemsbok a-resting
Seven marching elephants
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
Twelve guinea fowl running
Eleven buffalos drinking
Ten impala a-watering
Nine wildebeest prancing
Eight gemsbok a-resting
Seven marching elephants
Six grazing zebras
Five feeding cheetahs
Four playing wild dogs
Three hartebeest
Two lion cubs and
A leopard in a great tree
Happy Holidays!
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Everyone is a Critic: “Tulsa King”, Season 3
Posted: December 22, 2025 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Television review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Tulsa King Season 3, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
Back in December of 2024, I wrote my first review of what quickly became one of my favorite series, Tulsa King after I’d watched the first two seasons and was anxiously awaiting the third season, for which they kept us waiting until this past fall. Last week, I watched the season finale, and I just had to write a review for this season, as well.
At the end of the 2024 season, viewers are left with the General, Dwight Manfredi (Slyvester Stallone), being yanked from his home in the middle of the night with the impression that perhaps it is the Feds who took him. In the opening of this season, we learn that it was special agent Musso (Kevin Pollack), of the FBI, who took Dwight, and we find out he has a personal agenda for his actions. Setting up a main story line for season 3, as Musso uses Dwight to set up the terrorist who killed his partner.
We also see the return of an old girlfriend, Cleo Montague (Bella Heathcote), for Mitch (Garrett Hedlund), and an opportunity to take Manfredi’s business ventures in a new direction: bourbon. It seems Cleo’s father is being pushed into selling his distillery by a man named Jeremiah Dunmire (Robert Patrick), the head of the Dixie Mafia, setting up another main story line for season 3.
In the first two seasons, the General and his crew kicked butt and cleaned house on Kansas City and New York crews, as well as the Chinese Mafia. This third season with Dixie Mafia doesn’t disappoint. Added to the General’s crew is Spencer, played by Stallone’s daughter, (Scarlett Rose Stallone), who plays a major role as she moves up in the ranks of Dwight’s inner circle and befriends Dunmire’s son, Cole (Beau Knapp). And we have the reappearance of Cal Thresher (Neal McDonough) as Margaret (Dana Delaney) helps him rise up in the race for Governor of Oklahoma.
However, early in the season, Bill Bevilaqua (Frank Grillo), the Kansas City boss, who joined forces with the Tulsa crew in season 2, pushes too hard and Agent Musso takes him out of the equation, when he keeps too close an eye on Dwight as he tries to figure out what is going on, and threatens to interfere with Musso’s plans. Dwight spends a good part of the beginning of the season riling up Quiet Ray in New York, trying to find Bill, as Bill’s wife and crew are breathing down his back, suspicious that he has something to do with Bill’s disappearance. Mid-season, Musso admits to Dwight that he has detained Bevilaqua, but as soon as he does, Bill’s crew disappears from the scene. Apparently, once Manfredi knows where Bill is, no one else is worried about him anymore.
Not to mention that this is a highly unlikely scenario anyway. Are we to believe the FBI is so powerful they can incarcerate people for convenience, since Bill had broken no laws, but was proving an obstacle to Musso’s plans? And, further, that his wife and crew would just fade into the background, once Musso admits arresting him to Dwight Manfredi? We don’t hear about Bevilaqua for the rest of the season, and they leave his storyline unresolved with the finale, so now Bevilaqua fans are just hanging until next fall. Wtf?!
While I had great interest in the third season story line, and Dunmire turned out to be a worthy adversary for the General. The two main story lines which are unraelated at first, come together quite nicely for an exciting climax in the final episode. I also liked the story line for Cole Dunmire, as well, even if his moment of self-realization is a little predictable. But, to leave one of my favorite characters in a not so believable situation, and then try to sweep it under the rug and pretend like he doesn’t exist, for me, is unacceptable and uncool.
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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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 “Chatting with New Blood” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man 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: Double Visions: Coming in 2026
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Book Review: “Flat Spin”
Posted: December 19, 2025 Filed under: Audio Books, Book Review, Crime, Fiction, Noir, Review | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Crime Fiction, David Freed, Flat Spin, Noir, Ray Porter, Writing to be Read 1 CommentAbout Flat Spin
Flat Spin is the first installment in David Freed’s acclaimed thriller series featuring Cordell Logan, a sardonic pilot with dwindling savings and a shadowy past.
Flying out of California’s sunny Rancho Bonita, Cordell Logan is a flight instructor and aspiring Buddhist whose attempt at a quiet(er) life is shattered when his ex-wife Savannah arrives on his doorstep. Her new husband—and Logan’s former comrade-in-arms—Arlo Echevarria, has been murdered and she needs his help.
Logan and Echevarria used to be members of a top-secret military assassination team known as Alpha. Savannah begs him to tell the police what he knows in order to help them solve the murder, but sharing that sort of information raises both ethical and practical concerns. After an attempt on Logan’s own life it becomes clear that this goes deeper than he thought, and that solving the murder himself may be the only way to ensure his—and Savannah’s—safety.
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Freed brings his own experience to bare in this brilliant binge-worthy mystery perfect for fans of Robert B. Parker and Robert Rotstein.
Chirp Purchase Link: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/flat-spin-by-david-freed-9ff63f01b8
Amazon Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Flat-Spin-Cordell-Logan-Mystery/dp/B0CKTWFTW5
My Review of Flat Spin
I purchased an audiobook of Flat Spin, by David Freed and narrated by Ray Porter, through a Chirp $1 Deal. All opinions stated here are my own.
Before I begin, I have to give kudos to the narrator, Ray Porter. This guy has such a wide range of character voices that it is absolutely amazing. As he reads the story, each character is given a distinctive voice, which really helps to put the listener into the story. He does both male and female voices, Asian voices, Russian voices and African American voices, all with apparent ease, and the listener is able to distinguish between characters and know who is speaking. Superb!
Cordell Logan is a retired special operative and flight instructor turned amateur detective to find a killer when his ex-wife asks to find her current husband’s killer. The story tone is one that reminded me of tales of hard-core detective protagonist, such as Mickey Spillane, or Mike Hammer. (Know what I mean, kid?) The tone is purposeful and is emphasized by the audiobook’s narrator, Ray Porter. And the amount of bad luck and misfortune which falls in the protagonist’s way is reminiscent of James Rockford of The Rockford Files.
Although, a fairly run of the mill hard crime fiction detective novel, the talent of the chosen narrator makes this story shine above the crowd in my book. I give Flat Spin five quills.
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About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and 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 ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Treasuring Poetry – Sunflower Tanka Dreams anthology compiled by Robbie Cheadle and Colleen M. Chesebro
Posted: December 17, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Poetry, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: #Poetryanthology, #Poetrycommunity, #RobbieCheadle, #TreasuringPoetry, Colleen M. Chesebro, Dreams, Poetry, Poetry Anthology, Robbie Cheadle, Sunflower Tanka, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read 67 CommentsHi everyone, this is my last Treasuring Poetry post 0f 2025 and I’m thrilled to be ending with a post about the second anthology in the Sunflower Tanka anthology series with the theme of dreams.
This wonderful anthology has 54 contributors and the variety of fascinating takes on the theme of dreams is fascinating. Colleen M. Chesebro and I are contributing editors of this collection and Colleen created an amazing cover using one of my watercolour paintings. The green-haired flower maiden is based on Meadow, a character from one of Teagan Riordain Geneviene’s imaginative stories, Atonement in Bloom. You can learn more about this book here: https://teagansbooks.com/2025/12/08/a-bloomin-snippet-for-cffc/
Blurb
Sunflower Tanka, edited by Robbie Cheadle and Colleen M. Chesebro, is an annual anthology showcasing contemporary tanka, tanka prose, and experimental tanka. Each volume brings together a vibrant tapestry of voices—both emerging and established—from across the globe.
For 2025, our theme “Dreams” invites poets to explore the symbolic language of dreaming, where metaphors blur the line between reality and imagination. Dreams often serve as gateways to layered meaning, offering fertile ground for syllabic poetry.
This year’s contributors journeyed deep into their dreamscapes, opening portals to boundless creativity. Through the timeless form of syllabic verse, they captured visions that transcend waking life, weaving poetry that resonates with mystery, wonder, and the infinite possibilities of the human imagination.
This is the promo video on YouTube:
I am going to take this opportunity to share one of Colleen’s poems and one of my collaborative poem’s with my son, Michael, from this collection.
Writing Through Dreams (tanka Puente) by Colleen M. Chesebro
in the fog of lies
honesty outlines a path
beyond my worst fears
my dreams, a shining lighthouse
nudge out my darkest secrets
– Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. – Thomas Jefferson, former U.S. president
dreams empower me
to use my curative skills
a fresh cup of tea
affords me the wisdom to
write syllabic poetry
The End In Sight (Tanka Puente Collaboration) by Robbie and Michael Cheadle
on the brink of change
bright eyes viewing the future
my son and his friends
graduation imminent
transition to adulthood
– If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right – Henry Ford
anxiety creeps
deep despair spreads like fire
spars fear of failure
disappointing those you love
mother’s nagging tongue lashes
My review
This is a collection of beautiful syllabic poems contributed by 54 poets from around the world. All the poems centre around the theme of dreams and the range of interpretations is fascinating.
The poems in the collection comprise of tanka, tanka prose, garland tanka, tanka Puente, bussokuseki, rensaku and taiga which includes a black and white image and they collectively form a delightful poetry adventure.
The collection is introduced with an interesting overview about the inspiration for the theme and the various meanings of the word dreams. This section closes with a delightful tanka by partnering editor, Colleen Chesebro, as follows:
rain cools with sky-mist
sweet drops spark my appetite
whispering prayers
moonlight breaks through the darkness
a feverish dream of you
The collection concludes with a selection of each of the partnering editors favourite poems and the reasons why those specific poems resonated with each of them.
One of my favourite poems is by Yvette M. Calleiro:
miracle baby
you came to me in a dream
blessing from above
missing puzzle piece in life
my greatest accomplishment
I feel this way about my own two sons and so this poem has stayed in my heart.
A delightful collection of poetry that will make a lovely gift to others or to yourself.
Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Sunflower-Tanka-Anthology-Prose-Experimental/dp/B0G51RKG61
Tanka Tuesday
You can join in weekly syllabic poetry challenges on Tanka Tuesday here: https://tankatuesday.com/2025/12/09/tankatuesday-poetry-challenge-no-42-gift-gifting-12-09-25/
About Colleen M. Chesebro
Colleen M. Chesebro grew up in a large city in the Midwest. Keen on making her own way in the world, she joined the United States Air Force after graduation to tour the world and find herself. To this day, that search continues.
An avid reader, Colleen M. Chesebro rekindled her love of writing poetry after years spent working in the accounting industry. These days, she loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction.
In addition to poetry books, Chesebro’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of her writing community on her blog on by organizing and sponsoring a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, where participants experiment with traditional and current forms of Japanese and American syllabic poetry.
Chesebro lives in the house of her dreams in mid-Michigan, surrounded by the Great Lakes with her husband and two (unicorn) cats, Chloe & Sophie.
You can find Colleen M. Chesebro on her personal blog here: https://colleenchesebro.org/
About Robbie Cheadle
South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
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/
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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.
Get Your Copy Today!
Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR
Poetry Treasures 4:In Touch With Nature: https://books2read.com/PT4-Nature
Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures
