Book Review: “Mason’s Missing”
Posted: August 8, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Mason's Missing, mystery, Teresa Burrell, Writing to be Read 4 CommentsAbout Mason’s Missing

Reluctant Allies, Small-town Secrets, & Stormy Weather
Old cowboy-turned-fixer TUPER is hired to find five-year-old MASON, who was likely taken by his father. But when Mason’s father is found dead, the boy is nowhere to be seen.
In a futile search during a cold Montana blizzard, TUPER and his hacker friend LANA pursue a quest that blurs into insanity
and murder. As wounded TUPER fights to stay alive in the bitter cold, LANA searches cyberspace and finds someone working hard to ensure secrets remain secret—especially Mason’s true identity.
Mason’s Missing is the first book in the Tuper Mystery Series and a gripping tale of suspense and redemption that will keep you hooked until the end.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Masons-Missing-Tuper-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B075963GJB
My Review of Mason’s Missing
I purchased a digital copy of Mason’s Missing, by Teresa Burrell via a Saturday Bookbub deal. All opinions stated here are my own.
Mason’s Missing is tale filled with mystery from beginning to end. Right from the start, things begin not adding up, and the more Tupor uncovers, the more mysteries are revealed. Tupor is the protagonist, an aging cowboy turned investigator. A worried mother comes to him, asking him to help find her abducted son, Mason, pointing a finger at her estranged husband. But, when the husband turns up murdered, Tupor soon questions if the woman is who she says she is. And who is Mason, really?
This mystery kept me guessing until the end, where author Burrell ties things up nicely and all is revealed. I give Mason’s Missing five 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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, 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. 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.
Book Review: “The Poison Dart”
Posted: July 18, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review, Thriller | Tags: Book Review, Geri L Dreiling, mystery, The Poison Dart, Writing to be Read 11 CommentsAbout The Poison Dart

The ripple effects of an overdose send shock waves through a community.
A sweeping drug bust upends lives, exposing the cartel’s deep reach into the Midwest.
A quest for a better life threatens to destroy a family.
As Debbie Bradley digs deeper into each story, startling connections emerge. When fates collide, who will survive?
My Review of The Poison Dart
I received a digital copy of The Poison Dart, by Geri L. Dreiling, from the author, through Sandra’s Book Club, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
The Poison Dart is a Debbie Bradley mystery. The name of the series didn’t intrigue me, but the title of the book did. So, I was a little disappointed to finish the story with no poisoned Dart to be found…, although a poison frog which they make poison darts from did make an appearance. In after thought, I found the title misleading and felt the author didn’t deliver on the promise of the premise.
That being said, it is a decent story that keeps you guessing. Debbie Bradley is a reporter on the crime beat who is determined to get her story. What appears to be a story about a fentanyl laced heroine overdose, takes her deep into cartel territory as she follows her leads to discover the source of the tainted drugs.
Just out of rehab, Caleb Webb is ready to celebrate, as he reunites with old pals Macie and Alex, but things go wrong quickly when Caleb’s ride turns overdose and Macie’s Narcan doesn’t bring him around. But, Debbie has a feeling that Macie isn’t being totally honest with the police, but who is she trying to protect? And what isn’t she telling them?
After Caleb’s parents and brother, Connor accuse Macie of being the source, and murdering him, Macie confides in Debbie, that she’s carrying Caleb’s baby and doesn’t know where to turn. Because she is a long term addict, her parents are fed up, and Caleb’s family thinks she killed him. Debbie wants to help the girl, who is hesitant, not knowing who she can trust.
Although the title is misleading, I give The Poison Dart 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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, 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. 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.
Review in Practice: “$10k Secrets”
Posted: July 14, 2025 Filed under: Advertising, Anthology, Book Review, Book Sales, Books, marketing, Nonfiction, Review in Practice | Tags: $10K Secrets, Adriana Tica, Alex Mathers, Ana Calin, Book Review, Claudia Faith, David McIlroy, Derek Hughs, Jari Romer, Karen Cherry, Landon Poburan, Nick Wolney, Philip Hofmacher, Review in Practice, Russell Nohelty, Sinem Gunel, Substack, Veronica Llorca-Smith, Writing to be Read, Yana G.Y. 14 CommentsMost authors would love to make $10k a month from their writing business. I know I would. I’m always looking for ways to increase my writing income. So when I was offered a free copy of a book titled $10k Secrets, I snatched it up without a second thought.
This free book is not a How To, but rather a collection of essays by different creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs who share their methods of generating $10k a month from their work. Many can be applied to a writing business, even if the author of the piece references coaching or teaching, etc…
Many give testimony to the value of an email list, (an area in which I’m lacking), or Social Media Following, which we all know is important. Most of them involve use of the Substack platform, which I am not familiar with, but the principles can be applied on other platforms which I do use, or plan to use in the future. I’ve been toying with the idea of using a subscription platform for some time now and I’ve been looking at the Ream platform to publish my Playground for the Gods science fantasy series. Since Ream is geared more toward fiction writer’s, and my understanding of Substack is more of a newsletter platform, the two are quite different, but I see possibilities for adapting some of the Substack concepts suggested.
I realize that all my past attempts at doing a consistent newsletter have been dismal failures, and my email list is non-existent. The essay by Claudia Faith which shares how to grow your newsletter through story telling sparked some ideas for me on this subject, too. I know this is a weak area for me, so perhaps a new newsletter platform is the solution.So, I’ll be checking out the Substack platform in the near future.
However, I have to wonder if my audience would be receptive to the idea of either a subscription newsletter or a subscription for a story in serial form. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments, especially if you have used either of the two platforms.
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But, growing a substantial email list is not the only way to build your income, and among the fifteen featured essays author Phillip Hofmacher shares how he does it by marketing online courses and digital merchandise, Ana Calin shares how to do it with brand deals, Landon Poburan shares how to do it with free content, high- ticket offers and diversified income streams, Karen Cherry shares her method using niche B2B content, Jari Roomer shares how to build and launch a $10k mini-course, Nick Wolny shares how to write big ticket service proposals, and Sinem Gunel shares how to use a webinar to generate $10k in sales each month.
Many of these methods are still out of my grasp, but I picked up tidbits from each essay which could be useful and tucked away those that might be useful down the road. The essay by Russell Nohelty shares how to take content from blog to book to create monetized content was of particular interest. I’ve taken blog content and transformed it into a book with the Ask the Authors series, which began as a two month long, weekly blog series interviewing different authors. It’s a lot of work- first to create the blog content, and then compiling it all into book format, but this essay made me consider giving it another try.
What I didn’t like about this strategy was the fact that in order to publish on Amazon, the content could not be available for free online, so before publishing each book, all that blog content had to be pulled down. I don’t like having to disassemble my blog to publish a book. The last Ask the Authors book I published was in 2022, so I’m wondering if this is still the case. Definitely something to look into.
About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,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. 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 “Review in Practice” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Get Your Copy Now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
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Book Review: “Silent”
Posted: June 27, 2025 Filed under: Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, D.M.Mitchelll, mystery, Silent, Writing to be Read 3 CommentsAbout Silent

With his acknowledged individual storytelling expertise, D. M. Mitchell pens yet another taut psychological thriller with a difference that twists and turns to its deliciously devious and unexpected conclusion. Discover for yourself why D. M. Mitchell is being hailed as one of the most exciting new writers of thriller and supernatural tales in the UK.
My Review of Silent
I purchased a digital copy of Silent, by D.M. Mitchell after reading his story, Mouse. You can read my review of Mouse here: ( ). All opinions stated here are my own. And I have to say, D.M. Mitchell is quickly becoming a new favorite for me.
After reading Mouse, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of Silent, because D.M. Mitchell seems to be full of surprises. But this was such a fun and entertaining story that I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. It has a gothic horror flavor that helps to create an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue. The novel is set in 1927’s Hollywood, with a slight detour when the protagonist, Rick Mason, inherits a mysterious Slavonian castle, and a curse, not long after the story begins, expertly piquing the reader’s curiosity and setting the mysterious gothic tone for the rest of the book.
Rick Mason is a down on his luck motion picture actor, looking for his big break when he meets Betsy Bellamy, also looking for fame and fortune, and falls in love, in spite of the disapproval of her brother Davey, who currently writes screenplays. But life is about to change for Rick.
In Silent, D.M. Mitchell has masterfully created a modern mystery with a Gothic horror flavor which captured my attention from cover to cover. A good story with a surprise ending, but you’ll get no spoilers here. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Book Review: “Once Gone”
Posted: May 23, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Review, Thriller | Tags: Blake Pierce, Book Review, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Once Gone, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout “Once Gone”
“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn’t let go.”
–Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)
“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”
–Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.
Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.

Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.
A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.
My Review of “Once Gone”
I received a free a digital copy of “Once Gone”, by Blake Pierce from a offer of free series starters in the back of his book, “If She Knew”. “Once Gone” is book 1 in his Riley Page Mystery Series. All opinions stated here are my own.
After being caught and tortured by the perpetrator she’d been hunting, Agent Riley Page has been on hiatus, trying to mend the damage the deranged killer had rendered. But when a victim is discovered with the same MO as a case she’d worked on previously, she is called back into action, to use her ability to delve into the killer’s mind and try to get a step ahead. As more victims turn up, it becomes evident that the killer is escalating, and the clock is ticking for Riley to find him before he kills his next victim.
A typical crime procedural thriller, where the protagonist must bend the rules to get the job done. The story is well told, the details are gruesome, and the protagonist is relatable, but I found nothing to make this tale stand out above the rest. I give “Once Gone” four 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.
Book Review: “Touch of the Mage”
Posted: May 16, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Review | Tags: Book Review, Fantasy, Jennifer Chance, New Adult, Touch of the Mage, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout Touch of the Mage

Life at the academy just got… messy.
I’ve always dreamed of getting into a top college, but after a stint in juvie, my school prospects went sideways fast. Now I work at a magic academy…as a janitor. Ironic, right?
Okay, so maybe I get a kick out of secretly solving the arcane equations the professors leave on the board for the rich, entitled student wizards. I’m broke, not stupid.
Except then I get caught by the hottest mage on campus…who ropes me into helping him and his three equally gorgeous friends win a decidedly screwed-up magic competition.
Easy enough, I think—until I start setting things on fire and getting chased by smoke-faced monsters and fighting side by side with four of the sexiest, most powerful wizards ever…and find myself—just maybe—falling in love…
With all of them.
Whoops.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Mage-Boston-Magic-Academies-ebook/dp/B0CR9JNRNF/
My Review of Touch of the Mage
I received a free digital copy of Touch of the Mage, by Jennifer Chance through ( ). All opinions stated here are my own.
Touch of the Mage is a new adult academy romance, and book 1 of Jennifer Chance’s Twyst Academy series. Although I’ve heard of the new adult category, I’m not sure I’ve read one before. The characters have the same hopes and dreams as those in a young adult book, but there’s more emphasis on romance story lines and adult language is acceptable in new adult literature.
As book 1 in the series, this tale does a great job of introducing the main characters and laying out the rules of the world where Twyst Academy exists. It gives the reader just enough to know that all is not as it should be and wanting to see what else awaits. And after all, isn’t that what a series starters should do?
Believing her special talents to be a curse that she doesn’t know how to control, Maddigan Pierce just tries to get by in life by blending into the woodwork as a janitor, and becoming invisible to the students and faculty of Twyst Academy, where talented witches and wizards are thinned down to the best of the best.
But once Connor notices her, she finds herself bonded with a group of four of Twyst’s most promising wizards, and she’s throwing flames and battling beside the four hottest wizards on campus in the Mage Trials.
But, fighting magical foes isn’t the least of her problems, as Maddigan finds herself attracted to all four of her new teammates, with feelings that may be heightened due to their bonding.
Touch of the Mage is a fun and entertaining story that will leave you wanting more. The perfect series starters. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Book Review: “If She Knew”
Posted: April 25, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller | Tags: Blake Pierce, Book Review, Crime Fiction, If She Knew, Writing to be Read Leave a commentAbout If She Knew

55 year old empty nester—and freshly retired FBI agent—Kate Wise finds herself drawn out of her quiet suburban life when her friend’s daughter is murdered in a home invasion—and she is implored to help.
Kate thought she left the FBI behind after 30 years as their top agent, respected for her brilliant mind, tough street skills and her uncanny ability to hunt down serial killers. Yet Kate, bored with the quiet town, at a crossroads in life, is summoned by a friend she can’t turn down.
As Kate hunts the killer, she soon finds herself at the forefront of a manhunt, as more bodies turn up—all suburban moms in perfect marriages—and it becomes apparent there is a serial killer stalking this quiet town. She unearths secrets from her neighbors she wishes she never knew, discovering that all is not what it seems in this picture of model streets and neighbors. Affairs and lying are rampant, and Kate must sift through the town’s underbelly if she will stop the killer from striking again.
But this killer is one step ahead of her, and it may end up being Kate who is in danger.
An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, IF SHE KNEW is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/She-Knew-Kate-Wise-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B07GX3BR7P
My Review of If She Knew
I received a copy of If She Knew, by Blake Pierce through FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.
If She Knew is the first book in Blake Pierce’s Kate Wise Mystery series. I relate well with the aging female protagonist who isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel and settle into retirement. (Telling Kate Wise to stop solving crimes is like telling me to stop writing. Lol.) I enjoyed this book so much, I grabbed a second series starter from the back of the book, so watch for that review next week.
Kate Wise is a retired FBI agent, but when her friend’s daughter is murdered, she must step in to help. Her involvement earns her an invitation to come out of retirement and officially work on cold cases, but if she doesn’t knab this killer, her career could be all washed up. The great thing about police procedurals is watching at they break procedure. The only obvious connection between the victims is the area they live in, but Kate knows there must be more. It’s a race with the clock, as another victim turns up. Can she find the real connection before the killer strikes again?
This book is everything a good procedural crime novel should be. I give If She Knew four 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.
Book Review: “Deja Dead”
Posted: April 11, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, cozy mystery, Fiction, Mystery, Review | Tags: Book Review, Cozy Myatery, Deja Dead, mystery, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, Writing to be Read 9 CommentsAbout Deja Dead

Things can get pretty dark in the City of Light.
Claire Baskerville is a 60-something American who finds herself alone in Paris when her husband is brutally murdered. Reeling from the onslaught of devastating secrets he left behind Claire is stunned to realize she no longer knows who to trust.
She only knows she can’t move forward until she finds out the truth behind who killed her husband.
In spite of a genetic brain anomaly that makes it impossible for her to remember faces – even ones she’d seen just moments before, and all alone in a foreign city, Claire doggedly collects the clues that will lead her to her husband’s killer.
Unfortunately, the closer she gets to the truth, the more determined that killer is to make sure she never leaves Paris alive.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/D%C3%A9j%C3%A0-Dead-riveting-thriller-American-ebook/dp/B07X4TRQ3F
My Review of Deja Dead
I received a copy of Deja Dead, by Susan Kiernan-Lewis through FreeBooksie. All opinions stated here are my own
Deja Dead is the first book in Susan Kiernan-Lewis’ Claire Baskerville mystery series. I chose Deja Dead because of the cover, which features a Paris cobblestone street, with the Eiffel Tower in the background cast in an eerie purplish light, indicating to me that this might be my type of mystery story. I was not disappointed. The mood and tone of the story keep things mysterious, with a feeling of danger lurking around every corner.
Another plus, from my point of view, is that the female protagonist is in her sixties, making her a relatable character for me. Claire has no superpowers, no magical protections, and she feels all the aches and pains that result from searching the streets of Paris for her husband’s killer, and getting too close. She may be older, but she’s also wiser, and driven to find out why the Paris police are trying to sweep it all under the rug. All while dealing with the discovery that her husband wasn’t the man she thought she knew. When she learns that her father died right after her husband was murdered, and her own paternity comes into question, she’s not even sure of her own identity.
Everyone seems to have secrets, and each that is revealed sets Claire reeling. Yet, she is determined not to stop until the truth is revealed, and her husband’s murderer is caught, even when her plans seem crazy, and maybe even fool hardy. She can’t do it alone, and can only hope that she’s putting her trust in the right people.
A superb cozy mystery. Claire Baskerville is right up there with Miss Marple. I give Deja Dead 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.


































