Happy Halloween!

Posted: October 31, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Event, Halloween, Haunted, Inc., WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read | Tags: Halloween, Haunted Inc. Book Event, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

To celebrate, I’ll be posting a special “Everyone is a Critic” movie reviews of The Woman in Black and The Mummy later today. But mostly, I’ll be hanging out at Sonoran Dawn Studio‘s “Autumn Cider: Haunted, Inc.” Book Event on Facebook. I hope you will join us for a whole lot of spooky stuff, audio/video readings from WordCrafter anthologies, and book promotions. There are plenty of author takeover spots open, so if you’d like to get in on the promos, head on over and contact the host. Join us at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/571364865242267?

Growing Bookworms – Great Halloween reads for children #Halloween #GrowingBookworms

Posted: October 11, 2023 | Author: robbiesinspiration | Filed under: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Reading, Teaching children | Tags: Children's Books, Children's Stories, Growing Bookworms, Halloween, Writing to be Read | 67 Comments

I didn’t grow up with Halloween. In fact, I learned about the Halloween festival much later in my life through social media and books.

Looking back on my childhood reading though, I always had a fascination with all things creepy and chilling. Below I’ve discussed two of my favourite childhood books about witches, monsters, and other fantasy and mythological creatures, as well as Michael and my latest Sir Chocolate book: Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon.

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Blurb

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don’t ride around on broomsticks. They don’t even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you’re face to face with one? Well, if you don’t know yet you’d better find out quickly-because there’s nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she’ll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

My thoughts

I loved The Witches. The main characters of the book are a grandmother and her young grandson. Grandma comes from Norway and has had several experiences with real witches disguised as lovely and kind ladies. There are lots of way of identifying ‘real’ witches and Grandma passes this wisdom on to her young grandson. The story is told from the perspective of the unnamed grandson.

Following an illness, Grandma and her grandson book a holiday in a hotel near the sea. Grandma needs fresh ocean air to convalesce. When the pair arrive, a conference of the “Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children” is in progress. The grandson manages to get himself trapped behind a screen in the ball room where the conference is being held. It doesn’t take long before the lovely attendees of the conference are revealed to be witches. The Grand High Witch has come up with a plan to rid the world of its children and she is sharing this plan with all the witches of England.

It is up to Grandma and her grandson to stop the witches and save the children of England from a ghastly fate.

Grandma was such a wonderful character, full of creepy stories and antsy comments. I really enjoyed her, and this is one of my favourite Roald Dahl books.

You can purchase The Witches by Roald Dahl here: https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Roald-Dahl-ebook/dp/B00INIYHJQ

Which Witch by Iva Ibbotson

Blurb

Arriman the Awful, feared Wizard of the North, has decided to marry. But his wife must be a witch of the darkest powers…

A sorcery competition is held to discover which witch is the most potent and fiendish, and glamorous Madame Olympia conjures up a thousand plague-bearing rats! Belladonna, the white witch, desperately wants to be a wicked enchantress, but her magic produces flowers instead of snakes. How can she become more devilish than all the other witches?

My thoughts

Iva Ibbotson has many entertaining children’s books that feature witches, monsters, and other fantasy creatures. This one was the first of her books I read, and I never forgot it. When I had my own children, I searched for this book and purchased it to read to them.

Arriman the Awful, a dark and powerful wizard, lives in Darkington Hall. Arriman has become bored with his dark magic and decides to choose a wife from his hometown of Todcaster. He is aware of a prophecy that he will be replaced by a wizard with much greater powers than his own and believes this great dark wizard must be his son. Arriman doesn’t have any children and isn’t married so he decides to remediate this situation as quickly as possible.

Arriman decides to choose his wife through the holding of a contest between the seven witches of Todcaster: (Mabel Wrack, Ethel Feedbag, Mother Bloodworth, Nancy Shouter, Nora Shouter, Madame Olympia, and Belladonna). The witch who performs the darkest magical act will become his wife.

All the witches are black witches except for one: Belladonna. She is a white witch and is not able to perform acts of dark magic. Belladonna is, however, in love with Arriman the Awful and wants to win the contest.

Shortly before the contest, Belladonna meets an orphan boy named Terence Mugg. Belladonna is able to perform a really dark act of magic to rescue Terence from the dreadful and unking matron of the orphanage. The pair believe that Terence’s pet worm, Rover, is a powerful familiar and has enabled Belladonna to perform this black magic.

Belladonna and Terence, with the help of Rover, come up with a plan to ensure Belladonna wins the contest.

However, the best laid plans often go astray and this one is no exception.

You can purchase Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson here: https://www.amazon.com/Which-Witch-Eva-Ibbotson-ebook/dp/B003GGST7Q

Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon

How this book came to be published

Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon is the third book in Michael and my new “Sir Chocolate High days and Holidays” book series.

We decided to self-publish this new series which celebrates various Christian holidays and other international celebration days like Valentine and Halloween.

The source of these stories is mainly promotions for the Sir Chocolate book series that we have written over the last seven years since the first Sir Chocolate book, Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream berries story and cookbook was published.

Our intention with this series is to share a fun, rhyming verse themed story and to include some fun activities (mainly baking and food art but there are some other activities included) that parents or caregivers can make with their children in line with the holiday or theme that is the focus of the book.

Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon is a Halloween themed book and includes three fabulous themed baking activities that children can make under parental guidance.

This book includes five fun limericks for children. This is one example:

Blurb

The Chinese Candy Dragon has taken all of Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet’s Halloween treats. Will he return the stolen goodies and mend his relationship with the villagers?

Includes three fun Halloween activities for children.

Book trailer

Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon is available as a paperback, ebook, and on Kindle Unlimited from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Chinese-Candy-Dragon-holidays-ebook/dp/B0CDPTXNWX

About Robbie Cheadle

Photo of Robbie Cheadle standing in front of trees.

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

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

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

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

WordCrafter News: Halloween Book Event and Looking Ahead to November

Posted: October 31, 2022 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Ask the Authors, Book Event, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press, Writing, Writing Life, Writing Reference, Writing Tips | Tags: Ask the Authors 2022, Halloween, Sonoran Dawn Studios, Visions, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | 3 Comments

Halloween Book Event Party!

It’s Halloween! My favorite time of year. This year, you’re invited to come join WordCrafter and Sonoran Dawn Studios in the All Hallow’s Eve – The Web We Weave Autumn Cider Book Event on Facebook. It is today from 12 pm MST, so come join in the fun by clicking on the link below. There will be lots of treats and maybe even a few cool tricks.

All Hallow’s Eve – What Web We Weave Book Event

WordCrafter Press is offering several giveaways and you can vote on the best audio story or excerpt from stories featured in all three 2022 WordCrafter anthologies: Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections and Visions, each narrated by the story’s author. Pick up a copy of your favorite WordCrafter paranormal anthology for the special Halloween sale price of .99 cents. Find out how to get a copy of any of the 2022 WordCrafter releases and get a sneak peek at what’s in store for 2023.

With author takeovers by Robbie Cheadle, Joseph Carrabis and myself. And don’t forget to check out the offerings from our gracious host, Sonoran Dawn Studios. Plus lots of good music and other entertainment. It will be a hauntingly good time, so I hope you will join us. See you there!

New Release!

I don’t know how you coud have missed it, with the extensive blog tour we just ran, but in case you did…

Visions is available now!

18 talented authors share their Visions with you. Get your copy from your favorite distributor today: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

Valuable Writer’s Toolkit!

Ask the Authors 2022 will be available in the Writer’s Career Toolkit Bundle, currated by Kevin J. Anderson, throughout the month of November. The intitial 5 book bundle is $5, but for $20, you can get all 15 writing references, including Ask the Authors 2022. It’s a great deal for authors! just in time for NaNoWriMo this year. Pick up your bundle of valuable writing tools today.

Purchase Link: https://storybundle.com/writing

NaNoWriMo Challenge

Having Ask the Authors 2022 as a part of the writing tool bundle this year, just in time for National Novel Writing Month and being able to peruse all the other wonderful writing references which are included has given me the urge to try to do the NaNoWriMo thing once more. I tried this challenge once before, back when I still really had no idea how to write a novel, and I failed miserably.

Since then, I ‘ve learned a lot about writing and a lot about this writing challenge that I hadn’t yet realized back then. For one thing, this challenge isn’t inteneded to produce publishable novels, but rather very rough first drafts. For another, although the goal is 50,000 words, which is probably not a full novel anyway, you don’t have to start from square one. I know of writers who are right now plotting out their story, with no intention of writing by the seat of their pants. (Of course, back then, that was the only way I knew how to write.) When Tuesday, the 1st of November roles around, they will be locked and loaded and ready to write.

That one realization is what made me change my thinking, because I have a novel already started, which I hope to realease in 2023, and this writing challenge could be a good way to help that happen. So, with partial novel in hand, I prepare to take the NaNoWriMo writing challenge once again.

Can I do it this time? That’s left to be seen, but I think changing my goals a bit to adding 50,000 to what I already have, and by following some of the great time management strategies found in Aisley Oliphant’s Booked to the Gills, which is also included in the Writer’s Career Toolkit Bundle, (see my review here), I might be able to meet this challenge head on now. For this challenge, I plan to work on my Time Travel Romance, The Rockstar and the Outlaw, which is based on the music of The Pretty Reckless and has been sitting on a back burner while I worked out a few obstacles that I ran into with it. Any of you out there who are feeling the urge are, of course, welcome to join me, as I set goals, block out writing time, and probably drive myself crazy writing an awesome story, (or at least a bad first draft). If you do plan to participate in NaNoWriMo, let me know in the comments, so I won’t feel so all alone.

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Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, as a sampling of her works just for joining.

Halloween Book Event

Posted: October 14, 2022 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Book Event, Book Promotion, Books, WordCrafter Press | Tags: All Hallow's Eve, Book Event, Book promotions, Books, Giveaways, Halloween, Sonoran Dawn Studios, What Web We Eve, WordCrafter Press | 1 Comment

Event Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/527330558809222/

This Halloween, you’ll find Kaye Lynne Booth and WordCrafter Press on Facebook for Sonoran Dawn‘s Autumn Cider Book Event – All Hallow’s Eve: What Web We Weave Book Event, hosted by Sonoran Dawn Studios. All are welcome to join us. (If we are friends on Facebook, you may have already seen an invitation.)

Come party and promote with us. If you’re an author, there are author takeover spots open. Click on the event link, mark yourself as going and message the host, DL Mullan, if you are interested in doing an author takeover spot. It’s pretty easy to do an author takeover. You just prepare a few promos, memes, games or even videos to entertain and interest readers for a half an hour or so, and post during your time slot, promoting yourself and your writing at the same time. It makes it easier if you create a script with each post listed along with links with each post directing readers to your sites, social media and author pages. If you’re unsure, you can contact me and I’ll try to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

If you’re a reader, come and hang out and engage with your favorite authors, or maybe find some new ones. Join us for games and giveaways, and other fun Halloween stuff. Sonoran Dawn has some great stuff planned, and let’s face it, we’re too old to trick or treat.

WordCrafter Press will be promoting all three of the short fiction anthologies published in 2022: Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, and Visions, the Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships anthology, and Ask the Authors 2022, which is now available in Kevin J. Anderson’s Writer’s Career Toolkit Bundle through the end of November. (If you are planning to do NaNoWriMo, you may want this bundle now. You can get yours here: https://storybundle.com/writing) And we’ll have a special promotion for the WordCrafter paranormal anthology collection: Whispers of the Past, Sprits of the West, Where Spirits Linger and the set, Lingering Spirits Whisper.

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Halloween Special: 3 Days Only

Posted: October 29, 2021 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: book marketing, Book Promotion, Books, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Paranormal, Stories | Tags: Anthology, Halloween, Paranormal, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Where Spirits Linger, WordCrafter Press | 6 Comments

Covid 19 brought changes to the way we do many things, including how we celebrate Halloween. Many folks may not be comfortable being exposed to children in costume coming to their door. Many parents may not be comfortable letting their children go door-to-door this year. I know of neighborhood residents who have gotten together to allow trick-or-treating only within a close-knit group, where everyone knows everyone else and they are all vacinated, and I’ve seen more haunted houses this year than ever before.

One thing that hasn’t changed though, is the love of a good ghost story or two on Halloween night. That’s why this weekend only, you can get a digital copy of Where Spirits Linger, this year’s WordCrafter paranormal anthology, to draw your ghost stories from. You’ll be captivated with the lingering spirits in these short stories, including the winning story from the 2021 WordCrafter Paranormal Short Fiction Contest, “Olde-Tyme Village”, by Christa Planko. Work from other authors which is also included in this short fiction collection: Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s ghost with an agenda in “Listen to Instructions”, my own ghosts who want to care and be cared for in “The People Upstairs”, S.L. Kretsmer’s ghost who wants to be remembered in a positive light in “The Final Portrait”, Stevie Turner’s ghost who wants revenge in “David’s Revenge”, and you’re sure to get a chuckle from Enid Holden’s ghosts in “The Chosen Few”.

Don’t miss out on these great ghost stories this Halloween. Only .99 cents starting today through Halloween. Celebrate your Halloween Where Spirits Linger. Click the link below to have your digital copy delivered right to your reading device of choice.

https://books2read.com/u/mYGyNG

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For the Love of Halloween

Posted: October 30, 2020 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Event, Books, Commentary, Editorial, Fiction, Paranormal, Stories, Western, WordCrafter, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Event, Halloween, Spirits of the West, WordCrafter, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. We get to dress up and be anyone or anything that we want to be. As adults too big to trick or treat, we find one Halloween party or another to attend, so that we have a legitimate excuse for donning a costume and pretending to be someone or something else for a while. Or we turn our yards into graveyards to scare the kids who come to trick-or-treat, or maybe we channel or Halloween fantasies into the costumes we make for our children. But no matter how well we hide away our inner children, the longing to once again play make believe never really goes away.

But this year, things may be a bit different. The Covid 19 pandemic has turned the world upside-down, and trick-or-treating poses new threats to both us and our children. Social distancing is the new buzz word and large social gatherings are falling out of fashion. Although masks are in style, they aren’t the kind that will go well with our costumes. In fact, in many places trick-or-treating has been cancelled and other types of holiday celebrations are emerging in its place.

It’s sad, really. We may be seeing the destruction of many time-honored traditions which are no longer deemed ‘safe’ activities. Thanksgiving celebrations are being limited to maximum numbers, as well. Apparently, no holiday is safe.

I hope all of you will join us for the 2020 WordCrafter Halloween Book Bash tomorrow evening. For the past two years, WordCrafter has hosted or participated in Halloween book events on Facebook, and this year is no exception. Many of the activities and events being used to replace traditional forms of celebration are of a virtual nature, so our celebration this year is probably trending. It is a short one this year, only three hours, from 6 p.m. MDT to 9 p.m. MDT, but we’ve got some great contests and games, and some fantastic book promotions and new releases. My co-hosts are authors Mark McQuillen, Ellie Raine, Jordan Elizabeth, and Amy Cecil. It’s my way of keeping Halloween traditions alive during tradition crushing times.

I think the thing that I’m most excited about though, is that WordCrafter will be promoting their newly released western paranormal anthology, Spirits of the West. This anthology contains eight unique stories with hints of paranormal and western flare. Contributing authors include myself, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Jeff Bowles, Art Rosch, Tom Johnson, and the author of the winning story, “High Desert Rose”, Enid Holden. It’s an antholgy like no other and I am so pleased with how well it turned out.

However you choose to celebrate this Halloween, be safe and have fun.

Happy Halloween!

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Halloween: Scary, but Fun

Posted: October 31, 2018 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Dark Fantasy, Dystopian, Fiction, Gothic, Horror, Paranormal, Reading, Speculative Fiction, Stories, Thriller | Tags: Dead Man's PArty, Facebook event, Ghost Stories, Halloween, horror, marketing, Scary stories, Short Fiction | Leave a comment

People love to be scared, especially within a safe environment. That’s why the horror genre will always be popular. Sitting around trying to scare one another by telling ghost stories or urban legends is a passtime enjoyed and induldged by young and old alike. It’s one of the reasons Hallowen is a favorite holiday for many, with haunted houses and ghost stories and a monster around every corner.

But telling ghost stories to pass the time on a stormy night isn’t any type of new passtime. In fact, two hundred years ago, on a damp and dreary night, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstien was created on just such an occassion, when a challenge was issued to see who could invent the best scary story. Today’s monsters may be digitally enhanced, but we still enjoy sharing their stories, searching for an inkling of fear or a rush of adrenaline to get our hearts pumping.

That’s why I hope you’ll all drop in and join in the fun at the Sonoran Dawn’s Dead Man’s Party today on Facebook, where myself and other authors will be reading scary stories, playing games and holding giveaways. Many of the authors from the Dark Visions anthology, which I reviewed this past month, including Writng to be Read team member Jordan Elizabeth, and AtA panel member, Dan Alatorre, who compiled and produced the anthology which climbed up the ratings for best horror anthology rapidly following its release. I gave the anthology five quills and it is well worth the read. I’m excited to be reading a few of their stories for them, as well as my own The Haunting of Carrol’s Woods, and can’t wait to hear the audio recordings of the other’s stories, too. I hope you will join us. It may be scary, but it will be fun.