The Kickstarter campaign for Sarah is in full swing, but we haven’t fully funded yet. I set a $500 goal and we’re only 25% funded. The thing about Kickstarters is that they are an all or nothing deal. The campaign ends on February 12, and if it hasn’t fully funded by then, the backers pay nothing, and the author gets nothing, and all that is lost is the time and hard work put into the campaign. So, when you make a pledge, its just that and you don’t have to pay anything until the campaign ends on February 12, if it funds, and if it doesn’t, you pay nothing, and must wait until March 19th to get a copy of Sarah through distributors.
The good thing is, once funded, the author receives anything over and above the funding goal to help support the project even further. I’ve been discussing doing the series in audiobook with a talented narrator, and if this campaign funds enough above the funding goal, you will see that happen in the future.
That’s why I really want this campaign to be successful. And there’s no reason that it can’t be. We’ve got some exclusive rewards which can’t be found anywhere else: early digital copies of Sarah, signed print copies of Sarah, and Special Illustrated Editions of both Delilah & Sarah. (Special Edition covers and illustrations by DL Mullan of Sonoran Dawn Studios.) Plus both digital and signed print copies of Delilah are available as add ons.
Delilah: Special Illustrated EditionSarah: Special Illustrated Edition
The best piece of advice I was given when learning about Kickstarters was only do campaigns for projects that you are going to do anyway. So, if it doesn’t fund, it won’t mean the end of the project, but it will be disappointing.
You can help, and get some of those great rewards, by backing the campaign before February 12. Your support of the project could help to reach the funding goal and more. Won’t you consider supporting this project?
Sarah is Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series. The series is western historical women’s fiction with strong female protagonists and historical figures from the true life turned fictional in each book.
Sarah
Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.
Sarah is not the young girl who was stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.
When she is stolen away from the life she’s made with the Utes, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.
Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?
Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.
About Delilah
Delilah is a woman haunted by her past.
Her homecoming from prison quickly turns into a quest for vengeance when she is brutally raped and left for dead, and her fourteen-year-old ward is abducted. Sheer will and determination take this tough and gritty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest, Indians and outlaws to Leadville.
Can the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado mining town work their way into Delilah’s heart, offering a chance for a future she thought she’d lost along with her innocence?
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Delilah.
A New W.I.P.: The D.I.Y. Author
In February, I’ll begin the actual writing of The D.I.Y. Author, my first writing reference book, and I’m excited to tell you about it.
I’ve put together writing reference anthologies in the past, drawing on the expertise of many authors, but The D.I.Y. Author will be the first writing reference book I’ve ever created solo, so I’m very excited, (and a bit nervous), about it. The biggest problem with putting out a reference book such as this one, is imposter syndrome. I mean, reference books are written by experts, aren’t they? So to create a book like this, you must consider yourself to be an expert and be able to convince others that you are so they will read it. I’ve never considered myself to be an expert, in fact I spend a good amount of time learning whatever I can from others whom I consider to be experts. So, looking at myself as the expert is a different point of view for me, a different mindset, but I’m learning. And that is how this book came about.
This book is about a subject that I am an expert about: doing it all yourself on a very limited budget. That’s me. It’s what I do. And in The D.I. Y. Author, I’ll be sharing all the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way. I’ll share with you how I do it, from planning the book, to writing the book, to publishing and marketing the book. And it’s all stuff that you can do, too!
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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.
About the project-Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series
It’s finally here! Sarah is book 2 in my Women in the West adventure series. Some of you may have been waiting for this book since last year’s Kickstarter campaign for Delilah, which is the first book in the series.
In case you are just hearing about this book and the Women in the West adventure series, let me tell you about both. In the Women in the West adventure series, each book features a strong female protagonist braving the American frontier in the late 1800s, and fictionalized versions of true life historical characters. Delilah met Baby Doe and H.W. Tabor, who were instrumental in turning the mining camp of Leadville into a bonified town, and Sarah befriends Doc Holiday and Big Nose Kate.
Sarah is the second book in the series. Those following the series were introduced to the girl of 14 in Book 1: Delilah, when she was abducted and sold to the Ute Indians. Now as a 17 year old, she’s made a life for herself as a Ute squaw, and mate to the chief’s brother, becoming a valuable member of the tribe, until a mysterious Sioux warrior appears and turns her world upside down. Stolen away from those who she’s come to call family, she must face not only her abductor, but the dangers of the American frontier in a constant fight for survival.
Book Trailer
Book Trailer –Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series
Why Back This Campaign?
You mean beside the fact that you think I’m awesome and you can’t wait to read everything I write?
Just kidding. I know you all love me. 🙂
Seriously, we have some excellent rewards for this Kickstarter campaign which you can’t get anywhere else. You can get an early digital copy or a signed print copy of Sarah, or a Special Ilustrated Editions of both Delilah and Sarah. And you can get both digital and print copies of Delilah as add ons for less than you would pay through distributors. You can back the project for as little as $5 or as much as $100, depending on the reward teir that you choose.
The goal is $500, and if funded, your support of the campiagn will go toward the wonderful covers for the Special Illustrated Editions, by DL Mullan and Sonoran Dawn Studios, and help to keep me afloat as I work on Book 3: Marta, scheduled to come out in 2025, and all the projects that are lined up for the coming year. It would be great to fund the campaign in the first 24 hours and move it onto the favorite projects lists over at Kickstarter, maybe funding even more than the $500 goal. I’ve been thinking of making this series available in audio, and I’d love to raise enough to get my narrater for that. All support is appreciated.
The Kickstarter Campaign for Sarah: Book 2 in the Women in the West adventure series is set to launch on January 21, 2024, and I’m excited to tell you about it.
This will be a 21 day campaign and the goal is $500. Remember, Kickstarter campaigns are all or nothing, so if we don’t reach the goal, you don’t owe your pledge and I walk away with nothing. But, I ran two successfully funded campaigns in 2023, including Book 1 of this series, Delilah, and I’m hoping this one will do even better. If I raise enough over and above the goal, it will enable me to make this series available in audiobook – something I’ve been wanting to do for at least three years.
What’s in it for you?
We’ve got some great rewards for this campaign. As with other campaigns, backing at the $5 tier offers an early digital copy of Sarah, and backing at the $25 tier offers a signed print copy of the book, not available anywhere else. In addition, there are Special Illustrated Editions of both Sarah and Delilah, and an opportunity to name a character in Book 3: Marta. And in case you missed the first Kickstarter, for Book 1 of this series, Delilah is also available in digital and print as add ons.
Pre-Launch Page
The launch isn’t until the 21st, but you can show your support now by signing up on the pre-launch page at the URL below. Following on the pre-launch page will result in receiving a reminder on the day of the actual launch, so you can be one of the first to back this project. All support is greatly appreciated.
Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.
Sarah is not the young girl who was stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.
When she is stolen away from the life she’s made with the Utes, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.
Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?
Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.
About the Women in the West Adventure Series
The Women in the West adventure series is historical western women’s fiction featuring strong female protagonists and fictionalized historical characters brings the American western frontier to life.
Book 1: Delilah – A young woman returning to her family home after serving a two year prison sentence for defending her mother and sister, and killing her abusive step-father sets out on a return journey to the family home, which ends up being a quest for revenge.
Book 2: Sarah – A young woman, abducted and sold to the Utes, trying to find a place for herself on the western frontier
Book 3: Marta (Coming in 2025) – A Mormon woman who has lost her family and been abducted in an Indian attack performs courageous feats as she makes her way on the western frontier.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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.
The above meme is found in the back matter of all WordCrafter Press books because it is true. Reviews are the best way to spread the love for authors that you read.
Not everyone can afford to buy a book, or back a Kickstarter campaign, or support a Patreon author. I get that. But it doesn’t cost anything to leave a review. You’ve already got the book in hand, so all it takes is a small amount of time to go onto your blog, or your favorite book site and leave a review, or both.
I do book reviews here on Writing to be Read. And although I’m not real timely about it, I also post my reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub. Now that actually does take some time, but if I use copy/paste from blog to booksite, it isn’t too bad. I do them in batches, after the reviews have posted on my blog. I’ll be doing the last batch for the year in December, so I can start fresh with my January reviews in 2024.
I do that because I think reviews are important for authors, and I appreciate the work that goes into the books that entertain and inform me. I started doing reviews on my blog as a way to show my support for my fellow authors, and free books were just icing on the cake. I’ve never been able to afford my vorocious reading habits, so blogging reviews has been a win-win.
An article by Chuck Wendigg over at Terrible Minds offers good reasons for authors wanting reviews and for leaving reviews. https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2023/10/27/psst-leave-a-review-and-why-leaving-a-review-matters He points out the ‘word of mouth’ value of getting reviews for your books, and he also talks about the all-mighty algorythm, how reviews can affect it, and how it affects your standing with distributors and your book’s visability.
Let’s face it. In today’s marketplace, people check reviews on everything, not just books. Reviews are not a new thing for books, which have been riding on reviews, even when traditional publishing was the only option available to authors. So it should be no surprise that reviews are so very important. And as indie authors in a sea of competing books, they can be hard to come by.
I put a lot of time and effort into getting reviews for my own books and for those of WordCrafter Press, too. Reviews don’t usually fall from the sky, you have to ask for them. I send out review requests to reviewers who might be interested in each book, and offer up ARCs (Advance Review Copies). And I put the above meme in the back of each book to remind readers to leave a review right after they finish the book.
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; her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; her time-travel adventure, The Rock Star & The Outlaw; 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.
It’s the final stop on the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour and today we’re going to wrap things up with a reading by contributing author Denise Aparo from her haunting story, “The Pines”,and some excerpts from stories from authors who weren’t able to participate in the tour. So, kick back and enjoy the reading and peruse the excerpts, meet the authors and join in the discussion by leaving a comment and earn a chance at a free digital copy of Midnight Roost.
Meet Author Denise Aparo
Denise Aparo is a new WordCrafter Press author, so I’m just getting to know a little ab out her, too. Her story, “The Pines” wasn’t the winning story in the short fiction contest, but I still felt that its dark parnormal feel would fit into the anthology. Now that the book is compiled and I can see the finished product, I think I made the right decision. It is a perfect addition to the Midnight Roost collection. Listen to the reading below and see if you don’t agree.
Reading from “The Pines”
Reading from “The Pines” by Denise Aparo
About Denise Aparo
Denise Aparo is a New England native, born and raised in the clockmaking city of Bristol, Connecticut. She lives with her husband, Joe, and they have five grandchildren. She is also a freelance writer who spends her time working on her novel and writing short stories. She also spends her time gardening, crafting, and crocheting.
Denise likes to write Paranormal Fiction, genre of Historical Fantasy. She recently completed her first novel, Crossbows. She has a Masters of Arts in English and a Fine Arts/Creative Writing with concentration in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and a member of Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, and The National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi, with SNHU.
She is a member of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association (CAPA) and the author of a new WordPress writing blog, The Write Voice, The Write Voice | The write voice at the write time, a blog that boasts, “Like multiple genres, there are many cultures – each with an individual voice.” Denise is a new addition to the WordCrafter Press authors.
Excerpt from “She Shed Galleria” by C.R. Johansson
Excerpt from “House on the Plains” by Zack Ellafy
Excerpt from “Take Two” by Rebecca M. Senese
Excerpt from “A Visitor Comes to the Window” by Robert Kostanczuk
That wraps up today’s stop, and the whole tour. I hope you enjoyed meeting Denise and the excerpts from the other stories. Be sure to visit any stops you missed through the links in the schedule below for more chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost. I will announce the winners in next Monday’s “WordCrafter News” post, here on “Writing to be Read”
Giveaway
A chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at every stop. Just leave a comment to show your support for the tour, the anthology, and all of the fantastic authors.
Tour Schedule
Monday – October 16 – Opening Day –Isabele Grey (Interview & Reading) & Joseph Carrabis (Reading) –Writing to be Read
Tuesday – October 17 – M J Mallon (Reading) & Christa Planko (Interview & Guest Post)– Undawnted
Wednesday – October 18 – Chris Barili (Guest Post) & Paul Kane (Guest Post) – Patty’s Worlds
Thursday – October 19 – Julie Jones (Reading) & Keith Hoskins (Guest Post) – Robbie’s Inspiration
Friday – October 20 – Michaele Jordan (Reading) & Mario Acevedo (Guest Post) – Writing to be Read
Saturday – October 21 – Patty Fletcher (Guest Post) & DL Mullen (Guest Post & Video) – Roberta Writes
Sunday – October 22 – Sonia Pipkin (Guest Post) & Roberta Eaton Cheadle (Reading) – KyrosmagicaPublishing
Monday – October 23 – Closing Post –Denise Aparo (Reading) & excerpts from other stories – Writing to be Read
About 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.
Welcome to the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour! We’ve got a great tour planned for an outstanding anthology Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories. Below, you will find the tour schedule and information about how you can get chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost. The great thing about this tour is that you will get to meet, not one, but two contributing authors at each stop and learn about their stories.
Today, I’ll tell you a little about this weird and creepy anthology and then we’ll meet the author of the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, Isabel Grey, and learn more about her story, “Red Door House”. Get ready to dig into a probing interview with Ms. Grey and she also shares a reading of her story.
About Midnight Roost
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.
Monday – October 16 – Opening Day –Isabele Grey (Interview & Reading) & Joseph Carrabis (Reading) – Writing to be Read
Tuesday – October 17 – M J Mallon (Reading) & Christa Planko (Interview & Guest Post)– Undawnted
Wednesday – October 18 – Chris Barili (Guest Post) & Paul Kane (Guest Post) – Patty’s Worlds
Thursday – October 19 – Julie Jones (Reading) & Keith Hoskins (Guest Post) – Robbie’s Inspiration
Friday – October 20 – Michaele Jordan (Reading) & Mario Acevedo (Guest Post) – Writing to be Read
Saturday – October 21 – Patty Fletcher (Guest Post) & DL Mullen (Guest Post & Video) – Roberta Writes
Sunday – October 22 – Sonia Pipkin (Guest Post) & Roberta Eaton Cheadle (Reading) – Kyrosmagica Publishing
Monday – October 23 – Closing Post –Denise Aparo (Reading) & excerpts from other stories – Writing to be Read
Giveaway
A chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at every stop.
Just leave a comment to show your support for the tour, the anthology, and all of the fantastic authors.
Meet Author Isabel Grey
I’m delighted to bring you this interview with a budding young author, Isabel Grey. Her occult horror story, “Red Door House” was the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, and I am so pleased to be able to introduce you to her here. She was previously unknown to me, so I learned some cool things about her, too. And I have to say that I am proud to have not one, but two of her stories featured in Midnight Roost. Her other story is “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework”, offering a rabbit’s eye view of human nature during a disastrous gender reveal party.
Kaye: I always like to start by learning something about the author’s writing journey, so can you tell us about yours?
Isabel: I was an avid reader from a young age, mostly choosing fiction but eventually finding a love for poetry. I’m currently receiving my second MFA in Poetry after I completed my first in Genre Fiction at Western Colorado University. I’m an emerging writer who primarily focuses on fiction and verse though I do dabble in essays.
Kaye: What’s something most readers would never guess about you?
Isabel: When I tell people I write horror, they always seem surprised. Someone told me I don’t look like a horror writer, though I’m still not entirely sure what she meant by it.
Kaye: What prompted you to enter the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest?
Isabel: WCU had an advertisement in their newsletter for the contest. I happened to be in my Short Forms course at the same time and had a few pieces I was happy with. I figured, why not?
Kaye: You entered two stories to WordCrafter Press: “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework” and “Red Door House”. Only one can win, and I’ll ask you about the one that won, “Red Door House” a little further into the interview. But for now, can you share a little about the story that didn’t win, “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Fireworks”? What inspired you to write that story?
Isabel: I explore gender identity in my writing, “Rabbits” being a prime example. There was a horrible wildfire in California as a result of festivities at a gender reveal party not long before I wrote this, so the story is something of a response to that tragedy. I chose to write from a rabbit’s perspective to speculate the concept of a gender reveal party and gender roles in general.
Kaye: Were you surprised to learn that “Red Door House” won the contest?
Isabel: Yes! This was the first fiction contest I ever entered so it was a delightful surprise to hear the news.
Kaye: Can you share a little bit with our readers about the winning story?
Isabel: “Red Door House” is a supernatural horror about a brother and sister in a small town where a cult is carrying out insidious acts for a sentient house. There is mystery, dark magic, and dreamlike sequences that make the reader question what is going on under the surface of Staiwhile town’s suburban veneer until the final and unnatural third act.
Kaye: What inspired you to write “Red Door House?”
Isabel: “Red Door House” was very loosely inspired by a several-decades-old cold case I fell upon randomly during my studies. Of course, I took many liberties and added fantastical elements to make “Red Door House” its own story.
Kaye: Which author, dead or alive, would you love to have lunch with?
Isabel: There are so many, but for the purpose of this interview, I will say Shirley Jackson. She is my main inspiration for horror, especially when making the mundane macabre. A trope I’m obsessed with is that of the haunted house. Using the house as a symbol of the psyche is something I return to again and again, both in my writing and reading. I would love to talk houses and witchcraft with Jackson, perhaps at a meal to match her famous dinner parties.
Kaye: What is the biggest challenge of being a writer for you so far?
Isabel: Making time for writing. I’m a full-time student with a part-time job, and if it weren’t for the fact that much of my school assignments had to do with my writing, I would have a far more difficult attempt at time management. It’s been reassuring knowing I can juggle so many things, which is always the case in life as a writer, but budgeting the hours I can snatch for my writing is something I’m still working on.
Kaye: Do you also write longer, book length fiction? Which do you find easier? Why?
Isabel: Right now, I’m querying my first novel, a Gothic historical set in 1927 California. I find novel writing easier than writing short stories because there is far more space for suspense and build-up in a longer-length book. With a short story, there is much precision that doesn’t come as naturally to me. Part of the trouble is that I tend to read more novels than short stories, something I’m making a conscious effort to change.
Kaye: What is your favorite genre to write in? Why?
Isabel: Horror, usually in historical settings. In the new movie, A Haunting in Venice, Tina Fey’s character, Ariadne Oliver says “Scary stories make the world less scary.” The world at large has always scared me and a way that I cope with that is by trying to scare it back with my writing.
Kaye: What is the one thing in your writing career that is the most unusual or unique thing you’ve done so far?
Isabel: I bought a roll of several thousand Zoltar cards that served as “research” for a short story. I don’t regret it only because I used them to decoupage a piece of furniture later on.
Kaye: What goals do you set for yourself in your writing?
Isabel: Find representation for my novel and continue working on my second which I started earlier this year. I returned to poetry writing after taking a break while studying fiction. Recently, I’ve published a few poems in smaller presses and would like to continue to have material for a poetry collection.
Kaye: I always like to make interview posts informative. What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
Isabel: The fabulous writer, who was also one of my professors in grad school, Fran Wilde, told me “First drafts are allowed to suck.” While studying fiction, I realized my process for writing worked best by “running through the graveyard at night”, in other words, getting down the story as quickly as possible without tripping up on my technical imagination early in the process. The first draft of anything is scary, and it’s important to allow your creative imagination to flow when you start something new.
Also, never stop reading.
Reading from “Red Door House” by Isabel Grey
Reading from “Red Door House” by Isabel Grey
About Isabel Grey
Isabel Grey is a Colorado resident. She is currently receiving her MFA at Western Colorado University in Genre Fiction and Poetry. Her work has been published in Ample Remains, The Gay & Lesbian Review, and The Chamber Magazine. Grey writes fiction, poetry, and essays. You can find her on Instagram- @greyauthor222.
Isabel is a new addition to the WordCrafter Press authors. Her story, “Red Door House” was the winning story in the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction contest.
Joseph is a contributor by invitation, which is to say, he was not a contestant in the short fiction contest, but received an invitation to submit from me. He submitted three stories, and I accepted all three because they were outstanding, and I am pleased to have his writing featured in this year’s anthology. So Joseph has contributed three stories featured in MidnightRoost: Weird and Creepy Stories, and they are weird and creepy indeed. “Blood Magic”, a dark fairytale in which a young girl’s foolishness brings down a witch’s curse upon her betrothed and the price to make things right is high. “Binky”, a social commentary on birth defects and lingering spirits. And “The Beach”, which will speak for itself in the reading below.
Inspiration for “The Beach”
The Beach is based on actual beach I discovered my first time through college. Pretty much everything in the story is based on what really happened…except killing. The killing is specific to the story. Aside from that, riding my bike, discovering the cove, seeing the mansions, even returning after successes in business (although just to see if the beach still existed, not to develop the property) are all based on actual events from my life.
Reading from “The Beach “
Reading from “The Beach” by Joseph Carrabis
About Joseph Carrabis
Joseph Carrabis told stories to anyone who would listen starting in childhood, wrote his first stories in grade school, and started getting paid for his writing in 1978. He’s been everything from a long-haul trucker to a Chief Research Scientist and holds patents covering mathematics, anthropology, neuroscience, and linguistics. After patenting a technology which he created in his basement and creating an international company, he retired from corporate life and now he spends his time writing fiction based on his experiences. His work appears regularly in several anthologies and his own published novels.
Joseph’s story, “Maryanne”, is featured in the 2022 Visions anthology from WordCrafter Press.
That wraps up the first stop on the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour. I hope you enjoyed learning about Isabel Grey and her winning story. I hope you’ll join us tomorrow on Undawnted, where DL Mullan interviews contributing author, Christa Planko and we’ll learn about the inspiration for her story, “The Easterville Glass Ghost”. And we’ll meet author M J Mallon with a reading from her story, “The Cull”.