It’s coming! Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories to be released October 17, 2023 and is available for pre-order now!
About the 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.
Joseph Carrabis – “The Beach”, “Blood Magic”, and “Binky”
DL Mullan – “Mangled”
Christa Planko – “The Easterville Glass Ghost”
Paul Kane – “The White Lady”
Sonia Pipkin – “Once Upon a Time”
C.R. Johansson – “She Shed Galleria”
Roberta Eaton Cheadle – “The Behemoth”
Patty Fletcher – “Casualties of War”
Keith J. Hoskins – “Teddy”
Denise Aparo – “The Pines”
Julie Jones – “Night of Terror”
Isabel Grey – “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework” and “Red Door House” (Winning story in 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Rebecca M. Senese – “Take Two”
Mario Acevedo – “Immediate Intervention”
Kaye Lynne Booth – “Melina”
Michaele Jordan – “Afterward”
Robert Kostanczuk – “A Visitor Comes to the Window”
M J Mallon – “The Cull”
Upcoming Book Blog Tour
To celebrate the release of this wonderfully weird and creepy anthology, join us for the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour October 16-23, starting right here on Writing to be Read. Meet the contributing authors, find out about the inspirations behind the stories, read excerpts, meet the characters, listen to readings from the stories, and get chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at each stop.
____________________________________________
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.
Note: “The Viscareal Character Portrayal” segment of “Writer’s Corner” promised last month has been postponed, but will be featured soon.
Why sell direct?
Many of you may be aware of my use of the Kickstarter platform to sell my books direct, before they are released through distributors. My business model utilizes both direct selling and offering my books wife through distributors and libraries. But, ‘why bother?’ you might ask. By my own admission in previous posts, Kickstarter campaigns are a lot of work, create a certain amount of tension as I wait to see if they will fund, since Kickstarter is an all or nothing deal, and since I am not Bryan Sanderson, Kevin J. Anderson, or Joanna Penn, have produced only a small amount of money, just barely funding each time.
But, did you know that authors who sell direct make more money from their books by cutting out the percentage that distributors take, so they get to keep more of their royalties. I would make even more if I sold direct from my site, but I’m not set up to do that yet.
So, by buying direct from an author’s site or through a Kickstarter campaign, you are supporting that author more than you do by purchasing through a distributor. I’m all for anything that makes me more money from my books and gives less to Amazon. While I do have to give a cut of the money I make on each campaign to Kickstarter, it’s only 5%, which is much less than the 30 – 70% that have to give distributors.
Why Kickstarter?
Traditionally, authors would submit their work to publishers, and if they were lucky enough to have their book catch a publishers eye, they would get a contract and an advance on their earnings, and their book would be published eventually. But that advance was basically what most authors would make on their book unless it hit the best seller lists, because you had to earn out the advance before any more royalties would be distributed. With the rise of indie authors, traditional publishing, publishers began offering less and less for advanced, and doing less and less marketing, until I hear now, that in many traditional publishing deals today, authors are lucky to get any kind of advance at all, and they are expected to do most of the marketing, as well.
I look at Kickstarter as the indie authors advance for their books, and the best part is, you don’t have to earn that out before receiving more royalties from distributors. So, while $500 isn’t a lot of money, that’s where I set my funding goals for now, because it’s low enough to offer me a chance to reach it, since I don’t have a big reach… yet. I figure that’s a pretty good advance, and it gives me more funding to keep my writing business operating for a while longer.
Not all crowd funding is equal. I understand that other crowd funding platforms charge a lot more to host, are more general in their uses, and feel a bit like begging. But Kickstarter is set up to accommodate creative projects, and they have formed their own inner eco-system, so you can reach out to a whole new audience. Backers from earlier campaigns are automatically notified when you launch a new campaign, and they have internal messaging set up, so you can engage directly with your backers and develop more of a relationship. And I’m not begging. I’m offering real value to my backers in exchange for their support. The going may be slow, but this is one way to find those 100 true fans that will read everything I ever wrote, just because I’m me.
How Does It Work?
Why you might want to back a Kickstarter?
There are several reasons for backing Kickstarter campaigns. You might know or be familiar with the author and want to show your support. I support Kickstarter campaigns of authors I know, and they, in turn, back my campaigns, as well. That’s one thing I love about most author communities – we support one another.
But, there is another reason which can be even more motivating – the value offered through the Kickstarter system. Of course, the higher pledge levels offer more value through bigger and better rewards.
Plus there are add-ons, which you can get for an additional pledge. Since international shipping is beyond my reach at this time, I offer plenty of digital goodies for my add-ons. I tried offering an interview with the author, but as a still relatively unknown author, I didn’t have any takers on that one. Hopefully, that will change soon.
But there’s more. Once the funding goal is reached, stretch goals can be added, which offer bonus goods if a new goal is reached, as I touched on above. For example, you might receive a bonus book for everyone who backed the project at the $5 level or higher for hitting a certain amount of pledges, or bringing in a certain number of new backers by a given deadline. The more goals reached, the more rewards backers get. And it’s not just books. Kevin J. Anderson offers audiobooks. Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rush offer workshops valued at $150. Other authors offer artwork, interviews, in-person hang outs or Zoom calls, or consultations. Backing a Kickstarter at the $5 level can return some great value.
My campaigns offer an early digital copy of the book, before its release through distributors at the $5 level, and a signed print copy for U.S. backers at the $25 level. For Rock Star, my highest level offered a goodie bag with all the rewards from the lower levels and more. For Delilah, backers at the highest level got to name a character in the second book. I’ve had a lot of fun developing the characters of Lillian Alura Bennett and Owoz Crebo for Sarah.
Things to be aware of
Kickstarters are a lot of work. Seriously. And you must keep in mind that Kickstarter is an all or nothing deal, so if you don’t reach your funding goal, you get nothing, and neither do your backers.
On the other hand, it’s a great way to engage with readers, as Kickstarter provides internal messaging which allows you to interact directly with your backers. Backers for one campaign are automatically notified when you run the next one, so it helps to build your following. Because it is a form of direct sales, you profit more than you would selling through distributors.
A look at my past Kickstarters
I have done two Kickstarter campaigns, and both successfully funded. The first was in January, for Delilah and the Women in the West adventure series. You can learn more about that campaign here: . I’m planning another series Kickstarter in January 2024 for Sarah, book two of the series.
The second campaign was in July of this past year for The Rock Star and The Outlaw, my new time-travel adventure. Although I am not a big author, with a big reach, this campaign also funded, and it did so a little faster than the first, leaving me three whole days of campaign to offer a stretch goal. Stretch goals are extra added goodies, which can be offered to try and gain more pledges, thus making more money once you’ve reached your goal. I added a stretch goal for reaching an additional $100, but didn’t quite make it. Still it was excited to have the opportunity to offer it to my backers. I like being able to offer cool things to my supporters. It felt good to be able to offer an extra value. Maybe next time, we will make it.
Looking forward
I have two Kickstarter campaigns planned for 2024. The first is the January Kickstarter for Sarah, mentioned above. I’m really looking forward to sending off the second book in this wonderful western series, with its strong female protagonists and historic female characters. Big Nose Kate will make an appearance in the second book, along with young Sarah, the fiery youth who was kidnapped and sold to the Utes in the first book.
The second campaign will be in July, for the first three books in the My Backyard Friends children’s series. I almost had this one published back in 2015, but problems with the illustrator prevented it from coming to fruition. You can learn more about the difficulties encountered here: . This series is inhabited by characters based on birds and wildlife which visit me at my Colorado mountain home. Each book is stand alone, so they need not be read in order, and I will be launching the first three from the Kickstarter platform Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend,Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans, and one other story to be determined.
I finally found a wonderful illustrator for these books, and she was right under my nose. I’m happy to announce that this series will be illustrated by our very own, multi-talented Robbie Cheadle! I am thrilled to have Robbie doing the illustrations, and can’t wait to present the first three books on the Kickstarter platform.
In conclusion
I hope this post has given you a better idea of what Kickstarter is all about, and how it might be useful to you, as an author. I also hope it has encouraged you to check out my Kickstarter campaigns, and maybe even throw your support behind me. I’ll keep an eye out for you next January and July.
To learn more about Kickstarters
Here are a few places where you can learn more about Kickstarter and get tips on what to do when launching your own campaign.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
_______________________________________________
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
We just finished up the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour and it was a lot of fun sharing things about my characters with all of you. I appreciate the support from each and every one of you. And to show my appreciation, everyone who left a comment at each stop got an entry into the giveaway for five free digital copies of the book. So now, I’m pleased to announce the winners, and thanks again for joining us in sending off this exciting time-travel adventure.
And the winners are…
(Drumroll please.)
Patricia Faustenberg
T.W. Ditterman
Rea Longest
Coldhandboyack
Selma Martin
And as an added bonus, C.E. Robinson will receive a signed print copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw for visiting and commenting at every stop on the tour. Now, that is dedication. Congratulations to all winners!
Winners should contact me with email addresses, or a physical address in the case of the print book, at kayebooth@yahoo.com, so I can deliver your books.
Midnight Roost Release
The 2023 WordCrafter anthology, Midnight Roost, will be released through distributors on October 17. We’ll be doing a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour for the launch October 16 – 23 for the launch. Each author will also be spotlighted on the blog of Joseph Carabis, and DL Mullan over at Un dawnted has created a deliciosly creepy book trailer, as well as the wonderful book cover. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be able to present this anthology of weird and creepy stories to you, and how much I’m looking forward to the release.
We have a smashing group of authors who contibuted some exemplary stories to this anthology. Most of them are tried and tested WordCrafter authors, but we welcome the few new ones whose stories are sprinkled in. Check out this line-up:
Zack Ellafy – author of “At the Mountains, Majesty” in the Visions anthology
Chris Barili – contributor to Ask the Authors and Ask the Authors 2022
Joseph Carabis – author of “Maryanne” in the Visions anthology
DL Mullen – author of “The Reality Hackers” in the Visions anthology
Christa Planko – author of “The Vanishing Tattoo” in the Visions anthology and winner of the 2021 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Paul Kane – contributor to Ask the Authors 2022
Sonia Pipkin – new WordCrafter author
C.R. Johansson – author of “Her Beholder” in the Visions anthology
Roberta Eaton Cheadle – contributor to six WordCrafter short fiction anthologies and winner of the 2022 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Patty Fletcher – author of “The Portal Brings Christmas Love” in the Visions anthology
Kieth Hoskins – author of “The Cost of Magic” in the Refracted Reflections anthology, and “The Sight” in the Visions anthology
Denise Aparo – new WordCrafter author
Julie Jones – author of “The Tourist Trap” in the Visions anthology
Rebecca M. Senese – author of “The Mirror Slacked” in the Once Upon an Ever After anthology
Mario Acevedo – contributor to Ask the Authors 2022
Kaye Lynne Booth – author of Delilah, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, editor and contributor to six WordCrafter short fiction anthologies
Michaele Jordan – author of “Farewell, My Miko” in the Visions anthology
Robert Kostaczuk – new WordCrafter author
Majorie Mallon – contributor to Poetry Treasures 3: Passions
Isabel Grey – new WordCrafter author, and winner of the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Midnight Roost Halloween Book Trailer
Write it Right Editing is scheduling now for 2024
I have five openings in 2024 for editing clients which I’m scheduling for at this time. If you’re working on a book, and looking for an affordable editor, Write it Right Editing Services may be right for you. Contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com. I hope to hear from you soon.
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 WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour
It’s the final day of the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour, and we’re finishing off with an introduction to the villan in my story, Juan Montoya. Over the coarse of the week, we met the two protagonists, Amaryllis Sanchez and LeRoy McAllister, and three of the supporting characters, the time-traveler from 2025, Nick; the shaman woman from 2025, Monique; and the saloon keeper from 1887, Maggie. Don’t worry if you missed a stop or two along the way. I’m posting the Tour Schedule with links for each stop at the end of the post. And don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the Giveaway at each one.
The Giveaway
Leave a comment below to enter the giveaway
for a chance at one of five digital copies of
The Rock Star & The Outlaw.
Excerpt from The Rock Star & The Outlaw
Writing the Villian
Writing the villian is difficult for me, because I strive so hard to create characters that are likeable, that creating a character I want people to hate seems to go against my natural grain. I think it’s hard for me to write from my shadow side and unveil the things that are hidden away there, because I was taught that those were things we didn’t talk about. But a villian has to be dark, and mean, and well… bad. Readers aren’t supposed to like the villian. I have trouble writing characters that I don’t like, and even now, I can’t say I truly succeeded with Juan. I still want to like him, just a little.
You really can’t have a character that is all bad. No one is pure evil, any more than anyone is pure goodness.People are naturally double sided, so just as a protagonist must have flaws to make them a well rounded character, every villian must have at least one or two likeable traits to balance things out. In Juan, I think I was successful in this respect. Sure, he’s a pompous ass who expects to get his way in all things, but he is angered by the mistreatment of Amaryllis by his men, so he can’t be all bad. Right?
The character of Juan Montoya
Juan Montoya started out the story as Wade Slade, a proud southern man with a hot southern temper. He sported long, wavey hair, and a handlebar mustache and goatee, which he kept waxed to sharp points. He had the peculiar habit of twisting the tips of the mustache, especially when he was angered. However, when doing my first run of editing, which I do aloud, there was something about the character that just didn’t feel right. I thought perhaps rhyming the first and last names might be the problem, so I changed his first name to Buck. It was easy to do un MS Word, with the find and replace feature. But, as I continued to read through it Buck Slade was missing the mark, as well. Buck didn’t sound like a southern name, for one thing. And the character didn’t seem very threatening for another. Something had to be done.
The story needed a bad dude, a mean bandito to lead a gang of outlaws on robbing and pillaging. A bandit up from the border in Nevada country in 1887 seemed like a good possibility. It needed to be someone you didn’t want to cross, and so Buck Slade became Juan Montoya. I went back in with ‘Find and Replace’ and replaced all the Bucks and all the Slades to Juans and Montoyas. You can imagine my surprise, when doing the next pass of edits, as I tried to figure out what a Juanle and a Juanet were. When I hit ‘Replace All’, I didn’t think about the possibility of having used words that had Buck in them like bucket and buckle. Gotta watch that.
Of course, changing a character is more than just changing a name. Juan lost the southern charm of Wade and Buck, and his features are much darker. He kept the hair, the mustache, and the goatee, as well as the annoying habit of twisting the mustache. In fact, I made the hair his best feature, although it gives him an effiminate look, but he’s so bad no one would dare to say that to his face. I changed some scenes to illustrate his temper better, and sacrificed a minor character to do so. The result is the Juan Montoya who appears in the final story.
Excerpt from The Outlaw & The Rock Star
About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
That wraps up the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog TourThanks to all of you for joining me. I hope you enjoyed my posts, and maybe even learned something from them. I am pleased to have all of you here to help launch this book right. This story came from my heart and I a truly excited about it. Be sure and leave a comment at each stop for additional entries in the giveaway. Links are below if you miss one.
Tour Schedule
The Rock Star & The Outlaw, by Kaye Lynne Booth – September 18 – 22
Monday – Sept. 18 – Opening Day – “Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless” – Writing to be Read
Tuesday – Sept. 19 –“Writing with music and LeRoy McAllister & Review” – Carla Loves to Read
Wednesday – Sept. 20 – “The characters of Nick and Monique” – Writing to be Read
Thursday – Sept.21 – “Prostitution in the American West and the character of Maggie” – Roberta Writes
Friday – Sept. 22 – Closing Post – “Writing the Villian & Juan Montoya” – Writing to be Read
That wraps up today’s stop and the tour. I want to thank you all for coming along on the ride, and I hope you’ll give the ride with Amaryllis and Leroy a go. It’s been a fun ride, from putting all the pieces together in my mind as the idea began to shape itself into a story in my mind, to writing each individual chapter and partnering it with a song, to running a successful Kickstarter to give the book a boost, to the publishing process and seeing the book listed through distributors, to sharing my characters with all of you on this tour. I know you will have a fun ride if you chose to read it, too.
If you missed a stop, you’ll find the links in the Tour Schedule above. Leave a comment at each stop for additional chances in the giveaway. I won’t get out the random drawing hat until tomorrow night, so there’s still time. I’m giving away five digital copies of The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and I will announce the winners in Monday’s “WordCrafter News”, here on Writing to be Read. Thanks for joining us.
The WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour
Tour Schedule
The Rock Star & The Outlaw, by Kaye Lynne Booth – September 18 – 22
Monday – Sept. 18 – Opening Day – “Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless” – Writing to be Read
Tuesday – Sept. 19 –“Writing with music and LeRoy McAllister & Review” – Carla Loves to Read
Wednesday – Sept. 20 – “The characters of Nick and Monique” – Writing to be Read
Thursday – Sept.21 – “Prostitution in the American West and the character of Maggie” – Roberta Writes
Friday – Sept. 22 – Closing Post – “Writing the Villian & Juan Montoya” – Writing to be Read
Day 3 of The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour
Welcome to Writing to be Read and the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour. On this stop, I’ll introduce you to two of the supporting characters, the overzealous time-traveler, Nick Umbridge, and Amaryllis’ BFF, Monique. These are two supporting characters, but they play roles which are vital to the story.
Nick & the Time-Travel Device
Nick’s character developed from the main idea for the story – a time-travel device that fits in the palm of the hand, and a custom saddle pommel which it can slip into, to take horse and rider to the period of their choice. That’s how the story began in my head, and I wrote that first chapter, which ended up being the prolog, long before the rest of the story had developed fully. I needed a time-traveling cowboy and Nick was him.
Part of the idea for his character came from the movie Time Cop with Jean-Claude Van Damme. He works for a regulatory agency that develops time-travel gadgetry and Nick’s job is to test the prototypes. Another part of his character came from a character in a different time-travel movie, Time Stalkers, where William Devane plays a college professor who is obsessed with the old west. Nick has a similar obsession which drives him to pick 1887 as his time destination. Unfortunately, the call to blend and take in some of the local atmosphere is too much for him, and he sets a time-loop into motion that sends Leroy on the wildest ride of his life, before he is strung up by a lynch mob.
When LeRoy returns with Amaryllis, a paradox or two are created and Nick makes another appearance, trying to set things right. Although he means well, he wants to take Amaryllis back to her own time, in 2025; a move that would mean facing the forces she’s running from, so Nick becomes an antagonist for our time-traveling duo.
Monique & Werner Syndrome
Monique is Amaryllis’ best friend. She came about in a college assignment back in 2012 to write a shaman scene; a scene where the protagonist consults the wisdom of the medicine man, witch or shaman for guidance. Monique is my shaman, with the ability of looking into the future having been handed down from her grandmother. Although the character of Amaryllis was actually in this scene, too, but I think my focus was on developing the character of Monique.
I wanted her to be an interesting and unique character, so I gave her a bold, self-confident personality, and I gave her Werner Syndrome, a rare birth defect caused by the mutation of the WRN gene, which cause old age to set in prematurely. Those with Werner Syndrome take on the physical characteristics of an old person at an early age, including short stature from childhood, and other attributes such as wrinkled skin, baldness, muscular atrophy and cateracts (https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/werner-syndrome). So even though Monique is 26, like Amaryllis, and they grew up together, Monique is small, and hunched and shriveled, looking more like a woman of 60, fitting the role of an old croon perfectly.
Monique is a rock in Amaryllis’ life. She’s who our heroine turns to for advice, the woman who thinks of everything, and Amaryllis knows she can count on her. That original scene, where Amaryllis asks her friend to throw the bones and gets a strange reading thaat neither woman understands, has undergone a lot of changes, but it ends up as the third chapter in the book, “Witches Burn”.
Excerpt from The Rock Star & The Outlaw
About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
That wraps up Day 3 of the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour. Links are in the schedule above, if you missed days 1 & 2. I hope you have enjoyed meeting Nick and Monique. Be sure to visit those first two stops to meet the two protagonists and learn more about the creation of this wild time-travel adventure. Tomorrow will find us over at Robbie’s Inspiration/Roberta Writes, where I will introduce you to the character of Maggie and share some facts about prostitution in the American west. And don’t forget to leave a comment at each stop for a chance to win one of five digital copies of The Rock Star & The Outlaw, which I’ll be giving away in a random drawing at the end of the tour. I do hope you will join us.
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
Welcome to the WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Blog Tour! We have a great tour planned this week and I hope you’ll visit each stop to learn more about what went into this exciting time-travel adventure. We have a great give-away, too, offering 5 digital copies of The Rock Star & The Outlaw. And you get an entry just for leaving a comment at each stop to let me know you were there. You’ll find the Tour Schedule below, so let’s get started!
Tour Schedule
The Rock Star & The Outlaw, by Kaye Lynne Booth – September 18 – 22
Monday – Sept. 18 – Opening Day – “Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless” – Writing to be Read
Tuesday – Sept. 19 –“Writing with music and LeRoy McAllister & Review” – Carla Loves to Read
Wednesday – Sept. 20 – “The characters of Nick and Monique” – Writing to be Read
Thursday – Sept.21 – “Prostitution in the American West and the character of Maggie” – Roberta Writes
Friday – Sept. 22 – Closing Post – “Writing the Villian & Juan Montoya” – Writing to be Read
Amaryllis & The Pretty Reckless
Amaryllis Maria Sanchez is a composite character. She’s a cross between Sharon Stone’s character in Basic Instinct and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless. She’s an adrenaline junkie, who likes to tempt death and lives life to the extremes. She’s a rock star who is at the top of her game when she’s on stage. After she kills her drug dealing, domineering boyfriend to save herself from his wrath, she figures she’s already damned herself, she figures she might as well ride out the storm that’s headed her way. But, when she crosses paths with a time-traveling cowboy who offers a way to stay ahead of the game and a place to run to where she won’t ever be found, she sees the potential for a whole new life of adventures.
Amaryllis began as a character like Sharon Stones character in Basic Instincts – a daring woman who plays a deadly game. I like Sharon Stone in just about anything, but I admired the way she played this character in particular. I challenged myself to create a character with that same adventuresome nature, and that self-confident, ‘on top of the world’ attitude.
The idea for her method for killing Claude came from an actual murder case I heard about on the news. I thought it was unique, and I knew I wanted to use it in a story.
My son introduced me to the music of The Pretty Reckless, and I fell in love with the voice of Taylor Momsen. Ibought their CDs and played them on my commute to work, and a story about a female rock singer began to form in my head, and the Sharon Stone-like character somehow merged in my mind with the woman who emerged in my mind from their music. That woman was a lot like my image of Taylor Momsen. And so, Amaryllis Maria Sanchez emerged on the page. Their music inspired me and I’d like to share some of it with you. The video is an official music video for “You”, by The Pretty Reckless.
“You”, by The Pretty Reckless
About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
Book Trailer
Video Trailer for The Rock Star & The Outlaw
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
The Giveaway
Leave a comment below to enter the giveaway
for a chance at one of five digital copies of
The Rock Star & The Outlaw.
That wraps up the tour for today. Join us tomorrow on Carla Loves to Read for a guest post about the character of LeRoy McAllister and a review of the book.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw Kickstarter campaign ending soon
There are just a few days left for you to join in on our campaign! The more we raise, the more rewards we can offer. With the campaign ending soon, it’s almost the last chance to show support for author and project. The deadline is 8/31/23, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get an early digital copy of the book, a signed print copy, an interview with the author, posters and so much more, available exclusively through the campaign.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw won’t release through distributors until September 18, so it is only available through my Kickstarter at this time. So click on the Kickstarter to learn more about this rocking time-travel adventure.
The Rock Star and The Outlaw is a story from my heart, inspired by the music of The Pretty Reckless, which is my favorite band. It’s a time-travel adventure. Amaryllis Sanchez is a rock Star in 2025. LeRoy McAllister is an outlaw from 1887. They’re both running from the law and other outlaws in their respective times and when they meet, it’s a non-stop adventure through time.
Check out the book trailer video on the Kickstarter page to learn more.
The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book Trailer
More About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is her passion. It is a very strange time indeed when Kaye Lynne does not have at least three WIPs, in addition to her other writings, teaching and other life activities. Kaye Lynne lives, works and plays in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
Visit her author’s blog and website, “Writing to be Read” to learn more about Kaye Lynne Booth and her writing. https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/
Release through distributors & book blog tour
If you miss the Kickstarter, The Rock Star & The Outlaw will release through distributors on September 19, 2023, and to celebrate, well be running a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour September 18-22.
Coming Soon: Midnight Roost
The 2023 WordCrafter Anthology, Midnight Roost will be scheduled for release October 17, 2023. This anthology of weird and creepy stories features works by talented authors including Zack Ellafy, Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, Christa Planko, Paul Kane, Sonia Pipkin, C.R. Johansson, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, Keith J. Hoskins, Denise Aparo, Julie Jones, Rebecca M. Senese, Mario Acevedo, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Robert Kostaczuk. Midnight Roost also features the winning story from the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, “Red Door House”, by Isabel Grey. More to come in next month’s “WordCrafter News”.
_____________
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
It was a busy summer in the bird sanctuary, with many, many visitors, some the old reliables I’ve I’ve seen before, but also some new faces and today, i’d like to share some of them with you.
Unidentifed WarblerJuvinelle White NuthatchUnidentified Baby Black-Headed GrossbeakAmericanRobinWestern TanangerWoodpeckerHummingbirdTurkey Vulture
I’ve had the little yellow-bellied warblers in the first photo this year for the first time. I think they are warblers, but have been unable to identify the type as yet.
White Nuthatches are year round residents. The one in the photo is a juvenille. I always talk about seeing babies, but in truth, I never see the babies. If they are old enough to be where I can see them, they are juvenilles, but they are still awfully cute and I enjoy watching them.
The third photo is an unidentified baby or juvenille. I would guess it to be some type of wren. You can tell it is a young one because of the ruffled appearance caused by the fine baby feathers which haven’t all been shed.
Black-Headed Grossbeaks are summer residents and I’ve seen several youngsters raised each summer. They are gluttons who like to clean out my feeders. The one in the photo sat there eating for a long time, hogging up the whole feeder.
I watch for the American Robins to return as a sure sign that spring has arrived. They have babies twice a year, so I’ve watched several Robin families grow up, and although I can’t be sure, I think the babies return as adults to raise their own families the next year.
The Western Tanager is one of the most colorful birds I’ve ever seen in the wild. Although I have seen them in years past occassionally, this year, I had them in droves. I believe I mentioned this in my last post from the sanctuary, when talking of my colorful trees.
Woodpeckers are frequent visitors, and some years they nest in the sanctuary. The one in the seventh photo is either a Strickland’s or a Nutall’s Woodpecker. I’m not sure which.
Hummingbird’s and welcome visitors every year. The green-backed Rufus Hummingbirds arrive in the spring, even earlier than the Robins. In July, I get the Allen’s Humminbirds, which are orange and more aggressive. When they arrive the skies become a flyzone as the Hummingbird wars begin. The one in the eighth photo is a Rufus Humminbird who stopped to perch atop a Mullien plant and say good morning.
The Turkey Vulture was a surprise visitor which I had only seen one other time. They are birds, but not the kind I put out food for, so they usually don’t pay the santuary much mind. But this guy dropped in unexpectedly and hung out a few minutes, long enough for me to snap some photos. When he flew away, his wingspan was huge. They are ugly, but majestic birds, bigger than hawks, but perhaps about the size of eagles.
In the first picture below you see both a woodpecker and a Cassin’s Finch. Woodpeckers often hang on the bottom of the feeder as their size makes perching difficult. They also hang from the hummingbird feeders, not for the nectar, but for the ants that it attracts. The Cassin’s Finch always look to me like someone splashed red paint over their heads, a glimpse of bright red or pink in a sea of green pine boughs.
On the ground in the second picture below is a juvenille mourning dove from the second batch of babies I’ve seen this year.
___________________________________________
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
_____________________________________
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
I’ve been so excited to share news about The Rock Star & The Outlaw you, which will be released through distributors in September. It’s been a long time in coming, and I’m so thrilled to offer my supporters this opportuniy to show your support for my work, all while getting some pretty cool rewards throughmy Kickstarter campaign, which launched yesterday and runs through the end of August.
Kickstarter Campaign
I’ve put together a great Kickstarter campaign for you all. You can drop by and back this project for as little as $5, and earn some very cool rewards in the process. You can get an early digital copy of The Rock Star & The Outlaw long before the September release through distributors, or perhaps you’d prefer a signed print copy, which is not available anywhere else. You can also get a The Rock Star & The Outlaw poster, or goodie bag, or any of my other WordCrafter Press works are available at less than they are offered through distributors. My funding goal is $500, which will be used for promotion of the book upon release. If you don’t know how a Kickstarter campaign works, it is all or nothing. Backers are only obligated if I reach the funding goal.
About the Book
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
Asking for Your Support
I’m asking all my readers and followers to click on the link for the Kickstarter campaign and offer your support for this fabulous story which I’ve poured so much hard work into. I need you all to help me reach my goal. It only takes a moment. Won’t you please back my campaign?
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
I have to tell you, Kevin J. Anderson is the most prolific writer I know, but there are others. I met many of these incredibly productive authors through my studies under Kevin J. Anderson. I think they all hang out together. And honestly, when I first began to see what KJA does, putting out at least five novels a year, plus co-authoring books and screenplays adapted from his books, run WordFire Press, orchestrate his SuperStars Seminars every February and his classes at Western Colorado State University, and go to numerous Cons and writing seminars throughout each year, all I could say was, “Wow!”
Million Dollar Productivity, by Kevin J. Anderson is the book where he reveals all the tips and tricks which make him into the most prolific writer I know. So, when I received a digital copy of Million Dollar Productivity, for the 9th Stretch goal met in KJA’s Dragon Business Kickstarter Campaign last January, I had to give it a read. (I had already read the companion reward book for this stretch goal, On Being a Dictator. You can read my review here.) As I had suspected, I already knew and practiced many of the tips given in this book. After all, I studied under the author. But there were others that I either didn’t know about or hadn’t tried.
One of the ones I think have been most helpful to me was to set goals and stick to them. In class, we were required to create business plans and set goals for the coming year. I began to employ this strategy in the fall of 2021, a year in which I had published two anthologies, one poetry and one short fiction, and nothing else. When I am listening to people in the business who are telling me that you need to have a large inventory of IP (intellectual propeties), be prolific enough to put out several books each year, and have multiple streams of income to make a sustainable living from your writing, and looking at the couple of books per year that I was putting out, I knew I was going to have to do better, and I planned accordingly. I found that making a plan and setting some goals which keeps me moving in a forward progression.
As a result, in 2022, I published five anthologies: Ask the Authors 2022, Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships, Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, and Visions. Anthologies probably aren’t as helpful as novels would be, but it was a start. In 2023, I will publish two anthologies, Poetry Treasures 3: Passions and Midnight Roost, plus two books of my own, Delilah and The Rock Star & the Outlaw, and of course, my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders. And I’ve already begun to plan out the books I intend to publish in the coming year. You have to admit, four to five books per year is an improvement on the one or two per year that I was producing previously, so that one suggestion, which is offered in this book, helped to make me a more prolific publisher.
Working on different projects at the same time is another tip which I have found helpful, although this is something that I have done for several years, but it is included in Million Dollar Productivity, and it is an effective strategy for getting a lot accomplished. I’m not talking about multi-tasking, but more like time-sharing – you work on your latest manuscript for a time, but when you seem to tire of it, you set it down and go work on the editing for the anthology you’re working on, and when you get tired of that, answer a few emails and then back to writing, for instance. Of course, KJA suggests an approach that is a little less haphazard, but it’s good advice none-the-less. He also points out other modes of writing, which can be used in various places.
Letting the first draft be bad and edit, goes hand-in-hand with knowing the difference between writing and editing, tips which most writers have heard many times in their writing careers, but that doesn’t make them any less true. These are both tips that I will have to work at incorporating into my writer’s toolbox. I am notorious for editing as I go, which takes extra time, but turns out a top quality draft with little editing required.
This book is filled with lots of writing tips and advice for busy authors who want to increase their productivity. These are the strategies that worked for the author, Kevin J. Anderson, and they could work for me or you. Whether you’re a full time author or one who writes on the side while working at some other job for your livlihood, this book will have something helpful for you. It’s one of those books I will have to go back and visit time and again.
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.
