WordCrafter AI Audio Books

Posted: August 18, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Audio Books, Book Promotion, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Time travel, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction | Tags: Audio Books, Delilah, Hidden Secrets, Kaye Lynne Booth, The Rockstar & The Outlaw, WordCrafter Press | Leave a comment

Did you know that you can listen to my AI narrated audio books on Google Play Books? In fact, I’ve just dropped the price on all three of them to make it even easier.

Listen to my western historical women’s fiction, Delilah; my time travel adventure, The Rock Star & The Outlaw; or my paranormal mystery, Hidden Secrets at the links below.

Delilah: Book 1 in the Women in the West Adventure Series: ($4.99) https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Kaye_Lynne_Booth_Delilah?id=AQAAAECSazYrtM

The Rock Star & The Outlaw: Book 1 in the Time Travel Adventure Series: ($4.99) (https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Kaye_Lynne_Booth_The_Rock_Star_The_Outlaw?id=AQAAAECSG2Zb5M

Hidden Secrets: Paranormal Mystery Novella: ($2.99) https://play.google.com/books/listen?id=AQAAAECSG0ZbxM

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.

About The Rock Star & The Outlaw

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.

In 1887, 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 Hidden Secrets

Cassie wants nothing to do with the legacy her grandmother wants to hand down to her.

She doesn’t believe in all those Native American legends anyway.

She and Tony are to be married and start a family. They’re returning to her ancestral lands now to tell her grandmother to pass the tribal legacy on to someone else, along with the cursed gold that goes with it.

When she forces herself to go out on the lake where her parents drowned, she discovers the cave which holds the tribal treasure and the lake takes another life. Now Cassie must rethink all that she believes. If the treasure is real, could the curse be real, too?

Can Cassie find a way to stop it before Tony becomes the next victim?

If you love paranormal mysteries, pick up a copy of Hidden Secrets.

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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.

Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.

Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/

Everyone is a Critic: “Red Eye”

Posted: August 11, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Movie Review, Movies, Psychological Thriller, Thriller | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, Kaye Lynne Booth, Movie Review, Psychological Thriller, Red Eye, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

Movie Cover: A woman looking out an airplane window with a man sitting behind her.
Text: Rachel McAdams, Cillian Murphy, Directed by Wes Craven, Red Eye, Fear Takes Flight

I stumbled upon this movie on Pluto TV and thought I’d give it a try. I don’t know what I was expecting when I chose it. At the beginning, I thought I’d picked up a romance, when the protagonist, Lisa (Rachel McAdams), meets a man, Jackson (Cillian Murphy), at the airport and they have a drink together. This impression was reinforced for me when he ends up on the same Red Eye flight and he takes the seat next to hers. My mind was quickly changed when his true intentions are revealed and it becomes obvious that this story is actually a smashing psychological thriller.

Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy sitting at a bar chatting and smiling. — Scene from *Red Eye*

It is no coincidence that they met, or that they were on the same flight, for it turns out Jackson has been watching Lisa for quite some time, and his plans involve using her for his own dark purposes after making her his psychological hostage, threatening to do harm to someone she loves. It turns out Jackson is an international terrorist, making Lisa a vital part of his diabolical plan for a political assassination.

Jackson grasping Lisa's chin and holding her against a wall in confrontation. — Scene from *Red Eye*

Both the main characters play their parts convincingly and I was easily sucked in and swept away in this gripping thriller. Directed by Wes Craven, this movie exceeds the B list in both the writing of the story and in the performance of the actors. I was pleasantly surprised by my discovery of Red Eye and if you enjoy psychological thrillers, you will, too.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This post is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: Coming in October, 2025!

Writer’s Corner: Creating Characters from Historical Fiction

Posted: July 7, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Fiction, Historical Fiction, research, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: Historical Fiction, Kaye Lynne Booth, research, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

Caracature of a woman typing on a keyboard at a very messy desk. Text: Writer's Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

I recently completed the research and outline for Marta, the third book in my Women in the West Adventure series. Or maybe I should say, I completed the outline, because the research will continue as I work through the writing. The research is never finished until the book is finished. In any case, one of the things I love about writing historical fiction is researching different times and learning about the people and their true life adventures.

With the Women in the West, each book features a historical female character which the protagonist meets during the course of the tale. Delilah meets Baby Doe Tabor, saloon girl turned high society mistress, in Leadville, Colorado. Sarah made the acquaintance of Big Nose Kate, Doc Holliday’s gun toting companion, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. And Marta…, well I originally had a different journey in mind for Marta, until I discovered the very interesting historical figure of actress and Union spy, Pauline Cushman, and I knew that was who Marta would have to meet.

You’d think that writing a historical characters might be easier than creating fictional ones from scratch. After all, you may save time by having a ready-made history to draw from. But, all you really have is the recorded history to draw from, and when dealing with semi-famous or infamous characters, recorded history can be very sketchy. It is the Author’s job to do the research and find as many pieces as possible, and then, try to fit those pieces together to give a clear picture of that ready-made history I mentioned above. And if there are still pieces missing when you’ve finished, you may still have to create character to fill in those missing pieces.

For the character of Pauline Cushman, in Marta, I read the rather biased 1865 biography, reprinted in 2019, written by Ferdinand L. Sarmiento, Life of Pauline Cushman: The Celebrated Union Spy and Scout, which tells the tale, at least in part, of her time working with the Union Army during the American Civil War. Since Marta takes place in 1890, many years after the war ended, I had to search the Internet for any information I could find about Pauline’s later life, as well.

In 1890, Pauline separated from her third husband in Arizona. The next information I could find on her, found her dying in poverty in El Paso, Texas, in 1893. So, Pauline could have been traveling from Arizona to El Paso at the same time as Marta was traveling there from Colorado, and that is how they meet in my story. They share a train ride from Antonito, Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

From there, the story is fictionalized and the character of Pauline is based in my knowledge of her previous experiences, the actual events which occured in the real Pauline’s life. Likewise, her actions in the story are reflective of her life events, if I write them to be true to character. That’s my goal as I prepare to put my story to the page.

Something else I like to do when researching historical fiction is to go to the locations in the book, or travel the route my characters would have taken to get a feel for the landscape and terrain. This helps me in describing settings, although at times, I’ve found it difficult to imagine the location as it was at the time of the story, which is often quite different from what it is today. While the present day Glenwood Springs, Colorado has many tourist attractions, include the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool, in 1887, when Sarah takes place, there were hot springs scattered all up and down the banks of the Colorado River, and the Ute Indians considered the area to be big medicine. It looked a lot different. I made many visits there, to the many small museums there, and I made the trek up to Doc Holliday’s gravesite to learn as much as I could about the history of the area.

For Marta, I hope to be able to take the historic train from Antonito, Colorado. Although today, it only runs as far as Chaco, New Mexico, it ought to be far enough to get a feel for the landscape along the route and also some ideas about what my characters might experience as they embark on that leg of their journey.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by the Robbie’s Inspiration blog site, where you can find ideas on writing and baking with hostess, Robbie Cheadle.

WordCrafter News: “Shadowblade” Re-release from Chris Barili

Posted: June 30, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Release, Book Sales, Fantasy, Fiction, Smashwords, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Chris Barili, Curses, Kaye Lynne Booth, Marta, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil, Shadow Blade, Women in the West, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Leave a comment

WordCrafter Press July Release

WordCrafter Press is proud to announce the re-release of Shadow Blade, by Chris Barili, coming July 22, 2025. Chris was in my cohort at Western State and today, he is a talented author. As an Ask the Authors series contributor, he participated in both rounds of interviews for the blog series, and the only author to contribute to both books. Chris is a contributing author to the Midnight Anthology series.

I reviewed Shadow Blade just after its release through WordFire Press, back in 2019. You can read my review of Shadow Blade here. I so enjoyed the book, that it pleases me to no end to be able to re-publish it under the WordCrafter Press label now. The WordCrafter Press edition will also include a free bonus story , the prequel to Shadow Blade, Baiting the Hook.

About Shadow Blade

Ashai Larish is an assassin from the brutal Denari Lai order. Religious zealots, Denari Lai are kept loyal through an addiction to the same magic that makes them unstoppable. They have become the primary weapon for the nation of Nishi’iti, and in a hundred years, they have never failed.

Until now. Ashai must kill Pushtani King Abadas Damar and his daughter/heir, Makari. He infiltrates the king’s inner circle, putting him in the perfect place to strike, with only Captain Bauti of the Royal Guard at all suspicious of Ashai’s intent.

Except Ashai has fallen for Makari and cannot complete the hit. When a second Denari Lai kills the King, Ashai finds himself fighting for Makari’s life instead of taking it. To make matters worse, the order cuts him off from his magic, leaving him weakened and in withdrawal.

Meanwhile, far north in the Pushtani mines that border Nishi’iti, a slave named Pachat learns that his love, a hand slave to Makari, died at the hands of a Denari Lai assassin. His grief ignites a slave rebellion, and Pachat becomes the unwilling leader of the revolt. Urged on by Nishi’iti guerrillas, the rebellion sweeps across the borderlands, threatening to erupt into all-out war. Yet all Pachat wants is to avenge his beloved’s death by killing the assassin, so he walks away from the rebellion to seek when it needs him most.

As Pachat makes off for the capital of Dar Tallus, Ashai is forced to rely on that city’s organized crime gang to hide from the second assassin, and from Bauti’s guards. Despite his best efforts to hide it, Makari discovers Ashai’s true identity, and suddenly, he finds himself without her love, without his faith, and without the Denari Lai. At rock bottom, he doubts he can do anything but cause more damage.

Can Ashai kill the second assassin and win back Makari’s love? Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?

About Chris Barili

Currently oppressed by his day job, Chris has his sights set on retiring after 42 years in the Intelligence Community and writing full-time. Chris Barii writes all kinds of stories, and has published fantasy, science fiction, horror, western, paranormal romance, and most recently crime, with a noir story in the inaugural print edition of Toe Six Magazine. He is author of the self-published, weird western Hell’s Butcher series, and also writes under the pen names B.T. Clearwater (Supernatural romance) and T.C. Barlow (western). Chris is a retired intelligence officer, having served over 45 years between active duty, contractor, and government employee roles. He lives in Colorado with his wife.

The WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour

To celebrate the re-release and launch Shadow Blade off right, the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour will run July 21-25. Be sure to drop in and join us as author Chris Barili shares guest posts and readings. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a free digital copy of this unique and original story, and its prequel.

Meanwhile Back at WordCrafter Press…

2025 WordCrafter Anthologies

Book Cover: A garden at night lit by several small lights and a lantern with a candle in the center. Text: Midnight Oil: Stories to fuel your nightmares, A WordCrafter Midnight Anthology, Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

After making the difficult decision to let the second book in the Time Travel adventure series simmer on the back burner, for a while, it has freed me up to work on other projects, such as Chris Barili’s book above. In July, I’ll be working on the compilation of Curses and Midnight Oil. My own stories for these anthologies will be passed by my beta reader and final revisions done, as well. Curses is scheduled for release in August, and Midnight Oil is scheduled for October.

Women in the West: Marta, book 3

Also, I’ve been fine tuning my outline and completing my research for Marta, the third book in my Women in the West Adventure series. In July, I hope to begin the actual writing of the story.

Where Delilah and Sarah both did a lot of solo traveling of necessity, Marta travels in the company of others, expanding the cast of characters and the number of plot lines. And, while the first two books take place in the mining camps and towns of Colorado, Marta will be venturing into new and unexplored, at least by this author, territories with some colorful old west characters in 1890, presenting me with new challenges and a ton of research. I’m looking forward to venturing into this new story world.

However, Marta was originally scheduled for a September release. However, this is another of the projects that got pushed back when I struggled with the second Rock Star book, and I’m still working with disadvantages in the technology realm, so I’m doubtful that I’ll make the original deadlines. I’ll keep you posted.

WordCrafter Press Books on Sale on Smashwords in July

I’m excited to announce that many of the books in the WordCrafter Press catalog will be available as part of a promotion on Smashwords for the month of July as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! WordCrafter Press books will be discounted at 50% or free all through the month of July, so look for all the WordCrafter books that are sitting on your TBR and take advantage of the Smashword store pricing while it lasts. This is a chance to get WordCrafter Press books, along with books from many other great authors, at a discount so you can get right to reading.

You will find the promo here starting on July 1, so save the link:
https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/

Please share this promo with friends and family, and all the avid readers in your life!

Thank you for your help and support!

Happy reading!

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.

Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.

Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/

“The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2” Postponed

Posted: June 9, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Release, Books, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, Time Travel Adventure Series, WordCrafter | 16 Comments

Book Cover: Psychedelic time piece in background with three women in black leather on the left and three men dressed as cowboys on the right of an elongated and skewed purple guitar. Text: The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, When a Woman with a Guitar Meets a Cowboy with a gun, It's Time to Travel, Kaye Lynne Booth

It was a hard decision to postpone The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles yet again. Originally scheduled for release in March, and pushed back twice to this month, I have to postpone once more. But that is what I’ve done.

i have been having various computer issues since February and currently I have no screen on my laptop. In order to do anything with my files, I must connect to my television screen, which takes extra electricity and requires me to run my generator. Thus, I’m operating on only one or two hours a day computer time. While I can create blog posts on my phone, all my writing and editing activities have been extremely limited. But, I’ve been managing to plug along on this book, which I am so anxious to get out there.

I know there are some of you who read the first book and are eagerly awaiting the release of the second, and I hate to disappoint. As I finished my final edit last month, I had planned to skip my final read through and go ahead and publish in June as scheduled.

But then I got to thinking. To write the second book, I had to go back over the first, and I found several errors that had made it past me and found their way into that first book. Once I solve my computer problems, I plan to go back and correct those errors and republish, but I didn’t want to have to do that with this one.

I did not make this decision lightly. Pushing the deadline for this book back and concentrating on it to the exclusion of other projects has pushed everything on my publishing calendar to the line, and is throwing some things behind. So instead of putting other projects behind as well, I’ve decided to take my focus off of Rock Star until I can do the final read through without interfering in my other projects. This will allow me to focus on keeping the other projects on schedule, which is important because I’m working with other authors on most of them.

This decision has taken a load of stress off me, although I still must struggle with my technical issues, I can now work on the scheduled projects and not feel so rushed I’ve been writing the short stories for this year’s anthologies on paper, in longhand. They all need to be transfered into digital, and I’m scheduled to re-publish Shadow Blade for author Chris Barili in July, which I can now work on without feeling quite so pressed for time.

To my readers, thank you all for your patience. I apologize for the delay, but really want this story to be the best that it can be. I’m looking at the beginning of next year for an early release. If you read the first book and can’t wait to dig into the second, I must ask you to wait a little longer. I think it will be worth it in the long run. So hang in there for me. I think it will be worth it.😘

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Chatting with New Blood” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel

The Rock Star & The Outlaw: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1/

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles: Coming in May, 2026.

WordCrafter News:: Release & Tour for “The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles”

Posted: May 26, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Adventure, Anthology, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Stories, Time travel | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, WordCrafter News, Writing to be Read | 5 Comments

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles Release & Tour

I’m pleased to announce that The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles is, at long last, scheduled for release on June 17, 2025.

About the Book

In 1887, LeRoy is stuck, bringing trouble down on those around him. When Sissy is kidnapped and he’s the only one who can save her.

In 2030, Amaryllis will stop at nothing to find LeRoy fix what she messed up in the past, when she wakes up in a future very different to the one she knows, one in which she may not be born.

She and a version of Monique which is different from the one she grew up with travel back to 1887 to try and make things right.

When they cross the other time loops, already created, things change, but not the way Amaryllis intended.

Add two time travel regulators from the future who are after the time module, and things start to get wild.

The Tour

The WordCrafter The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2 Book Blog Tour will run June 16-20 to launch this time travel adventure off right. There will be guests posts from the author, me, and a digital giveaway. Come join us in celebrating the release and send it off in a big way.

Book 1 is on Sale Now

What? You haven’t read the first book yet? You are in luck. During the month of May, the first book in my Time Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, is on sale for half price, at $3.49. There’s still time to get your copy, as the sale runs through May 31, so don’t wait too long. While both books in this series can be read as stand alones, reading them in sequence may enhance your reading experience on this wild ride through time with The Rock Star & The Outlaw.

About Book 1

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.

In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.

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.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/RockStarOutlaw

Announcing the Winning Story for the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest

I’m pleased to announce the the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest is “The Vanishing”, by Denise Aparo. ” “The Vanishing” “will be featured along with the dark stories of previous WordCrafter authors such as Robert White, Molly Ertel, Zack Ellafy, C.R. Johannson, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Chris Barili, DL Mullan, Rebecca M. Senese, Jon Shannon, Paul Kane, Isabell Grey, Abe Margel and, (me), Kaye Lynne Booth. A new author to the WordCrafter tribe, James Olson, will be featured in the third volume of the Midnight Anthology series, Midnight Oil, which will be scheduled for release in October of 2025.

In October, Midnight Oil will be the third volume of the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series. Volumes 1 & 2. Midnight Roost and Midnight Garden, are available now at all your favorite distributors through the Books2Read links below.

Midnight Roost: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

Midnight Garden: https://books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology

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This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.

Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.

Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/

Wrapping up the “Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Posted: April 27, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Editing, Giveaways, Poetry, Treasuring Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, Poetry, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 40 Comments

Picture Caption: WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Tour Banner

We’re wrapping up the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour. We’ve had a great tour this past week and I hope you all visited each stop and left a comment for a chance to win one of three digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5 in our giveaway. If you missed a stop or joined us late, you can still go back and meet more poets featured in the anthology, but the giveaway ends tonight, so get your comments in now.

I want to thank contributors Michelle Ayon Navajas, Dawn Pisturino, Barbara Harris Leonard, Ivor Steven, and DL Mullen for their participation in the tour. And thanks also goes out to the hosts for this tour: Colleen Chesebro of Colleen Writes & Publishes, Patty Fletcher of Patty’s Worlds, Carla Johnson-Hicks of Carla Loves to Read, Michelle Navajas of Poetry by Mich, Kay Castenada of Book Places, and DL Mullen of Un dawnted. I feel everyone did a great job and it is appreciated.

I’d like to.make this stop a celebration of the author/poets who contributed to the anthology-those who shared their work on the tour and those who weren’t able to join us. They are all talented poets, and I feel fortunate to feature their lovely works in a WordCrafter poetry anthology.

Tour Schedule

April 21-28 – Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, by Kaye Lynne Booth, et.al.

Mon. 4/21 – Opening Day- Writing to be Read – (Intro. post & Book Trailer)

Tues 4/22 – Colleen Writes & Publishes – (Dawn Pisturino. Guest Post)

Wed. 4/23 – Patty’s Worlds – (Michelle Navajas Guest Post)

Thurs. 4/24 – Carla Loves to Read– (Ivor Steven’s Reading)

Fri. 4/25 – Poetry By Mich – (Barbara Harris Leonhard Reading)

Sat. 4/26 – Book Places – (DL Mullan Reading)

Sun. 4/27 – Writing to be Read – (Wrap up) – Undawnted (Interview with Dawn Pisturino)

Today we have a double stop. Along with the final stop here, we have DL Mullen interviewing Dawn Pisturino over at Un dawnted. You can’t comment on that site, but you can leave your comments for DL and Dawn here. And here on Writing to be Read, I’ll be introducing you to the contributing poets who did not provide content for the tour. Their valuable contributions to the anthology are not to be overlooked, for it was a group effort that made this anthology such an exceptional collection of poetry.

About Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures

A cup of tea sitting on books with a dawn landscape in the backgrouind Text: Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, A WordCrafter Poetry Anthology, Compiled and Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth and Robbie Cheadle.

Open the cover

and you will discover

Poetry Treasures

from the guests on

Robbie Cheadle’s 2024

“Treasuring Poetry”

blog series

on Writing to be Read.

Join poets DL Mullan, Barbara Harris Leonhard, Jude Itakali, Ivor Steven, Robbie Cheadle, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Gwen M. Plano, Elizabeth Gauffreau, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pasturino, Maggie Watson, and Colleen Chesebro share their own small pleasures in poetic verse.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures

Giveaway

This tour we’re giving away digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures to three lucky winners. Follow the tour and comment at each stop, so we’ll know you were there. You’ll be entered for another chance in the giveaway at each stop. Winners are chosen through a random drawing by WordCrafter Press. Winners will be announce in tomorrow’s “WordCrafter News”.

Meet the Contributors Who Didn’t Make the Tour

Robbie Cheadle

That’s it for today’s stop on Writing to be Read. Be sure to visit the second part of this double stop over at Un dawnted, where DL Mullan is interviewing author/contributor Dawn Pisturino. I hope you enjoyed the tour and the poetry samples shared enough to get you to buy the book. By using the Books2Read UBL, above, you can purchase from your favorite distributor around the world. Be sure to drop by and catch tomorrow’s “WordCrafter News”, here on Writing to be Read, to find out who the winners in the giveaway are.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Welcome to the “Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” Book Blog Tour

Posted: April 21, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Editing, Giveaways, Poetry, Treasuring Poetry, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Barbara Harris Leonhard, Colleen Chesebro, David Bogomolny, Dawn Pistrurino, DL Mullan, Elizabeth Gauffreau, Gwen M. Plano, Ivor Steven, Jude Itakali, Kaye Lynne Booth, Maggie Watson, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Poetry, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 27 Comments

Picture Caption: WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Tour Banner

Welcome to the WordCrafter Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures Book Blog Tour. We have a great tour planned, and I hope you all will stick with us and visit each stop, because comments at each stop enters you for another chance to win one of three digital copies of Poetry Treasures 5 in our giveaway. We’ve got guest posts from from contributors Michelle Ayon Navajas and Dawn Pisturino, readings from Barbara Harris Leonhard, Ivor Steven, and DL Mullen, and a special interview with Dawn Pisturino. Plus you may find a couple of early reviews from our wonderful tour hosts. So please join us and follow along on the schedule below to learn more about this outstanding poetry anthology and enjoy a few Small Pleasures.

Tour Schedule

April 21-28 – Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, by Kaye Lynne Booth, et.al.

Mon. 4/21 – Opening Day- Writing to be Read – (Intro. post & Book Trailer)

Tues 4/22 – Colleen Writes & Publishes – (Dawn Pisturino. Guest Post)

Wed. 4/23 – Patty’s Worlds – (Michelle Navajas Guest Post)

Thurs. 4/24 – Carla Loves to Read– (Ivor Steven’s Reading)

Fri. 4/25 – Poetry By Mich – (Barbara Harris Leonhard Reading)

Sat. 4/26 – Book Places – (DL Mullan Reading)

Sun. 4/27 – Writing to be Read – (Wrap up) – Undawnted (Interview with Dawn Pisturino)

About Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures

Open the cover

and you will discover

Poetry Treasures

from the guests on

Robbie Cheadle’s 2024

“Treasuring Poetry”

blog series

on Writing to be Read.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/PT5-SmallPleasures

Giveaway

Book Trailer

A special thanks goes out to Teagan Genevieve for our lovely book trailer. Thank you so much Teagan.

About the Editors

You will meet some of the contributors along the way on this tour, but in this opening day post, I’d like ton tell you a little about the editors who put this project together and made it happen. I also thought it might be interesting to share a brief glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes when putting together a poetry anthology, which I hope you’ll find of interest.

Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

My job is to edit the final manuscript, format and publish it. I find poetry to be a personal endeavor, so I do very little editing of the actual poems for fear of changing the poet’s meaning, since poetry often does not follow the rules of grammar and punctuation which apply to the English language. In addition, we have poets from all over the globe included in the anthology, which makes for variation in style and differences in spellings, so I pretty much leave the poetry as is unless it is something I know is a typo or mistaken word.

But the person who truly makes this anthology possible is my co-editor, Robbie Cheadle, who finds and schedules poets to be interviewed on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series on Writing to be Read. It is Robbie who selects and interviews each poet, and she usually reviews their latest release, as well. Then, at the end of the year, Robbie sends out invitations to the anthology and collects and compiles all the materials into a manuscript before turning it over to me. Without Robbie to do all of the preliminary work, there would not be any Poetry Treasures Anthologies. I couldn’t do it without her.

Robbie Cheadle

South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

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

You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

That’s it for today’s stop. I hope I gave you enough of a taste of this delectable poetry anthology to make you want to sample more. There are several more tasty morsels from then contributing authors along the way. Join us tomorrow, on Colleen Writes & Publishes, where author/poet Dawn Pisturino will share a guest post and poetry from Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Review in Practice: “Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere”

Posted: March 24, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Nonfiction, Review in Practice, Writing, Writing Resource | Tags: Essoe's Writing Guides: Mood & Atmosphere, Joshua Essoe, Kaye Lynne Booth, Review in Practice, Writing Reference, Writing to be Read | 3 Comments

I was received a digital copy of this writing reference as a part of the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle currated by Kevin J. Anderson, which also featured my writing reference, The D.I.Y. Author.

I recently started writing one of three stories that have been bouncing around in my head for the Curses themed anthology, which WordCrafter Press will put out in September of 2025, and I feel mood and atmosphere will be extremely important in telling the stories for this collection that I want to tell. The one I just started has a working title of “The Curse of the Death Clock” begins in France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte and the right atmosphere for the setting is going to be a challenge.

I read Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere with the writing of the Curses stories in mind and I’ll be keeping them in the forefront of my mind as I write this first story. To try and set the right mood and atmosphere for these Curses stories, I’ve implemented the exercise in Chapter 3 and started a word list which aligns with the mood I’m going for, which is slight unease and a feeling of doom. As with all the tools in my writing tool box, I’ll keep all my new tools on hand as I write the other two stories.

However, as I read, I found suggestions that can be use to improve mood and atmosphere in by taking another look at my sentence structure and word choices, as well as my pacing, in my latest WIP, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, which I just got back from my beta reader and I’m preparing to do a final edit. I’m using another exercise from Chapter 3 to help nail the pacing for this story, which is very fast, with lots of action, making a list of keywords from a story which evoked a strong emotional reaction, which I’m aiming for in my own tale. The book I’ve chosen is Velocity, by Dean Koontz. The man is a master of suspense and knows how to keep the pages turning. I’ll also be taking another look at the conflicts in this story for parallels and counterpoints to the main conflict. Essoe includes many useful writing exercises to illustrate his points and can be used with WIPs, to improve on current projects.

I found useful exercises in chapter four on setting and atmosphere which I plan to utilize with yet another story, an out and out horror for Midnight Oil. Robbie is helping me with the research on this one, since it involves zombie elephants. Because of the subject area, the setting will be one that I am unable to visit and experience for myself. Robbie’s expertise will be a great help in this area, but I’m going to have to work to achieve the right atmosphere, and “The Shorthand” exercise will be useful. I’ll be taking note of possible points of interest and the emotional impact it has on my characters when describing the South African savannah setting. Most of my characters move my stories forward through action and dialog, but I think in this story, their internal reactions will be particularly important.

I’m picking and choosing the pieces that I feel I need to work on in the stories I’m working on for 2025, but Essoe gives us a list of eight tools which make up mood and atmosphere, and suggests that we should use at least five of them in every story we write to develop a strong, purposeful mood. In The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, I think I have a few already in place, so I’ll be working on those I may be missing. With the Curses and Midnight Oil stories, I’ll be implementing these tools from the start. The other story I have planned for 2025 is the third book in my Women in the West adventure series, Marta, and while I’ve begun an outline for that novel, it requires such a completely different mood that I think I’ll hone my skills with the other stories first, but I know I’ll be referring back to Essoe’s Writing Guides: Mood & Atmosphere when the time comes to get that one on the page.

About Essoe’s Guides to Writing: Mood & Atmosphere

Mood and Atmosphere defines and delves into the 8 primary tools used to create the emotional framework of your story–its emotionality–by breaking them down into easy-access chapters on:

Plot and structure blueprinting your intended emotionality
Pacing that steers your story line-by-line and chapter-by-chapter
Language and word choice guiding your story in the most direct relationship with readers
Setting developing an atmosphere that will make readers experience your world
Character expression creating powerful moods that will make readers feel their traumas and triumphs
Conflict controlling the ebb and flow of your emotionality throughout your story
Theme acting as the conductor, setting your emotionality to a purpose
Reader expectation and what promises you must keep or can use to throw in twists

Purchase Link: https://www.joshuaessoe.com/product-page/mood-and-atmosphere-e-book-1

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, her the first three books in her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends, her poetry collection, Small Wonders, and her writer’s resource, The D.I.Y. Author. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This segment of “Review in Practice” is sponsored by the Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

Historical Women’s Fiction

Get Your Copy Today!

Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1

Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West

Marta: Coming in 2025

Writer’s Corner: Listening to Your Characters

Posted: March 3, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Character Development, Dialogue, Fiction, WordCrafter Press, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing Process | Tags: characters, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writer's Corner, Writing Process, Writing to be Read | 11 Comments

Do your characters talk to you? I’ve met authors who say, “How could they? They aren’t real. They are fictional characters which I made up.” But if you are in touch with the characters which you created, I don’t see how they could not talk to you. I believe these authors who claim to not hear their characters maybe just aren’t listening.

My characters talk to me and help guide my stories. My characters refuse to stay silent. I don’t actually hear or see them, of course, but they do talk to me in my head. I hear the dialog as it goes on the page, and they are sure to tell me if I get it wrong.

I recall when this first happened while writing my first novel, Delilah. There was a scene in the story which I recognized wasn’t working, but I couldn’t figure out why. I sat in front of my computer re-reading the chapter, which was the dialog of a conversation between Delilah and another character. I said to myself, “Something isn’t right here, but what is it?” And a voice in my head replied, “I wouldn’t react that way.” Re-reading it once more, I realized that the voice of Delilah was right. I had my character reacting in a certain way because it was necessary in order for events in the future to occur, but it wasn’t a reaction that would come naturally from the character I had created. I rewrote the conversation, changing Delilah’s reaction to be true to her character, and it changed the direction of the story, completely. It required extensive revisions throughout the story, including total rewrites of the chapters which came after that scene, but it made it a much better tale than the one I had planned to write, so it was better for the story in the long run.

While writing Sarah, my character hijacked a conversation between her, Big Nose Kate, and a high-society woman, and her opinions on corsets set off an unexpected suffrage movement in Glenwood Springs, complete with a protest and corset burning. When I began writing the story, I had no idea that this would happen in the book, but when I placed the words upon the page, it all just clicked, and I said, “Oh, yeah”.

With both books in my Time Travel Adventure series every chapter is paired with a song. All of Amaryllis’ music was done by The Pretty Reckless, which first inspired her character. But for LeRoy and the other characters who were given P.O.V. in the second book, the music from various artists were used. As I perused the radio stations, searching for just the right song for each chapter. I can think of several times when a song I wasn’t familiar with would come on and LeRoy would give my mind a nudge that said, “Listen to this song.” Paying attention to what he had to say, I focused on the music, listening to the lyrics, and found that the song was perfect for a specific chapter, and the song ended up in the book and on LeRoy’s play list.

Of course, I’m aware that my character’s voices are really voices from my own subconscious, because every one of the characters I create are a part of me. But being in touch with them enough to them to hear their voices in my head makes them feel more like old friends and helps me bring the story to life.

We all have the ability to hear our characters if we’ll only listen to what they have to say. I’ve found that their observations are right on the money. My stories turn out better for listening to them. So, tell me. Do you listen to your characters?

About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.

The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.

Get Your Copy Now.

Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird

Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle

Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee